Shiver Relief II

What a joy to see the seasons change and if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, the bite of the approaching Winter has surely been recognised. The season for huddling around pleasant fires drinking good Cabernet or Shiraz, or if in South Africa the typical soft Pinotage wines of the region. Yet, just outside the window one can see the figures huddled around a fire with a tin can containing water and left over bones from the restaurant around the corner to make “beensop”. Translated that is Bone Soup.

In our city of Pretoria we have an estimated 300,000 families living between the suburbs. This lost group are not catered for and have to fend for themselves in any way they can. That is in opportunistic theft and trying to do small chores like mowing the lawn or washing car windows. In case you did not understand I did mention these are families! Husband, mother and children!

At night they gather under plastic sheets to fend of the dew and chill of a highveld winter.

Shiver Relief was established by Duard and Reneitte Le Roux to support these lost and hurting people. It consists of finding blankets, beanies, gloves and scarves for the whole family and if possible, one warm meal. Shiver Relief use school kids to hand out the warm covering with the discarded families living under the bushes and in the green belt between the suburbs. These school kids offer some warmth and share the story of love through activity and just sharing some time with them showing some human compassion.

This successful system has been added to this year where the Le Roux’s would like to use the poverty stricken rural Ndebele tribe from the old South African Homeland system where groups of people were removed to poverty stricken infertile areas to live. These Ndebeles are among the poorest where the act of simply drinking a glass of water requires a 16 kilometer walk and no running water for showers of bathing is available. To ask for hot water would seem amusing!

They want to teach groups of woman how to knit and then “buy” the product from them. This is how it works;

Train the woman in two stitches- Perl and plain.

Train in knitting scarves and beanies.

Supply with needles and wool.

Quality control.

Buy completed products

Distribute completed product to Shiver Relief families.

I love this as it is using the impoverished to serve the impoverished and has immense ability to re establish the self esteem among both groups as we inform them where the articles are coming from and that they are loved by others who simply serve Jesus in this way.

We met a family whose daughter was so ashamed of where she lived as she attended a local school and was afraid that she would be recognised that she hid beneath a dirty black bag. This young child (9 years of age) will grow up hurt and in pain because she is from a “discarded” group.

Would you reach out and be the arms for the hands offered by Duard and the teams as they serve these people? Are we willing to continue be talkers and people who go “tisk, tisk” as we see the pain and shame of a new generation growing up. Let’s not shake our heads and go on by!

I invite you to contact us or use the donate button on this site to get involved in showing love to others who enjoy a meal of water soaked in left overs from a restaurant. If you have knitting needles or wool you could donate it would be welcomed. All funds for Shiver Relief are managed through All Nations Fellowship and all funds are utilised without subtraction of “management” or any other fees. All members are volunteers serving Jesus by serving others. Please ask, “how can I be used to show your love?”

Duard and the team welcome anyone who would like to get involved through gifts and/or personally in the Gauteng region of South Africa.