Our story with Project Canaan begins quite a few years ago while I was managing Nkonyeni Lodge and Golf Estate. Over the years working there I met some of the wonderful people that worked at Project Canaan as well as a lot of the volunteers as the groups would stay at Nkonyeni and have their meals there. 

It is during this time that I met Janine and Ian and over the years got to know them and a bit more about Project Canaan. Things were going well for me and life was good! Then Covid 19 hit and Nkonyeni was not doing well. Business had dried up and it got so bad that they made the decision to retrench me. My wife and I desperately wanted to stay in Eswatini. With the retrenchment package we decided to make a deal with Nkonyeni to rent their space and open our own restaurant. A huge risk considering the times we were in but “desperate times” as they say. 

During this time Janine actually contacted me asking if I knew of anyone that could help them do training for their kitchen staff. I told her that I had my plate full at the moment but that I would look around. I actually had a very good candidate that I contacted that I believed would have done very well. He was unfortunately unavailable at the time as he had just taken on another contract. I only mention this as it was one of many small steps that lead me to where I am now. A couple of other trainers and managers in the hospitality industry that I contacted, likewise declined.

Things were going pretty well, to the extent that we opened a second restaurant and started expanding. Then everything changed with a series of 3 vehicle accidents, unpaid insurance claims, cancelled contracts, and bad debtors; ha ha, the list goes on and I can laugh about it now but at the time it seemed that the universe was against us. This all led to us having to go through liquidation and pretty much losing everything. 

One day I was at home and very despondent, wondering why I was being punished and what I did to deserve this. I passed my wife who noticed my words and said to me, “God will provide,” which was in itself funny as it was usually me that would say, “Don’t worry, my Angel, everything will work out.” I was usually the positive one. I remember thinking, “ppffft!” He has taken everything, why would he provide now? 

10 minutes later my phone rang and it was Janine again. This time it was a life line and I immediately said that I would meet with them. I started consulting for Project Canaan in the Kitchen. I had visited before, but only once I was here did I realize what an amazing place this was. I began to see how God’s hand was everywhere and through everything we went through we somehow ended up here. Many little fortunes and misfortunes that we hardly even thought about at the time have guided us to where we are today. 

I am now full-time at Project Canaan and my wife is helping at the pre-school as she is focused on development phase. We live here with our son and two dogs and have never been happier or more content. Through His grace we have found a place in the world where we can make a difference, but more importantly a place that has made a difference to us.

I have always considered my self a spiritual person, but being here has opened my eyes to what a difference God’s hand makes when we believe. Every day now I see His presence everywhere and the small everyday miracles that just seem to make things happen that would otherwise seem unattainable. 

Dudley Venner, Project Canaan Kitchen Manager