Birthday: June 19, 2004. Andiswa (An-dees-wah) arrived at the children's village in June 2010. She is a very outgoing child and loves playing with the other children. She was abandoned at an early age and was placed in several foster homes before coming to our village. Andiswa suffers from severe eczema and is doing well with treatment. She has a granny that loves her and takes very good care of her. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: March 21, 2009. Asizwe (A-seize-way) arrived at the Children's Village in March 2010. His mother went to the hospital when she was pregnant with him to get an abortion but she was too far along. She was HIV positive and left him in a pub when he was six months old. Several months later, she committed suicide. He was under weight and small but always had a smile. He is very curious and just started walking after his birthday. He is doing well and loves his granny. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: August 5, 2001. Ayanda (a-yon-da) means a growing family or addition. Helicopter pilots found her in an empty field, where she had been raped and left to die. She was about ten months old. They took her to a local hospital, where she recovered from injuries. She was then placed in foster care. After her foster mother had a stroke, she was no longer able to care for her. She now lives with us and is happy to be with the other children and granny where she can be cared for and loved. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: February 15, 2006. Blessing arrived at the children's village in December 2011. His mother is HIV positive and lives in a shelter. She has no home, family or job and is no longer able to take care of him. Blessing is a fine young man and is excited to be with us. He is a pleasant boy and has a beautiful smile. He loves his new granny and is very helpful with chores. He no longer has to worry about where he will live. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: June 3, 2009. Busi (Bu-see) arrived at the Children's Village in April 2009. Her name means “bless.” Busi was one of the first children to arrive at the children's village. She was placed with an elderly white couple through a pregnancy crisis center at birth. She only spoke English when she arrived. Her granny has taught her Zulu. Now she can speak fluently in English and Zulu. She loves her granny and enjoys going to school. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: March 1, 2004. Kosi (Ko-see) arrived at the Children's Village on October 24, 2009 with his sister and two brothers. His name means “king or chief.” His 9-year old sister was raising him. His father died of a HIV-related illness, and his mother abandoned him. He was very quiet and sad. He speaks Zulu and can say a few English words. He is now smiling all the time and talks frequently. He enjoys going to church and school. He also likes having good meals and a nice bed and a granny who tells him she loves him. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: November 18, 2008. Noliyolo (Noly-yo-low) arrived at the children's village on June 3, 2010 with her two brothers. Her name means “grace of God.” Her mother died of a HIV-related illness. She is also HIV positive. Her CD4 count is high enough so she does not need ARV's at this time. She has beautiful eyes and seems so serious. She loves to eat and only cries when she is hungry. She was not walking when she arrived and was malnourished. Now, she appears healthy. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: October 15, 2004. Nteboheleng (n-teh-bow-ha-ling) means “be grateful to me.” Her nickname is Ntebo. When she was four years old, her mother had another baby, her brother Siyabonga. Their mother became ill with the HIV virus. Ntebo had to take care of the baby, wash the clothes by hand and give her mother the medication (ARV's). A year later the mother gave up and did not want to take the medicine any more and died June 2010. Ntebo's grandmother is also deceased. Now, she and her brother don't have to worry about being alone any more. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: November 19, 2008. Sabelo (Sah-bel-o) arrived at the children's village on October 24, 2009 with his sister and two brothers. His name means “an answer.” He was undersized for his age when he arrived. He was sad and had been dehydrated at times. He is now healthy, playing, speaking and enjoying life at the village. He was devastated when his granny Rosina passed; however, he has begun to adjust to his new granny well. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: December 23, 2005. Sandile (San-dee-lay) arrived at the children's village in August 2010. His mother died when he was two years old. He had been placed in several foster homes before coming to our village. Sandile is a quiet and happy child. He smiles a lot and is very pleasant. He loves to play with the other children, loves his new granny and has a vivid imagination. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: January 26, 2007. Sfundo (S-foon-dough) arrived at the children's village on October 24, 2009 with his sister and two brothers. His name means learning'.” When he arrived, he was sad. He also had beads tied around his waist. Someone placed these on him to keep evil spirits away. Others say he wore them to keep him from being hungry. These were removed immediately. Now, he appears healthy, with lots of energy. He is always smiling and laughing. He has a granny that loves him very much. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: July 18, 2004. Sindisiwe means “saved or rescued.” She arrived at the children's village in December 2011 with her sister, Zama. Her mother passed away a couple of years ago. Before arriving, she was living with her father, who sexually assaulted Zama. Afterwards, the children were removed and placed in a place of safety. Sindi is a very sweet and loving child. We are excited about her future and are glad we were able to save her from the circumstances in which she and here sister were living. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: October 9, 2010. Siyabonga (see-ya-bone-ga) means “we thank you.” He is the brother of Nteboheleng and came to the children's village in November 2010. He is a happy baby and loves his new granny. His mother died in June 2010 after discontinuing her medicine for AIDS. He smiles and laughs a lot and is doing well. He loves playing with his sister and the other children in the home. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: July 13, 2009. Siyamthanda means “we love him” in Zulu. His mother was living on the streets and unable to care for him. He is now learning to talk and to develop socially with other children. He was in the hospital for awhile with a chest infection which appears to be tuberculosis. He is currently taking medication. He is a happy little boy who is responding very well to his new granny and family. It is amazing how God's love can change the life of a child. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: April 30, 2000. Sizakele (Siz-a-kelly) and her three brothers arrived at the children's village on October 24, 2009. She did speak only Zulu at first, but now she is learning English. Her father died of a HIV-related illness. He mother abandoned her and her siblings. Social services removed them from their small shack, where they had been seriously neglected. Before arriving, she was a victim of rape. She never attended school. She also was raising her three brothers by herself. She now has a smile on her face and is attending school. She has expressed that she feels safe and happy at the village. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: July 28, 2006. Tshwarelo (Swa-rel-o) arrived at the children's village in April 2009. She had been raised by the same white family as Busi since birth. Family members unexpectedly showed up and took her from the family in 2008 for about six weeks, but they returned her stating that they could not care for her. She was very traumatized by this situation. She would scream and cry each time we would get into the car to go places. Now that she feels safe, she often reminds us that she does not cry when we go places. She enjoys her new family and home. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: October 11, 2004. Thembinkosi (Tim-ba-in-ko-see) arrived at the children's village with his brother and sister on June 3, 2010. His name means “hope in God.” He is a very loving and carefree boy. He is also extremely athletic. His mother died of a HIV-related illness. Now, he appears happy to have a granny that loves him and a safe place to live with his siblings. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: September 19, 2001. Yamkela means “receive” in Xhosa. His mother was a teenage girl who was raped and now has HIV. After having Yamkela, she ran away from home. His grandmother works on a farm and is struggling financially. Because she cannot care for him, she was so excited when she found out he was coming to our place. She wants to keep in touch with him and is so happy he has a nice place to stay. His new granny loves him and plays with him all the time. We are so happy we were able to rescue him and are looking forward to seeing him grow into a wonderful young man. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: June 3, 1999. Zama means “to try'” in Zulu. Her mother passed away a couple of years ago. She was living with her stepfather and stepmother. In May 2011, her stepfather sexually assaulted her over a two-day period. She went to her neighbors, who were friends and asked for help. The called the police, who arrested the stepfather. She was put into a place of safety. Zama is now HIV positive as a result of the sexual abuse. She is doing well and is so happy to be with the granny and in a place where she knows she will be safe. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: September 22, 2011. Zinhle arrived at the children's village in early October 2011. She was only twelve days old. Her name means “precious,” and she is a beautiful and precious little girl. Zinhle’s mother abandoned her at a government hospital. She was our first baby and has won the hearts of all of us. Our granny was able to name her. She has recently been adopted and no longer lives with us; however, we feel a big part of her life and hope to stay in touch with her new family, who were unable to conceive a child of their own. She lives about 3 miles from the village. Adoption possiblity is something we must accept when we take in a baby. Sponsor this child by clicking here.
Birthday: May 16, 1948. Granny Leah has four children and seven grandchildren. She arrived at the Children's Village in February 2010. She worked as a nanny and domestic worker for many years. Leah grew up at a mission that was founded by an American pastor. She is the fifth child of six children. Leah loves knitting and sewing. She has a sweet and kind personality and loves children. She is very quiet but has lots of wisdom. Sponsor this house mother by clicking here.
Birthday: January 9, 1951. Granny Mavis has six children and four grandchildren. She came to the children's village in November 2011. Mavis' parents were divorced. Later, her mother married a pastor when Mavis was about fourteen years old. She started attending church and became a Christian. Mavis has an outgoing personality and is always smiling and happy. She loves children and is extremely good at teaching them Bible stories. She is such an inspiration and we are excited to have her at the children's village. Sponsor this house mother by clicking here.
Birthday: May 3, 1947. Granny Minah has three children and five grandchildren. She arrived at the Children's Village in July 2010. Minah worked as a domestic worker for the same family for fifteen years and another family for thirteen years. She loves to sew, make shoes, beads and many other things. She is the fifth of eight children and grew up on a farm. Minah has a sweet and quiet personality. She loves helping children and has a very tender heart for them. Sponsor this house mother by clicking here.
Birthday: April 6, 1953. Selina came to our village in April 2011 after the death of granny Rosina. She has five children and twelve grandchildren. Selina was married for a number of years to an alcoholic husband who was abusive and now deceased. In 1987, some people were hired by a neighbor to break into her house and kill her. They stabbed her multiple times in front of her children and left her for dead. One of her kids ran out of the back door and asked some neighbors to come help. She was taken to the hospital and stayed there a month until she recovered. She became a Christian in 2002. Granny Rosina always passed her house on the way to church and invited her to come. She feels God has really blessed her and she is happy to be at the Children's Village to help the children and share God's love for them. Sponsor this house mother by clicking here.
Birthday: March 23, 1953. Granny Rosina has one son and four grandchildren. She came to the Children's Village in March 2009. Rosina worked as a school crossing guard and domestic worker for many years. She has sponsored many of her family members by paying school fees and other items for education. She was the main bread-winner in her family. She was the youngest of her siblings but was approached to problem solve and handle all the problems for the family. Rosina has a very outgoing personality and loves working with children. She has a desire to raise children to come to know the Lord and live for Him. Granny Rosina was our first granny who came in March 2009. She passed away in April 2011 and will truly be missed. She was never able to have children of her own and loved helping with kids. She really helped us in the first stages of the project and we will always remember her dedication and unselfish spirit. Sponsor this house mother's memory by clicking here.
A.I.D.S. orphans a child every 14 seconds in South Africa. A.I.D.S. has orphaned some 13 million children in southern Africa. Since the beginning of the A.I.D.S. epidemic, 83% of the deaths have been in Africa. At least 95% of all A.I.D.S. orphans have been in African.
