Ester is a quiet and soft-spoken grade 11 student at St. Brendan’s High School. As a young child, she moved into Bakhita Village as she had no parents or any other guardian to look after her. We could tell right away that she was bright and very well-mannered. In South Africa, children enter high school in grade eight and it is often a struggle for them to acclimate to a high school setting, but Ester managed well. Her problems began in grade nine due to bullying by some stud

As part of our annual trip to South Africa we visit all the children that Bakhita Charities supports some of whom live with guardians in nearby small villages. Each child receives a bag made up of gifts donated by generous folks at home. Their guardian receives a food parcel to feed the family for several weeks. Sometimes the child is blessed with a pointed adult lecture about the importance of her education. The visits are joy filled and uplifting. The Outreach visits always

Shortly after John’s arrival in South Africa, he, and a group of 35 Bakhita girls gathered for a day of reuniting, fun, food, and gifts. Three Sacred Heart Sisters and our dear Auntie Dinah worked hard to help the day go smoothly. The program of the day started with prayer and lots of singing. Bakhita Charities is paying school and boarding fees for 22 girls to attend St. Brendan’s. Each of them left the gathering with a bag of beautiful gifts prepared by many loving and gene