A missionary in Asia once discovered the power of the advice Jesus gave to his disciples in Luke 10:3-9, to find a ‘man of peace’ in the towns he was sending them to, when he entered a potentially hostile unreached village with a co-worker. He relates how when they prayed that they would find a ‘man of peace’ God led them to a man named Li, who fed them, then properly introduced them to the village's hard-faced leader who might otherwise have ordered them killed. Li told the ill village leader, that the newcomers' God "is a great God, and they will pray for you." They prayed; the leader was healed and soon became a man of peace in his own right, opening his heart -- and the whole village -- to the Gospel.

Patricia Fekema is the Woman of Peace in Du Noon. She is a vital part of the ministry of Boost Africa Foundation in this township.

Patricia is the founder and life-force of Zusakhe, meaning “to build”, and provides an indispensable service to the community. Zusakhe was ‘birthed’ in 2007 when Patricia recognized the void created by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the families of Du Noon. “Many children were growing up as orphans in the community, some not even knowing their mothers because they had died from the disease. Some kids think their grandmother is their mother because they have been raised by them”, Patricia says.

At Zusakhe they provide a support system for those infected with the virus and assist families who have suffered loss as a result of the pandemic and are struggling to make ends meet. Patricia’s personal encounters within her family with HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, makes the input she gives in these areas real, relevant and practical.

Zusakhe runs a crèche to provide a safe, affordable and nurturing environment for little ones from these and other household.  In addition, Patricia’s concern for the youth has made Zusakhe a place where young people are encouraged and taught necessary life skills. Patricia says she learned from the mistakes she made with her own children and now uses the lessons learned in her attempt to reach the youth of Du Noon and save some from a life of drugs and crime. “I used to think that being hard with them would be good for them, but it just made them more angry”, she relates regarding her kids, “I learned that what they really need is to be loved. The youth of Du Noon are very angry and lash out because they have never experienced a mother’s love,” she says. She has become a mother to youth aged twelve and up.

Having witnessed some of what Patricia has achieved, I think she qualifies for a “Man of Peace” award; an award created in 1999 by the annual World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome which recognizes and acknowledges individuals who have “offered an outstanding contribution to social justice and peace".  With her contribution to social justice, peace and her efforts to meet the needs of the community by partnering with various organizations, including Boost Africa Foundation, Patricia is in every way a Woman of Peace.