10TH Annual General Meeting

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In the centre of the Free State Goldfields region of South Africa is the city of Welkom. Until fairly recently this was a bustling mining town but the falling of the gold price and outworked gold-bearing reefs have meant that many mines have drastically scaled down their operations. This has resulted in multiple job losses. It is estimated that up to 60% of our local workforce is currently unemployed as a result of the down-scaling of our gold mines. Most of the men who were retrenched were migrant workers who returned to their homes leaving behind them children and their mothers who no longer had any financial support. What also remained was AIDS, which has infected and continues to affect a very large proportion of the community.

Morning Star Children's Centre was born out of deep Christian compassion for the plight of our Nation finds itself in due to the escalating HIV/AIDS pandemic currently sweeping through our land. We are committed to restoring hope to the women and children of our region and making a meaningful change to as many families as possible.
Morning Star is a day care facility for underprivileged children who are infected with HIV/AIDS. It opened its doors for the first time in January 2000 to admit the first 8 children.
Now nearly 10 years later, there over 100 children on our register. Sadly, some do die and, on average, one child dies every month.

Aware of the enormous poverty problem and job losses in our area, we have also been instrumental in initiating several income generating projects over the past years. The surviving/thriving 2 are our Food Gardens & Agricultural Tunnel Project and our Tshedisanang Women's Embroidery and Papermaking Project. Up to 20 adults at a time, all poverty-stricken and affected/infected with HIV/AIDS themselves, work these programmes each weekday.

1. Monthly Support Group Meetings - 2 meetings held (1 in Thabong and 1 in Kutlwanong , headed by Sr. Patricial Mbuli for our children's parents/caregivers. 60 - 80 people normally attend.
2. Gogos Club Meeting(Grandmother's Meetings) - bi-annual, also run by Sr. Patricia Mbuli.
3. Quarterly Teenager Meetings - every 3 months, catering for the 12-18 year olds exposing them to Biblical teaching, and providing them with the opportunity to get to know and support one another in their illnesses and to reach adulthood aware of their HIV statuses, but also to abstain from sex before marriage and committing themselves to being faithful to one partner for life. Over 40 teenagers usually attend.
4. Regular Food Parcels - go to more than 100 recipients every month - mostly to those on our register who have not yet accessed their government grants. For some, this will be the only food they get for the month!
5. Weekly In-Service Staff Training - every Wednesday morning for all our child care workers, whereby staff get updated on issues relating to their jobs and that Sr. Patricial Mbuli maintains a high standard of work ethic from them at all times. We currently have 39 staff members.
6. Annual Vegetable Growing Competition in the Townships and sponsored by the Welkom Rotary Club. This project has proven so successful over the years as most people in the townships produce vegetables for consumption and to earn an income from it.
7. Tshedisanang Women's Project - Women infected with HIV/AIDS making beautiful clothing and embroidery to and make a living from it - visit their website for further details.
8. Morning Star School, Grade 0-2 (experienced teachers with Early Childhood Development training).