Sankies Fund
On a recent trip with a group of friends from America to the Kruger National Park in South Africa (my Country of birth) I happen to come across this lady with a whole lot of children. I was looking for my group as we needed to head out to our next destination. In a very spontanious and serendipidous moment I greeted the lady and remarked on how many kids she had. She (Sankie) proceeded to tell me about the kids, that they were not hers, but a group of "Non Existent" kids. Their parents have all passed from mostly HIV. Most of them came from other countries and were brought there by the their parents, whome subsequently have passed and these kids were left in limbo, with no parents, no documentation, and no country. In South Africa they are non existent and therfor not elligable for government assistance. So Sankie has taken them in, and are trying to feed them and house them and help them so they do not become glue sniffing derelicts on the streets in South Africa. Wayne and I emptied our wallets of the cash we had on hand. I gave my e-mail address to Sankie and left with my friends. In our Van of 10 I kept thinking of these kids and how blessed a life I have and so wanted to get involved, couldn't believe I did not try harder to at least get a picture and some other contact information. We stopped for lunch at a picnic spot and was hugely and pleasantly suprised as I saw the kids again. This time with another lady, who had gotten a donated vehicle for the day (Thanks Toyota) to bring the kids to the Kruger Park. This time we got pictures and exchanged more info.
The kids are sleeping under a tree and eating donated food, Sankie is trying to keep them at School and fed. We are now trying to build a rooms onto Sankies 2 roomed(not bedrooms just rooms) house and a kitchen for her to cook in for these kids.
I am hoping to help Sankie build an orphanage for homeless and non existent children. I have decide to call it the Sankie fund and am hoping to one day have a Sankie Orphanage.
Ofcourse currently Sankie is trying to feed these kids(19) and managing on donated food such as chicken feet and chicken legs, which they clean up and boil with some donated veggies. This is their protein and vegetable that they eat with ground corn meal porridge.
The need is huge right now and will be growing.
So this funding will be for these children. I have already, through canvassing with friends, been able to get a little money together to send so we can start building, but this is for the first room, and we would like to add another to be able to seperate the boys from the girls. We need beds, bedding, clothing and food, medical expenses are not even on the table yet. Such a big need for these poor children.
Sankie pushing her wheel barrow going around the town collecting donated food.