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May 2010
I hope this letter finds you enjoying some Spring weather.
Time continues to zoom here. We are now settled into our new building. In March we ran a family fun day to raise money for children to go camp this weekend. Many volunteers gave up their Saturday morning to help run a range of stalls and organize games.
Arise has also been involved with a campaign at a local school called Valuable to Jesus. It’s vision is to see Christ conquering sexual abuse, prostitution and pornography through His Church. Many are concerned that children will be particularly at risk during the long school holiday for the Soccer World Cup. Speakers have been into school to talk to children about how they are handmade by God and deeply loved, to warn them about abuse and let them know who they can talk to about it. Church members have been knitting furiously (see photo) so that each child received a unique hand-knitted doll to remind them how special they are.
Lucy, a clinical psychologist from the UK has also started working at Arise. Following on from the success of the foster carer support group we are also planning to run workshops for adoptive parents. The first one at the end of May will focus on ‘open communication with your child’.
On a personal level I am able to remain in my current accommodation which is a huge blessing. It will soon be time to for some open fires I think- a Cape storm is predicted for tomorrow!
Please give thanks for
- The Valuable to Jesus campaign
- Funds raised for children to attend camp
Please pray for
- Children at camp this weekend- for safe travel and that they may grow in Christ
- The first adoptive parent support group on 22nd May- that it would be a time of encouragement and learning for all.
Blessings
Sonia
February 2010
It is so encouraging to see how the team has grown! These two full time apprentices will be joining the the children’s worker Brigitte in the outreach team and by the end of February Lucy, a clinical psychologist from the UK will be joining myself and the new social worker Danielle in the intervention strand of the ministry. [more...]
17th December 2009
Sending you Christmas greetings and brief update from Cape Town. I’ve settled in now and am enjoying the summer weather!
The hosting programme has all been planned again for this year- Around 50 children from local children homes will be placed over the Christmas week with Christian families from a wide range of churches.
Following a request for Christmas presents from church members we have been inundated with Christmas show boxes (see photo)! People have been so generous and it’s amazing to see how God provides. All the children known to Arise have received a gift and many of the children from local children’s homes too.
We also took the children on an end of term trip to the zoo last week (see photo). They loved it! Schools are out for summer now. I have reviewed my work at the local primary school in Heideveld and they are positive about the work and keen to see it continue next year. We also took the homework club to the local library in Heideveld; the children really enjoyed it!
Our first coffee morning for foster carers was also well received and we are planning a mini-programme of workshops next year. So with all this and learning Afrikaans and studying at the local bible college I have been busy!
I’m thankful for your prayers, encouragement and support.
Please give thanks for
- God’s provision of the Christmas presents to all the Arise children
- The commitment of all the volunteers who help at Arise
Please do pray that
- The hosted children will come to know God’s love for them through spending Christmas with a loving Christian family
- Children known to Arise are safe over the long Christmas holiday.
I do hope you all have blessed Christmas and a happy new year!
With love from
Sonia
29th October 2009
It's difficult to believe that I've been here a month already. Time has flown! It's good to be back though and I'm slowly settling back into SA life. I'm living not too far from the Arise office with a US Missionary called Beth who is currently on home leave in the states. It's a spacious place and very secure - could be the alarm, barbed wire, gate, or ‘beware of the dog’ sign which help on that front!
My first few weeks have been spent getting sorted out with a cell phone. email address, buying items of furniture (chasing things found on Gumtree before they sell) and renewing and forming relationships with colleagues and children. Encouragingly the school in Heideveld where I was working before have been receptive to me offering a consultation service there so I'm beginning to meet teachers to discuss their concerns and work with individual children.
The Arise building is well on the way. 9 brickies are working on it instead of 3 so it's going up 3 times faster than anticipated! We should be in by February.
I'm learning Arikaans with a couple of other Brits who work for the other ministry here at St Stephen's. We have a great teacher and it's good fun. Also enrolled for an evening course at George Whitfield College for the bible overview course. Got an exam before Christmas!
Do praise God for:
- A good settling in period
- the development of homework club which has doubled in size since I've been away
Please pray for
- More Christian families to come forward to foster the 10 children we know about who need homes
- Wisdom as we consider the development of educational support to the children who need it
Blessings
Sonia
May 2009 (click here for pdf version)
Partnering with Sonia Candish
Missionary and Educational Psychologist seeking to serve vulnerable children in Cape Town
What is Arise?
Arise is a gospel-centred ministry to vulnerable children in Cape Town. It is affiliated to the Church of England in South Africa with outreaches in Heideveld and amongst children of homeless adults in the Claremont area. Arise’s model of work is strongly community orientated with a focus on interventions aimed at uplifting and empowering families.
Context:
Heideveld is an area on the Cape Flats 15 km from the city bowl, with a population comprising 16,000. The community faces many difficulties and children might find themselves in crisis because of abuse, severe neglect, abandonment, homelessness, parents’ imprisonment, substance misuse, or parents who are sick and unable to find employment. The need exceeds the resources of the local statutory social workers and there is a limited number of foster carers available. The schools in Heideveld are under-resourced with class sizes commonly in excess of 40. Literacy and Numeracy levels are generally low. It is to children in this community that Arise seeks to make Christ known. We work to ensure their long-term safety, stability and success.
The Ministry outlined:
The outreach work at Heideveld exists to proclaim the Gospel, to be positive source of practical support in the community and to identify children in the community most at risk. The nature of Arise’s support can involve counselling for parents and children, help into shelters, help pursuing criminal cases, protection orders, grants, employment; the options are varied, but the aim is the same – children protected and children led to Christ. Another intrinsic part of this ministry is the recruiting, training and supporting of Christian foster parents, safety parents and host parents. Not only is this addressing a massive need within the city, but it provides great opportunities for the church to share God’s love for children. As an organisation Arise is currently strong on addressing spiritual and physical needs of vulnerable children, but has real gaps in the areas of education and the psychological needs of children who have experienced some loss or trauma.
My Role:
In view of these needs and building on work already undertaken, I would like to continue to contribute to Arise by:
- teaching and monitoring the progress of children who require support.
- developing the after school Literacy Club at St Thomas church and train more volunteers
- offering a weekly consultation support service to teachers who may have concerns about individual pupils or groups of pupils.
- engaging in short term therapeutic work with individual children.
- offering workshop/ training opportunities for teachers in aspects of psychology.
- developing support work for parents and foster parents in the Heideveld community through individual therapeutic work or at a group level through workshop support.
What would need to happen in order for me to serve at Arise?
I need gospel partners – people who will support me as I make preparations and when I am in South Africa. I am looking for prayer partners as well as those who will support financially.
Please pray:
- For me to know God’s peace, wisdom and energy as I prepare to serve in Cape Town
- For the existing community outreach in Heideveld and for the Arise building project.
- For God to provide the increasing funds necessary to carry this growing ministry.
- Pray for strength, wisdom, perseverance and much love for all the staff at Arise.
I am planning to serve as a volunteer at Arise for a period of two years – September 2009-2011. In order to make this possible, I need to secure my living costs – rent, food, petrol, phone, recreation etc. I am looking for people to partner with me, by pledging monthly support for at least one year. The amount required is £11,000 per year.
If you would like to contribute financially to this work please email me: soniacandish[at]gmail.com or phone me on 0785 383 0607.
Alternatively you could contact Crosslinks on 020 8691 6111 or email: accounts[at]crosslinks.org
Thanks for your interest.
This comes with every blessing from Sonia and the Arise team.
March 2009
As I prepare to return to the UK we have been thinking at Arise about how to sustain the educational support for the children we work with. We have been praying for more volunteers to help out at Homework Club in particular as we are keen to see it continue. Members of the club continue to attend regularly and we have had several requests from the community for others to join so God willing this will carry on.
The work of Arise contrinue to develop. Brigitte is now full time and so runs 2 kids club in Heideveld as the numbers have been increasing there so much. Praise God! Debbie and Kirsty have been continuing to work hard to place children in foster and adoptive arrangements. The website is being developed (check it out www.arisecapetown.org.za) and progress is being made on the building of the crisis centre in Heideveld.
Please give thanks for
- all the helpers and volunteers who serve so willingly at Arise. In particular a group of young workers have offered to take some Arise children on recreational visits.
- a donation made by a local company to purchase more reading resources for the children
- the progress the children we have been working with have made, both in their behaviour and learning.
Please also pray that
- Homework club will continue to grow with more helpers wanting to show Arise children some Christian love in this way.
- Continued strength for Arise workers in the work they do
- I would settle back into the UK smoothly when I return later this month
Blessings
Sonia