Our Story
King’s Hope was established as a faith-based organisation in 2002. Initially the organisation provided food to the hungry and home-based care to those living with HIV and AIDS. Kings Hope ran an in-patient unit providing end-of-life care for several years. However, this focus changed in 2004 when the South African Government started providing ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) and there need to focus on terminal care decreased. However, there has always been the need to offer care and support to people living with HIV as they were dealing with issues of stigma and discrimination as well as integration with their loved ones. The organisation has been supportive in meeting most psychosocial needs in their service offering.
In 2007, Kings Hope started a programme which included facilitating support groups, where people living with HIV were able to meet with their peers and openly discuss issues such as treatment adherence, disclosure, social support and preventing HIV transmission to their loved ones. In 2010 the organisation began providing intensive health education with the aim to reduce HIV transmission in the wider Olievenhoutbosch community. Services extended to orphaned and vulnerable children as well as psycho-social care which intensified in 2011. In 2018, Kings Hope responded to the need to start a shelter for abused and destitute women & children. The organisation is in the process of finalising required government regulations for running a shelter.
King’s Hope is continuously adapting in order to stay relevant amid changing conditions around HIV and persisting psychosocial needs, ensuring the most efficient use of resources.
Our Vision
While the approach may change, our vision has and always will remain the same:
Advance the Kingdom of God in a practical way…
King’s Hope has served the community of Olievenhoutbosch for well over a decade and has been through many developmental changes. There has been vast population and infrastructure growth in the community and Olievenhoutbosch now has a large community health clinic, police station, community hall, additional schools and a functional shopping centre. Some of the historical challenges remain persistent; these include poverty, HIV and alcohol abuse and King’s Hope finds relevance in keeping service offering that responds to these challenges through ongoing programmes that meet the constant and transient needs of the community it serves.
Through its self-sustaining programmes, King’s Hope promotes personal responsibility and ownership by providing people the tools to grow; this happens through skills building initiatives such as sewing, computer skills, reading for children and growing own food gardens. Spiritual support is offered on an on-going basis and the organisation has watched many gain inner confidence; improve their nutritional health and that of their families whilst making profit from selling excess produce.
As and when required, Kings Hope continues to help people access anti-retroviral therapy (ART), particularly those immigrating to the area with no referral or previous health records. Health improvements have been realised by men, women and children who may have otherwise succumbed to negative effects of Tuberculosis & HIV. This has been observed as people realise amazing physical recoveries from the AIDS phase to living positively with HIV. For other individuals in the community, the organisation provides counselling for alcohol and substance abuse as well as psycho-social counselling for those encountering emotional life challenges.
OUR OBJECTIVES
As a faith based organisation, we exist to advance the Kingdom of God in a practical way in Olievenhoutbosch through empowering groups, individuals and families within the community while focusing on uplifting the poor, the sick and the unemployed.
We do this by:
- Practically taking care of physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs
- Reaching out with the Good News of Jesus Christ as only Saviour
- Encouraging people to become members of the Body of Christ (church)
- Assisting people in the process of growing towards a living faith in Jesus Christ
- Offer opportunities to serve within and outside the organisation.
