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Project Gateway
More Than 30 Years of Care, Education and Empowerment
Care
Education
Empowerment
Our first priority is to care for people's immediate needs - food, shelter, clothing. We are then able to help people to rise out of the poverty trap by providing various programmes which educate and 'upskill' them.
Care
In the past we provided on a daily basis, safety, accommodation and meals for the homeless in our Overnight Shelter. However we now work with the Pietermaritzburg Homeless Shelter Movement in assisting the homeless in our city. We are actively involved in local food support programmes, and in the past have provided more than 21 million meals to the needy. We currently support 15+ crèches and 9 community gardens, including one on our own site, overseen by Project Gateway staff. These gardens help feed needy people in their own communities.
We also provide counselling, and an after-school care programme as required, for some of the children attending Gateway Christian School.
Education
Gateway Christian School, a registered independent primary school, provides good quality education at affordable fees for many of the children in the local area who would not normally have access to such a level of education. We currently have more than 500 children from Grades RR through to Grade 7, and have just completed four new classrooms to meet demand as the school continues to expand.
Empowerment
Our Empowerment programmes comprise the Business Training Course, Gateway School of Fashion, Computer Literacy Classes and a Mentorship Programme for local crafters.
Since the training programmes started, we have empowered hundreds of people, some of whom are now running their own successful small businesses. Providing practical training in areas of creative product design, business and marketing strategies, as well as life skills such as human rights and HIV/AIDS awareness, this training and mentoring enables people to take action for positive change within their lives and communities
I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
Matthew 25:35
Our Story
In March 1990 a small-scale war took place to the west of Pietermaritzburg. It became known as the Seven Day War. The origins of this conflict are complex, but political unrest led to a confrontation between UDF and Inkatha supporters, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 200 people and the displacement of over 20,000 people. As suddenly as it had started, it was over, leaving a trail of destruction. Children were without schools, and almost 20 000 found themselves refugees, making for the safety of the tented camps set up in an area known as Foxhill.