In August 2005, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Poolesville, Maryland joined with their new friends in Richmond , South Africa in the opening of a soup kitchen for children and thus a partnership was born. Since that time, this alliance has grown to include others such as Rotary International, the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the Monocacy Lion's Club and concerned individuals. Adopting a community of 9,000 people with an unemployment rate of over 70% and an HIV infection rate in excess of 35% is a daunting task, however together we have brought peace and love to one small place on earth.

Over the first 18 months of this project our efforts have been focused on several areas.

Nutrition

Soup Kitchen
In August 2005 we established a soup kitchen 5 days a week in the afternoons for Richmond's needy youth.  Our efforts brought together a host of partners. Bowls and cups were donated. Members of the local churches came together to make the soup and prepare the sandwiches. Local farmers donated vegetables and meat while a butcher donated bones for the stock. A local bakery provides bread at a discount. A large freezer was purchased to store our donations and food supplies and we were in business. We movef from our original location to a church in the township to be closer to youth. Our winter menu is hot soup and bread with butter and jam and the summer menu is cold drinks with a meat sandwich. A new hand washing station has been installed at the soup kitchen so that the kids are able to wash their hands before a meal. The soup kitchen is an ongoing effort. Our next phase is to open a second location at the other end of town in 2008 to expand our outreach.

Home Gardens
Richmond is located in a very dry part of South Africa and water intensive agricultural operations are limited. We have started a trail program utilizing a "low water usage" home garden system developed by the Adventists. The systems, complete with seeds and worms, are designed to provide a family of four with an ample supply of fresh vegetables. We have identified twenty of the best gardeners in Richmond and invited them to test the system. If the test is successful, we can introduce the concept of home gardens on a larger scale in the new relocated squatters' camp as well as with other established residents of Richmond. Our partners in the Colesburg Rotary Club are also exploring this unique approach to teaching self- sustaining agriculture practices. Stay tuned for results from our gardening competition.

HIV/AIDS

Home Health Care
The issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa are immense. Until October 2006, the Health Minister of South Africa was endorsing beet root and lemon juice as a viable treatment. Richmond is experiencing many of the endemic symptoms of the disease. Richmond's HIV/AIDS infection rate is estimated to be at least 35%. Working with our partners, the biggest areas of immediate need is salaries to fund 3 HIV workers who provide home care services. These direct care providers are the vital link between the government health clinic and the sick individuals. They visit homes to bring medicines and support the sick in their homes. Many residents are scared to come to the clinic due to the stigma of HIV/AIDS, so without home care they would be helpless. These three individuals also help run the HIV/AIDS support groups and they work to educate the community, which is a critical piece in an important fight. We plan to set up more training for home health care work and continue our support for salaries for this important link to those in need.

Education for Youth
We are looking to maintain the home health piece and greatly expand the education piece. Working together with the Dutch Reformed Church, St. Mathew's Anglican Church and Rotary International, we hope to increase participation in youth programs which emphasize HIV/AIDS awareness and education.

We feel that Richmond is suffering from a lack of community pride. To address this deficiency we are working to develop a community center focused around soccer. By renovating the existing soccer facility we can have a central location to foster community pride through activities and programs. Clean bathrooms in renovated lock rooms at a grass soccer field will set the tone for community pride for the youth. HIV/AIDS education and awareness will be a cornerstone of this outreach effort. For complete details on this program, watch for updates. Our trip and partnerships in 2007 will attack this issue head on.

Sanitation

Toilets
The issue of sanitation in Richmond seems to come back in part to the core of Richmond's problem, pride. While it has a sewer plant and sewer pipes in place, sanitation in the community is sorely lacking. The Anglican Church was a two-bucket congregation when the sewer line was only a 100 meters away. We have upgraded their bathrooms, running sewer and water lines and installing two new flush toilets with toilet paper, holders and a hand sink. These are small but important steps in reinforcing sanitation.

We installed hand-washing stations at the initial soup kitchen and also at the new permanent location. The kids must learn to wash their hands before eating. Back to the basics.

For the new community center at the soccer stadium, we are planning to renovate the existing bathrooms and locker rooms. They are currently in deplorable condition and inoperable.

Squatters' Camp
In 2005 we applied for and received a $40,000 grant from Rotary International to provide improved sanitation for the proposed relocation of 128 squatters currently living in corrugated metal shacks with bucket toilets and no running water. Our partners in this project are the Colesburg Rotary Club. While over an hour away and in a town with its own problems, this small club of fewer than 10 women and men have been strong supporters of our efforts in Richmond. Together with the town of Richmond, we hope to be part of providing better housing and sanitation for Richmond's neediest.

As we look to build on our concepts of community hope and pride we plant to partner with the town of Richmond to upgrade the toilets at the high school. When we visited in September 2006, a high school of over 200 children has only one working bathroom. We are addressing this aggressively with the partners in the Dutch Reformed Church and Rotary International. By the end of 2007 we should have significant improvement in the community sanitation facilities at the soccer stadium and at the high school while we prepare for the implementation of the long awaited squatters camp relocation.

Employment

Craft Production
Employment is the largest single challenge for us to address in Richmond. With unemployment over 70%, joblessness is the cancer that feeds the cycle of poverty that grips the population. To date, our efforts in this area have been fairly limited. One local effort has tried to revive some local woolen skills. Local women are employed to wind wool. This wool is then woven into sweaters and shawls and then sold at local shops on a limited basis. The skill pool is very restricted. Exploration into local production of lavender demonstrated that Richmond was not a suitable climate. We are exploring other potential agricultural projects.

Micro Lending
We have initiated a micro lending program. In late 2006 we received a donation of some funeral equipment that we in turn sold via a small loan to a local Richmond funeral business to assist in their development. The proceeds of the loan payments will be used to fund future loans to other small businesses. We hope to greatly expand this effort by making equipment available through such loans to encourage the growth of business.

Short Term Jobs
The bulk of jobs we have provided have been short-term project related jobs. For example, we funded the renovation of several homes on the property of St. Matthew's Anglican Church. This involved roof repairs, major replastering on the interior and exterior and painting both inside and outside. The older women who lived in these small homes were grateful to have dry rooms to live in. In addition, we funded structural repairs in the children's addition in St. Matthew's.
The renovation of the soccer stadium will also provide short-term employment. The field needs to be cultivated and planted and numerous rocks must be removed. Years of neglect have left the soccer facility begging for renovation. Rotary, together with the Dutch Reformed Church and others stand ready to fund these short-term employment efforts that will foster long-term community benefits.

Providing jobs needs to remain an area of focus. It is clear however that fundamental educational and social skills must be reinforced so that outside employers will consider Richmond. We need to foster those competencies.

Social Impacts
Our efforts in Richmond have touched so many individuals and groups. In a country that gained majority government only twelve years ago after centuries of oppression, the change is dramatic. Our presence in Richmond has challenged the social fabric, moving the community forward and bringing members of the community together in unprecedented alliances.