A safe place for Mosa
Pastor Julius and his wife care for 22 children, many of whom have been left at their doorstep.
OBI stepped in to make sure Pastor Julius and his family would never be short of food again. A greenhouse was constructed where the family can grow a wide variety of vegetables.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - For 4-year-old Mosa*, life was a nightmare.
Abused by her father, the little girl lived in fear. But things took an even more tragic turn when her mother confronted her father about the abuse.
In a violent rage, he attacked Mosa’s mother and killed her. He was sent to prison.
And Mosa was left an orphan.
But then Pastor Julius heard about the abandoned little girl. “No one claimed her, so I brought her to my home,” he said. Today, Mosa calls him “Thata,” or Father.
In the squatter camps of Cape Town, where thousands live illegally in flimsy shanties, orphans like Mosa have little hope of finding food and shelter.
That’s why Pastor Julius and his wife began taking in these abandoned children—giving them food, clothing, and a safe, loving home.
It started when Pastor Julius performed a funeral for a young orphan boy. “I came home changed,” he said. “Within a few days an orphan was brought to me and I decided that it is time I became a father to these children who were mistreated.”
Seven years later, he and his wife care for 22 children, many of whom have been left at their doorstep.
Today, 11-year-old Mosa is a big sister to the younger children. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Mosa said, “I want to be a nurse. I want to help people.”
In this home, there has been no shortage of love and affection. But at times, Pastor Julius has found it hard to provide enough for food for them all.
“It is not easy to feed the children three meals day,” said Pastor Julius. “Most of the time we have soup to stretch our resources.”
“But we also have children from the neighborhood who show up during meal times. They are so poor and this is the only place they receive food. I couldn’t chase them away.”
Operation Blessing learned about Pastor Julius and his family and stepped in to make sure they would never be short of food again.
A greenhouse was constructed where the family can grow a wide variety of vegetables including peppers and beans. The children, led by big sister Mosa, help maintain the garden and take pride in harvesting their own vegetables.
“Now we are able to grow more vegetables and have a variety in providing a decent meal to the children,” said Julius. “I am so grateful to Operation Blessing.”
*Name changed to protect identity.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Operation Blessing is helping to transform the futures of children like these by providing clean water, education assistance, nutritional feeding programs, medical care and more.
Please make an online contribution toward OBI's orphan care programs today and help us continue to reach those in need.