GEORGE NEWS - "We don’t make use of any medicine or doctors, just bread and rice and Jesus Christ," chuckles pastor Pieter Niemand, a block of a man who is ‘dad’ to a house full of people, all struggling with various addictions.
‘Oom Pieter’ and his funky little wife, ‘tannie Dana,’ receive whoever comes knocking at their door with open arms. "We don’t view anyone as a patient, but rather as a student of life," explains Pieter.
For the past 10 years this remarkable, self-sacrificing couple has supported their Keep the Dream Recovery and Restoration Centre out of their own pockets and received no state funding. Through painful experience with their own son, LeLando’s plight to get free from addiction, they have paid their dues.

Place of rest
"Our communal home is a place of rest for all who are weary," Dana’s smile lights up the room. And one only has to look around to see that these people have literally placed their money where their mouth is. Every-where people of all ages are sitting around, listening attentively to what Pieter says, as his baby granddaugther, Ashli Mae, competes for his attention.
"Our track record of 10 years in the drug recovery ministry and 20 years in alcoholism and marriage help have awarded us with the Timross Institute of the Netherlands doing an in-depth research in our home," explains Pieter.

For an observer the strength of Pieter and Dana’s ministry is in the warm family set-up their ‘students’ get exposed to. Dana grins: "Many students come from dysfunctional homes and communities and here we show them what a real home should look like. We are just normal people, caring about each other.
"Our hearts are open to a life-long relationship with anyone who walks through that door earnestly seeking help, but we don’t keep anyone here," she says.

Their programme begins with an evaluation whereafter there is an intervention meeting with the student and their families, if possible. Pieter explains: "The student must decide whether they want to come clean or not. We also want to meet with the family because once the student has recovered and they go home, they don’t want to hear all the old accusations. Everyone has to renew their thinking and their actions towards each other," says Pieter as he bounces Ashli Mae up and down.

Three-stage programme
Their programme consists of three stages where the restoration of the addict’s body is phase one. "The moment someone stops using, that student usually wants to sleep. Years of abuse catches up with them, and we give them the freedom to rest."
Then begins the restoration of the individual, also in relation to their family and friends. The Niemands prefer people to stay with them for a minimum of 90 days, but they do make exceptions if a valid crisis arises. Some students stay much longer. "We don’t try to keep people entertained. Boredom is often one of the triggers at their home environment to use drugs and we are not removing that trigger. They have to learn to deal with it. We just live a normal, average life going about our daily chores. Boredom often makes a person’s masks come off and we can get to deal with the real person," says Pieter.

After six months, if the student is ready, integration begins. "We don’t just want to teach young people skills, we want each student to find out what his/her passion really is and then we try and help them to realise that dream. Everyone has a godly destiny waiting to become manifest."
The Niemands are dreaming big themselves - they want to put up 60 houses in small towns and have an Addicted-to-Jesus festival once a year near Hope Town.

Most affordable
Non-racial and non-denominational, their doors are open to anyone older than 18 and at R150 a day, by far the most affordable help of its kind available locally. But first they must find a suitable place to house their ever-growing family in the George area. "We preferably need a plot with several homes," says Pieter.

If anyone wishes to support one of the non-paying students or the ministry in general, their details are: Keep the Dream, FNB Strand, account number 622 4709 4858, bank code 200 612. Or feel free to make a delivery at 13 Kapkappie Street, George or join them for devotionals at 10:00 or 20:00, daily.

Artikel en foto: Anoeschka von Meck
They can also be contacted on 076 245 7053, www.keepthedream.za.net or pieter@keepthedream.za.net.