Prayer
Prayer is the foundation of change and we believe that it is an essential basis to everything that Be Hope4Africa does. We spend time praying together as a team and we also spend many hours on prayer walks through the community. Often during our walks we encounter people who are thirsty for prayer and we are able to pray specifically for their needs.
English Classes
While English is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa, for many people reading, writing or speaking in English is a challenge. In addition, English is the main language used in business, education and health care, so lacking skills in English disempowers people on many levels. Some of our friends in the inner city asked us to teach them English, so we have been offering classes for adults since 2015. Because our classes are small, students learn quickly, and also form strong friendships on the journey. As a result, in addition to giving people valuable communication skills, community is strengthened as people from different races understand and care for one another. We have seen a number of our students go on to access formal employment because of their ability to communicate.
Literacy Workshops
Reading is one of the greatest gifts parents can give their children. Our literacy workshop teaches about the literacy crisis in South Africa as well as debunks common myths about reading. We empower and inspire parents to simply read for enjoyment with their young children. We do this by providing reading resources, connecting parents with one another for ongoing support, and teaching simple activities that can be repeated at home.
Cherish & Courage
The vision of Cherish & Courage is to inspire and equip young women and men to live pure lives. The heart of both programmes is a story called “A Life Worth Living”. As the single-gender groups work through this story, they learn about God’s heart for relationships, the power of forgiveness, HIV, and how to actually live a pure life. By the end of the programme (8-10 weeks), participants usually report that they have grown in many areas, including relationship with God, feeling empowered in relationships, and confidence as a leader. Cherish in Joburg is part of a larger movement of Cherish & Courage centres around the world, in countries including South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Mozambique, Costa Rica and Brazil.