UA Faculty & Administrators visit Little Eden

Our first days in South Africa have been marvelous and we cannot wait to hear all about the weekend from our students tomorrow morning. Today we adult UA delegates had a fantastic experience visiting a center called Little Eden which is a home for profoundly mentally disabled people. Our hosts were Donne and Giovanni Hyams and their dedicated family members and staff. Donne is a teacher at Brescia House and Giovanni is her husband. Giovanni's grandmother, Domitilla Hyams, was the extraordinary woman who founded Little Eden in 1967. She and her husband, Danny, dedicated their lives to serving this much-forgotten population. In fact, Domitilla received numerous awards for her work including in 2008 when she was presented with one of the highest Papal awards that can be bestowed on a lay person, the Bene Merenti Medal.

Many things stood out to us during our visit but what was particularly evident was the loving and caring family-environment of Little Eden. We were also touched by the stories of Domitilla's unshakeable faith in the face of overwhelming challenges and by the way that her legacy, work and love endures.

Please like Little Eden Society on Facebook and check out their website here: Littleeden.org.za

Our delightful hosts

A Beautiful setting

Housing for volunteers

The gorgeous Chapel

Ms. Kane meeting some of the residents

Ms, Nipp and her new fun friends

Some of the very kind and dedicated staff

Domitilla and Danny - such an inspiration!

The values that guide the work of Little Eden