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Photos of Southern Africa

Water: How can I plan this?

Fr. Pat Galvin, msc ponders how water pipes can be brought through the rocks

Water: Checking progress

Fr. Pat's daily inspection of progress in pipe-laying

Water flows

Joy for the villagers and Fr. Pat as the first gush of water flows

Bringing water home

Wheel-barrows and plastic drums are a common means of conveying water to homes

Laying the water pipe

Dusty conditions laying 14km of pipe for 200 families in two villages

Another well is drilled

Another borehole in Nzhelele Parish in Louis Trichardt

Well-drillers at work

Fr. Andre Bohas, msc chatting to the drillers in Nzhelele Parish

Enterprise: Growing food

Vegetable growing to provide food

Self Help: Providing an income

Paper-making to provide an income for women

Growing food

This vegetable growing enterprise provides employment and food for a number of families

A crafts centre

Fr. Herman van Dijck, msc visits the crafts centre

Ladies show off their work

Fr. Jimmy Mitchell, msc is obviously impressed by the craftsmanship of these ladies

Developing skills

Teaching skills to young people is very important

Vegetable growing for school meals

Fr. Adrian McHugh, msc inspects the vegetables growing to provide food for children in Musina

Food preparation for school meals

Volunteers cook vegetables and maize to provide nutritious meals for the children

Blankets for the winter

Fr. Adrian giving out blankets to keep the children warm in the African winter

MSC Drop-In Centre

Fr. Frank Gallagher, msc built this Drop-In Centre in Makhado to provide a welcome for country people visiting town in search of employment

MSC Drop-In Centre

Fr. Frank poses for a photo with visitors in the Drop-In Centre

MSC Drop-In Centre

Time for a snack, a read, or just a rest

Feeding time

The younger children must be fed first by the volunteers

Time for food

These two boys are happy to get food

Break time

Volunteers take a break

Feeding time

The young feeding the young

Food time

Children enjoying a snack

Time for a nap

These children take an afternoon nap

Irish Visitor

Fr. Michael O' Connell, msc visiting from Ireland, joins in singing with the children

A time to talk

Fr. Pat McGlanaghy, msc chats to the children after Mass

A Special Visitor

Miss South Africa 2005 visits the Philani Care Centre, where the children are delighted to meet her

Creche building

Fr. Pat Galvin, msc lends a helping hand in building a creche so that children can be safe whilst their mothers earn an income for the family

Child headed families

The young helping the young. Child-headed families are common in parishes

Children enjoying their food

Children being fed nutritious food

Food Reserve

Fr. Herman van Dijck, msc is building up a food reserve

Children eating

Happy with their food

Bishop Slattery with Fr Bohas

Bishop Hugh Slattery, msc offering Mass with Fr. Andre Bohas, msc at the opening of a new church

Bringing home clean water

Any means to bring home clean drinking water in the parish of Musina

Bringing home the water

Bringing home the water in Fr. Adrian McHugh's parish of Musina

Fr Hugh Hanlon

Fr. Hugh Hanlon, msc - well known to many friends of MSC in Ireland and Great Britain - now ministers in Cape Town

Desks are scarce

Desks are scarce at this school in Musina, so the chairs can be used instead

The MSC Night Shelter

The MSC Night Shelter at Makhado built by Fr. Gallagher provides a resting place for travellers and the weary who have no place to stay for the night

Sr Elite & Sr Smitha

Sr. Elite and Sr. Smitha entertain the children at this special needs school

Present for everyone

A present for everyone at the Holy Family Centre at Ofcolaco

Building of a new church

These old bricks will make the walls for a new church that Fr. Andre Bohas, msc is building in a remote rural area

Retreat for young people

A retreat for young people is a time for sharing and deep reflection

An education workshop

An education workshop provides basic training that is so important for the development of people

The crafts workshop

Another beautiful outfit made at the crafts workshop

Delivering food parcels

Delivering food parcels to the needy is essential, and is made possible by donations from generous people

Foster parents

Foster parents are so important for the care of orphans

Fr Stephan visits a school

Fr. Andre Stephan, msc visits the special needs school at Madodonga

Fr Katjipa ministering at a retreat

Fr. Julius Katjipa, msc ministering at a retreat for both young and old

Fr Galvin visits a new creche

Fr. Pat Galvin, msc visits the first group of toddlers in the new creche and witnesses the excitement

The Bakhita Centre

Girls are taught how to sow at the Bakhita Centre

Growing pumpkin

Growing pumpkin provides nutritious food for families, and the excess can be sold to earn an income

Making sandals

Learning the skill of making sandals is important

Meal time

Meal time for these orphans at the Sithand'izingane Care Centre

Morwesi Dolo & Fr Mitchell

Morwesi Dolo (volunteer carer) and Fr. Jimmy Mitchell, msc with a group of young people being cared for

The crafts workshop

Nice design and colour co-ordination but the final stitches are very important in the crafts workshop

Sunday Mass

People gather for Sunday Mass in St. Paul's Church in Tsakana

Distributing food

Queuing at a food distribution station

A dress-making class

See what I learned to make for myself at the dress-making class

The crafts workshop

Some very colourful slippers made at the crafts workshop

The Bakhita Centre

Sr. Adriana teaching computer skills at the Bakhita Centre

The Bakhita Centre

Sr. Mary Meade teaching the art of sewing at the Bakhita Centre

A Church

St. John the Bapist Catholic Church in Brakpan

A Church

St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Geluksdal

Counselling Centre

The Ekuphileni Counselling Centre at Tsakane

Men gather for the cooking

The men too gather for the cooking at this feeding station

Foster parents

The orphans who are provided with foster parents are lucky for the care they receive

Near the Care Centre

The road near the Sithand'izingane Care Centre

Soccer

The sport of soccer is good for these young men but facilities are limited

Township

The township where the Sithand'izingane Care Centre is located

Young people

There are so many young people to be cared for

Holy Family Centre

There's space for two of us in this buggy at the Holy Family Centre at Ofcolaco

The crafts workshop

This beautiful beadwork is done at the crafts workshop

Sewing class

This crafts centre provides sewing classes as an enterprise to provide income for women

The crafts workshop

This group of ladies are happy to show off what they've learned to make at the crafts workshop

Vegetable garden

This vegetable garden has to be well protected with a wire fence

Present

Who gave me this present in the clinic

A little Christmas party

A little Christmas party for the cared at the Tshwaranang Care Centre to create the Christian spirit of Christmas in a shared way

Children to be cared for

A lot of children to be cared for

A small presentation to helpers

A small presentation to helpers at the Philani Care Centre during the visit of the local Mayor

Children look after children

Children look after children when there's no one else to care for them

Children help to provide for the family

Children must help to provide for the family... water is a critically important resource

Participating in the youth workshop

Everyone is interested in participating in the youth workshop in the Education for Life programme

Food parcels ready for distribution

Food parcels ready for distribution as the local Mayor visits the Philani Care Centre

Fr Herman finds jobs to do

Fr. Herman van Dijck, msc always finds extra jobs to do in his parish

Fr Herman at the Care Centre

Fr. Herman van Dijck, msc with some helpers and children at the Philani Care Centre

Looking after the children

Grandmothers often have to look after the children

More equipment arrives

More equipment arrives for the renovations to a care centre

Morwesi with some children

Morwesi Dolo in happy mood with some of the children she cares for

Nutritious food is essential

Nutritious food is essential in preparation for learning at the youth workshop

Education for Life programme

The Education for Life programme gives hope to young people and to their parents

My new home

This will be my new home for which I am grateful

Tshwaranang Hospice

Tshwaranang Hospice provides loving care and dignity to the seriously ill

Typical homes

Typical homes in the townships

Helpers and the cared for

Volunteer helpers and the cared for at the Philani Care Centre

Waste material is useful

Waste material is useful for building a youth centre or a house in the townships

Showing great interest

Young people showing great interest in an Education for Life workshop

Volunteer Yvonne Aherne

Irish volunteer, Yvonne Aherne, getting familiar with the children in a care centre. Volunteers play an important part in helping and providing care

Volunteer Yvonne Aherne

Irish volunteer, Yvonne Aherne, demonstrating how to make a St Bridget's Cross to children in a care centre

Volunteer AIDS Counsellor

A volunteer AIDS Counsellor doing house calls to deliver anti-retroviral drugs

Volunteer Holly

Australian actress and volunteer, Holly with a young child at the Holy Family Centre at Ofcolaco

Volunteer Holly

Australian actress and volunteer, Holly, enjoys meeting the young children and their families

A food parcel

A typical food parcel for distribution to a poor family

The crafts workshop

See all the nice things I have learned to make for myself at the crafts workshop