What if between changing the diapers, the laundry and the dishes a community of mothers around the world could change the future for a community of kids in South Africa?

What if 1 blog community could build 1 South African community a safe place for sustainable food, child care, economic empowerment, job skills trainings, a gathering place for church, classrooms for HIV/Aids education, and a playground for their kids?

What if love was more than a date on the calendar this year?

What if we fell in love with the world next door?

This is the blue print:



The goal is to raise $150,000 to fund the entire project between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day – because love is more than a date on the calendar, and it never leaves anyone out. And Mother's Day is a 365 days a year adventure, always worth celebrating.

Phase 1: Community Vegetable Garden $5,000 FULLY FUNDED
 
Phase 2: Community Kitchen and Welcome Center $40,000 FULLY FUNDED

Phase 3: Community Outreach Hall

Phase 4: 12 Classrooms

Phase 5: Playground $3,000 FULLY FUNDED

Because there’s a whole community of women who are raising more kids than just their own and still have all the same hopes, dreams and fears that we do.

And there’s a whole community of kids who would tell you that there is nothing ordinary about being a mom. Especially when you don’t have one.

They live just north of Pretoria, South Africa, in an area called Maubane. About 150 adults and 250 orphans and vulnerable children meet on this open plot of land every week for church, for meals, for play. 

And during the week many of them are unsupervised before and after school.

They're not strangers. They're family and friends to South African blogger, author and transplant to the States, Lisa-Jo Baker. 

She has three adopted siblings from this town and her parents, brothers, and sisters all still live in South Africa and connect her umbilical-like to the country that runs in her veins.

This is his wife. After Lisa-Jo's mom died, she knit their family back together with faith and lots and lots of kids.

And this is the community praying over the plans for the community center. Before there was ever any hope of funding to make them a reality. That's Pastor Norman on the left and Lisa-Jo's dad, Peter, on the right.

Along with the local community and Lisa-Jo's parents' church - all praying over the plans they had no clue how to finance. 

Until we said that the crazy big number wasn't too big for a committed community to tackle.

Until we said, "We're in."

Until we decided that the best thing we can do for our children is invite them into someone else's story.



Until Help One Now contacted local South African organizations Take Action and the James 1:27 Trust to partner and make it possible to invite you into the story.

Because what if while we rocked our babies or waited up for our teenagers, while we commuted to work, while we peeled the potatoes we were able to teach our kids what it looks like to love on the world next door?


Because no matter where in the world you are, we all cycle through the same tasks in a day. Meals, dishes, school, work, worrying over bills, celebrating first steps and tiny humans growing into their skin and their future.

So whether you are a mother, know a mother, or have a mother won’t you come and stand with the mothers of South Africa this Valentine’s Day?

Won't you be the bricks and cement to build a future for their children?



To remind ourselves that love is more than a date on the calendar. And that you don't need a plane ticket to change the world, you just have to be willing to change yourself.

Won't you be brave and give as big as those grins?

And then invite your family, your kids, your friends to join our virtual Valentine's Day celebration  --

Click to tweet this or copy and paste it into Facebook below:

Love is more than a date on the calendar. Fall in love with the world next door. #SurprisedByMotherhood →  click to tweet

Love is about giving, not receiving. #SurprisedByMotherhood →  click to tweet

There is NOTHING ORDINARY about being a mom, especially to hundreds of kids who don't have one. #SurprisedByMotherhood →  click to tweet

Because sometimes you change the world, one carrot, one corn cob, one kid at a time. #SurprisedByMotherhood → click to tweet


Phase 1: Community Vegetable Garden $5,000 FULLY FUNDED

Phase 2: Community Kitchen and Welcome Center

Phase 3: Community Outreach Hall

Phase 4: 12 Classrooms

Phase 5: Playground  $3,000 FULLY FUNDED

All photos by Patrick Black, Yorke Rodda, and Lisa-Jo Baker.