Transforming the communities by taking the Church outside its walls

NPO 115-706 PBO 930000242

About the Genesis Trust

The Genesis Trust is an outreach ministry of the Norwegian Settlers Church located in Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal in the Republic of South Africa. Our vision is to take the church outside its walls by serving our communities holistically, meeting physical, social, and spiritual needs associated with HIV/AIDS, poverty and other social issues. Bringing meaningful change to the spiritual, social and economic climate in our communities.

The Genesis Trust is comprised of local business men and women committed to the sustainability and accountability of all Genesis projects. Several diverse projects fall under the umbrella of The Genesis Trust. While vastly different in their approaches, each individual project has the common goal of empowering local members of our community, so that they can in turn, positively impact their homes, community and nation.

Although Genesis is a registered trust with its own books, it falls under the covering of the Norwegian Settlers Church (NSC). The bulk of thedonors, specifically international churches, have come on board through a relationship with NSC. NSC does not derive any financial benefit fromthis relationship, as 100% of the monies donated are utilised to fulfill the mission of the Genesis Trust. Many of these partnerships go beyondfinancial assistance and extend to regular visits from volunteer teams and individuals. These partnerships support the work done by NSC, theGenesis Trust and the surrounding community.

It is appreciated and understood that any potential benefactor or sponsor would want to, before committing him or herself to a donation of anykind to a public benefit organization, be assured that the donation would be responsibly dealt with by the recipient in the sense that it wouldreach the intended beneficiaries and ultimately be fully accounted for. This is something that the Genesis Trust prides itself on. Every cent of adonation is accounted for by us by means of a modern and reliable accounting system operated by persons whose integrity is beyond doubt.The accounts are audited by a prominent firm of auditors every year. Our books are open to donors’ scrutiny at any time!

The Genesis Trust is a registered non-profit and Public Benefit Organisation. It was founded in 2002 as an outreach project of the Norwegian Settlers Church (NSC), to serve people affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty. The mission was to take, "the church," out of the four walls of a building into the hurting local community. The community of people living in the rural suburbs surrounding the church was the starting point of Genesis. At the time local hospitals experienced bed availability shortages and were in need of step-down/hospice facilities. The contribution of land from the church, generosity of individuals and a registered board of trustees, established The Genesis Care Centre May 2005, our first outreach Ministry.

Tragically, at the same time, a ripple effect from HIV/AIDS was taking place in the community where child-headed households,unemployment, poverty and crime were running rife. A series of community projects have steadily grown from strength to strength.The first, new structure, community project opened in April 2014 as the Marburg Community Centre. It is located across from theGenesis Care Centre. It houses the Marburg and Live It Gyms, along with several other community enhancement projects. Genesiscommunity projects are currently located on the property of NSC, in the communities of NSC, Merlewood, Murchison, Mahlabathini,Kwanzimakwe, Shelly Beach and Lamberts Bay.

Genesis Hope Ministries

Genesis Hope Ministries and their Sustainability

At present there are 15 ministries and projects that fall under the financial governance of the trustees of the Genesis Trust. Of these the GenesisCare Centre is the largest. Operational managers exercise oversight and control of the ministries and projects and report to the trustees on amonthly basis. There are 133 employees of whom 117 are permanent staff members. Sixteen relief workers are employed to attenuate thepressure that comes with staff members being ill or on leave. The salary bill for July 2019 is over R700 000. A number of overseas volunteersserve from time to time without remuneration at several of the ministries.

Now, the flagship ministry of the Trust is the Genesis Care Centre where for the past 15 years or so indigent, terminally ill patients sent homeby the State hospitals because their beds are needed and it is believed nothing more can be done for them, are accommodated in two wards.Through spiritual and loving care and often, the correct medication, some 40 percent of the patients are sent home to continue with their lives.Regular inspections and audits are carried out at the Centre by the Department of Health and a variety of in-service training sessions and thevoluntary service rendered by medical doctors at the Centre ensure that a high standard of care is at the order of the day. The Centre providesnursing, spiritual, rehabilitation and psycho-social support services to its patients. This Care Centre is donor dependent and in this regard, like inso many of our other ministries, God has faithfully provided funding the past years. That it is still up and running, is truly a miracle.

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There is a Genesis Training Centre on the Genesis premises run and managed by Genesis staff. The Training Center provides a well developedtraining course, that develops women and men through quality training. Our goal is for our participants to make a difference in their communitiesby assisting the sick, disabled, and elderly living with illness, by means of physical, emotional, spiritual and social care. The skills taught there areinvaluable to our community as a whole.

The Care Center is known by medical institutions in Durban and the Eastern Cape as a reputable step-down facility with established wards andexperienced Healthcare/Nursing staff, as well as, a practical training facility. The Training Center was formed as a next step from and is asister ministry to the Genesis Care Center. It is maintained as a sustainable and philanthropic job creation initiative of the Care Center.

The Genesis Music Academy has become an almost indispensable part of praise and worship in our Church. Moreover and just as importantthere are 254 students enrolled at the Academy, where teenagers from the local community are taught to sing and to play a variety of musicalinstruments. The students hail from as far north as Mtwalume to Bizana in the south and Harding in the west. Only a handful of these are able topay for the tuition, the rest are taught free of charge. During 2018 at the Hibiscus Coast Eistedfod, two of our choirs achieved gold and one wasawarded the trophy for best overall performance. A few months ago our Academy won the News 24 Project National Anthem, a truly formidableachievement.

Genesis Work 4 A Living empowers local individuals seeking employment with skills necessary in the work place. It is a 2-week course, afterwhich we help connect excellent students with employers. Merchandising, and computer and cash register skills recently have been added to ourcurriculum.

The Genesis After school Project (GAP), is located in a community rife with social barriers. Here, children who would otherwise be left totheir own devices, come for a healthy snack, homework help, crafts, and a Bible Story. GAP is, UNLOCKING PURPOSE AND POTENTIAL, in thelives of youth. monthly science experiments and sports days supplement the after school project.

The Khula Community Centre run and managed by Genesis has grown from strength to strength in terms of an afternoon educationprogramme, giving children to the opportunity to relax through sport and improving the motor skills of the younger ones, a crècheaccommodating some 120 children and a gymnasium. In June 2019 some 6000 meals partly sponsored by the Department of Social Developmentwere provided to the children who largely come from poor households. The Department of Health’s mobile clinic personnel regularly conduct TBscreening, run other tests and attend to minor ailments at the crèche.

Khula Community Centre is situated in the Mahlabathini district, in an under-resourced rural area about 45 kms inland from Port Shepstone. Asmall church, crèche and feeding scheme was started by a local Pastor, Joseph and his wife Jabu Ndovela, to assist the people of that area thatface adverse situations As a result, children were often left to fend for themselves and the need for care and education children was soon noticed.

In 2008 Genesis and Zulu-Aids-Hilfe e.V. cooperated and built a bigger crèche with all necessary facilities. Since 2008 the Community Centre hasexpaneded and a Health Post, Music Programme and outreach into the two Primary and one High School. We are very grateful for the teams orvisitors that want to be a part of the Khula Community and have contributed so much.

Later on in a separate smaller building a Health Post was started, every week a medical team treats about 120 patients. The crèche children havea big advantage: in that they are offered a twice a year medical checkup and in an emergency they have priority status.

Khula Creche enrolls approximately 120 children between the ages of 2 and 5 who attend classes weekly. The staff are trained in EarlyChildhood Development and implement the brain booster curriculum.

Khula Teach: Our primary focus is remediation in English and Maths to approximately 250 primary school Learners in the afternoons along with anutritious meal and a Christian devotion. Our aim is to support foundational knowledge throughout a child's education so that they are betterequipped to pass matric in their last year of high school. Our After School Program students are eager to learn and gain new experiences. We offerinteractive learning through the use of technology, games, music, drama and kinaesthetic exercises to cater for different educational needs. We alsooffer computer lessons and develop motor skills through craft.As part of our English lessons, we have a reading programme where each child is ableto get a different book to read at their reading level each week. We motivate Learners with stationary which they can use at school along withsweets, stickers and fun. Our Post Matric students also act as teacher assistants in the afternoon classes as they are able to interpret, and be rolemodels to the children.

Khula Music: We have a music program this year 2018 under the direction of Nkanyiso and our children and the different groups he teaches love itimmensely!

Khula Community Centre Feeding Programme: Three local cooks prepare meals for the creche and the after school feeding programmeevery school day. In the afternoons approximately 120 children from the local primary school are also given a meal.

Khula Health: The government Mobile Clinic and South Coast Hospice comes out to Khula to attend to people who need medical assistance.

The services that we provide monthly are: TB screenings; Cancer screening; HIV Testing; General health checks; Education; Dispensing non-scheduled medication for minor ailments

Murchison Community Centre The Murchison Community Centre, MCC, is located just 20 kilometres from the Genesis Youth Centre inMarburg. It houses Genesis' first after school project and a community gym. This small, modest building and its grounds stand as a beacon ofhope in a community that boasts one of the highest, per capita, HIV/AIDS rate in the world. An estimated 60% of the people living in thiscommunity are infected with the virus. In a country where good nutrition and medical care are not a guaranteed right of its citizens, the systemicimpact of the disease casts a long shadow on the Murchison Community.

MAP: However, there is HOPE. We at Genesis Youth believe that by intervening in the lives of young people we have an enormous opportunity toeducate and change thought patterns in a positive way. We know that the results may not be seen immediately, so we have a long-term,systematic approach starting with the Murchison After School Project, (M.A.P). Primary school children are often left unattended during the hoursafter school, and are at risk of becoming victims, or taking part in deviant behavior themselves. M.A.P. offers an alternative to this by openingour doors during the high risk hours after school. We offer homework help, a safe place to play, Lego and Brain Booster classes, a healthy snack,and a whole lot of love. M.A.P. is supported by the American initiative Go Hungry.

GROW BAGS: While we are so appreciate of the outside support to feed the children of Murchison, we also believe in teaching individuals theimportance of taking ownership doing what they can to provide for their own families. The Murchison Gardening project was started to do justthis. It has changed over the years to become a, "Grow Bag," ministry were our gardener, Osbone, goes into the homes and assists families withgrowing small gardens out of bags. The bags are portable, small, and easy to maintain. This is an amazing opportunity for our staff to get insightinto the home live children attending M.A.P., thus creative a more efficient and holistic approach to ministering to the needs of the community.

SKILLS: While children are at school their parents may attend classes on basic sewing and crafting at our, "Skills," outreach. Here women, and men, are able to learn techniques that allow them to provide clothing or household needs for their families. They also are given the opportunity to make hand made crafts to be sold for a profit, thus empowering them with the means to start their own small business.

GYM: The Murchison Community Gym is also housed at MCC. It is one of Genesis Youth's most established gyms, and has become a vital part of the culture of Murchison. Men and women, who otherwise would never be able to afford gym fees, have access to a healthy environment in which to get healthy. In a community where there is little or no healthy social outlets, our gym has become instrumental in getting people off the streets and involved in constructive activity. The healthier physical bodies are just bonus!

The Genesis Conference Centre is a state of the art business facility located in the Genesis Youth Centre. It is part of Genesis Youth's self sustainability efforts. Local businesses and individuals rent the space for employee training, meetings, parties, and much more. we provide a professional environment including excellent individualized catering, a/c, and Wifi.

Genesis Youth Centre: In a corner of the world where limitations are placed on the majority of young people, we at Genesis Youth seek to burst through the barriers. We are blasting down obstacles standing in the way of education, employment, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. We provide a sense of community and belonging, in which many youth have never known. When statistics tell us there is no HOPE, we get busy finding a reason to HOPE. BEING Genesis Youth does not mean one has to work here. One has the opportunity to join our team from anywhere in the world! One can get active by coming and seeing what we do. We offer a variety of volunteering opportunities and we have just the right place for everyone! Our mission is simple: TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT POINT YOUTH TOWARD AUTHENTIC and HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.

Youthworx is an international non-profit organisation aimed at educating, empowering, uplifting and transforming youths from all backgroundsand all ages, across Southern Africa. Youthworx is represented in all major urban areas in South Africa as well as other Southern Africancountries such as Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Botswana.

Through various programs and activities that teach, promote and reinforce strong moral values, youths of all race and ethnicity are taught variouslife-skills and presented with an alternative uplifting environment promoting acceptance and accountability as well as respect for oneself, societyand others.

Many youths grow up in social and domestic environments in which violence, abuse and poverty are commonplace. In addition, because of theHIV/AIDS epidemic in Southern Africa, many youths become orphans during their teen years and are forced to take care of themselves from anearly age. As a result they are overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and struggle to accept meaning and purpose in life.

Youthworx is a voluntary program supported by adults who themselves are a product of the program, as well as older youths who have benefittedfrom the program.

Genesis Gyms was founded with the burden to get youth off the streets and into a healthy outlet, our gyms have made a profound impact inthe community. We have three fully equipped, traditional gyms, and one high impact functional fitness gym. Each caters to the needs anddiversity of people on the South Coast of South Africa.

Marburg: This traditional gym is located inside the Genesis Youth Centre in Marburg, KZN. It has an open gym floor comprising of the freeweights, machines, stationary bikes, treadmills, and more. Our gym is big, clean, and friendly. Our gyms hosts an annual Strong Mancompetition, that has become a community fitness bench mark. We currently have 120 Marburg Gym members, who come from varying walksof life. They benefit from our staff that offers assistance and personal training where needed.

Murchison: The Murchison Gym is a well established gym located adjacent to the Genesis After School Project. It is our smallest gym, but oneof our most needed. This gym is located in a community with one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in not only South Africa, but the world.Our gym offers a safe place off the streets for community members to engage in constructive activities, all the while improving the health oftheir bodies.

Kwan Zimakwe: This community gym opened in April 2018, with a new allocation of equipment from Virgin Active. It is located 60 kilometerssouth of Port Shepstone inside the newly constructed, "Limitless Youth Centre." This gym is an an extremely rural area bordering on the EasternCape of South Africa. Although, it is still in its infancy the KwanZimakwe location promises have a big impact on an area where there is little orno constructive outlets. Thando has done a great job as supervisor of the gym, while Kabelo makes weekly trips to ensure all is runningsmoothly.

A gym was established by Genesis at an Ezemvelo location for the use during free time of game rangers and police officers engaged in thefight against rhino poaching.

An extremely successful ministry is the hosting of overseas teams by Genesis. The members of these teams volunteer their service at theGenesis gyms, Music Academy, Care Centre, Khula Community Centre, the Youth and Community Centres as well as the Church. This is asymbiotic situation in terms of which our beneficiaries on the one hand and the visitors on the other hand all benefit spiritually. The team sizesrange from 5 to 72 and the organization required in terms of planning, transport, leisure activities and accommodation is a staggeringchallenge.

While volunteering is defined as an act of giving, our experience is that many of the individuals who volunteer with Genesis leave feeling theyhave received a great deal as well. Each year we welcome volunteer teams, individuals, and families from all over the world. Feedbackconfirms the Genesis Volunteer life is changed as a result of time spent in our community.

Potential volunteers are walked through the processes of visas, travel, accommodation, and much more. We are humbled by those who give uptheir time and resources to volunteer with us. Therefore, Genesis' volunteer department is dedicated to making the visitor experience asorganized and seamless as possible.

The El Roi Baby Home for Abandoned Infants and Toddlers is a child and Youth Care Centre entrusted to Genesis. Our home is registered with the Department of Social Development and may provide care for up to 12 infants and toddlers between the ages of 0-4. All children are admitted via SAPS or a social worker in accordance with a court order in terms of the Children's Act. Our children are looked after by a full time house mother and care-givers. We also have an operations manager and social worker on staff. It is well managed and run by our team. We have experienced a serious financial challenge the past two years due to the whimsical attitudes of some officials in the Department of Social Development (KZN) but we seem to have ironed out some of the difficulties. A maximum of 12 abandoned infants are accommodated for up to two years until they are adopted or placed in foster care.

The latest ministry that has been developed by the Trust is the SafePlace / SafePlay Project. The Genesis Trust have established five of aplanned six secure places to which a vulnerable child or woman flees in order to be safe from an immediate domestic violent or sexual threat. Tothis end converted container units have been installed at each identified site which serves as a ‘SafePlace’. A tall pole with a flashing light erectedat these sites alert people of the existence and locality of a Safe Place. These SafePlace units are so located at crime hot spots that no child orwoman is further than a kilometre away from one. Such places are equipped with security monitoring and camera surveillance 24 hours a day.

Once the woman or child in need of protection has been secured in the Safe Place, the South African Police Service is alerted where after theprotected person is conveyed to the police station, hospital or alternative accommodation. Where deemed necessary, the Department of SocialServices is alerted for intervention by the social worker on duty at the Safe Place. Wolf Security provides a security guard response team, whohave been specially trained to deal with such situations.

The SafePlaces have developed and extended into SafePlay havens where unattended children from the surrounding area can gather undersupervision of volunteer workers who assist them with homework and protect them from the negative influences that obtain in the streets.

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We expect to touch more lives in our communities and to promote more meaningful relationships with neglected communities in the years tocome. Communities who believe that others care about them are generally less inclined to riot and wreak havoc over issues with theMunicipalities. We hope to, through our Safe Place and Safe Play ministries, give greater protection to young children and women in ourcommunities. We keep statistics and reports on all matters dealt with and on a monthly basis evaluate results. Our workers follow up on basisand monitor progress. We are in constant touch with the SA Police Service and government departments and receive feedback on what is beingachieved

One of the biggest and most inspiring results of the SafePlay is the Genesis Wave of Hope Surf Academy. An absolutely inspiring and mentor, Mr. Philani Sikobi, an orphan himself, works alongside SafePlace in the SafePlay and afterschool program. His incredible manner with these vulnerable children is awe-inspiring. Mr. Sikobi, a qualified lifeguard and surf instructor, has been coaching surfing for over 10 years now and was selected four times as a coach for the Southern KZN Team and in 2012, for the South African Development Team. In 2011, five of his surfers qualified for the S-KZN Team and travelled to Port Elizabeth for the SA Grom Games and continues with this each and every year. From starting off with 30 little kids desperately wanting to escape their daily horrors at home and experience what joy surfing can bring them, it has now grown to over 60 kids and there is a long waiting list. What with having no transport to the beaches, these kids and Mr. Sikobi walk between 20-24km every weekend without a fail to surf, wind or rain or shine and wearing nothing other than the few rags they possess and not to mention a towel or warm clothing in winter! Mr. Sikobi wants to change lives through the gift of surfing – not to make world-champion surfers, but world-changing young men and women!