About Klipheuwel

Klipheuwel is an informal settlement about 18kms north of Durbanville and  bordering the suburb of Durbanville in the Northern areas of Cape Town. It is an extremely disadvantaged community. The people live in informal structures (shacks) made out of second hand roof sheet metal and other second hand materials. The roofs are constructed from these old materials and usually leak profusely during the Cape winter rains. Many of these structures house whole families and consist of only one or two rooms.

The Josiah Trust

The actvities of the Josiah Trust are run by a group of people primarily belongng to the Durbanville Community Church in Durbanville, Cape Town.

Two weeks ago five members of the Society went to view the work being done at the Klipheuwel Community Church by the Trust. We were shown around by Bradley Kuhn, the Chairman of the Josiah Trust, 

The Trust has developed a wonderful facility for the children in the Klipheuwel settlement. They also have a sewing workshop and train ladies of the community to sew clothing to earn some money. One of several initiatives to help the community help themselves – to give them a hand up not a hand out!

Jobs are few and not well paid in this area and so many survive only on meagre social grants. Children and adults often go without food. Transport into the closest shops and medical care is expensive and limited. Many are not able to travel regularly. Up until recently, the only medical care was a mobile clinic that visited once or twice a month.

Despite these hardships, the people of Klipheuwel are friendly, warm, loving people with a real joy for life.