The Story So Far...

Who are we?
We are Carol and Bertus Deysel who have taken over the management of the children's home at 18 Smid Street in Middelberg. We have set up a completely new faith-based non-profit organisation that offers a fresh start for the care home. We are committing our lives to the simple and honest objectives of being there for the children who have no one else to turn to, to love and care for them as best we can, and to provide a safe home for the vulnerable children of Middelburg. It is our intention to work in a positive partnership with everyone in the community and the Department of Social Development, reinforcing family values and providing refuge where no other home can be found.

Our vision
Our non-profit organisation (NPO) is registered with the South African government and it has recruited a Board of Directors which will be representative of the whole Middelburg community and will ensure everything the Emmanuel Children's Home does is in the children's and community's best interests. We are developing our plans with the aim of meeting these long-term objectives:

• Improving the health and well-being of vulnerable and orphaned children in and around the community of Middelburg.
• Exist to provide safe shelter and care for children from birth to age eighteen of all backgrounds and races.
• Develop an environment for the children which is conducive to building their self-sufficiency and providing opportunities for them to positively contribute to their communities.
• Provide other social welfare programs and services that serve a need gap identified in the local communities, principally in the area of support and skills-training for families

Why we are involved
We joined the children's home as volunteers in May 2009 with a view to taking over the children's home. We felt we had to become involved so that a children's home could remain to serve the needs of the community and continue to offer vital support and services. We believe that it is our life's calling to run a care home and provide nurture for these vulnerable children as they grow up. We chose the name “Emmanuel” (God with us) to reflect our strong faith in this endeavour. We are whole-heartedly committed to serving the Middelburg community and its families for many many years to come. Whatever obstacles we face, we will work hard to overcome them using partnership, humility and love.

Our plans
The charitable trust running the children's home prior to Carol and Bertus's arrival closed down on 30th June 2009 and was no longer approved by the DOSD. 32 of the children at the home were removed and fostered in new homes, leaving us to foster 9 remaining children. In this period lots of hard work went into building a productive working relationship with the DOSD and to generate stable donation income to help with the running costs. Finally in 2014 we gain a new registration to run Emmanuel's as a DOSD approved child and youth centre - able to house and care for up to 25 children at any one time, either on a temporary or semi-permanent basis. 

Our latest plans are to:

• Expand living space and facilities to adequately accommodate 25 children to the highest standards - including separate living and bathroom facilities for boys and girls. As of March 2015 the building work to cater for this is progressing well and is aimed to be completed and furnished by the end of the year.
• Work on community programmes for expanding the social services that ECYCC can give to the local community.
• Remain a positive and active voice in the Middelburg and Eastern Cape for children's rights and community projects.