CGE Press Release http://rotaryeclubsa9400.org

1. For Immediate Release
Pat Francis Trust SA announces Grand Opening of Covenant Garden Estate
“Valuable Children will be nurtured for a greater destiny and community.”
At a hand over function at Mathibestad, in the North West Province, in South Africa, Pat Francis
Trust SA (PFT), a registered NGO in South Africa, announced completion of the first phase of an
estate for vulnerable, abused and abandoned children - Covenant Garden Estate. The first
phase has the capacity to accommodate twenty four children and will be officially opened by
Chief Mathibe and Dr Pat Francis, the Chairman and founder of Pat Francis Trust on Saturday
5th
April 2014.
The mission of the Covenant Garden Estate is to rescue, restore and empower children for a life
of prosperity and purpose. Covenant Garden Estate is a collaborative effort of Pat Francis
Trust, Chief Mathibe and many corporate sponsors and donors. “We want to restore the dignity
and destiny of these young children and remove the stigmatization associated with “orphans”
and “people at risk” in South Africa. We will provide care in a nurturing family environment that
will support their emotional, social and educational needs,” said Dr. Pat Francis, who initiated
the project. Dr. Francis is an International Humanitarian who is also a member of the United
Nations, NGO.
The mission of Pat Francis Trust for the Covenant Garden Estate is to transform the lives of
destitute and abandoned children from systemic poverty to systemic prosperity and transforming
the communities around Covenant Garden Estate. This entails the integration of charity and
enterprise, to take the children and the community around the estate from crisis survivalist
tendencies right through to empowerment through education, job creation and community
development. Strategically relevant commercial projects have been earmarked for
implementation aimed at supporting market-driven sustainable solutions that will not only
provide aid to children and the poor but will transform the community by facilitating occupational
skills development, development of entrepreneurs and job creation.
The Covenant Garden Estate project when completed will accommodate up to 100 children and
once completed will have:
 Safe and beautiful living facilities
 An administrative block
 A multipurpose centre for skills training and worship services
 A school with sports facilities
 Recreational facilities and areas for arts and social events
“Covenant Garden Estate will operate business enterprises in collaboration with the community
to ensure its economic sustainability”, said PP Annemarie Mostert, CEO and board member of
Sesego Cares as well as a Member of the Pat Francis Trust SA. She continued to explain, “we
will begin with three income generating projects in farming, water filtration and a solar powered
bakery. We are committed to providing skills training to the community as evident in the use of
community members who acquired on-the-job training in various construction disciplines”

2. A key focus is the sustainability of Covenant Garden Estate through establishment of business
enterprises to support development initiatives for Mathibestad. The commercial enterprises that
will be established soon after the launch include:
 A bakery
 A borehole with a commercial water purification system which will supply clean drinking
water to Covenant Garden Estate, the school, business enterprises around the area and the
community
 A vegetable garden and orchard of fruits
 A tree plantation to be registered under the carbon protocol of South Africa
 Acquaponics commercial operation which will product and supply organic fish and
vegetables to local and international markets.
The leading partners of the project include the Mathibe Tribe that donated the ten hectares of
land for the development, Sešego Cares as the main strategic South African partner that
facilitated the mobilisation of experts, the technical support, donors and corporate sponsors as
well as the involvement of The Rotary Club of Northcliff and The E-Club of Southern Africa who
will assist to ensure the sustainability of the project. Sesego Cares was also instrumental in
arranging various donations such as the kitchen (by Parmalat) and appliances (Teljoy), soccer
field (Orlando Pirates Football Club) as well as all the skills of the professionals required over
the past 18 months.
A delegation of 26 volunteers and medical mission from Pat Francis Ministries in Canada and
Detroit arrived in South Africa to participate in the week-long Rotary Family Health Days in
Mathibestad serving the community by providing free health care services. PDG Mark Doyle
and his wife Lynn from the Rotary were the leaders at this medical site. Over 1500 community
members received free health service.
About Pat Francis Trust
Pat Francis Trust is a registered Charity in South Africa under the umbrella of Pat Francis
Ministries headquartered in Toronto, Canada. www.patfrancis.org For more information on
Covenant Garden Estate please see www.covenantgardenestate.org
For more information on Covenant Garden Estate please contact Judith Chinkumbi
Lukisa279@gmail.com or Annemarie Mostert, annemarie.mostert@leboneservices.co.za who
are Board Secretary (Judith) and Trust of Pat Francis Trust and board members of Sešego
Cares.