Farmhouse to Foster Care

The image below depicts a beautiful, quaint farmhouse built in rural Newcastle, South Africa. The house was built more than a century ago and holds secrets of all sorts. More recently, it’s become a home to vulnerable babies and children in the community who are need of temporary care or foster care. I count myself blessed for being part of this mission and of history.

Newcastle, nestled in Kwa Zulu Natal, has always been a farming town. It’s also home to one of the world’s largest steel manufacturers, ArcelorMittal. Over the decades the town evolved into a city, but the close-knit community remains. Out of this community, St Martin’s Village was born.

St Martin’s Village is an NPO that was recently given this property and old farmhouse. Our mission is to use this beautiful piece of land and charming house to care for the country’s most vulnerable children, helping them to re-unite with their biological families (when it is safe for them to do so) or to help find them new families who will nurture and love them unconditionally.

This NPO currently has six children under its care. Our village joins to ensure these kids get the very best care and all the finer details that combine to provide value-filled, FUN childhood. We thrive on generous donations from our community, and we bask in the blessing of each fundraising event that unfolds.

Here's one of our littlest littlies:

**But that’s not all. **

Apart from offering foster care, we also help foster care children who have turned 18 to learn skills and become self-sufficient. This is where the farmhouse gets to stick to its roots. We currently have a growing project called Farming God’s Way that teaches farming to teenagers who don’t have anywhere to go. We provide them with accommodation when needed. Our vegetable gardens then serve to help with feeding schemes, and we also sell produce to the locals.

Here are our fields:

I'll be using Hive to promote this beautiful, caring NPO that works hard to cater to the community. Stay tuned to see how our project evolves. Our hopes for the future include:

• Fix back building to support interns (foster care leavers) and volunteers.

• Build more houses to cater to more foster children (cluster foster care).

• Solar panel system (to go completely off the grid).

• St Martin’s Village Outreach – once we are stable, we can share our donations by catering to rural areas (parents and babies in need). The intent of this outreach program will be to curb child-abandonment by helping parents (mostly young mothers) to support themselves and their babies). For example, handing out baby essentials, food, helping to build skill, find jobs, etc.)

Any monetary donations can be made to:

Account name: St. Martins Village NPC

ACC NO: 40 9155 1975 | Cheque Account

Absa Entersprise Newcastle BRANCH No: 632005

REF: ST MARTIN’S – NOTIFICATION NO: 0715166382

St Martin's Village's PBO REG NO: 930058969

THANK YOU!