James 1:27 — Pure Religion
Every name.
Every story.
Every widow. Every orphan.
For sixteen years, Friends of Ntshongweni has walked alongside families in a quiet corner of KwaZulu-Natal — not running programs from a distance, but sharing meals, raising children, sharing the love of Jesus, and loving our neighbor together.
Our Mission
Friends of Ntshongweni Mission is a faith-driven nonprofit dedicated to sharing love in action by supporting the spiritual growth, physical well-being, and educational development of orphans and widows in Ntshongweni, South Africa.
We are a Florida nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity — Friends of Ntshongweni Mission, Inc.(EIN 42-3267759) — a U.S. "friends of" organization established to support the charitable work of the Ntshongweni mission in South Africa. Contributions are tax-deductible under IRC Section 170. Every dollar entrusted to us is reported back with names, photos, and stories — because the people we serve are not statistics.
A Story from the Hill
Gogo Elizabeth is raising 18 orphans on faith and a small pension.
Before COVID, Elizabeth and her husband ran a small crèche out of their home. When the pandemic closed the preschool, neighbors began bringing orphaned children to their door. Her husband passed away eighteen months later. One child became sixteen, then eighteen — and Gogo kept saying yes.
Today she cares for 18 children with a small pension, government support for only three of them, and unshakable trust that God will provide. In June 2025 we arrived planning to take the kids clothes shopping; she met us with a single grocery bag of food for all eighteen. We spent the day filling her kitchen instead. She still hosts a weekly dinner for elderly neighbors in need.
Sourced from the Love In Action Now journal — see Pure and Faultless (Feb 2023), A Father to the Fatherless (Mar 2024), Faith (Nov 2024), and Strong Faith (Jun 2025).
Read Love In Action NowFrom the Field
The latest news from Ntshongweni.
The Love In Action Now journal chronicles every trip, home visit, and answered prayer since 2013 — written as it happens, straight from the hills of KwaZulu-Natal.
Sixteen Years in Ntshongweni
Twenty-one trips. One small hill.
Since 2010 we have walked with Pastor Mandla Thwala and the families of Ntshongweni: building homes, delivering food, tutoring children, and showing up year after year.
Our story, photos & how to get involvedHow to Get Involved
There is a place for you in this work.
The mission has never been the work of one team or one church. Over sixteen years it has been carried by people who pray, people who go, and people who give. Here are three ways to join them.
01
Pray
Every project on this page began with prayer and was carried by it. Pray for Pastor Mandla Thwala and the families of Ntshongweni, for the children in the tutoring classroom and the preschool, and for wisdom in every home visit and every decision. Prayer is the first gift, and it is free to give.
02
Take a trip
The visiting team rents a van, stays in a nearby town about twenty minutes from the village, and spends its days side by side with Pastor and the community: painting homes, delivering food parcels, playing with the kids, and sharing meals. It has been the mission’s joy to host many different friends over the years, and there is room for you. Contact us to learn when the next trip is being planned. Stateside, we also collect what Pastor requests and carry it on trips: school supplies, soccer balls, hygiene kits, reading glasses, clothing, and more.
03
Ways to give
Gifts of every size become school uniforms, food parcels, tutoring books, roof repairs, and more. Friends of Ntshongweni Mission, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity, so contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Online giving is coming soon; in the meantime, see the four service areas and reach out on the Give page.
Current Projects
What we are working on right now.
Our previous projects — the JoJo water tanks, Sanele’s one-room home, Elizabeth’s quarterly food, Mpume’s schooling, and Mlondi’s driver’s license — have been fully funded. Here is what is on the table today.
Baba Buthelezi’s house — foundation repair
Baba Buthelezi’s house is settling and, at some point, will be unsafe to occupy. We are working on a project to repair the foundation and prevent future settling of the house.
Project update — September 2026
We first met Mr Buthelezi and his two sons years ago. An injury to his arm left him unable to return to his former construction work, so we have walked alongside the family ever since. It is a joy to see him thriving today. Pastor Thwala sent these photos on 23 September 2026 showing the foundation work underway — the trench has been dug and poured, and the new block walls are rising. Progress is steady and the family is encouraged.
Photos by Pastor Thwala, 23 September 2026.
Project update — October 2026
One month later, the transformation is remarkable. The new block walls now carry a fresh roof over the family, and new wooden doors have been hung at the entrances. Pastor Thwala shared these photos in October 2026. Plastering the walls is the next step, and then the home will be ready for the family.
Photos by Pastor Thwala, October 2026.
Tobega — a laptop for university
A local young lady, Tobega, has been accepted to university in Cape Town and needs a laptop to complete her studies.
The new tutoring classroom — furnishing & books
The new tutoring classroom needs tables, chairs, a bookcase, a large whiteboard, and additional books in the future. It works now, but more and more kids keep coming, and we see using it more and more to help kids learn and grow in faith.
The Duma family & Gogo Rosemary — a garden fence
The Duma family and Gogo Rosemary are in need of a fence to protect their garden from local goats and cows eating the crop.
Online giving on the Give page is coming soon — Friends of Ntshongweni Mission, Inc. is now a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity.
Eight Areas of Work
What sixteen years of “yes” looks like.
Housing
$4,500 family home · $2,000 single home · $1,500 plaster & paint · $1,500 furniture
We have built or done large remodels on close to thirty homes. Most are for child-led households who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. After a home is built we plaster and paint, then furnish it with beds, kitchen cabinets, and sometimes a table. We continue to visit homes, like families, need ongoing care.
Food
$100 feeds a family for a month
Sponsored families receive a monthly food package. On trips we deliver ten to twenty emergency packages to people Pastor has identified as the most in need. We now carry hot plates and kettles along on deliveries so families can use what we bring right away.
Uniforms & Clothing
$50 per uniform · $100 clothing budget per person
Uniforms are required to attend school in South Africa. We fund uniforms for our sponsored children and others in need, and take specific folks clothes shopping on our trips with a budget they are accountable for.
Education
Certifications, trades, college — plus transport, phones, computers
Our goal is to get at least one person per family some form of post-high-school education. We currently support two students in full-time programs; one in logistics and one at a police academy; along with the transport and equipment they need to get there.
Healthcare
Direct payments to a trusted local doctor
Public hospitals for native South Africans are challenging; families are required to bring bedding and food when a loved one is admitted. Pastor has a relationship with a doctor in a nearby town whose services we pay for directly. There is no insurance system to lean on.
Funerals
$1,400 funeral · $600 headstone
We have lost four young people since the mission began. It is deeply important to us that children without parents are honored as our own at the time of burial. Zulu funerals last two days and include the whole village; a tent, food, custom, and a proper headstone.
Activities for the Kids
Ranges by group size — our largest was in the low forties
Every trip we try to do one fun thing together: the beach with a braai, King Shaka Aquarium, art class, a game preserve, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site; usually with lunch out at a restaurant. When trips align with school breaks we hold VBS.
School Support
Backpacks, supplies, furniture, books, fans
Pastor leads regular devotions and visits at the local schools and the Catholic girls' school. We have furnished backpacks and supplies, replaced classroom furniture, and brought books, plates, cups, and even fans for hot classrooms.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widowsin their distress.”
James 1:27