Project update: Progress Construction Safe house
In January 2024 we wrote about the intended plans to build a temporary shelter for young mothers in need. Feel free to read it again, there is such a big daily (if only external) difference between you as a reader and them.
In the areas where we work, there is hardly any attention for the abuse of young mothers and there is scarcely any support for them. It has become a circle that repeats itself generation after generation. Preventing the abuse and breaking the circle is almost impossible. As a young mother recently stated, “I have no choice, I would rather have a hostile boyfriend than go to bed on an empty stomach.’ Two years ago, the community came to us with this need.
Mathias Weststrate
With the construction of the Safe House we hope to make a difference for some young mothers in our work area Hammanskraal. The building contains of four rooms where we can offer young mothers a short stay, during which they can unwind. During this period they are given the opportunity to find a new home with family or in the community. During this process they are assisted by a local social worker.
As important as the practical assistance is, it mainly provides an opportunity to make them familiar with God’s Word. This building is being built on the terrain of our second community center in Hammanskraal. Every week there are several Bible classes for residents and visitors.
By now, construction has started and we hope to inaugurate the building around the end of September. The foundation was dug by hand at the beginning of June. That was quite a job. The dirt in South Africa is much harder than in the Netherlands. After about two weeks of non-stop digging, the concrete for the foundation could be poured.
digging foundation
The following weeks, the first contours become visible. Step by step, it becomes a building. A construction supervisor is present every day to ensure that the workers do what they have to do. The workers stay on site day and night to prevent theft.
building walls and frames
After about 6 weeks the plastering starts. In the Netherlands this would be done by a plasterer. In South Africa the workers do everything themselves, from digging to plastering. After a week of plastering it is time to start building the roof.
plastering and painting
After about 6 weeks the plastering starts. In the Netherlands this would be done by a plasterer. In South Africa the workers do everything themselves, from digging to plastering. After a week of plastering it is time to start building the roof.
