OLIA Scholars

By Helen Lee

I’m precious to Jesus

2 Timothy 2:15 – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

The Passion Conference, held annually, is one of the most prominent Christian gatherings in the United States. It brings together university students and church leaders from around the world to worship Jesus Christ and commit to being the light and salt not only in their local communities but also globally.
In February 2025, the Passion Conference was held in Cape Town, providing OLIA scholars with the opportunity to attend this global worship gathering. They experienced a praise and worship service at Cape Town Stadium, which lasted until midnight, witnessing firsthand the deep passion people have for their faith.

Please pray that these children will continue to grow step by step, giving true glory to the Lord, and that they will cultivate hearts full of gratitude for the love and grace they have experienced.

A New Beginning and Transformation

Since January, many changes have taken place. In order to make better use of the time we spent studying together at the library every Friday, we prepared a more effective learning environment where the children could receive guidance and build closer relationships. To achieve this, we cleared out the cluttered garage at our home and transformed it into a study room.

Students from Univ. of Cape Town Online High School now come to our home in the morning to attend their online classes on the computer, and in the afternoon, they receive tutoring from Abohna and David. We placed an old dining table in the room, and to ensure that dust wouldn’t fall from the ceiling and that the space would remain warm even in winter, my husband and I reinforced the ceiling with thin boards. The once storage-like space, where the roof was fully visible, has now been transformed into a study room.

Every Friday, the children gather in this small yet well-organized study space from morning until late afternoon to study and spend time together. Last month, Pastor Kim Dae-hee visited us, bringing great encouragement. In the photo above, from left to right, are Missionary Helen, the tutor, David and Abohna, student Lonwabo, Pastor Kim Dae-hee, Mtabiseng, Lunathi, and Sima. 

As the time spent together increases, we see the children becoming more diligent in their studies. Many of them come from unstable and chaotic living environments, but they are now gradually showing signs of stability, realizing their self-worth and importance.

They have developed respect for one another, take care of their belongings, and keep their promises. Their gratitude is now expressed sincerely, they openly share their needs, listen to others, and follow instructions. They encourage each other, freely share their thoughts, and engage in meaningful conversations.

The most gratifying change is that the children are gaining confidence in their dreams and hopes for the future. Their parents, seeing these positive changes, have also become more involved—despite their difficult circumstances, they prepare lunch for their children and take turns supervising study sessions from Monday to Thursday at Pastor Nobulikhaya’s study room.

Everyone is deeply grateful for this opportunity to study. The children are developing responsibility, striving to do their best in academics, and forming positive study habits that will help them in the future.

What began as a small tutoring program to support the families of Vuku leaders has grown into a transformative initiative, empowering children to build a brighter future.

In 2018, Papama had just graduated from high school and was taking a gap year, while Abohna was only in 5th grade. Each week, we traveled between two different areas, bringing them along for tutoring. Using cheap tablets and Khan Academy, we introduced them to computers and helped strengthen their academic foundation.

At the time, Papama hadn’t yet been accepted into university, and we weren’t sure how much we could truly help. Our goal was simply to spark their interest in learning and build their confidence. But today, seven years later, Papama is an assistant lecturer of Information Systems at the University of Cape Town. During the period from 1960 to 1990, UCT was known as “Moscow on the Hill” due to its sustained opposition to apartheid, and is regarded as Africa’s leading institution. Her success has shifted expectations—university is no longer just a dream for OLIA scholars, but an achievable goal. The program has evolved into a structured pathway, guiding students toward careers that align with their strengths and aspirations.

Though the academic demands on these students are high, we trust that God provides encouragement and hope. So, we continue  walking alongside them, one step at a time. Just as traveling expands one’s perspective, seeing Papama’s success has given these students a powerful sense of possibility.

We are deeply grateful to the Lord for guiding and shaping both Papama and Abohna on this journey.

The photo captures a special moment—Lecturer Papama delivering his first lecture to new students.

Papama started mentoring first-year students and leading small groups during their second year of university. At that time, I also deeply realized the meaning of raising our two children in the Lord.

Looking back, it was a time when God was preparing and training Papama and me through various experiences. It wasn’t always easy, but God shaped our hearts and eyes to see what He was doing in any situation.

The first thing He trained us in was faithfulness. Whether someone was watching or not, we learned to do our best in our responsibilities and calling, and to have an attitude of learning through mistakes and processes. More important than winning in this world is realizing that following the path the Lord shows is the best way. This understanding has allowed us to rejoice in any situation.

Our current scholarship students also show their best efforts in their situations with joy and faithfulness, rather than just excelling. They seem happy to have a community that supports and lifts each other up. 

We can see that God is also training our children. The Lord wants them to realize their value and preciousness. It is a well-known fact that knowing one’s worth is essential for growing into a mature person who values others, but it is difficult to achieve in reality.

However, we are grateful to the Lord for allowing our children to feel their worth in Him.

Although this is a time of laying the foundation, we believe that this first step, built on the rock of the Lord, will be strong and unshakable. We are confident that God will use these children as instruments for His glory in His time. Until that day comes, we pray that our daily responsibilities and service will be faithful.

Please pray with us that our children will grow into workers who are not ashamed before the Lord, realize their worth, and be used as channels for the Lord’s work.

On behalf of the scholarship students and their parents, we sincerely thank you.

 “First of all, we deeply appreciate the OLIA Scholarship Program for giving Sima a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I could see positive changes in Sima. Our family was greatly affected when the father, who was the breadwinner, passed away. The mother was a full-time housewife, and Sima was only six years old at the time, making it even more difficult.

At 24 years old, I had to take on the role of the father, taking care of the entire family and four siblings. I worked hard in my own way, decided to start a family in 2020, and God blessed me with a son.

I carefully read the message sent by Mama Helen and decided to help as much as I could. I also talked with Mama Noblikaya, and I wish her God’s blessings.

I plan to communicate with the parents and monitor the students in the study room after work. Since I am still a student, I will also have the opportunity to do my assignments there.

Thank you sincerely to Mama and the Olia Buku Scholar family.”

Sima’s brother, Kululi

Last year, we made various attempts to help Sima, a minor living alone at home. At only 13 years old, she was left to live alone because there was no one to guard the house, which is a family owned, situated next to a pub. She was living on $35 a month from government child support grant. The mother went to live in the countryside, the brother got married and left home, and the sister lived with her boyfriend and did not come home. Eventually, the brother decided to live with Sima, but she was alone again in less than a month.

Last year, Sima successfully completed the 9th grade at UCT High School. This year, Sima hopes to receive pocket money to buy clothes from her neglectful family. Now in the 10th grade, Sima seems much more stable than last year and shows trust in us. Despite the difficult home environment, she now has a strong support system and confidently expresses her feelings.

“Mama Helen, I hope you had a wonderful day. First, I would like to thank the families and teams who have provided great support to my daughter Lunathi. Since the 9th grade, Bobo has changed so much. I met Mama Noblikaya, and she showed me the message. I promise to have meaningful conversations with Bobo about the points Mama Helen mentioned.”

Bobo (Lunathi)’s  father, Wanga

Last week, Lunathi cried because she was afraid she would get a zero for not clicking the submit button on her online math test. Fortunately, I was a self-appointed test supervisor and was able to resubmit it. Seeing Lunathi cry made me realize how much effort she had been putting in, despite her usual calm demeanor. I believe God is growing her through these situations.

When the test was resubmitted, everyone was so happy. It wasn’t just about studying hard for the test, but about evaluating her abilities based on the foundation she had built over the past year. We shared ice cream to cool off and had a joyful day, dreaming of a bright future for these children. 

Ntabiseng’s mother always cries when she meets us. Although she doesn’t speak English well, she always expresses her gratitude.

Ntabiseng worked hard to attend an online school last year and was finally able to enroll this year. She says the assignments are very difficult as it is her first time starting studies outside the township.

Ntabiseng’s father is very worried about her academic shortcomings. Seeing this kind of interest and love, which is rare in the township, I am once again grateful to God.

Seeing the children studying and progressing, Lonwabo’s parents paid for Ronwabo to enroll in UCT Internet High School. They come to our house to study with the OLIA scholars. Although Ronwabo made significant progress last year, their grades were not good enough to be included in the scholarship program, so we are helping and monitoring their improvement. They are doing their best with a clear mind, but it takes time and patience.

Anita and Ilam have also formed many loving relationships, but they do not seem interested in studying. We are looking for families who are interested in studying and want to dream of the children’s future with us, rather than just providing help. We have started interviewing such families.

These children need a lot of growth and the Lord’s involvement to achieve and maintain the future we dream of in the Lord. Since it requires changes in themselves, the Lord’s people, and the environment, we ask for your precious prayers.

At the Passion concert, Christian Steinfield shared the message that we should pass on the love of Jesus we have received to others.

The children who attended such a global worship event for the first time were wide-eyed and speechless even after the concert ended. It took a few days for them to start talking about the experience. 

In South Africa, many people do not know Jesus because of cultural and traditional barriers. However, when we share the love of the Lord, there are people who hear His voice and open their hearts.

Just as many people who love the Lord gathered at the Passion Conference, we hope that our children will also have many friends who love Jesus. Please pray that they will be a source of strength and encouragement to each other as they grow.