Some more news...
We have recently set up a partnership with the James 1:27 Trust, who will now administer our funds. The Trust will provide:
- Payment governance and processing;
- Donations receipting and issuing of tax certificates in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act of 1962;
- The provision and auditing of a trust account on behalf of Neighbours
- Receive international donations through PayPal or through direct deposits.
The James 1:27 Trust is the first NGO in Africa to use SAP Business 1. Since then, the Mandela and Tutu foundations have also begun to use SAPB1. All this will ensure that all monies received and spent follow sound financial management practices.
We would really value your monthly or once off contribution to our work. You can make contributions directly by following this link...
                                                                  DONATE
or by making direct deposits into the Trust Account with the reference Your Email so we can correctly allocate your contribution and send you a receipt.
Account Name: Neighbours
Reference for Donation: Your Email
ABSA Bank
Brooklyn
Branch code: 632005
Account number: 9310110831
SWIFT address: ABSAZAJJ

Some change...
We have felt that as part of our learning and to better reflect the work we do, we want to change the name of our work to "Neighbours". We think this is a better reflection of our core value which is practising neighbourliness. We have developed the saying "we want to be friends to our neighbours and good neighbours to our friends." We keep asking how we can be better neighbours. We think neighbourliness is at the heart of the gospel.
Our new mission statement (still under construction) is... "Neighbours is an intentional Christian community that stands in solidarity with the residents of Hillbrow and other communities deeply impacted by poverty, inequality and injustice around South Africa. We want to become good friends to our neighbours and good neighbours to our friends."
Our new website will be launched in the next few weeks, but in the mean time, here is our new logo...

Yesterday I had three little children from our block of flats: Sindi, Phana and Bongi visit me at the flat ... Sindi, who is 5 years old often comes with her brother, Phana, who is 6 years old and asks for an orange or an apple. Bongi is a friend of theirs who is also about 5 years old. Sindi was wanting to see Trish. I explained in broken Zulu that she was out and asked what they wanted. Sindi said she wanted clothes and so I asked them to wait for Trish. I asked why they were at home and not at school and Phana told me it was because their mom, had not washed their clothes. I remembered then that Trish had met with their mom (Zandi) just two weeks ago and she explained to Trish that she did not have money for school fees.
Zandi is a sex worker who is struggling to break a drug addiction. Sindi and Phana's Dad is not allowed to visit after he tried to give the family rat poison in an attempted family suicide and there is a court order stopping him from from visiting. The 3 children went into our boys room and took out some toys and began to play with them.
Out of the blue, Sindi said something which really struck me... actually her brother Phana translated it for me... He said "she want to be an Umlungu" (Umlungu means "white person"). I did not know what to say or how to respond... I said something like... "No, no... it is better if you be you", but these words felt empty... I have been thinking of this all night... what do you think I should have said to them? What is an appropriate response? What can we do to de-construct this inferiority and create a world where children do not grow up wishing they were not born black?
Please note I have changed the names to protect the identity of the children.