Orange Farm and Alexandra, Johannesburg

Today was an altogether busy day. The rain in Johannesburg has been unrelenting, and our agenda included visiting the Orange Farm Center, the Alexandra Center, and catching a plane to Cape Town. Unfortunately we did not get to spend much time at the centers due to the rain. But again, during the time we did spend, I was amazed with the Afrika Tikkun staff members' passion and professionalism, and with the cleanliness and organization of the facility.

I do want to share something we learned about in Orange Farm. I will warn you it is horrible and graphic. Do not read any further if that will bother you.

In Orange Farm, they are combating many of the same problems as Diepsloot, Alexandra, and Uthando... extreme poverty, child headed households, parents gone from HIV and violence, children abused and abandoned, and crippling unemployment. But the staff also described another horrific problem we had not heard about before: Children with disabilities are targets of rape and abuse. The kids are outcast, uneducated, and hidden at home. Their parents are viewed to be cursed.

They told us a story of a little girl with cerebral palsy that was raped by her mom's current man. The man walked away with a 5 year suspended sentence and is back in the home. She has to live with him as a daily reminder of the horrors she faced. I simply cannot imagine. How on Earth could someone do such a thing? How can the court and community let this go on? Saying "it breaks my heart" is not enough. It rips it in two.

But there is hope. The staff at Orange Farm has started a support group for mothers with kids with disabilities. They are working to make sure these children are accepted into the community. I met a wonderful lady named Maria who, with the help of the other moms, is taking a very entrepreneurial approach to helping these kids. They have opened a shop and will use the profits to host events, conduct assessments, and pay registration fees to get these children into the proper care. They have already hosted a race that included kids with and without disabilities. With their help, the stigma of disability will be forgotten and these kids will be accepted.

God bless Maria, these women, the children, and Afrika Tikkun.