Transform Missions

Reaching out beyond our borders

We believe that every resident of Munsieville township, Gauteng Province, South Africa has an unalienable right to experience the overwhelming love of God and to hear, in a way they can understand, the good news of what Jesus achieved for them on the cross, and of the cosmos-changing message of hope declared when he rose from the dead.

Okay, that's what we believe, so what are we doing about it?

Transform Christmas 2022

2024

8 - 22 July 2024: Thirty-one young people and leaders from the UK. More from Krugersdorp SA. Joining forces with the youth of Munsieville township to transform the face of youthwork for years to come!

Ever since the first residents of Munsieville set up homes in the fields close to Krugersdorp at the beginning of the twentieth century, the community's young residents have become used to being overlooked and under-resourced. The sprawling informal settlement of Mshenguville, where thousands of people live in make-shift shacks with dirt floors and no water or sanitation, has ever had a dedicated youth space - and until a few weeks ago, no-one ever expected that to change. Our mission partner, Project HOPE UK, managed to get a modest donation and started to level the mountainside overlooking the poorest section of Munsieville, and a purpose-build youth hub has steadily emerged.

Over a year before, young people from churches in Chesham, UK, supported by Root and Branch Change, started dreaming about joining their peers in Munsieville to help transform the face of youth work in the township. From 8-22 July 2024, the dream becomes a reality as faith finds expression in sacrificial action. Their challenge in week one - to take this bare building and use their God-given creativity to provide an outstanding base for ongoing youth ministry - taking bricks and mortar and making it sparkle as a beacon of hope that sends a message to the whole community that says "young people from this township deserve the best because God loves them.

Throughout the mission, our Facebook page will have daily updates pictures, interviews and reports so you can the transformation taking place.

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2019

A few weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic locked down the world, a team of 19 volunteers from the UK went to join forces with people from the Munsieville township community to respond to a plea for help from the principal of Extension Five Primary School. She was desperate for a beautiful and secure space to support young girls who were in crisis. The challenge: to construct a single storey centre, with two large activity rooms, consultation room, shower room and veranda opening up to carefully landscaped gardens ….. And to complete the project from breaking ground to opening ceremony in just fifteen days! The basic structure was erected by local casual construction workers, and the task of the entire internal fitting, interior and exterior decoration and artwork, and the extensive landscaping was undertaken by the UK team, along with interactions with the children at the school, and providing advice and support to school staff preparing to provide support services to vulnerable girls. The project was delivered on target - just! As the official opening speeches started, the last of the thirty-six panes of glass was being popped into place! And all costs were covered by fundraising by the intrepid volunteers, half of whom were beyond retirement age!

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Munsieville goes to sleep at Christmas. It's the hottest time of the year and those who can, escape from the township to the villages or rural areas of their ancestors. Those who remain include the poorest of the poor. Those trapped by poverty spend the festive season in their sweltering shack homes. There's nothing to do, no services in operation, and very likely, nothing to eat and no gifts for the children. Worst of all, few have any idea of what the season is all about. They are living in this world, without God and without hope, and that just has to change!

But that will change at Christmas 2022. Transform Christmas will see a range of events for children and families in the week up to Christmas, and then, on Christmas Day, hundreds of the most destitute children from the township will enjoy a glittering presentation of the Advent story, followed by a banquet, where each of them will be a guest of honour. When they leave in the early afternoon, they will take away a wonderful gift for them to give to their family - a meal for ALL the family, health-related gifts, treats for the children and Bible portions in their own language.

TRANSFORM CHRISTMAS will also be a signpost event, pointing to something much bigger at Easter - TRANSFORM LIFE - a week-long mission for all the township, in collaboration with local churches. It will start with a bold, colourful celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, followed by six days of activities to explain the impact and implications of the resurrection to people living in poverty and fear in South Africa's oldest, undeveloped township (see below).

Leaders from our UK team will be in Munsieville from 13 December, and will work alongside local churches and partners, in all activities and particularly the climax of the mission on Christmas Day. Flights and accommodation are now pretty well sold out, making it difficult for additional UK-based volunteers, but if you are within traveling distance of the West Rand in South Africa, and would like to join this special initiative, please contact us on info@rootandbranchchange.org.

2018

Thirty-five young people and leaders from churches in the Parish of Great Chesham, Buckinghamshire worked together for eighteen months, raising funds for an adventure of a life-time and training to take on a massive group challenge. They were aiming to install thirty-six drought-resistant family nutrition gardens across the township of Munsieville, rebuild two pre-school centres, renovate another three, and install two playgrounds.

Over the two weeks of their Transform Mission, the team exceeded all their goals:

60 family nutrition gardens were created
2 pre-schools were rebuilt - one with a brand new classroom
4 pre-schools were renovated inside and out
4 children’s playgrounds were installed

And although they pulled out all the stops to deliver what they had promised, they also managed to spend time playing with hundreds of children, and visited scores of homes in the township’s “squatter camps”, observing the challenges faced by those living in abject poverty.

There were also visits to the world-famous Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, a day-long mini-safari, exploration of the caves in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, and an evening exploring the rich cultural diversity of South Africa.

Over the weekend, the team visited several township churches. After the team had returned to the UK, Jeremiah Molotsi, the senior pastor of one of the churches said, “Everywhere these young people went, they left behind the fragrance of Jesus. Can Root and Branch Change help us to develop servant-hearted discipleship so we can continue to reach out to our own community with the good news?”