Kwasizabantu

Kwasizabantu (also KwaSizabantu, Kwa Sizabantu, KSB) is a non-denominational mission station that reaches out to people of all racial and cultural groups to bring a message of repentance and hope, as well as providing spiritual guidance, educational support and counselling. The Kwasizabantu ministry originated in South Africa, but has grown to include centers in several countries, most notably Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Russia, Romania, Australia and the United States.[1] Some other organisations which started out of the work at KwaSizabantu are the Cedar College of Education and Domino Servite School.[2][3]

History

Kwasizabantu Mission was founded in 1970 by Erlo Hartwig Stegen (born in 1935 near Durban). Stegen had been a travelling evangelist among the Zulu population of Natal since the 1950s up to 1970. In 1966-67, Stegen's efforts culminated in triggering mass conversions, accompanied by miraculous healings. In 1970, its base was established at a place called Kwa Sizabantu (Zulu for "the place of help for people," or "the place where people are helped"). This became the movement's eponym.

This mission station is situated on a farm of 550 hectares between Greytown and Stanger in KwaZulu-Natal, and is currently one of the largest and most successful mission stations in Africa.[4] The Mission has a few non-profit initiatives, as well as some successful commercial enterprises which fund its activities.

One of the non-profit initiatives is Radio Khwezi a community radio broadcasting station which started broadcasting in 1995.[5] Radio Khwezi is available in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands region on FM 90.5 and 107.7 and is available worldwide through live streaming on the Internet. Radio Khwezi broadcasts a variety of programs aimed at informing and edifying the community. The Sunday services of Kwasizabantu Mission are broadcast live from 11h00 South African time. On 12 August 2006, Kwasizabantu Mission officially opened the Emseni Care Center (meaning "place of grace"). The Emseni care Center provides free care and counselling to HIV and AIDS patients. Some of the patients have fully recovered.[6]

The Kwasizabantu Mission houses the water factory aQuellé[7] and has 6ha of advanced greenhouses where sweet peppers are grown hydroponically. Kwasizabantu Mission also has an extensive avocado farming enterprise. The produce is packaged in a packaging facility on the mission station for Woolworths, Checkers, Spar and other local markets.[8] Some of the produce is exported. It also produces dairy products which are marketed through their Bonlé brand. They also have a Saverite supermarket on the premises with its own bakery and deli. The profit of the different enterprises is used to help those in need and to further the aims of the Mission.

The director of the Kwasizabantu Mission in Kranskop, the Reverend Erlo Hartwig Stegen, was named co-recipient of a major international award — the Robert W. Pierce Award for Christian Service — by World Vision International on 9 December 2007.[9][10] In 2013 Rev EH Stegen was awarded the Chancellor's Medal by the North-West University (NWU) for "his humanitarian work among poor rural communities".[11]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ksb.org.za
  2. ↑ http://www.dss.org.za
  3. ↑ http://www.cedar.org.za
  4. ↑ http://www.joymag.co.za/mag/1-2006/kwasizabantu.php
  5. ↑ http://www.khwezi.org.za
  6. ↑ God Among the Zulus by Kurt E. Koch Th.D. (pg 133)
  7. ↑ aQuellé
  8. ↑ The North Coast Courier, 23 July 2014
  9. ↑ Rev Erlo Stegen receives the Robert W. Pierce award from World Vision
  10. ↑ Award
  11. ↑ http://www.nwu.ac.za/content/nwu-awards-chancellor%E2%80%99s-medals

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External links

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