It’s Still Alive

When people ask us “Why South Africa”?...“Why there first?”...We know that while many other African countries also suffer from impoverished conditions...those of us who’ve traveled here have all seen the chilling impact of something that South Africa has that the others do not...

And this historian and his family have a very unique place in South Africa’s past...Wilhelm Verwoerd’s grandfather Hendrik was the Prime Minister who is known here—and around the world—as the man who was the “architect of apartheid”. He replicated Nazi principles from Germany in an attempt to keep the races separate in South Africa!

But his grandson Wilhelm is an inspiration—and a partner—to Arm in Arm in Africa...Because Wilhelm has spent most of his adult life trying to reverse the horrible things his grandfather-and apartheid-caused: The legal and intentional removal of black and mixed race South Africans (called “coloreds”) from the homes that they had worked all their lives for because they were forced into the makeshift townships which had no water, electricity or sanitation removal.

These are the communities that we bring aid to-and that we call “home”-when our AIAIA delegation arrives every year.