Personally Funded
I originally built Amanda's Ark to prepare for and survive the turbulent time that followed the chaos and discord that was forced upon us in 2020.
At the time, I had 3 rescue dogs and a handful of local cats who we took care of, and unbeknown to me at the time, if God tells you to build an ark, it stands to reason that he will send the animals too...
And send them he did!!!!!
In the beginning, I paid for everyone myself and it was manageable, however slowly but surely, the numbers increased and before long, I had a motley crew of rescue dogs and an entire colony of cats!!!
Life on Amanda's Ark is so good that all the cats told their friends, who told their friends, made our home their home and started having babies!!!
An Ethical Dilemma
At first, my research showed that the colony numbers would take care of themselves naturally, but because we looked after everyone so exquisitely, with houses, home-cooked food, warmth and cool and everything they needed for a great life, the cats were multiplying at a rapid rate and it was clear that they would live long lives!!!
This meant that we had to consider sterilising them in order to keep the numbers to a manageable amount, which I was initially massively against as it takes away their autonomy and for the females, their ability and joy of being a mother, and this didn't feel right.
We had to balance this out with the danger they would be in from organisations who believe in culling if there were too many, combined with the increasing cost of funding, time and energy to look after everyone and the difficult life that males would have when they went wandering after females, becoming lost in the process.
In addition, babies were dying in the bush and getting run over without us knowing and Mum's were becoming spent from constant childbirth with no choice in the matter, potentially dying in the process, together with their babies.
Bearing all this in mind, and after much prayer and fasting, we made the difficult decision to sterilise everyone, with the intention of being better able to take care of a fixed number and with the promise that we would look after them for the rest of their lives.
So Many Animals In Need
Then there were the dogs who I had to rescue every time God laid it on my heart, all of whom were at risk of being euthanised or who would continue to be neglected and abused if I didn't step in.
Some of the dogs previously belonged to people who were emigrating and could no longer take care of them, some I found on the street close to death and in immediate need of help and some were injured, homeless and starving.
Others belonged to families where one of the partner's had died and the surviving partner had to downsize and some I rescued from being euthanised as the rescue they were from didn't have space and could no longer keep them in a cage.
Some were surrendered to me because their family could no longer afford to take care of them, because they couldn't take care of them due to housing issues or because they had behavioural challenges they couldn't cope with.
There were so many dogs in need for so many reasons and if I said no, I knew it would have ended in certain death for the animals concerned, so I had no option but to say yes.
Ark Angels Needed!!!
It wasn't long before I was ordering food wholesale by the 25 Kg bag loads filling my entire bakkie with each order, taking care to always ensure a month's supply was always kept in stock.
I had to have staff to look after them including cleaning, walking the dogs twice a day, managing the dogs, keeping the dogs separate from the cats, preparing food, feeding, medication, healthcare, flea and tick and worming, building fences, houses and temporary enclosures, the list was endless.
By God's grace, following a serendipitous meeting between a family friend who came to South Africa to visit and a fellow animal lover, a Sponsor offered to fund the sterilisation of all the cats and this felt like confirmation that we were doing the right thing.
Because of the limits that I'm allowed in my home, I had to place the overflow of dogs into temporary boarding care whilst I found them perfect homes, increasing my costs even further.
With all the dogs, all the cats and all the expenses, the costs are in excess of R50,000 per month and at this point, I need serious help.
Walking In Faith
I have been walking in faith for the last 17 years, a journey which began when I became chronically ill from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), which is also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
This is a debilitating illness with varying degrees of incapacitation, which at it's worse, can leave people hospitalised on a drip or a feeding tube, totally and utterly unable to take care of themselves.
Thankfully, I didn't get to that level, but I did suffer extreme disability in the form of brain fog, anxiety, depression, chronic tiredness which people who have never had an auto-immune disease will never be able to understand and I had to move back home and live with my Mum, who thankfully took care of everything physically.
Chronic tiredness is a tiredness to such a degree that you have no power, no desire, no strength, no interest and barely any flicker of life left inside of you, it's a devastating illness.
This was the beginning of my walk in faith and the start of a total life change on every level, where the old me died and the new me was born again.
God Prepared Me In Advance
I used to think that I had wasted a lot of my life with my ladder firmly up against the wrong wall and selling my soul to the devil (I didn't), but in hindsight, I have come to realise that God was preparing me.
I have always been an Entrepreneur, beginning at the age of 7 when I sold my unwanted things from the wall of my house, which was on a main road, and then I increased my sales by adding tea, coffee, orange juice and biscuits to people who stopped to take a look.
When I entered the world of work, I was mostly self-employed on commission-based jobs and I always won all the awards and accolades for the most sales and best customer service.
I was hungry, driven and unable to fit into any organisation due to my insatiable appetite for excellence, integrity and changing the world through making a difference, and it took a long time to find my place.
I had my own business from the age of 21, my second one at 23, by 25 I was working as an IT Consultant in the capacity of Project Co-ordinator, then Project Analyst then Project Manager, on some of the biggest and most prestigious projects in the world, and I was on the fast-track to becoming an internet millionaire.
From My Plan To God's Plan!
I was a high flyer working every hour God sent, I was always pushed far out of my comfort zone, always starting again on new projects, always learning, continuously improving, but never happy or fulfilled.
Eventually, my body was screaming at me and I ignored all the warning signs, until I was deplete on every level - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and nutritionally.
I reached the point of total breakdown, which is common for people like me, where we can't or won't stop on our own endeavour, and instead are forced to.
I had no option but to scale down and was blessed to get a couple of jobs from home, but eventually, I had to stop completely and give my body the rest and recovery time it needed, which took 7 years.
During this time, I learned everything I needed to know about my illness and how to get better, which included changing everything about my environment including career, thoughts, food, how I spent my time, who I spent it with, my home, even my country, and little did I know that this would lead me to the plans that God had for me!!!
Starting Again
My healing journey took 7 years, 3 of which were spent sleeping up to 18 hours a day, my awake time buried deep in the pit of despair.
As the years wore on, my body, mind and soul started to heal, the journey was slow and agonising and I had no choice about the pace I was forced to go at.
When I eventually reached a new-found and hard-won health and happiness, I naturally wanted to share it with the world and re-trained in natural health modalities including Transformational Touch, Life Coaching and Clinical Hypnotherapy, although old habits die hard and I completed 17 Diplomas in 2 years!!!!!
I also studied nutrition for optimum health and food as our medicine and I began to implement everything I had learned, only to have to let go of my original dream in order to begin a new one, which far exceeded anything I had ever dreamed of.
After living in the British Virgin Islands as part of my healing journey, followed by a year of travelling whilst I was ill, I finally set down roots in South Africa, where I live today, in the Cederberg mountains, on Amanda's Ark, my life unrecognisable from what it was before, with my amazing animals and loyal, faithful and phenomenal helpers, all of whom have become my family.
NPO Registration
The next step is registering as an NPO (Non-profit organisation), where I will be an FBO (Faith-based organisation) first and foremost.
I always laugh when I tell people that I am not an NPO as not only do I make no profit, I pay vast amounts of money to rescue the animals in my care, it's a standing joke!
I do however need to register for various reasons including credibility, the ability to get funding from companies who benefit from tax savings in exchange for their charitable donations and most importantly, to be able to have more animals than is normally allowed.
The challenge with animal rescue is that there is so much to be done that it's only possible to focus on the most important priorities, and therefore, NPO registration is taking a back-seat for now.
It is absolutely something I need to have at some point, but at this moment, I have no option but to continue to walk in faith, miracles, prayer and blessings, trusting God that everything will be done in perfect timing, as it always is.
Changing The Face of Animal Rescue
Following 8 years of commitment and dedication to the cause, it is my heartfelt intention to change the face of animal rescue through faith, fearlessness and a steadfast commitment to the truth.
I strongly believe that we CAN save everyone that crosses our path and that if we walk in faith, growing ever closer to God, that He will guide our steps.
In my own life, countless times, I have experienced awe-inspiring things that people only ever dream of, and I know categorically, that with God, all things are possible.
My intention is to build a powerful following, shining a radiant light, sharing my endless testimonies and being a source of motivation, inspiration and upliftment.
The focus of our labour of love is rescue, re-homing, natural healthcare and walking in faith, as we rise in love, together, taking as many animals with us as we possibly can.
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If you would like to donate, please WhatsApp me on +27 084 287 5050 for funding options, including direct to suppliers, whilst I await a bank account following registration.
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