He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.
-1 Samuel 2:8
Kibbutz El-Shammah has it's origins out of a gang project which started in 1983. Roodewal has virtually been destroyed through gang warfare. The Cape Town Scorpions had their headquarters in Roodewal and clashed with the Born Free Kids (BFK.) Scorpions had no entry on BFK turf, which included all the high schools, primary schools (except Roodewal primary), clinic, cinema, sports fields, disco, swimming pool, hotel etc.
Over the years, Roodewal became deeply impoverished due to lack of education, proper health care, social up-liftment and general recreation. Fifty percent of all crimes committed in the Worcester area were reported in Roodewal. Roodewal consists of fifteen percent of Worcester's 133 000 population.
After a four year project and God's divine intervention, peace was attained in the community, but scars remained. Ex-gangsters and drug lords were now unemployed, families were devastated and the suburb lay in ruins. Kibbutz El-Shammah (meaning the manifestation of God's presence) was birthed - an oasis to a hurting community, with the belief that God has a specific purpose for Roodewal and that she will be restored and uplifted from the ash-heap in dignity and destiny.
Kibbutz El-Shammah has developed from a piece of land to a collaborative organization addressing the Roodewal situation head on. The property now accommodates housing for the workers, a hall, offices and kitchen, creche, pre-school, and training departments. As the projects develop, so too will the buildings have to be extended.
