N for Nurturing is the third letter of our acronym M.E.N.D and if you have missed our articles on Mentoring and Education, you can read it by clicking on the links.
We are truly grateful that despite all the challenges, trials and uncertainties, we could at the end look back at 2020 and just stand in awe on how the Lord has provided for Joshua Project.
We hope that you will enjoy this article as we tried to capture 2020 in a glance.
As our whole country came to a practical stand still due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were greatly affected as well by the means of our normal daily routines.
Upon receiving the news that schools have to close as from 18 March as a precaution till 14 April, we had a meeting to get an action plan in place as we know that the children who attend Joshua Project is already in vulnerable circumstances, we could not afford to just send them home as if it is just a school holiday. The team worked very hard in order to get the action plan executed with lots of love.
In order to take care of both the children as well as the team, we decided to make up food parcels for the children. Record was kept of who collected a food parcel for Jeffreys Bay area and the parcels for Humansdorp was delivered to the homes by one of our volunteers and auxilliary social worker.
The first weekly parcels were handed out on 26 March and we continued with the food parcel drive till December.
This could also not have been possible without the generous help from various individual as well as organization who donated towards this drive. Although we do not mention them all by name, know that we appreciate your investment into the lives of the children who attend Joshua Project.
We would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Jonti and Denton for the countless hours it took them to deliver our food parcels to each beneficiary’s home. We truly appreciate your valued time and sacrifices. Also a huge heartful thanks to Pastor Baartman for the use of their delivery truck.
Sustainable Vegetable Garden
During lockdown we realised that we need to go back to basics and that is food gardens.
Our food garden served a great purpose during lock down. We could supply veggies to our beneficiaries as well as extend to the greater community by supplying fresh produce to the temporarily homeless shelter.
We realised that having a sustainable food garden, will serve the project more efficiently.
Volunteers gave up their time to re-design our food garden in order for it to become a sustainable food garden, not only feeding the children but to generate income for us as well.
Lunga Mlangeni, our project manager went on a Farming God’s Way Training with the help of The Co-Op Community Trust and together with dedicated volunteers, the garden is taking on a new form.
Watch this space for further development.
If you want to invest into the lives of the children by working the soil of our vegetable garden, contact us https://joshuaproject.co.za/contact/
