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Left: Wendy Ryan (center) surrounded by Evangeline students at a graduation ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa

Below: Students in class at Evangeline Ministries

Bottom: An Evangeline student showing off one of her creations

the love that Jesus Christ has for them,” Ryan declared. Since

2006, Evangeline Ministries

trained more than 200 women. Speaking of the graduating

has class of Evangeline Ministries E

vangeline Ministries (EM), based in the Cape in South Africa, runs a mentoring, teaching, leadership development and economic uplift program for disadvantaged women, and a few men, most of who are HIV positive.

This program, offered free of charge to the women, is run in two six-month semesters with a potential to graduate 48 women each year, with a capacity of 24 each semester. The program is headed by Wendy Ryan, former communications director of

the Baptist World Alliance. EM has a four part strategy: hope in Jesus Christ; skills that include basic

English, computer classes and intensive sewing; tools such as sewing machines; and an outlet to market what they have learned. Almost all the students live in the township of Masiphumelele, located in Fish

Hoek, in the most Southwestern part of Cape Town. Others are from partnerships with other organizations that send students to be trained. It costs approximately US$530 to educate each woman and provide a new sewing machine.

Masiphumelele Masiphumelele means, “We shall succeed.” Located in what is described as

“the scenic south” of the Cape Town peninsula, Masiphumelele is one of the newest townships in the city, founded in the 1990s with an overflow of people from another township. Planned for 450 families, Masiphumelele is now crammed with approximately 40,000 people. Almost all residents are economic refugees from the rural and desperately poor Eastern Cape who come to the Mother City for help. More than 90 percent live in shacks that are vulnerable to floods and fires. Unemployment in Masiphumelele is approximately 90 percent. Hunger is widespread. There is a high degree of crime and drug activity. In most households, the income is earned by the mother who, most times, has little or no education and whose best prospect is that of a domestic worker. Her income is normally about US$216 per month. Her unemployed partner or husband may take home another US$200 from sporadic contract work. They may receive a US$20 child grant from the government. This is fertile soil for the spread of the HIV virus. There are 30-40 percent known cases of HIV and Tuberculosis in the area. Most men will not get tested. EM seeks to help the community, women in particular, especially those who

live with the HIV virus. This is possible with the provision of skills and faith and hope in Jesus Christ. “Evangeline Ministries seeks to give students hope based on

12 BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE

December 2014, Ryan said “16 of the students, two of whom were young men, proudly modeled their unique and beautiful creations for our Evangeline Graduation. I wore a dress designed by a recent graduate and the hat by one of our December graduates. Already the hat is creating waves among friends and people in the community. This is already a sign of hope for our graduates to take their skills and put them to good use.”