2 March 2009: The builders are on site yet again! We are about to establish a
Sister's Convent of Benedictine
Sisters of Twasana within Blessed
Gérard's Care Centre. Four sisters are planned to move in. The first of them,
Sr. Edith Zulu O.S.B. is already here since 5 December 2008 and three more are
to follow soon. We now have started building accommodation for them by changing
a large store room on our first floor into a four-bedroom-flat with kitchenette/lounge.
The cost estimate is about 300,000.00 Rand. Please help us to raise the funds to
pay for the alterations! See Donations to the
Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard
2 March 2009: Our General Manager Axel Pape celebrates his 40th birthday. We
welcome his parents who came all the way from Port Elizabeth to visit their son
and us and they were equally impressed about our organisation as we are of their
son.
5 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent" ;-)
6 March 2009: Farewell from the 12-year old "FEV" (jokingly called "Father's
Emergency Vehicle") with 272603 km on the odometer, which is traded in
for a new 7-seater station wagon.
6 March 2009: Father Gérard in his office
6 March 2008: Birthday celebrations for
Ntombiyenkosi Ndlangamandla,
Caroline Beaumont and Axel Pape
6 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
8 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
11 March 2009: Dr. Nzimande, Harry Hine and Fr. Gérard take part in a training
session of Dr June Fabian at Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in Durban about
HIV and the kidney.
12 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
13 March 2009: The mayor of Mandeni Councillor B L Magwaza awards a "Certificate
of Apprication" to Blessed Gérard's Hospice
"in recognition of (y)our enduring and worthwhile service in caring for the
communities within our municipality".
13 - 16 March 2009: Our member Susanne Neckermann from Switzerland comes to pay
us a visit.
14 March 2009: Blessed Gérard's
Malnutrition Clinic "in action". Our Director of Charity Sr. Thuli Thabethe
counsels the carer of a malnourished child before she provides her with milk and
protein-enriched porridge.
14 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
16 - 19 March 2009: Harry Hine and Fr. Gérard explore Zululand.
19 March 2009: Fr. Gérard gives a telephonic interview for NDR Radio Germany.
19 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
19 - 20 March 2009: Burglars forced their entry into our store room and
housekeeper's office. The damage and the value of the stolen goods amount to
about R30,000.00
20 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
22 March 2009: Fr. Gérard gives a telephonic interview for "Antenne Bayern"
Radio Germany at the occasion of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Africa.
Courtesy of "Sankt Michaelsbund München - Katholische Redaktion Antenne
Bayern".
23 March 2009: Johan Viljoen, the HAART Coordinator of the South African
Catholic Bishops' Conference, comes for a visit of
Blessed Gérard's Hospice HAART Programme.
24 - 26 March 2009: Johannes Freiherr Heereman and Dr. Marie-Theres Benner come
for a follow-up audit of our organisation for the Order of Malta. The audit team
was thoroughly impressed with our good progress, organisation and work and left
us very content.
24 March 2009: We received a second Home-Care-Vehicle today, financed by Mr.
Peter Wiedemann of Neuburg/Germany in conjunction with the Rotary Clubs of
Neuburg/Germany and Stanger/South Africa and a "matching grant" by Rotary
International. The vehicle will be used for adherence monitoring home visits of
our AIDS-patients under antiretroviral treatment by
Blessed Gérard's Hospice HAART Programme.
27 March 2009: Building progress of "Blessed Gérard's Convent"
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