 I often think a lot about this. How can we measure emotional freedom? How can we measure the smile of a child when there’s so much pain in their eyes? We cannot measure how they deal with the challenges they face, but we CAN measure how we go about giving them opportunities to tackle these challenges. For 19 years running, the PEN Sea Camp has been making magic in the lives of our children. The magic doesn’t lie in the project itself, but rather in the hands of ‘tannies’ baking rusks and cookies for our children. Magic appears when a bakkie load of juice, sweeties and toiletries are dropped off at PEN for our children to take on the sea camp. It lies in everyone that gives something, dreaming with PEN that our children have the potential to be valuable contributors to our communities and our country. They get to see that they too are worthy in GOD’S eyes and that God loves them dearly in spite of their sometimes dire circumstances.
The truth is that taking 120 children and 60 staff on a camp doesn’t come cheap. Just think about it: Accommodation costs about R 100,000.00 for 9 days, throw in transport to the cost of R70,000.00 and don’t forget that we need to fill our tummies at a cost of R 65,000.00. These expenses already add up to R 235,000.00. Then we haven’t touched the things that are needed to help our children make sense of their lives through clay, stationary, art and a bible to name only a few. Let’s not forget an ice cream or maybe a beach ball or two. The fact is, no cent raised is in vein. Every rand someone gives, will make a lasting impression.
The outcome? This December 120 children will learn of Jesus through the hugs of caring PEN ‘ooms’ and ‘tannies’. They will reach out and share to make the ‘hurt’ grow less and slowly get to taste emotional freedom. They will hear of God’s dream that they will wake up to a new day filled with promise. We invite you to come and make this experience a reality to our children. R 1,800.00 will ignite a dream!
Contact us at info@pen.org.za or call +27 (0)12 323 6688.
PEN, ABSA Acc 020263385, Ref Sea Camp Fax proof of payment to 0865829014.
 On 22 September 2011 the residents of Schubartpark were evacuated after their protest became violent and City of Tshwane officials had to step in to stabilize the situation. The immediate result: The homeless population of Tshwane doubled within a matter of hours. That evening PEN opened its hall to the community and for the next couple of days between 140 and 180 women and children were sheltered every night. Simultaneously Tshwane Leadership Foundation opened their community hall in Salvokop to ±70 men. Because of the need for even more shelter, we approached the Dutch Reformed Church Pretoria and they graciously provided their church hall in Arcadia. The facility at Bosman Street unfortunately had to be closed down on the 26th of September due to building alterations to the hall.
This opened up a new and truly remarkable chapter in the story. Echo Youth Development, who helped to manage the Arcadia shelter from the moment we opened its doors, offered to stick it out until every last woman and child there were helped with a place to stay. These young people did a wonderful job and created a loving community of God’s people around the women and children. They also took responsibility to seek accommodation or a loving home for mothers and their children. Churches all throughout Tshwane came and stood alongside us during this time and literally showered us with support in all sorts of ways. Someone bought a hundred mattresses. Others provided baby necessities. Still others, provided food. A number of Christian families took in a woman and child into their homes. Churches provided loving hands to help during supper times. It was such a wonderful experience to see how God’s people united during this crisis and worked effortlessly to care for these women and children.
 The good news is that as of today every single woman and child have been helped to find a place to stay. We honour every home, every church and every individual that made this possible through their personal effort or financial contribution to our disaster and relocation fund. This means in effect that we are able to close our emergency shelter in Arcadia
The bad news is that not everyone is helped as of yet. Homelessness is still a very big issue in our city. Our involvement in Arcadia also highlighted a number of issues that the church can and should be involved in on a much bigger scale - prostitution, job creation, health and education, to name but a few. Hopefully, we will be able to address some of these issues and with the support we now know we have, it will be possible to tackle these issues one by one.
God put the responsibility to be involved with the people of Schubartpark on our shoulders. We have won a battle, but the war against the “powers and principalities” is stronger than ever.
Please keep on praying for us in order to align ourselves with the vision that God has for his city. To Him be the glory!
On the 26 September 2011, renovations will begin on the 1st floor of the Sediba House to build a brand new clinic called Sediba Hope Medical Centre. This clinic will provide comprehensive, high quality cost effective primary healthcare to people living and working within the inner city of Tshwane. The centre will be a one-stop facility that will offer medical consultations by appointment, phlebotomy and a pharmacy dispensary. This clinic will benefit all people within our community; those who have a medical aid or their medical aid is exhausted due to high private costs, those who may be unwilling to spend a day at a public clinic in order to access treatment and are prepared to be cash and our community members that have no financial means to access medical services and will therefore be subsidised by the clinic income generating system. Types of Services: - Fully equipped and staffed facilities, including nurses, reception and administration staff
- On site pathology specimen collection services linked to external laboratory
- Medical consultations for minor ailments & the management of chronic diseases, in a holistic manner, taking into account all aspects of the health and well-being of each individual.
- Family planning and reproductive health
- Integrated HIV/AIDS program (including voluntary counselling and testing, ongoing monitoring, anti-retroviral treatment, immune building and education)
- Wellness Program for HIV positive patients who are not yet eligible for ARVs
- Paediatric services including HIV testing
- Pharmacy
Our aim will be to have this clinic operating as from the 02 January 2012. In addition to the renovations for the new Sediba Hope Medical Centre, a new community centre will be done build on the ground floor (i.e. existing hall stage and store rooms) which will be linked to the Sediba Hope Centre (old Sediba Hope Clinic).
For the sixth year running we invite you to come and play golf with PEN.
There is also an opportunity for individuals or companies to sponsor a hole, prizes, snacks or drinks.
PLEASE BOOK NOW!
Date: October 21, 2011
Fees: R 1 200,00 per 4-ball
Venue: Bronkhorstspruit Country Club
Game Format: Individual Point Stableford
To arrange sponsorship or to book your t-off time contact us:
Dirk Ganz: ganz@keeper.co.za, 082 462 8472
Therina Heymann: therina@pen.org.za, 082 3388 664
Prize-giving and snacks after the game
Please make your payment into PEN's bank account.
Bank: ABSA Bosman street
Branch code: 63 2005
Acc No: 020 263 385
Ref.: Bronk golf day
Please notify us when you make your payment.
Come and have an enjoyable day with us
Kind regards
Dirk and Therina.
Tomorrow it will have been one week since Schubartpark has been evacuated. The crisis is far from over however. The homeless population in the inner city has almost doubled in one week and many people are still destitute. In the last week we ran two shelters, one in the Bosman Street Church hall and one, graciously provided by the NG Kerk Pretoria in the Arcadia Church hall. This was possible only due to countless donations of food, blankets mattresses, baby necessities etc. as well as many people jumping in from especially NG Kerk Pretoria-Oos and Echo Youth Development to be the bodies caring for the people overnight. Echo has also graciously took it upon themselves to try and find alternative housing for at least some of the ladies with small children. The city council is also still trying to find housing for 500 people, but it is a challenge due to a number of reasons. Yesterday we held a meeting in which we decided on a course of action. This is detailed in a letter drafted by Stephan de Beer, CEO of TLF, that also runs a shelter for 40 men in Salvokop, and I add this strategy here. Please consider it carefully. “We request you to consider the following support to us in this time, to sustain our attempt to support those who have lost their housing: - If you want to make your church hall, a house or another facility in your congregation / community available, either for this crisis, or for future emergency relief, please contact us, as we hope to secure the support of 20 churches in the city that would be available on a permanent basis for emergency housing, now and in the future.
- Since we have been tasked to accommodate women and children, if you would like to provide accommodation to such a mother with children until she is back on her feet, please contact us. This is an opportunity to practice very practical service in our city. And Jesus said: “I was homeless and you sheltered me”.
- If you cannot support with either of the above requests, maybe you would be able to consider financial support to help sustain this transition, as we have obviously not budgeted for this additional expense. Financial support would assist either to help displaced people return to their original homes, somewhere outside of the city, or even in Zimbabwe. It could also help with the food relief and other possible unbudgeted for items. It might even help to secure accommodation for people to settle down in a new place.
- Please pray for the leaders of the city, of the Schubart Park community, and of all residents and service providers in this time. Finding sustainable long-term solutions, and appropriate short-term solutions, require much wisdom, sensitivity and negotiations.
People are tired – both those displaced but also those responsible to care for them. We need swift action and a plan with time-frames and appropriate partnerships, for how the situation will be resolved in the short- and longer-term. We need your prayers in this regard.” There is now a very real possibility that we will extend the ladies shelter in Arcadia church until Friday. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 012 323 6688 or phone Anita at 082 9289378. Blessings! Francois Smit Senior Pastor: PEN
Last night we catered again for 180 destitute women and children in our church hall. About 60 others were housed in the Arcadia church and another 200 in Captured By Grace Church in the city center. The support we received was simply wonderful. God and his people really reacted in a way that few others can. As far as things stand for tonight and the weekend, it seems that we have adequate supplies to cater for 250 people for the next two days at least. We don't know what to expect. At this very moment people are being bussed to alternative housing/shelter provided by the Metro and it might mean that our numbers will drop as from tonight.
We will keep you updated about the situation and thank you again for all the love and support that Schubartpark's people experienced through you.
With love
Francois Smit
22 September 2011 would go down in our city’s history as the date when all of Schubartpark’s residents were evicted by the City of Tshwane. Whether this would remain so, we will have to see. As I write this letter lawyers representing the residents are in battle with lawyers from the City council to see if they can not halt the process that the Metro council has put into motion yesterday. Last night more than 150 women and children slept in our church’s hall and a 100 more were bussed to Salvokop to sleep in the community centre there. We don’t know how many of these people we can expect to show up for tonight. What we do know is that more trouble is brooding in the streets around Shubartpark and that vulnerable people will be left homeless and hopeless. It seems as if the Metro council don’t have much alternative disaster shelter. We therefore ask your urgent assistance.
We are in need of the following:
Hand soap, Baby Bottles, Nappies, Sanitary pads, bottled water, Fruit (apples & oranges), black bags, polystyrene cups, Purity Baby food and blankets. We also need people to prepare and deliver soup for ±250 people per day for the next three days.
God bless!
PEN Management
 PEN held its biennial (once in every two years) conference from 1 - 3 August at the Bosman Street campus. This year we decided to bring Echo Youth Development on board as co-host and we must say that is was our best conference yet! The theme of the conference was branded in a name: SiCiLi. SiCiLi is an acronym for See it, Change it, Live it! Each of the three days of the conference carried one of these three themes.
On Monday we had speakers and workshop-presenters who inspired us to see it differently. Part of our problem as churches and individual Christians is that we look at our world through various lenses. Those lenses are coloured with all sorts of preconceived notions such as a fear of change, classism, racism, spiritual pride, conservatism, liberalism and a host of other isms and ideas that keep us from seeing things the way God sees things. So, we shared lenses on Monday and helped one another to see things a little differently and hopefully, the more exposure we get to other viewpoints, the easier it will become to let go of outdated ideas.
On Tuesday we were were inspired to change it. Not something out there, but rather things in ourselves in order for us to live more fulfilled lives as representatives of God in this world.
And on Wednesday we were confronted to live it. We ended it all with a ritual march to church square and a special celebratory lunch, Africa style!
One thought that stood out for me all throughout the conference was that we sometimes have the wrong idea that we are to bring God to the people of our city. Rather, we must realize that God is already at work in the city in many weird and wonderful ways. We are to seek these places and people in which God is at work and humbly assist in whatever way we can.
Thank you for each member of PEN that made this a truly unforgettable experience!
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 Check out the great half-page article that appeared in the Pretoria News on 3 August 2011 all about PEN. (Click on the image alongside to read the article).
 Date: 31 August 2011
Time: 18h30
Venue: Ooskerk, Sunnyside
Sunsparrows will be holding a wine auction to raise money for the nursery school in general.
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