We invite you to join us in supporting public education in the Kethani township, South Africa. Kethani is a township in South Africa, along the road between Johanesburg and Durban, near Ladysmith.  Kethani is a vibrant, resilient, largely Zulu community facing the challenges  high unemployment and HIV/AIDS,  together with the support of neighbors, religious organizations, the public school system and non-profits.

Through the sale of a thousand handmade pottery mugs, we'll be raising money to create a school library for Kethani township. While 1000mugs is based in Newton, Massachusetts (USA), we are working alongside with the local school and community organizations in South Africa, as well as with a national South African non-profit to provide library training for teachers.

The 1000 Mugs for South Africa project was the dream of Marlene Nelson, a Messiah parishioner and Harvard Ceramics potter whose passionate desire was to make and sell 1,000 mugs and donate the money to support public education for the children of Khetani, a black township outside Winterton, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.  She previously spent time on a dairy farm in Winterton where she taught pottery to some of the local Zulu farm workers.  Through her generosity, she financed the construction of a church building for the Khetani Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational worship community. 

Marlene's dream was cut short by cancer which claimed her life last September.  However, she had shared her vision with her colleagues and friends at Harvard's Ceramic Program.  And so in her memory, they undertook to do what she was not able to do:  make a 1,000 mugs and donate the profits from their sale to South Africa.  . Wasma'a Chorbachi coordinated the effort to realize Marlene's dream, and in honor of Marlene's generous spirit hundreds of mugs were made and donated by Wayne Fuerst, Michelle McClurg, Denny McLaughlin, Shawn Panepinto, Nancy Selvage, and many other potters.  Even though the 1000 mugs project is not a Harvard University project, we are grateful for all the university does to support arts in the Boston area.

The Parish of the Messiah is coordinating the sale of the mugs and absorbing any administrative costs as part of its outreach ministry.  They also will ensure that funds collected are properly transmitted to South Africa.