MINISTERS, pastors and leaders of Christian churches of Paarl can attend a workshop, "Channels of Hope" on HIV and Aids, facilitated by the Christian Aids Bureau and World Vision on 17 and 18 February.

The objective of the workshop is for participants to acquire more than the basic knowledge about HIV/Aids, as well as the emotional, spiritual and physical impact on the individual, the family and friends.

They will also have an opportunity to explore the calling of the church to become involved, including possible interventions and projects. Information on HIV/Aids programmes in the Paarl Municipality area will be available.

The facilitators are Christo Greyling (Africa Regional HIV/Aids/Church Relations Advisor of World Vision International), and Logy Murray (Programme Manager of the Christian Aids Bureau for Southern Africa at Huguenot College, Wellington).

The workshop will take place from 08:00 to 17:00, at the NG Kerk Drakenstein, Antoinette Street, Denneburg, Paarl. The cost is R50 per person. This includes workshop handouts, refreshments and lunch. Only 30 people can be accommodated.

The contact persons for registration are Weziwe Busakwe (868-0890 or 083-442-7063), Lona Liebenberg (872-5119 or 082-382-0526) and Rev Stephan Snyman (862-2747).

Send your registration form before 12 February to Lona Liebenberg, 35 Christelle Street, Paarl 7646; fax (021) 872-5119, or e-mail liebies4@absamail.co.za.

CHRISTMAS came a bit late, deliberately so, to the pre-school kids in the Franschhoek squatter settlement. Experience has shown that after Christmas and New Year the poor are even poorer. The children who depend on soup kitchens for food, need it even more after the holidays.

For this reason Susan Huxter, chairperson of Franschhoek Vallée Tourisme, decided to give a Post Christmas party to the children, normally fed by the Khumalo Soup Kitchen.

This is part of Franschhoek Vallée Tourisme's ongoing action to work with the poorer children in the community. The main thrust of these efforts are to help feed them, to create activities to keep off the streets in the holidays and to help train them so that they are able to eventually get tourist jobs.

Manna Khumalo, who suffers from chronic asthma and is nearly blind, founded the soup kitchen eight years ago. She has kept it going despite being unable to work because of her illness.

When it runs out of money, she walks the few kilometres into town to get funds from people for whom she used to work.

The soup kitchen is partially funded by some private individuals, the Baptist Church and the Christelike Vroue Vereniging.

The kitchen has funds to feed 60 pre-school children four days a week, but Khumalo often has to turn away the same number again, who queue for hours in order to get a cup of soup.

VIR diegene wat aan alkohol en dwelms verslaaf is, is daar nou uitkoms en hoop by die Heilsleër se Hesketh King Behandelingsentrum in Muldersvlei, algemeen bekend as die Muldersvlei sentrum.

Die sentrum, wat uitsluitlik behandeling vir manspasiënte aanbied, se program begin Maandag.

Die Christelike 12-stap program, gefokus op uitkomsgerigte terapie, volg 'n holistiese benadering met die fokus op terapie asook die aanleer van uitkoms-gerigte lewensvaardighede. Herstel word op die geestelike, emosionele en fisiese vlak aangespreek.

"Die doel van die sentrum is om die gemeenskap bewus te maak dat alkohol- en dwelmverslawing 'n groot probleem is. Die tipe mense wat na ons toe kom, is stukkend in 'n geestelike manier.

"Ons wil die pasiënte wat hierheen kom, weer hoop gee en op die herstelpad plaas," het Jeanne-Marè Bosch, maatskaplike werker by die sentrum, gesê.

'n Multi-professionele span is aan bestuur van die sentrum, waaronder dokters, maatskaplike werkers, predikante en sielkundiges, terwyl Heilsleër offisiere die gebou administreer.

"Daar is hoop vir herstel, want ons span is baie toegewyd. Die behandelingsprogram behels individuele terapie, groepsterapie, pastorale berading, gesinsberading, berading voor registrasie, inligtingsgroepe vir gesinne in herstel, ontspanningsterapie, werksessies en buite-pasiënt terapie."

Die sentrum kan 55 pasiënte akkommodeer. Hulle betaal vir die program volgens hul inkomste.

Vir navrae, bel Bosch of Pieter Lovick by 884-4600.

DIE Bybelkoerier en internasionale spreker, Paul Estabrooks, tree op Saterdag 22 en Sondag 23 Februarie in die Paarl op.

Estabrooks is deur Geopende Deure uit Kanada na Suid-Afrika gebring om hul visie oor Christene in geslote lande bekend te stel en om die geweldige behoefte aan Bybels en opleiding in hierdie lande te illustreer.

Hy is die Saterdag om 19:00 by die Familie Aanbiddings Sentrum, Drakenstein Laerskool. Navrae by Andrias, 083-538-5665. Die Sondag om 09:30 praat hy by die NG Strooidakkerk. Skakel Danie by, 082-553-3936 met navrae. Algemene navrae by Thys Visser, 084-553-2335.

Kom luister na getuienisse van oorwinning en volharding.

Estabrooks het in 1979 voltyds by Geopende Deure ingeskakel en het eerstehandse en 'n uitgebreide kennis oor die situasie van  die Kerk in China. Hy het al Christene in lande soos Kuba, Tibet, China, Mongolië, die voormalige Sowjet Unie, Indonesië en die Midde-Ooste besoek. 

Hy is ook die skrywer van die boek "Secrets to Spiritual Success".