My young sister and I arrived at Khayelihle Children’s Village when I was 13 years old. My parents had passed away (father in 1993 and mother in 2003) and we were living with my Auntie. It was my Auntie who found out about KCV and took us there to live.

KCV gave us a family, provided school fees and medical assistance. It gave us a home with brothers and sisters. Since my parents passed away I appreciated how my KCV housemother and aunties treated us like their own children and taught us life skills. When I arrived at KCV I was not a Christian. KCV also helped me in my journey to faith in Jesus. I was baptized and after completing High School I studied at Bible College.

Now I am the Youth Pastor at KCV Church of Christ! My role is spiritually challenging, leading the children at KCV and watching them grow up from even younger ages than I was living there. Some of the children mature to love God and some choose to depart from the faith. Through it all we are family. Even today I continue to remain in touch with my brothers and sisters from my years as a teenager. We have a WhatsApp group and keep in touch all these years later, even after going our separate ways and becoming adults living our independent lives. My sister is doing well now and she is a pre-school teacher!

A message to the people who support KCV – don’t stop what you are doing! It changed my life. 

Bambelela Jiyane, Zimbabwe

Khayelihle Children’s Village