Friday, August 7, 2009

At the end of last week I left a notebook in the office at the Ubomi Obutsha Centre for the volunteers to write little stories of their daily activities that I can include in this blog.

I’m just not sure I’m ready to include stories like these here just yet for two reasons:

Firstly: As I’m sure you’ve already guessed they tend to be unsettling. Mostly stories of irresponsibility, neglect and abuse that can really break your heart!

Secondly: Often the problems we come across are caused by the parents, or care-givers, of children who should be looking after these kids but simply don’t! Stories that can make you angry and think there is no point even trying to help if the parent doesn’t care!


Well, we do care and we have learnt that it can sometimes take months of working on one situation before we even begin to see any hope of change. But it does come!


During a home visit yesterday, two of our volunteers heard how a little boy attending our Educare program makes sure everyone gives thanks to God, for what they do have, before they eat and he is always so excited to share what he learnt that morning at the Centre. Things in the home are just better ever since he started attending the program!


The most “newsworthy” happening over the past week though began with one of our Educare girls arriving on Monday with sores all over her body! We took her to the local clinic where she was treated and it was discovered that she had only received her first round of immunisations after birth and then nothing! And, it turns out, neither have many of the other little ones in our Educare program!

As part of our partnership with the clinic, they have asked us to help get all these kids’ immunisations up to date and so consent has been obtained from parents and care-givers and we are now going to have a lot of kids getting a lot of injections over the next while!
Posted by on

Banking Details

Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor
Bank: - First National Bank
Cheque Acc No: - 62000371170
Branch Name: - Newton Park
Banch Code: - 261050
SWIFT Code: - FIRNZAJJ

International Donations

Direct transfers can be made into the above account using the SWIFT code. Please email the Ministry Director: mark@ccmp.org.za for more information.

CCMP VISION

To be a well equipped and resourced cooperative organisation within the Christian community reaching out to poor communities through the love of Christ and developing people to become self sufficient and to live productive lives.

CCMP Mission

To the glory of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom of love, justice and mercy and in accordance with sound Biblical and community development principles, our mission is to motivate, mobilize, guide, assist and coordinate a combined Christian ministry addressing the needs and aspirations of the poorest of the poor, the most neglected and underprivileged peoples in our city.

CCMP Objectives

1. To live out and share a practical expression of God’s love and call to redemption for all people, particularly the poor, that is inspired by the life, work, message and redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

2. Develop sustainable working relationships with local and international churches, missions organizations, volunteer placement groups and other charitable organizations.

3. Develop sustainable working relationships with community based organizations, schools, churches, community clinics and local government offices within poor communities.

4. Create awareness of definable and quantifiable needs in poor communities.

5. Facilitate activities that allow benefactors to meaningfully and continually contribute to the development of the poor through established working relationships with community organisations.

6. Support the work of qualifying community projects in their efforts to meet the challenges of poverty and killer diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB through the distribution of donated goods (particularly food) and the support of skilled “working hands” through term volunteers.

7. Develop more focused partnerships with identified community projects where possible, assisting them to grow into self-sustaining developmental community based organisations.

8. Maintain an independent platform registered as a legal entity with the appropriate levels of management, administration and accountability to facilitate all activities.

9. Develop and maintain sustainable support.