Lulisandla Kumntwana, South Africa

Lulisandla Kumntwana runs a community-based programme to support orphans and vulnerable children by mobilising church-based teams of volunteers in the KwaZulu-Natal area. Currently, 50 family support teams involving over 350 volunteers are giving practical, emotional and spiritual care to over 3,200 orphans and vulnerable children.

The support teams care for the children in practical ways, including providing food and clothing, and ensuring that orphans who cannot pay school fees are not excluded from school.

Lulisandla also runs a workshop programme to help young people share their experiences with others and talk about grief and death, life skills, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy. The co-ordinators have noticed that orphans who attend the workshops tend to develop more mature attitudes towards their situation. In one of the local areas on the coast, teenage boys tended to drop out of school in favour of the short-term benefits of temporary jobs. The proportion that chooses this option has now decreased and teenagers have a better understanding of the importance of education.

Context at a glance

Lulisandla Kumntwana covers a large rural area in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It is based at the local hospital in Mseleni, which was part of a former mission station. As a result, many local people describe themselves as Christians and attend local churches. However, these churches are often small and led by untrained pastors who combine Christian doctrine with traditional religious beliefs. KwaZulu-Natal has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in South Africa. In 2007, 37% of women attending antenatal clinics were HIV positive.

E3's support

As well as providing financial support to enable the practical aspects of Lulisandla's work to continue, E3 also supports a local pastor who assists the volunteers from a spiritual perspective, and helps to fund a support worker who specialises in working with HIV-positive children.

Why E3 thinks LK's work is significant

  • Lulisandla works through local churches.
  • It reaches large numbers of orphans and vulnerable children with the help of local people.
  • It covers a large rural area meeting the needs of children who would otherwise not receive help.

EngageHIV partner projects page 

 

350 volunteers serve in 48 family support teams, caring for over 3000 orphans and vulnerable children.

350 volunteers serve in 48 family support teams, caring for over 3000 orphans and vulnerable children.

Psychosocial support workshops help orphans and vulnerable children share their experiences and cope with their situations.

Psychosocial support workshops help orphans and vulnerable children share their experiences and cope with their situations.

“I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I’m driven by joy to write this letter. We say thank you for the pastor’s preaching. There has been a change in my house, even in my heart and we have hope that God will continue to help us to be united. What you have done for us, do for others..." Thandiwe, a foster parent, who’d been struggling with a difficult relationship with a child.