Thembiso Children’s Home
Thembiso Children’s Home is a delightful place to visit. It is situated in Luveve Village, and is run very efficiently by Mr and Mrs Moyo, with the assistance of staff and the supervision of Rev A. B. Ndebele. ‘Thembiso’ has had a varied history but has fulfilled its original purpose, by the grace of God, of being a place of Christian refuge for homeless or neglected children.
Thembiso Home was begun as a Christian Home for homeless or neglected children, in order to bring them up in the atmosphere and instruction of the Gospel. After years of negotiation and consultation with the Government Social Services Department a site was provided in Luveve Village and a large, handsome building was erected, amid much rejoicing and thankfulness.
There were many children living in Bulawayo in very unhappy circumstances where their parents lived in miserable accommodation in the midst of a degrading environment, peculiar to city life. While African parents lived in the rural areas, there was no question of children being neglected for there was an extended family in every community, where little children left without parents or uncared for were welcomed into the family, but in the city circumstances were very different.
In ‘Thembiso’ there is a range of children from infants to sixteen-year-old boys and girls. The pre-school children are taught in the Home by their own teacher, but the older children attend the local Primary School. Some little local children are admitted to the class for pre-school children by arrangement with their parents and the Social Services Department. These little local children come from normal families and it is good for the little residents to come in contact with children from normal homes.
Worship is taken night and morning with the children and staff. It gave great pleasure to the staff to find how quickly the children memorised
the psalms and portions of Scripture, hoping, as they expressed it, that ‘the Lord would in His own time turn the water in the water-pots into the wine of His Saving Grace’.
In the early days of running the Home young trained Dutch nurses came out to help in the care of the children. Among those were Truus Ringelberg (who is now in Kenya assisting the work there), and Peta van der Ridder and other delightful girls whose presence in Bulawayo, and their visits to Ingwenya and Mbuma were much appreciated. Rev Zororai Mazvabo and his wife were very much engaged in the Mission work in Bulawayo before Mr Mazvabo trained for the ministry.
The staff and children attended the services at Lobengula Church which they still do. A Dutch Committee gave generously to the work. In 1977 they took over the running of the Home. A few years ago the Dutch Committee entrusted the care of the Home to the Free Presbyterian Church.
Nota bene
While Miss Marion Graham was in Scotland recently she discussed with the Foreign Mission Committee the possibility of sending out to the Mission a large container with used typewriters (manual or electric) and not too old, sewing machines, and computers. If any reader has such machines which they do not use would they please get in touch with our Treasurer, Mr Roderick Campbell, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6LE. Tel: 041 332 4271.