Our Story… the beginning
Written by Sharon Clack (founder/president of the love organization)
About a week before my daughter Tirsha and embarked on a trip to South Africa to visit family and friends in 2004 God woke me in the middle of the night with the words “Call the Carpenters.” Steven and Mariann Carpenter were friends I had not spoken to for many years. This call, and subsequent events, culminated in a relationship with Lily of the Valley, a struggling little AIDS orphanage in KwaZulu south Africa. Immediately evident, was the quality of this incredible place, administered with great integrity but also their great need. A vision was born that it might well become a way of directly responding to the AIDS crisis. Certainly we saw it as a way... for Americans to become involved and know that every penny of every dollar would reach its specified destination.
Within one week of that initial phone call to the Carpenters (a doctor and RN, who live and work in KwaZulu, the very heart of the AIDS pandemic), $10,000 was raised from a small handful of people at Conejo Valley Community Church. That was the very beginning and a confirmation that we were on the right track! With God's help and the exchange rate, this has been multiplied beyond our wildest imagination. Because of the obvious huge need, on our return we gathered a small group of people committed to this vision, and became a 501c3 (Lily of the Valley AIDS Foundation, DBA as LoVE USA) in the hopes of community and national involvement. Love is run on Christian principles but widely supported by Jewish Foundations and many others who support the incredible work being done. There is a need for all of us from every walk of life, to work together in the fight against this devastating pandemic to save the next generation!
In 2005 the first mission trip of thirty five Californians went to Lily. Hundreds have gone since from all over the US, both long and short term, on mission, vision and educational trips. We soon purchased a neighboring 200 acre farm and a journey began to rehabilitate an entire devastated rural Community through local enterprise and in the hopes of sustainability for the children's village. This has been a more difficult journey with many ups and downs. But the hope remains....! One of the many successes has been the building and staffing of the Lily Medical Center which has enabled our children to get medication and the critical medical care they need.
From early on our hope was to 'plant more lilies'! So we ventured, with God's direction, into taking on an existing institution then called Makaphutu about 50 miles from Lily which had to be rebuilt in every sense. In July 2006, this work began and, modeled on Lily of the Valley, has developed into an amazing place though still greatly dependent on LoVE USA for survival. They now have a new name iKhethelo (which means the Chosen Ones) as per the children's request:) This second AIDS orphanage is situated in the exquisitely beautiful Valley of a Thousand Hills which sadly, is also known also as the Valley of Despair. In this area, 150,000 people suffer from AIDS (without medication) and live in abject poverty and hunger. As with Lily, outreach into the surrounding community has begun.
We have expanded our reach to include yet a third wonderful children's village known as LIV (Lungisisa Indlela Village).
Our story is one of hurt to enormous hope - both in the lives of our children and our villages - incorporating huge struggles and successes and ever changing needs. We dream big and are never disappointed.
LoVE USA continues to grow. Always our directive to care for widows and orphans found in Js 1v 27 remains a priority as we serve many thousands of people. We value every partnership, new old and yet to come and thank you for making a difference. Every effort, large and small is much appreciated. There really ‘is a way'!
Tony Clack (Sharon’s son), Sharon, Mariann & Steven Carpenter
Sharon with kids from one of our children’s villages
Our first mission trip
One of many LoVE Fundraisers
Lirhanzo Children’s Home in Zimbabwe
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is the home and safe haven for children who have been marginalized by a broken society. Since 1993, we have been giving these children a second chance in life by investing directly into individual children. The vision of the organization is to raise children into young adults who are achieving their God given potential.
Lily is situated in KwaZulu, South Africa where orphans live together as a family with other children and a house mom in beautiful cottages. However ‘normal’ these children look, they all arrive at Lily in desperate condition; abandoned, malnourished and many test HIV+ on arrival. The individual case histories are tragic, but once at Lily, they find hope and happiness along with quality medical care, proper nutrition, and good education, in addition to the love, discipline and security which comes from belonging to a family unit. Their lives are now filled with singing, dancing and much love.
We offer full time residential care for up to 120 orphaned or vulnerable children and youth who have been infected or affected by HIV/Aids, in a homely environment.
We believe that investment in children and education is the key to changing the future of South Africa. A nursery provides care for children through three years of age to allow housemothers to attend to household chores. There is a preschool on the premises, and the older children attend local schools or one of our schools when possible.
Miracles happen at Lily and many of the children who tested HIV+ on arrival, test negative after a few years. The % is far higher at Lily than the international rate for this phenomenon.
iKhethelo
iKhethelo was founded in a private home in Durban in response to the plight of street children. As the AIDS pandemic grew, so did the need for a residential home for orphaned and vulnerable children, and the project moved to larger premises in a semi-rural area. Then in 1995 a 50 acre farm was purchased with funds raised by the Rotary Club of Hillcrest.
At first the original farm house was renovated, and then three small cottages and one medium size cottage were built. The project was named The Makaphutu Children’s Village in 2001 and by 2004 a further seven larger cottages were constructed. Despite some well-meaning people, corruption crept into Makaphutu and the children there were being mistreated rather than loved. So, in 2006 Makaphutu Children’s Village was taken over by Lily of the Valley and began to receive support from LoVE USA. Since then Makaphutu has been renamed iKhethelo because the name Makaphutu means “Mother of Phuthu” which is a staple food of the poor. This reminded the children and staff of a soup kitchen rather than the loving home it has come to represent. iKhethelo means "The Chosen Ones" and these children truly are unique and chosen by God and by us!
At iKhethelo we rescue orphaned and vulnerable children from a place of danger and neglect and give them a place of safety and unconditional love in our family. In this loving community we teach and model a new set of values based on Christian character – including kindness, integrity, joy, courage, service and a love of learning. On this foundation a sense of confidence and self-worth and dreams grow! We lovingly coach and encourage our children to reach their full potential while providing them quality education, life skills and learning opportunities so that they become productive citizens and leaders within their sphere of influence. Our aim is to be a resource and model of how to love and nurture vulnerable children – to our community, government, other NGOs, and the Church. We desire to partner with others to be a catalyst for justice and compassion for the poor and needy.
Lirhanzo
Lirhanzo Children’s Village (LCV) is a purpose built home for orphaned children situated in remote south east Zimbabwe. Its closest town is Chikombedzi, half an hour away.
LCV is run with love and care by a group of local Zimbabweans who care for approximately 50 children from new borns through to the age of twenty-one (21).
Shelter, clothing, food, schooling and further education and training are provided for the children.
In addition to the children who call Lirhanzo their home, we also support the school started at Lirhanzo which now educates 310 children from the surrounding community. Lirhanzo is giving these children a chance at a better future as we provide education that far exceeds what has previously been available. Many kids walk for miles from their homes which are little more than mud huts. Often the only food they eat is given to them by the school staff. Lirhanzo School is now a registered and recognized place of education in Zimbabwe. We have teachers who live on site and recieve a $200/month salary. We are hoping to increase this as soon as possible.
It is incredible what can be done with a very little in Zimbabwe. We have a thriving vegetable garden which is watered using a pump and generator that brings water from the river. There are animals and large outdoor spaces. The homes for the children are set up near the school, which has 2 buildings, with multiple classrooms. Lirhanzo is an oasis of life and hope!