South Africa (MNN) — How many single moms do you know? In South Africa, many women face this challenging but beautiful calling.
Up until 1994, South Africa had a long history of institutionalized racial segregation. Last month, the nation celebrated the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid, Freedom Day, but long-term effects of that era linger. Those effects include high rates of crime, incarceration, and fatherlessness.
Men Molding Men camp (Photo courtesy of CWO)
That’s why several years ago, a few South African single moms began meeting to encourage one another. Today it’s a ministry of Christian World Outreach called Single Moms Raising Sons.
Greg Yoder with CWO says, “We’re working with single moms, helping them know who they are in their faith, their identity with Christ, so that they can deal with being single moms and raising sons — because they’re not men, and there’s just a difference there with fathers relating to their sons and mothers relating to their sons.”
Moms gather for Bible studies. Their boys attend camps twice a year, where they are mentored and discipled. They learn about their heavenly Father who won’t abandon them.
“I think that’s the key thing for them, helping them build characteristics that they can grow to be young men that serve the Lord and know who they are,” Yoder says.
A team from the U.S. will be in South Africa from May 17 to the end of the month, participating in the ministry to moms and boys. Pray they will be a true encouragement to the staff, who are passionate about this ministry but are being stretched thin.
“There’s a lot of people they want to reach and a lot of people who want to be reached. So it’s an exciting time as a ministry grows, but also a difficult time as we grow too,” says Yoder.
Another way you can come alongside families in South Africa is through financial partnership.
Single Moms Raising Sons ministry with CWO. (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)
“We need support for this ministry as we create Bible studies, print the Bible studies, as we have our camps,” says Yoder.
To give, click the Donate button on CWO’s website and choose the “SMRS – South Africa” fund. From there, you can select a sub-fund and sponsor a Bible study group, Bible study printing and translations, teams, or a boy going to a Men Molding Men camp. A gift of $90 sends one boy to camp!
Header photo is of Thembi Myeni, co-founder of the Single Moms Raising Sons ministries, who says the ministry was born out of love for her sons and a need for the Father to be in her son’s lives and her life. Photo and caption courtesy of Christian World Outreach.
