History
Seven years ago, in a particularly poor area of Soweto, a small church was established, which grew rapidly. A member of the congregation had a heart for the children of this community. Many vulnerable children were living alone in tin shacks in the area. During the winter, she began to take little orphans into her kitchen at night to get them out of the cold. When Linda and Mike van Dyk saw this, they immediately decided to build something adjacent to the house to provide more room for the children. These compassionate acts of love laid the groundwork for Joining Hands. The children were later moved to better accommodations in Randfontein, a small town about 15 miles away. |
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At Joining Hands, the children are part of a loving family under the care of their house mother. They attend nearby government-run schools and participate in the local sporting activities. They have formal teaching and discipling programs, led by one of the orphanage's directors, Linda, and active volunteers. In addition, the Joining Hands family attends a nearby church, where they are active in children’s church and the youth group. Most weekends, the orphanage directors or friendly volunteers take the children for an outing. Every year, during the July school vacation, they have are blessed with a week-long holiday. This year,they saw ocean for this first time!
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Vision
Joining Hands is currently pursuing a partnership with another South African orphanage, which is home to 37 children. Their mission is to accept children regardless of race, sex or medical status. Together with Joining Hands, their vision is to build a children's village on a farm, about an hour's drive outside of Johannesburg. This children's village will include many small homes, each containing 6 children and a housemother. Each of these houses will function as a family, providing loving attention and top quality care for every child.
Growing in this nurturing environment, children will be equipped as part of the next generation of leaders who will serve Africa. |