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ABOUT US

The St. Francis Outreach Trust was formed in early 2009 as a response to the call from the Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, that every parish in the country set up and support a foster home. The call was made so that the greater Anglican community could rally together to tackle the myriad social problems that are rapidly growing as a result of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. In addition to providing foster care for children in need, the trust also provides training for the unemployed and for those caring for children infected with HIV/AIDS, as well as poverty relief.

A committed team of volunteers from St. Francis Church in Simon's Town make up the Trust's committee. All of the Trust's projects are in their early stages of development but are moving ahead swiftly thanks to the dedication of the committee. The Trust operates in the South Peninsula - primarily in the townships of Masipumelele and Ocean View, where poverty is rife and levels of unemployment are high.

The St Francis Outreach Trust recognises the urgent need to provide adequate care for children who have been orphaned and abandoned through parents and caregivers falling ill from HIV/AIDS. The Trust's flagship project is the building and supporting of foster homes, the Homes to Grow. These foster homes provide nurturing family environments for children and provide them with the opportunity to grow up without the stigma of living in institutional children's homes.

The trust has entered into a partnership with Home from Home, an organisation that has 18 foster homes affiliated to it. Home from Home has created a successful model for operating foster homes, and the Homes to Grow are run according to this model. The affiliation ensures that children are cared for in a way that has their best interests at heart, and the Trust is confident that the children living in the Homes to Grow are given the ideal environment in which to grow and develop their full potentials.

The Trust also provides training in caring for children living with HIV/AIDS. The training is based on material provided by the Desmond Tutu HIV/AIDS Foundation, and is administered by medical professionals. In addition, skills and entrepreneurial training is provided to members of disadvantaged communities through a partnership with Living Way, an organization based in Masipumelele. The Trust also provides disaster relief and poverty alleviation in partnership with other civic organisations operating in the area.