May 2004
The poorest of the poor need housing too!
Their shacks are open to the weather and the rats.
I met Martin Vorster in Washington, D.C. at the Prescription for Hope Conference on HIV/AIDS. I identified with him when he described the call of God he and his wife Terry received to serve among the poorest of the poor in Mamelodi, a black township located near Pretoria, South Africa. In response to God's call, the Vorsters began traveling daily from their white suburban neighborhood to work in the black township. But they realized that to be accepted by the people, they must live among them. Here is part of their story.
"God has called us to work among the poorest of the poor, living simply so that others may simply live. We are called to serve needy individuals, ensuring that those who have been rejected and marginalized by society are given hope in Christ and the opportunity to work, thereby increasing their sense of self-worth and self-sufficiency.
Soon aher we moved into the township, we discovered that we were surrounded by single mothers. Often among society's poor, when women become pregnant, the men do not stick around. As a result, a woman may have three or four children all by different fathers. Many of the women have contracted AIDS and—because they have no one else to care for them—it is up to us.
By the time they die, a relationship has been built with the family, especially the children, and we then have the responsibility of caring for them. When we first became involved with AIDS sufferers, we were living in a small house in the township. Many times their homes were indescribably poor and family members abused them. Some families would even withhold food and water to hasten their death. We could see no option but to take these women into our home.
We are currently giving daily care to 74 orphans or soon-to-be orphans as well as other poor and needy children. We provide their food, clothing, and school costs. We care for them as though they were our own children. As we see the needs that need to be addressed we often face a major one. . .
The Need for Safe Housing
Because so many live in dilapidated shacks, we use our funds, as we are able, to build new shacks for them. But that is not really a solution. The shacks are open to the weather and the invasion of rats. What they really need is safe, inexpensive, secure, permanent housing.
The low cost houses we want to provide are simple one or two room structures with an indoor toilet and shower and an open kitchen. Building these houses will have the additional benefit of providing work for a number of the poor in our training programs. It will create work for builders and for others to make the building blocks. We will train and set up a few individuals in business to build the houses."
As we have opportunity to interface with the poor and needy and with some of the heroic people who seek to
alleviate their suffering in the name of Jesus, we will continue to present the needs they face and the opportunities to help. Charis is committed to help MTM replace shacks with simple, but safe and secure housing for as many people as possible. This will be the largest project that we have undertaken.
The cost of a single-room house is approximately $7,000. A two-room house will cost nearly $11,000.
