Reach4Life Shongwe February 2009

Shongwe, Mpumalanga, South Africa – Located in 10 kilometers north of the Swaziland border and within an hour drive of the Kruger Game Reserve and the Mozambique border, the Shongwe area has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. IBS-STL Southern Africa has partnered with Bryanston Bible Church of Johannesburg and Thembalethu, a regional NGO, to reach the youth of this community before they are infected by this life snatching disease.

The local leadership team works in six local schools having distributed nearly 2000 Reach4Life books since the outreach began in January of 2009. Reach4Life area coordinator Vusi Dube and his group leader team meet daily with young people inspiring them to live godly lives that are sexually pure and committed to Jesus Christ and their local church.

The principle of Lugebutha High School, Mr. Mdaka, praised the Reach4Life program saying, “I am so excited that the program is here. We are grateful that you have chosen our school.”

Lugebutha High is our first Reach4Life school in Shongwe. We look forward to seeing what the Lord will do in the lives of the school’s 900 students.

Please pray for the young people of Shongwe, their teachers and school leaders. Pray that their lives can be transformed, HIV free and glorifying to our Lord.

Please pray for our Reach4Life team. Pray that they will remain healthy, with great stamina, love and boldness for the Gospel.

Reach4Life Students on Radio

Waterkloof, Gauteng, South Africa – Reach4Life student participants from Mamelodi High School with Reach4Life Development Coordinator Dwight Virtue and Reach4Life Group Leader Brandon Bonventure were interviewed on on Impact Radio, FM103 Pretoria on March 12, 2009.

At the invitation of program host Laura van Niekerk, 10th grade students Charmine Makgalathiba, Esther Mokwena and Malebo Senoge cheerfully answered questions from the host and by local listeners via SMS.

The interview subjects varied from gambling to sexual purity to the advantages of staying in school.

Partnering with Reach4Life, World Hope International has worked with students in Mamelodi High School since January 2009 bringing the life changing message of hope.

The goals of the Reach4Life program is to have an HIV free generation who commits to sexual purity in God’s view, to a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ and to a community that will support these life changing commitments namely the church.

The Reach4Life message is already impacting students at Mamelodi High School, during the program an encouraging SMS was received stating, “Reach4Life is turning the tide of peer pressure. Abstinence is cool!”