ChristChurch Community Care Center South Africa

Hi, for my 70th birthday this year, I'm fundraising for the 5 Cees Orphanage in Hilbrow, South Africa. They currently care for 75 children, ages 8-18, many orphaned from HIV/Aids. I'm going there in July with a Mission Team from Southern California to do some renovations on the facility - which is a 100 year old hotel in a deteriorated section of Johannesburg. Covid has devastated the local economy, where unemployment is close to 50%. Local donations have fallen. My goal is to raise one month's operating expenses - $25,000 - to help them through the current crisis. The orphanage has a committed local Board of Directors, and I personally know the director, Ajith Sunker. His father, Mike Sunker, started the orphanage 20 years ago on a small pastor's salary and a huge amount of faith. Many of the kids who were at the orphanage in the early years have gone on to university and are working in responsible jobs. I will follow up when we return in August with a report on the status of the orphanage and the experience of our mission team. Jennifer and I are paying all our own expenses, so all the funds raised will go directly to the Center.