What an experience it’s been

July 18, 2011

“The last concert of the tour took place at the JL Zwane Training & Development Centre (Gugulethu, Cape Town) and featured a joint concert with the Fezeka Choir.  The Fezeka Choir is a high school choir, and the concert was supported by many community friends and family. The choirs had spent the afternoon practising together and shared a meal prior to the concert.  Many email addresses were exchanged following the concert – evidence good friendships had been established. 

Helping hands and new friendships made

July 15, 2011

“What a day We Care day was! The choir visited the Siyabonga Helping Hands – an after school/community program (supported by one of the member churches of LUCSA). The Siyabonga Helping Hands children’s choir sang for the SCC (you’ve never heard kids sing with this level of volume and energy!) and the SCC sang for the Siyabonga Helping Hands children.

SCC member with a new friend at Siyabonga Helping Hands, South Africa

“The SCC also presented the We Care kits they brought with them to South Africa. I had the opportunity to explain to the children what was inside the kits and the relationship of CLWR & the choir. We then all enjoyed sandwiches together and an hour of play on the playground. It was wonderful to see the Siyabonga Helping Hands children take the hand of the SCC children and share traditional games common to both groups such as skipping, rhythm games, and circle ball games. A few also enjoyed the use of their new-found SCC friend’s digital camera to take pictures of each other and then view them together. At the end, when the kits were given to the Siyabonga Helping Hands children as they left, it was lovely watching them  dig into their We Care bag and shriek over the items they discovered inside. A few adults from the villages were there as well and appeared just as happy as the children to discover the items in the We Care bags  – such as the plush toy.

“It was a happy and moving sight to watch them walk back to their village with We Care bags in

Enjoying their We Care kits!

hand and huge smiles on their faces. As we passed some children on the road, I rolled down the window, Rev Mathe (General Secretary of LUCSA) turned up the African music in the van, and the children along the side of the road danced to the music with We Care bags in hand.

The evening featured a concert by the SCC at the Hillside Lutheran Church where admission fees further supported the Siyabonga Helping Hands Center and where I was able to briefly share the work of CLWR and its relationship to the partners (SCC, LUCSA & ELCSA) supporting the choir tour and shipment CLWR will make to the region.” – Irma

It’s We Care day!

July 14, 2011

The Saskatoon Children's Choir packed lots of We Care kits!

“Today is We Care Day for the SCC in South Africa!  They have been carrying the We Care kits in their bags, eagerly anticipating this day. This will be their opportunity to give to children in the Siyabonga Centre the school resources they have generated and brought with them as a token of the larger donation provided to CLWR’s We Care program.

“The day will include a visit to the Siyabonga Helping Hands at the Esigodini Centre, and then a concert this evening at the Hayfields Lutheran Church – the church that directly supports this centre (and member of the Lutheran Communion in South Africa – LUCSA).” – Irma

Saskatoon Children’s Choir performs with South Africa’s Drakensberg Boys Choir

July 14, 2011

“Wednesday (yesterday) was a very special day for the SCC Choir who have been anticipating the concert with the Drakensberg Boys Choir for some time.

Hopeful progress in South African communities ravaged by HIV/AIDS

July 13, 2011

“I’ve spent the last couple of days with Lutheran Development Service (the development arm of ELCSA), specifically with Ashmeer Joseph, visiting a number of projects/communities that will be receiving some of the goods we are shipping. 

A concert to benefit St. Peter’s Child Care & a moving visit to The Apartheid Museum

July 9, 2011

“Today the choir and the rest of the group were presented with an overview of the work of St. Peter’s Child Care run out of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Johannesburg.

The program consists of seven family units providing support to children orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.

Emmangweni Primary School, Diakonia AIDS Ministry, & singing!

July 8, 2011

“Today I visited Emmangweni Primary School who will receive our We Care kits. A group of children presented a couple of songs and dances. I also met with the principal and chairman of the board of the school where I learned there are 1425 students in this no-fee (government-subsidized) school for children age 6-13 yrs. There are up to 60 children per class when the government standard is 30 per class.

Arrived in South Africa!

July 7, 2011

Saskatoon Children's Choir pack We Care kits

“We’ve arrived in Johannesburg half an hour early. Just before landing the choir favored the plane with 2 choral pieces – the last one was the South Africa national anthem to which the flight crew and many passengers joined in enthusiastically! Very wonderful.” – Irma

Irma McKenzie, human resources director of Canadian Lutheran World Relief, is visiting South Africa this month ahead of CLWR’s latest We Care donated commodities shipment. The shipment will be distributed, in partnership with the Lutheran Communion in South Africa, to South African organizations helping impoverished children, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Irma is traveling with the Saskatoon Children’s Choir on their Sing Africa! choir and humanitarian tour. The young choristers have donated Learning and Living We Care kits to the shipment and will present some to the South African children they will be visiting.