Author: Zeng Dieulv

Thanks to our co-worker, Nozizwe Ndebele, in January of this year, the American International School donated two pairs of school shoes for each of the 20 refugee children who are being supported by Mercy House this year. What a blessing that was, given the cost of school shoes today. We thank them and Nozizwe for this magnanimous help. In March they will visit Mercy House and our young people will also have a trip to their school – something they always enjoy so much.

Rafael getting his shoes

Unfortunately, a very large donation which we got annually in the past – to fund our education project – seems to have fallen away. Hence, we have had to reduce our extensive web of educational assistance, which was always schooling and tertiary, in favour of focussing on getting our young people through school and attaining the prized and essential matric certificate. In spite of this slight disadvantage, we can proudly (and gratefully) say that, thanks to help from our various donors, we are still able, this year, to assist 20 children with schooling, of whom 11 are in high school and 9 in junior school. 3 of the high school boys are in matric. Our tertiary support has been cut, but one donor is assisting a Mercy House boy with completing his degree in law, while we are also assisting another young man with completing a diploma in chemical engineering in April at a local technical college.

We wish also to congratulate Zeng, our website designer: all on his own he researched and found what seems like a dream come true in his life. Zeng has already done 2 years training in multimedia, but wants to specialise in animation and produce animated stories for children on the Bible. He found exactly what he was looking for and even got a bursary to study animation for 3 years to obtain a university diploma in digital animation at the Animation School in Johannesburg. We wish him well and trust it will enable him to shape many young people’s lives in the future.

We extend our warm congratulations to Ivan and Dioscor who wrote their matric at the end of last year and both passed well – with a “bachelors pass,” meaning they are eligible for university training. Ivan would like to be a teacher and we are trying to get a learnership for him at a private school, which would enable him to be an assistant teacher, whilst studying through UNISA for a degree, by distance education, at night. Dioscor wishes to do a degree in supply chain management. Since funding is a problem, we have suggested that they try to get work, so that they can pay the fees, and do their degrees by distance learning. Finding a job is also not easy for those who have just left school, so prayers are needed.

The photographs below show two of our Phoenix College scholars:

Brielle, who is in grade 3 this year

Exorcee now in grade 8, proudly sporting his new school blazer

Claire came to Mercy House as a volunteer in September 2015 and stayed until  Christmas. Her parents are South African, but she was born and brought up in Italy

(from left to right) Claire’s husband, Claire, Diana and Mama Berthild

During her stay with us, she did simply anything and everything she could. She was like a ray of sunshine and greatly loved by all. It was hard for her to leave us, but she did not forget us. Soon after leaving us she got married and came back in February this year with her husband and small baby girl, whom she wanted to introduce to Mercy House. We greatly appreciate this sign of her love for, and loyalty to, our work. The photo shows her, with her husband and baby, arriving at the airport, where we went to welcome her back.

Fleury

Fleury is from Burundi. He was born, as a twin, on 22 December 2000 and has three older brothers. Fleury’s father was killed by soldiers just before he was born, hence his great sorrow never to have known his own father, leaving his mother to struggle on her own. When he was 13, soldiers came to their school and, as was their practise, abducted a truck full of boys to force them into their army. Fleury and his brothers were amongst them. They were taken to a house, forbidden to go out and, among other things, trained to kill, but not with a usual target. They would blindfold one of the boys and force another boy to shoot him. If they failed to comply, they were punished by being beaten with an overheated iron rod. This happened to Fleury too, when he refused to shoot his own brother. After one month, when the soldiers were out, the prisoners broke down the door and escaped to the forest, not being able to go home, since they would be traced there. Their mother used to bring food to the forest where they were hiding, but suggested they leave the country as they could not continue to live under these conditions. They came to Johannesburg in the luggage compartment of a truck, and caught a bus. Once here, they were taken in by an uncle. They enrolled at the English Course for Refugees at the Catholic cathedral and met the teacher, Diana, there. She fortunately was able to take him into Mercy House and he was enrolled at school.

(from left to right) Brother Eric, Mr Ernst Zerche, Diana and Father Joseph 

On Tuesday, 19 February, Comboni Brother Eric (left in photo) brought 2 German visitors to Mercy House: Mr Ernst Zerche (second from left in photo) and Comboni Father Joseph Attenburger (extreme right in photo). Father Joseph is associated with a refugee home in his parish which houses amongst others, Syrian and North African refugees. So it was interesting to hear about a project in Germany similar to ours. It was a very pleasant afternoon and we thank them and Brother Eric for taking the time to get to know us.

Diogen moved into Mercy House on the 8th of June. He comes from northern DRC. His mother and father were both teachers and he taught as well. A few years back Mai Mai rebels invaded their area, killing his mother. He and his sister lived on with their father. Early this year the rebels returned. This time they were about to rape his young sister when his father ran to defend her. They then brutally killed him and burnt his body. Then, after raping his sister they killed her as well. Diogen managed to escape and made his way to South Africa, having to sell his clothing on the way, to get money for food. At the border, he was arrested for having no papers and had to spend a whole month in jail until a court ruled that he should be taken to Home Affairs and get a permit. What a journey!

Our newcomer Diogen

We are proud and happy to have the privilege of assisting him. Diogen is really happy at Mercy House where he got a warm welcome and he is now learning English. He remarked: “I was grieved at having lost my whole family, but God has given me another one…” So to all our supporters: see how you are helping humanity in the person of this grieved young man, and given him hope. My he and you be richly blessed.  

Robert (second from the right)

Robert fled from his home country, Burundi, at age 15 on 21 May, 1997. His father had been killed in the genocide in 1994, and he was living with his mother. One day in May 1997, he returned from school to find that his Mother and sister had disappeared. He was told that they had been killed in the continuous fighting in the area. Robert wandered around not knowing what to do, but a journalist took pity on him and helped.  They left the war zone on 21^st May 1997, and made their way to South Africa. The journalist even paying for his transport.  When they got to Zimbabwe the journalist was held back on account of his documents. He gave Robert the money to come to South Africa alone. So, he arrived in South Africa alone, not knowing anyone, not having a place to stay and not knowing the language! He found a shelter housing 650 refugees in Central Johannesburg, but this was closed down a few months later, in view of the unhygienic conditions. Again, Robert was alone. He slept in the streets.

On Saturday 8 November 1997, a young Mercy House resident asked me for R10.00 to take a sick boy she had met to the hospital. As we had 3 refugee doctors in the house, I told her first to bring him to Mercy House so that they could assess his condition. I met this young boy the following day. He was extremely distressed and would not even look me in the eye. He had no clothing other than the trousers and shirt that he was wearing. Although we had no room, I just could not send such a distressed young man away. So, we took him in, giving him all that he needed by way of clothing, toiletries, bedding, food etc. Soon he was even smiling and could look me in the face. What a reward!

The next year we got Robert into school where he achieved outstanding results. The photo shows him, second from the right, in his uniform on the first day of school, together with 3 other of our young residents. He matriculated, in the year 2000, but at the time, there was no money for further study and he got a job in a shop and moved out. It was 14 years later, in 2014, that he returned to Mercy House for a very emotional visit, so many memories flooding back to him of his sad and difficult past. He had come because he wanted to fulfill his life’s dream to become an engineer. By divine co-incidence our Father Jeremias had had someone in Portugal approach him asking if there would be an engineering student whom his family could support! Two and two made four. He enrolled in 2015 at UNISA, a distance learning university, for a Chemical Engineering (the most difficult) degree. All the way through, studying alone, with no lectures, he managed to get outstanding results in the 80s and 90s for his work. In his 4^th year, the sponsor found that he was unable to continue with his financial support, so our great friends in the UK, St Richards parish stepped and raised the money to see him through to the end. This was just the crowning glory! His graduation will take place in early 2019 – and what a monument that will be to his own endurance and perseverance but also to the truth that: “All things are possible for God!” Mercy House is proud to have been part of this wonderful story.