THE POTTER’S HAVEN

Potter's Haven is driven by purpose – the purpose God has given each and every one of us to live and enjoy our best life. Children are put in our care by social services who are protected by law against their own families and loved ones. We pick up the pieces, do trauma counseling and provide a healthy and loving environment for these babies and children. These children arrive here with just what they are wearing and we have to provide clothing, food, medication (all on different prescriptions). Some of them haven't eaten for days when they arrive. We supply a house atmosphere as our maximum capacity is 35 children. We enroll them into schools, provide a room/shared room in case of siblings, dress and feed them with love and God's grace. I will mention some of our cases with fake names. We have 2 ADHD children, both special needs and in special schools. Not related, but because they came here like 3 days apart 15 years ago, they believe they are brother and sister. Moses was our dustbin baby and born HIV positive. His mother dumped him at the hospital after birth, because she didn't want a mix breed boy – his father was Nigerian. We had sponsors for his medication for 15 years. Since last March he tested HIV neutral – thank you Lord! Cindy was born in jail and her eyes were so squint that she could only see things on her sides, nothing in front of her. Her mother didn't want her and we got her. We got loving donors who sponsored her eye operations, and she can now see with the help of glasses like a normal person – so thankful for that. Another case is Michael who is 11 years old and was terribly neglected. He's in a wheelchair because someone drove over his legs. He even had a hole in his stomach due to nappies left on for a long time and burning holes in his body. He is so happy in our home, he's in 7th heaven here. Then there's Jason – he was born with extreme disabilities, his lungs are under developed and his predicted lifespan is approximately 22 years. He was only 30kgs when he arrived here, starved and neglected. Another one is Damian – this boy is so very special. He was discovered by the police in a park at the age of 5 taking care of his 3 siblings of 1 year, 2 years and 4 years old. His parents left them at a park in Springs and never went back to get them. The parents are both on drugs, and the mother is a prostitute to afford the drugs. Damian begged for food for a whole week to feed his siblings and himself before the police discovered them. We took them in and kept them together. Damian wrote his matric last year and got a sponsor to become an electrician as he always wanted – what a blessing! He turned into such a beautiful and humble young man. Unfortunately he doesn't want to see his parents again. Then we had cases of sibling coming out of a closet in a shebeen we had to take in. They were taken to hospital that same night for alcohol poisoning and was kept safe till they were adopted together. Like this we have many cases, each one more horrific than the previous one, but eventually they heal and flourish again. We even have children that left the home and married, and now there's grand children too!