THE OUTREACHES

The main emphasis of Life Place to reach out to the men and women that are lost in the world of prostitution. Many have come from an abusive background or found themselves in this situation due to untenable circumstances. The goal is to help them leave behind that life by giving them hope in the form of Jesus Christ and an alternative way to make a living.
Day and night members of the team at Life Place walk the streets of the Point area in Durban. The team goes into the bars and into the Escort agencies talking to the prostitutes, pimps and their customers. They speak to those that they meet about the love of Jesus and offer them help to leave behind the life that they have been living.
Life Place operates as a coffee shop, which enables all those that the team has met on the streets and any passers by to walk in. They can come in to receive free counseling or just to have a meal. The coffee shop also runs a free HIV counseling and testing clinic once a week on a Saturday.
The men, women and children ( yes children we have found girls as young as 9 working as prostitutes) that come to Life Place receive Godly counsel and if they are ready and willing they are sent to a residential place of help. Here they receive further intensive counseling and spiritual strengthening. At the end of this time they are enrolled in a skills training program of their choice or if they are children they return home to their families or another suitable place of safety. Those that are given skills training study a variety of subjects from Baking to Computing. After this many go on to become productive members of the society. Often they come back to assist in the ministry. Over 200 people that we are aware of have been helped through this ministry. There are many more that give their hearts to Christ on the street and go away to allow the Lord to work in their hearts without us ever knowing.
http://www.doctorsforlifeinternational.com/programs/lifeplace/outreaches.cfm

ISSUES IN FOCUS - HIV/Aids

Facing the challenge of HIV/Aids

South Africa is said to have the fastest growing Aids epidemic in the world with an infection rate of between 1 700 and 2 000 a day. Over 3.5 million South Africans are currently infected with HIV, while more than 1 600 people die each day from Aids related illnesses. All South Africans will be affected, emotionally, physically or financially as economic growth declines and the cost of living soars. It is critical that the church intervenes.

Aids drugs a treatment, not a cure
The prevention of Mother to Child transmission using nevaripine and providing post exposure prophylactics to rape survivors is now included in government's HIV/Aids Plan, although it has not been fully implemented. The ACDP has consistently called for this since 1999 in the National Assembly and long before this in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature. The party has pioneered HIV treatment work in KZN since 1997 and has been at the forefront of demonstrating the effectiveness of anti-retroviral.

While the ACDP recognizes that anti-retroviral drugs can prolong an Aids sufferer's life and improve living conditions, they are a treatment, not a cure, and have unpleasant side effects. Most patients cannot afford the drugs, and government is adamant that they cannot either. But in countries where ART is available, increased pharmaceutical costs are balanced by decreased hospitalization costs. The economy is also positively impacted by the fact that those suffering with HIV/Aids are able to lead productive lives, working and caring for their families.

Going about it the wrong way
Government's response has been to increase spending on condoms and plough large amounts of money into "Love Life" programs, in spite of the fact that both have proved to be ineffective in addressing the HIV/Aids pandemic.

The reality is that "Love Life", which blatantly promotes oral sex, masturbation, homosexual lifestyles, condoms and abortion as "saving lives" is adding to the problem. Love Life admits that there is no guarantee that they will adequately address Aids. They conduct their own in-house surveys and studies to validate their work, without independent bodies auditing or verifying their results. They also credit their campaign's tremendous successes to having embraced the strategies used by the church in the 80s in reaching the youth.

According to reports, the UK Government is launching a sex education campaign in reaction to alarming figures of sexually transmitted diseases, claiming that previous attempts have been "counter-productive, with sex education becoming inflamed by its own material and becoming increasingly lewd and graphic".

According to findings in a Harvard University study, Uganda may be on its way to wiping out Aids by using a strategy based on chastity and fidelity. The study credits abstinence education with "significant effectiveness in reducing Aids with the HIV infection rate dropping 50 percent between 1992 and 2000."

The study found that between the late 80's and 2001, the number of pregnant women infected with HIV in Uganda dropped from 21.2% to 6.2% while in Botswana, where condoms are officially promoted as the solution, 38% of pregnant women were HIV positive in 2001.

Alternatives are available
There are many organizations operating in South Africa, which, if funded could launch excellent campaigns and produce relevant material to accurately target HIV/Aids with the truth about life, love and sex. We have incredible potential in the church to accomplish what we need to if churches would co-ordinate their responses to better utilize resources and maximize the impact.

The ACDP has consistently challenged government spending with regard to HIV/Aids solutions and will continue to do so, but humanists obviously implement humanist policies and legislation.

It is therefore critical, for Christians to speak out and act in unity, and to place committed Christians in authority, that are prepared to face the onslaught and raise up a standard.

(by Cheryllyn Dudley, From Christian Democrat magazine Issue 1 2003)
http://www.acdp.org.za/index.php?page=issue11

Women of Destiny

As a supporting arm of the ACDP, Women of Destiny is an active contributor to community development and growth. Women of Destiny aims to implement ACDP policies in a practical way, applying the Biblical principles of the party in various hands-on empowerment projects.
Women of Destiny currently functions in all nine provinces in South Africa and is committed to uplifting communities and improving the lives of those less fortunate. Here are some of the projects they run:
Love Thy Neighbour
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22:39) is the basis for some of the most important teachings in the Bible and is considered by Jesus to be one of the two most important, basic commandments.
The Women of Destiny members in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng have taken up this responsibility by caring for the children in their area. Providing breakfast, money for transport daily, clothing and school uniforms for the children as well as taking them to church on Sundays is their way of sharing the love of God.
Anyone interested in assisting with this program or offering financial support can contact: (011) 892 1536
Vetkoek vir Afrika
With sponsorship of flour and yeast from SASKO, the Vetkoek vir Afrika project was launched in the Western Cape with the aim of assisting unemployed women in making an income by baking vetkoek. Teams have been initiated in various areas such as Langa, Phillipi, Ravensmead, Khayelitsha and Nyanga, where they equip women to effectively manage and run their own small business.
HIV / Aids Home
The scourge of HIV/Aids has touched the lives of all South Africans and Women of Destiny have accepted the challenge of loving and caring for those sufferers who are often cast aside by families that can no longer take look after them
A home for HIV/Aids patients was established in Alexandra, Gauteng where Aids sufferers are accommodated and cared for by dedicated volunteers who work day and night to ensure they receive the necessary treatment.
To offer your time or support for this project, please contact: (011) 892 1536
Power Meal Project
South Africa is indeed a mixed economy, blending wealthy first-world cities with third-world deprivation and underdevelopment. Many children in South Africa suffer from serious malnutrition, as their poverty-stricken parents are unable to provide for them
A feeding project operating in the North West Province has developed a scheme offering the underprivileged meals in the form of a pack of pre-cooked maize and soya mix, which feeds one adult or four babies.
To place an order contact Hannelie Basson on (018)462 9298 or 083 458 7075
Village Bank
With high unemployment in South Africa, many South Africans are forced to create their own opportunities to earn an income. However, the most difficult part of the process in establishing a small business is often raising the funds to get started.
A Women of Destiny project called the Village Bank operating in Mpumalanga helps to finance and assist people, mostly from the rural areas.
For more information contact: Kate Mahlaba (013) 752-6315 or 082 961 1527
Various other projects are regularly being launched and run in the different provinces. Communities are encouraged to get involved in these projects and the can contact their Provincial Women of Destiny representative for further information.
http://www.acdp.org.za/index.php?page=women

ISSUES IN FOCUS - Age of sexual consent

Lowering the age of sexual consent

There is evidence of a worldwide effort to lower the age when a child can legally give consent for intercourse with an adult. This desire to gain access to children has resulted in many intense legislative struggles in Western Nations and South Africa is no exception.

The ACDP was the only party to sound the alarm, alerting the public to legislation to reduce the age of sexual consent and permit sexual experimentation. In terms of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill, children between the ages of 12 and 16 years are permitted to engage in sexual experimentation with partners also below the age of 16. The age of consent for homosexual relations has been lowered from 19 to 16 years, for both genders.

"Teenage years are fraught with emotional conflict as the transition from child to adult is made and our children need to be protected and guided, rather than encouraged to participate in homosexual and heterosexual sexual experimentation, with possible life-threatening consequences," says ACDP MP Steve Swart.

"Whilst not being oblivious to the fact that many children are sexually active, it is utterly outrageous that 12 to 16 year olds, most of whom will not have reached puberty, should legally be able to give their consent to older children who want to exploit them sexually.

"Although most homosexual activists publicly deny that they want access to boys, many homosexual groups around the world are working aggressively to lower the age of consent," Steve said.

"The ACDP believes that sexual relations should be celebrated within the institution of marriage. We are concerned about what girls and boys are being taught by culture at large. The media and Love Life campaigns in schools encourage sexual experimentation and with such legislation in place, parents will not easily be able to prevent the sexual exploitation of their children.

"This amendment must be seen against the background of the abortion legislation allowing abortions for girls over the age of 12 without parental consent as well as the proposed Child Bill which will allow contraceptives to be given to children over the age of 12, also without parental consent. This latter Bill will also criminalize parental corporal punishment.

"These laws are all seen as an attack on the family and erode parental responsibility," Steve said.

Besides concerns about children contracting HIV/Aids, the vulnerable immature reproductive system of adolescent girls is at risk of being prematurely damaged by prematurely engaging in sexual activity. According to reports, teenage promiscuity can increase a girl's vulnerability to cancer by as much as five times.

"We believe that the answer to the HIV/Aids epidemic lies in promoting abstinence and faithfulness to one's spouse. This was the successful approach adopted in Uganda," Steve says.

"Should this battle be lost in South Africa, the whole of Africa will be open to the possibility of such legislation.

(From Christian Democrat magazine Issue 1 2003)
http://www.acdp.org.za/index.php?page=issue10