More than one million abortions in South Africa- Where do you stand?

Life is cheap. Mistakes happen. Our world is a mess. So how can we help?

When you see or hear this statement, it is easy to think that one cannot do anything to change this law or situation. The media is currently showing us that we are walking on shaky moral ground in South Africa. How do we as citizens start to stand up and take a different stand?

I am a member of a community church where we want to stand and be counted. What is happening to children is not OK. Abortions, abuse and a lack of education is not acceptable. As a church we have taken a stand in the community.

We launched a Pregnancy Support centre to help any young girl/woman who may find herself in this situation. Rather than condemn or reject, we want to help them understand that there are alternatives. The next step in the process is that we have Bethany House, a home for babies that may be abandoned or where adoption is the alternative for this mom. The third option is Play with a Purpose. A place where the young mom can study to become an early childhood teacher and find work and support her baby. We work with all the schools in the area, offering emotional and life skill support for the teachers and learners. We also have a new group that has started this year for matriculants who cannot get into tertiary study. We are walking alongside this group to empower them with life skills to enter the next phase of life.

In the Dinokeng Scenarios (www.dinokengscenarios.co.za ) the WALK TOGETHER scenario is an engaged civil society together with an efficient government. On the one hand we need to DO and on the other we need to vote and voice our stand. Today I feel like our community has made a HUGE step in the right direction.

The pictures on this note:
1. Baby Ester, the first baby born since the project was launched.
2. Planting baby crosses ( to represent the million babies) at the entrance of the community church property to ensure that the community understands that we are there to help and love whoever may need hands and heart.

If you would like to help any of these projects with finances, please be in contact with me. lgsmith@mweb.co.za