Second Table Ministries
"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself....'" Mark 12:31
WATER IN MPUMLANGA PROVINCE
Clean water availability is a desperate problem in most rural areas of South Africa. The village of Kgautswane in Mpumalanga Province presents a classic example of this critical problem. Here is how most of Kgautswane's 10,000 residents obtain and transport their water:
These trips are often made many times daily. Imagine the physical toll!
During delivery of Hippo Rollers in 2007 STM became aware of a significant water system of good wells (called "boreholes"), reservoirs, and a distribution pipeline that had been built over a decade ago. It has failed soon after construction because the newly forming governmental entity was not trained or equipped to operate and manage the system. Most of the people in the valley continue to carry all their water by five gallon buckets. Kgaustwane is now plagued by new and growing outbreaks of cholera and other diseases usually associated with polluted water.
Working with community leaders, and leaders in URCSA and the DRC, STM identified the engineer who had significant responsibility to design and install the system that was put in place. We have connected with him several times and he has been asked by the local municipality to design a system renovation that will get this back in operation. The revised system involves less maintenance and therefore will be far more sustainable. If this can be made operational it will provide fresh, clean water to some 80 standpipes and thousands of people throughout this part of the valley. Engineers estimate the cost to be about R2,500,000 (or appox. $350,000 at today's exchange rate).
STM has committed to raise $100,000 of the funds required for this renovation - provided certain conditions are met and the balance of the funds needed are obtained from other sources.
The Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa and the Dutch Reformed Church held a series of community meetings and then applied for government assistance to help complete the renovation. The Sekhukhune District Municipality agreed to assist with additional funding. Negotiations and fund raising efforts are underway to assure the project is fully funded and that local officials are properly trained in management and operation of the system.
COLLABORATION AT MARANATHA URCSA IN SEBOKENG
STM is also partnering with the Maranatha Uniting Reformed Church (URCSA) in Sebokeng and the Driehoek Dutch Reformed Church in Vanderbijlpark (both south of Johannesburg). Maranatha is a vibrant church serving in a difficult settlement area where jobless rates approach 90%. As with most other URCSA churches, Maranatha is significantly active in service to their community. Often they are the only safety net for people in desperate straights. Services they provide, in addition to the traditional worship and diaconal functions, include crime prevention initiatives, HIV/AIDS ministry, senior citizens services, substance abuse training and a variety of youth programs. As they serve, they grow. Our initial joint project was expansion of their church facility to help serve this growing congregation. The current membership has grown from 800 in February, 2009 to 1,370 today!
A likely focus for STM will be on Maranatha's daughter church, Klipkop. One must see to believe what they are using for facilities in this neighborhood. The "church" is a 12' x 15' corrugated shack with one window.
Children sing for us at Klipkop
Pit Toilet Seat
It is boiling hot in summer, leaks when it rains, freezes when its cold, and usually the wind whistles through the broken tin sidewalls. Behind the church is a pit toilet - the "seat" is made with spaced tree branches supported on each side by the frame for the toilet pit. There is no toilet paper or running water.
Church elders lead worship here every other Sunday (the other two Sundays each month members are transported to the Maranatha church by bus paid for by a member of Driehook DRC).
Local government has now provided a building lot on which the new church/community center will be built. STM hopes to be significantly involved and to encourage another North American church to be significantly involved in the launch of the new Klipkop church.
Life in the Klipkop Neighborhood
Please contact us if you feel
compelled to help us in this
ministry - including possibly
some personal involvement.
ALIWAL NORTH
Aliwal North is a small city in a rural area in the Eastern Cape, about 150 miles southeast of Bloemfontein. As in most of South Africa, this is a city from two worlds. There is a small, white, mostly middle class world scattered in the edges, but the majority of people are desperately poor black folks whose families are packed into tiny corrugated shacks. One isolated neighborhood at the edge of town has about 300 of these shacks each packed with up to eight or ten people. 
They have just one water tap and one outdoor pit toilet for this entire community.
They have just one water tap and one outdoor pit toilet for this entire community. Our connection with Aliwal North is through BADISA, a joint ministry of the DRC and the URCSA Cape Synods. (BADISA is a Tswana word that means shepherd/care-giver/elder.) In South Africa, churches are a mainstay in providing whatever limited safety net there is for people in need. In Aliwal North there is a beginning working relationship with other Christian organizations in their efforts to serve some of the overwhelming needs in that community. 
STM has contributed $18,750 toward expansion of their church that will also be used as a community center. It will include the creche and a full kitchen for continuation of the daily meals program for children.
Children Lining up for Food
In December, 2009 volunteers from the Aliwal North URCSA church erected the exterior walls and roof support beams. STM is now working with them to raise funds for the completion of the building. 
This could be a great project for a North American church in partnership with the Aliwal North URCSA church and STM. Contact us if you are interested in connecting with us and with them.
