Londi and Eric's Marriage Celebration Donations

Volunteering at Emasithandane, one of several children homes that CHOSA supports, completely changed my life. In Xhosa, the language spoken by a majority of blacks in Cape Town, the word 'Emasithandane' means, "We must love each other". This mantra exemplifies the incredible sense of community that I experienced and learned while working with kids and care workers at the home. For many children in Nyanga, where the home is located, Emasithandane is the only home they have. Other kids depend on them for all their meals, and for a safe place where they stay and hang out without fear of the violence that infests their neighborhood. These kids, like my good friend Zwelethu, who is in the photo with Londi and me, show so much promise. Zwelethu has all the talent to become an amazing artist, but without Emasithandane, where Zwelethu lives, he would have no guarantees for next week, let alone achieving his life goals. Around 35 kids live at Emasithandane and another 20 receive their meals there. Countless others use the home as a community center. In total CHOSA supports hundreds of vulnerable children and families throughout Cape Town and would literally not be able to function without the amazing generosity and care of individual donors like you.

Please make a donation to CHOSA in honor of our marriage. We are dedicating these contributions to the memory of a close friend and brother of ours, David Tuza Kotsedi who died in April of last year. Tuza was a care worker at Emasithandane and the kindest man we have ever known. He shared with us his home, and his love, and we will forever miss and love him.

-Eric

At the very beginning of my relationship with Eric, he brought me to Emasithandane and introduced me to a very special part of his life. Quickly, the kids and care workers of Emasithandane became friends and incredible sources of joy to me. The squalid background of Nyanga, a township of Cape Town, seemed only to highlight the glowing potential of the kids we hung out with.

Eric and I became friends with two of Emasi's workers in particular, who welcomed us warmly into their lives and homes. One of them, Mbu, is still a central pillar and father figure to the Emasi children. He dedicates massive amounts of time to them, helping with educational work, coaching sports, and counseling. Our dear friend Tuza, in whose memory your contributions are dedicated, was a tireless and generous man who nurtured the kids with tenderness and the kind discipline of a loving parent. His passing was a terrible loss for Emasithandane, his friends, and the children who loved him. We honor him now, in his death, with vital help to the children who were at the center of his life.

-Londi

CHOSA website: http://www.chosa.org/donate_details.html