Zuru Community
Rock of Hope is a South African registered Place of Safety Nursery in Pretoria which provides a loving home for abandoned babies , toddlers and children under the management of The Rock Place of safety.There are currently over 15 children, from infants toddlers and children living in the home where Wouter and his wife provide shelter, food, cleanliness and love to each child who has been abandoned or who has been taken away from their homes to due to abuse or neglect .Zuru Baby will donate R2.00 from each product to this Place of Safety to assist with the upkeep and well being of each of these precious gifts.
Our Story
For many years I had a dream and a deep desire in my heart to make a difference in the lives of children. This is how it all started…
On the 20th February 2011 there was a prophet from the United States of America at our small church in Centurion – Kairos Ministries. This church is situated in a shopping complex and on this night I was standing with one leg in the church and the other on the stoep, looking at the kids outside, when Galilee Guess came to me right in the back and said. “I see you in a mini-van full of children. They are not your own children but you will love them as your own and I the Holy One will provide.”
Both my husband and I share the same vision and made ourselves available to Tshwane Place of Safety Association. Soon after we received our first child, a beautiful girl and she just stayed for two days.
The starting point
The next children we took in were two sisters whose mother tried to commit a family murder. They are now well adjusted and in foster care with us as their mother are serving an eight year sentence for attempted murder. Thus our journey continues and numer-ous other children have joined us and moved on over the years. We feel that if only we can show them in whatever short period of time that the world out there has some good left in it then we have succeeded in making a difference in their lives.
I always knew I had a bigger purpose and higher calling for my life, so with lots of prayer, help and support of my loving husband Wouter, MY dream, became OUR dream!
A lot of tears have been shed both in happiness and sadness as well as frustration sometimes but it re-mains worth it to see the smile for the first time or see the difference in a child’s life. The Holy One has provided as promised in our prophecy and I know He will continue to do so.
I sincerely thank you for your interest in our home and for wanting to assist in making a difference in these children’s lives. To date we have had the priveledge to look after 120 kids.
The prophecy of a minivan has become reality when we received a Hyundai H1 on the 13th of October 2016.
Parents Corner
Question we are often asked is. “What is it like to run a home of safety, how do you handle it to give the children back or to adoptive parents
The best way to provide you with an answer is to run you through a typical day…
With that being said there is no “typical” day at our house. We are like a big family with up to 12 babies and toddlers, foster care kids and those in place of safety, one biological daughter and all that entails.
We wake up, have breakfast, do chores and rush off to school and work while the babies and toddlers are cared for by daddy and mommy. Bettie Mosombuka, our trusted worker assists my husband during the day. to look after the babies who are not in any crèche or school. Thus taking care of the kids in between all the household chores and other outreaches in the community.
We take the kids to doctor’s appointments, sporting events, church, social events and family gatherings. We strive to maintain normalcy and consistency as far as possible. We celebrate birthdays, take outings to the park. We work round the clock 24/7 taking care of the daily, physical, spiritual and emotional needs of these children. Because of the nature of the babies and toddlers we serve, victims of abuse, neglect, aban-donment and HIV, the job could be very depressing… BUT when a baby cuts their first tooth, smiles for the first time, gives their first step, gives you a smile and runs to you to give you a hug when you walk in the door, finds delight in the simple pleasures in life that you and I have most probably taken for granted… that is when we know God has used us as His instruments to make a difference in these precious little lives.
At the end of each tiring day we look back and gain new strength from God knowing we made a difference in the life of a crises baby or toddler. That makes everything we sacrifice to do what we do all worthwhile!By Wouter & Mientjie
OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ROCK PLACE OF SAFETY
Our home is a registered place of safety nursery under Management of The Rock Place of Safety. This Association focuses on the importance of the family. They firmly believe that more and more families should be raised, equipped and supported to look after babies and toddlers in crisis. It is important that every child in need should have the opportunity to experience the love and stability provided within the family unit. By actively raising more families, crisis children will have the opportunity to become part of a family again – belonging to a home he/she can call their own.
The Rock Place of Safety screens and provides wonderful parents and special homes where an abundance of emotional, physical and spiritual care is given to babies and toddlers in crisis. The association co-ordinates the admission and placement of children with individual families. They render a supporting service to parents as well as social workers from various welfare organisations. The vision of the association is to provide the Place of Safety parents with as much emotional and physical support as possible. These families will only continue with their exceptional service if they are supported on an emotional level. Getting attached to children, experiencing loss and death, is very traumatic. This Association realises the importance to support the parents dealing with all these experiences.
The Rock Place of Safety was established in 2019. There is currently 42 children in our three place of safety homes.
The Rock Place of Safety is a registered Non-Profit Company.