Newly established non-profit organisation, Nation Builders Prophetic Apostolic Movement (NBPAM), has a mission to take care of elderly people in need in Humansdorp by renovating their homes, and are planning to provide day care facilities where they will offer a wide range of activities.
Founding director and project manager, Pastor Ashwell Goliath, said NBPAM, which is a faith-based movement, initially began as a regular prayer session at a house in Humansdorp in 2017.
As the group of 60 people, which includes chairperson, Nicolette Goliath, continued to pray, they realised that there were many elderly people in the community that were neglected and abused.
Goliath said to help the elderly people they began their ‘Hope and Healing’ project last year where they began supplying people in the community with food parcels with help from Victory Church in Jeffreys Bay.
To further help the elderly in need, in May they began restoring and repainting a dilapidated home of an elderly person in need in Arcadia.
“Some of the houses that the elderly people in our community live in are in a bad condition and we felt that it was important to help them as much as we could,” said Goliath.
“The elderly are vulnerable and are victims of abuse in our communities. I want to restore the humanity, dignity and values and create a safe and healthy environment in our community.”
The NPO is currently busy with its second project in Kruisfontein, where a widow’s house needs renovation and a fresh coat of paint, which they hope to complete once they can accumulate enough donations.
“The community has been very supportive and has shown a great spirit of Ubuntu since we established our Hope and Healing project in Humansdorp,” said Goliath.
He said that they are also thankful for the regular donations they have received from local contractor, Jannie Construction, who donates second hand goods that they use to renovate the homes.
Apart from the state of the homes of some of the elderly people, Goliath said elderly people have many other challenges which include inability to attend their local clinic or complete their tasks due to their lack of mobility and lack of transport.
They are therefore hoping that various stakeholders and the private sector will consider joining them to deal with the challenges the elderly face.
To further extend their services, Goliath said that they registered the NBPAM Service Centre for Elderlies, but only received their NPO certificate in July this year. This, however, did not stop the group from continuing their good work in the community.
Finally, on October 6, the organisation hosted their first information, education and communication programme (IEC) to pave their way forward.
In addition to renovating the elderly people’s homes, NBPAM also hopes to host the elderly people in the community at a day care centre.
“At the day care centre, we will have prayer sessions, breakfast, health awareness programmes, games, and skills development, among other activities,” said Goliath.
“Our long-term goal is to establish a safe house to host elderly people who are victims of abuse.”
He said that they have applied to use the Kruisfontein Civic Hall to offer their day care services for two days a week, but are still waiting for feedback from the Kouga Municipality.
While they continue to wait they have been hosting weekly sessions with the elderly people at the library in Humansdorp.
- For more information or to contribute to the Hope and Healing project contact Pastor Ashwell Goliath on 072 208 4230 or email nbpam.humie@gmail.com.
