A Commitment to Our Friends in South Africa:
The Marang House
For children suffering from the chronic implications associated with renal failure, cancer, diabetes, burns, and/or trauma, life appears to bring one obstacle after another. For the unfortunate whose parents cannot afford constant medical care, supervision and a sterilized environment, the likelihood of overcoming chronic illness is minimal at best. For the fortunate who are relegated to a daily routine of dialysis or the uncertainty surrounding an organ transplant, hope is often a hard thing to muster. It is amidst these challenges that the Marang House was founded in 1998 by Dr. Pieter Ernst, to provide medical care in a non-institutional environment to sick children in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In addition to meeting each child’s unique health and wellness needs, the Marang House also helps ensure that each child’s education, as well as their sense of friendship and fun are less impeded by their affliction. As a registered Section 21 (non-profit) organization, the Marang House relies entirely upon external funding to supply these life-sustaining services. As such, fundraising, corporate sponsorships and volunteer efforts are the lifeblood for maintaining the hope and sunshine currently brought forth by the staff and friends of the Marang House. In turn, supporting the Marang House also provides a tax-deductible means for sponsors to make a significant impact on the lives of Gauteng’s children.
Marang House Objective
Founded by Dr. Pieter Enrst in June of 1998, the Marang House was created to provide medical care in a non-institutional environment to Gauteng’s sick children. A long-standing physician in Northcliff, Dr. Ernst realized that for children with chronic conditions requiring long-term care, institutions such as government hospitals are not able to supply the ideal recovery environment that a stable home can. This realization led to the Dr. Ernst’s establishment of the Marang House with the ambitious objective:
To provide Gauteng’s seriously ill children from disadvantaged backgrounds with a stable environment that enhances their likelihood of full recovery and improves the chance of fulfilling their dreams.
In addition to ensuring that these afflicted children are offered the required medical monitoring and support, the Marang House also helps alleviate hospital capacity constraints by releasing beds for more urgent medical emergencies.
Legacy of Success
The Marang House has successfully offered a home to recuperate, learn, and play for more than 55 children during its 6+ years in operation. With capacity to accommodate 11 children in the home at a time, the Marang House has celebrated the successful recovery of more than 30 children who are now positively contributing to their communities and pursuing their dreams. In fact, Dr. Cecil Levy of the Johannesburg Hospital affirms that more than 70% of the children cared for at the Marang House would not have survived otherwise.
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GSE Involvement with the Marang House
 In March 2005, the Yale SOM Global Social Enterprise Club brought 27 students to Johannesburg to engage in pro bono consulting projects with over a dozen NGOs, including the Marang House.
With Director Joan Swanepoel, Caroline Tsai '06 and Barry Wynn '06 worked to enhance and develop funding strategies for the Marang House.
Several months later, Dr. Pieter Ernst, the founding physician of Marang House, was tragically shot and killed in a senseless robbery. In an emergency meeting, the Marang House Board agreed that they needed to buy the House, currently owned by the Ernst family trust, and to make every effort to keep its doors open. Since the tragedy, the Marang House has been striving to drastically escalate its fundraising efforts to maintain long-term sustainability.
Unfortunately, since the GSE visit, two Marang House children have died due to their illnesses -- a harsh reminder of the reality that the Marang House struggles with every day.
GSE is committed to helping raise awareness about the Marang House’s mission.
Help Support the Marang House
To find out how to make a contribution to the Marang House, please email:
club-gse@som.yale.edu.
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