What a beautiful sight it must be for a visitor to arrive at Oyster Bay after traveling and driving on a 29km gravel road and see the beautiful white sand and blue ocean. Oyster Bay is a small beach community, that is located just outside Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape. Oysterbay forms part of the Kouga Local Municipality of the Sarah Baartman District.

Education

The Co-Op Community Trust is committed to investing in early childhood development because we know that education transforms lives. Without this strong foundation of education, we see that children begin to lag behind and that additional funding will be required to assist them to catch up.

Living Water Oyster Bay

The Co-Op Community Trust invests in one of the Living Water projects in Oyster bay. Living Water is a Christian-based organization that focuses on helping the surrounding community. Their purpose and vision are to bring change to the community one person at a time through biblical teaching, education, and social interaction. Living water encompasses 2 main areas of support for children: An Early Childhood Development facility as well as an after-school facility where vulnerable children receive life-skills training, mentorship, education, and guidance.

The Living Water program is designed to meet the kids where they are, not where the program thinks they should be, and thus promotes the kids' sense of safety. One of the volunteers claimed that one of their biggest blessings was being able to love these kids. Having the hope that everything will turn out okay, that their misery won't consume them, and that one day things would improve.

Many of these children who attend the ECD and the aftercare program have been victims of abuse as a result of poor home circumstances, substance abuse, poverty, and parents who lack effective parenting skills. The Co-op Community Trust knows that every child, no matter their circumstances, is special. Every child has gifts. Every child matters and has potential to become great citizens.

The center’s vision is for parents and members of the community to actively participate in its activities and develop skills that will help them be better parents and contribute to a better community and healthier happier children through education.

Nelson Mandela famously said during one of his addresses: "Let us reach out to the youngsters, Let's do everything in our power to aid the struggle of children and to transcend their anguish and sorrow. Every time I encounter someone who really cares about children, I have no doubt that our nation is in for wonderful things because the people who will guide our nation into the twenty-first century are our children.”

The team at Living Waters are those unsung heroes who will do everything it takes to aid the kids and give them the tools they need to improve their own lives and education.

The community, NPOs, and volunteers are all welcome to visit the facility in Oyster Bay and see and experience why they are called the “Living Water”.