Christmas in our projects and outlook for 2026

Jan 2026: The Christmas season is always something very special in our projects. Thanks to your tremendous support, we were able to bring joy, dignity, and concrete help to many people in Greytown and the surrounding area in 2025. At the same time, we are looking ahead to 2026 with clear goals and a great deal of confidence.

Childrens Home Greytown

The big Christmas party at the children's home took place on November 15, 2025—deliberately in November, as many children go to their families or foster families for the summer holidays in December. The celebration was an emotional highlight with a varied program of prayers, music, dance, words of thanks, and a review of 2025. All the children received small Christmas gifts. It was particularly nice to see the children's academic achievements being honored, which were celebrated with great pride and applause. The day was especially meaningful for the school leavers: each of them received a large suitcase, symbolizing a new beginning, independence, and a new phase of life outside the children's home. The farewell speeches by the house mothers and the young people themselves were very moving. A joint prayer followed by a cheerful get-together and a delicious lunch rounded off the day.

In 2026, we want to continue to strengthen the children's home in a sustainable manner. We plan to rehire a fundraiser for the home who will collect donations specifically for the children's home. It is also planned to purchase new beds and bedding, and to upgrade the computers. Since the existing vehicles are very old now and prone to repairs, a new vehicle is needed to ensure reliable transportation to schools, churches, and events outside the home. A nice start to the new year was the redesign of a wall on the home grounds, which the children decorated with colorful handprints.

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Village project with preschools

During the 2025 Christmas season, we once again supported particularly needy families around the villages of Muden and Keates Drift with survival packages. This was an important help for many families, and the children were also delighted with their small Christmas gifts.

For spring 2026, we plan to once again provide preschool graduates with filled gym bags at their graduation ceremonies to give them a motivating start to the next stage of their education. Paul and his team continue to regularly maintain the preschools and playgrounds.

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Feeding project

On December 18, 2025, around 400 people enjoyed a festive chicken biryani (spiced rice with chicken) at the big Christmas dinner and celebrated Christmas together. In addition, take-away food packages were distributed to 80 adults and 60 children to provide for families over the holidays.

The feeding project will remain a central pillar of our work in 2026. We plan to continue providing two meals a week for people in need and - depending on availability - distributing non-perishable food or fresh vegetables from local farmers or our own vegetable garden.

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Township project

A special highlight in 2025 was our fundraising campaign for Tsoanelo. Thanks to many donations, we were able to finance a much-needed wheelchair, which gives the boy, who has difficulty walking, new mobility and quality of life. The gratitude of the family was overwhelming. In addition, blankets and soap were distributed to 20 senior citizens in the township.

In 2026, we will enable three young adults to undergo short-term training as security guards with the goal of improving their chances on the very difficult job market and offering them career prospects. At the same time, we will continue to provide food to around 15 families every month and support stroke patients in particular with adult diaper.

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Thank you for your support

All these projects are only possible because you accompany, support, and contribute to our work. Every donation, every word of encouragement, and every sign of solidarity makes a real difference in the lives of many people in South Africa.

We enter 2026 together with hope, gratitude, and energy.

Siyabonga—thank you from the bottom of our hearts.