The project was actually handed over to the church (Evangelical Lutheran Church, Southern Africa) in April 2018, but due to apparent lack of leadership I have continued to be involved.
However, we now have a Coordinator in the person of Ms Dorcas Shandu who is more than ready and eager to take the project forward. The time is here for me to bow out, pack my bags and say farewell to my many dear friends! They have all been an important part of my life these past eighteen years. To say that I will miss them will be an understatement. They have shared their lives with me for which I am truly grateful! I have chosen the above quote of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela as a fitting sortie. TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE ... and will continue to do when we place our lives and our efforts in His hands! Astrid Stabell Founder, entrepreneur, advisor
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Little Bongi from the ladies' sewing room, is the newest product from the crafts department. Bongi is short for Siyabonga, THANK YOU, and measures 25 cm. My latest 'Tour of duty' at Endlovini was cut short due to the Corona crisis. But even before we had to close the doors the ladies were hard at work, all contributing with ideas helping create our own little mascot, making a pattern that was just right, choosing colours, etc. Khanyisiwe, our sewing supervisor, checks each completed doll. Now and then I hear "xaxa" which means "undo", a little something has caught her eye and needs correcting! Are YOU one of the many of our readers who has Africa in your heart? Then maybe you should have a little Bongi sitting next to your computer or by the kitchen window or on your bedside table?! Not mention children, grandchildren, great grandchildren. We will be happy to supply. Bongi sells at kr.80. A renewed effort has been made in making Endlovini self-sufficient, or MORE self-sufficient, when it comes to producing our own vegetables and fruit. With a kind donation from the Rotary Club in Mtunzini, the combined efforts of my brother Olaf and our eminent gardener Khanyisani, we have built a series of terraces in the large area we have at our disposal. And there will be more! Along with three large tanks where we harvest rain water, cow manure from the kraals of our two watchmen and plenty of African sunshine, we are hoping to succeed. If you look closely at the photos below you will see cabbage, spinach, onions, beetroot and tomato plants! Albeit still a little small, but with all the above input, they WILL grow and we WILL harvest! av Inger Elisabeth Salvesen og Ingrid Myrset På vei fra storby og strandliv i Durban til safariopplevelser i St Lucia tok vi en liten stikkvei inn i landet for å få et innblikk i zuluenes dagligliv bak turistfasaden. Blant bølgende åser fant vi Endlovini. Her har Astrid Elisabeth Stabell med støtte av venner og familie bygd opp et lite senter rundt kirka og prestegården. Vi ble tatt vel i mot og servert en deilig middag på uteplassen som hadde utsikt til endeløse åser med flerfoldige strådekte leirhytter. Roen senket seg mens himmelen ble mørk og fylt av stjerner, før vi gikk til sengs i vår egen lille hytte som ikke var fullt så luksuriøs som i safaricampen, men kanskje mer komfortabel enn mange andre i nabolaget. Vi hadde et lite bad og strøm, og vinduer med både myggnetting og vakre gardiner. Vi våknet tidlig for å være oppe når området ble mer folksomt. Det krydde av små barn som kom for å delta i lek og undervisning ledet av førskolelærere. Flere av damene i nabolaget samlet seg i systua. På eiendommen er også en liten sykestue og eldrehjem. Det var veldig koselig å være sammen med barna, både å se hvor fint de tok seg av hverandre og hvor mye livsglede de uttrykte. Vi nøt å få deres oppmerksomhet! Sydamene laget blant annet noen fine forklær og andre småting som vi kjøpte med oss hjem. These dear ladies represent the core of all the ladies who have been in and out of the sewing room through the years. The times when we have had big orders to fill, we have called in the troops to help out - at times so many that we have had to stagger the days, half the group two days, the other half, three. After the hand-over, ref. NEWS August 2018, the above mentioned core formed their own project within the project. This means that they come together a couple of days a week, using the ECDP sewing room, but all that they produce of handcraft they are free to sell, the proceeds of which are then theirs to keep! From time to time locals come by with repair jobs to be done - something to lengthen/shorten/buttons to be replaced/patches to be affixed etc. Great! I will be able to keep them busy when I come the latter part of February, bringing much of the crafts back with me, after settling with the ladies! I found some new fabric last time in SA a print depicting the South African national flower PROTEA. I think this, applicayed on fabric will make very attractive little clutches, shopping bags and aprons! Beaded doilies have been a success in the past years so I will no doubt be bringing a supply with me when I return, these and matchboxes decorated with beads... ideal hostess gifts! We also have a good supply of pouches for sunglasses decorated with a beaded 'makhothi'. At only NOK 50 each (the pouch sells at NOK 80), you can't go wrong! Be sure to contact me as soon as I return so that YOU can be the owner of one of the unique crafts from Endlovini !
That may well be, but no news since 27 August 2018, is not so good! My last news brief reported that as of April 2018 the project Endlovini Community Development Project was formally handed over to the church, Evangelical Lutheran Church South Africa.
To cut all ties has been difficult for me, so I have been there for several short-term visits since then. Everything seems to be going well and I thank The Good Lord for that! However dark clouds loom on the horizon. The present financial year ends 31 March. What happens then is hidden in those dark clouds. There, as in so many ventures similar to ours, the financial situation is precarious. The daily struggle is to keep afloat! Besides all the wonderful faithful donors - family and friends, we have now only one donor organisation supporting us - besides of course the Department of Social Development (DsD) supporting the Creche. SO MUCH APPRECIATED! Good things ARE happening, the most recent being a new member of the Board in the person Ms Dorcas Shandu who is on the Church Circuit staff as Director of Health and Wellness. I look forward to presenting her after my next 'tour' in February and March. Priority number one as I go south again, is to work with Ms Shandu and the other Board members, writing letters appealing for support and calling on possible donors in our area. There is massive mining activity not too far from us, mining uranium. They should most definitely be approached and challenged! There will be a follow-up to this news report while I am there or shortly thereafter, so stay tuned! Jeg kommer til å ta en tur til nu i høst, men etter det ... ASTRID’S FARVEL, EXIT, SORTIE, SALAKAHLE, AUFWIDERSEIN Tilden er inne. Etter 16 år og i mitt 80. er det nu kirken – ELCSA – som overtar ansvaret for Endlovini. De, ved Prost Ndlovu, forsikret alle at prosjektet fortsetter som før! For en reise det har vært! For et privilegium det har vært! Websiden – Endlovini.weebly.com – blir stående. Det kommer kanskje noen drypp nå og da, ellers kan man mimre litt og kikke på det som ble og var og er Endlovini. Det er fremdeles full anledning for nye å henge seg på som faste givere! Prosjektet kommer nok til å trenge støtte i tiden fremover! Ta kontakt med meg. Jeg kommer til å følge med på status hver måned, slik som før, ved at jeg ringer Princess hver måned! HJERTELIG TUSEN TAKK TIL ALLE MINE LESERE OG SPESIELT TIL DE TROFASTE GIVERNE!! Jeg, og de som nu skal holde hjulene i gang på Endlovini, håper dere vil fortsette fremover. I hvertfall en tid som dere ser dere har anledning til det. De går en spennende tid i møte. Mye vil avhenge om de klarer økonomien. Jeg vil holde dere underrettet! This last year has been a busy one, getting long planed improvements/repairs done. Øystein renovating the Board Room, laying a new drain from the kitchen and laundry, a new tabletop with two new gas cookers for hospice kitchen, and now, as you will see below, a new roof for one of the rondavels. The rondavel had a thatch roof that was long in need of repair. The birds had often helped themselves to the grass for their nests, sun and rain and wind had also left its mark. The roof was mottled and rotten and leaking.
It's going to be a little hot inside when the sun bakes on the corregated iron, but certainly an improvement! |
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A project of hope... Archives
August 2020
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