Precious Blessings is a Place of Safety headed by George and Heidi Versfeld in The Willows, Pretoria. Along with their three biological daughters (Ellen, Marina and Yvonne) they care for their two adopted sons, three foster children and, at any given time, around ten abandoned children and babies. They believe that every child is a precious blessing and that you can transform a child’s future, no matter what circumstances they were born in, by giving them individual attention and care.

Since 2004, more than twenty children from South Africa and Ghana have been in the care of George and Heidi Versfeld. Over the span of their 34 year marriage they have invested their lives in the needs of deserted and abused children ever since.

Today, George and Heidi, together with their own three daughters, care for their own two adopted sons, three foster children and other abandoned babies and children. Days and nights are dedicated to feeding, nursing and investing in the healthy development of these children. 

Their extraordinary sacrifice of self is evident in their daily lives. Precious Blessings Place of Safety is a place filled with love where touch doesn’t hurt and it is a place where children experience that they were born to be blessed by tender care, love and prayers. 

They develop each child’s identity by giving individual attention. This couple exudes empathy, patience and perseverance in the midst of tough routines. They instil trust in the children and gradually normal behaviour and relationships are learned resulting in healthy self- esteem and identity.

Heidi & George is part of our Every Nation Willows congregation and we have been supporting this project since 2018 through mobilising volunteers, organising fundraisers and through giving emotional and financial support.

Just Home is a foster home founded by Anne Freeke in Kloofsig, Centurion. The vision of Just Home is to create a family environment of belonging for girls that had to be legally removed from their parental homes. With a place to call home these girls can grow into confident, healthy adults. Anne is also a big proponent for foster care and it is her passion to inspire more families to open their hearts and homes to act as foster or adoptive parents.

Anne Freeke and some friends started opening their home in Kloofsig Centurion from June 2015 for young ladies coming from challenging backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to stay with them in the available room in their home at a discounted rent. In 2016 they became aware of a bigger need, they took in two girls that they had a relationship with, although they were unable to contribute to the rent at that stage. In February 2018 they also opened their doors for two minor girls (sisters of one of the girls staying with us). In October 2018 the court appointed Anne Freeke as the legal foster parent to these four girls.

Just home aspires to create a family environment where they all face difficulties in life together. They believe that each person is an individual with specific needs, likes and dislikes – they are not a number and a ten-step program will not fix their problems.

They have seen that the dynamics and normal day-to-day routine within a healthy home environment is vital for the development and growth of individuals. It is within the structure of our homes that important life skills and disciplines are taught, which helps us to positively contribute to society. 

It is also within the healthy home environment that we are affirmed as individuals and where we learn that we have a part to play in the bigger picture. Healthy individuals in healthy homes ensures the welfare of the community we live in. 

They have a passion to see that the vision of Just Home multiplied in other homes. They believe that there is a part for everyone to play – some will provide a house or a room, someone will help with providing finances for food, clothes, education or electricity; others will give their time to tutor or educate; some will provide personal care, love and friendship; and others will help with legal advice when statutory issues arise – the list just continues. Be it big or small – every contribution makes a difference.

We are privileged to have Anne and her four girls as part of our Every Nation Hennopspark congregation. It has been amazing to see the impact of having these girls being part of a spiritual family (church).

Peas in a pod is a Place of Safety in Arcadia, Pretoria for fifteen young girls who have fallen victim of gender-based abuse. Founder Dr. Annali Swanepoel aims to create a safe environment for these girls to heal and recover from the trauma that they have experienced.

The Pretoria-based place of safety, Peas in a Pod, opened its doors to young girls who have fallen victim of gender-based abuse under the auspices of Urbanvest Foundation in May 2010. Urbanvest Foundation is a registered NPO and PBO. 

Dr. Annali Swanepoel, the CEO, realized the need for a therapeutic safe house as she counseled young victims of abuse across Pretoria and its surrounding townships. With the opening of Peas in a Pod in May 2010 Urbanvest Foundation decided to focus primarily on the needs of young victims of gender based abuse. The innovative program adopted proved immensely successful in charting the way to recovery for the girls. 

We work closely with the respective Social Workers and South African Police Force. The removal of a child into safe care is prescribed by the Children’s Act (CA) 2005 (Act 38 of 2005), which provides for a designated social worker or a police official to remove a child and to put in a place of safety. Provision is made to place such a child with or without a court order depending on the circumstances. Social workers, however, have to follow proper procedures according to legislation and legal processes, during 

which time the circumstances will be assessed and a court order will be issued whether a child needs to be removed or not. Since inception, over 60 girls have benefited from the Place of Safety and CYCC. The house is 87% black based consisting of 15 girls between the ages of 4 and 18 years old and three Housemothers. The girls attend mainstream and special needs schools.

We have been supporting Peas in a Pod through our Every Nation Lynnwood congregation and we have divided our involvement in a few categories, that is based on their needs. Church members can make donations or get actively involved in these girls' lives. Donations vary from daily household-needs, toiletries, clothes or even monetary donations. Through donations we also contributed towards their building project. One of their needs is to add a room to the house. There are currently only two bedrooms for the 15 girls. The girls visit our church every second Sunday where they are part of the kids church and youth program. The housemothers attend our church services. Embrace a child is a special project where congregation members commit to take a girl out once a month and do something fun. There are 8 couples/individuals that are part of this initiative.

The Buddy box and the Grocery Bag projects were initiated in 2017 by a group of students in Every Nation Hatfield church. The project aims to provide toiletries and groceries to the students at the University of Pretoria who are in need. Secondly, the project proposes to help mobilise the people in the local church to be more vigilant towards people struggling within their sphere of influence.

The project started in 2017 when we, for the first time, heard about the great need of students on

campus at the University of Pretoria. After various conversations, referrals and emails, we got in contact with the head of the Student Development Programme. We found out that every 1 in 125 students do not have food to eat, and some don’t have a place to sleep. The Student Development programme is low on funds for groceries and toiletries for the students. Our response to this was to start something that will ease the load of the University to look after the students in need. They take a list with groceries or toiletries and fill the bag or box with the items listed. The last thing on the list is a letter of encouragement to make it more personal. We then take the bags and boxes to the head of the programme, where she distributes it to them. Along with the physical support, we also hope to offer them emotional support by inviting them to church-related social events on and off campus.

We were able to distribute over 100 buddy boxes and nearly 50 grocery bags. The numbers might seem small, but when considering that all of the toiletries and groceries are self-funded by students who are not necessarily living in abundance, are quite significant. This project is creating a principle among the students to not only look at their own interests but to uplift their neighbours who might be struggling. We also formed a lasting relationship with the people at UP who are heading up the Student Development Programme. This will ensure the longevity of the project.

Stanza Bopape vegetable garden project is a project initiated by Every Nation Tshwane in partnership with Woodhill College at Stanza Bopape secondary school in Mamelodi, Pretoria. The project aims to develop students into leaders through training and mentorship groups, and to equip them with basic agricultural and subsistence farming skills. Growing tomorrow’s leaders to grow tomorrow’s produce.

The vegetable garden project at Stanza Bopape Secondary school was initiated by Every Nation Tshwane in April 2018 and is an ongoing sustainable project. Gerhard Jacobs (Every Nation Mamelodi) was approached by Christiaan Malan (Every Nation Hatfield) and together conceptualized a vegetable garden project in Mamelodi, Christiaan using his knowledge as an Occupational Therapy student at UP. Christian Lubbe (Every Nation Willows) the Youth worker at Woodhill College, heard from their principal Mr. Kenneth Checkley that they were interested in donating money from their Barefoot day fundraiser to a project in Mamelodi. After meeting and presenting the project Mr. Checkley agreed to partner with the project for the vegetable garden project Stanza Bopape secondary. Meanwhile we identified a school, Stanza Bopape Secondary in Mamelodi, and we approached the principal Mr. Bethuel Malepe. This was truly God’s timing as the school had previously attempted to launch a similar project but due to lacking resources did not succeed. Mr. Malepe's words were “God has sent you here”, and his continued involvement and support of the project has been critical. We agreed to start preparation for the first planting to take place in July 2018.

On 21 July 2018, 43 students form Woodhill College and Stanza Bopape secondary participated in the preparation and planting of the vegetable garden. The students carefully took care of the garden over the next few Months. On 1 Feb 2019, we had our first harvest, we were able to harvest 304 onions, 261 spring onions, 430 spinach leaves, 20 cabbage heads, 9 beetroots.

These were all used to supplement the feeding project at the school. It was such a joyful day where the students could celebrate months of caring for the garden. And by caring for this garden they are learning invaluable life lessons like perseverance, faithfulness and Planning. In May of 2019 the second tunnel has been prepared and is now ready
for planting so that we might deliver double the amount of vegetables.

The feeding scheme that is running at the school supplies food to all of the students attending Stanza Bopape. There are 1140 students in the school and they all benefit for the feeding scheme that the vegetable garden is supplementing. The Environmental Committee, is a committee established by Ms. Simelane one of the teachers at Stanza Bopape. This committee deals with all environmental projects done at the school including recycling, planting trees and the vegetable garden. The students benefit here by learning leadership skills in taking care of the garden. These are also the students that we are targeting in terms of starting discipleship groups.

The aim of this project is to help provide food for the students at Stanza Bopape secondary, supplementing the feeding scheme by planting and sustaining the two vegetable gardens. Secondly two develop the students of Stanza Bopape in terms of their leadership skills, specifically focusing on the environmental committee, through training in basic agricultural and subsistence farming and discipleship groups.

After the announcement of the National Lockdown that took effect on 26 March we started our GetHelp and GiveHelp initiatives. We also registered ENT Community Foundation as an essential service provider to be able to mobilize volunteers to help with social relief during the lockdown period. Through our relationship with Every Nation Rosebank we were identified as a partner organization for the distribution of 200 food hampers donated by the Solidarity fund.

Through our GetHelp initiative we have been able to identify families and individuals in need, both within and outside our Every Nation Tshwane churches, taking special care to also support our congregational social responsibility projects. We have been able to help more than 330 families and delivered over 300 food parcels. We have seen many new connect groups forming and people experiencing what it means to be part of a spiritual family and being emotionally cared for. 

Through our GiveHelp initiative we have been able to mobilize 115 volunteers and we have been able to raise R435 000 in our GiveHelp fund.

The servant hearted generosity of our church has been amazing to see. This initiative to bring relief during lockdown will run until the end of November 2020.

We have seen new doors opening up in communities and many new connect groups started through these initiatives. People receiving hope in hopeless situations and seeing for themselves that God is a loving God that hears their prayers when they cry for help. We believe in being a socially responsible church because we serve a socially responsible God, who saved us and restored our hope.

On 8 December 2019 floods hit Mamelodi, Eerste Fabriek and Nellmapius. 700 shacks were flooded and hundreds of people were left without shelter, food or warm clothing.

We responded by mobilizing our crisis response volunteer team and by asking our church network to donate food, clothes and finances. We worked with the local Nellmapius City of Tshwane representatives to distribute these resources at the Nellmapius Library.

On 11 December we took a team of 23 people, 8 cars and a trailer filled with donations and food to Nellmapius Library, where most of the flood victims were sheltered. We were also able to raise R7500 in 48 hours with which we brought more food supplies. We could pray for some of the people and also just shared the love of Jesus with people in this desperate situation.

From this relief effort we have built relationships with key leaders in the Nellmapius community and local government. This will enable us to start long-term sustainable projects within this community.