Pfunanane Ministries - Children's Village

When Engela DeVilliers founded Pfunanane in 1997, she had a heart for the orphans and vulnerable children in the area, and wanted to create a haven where they would be safe and loved. This was partially done through the school and sponsorship program, but there was still a need for children who needed a family and a home.

Construction on the children's cottages stalled when Engela died unexpectedly in 2007. A few months later, Sarah Haver Terwey, one of Pfunanane's long-term missionaries, was approached with a tiny boy who was dying of AIDS with no one to care for him. Knowing that it was what God wanted her to do, she took him into her small cottage on the property. Now healthy and thriving from love and attention, he became the first of many children who would find a home with Sarah at Pfunanane. Her home currently includes 10 girls and 3 boys, and the children now have a dedicated father also, as Sarah married Mark Terwey in April 2011.

Our second children's cottage opened in October 2010 with missionary Erin MacLean and her three boys who had been neglected and abused. They make a great family and love to spend time together!

Some children come for only a few weeks or months, while their home situation is temporarily in turmoil and they need a safe place to stay. Others have found a permanent family and home at Pfunanane - some are orphans, others have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. For some children, it is the first time they have been loved and wanted; other times, it is a new start when they have lost everything. Many have suffered horrific abuse and lived in constant fear and danger - these children learn to relax and feel safe for the first time.

We don't want these children to live in an institution or an "orphanage" - rather, they are simply living in a family that looks a little different, and where the members may not be related by blood. Our goal is to build several of these homes on our property, each housing up to 8 children and a carefully chosen long-term house parent or couple. These children will not "age out" of these homes any more than children age out of their biological family - the connection is for life, and when possible, the house parents may even formally adopt the children. No matter how long the children may be placed with us, they can know that they can always find love and support in their Pfunanane family.

Check out the pictures below to get an idea of what it's like to be a child in a Pfunanane family!