About us

---

OUR VISION
​& MISSION

eThembeni works in marginalised communities in rural KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) to bring wholeness, health and hope to all generations. Our vision is hope-filled, whole and healthy communities.  We dream of healthy, supportive and Godly lifestyles established  in the broken and fractured communities of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  

Our mission is to strengthen and equip marginalised rural women and youth so that they are empowered to become active contributing participants in their communities and are dignified through their contribution.

We are committed to:

• Forming close collaborative partnerships with organisations that specialise in training materials.
• Obtaining and managing two well established training centres in Ladysmith, one being a youth camp and the other an agricultural training centre.
• Training local people as trainers who can train their own communities.
• Fundraising to financially underwrite the costs of our training courses for volunteers.
• Forming viable networks and alliances both local and internationally.
• Establishing good stewardship in management.
• Establishing accountable mentoring and evaluation programmes.

---

OUR HISTORY

The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) family in South Africa was, and still is, divided on race, although there is hope for unification and reconciliation on a national level. Because of this history, each church has its own structure to take care of those in need. In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) the white DRC diaconal structure is called “Christelike Maatskaplike Dienste” (CMD), or in English “Christian Social Services” (CSS). The Zulu part of this church family - The Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (or URCSA) - also has a diaconal arm of service, called “Usizo” (Aid).

In the 1980s HIV and Aids caused many deaths, family disruptions and orphaned children, with sick people coming home from the cities. This was particularly prominent in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Aids soon was seen as a poverty-related social crisis that needed holistic intervention. 

In the uThukela District (which includes Mnambithi, uKhahlamba, Mtshezi, Mpofana and Ndaka) and the Msinga municipality the CMD (or CSS) and Usizo started holding hands  in order to address the 
pandemic impact of HIV and Aids in a more "whole-istic" way, addressing the whole person in the context of their family and the community.

This is how the CMD Usizo Aids Trust, serving as eThembeni, was started. Multiple partners came on 
board: the Red Cross, Churches from the Western Cape, Tygerberg Medical Students, Scripture Union, Farming God’s Way (Foundations for Farming), ACAT, Sinamandla, Bijzondere Noden and local businesses.

"eThembeni" means "Place of Hope" in the local Zulu language. This partnership of churches, government, hospitals and organisations has grown to be a strong community-based structure strengthening the weak and the affected. eThembeni today continues to contribute to a strong arm of community empowerment, where communities are empowered to look after themselves and find hope.