As he puts on his dark blue blazer and coyly fastens the buttons it is incredible to think how far Christopher has come and where he is today. He is hope personified. As he stands proudly in his new school uniform it is clear that through care and love, a life can be changed. Christopher's life did a complete turn when he and his two sisters, Promise and Peaceful, arrived at Focus on iThemba in 2006.

The traumatised siblings had lost their parents at a young age and Peaceful, as the oldest, was raising her brother and sister whilst trying to continue with her schooling. This pattern is all too common in our rolling KwaZulu-Natal valleys but this fortunate trio were offered a new life through iThemba.

Located near Hillcrest the non-profit organisation provides a sanctuary to children in the form of a new home headed by married parents who care for up to six children. Optimum one-on-one care and genuine love and support are provided. The children are placed through social workers who continually monitor their welfare. The vision for this inspiring 'place of hope' was that of retired Durban businessman, Danie van den Heever. He realised the need to offer quality cluster foster care where the relationship is for life - from in the home to when the children marry, become parents and beyond.

Christopher and his sisters were the first children to arrive at iThemba. In Joseph House they established their roots and flourished with the love from new parents Isaac and Christine Mohlakwana. Within this nurturing environment of a beautiful home, healthy meals, care and opportunity Christopher blossomed. He was enrolled at Hillcrest Christian Academy in 2006 and in 2008 he was selected as Deputy Head of Cedar House - a noteworthy achievement. His academic talent, confidence and likeable nature shone through and the iThemba team pursued the avenue of a high school education at top independent senior school Kearsney College.

"When we had the confirmation from Kearsney that Christopher had been awarded a bursary we were overwhelmed," explained Danie. "We know that he has a wonderful future ahead of him and now coupled with further excellent schooling his full potential as a leader can be reached."

The first day of the 2009 school year was a significant moment for Christopher and his sisters, who are incredibly proud of their brother. Wearing his Kearsney blazer he represented hope and the power of a child who overcame adversity.

"When we went to visit him recently he had such a smile on his face," said Isaac proudly. "He has settled in well to the boarding routine and even introduced us to his prefect. He is on top of the world. His teacher said to me that this is a child who knows what he wants and that he will go a long way".

Today the 40 acre iThemba campus accommodates 23 children in four homes - the ultimate vision is 20 homes housing 120 children. Each child carries a story of hope and with the support of the community and donors there will be many more positive stories to convey.

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