SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMME - Durban General & Durban Finance

On a hot sunny KZN day in the second week of September, 8 members of Manpower Durban - Finance and General paid a planned visit to Thembisa Ministries in Hillcrest. Both teams had managed to buy a car-boot full of no perishable food-articles and also present two cheques for R500 each. Thembisa is situated in this elite suburban residential area, but has many rural neighbours on its perimeter. Embo Valley is just one such neighbour. When first time buyers Andrew and Rae Wartnaby bought their property in Westriding, Hillcrest over 10 years ago, they were unsuspecting of what lay behind their overgrown fenced back garden. They lived there for almost two years before the came into contact with the reality of Aids, its orphans and sheer poverty. On an eventful day almost 8 years ago, they were approached by a local Embo Valley resident, who described an impoverished Gogo (Granny) who was desperate and unable to feed her orphaned grand-children. On investigation and visit to her rickety overcrowded hut in the Embo Valley, Andrew discovered that the Gogo was indeed in dire circumstances - to the point of digging in rubbish bins. Andrew offered her some money, but she refused to accept it, for fear of victimization. A distraught Andrew returned home and with his wifes's help put together a small food parcel. Since then Andrew and Rae Wartnaby have both given up full time employment and devoted their lives to feeding and helping orphans. Although their sacrifice is humbling and extra-ordinary to everybody, they speak only of the miracles they have encountered along the way and how they do it to be obedient to a personal Saviour.
Thembisa Ministries which is born out of Heart Ministries now hands out weekly food parcels which assist in feeding 600 Aids orphans and Gogo's. They also run a soup kitchen and sponsor school fees. Andrew explained that since the first food parcel there has not been a week that they have not been able to hand out parcels. They are totally unsponsored by any organization on a regular basis and survive only on faith and unexpected support. It was indeed a glorious and memorable occasion to be able to help in a small way. Both branches feel that it was a worthwhile exercise and look to continue to being involved with community help projects in the future.