L’Arche Mafikeng, the first community in South Africa is very young. In fact it is not yet fully affiliated to the International Federation, and is being monitored by the African Zone Council of L’Arche. We have regular contacts with L’Arche Zimbabwe who are very near to us.

Alice Chatindo, the Zimbabwe L’Arche Community leader is so dear to us. Our first delegate members spent time at L’Arche Zimbabwe- Waterfall home and we learnt important lessons from the community. The time we spent in the middle of December last year will always remain with us. It was our first encounter with the real community of L’arche, I mean we met the house leader, the assistants and the core-members.

We were very much touched by the Spirit of everyone in the community. We had good time with the core-members and their faces and actions are still vivid in our minds. I mean how can we forget Douglas, Blessing, Simba, Prince just to mention a few of these friends of ours. How about Jason, Eunice and others!! We miss you all it was a community. The prayer sessions in the morning the singing etc..

We came back to South Africa knowing that L’Arche is indeed a community of being with each other. The evening walks we took together with the assistants, Core-members were so warm and we still miss the quality time we had together.
Here now back in South Africa, we are busy organizing ourselves. We are forming the Committee Board. We are working on the process of registering our community at the department of the Welfare and Social developments.

Fr. Kizito Kaganda our Spiritual and animator already is meeting people with skills and prominent ones in the community introducing to them the spirituality of L’Arche and the Vision of our founder. We are in fact determined to develop our community based on the emphasis of developing a warm home where together we can live in celebration of our faith and life.

In Zimbabwe, it was pointed out that L’Arche communities are not solutions to the problems associated with people with developmental disabilities in the world, but signs to the society where our life indicates that people with learning disabilities are at the centre of the community. We must put them at the centre and hence grow as we learn from each.

We hope that L’Arche spirituality in South will give an impact to the society in general as we shall be a community of welcoming, where trust, service, love and brotherhood and sisterhood of mutual support is shared by all. I am already living the spirit of L’Arche for now I know what it means to love and to care.

L’Arche Zimbabwe is willing to accompany us in the journey to help us live the vocation of L’Arche and our first assistants in training will be going to Zimbabwe soon. We are also at the same time making plans of opening another community in Johannesburg, given the fact that Mafikeng is far away and Johannesburg will be reachable internationally.
And of course as we grow and get affiliated to the International Federation, it will be the home to welcome our visitors and friends before reaching other communities. We expect to have a visit from Andrew and Alice next months and we are excited indeed. We are organizing so that when they come, they address a number of people about L’Arche spirituality.

OUR CHALLENGES:

We are looking for dedicated people to share our life and the training of the assistants will be costly. We think of sending them to Zimbabwe and we have made some arrangements with the Leader in Zimbabwe and any other L’Arche community that would like to help us in training is welcome. There are plans of sending Br. Zelalem Fissha to Uganda as it maybe difficult for him to get the permit of living in Zimbabwe.

We are also negotiating and in plans looking for some suitable houses. Things are getting expensive and maybe by divine providence we shall be able to get one. We are not rushing as we still work on other immediate needs. Our vision and goal is to bring the spirituality in South Africa. Actually it is long due that such a treasure is just entering the country.

When we talk to people about L’Arche and we tell them that L’Arche is not an institution but a home, many want us to take their children and adults to stay with them. It has not been good in the past years for people with developmental disabilities. Around Mafikeng the only place available was closed and moved to another area, where even the number is getting down as many just pass away due to some unknown reasons. The Director in one government institution was coming from Holland and got a stroke due to the stress and other related issues related to his duties. He had no support. He had to return home. We want to be there for all and give retreats, recollections and spiritual talks to all who care

We do not yet have facilities, we do not have money and yet we want to start to train the Assistants from the community and we hope that before the end of this year 2008, we shall have a real community of L’Arche with core-members.

We need any sort of help and ideas of how to grow and make the vision and spirituality of L’Arche a reality in our country.

Please contact us on

L’Arche Mafikeng,
P. O. Box 198
Montshiwa
2737
South Africa.


Email:

larchemafikeng@yahoo.com

zelalemfissha@yahoo.co.uk