Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonions 5:16-18
South Africa is one of eight countries Hands at Work is serving in across Africa. South Africa has a population of 60,473,211 people, with 22% of the population living in extreme poverty. Ranking 109 out of 187 on the Human Development Index, there are 230,000 children living with HIV/AIDS and 720,000 children who have been orphaned because of this life-threatening illness.
–Sources: UNAID, UNDP, World Poverty Clock
As we start the week, please join us in praying for the country of South Africa:
• This year, we are going to have elections as a country, so there will be lots of division. There are political parties that are starting and will take advantage of the most vulnerable by making promises and making them do odd jobs. There is so much corruption in South African politics. We can pray for our children to be safe during this time, not to be taken advantage of and to not get involved in those politics because it is so easy to get involved.
• We can pray for the schools in South Africa. Pinky, one of the leaders, told us of schools in the area that have closed due to unusual and disturbing behaviour in some of the children. Some children had collapsed, others were convulsing, speaking and falling in worrying ways. “There are many spiritual attacks. In one of the schools, they opened for a week, and then they had to close. People will try to take advantage of the situation and even make money from it as they offer to “help.” We can pray for the protection of the children in schools because it is disturbing them, and some are scared to go back to school. Pray that they will have the courage to return”. (Pinky, Regional Support Team Leader, South Africa)