ERR~ @IP                                      @ - OR                       The Bishop of Eshowe, Rgt. Rev Mansuet Biyase, and Father Gerard T lagleder, parish priest of Mandini and Mangete. A helping hand   for the sick  and the poor   Blessed Gerard's Pre-Primary school and creche was   blessed on Saturday, July 29, by the Bishop of   Eshowc, Rgt. Rev. Mwsuct Biyase and officially   opened by the Chairman of the International Corn-   mittee of the Federal Association of the Sovereign   lvfilitary Order of Malta in the United States of   America, Daniel E. Mechan.    Two years ago the community of Whebede, a poor   rural area north of the Tugela River, approached the   Brotherhood of Blessed Gerard for assistance to set   up a creche, to enable the mothers of the area to   look for work. After much deliberation the executive   council decided that a creche was not enough and   took the idea one step further to a pre-primary   school. The decision having been made, they began   canvassing for donations. Large donations were re-   ceived from The Action of the Three Kings and   Malteser Hilfsdienst both of Germany, a Swiss Foun-   dation and a personal donation from Daniel F- Mee-   ban of Milwaukee in the United States of America.   Through their generosity the Brotherhood of Blemed   Gerard was able to go ahead with the building of the   pre-primary school and creche.     In the meantime, however, the Bishop of Eshowe   gave his permission to temporarily utilise a parti-   tioned off section of the church and so classes began   with a newly employed teacher. This facility will   now be able to move into the new building which   has all the necessary equipment. The only important   thing lacking is a constant water supply. They are   hoping to replace the rainwater tank with a horehole,   as soon as finance is available.     Among the dignitaries who witnessed the opening   of the pre-primary school and creche and the work   which the Brotherhood of Blessed Gemrd does in the   Mandeni area, were Dr Albrecht, Count of Rechberg,   who is the c"rdinator for the help of Malteser  HiJfsdienst, Germany to South.Afrim his wife Joy,  Countess of Reebberg and their son, Thomas, Count  of Rechberg, Manfred Schul7, the managing director  of Malteser HilfsdiensG Bavaria and Ruby Martin,  the former lbhnister of Administration for the Slate  of Virginia in the United States of America.   The Brotherhood of Blessed Ge~ is a Relief Or-  ganisation of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of  Malta in Rome, it works with the sanction and blew-  ing of the Catholic Bishop of the Diocew of Eshowe,  Rgt. Rev. Mansuct Biyase and is based in Mandeni.  They are a non-profit organisation run on donations  and the voluntary service of its members. They have  many projects running with the aim of giving people  the chance to become independent of charity and  possibly even become helpers themselves A second-  ary aim is to provide direct aid in cases of emer-  gency and immediate need.   Blessed Gcmrd's pre-prirnary school and creche is  embedded in a whole spectrum of charitable projects  of the Brotherhood of Blessed Gerard, which have  run successfully for more than two yeu& P~tly  they are helping:  m Senior Citizens through their Friendship Club in  Mandeni.  - Malnourished Infants through their Feeding  Scheme in SundumbilL  - Unemployed people through their Sewing School in  Sundumbili.  a Underprivileged children through their Pre-  Primary School and Creche.  m Sick people through their Poor Sick Fund.  m Poor people through their Bursary Fund.  • The general public through their Aids Prevention  Programme.  a People in immediate need through their Emergency  Fund (hunger, relief, clothing, rebuilding etc.)