The founder was the driving force behind the project, after he
died there was on one else to take his place and the site fell into
disrepair.
In 1998 it was purchased by ECS ( Evangelical Centrum Suriname)
and it was their desire to extend the vision further than Rubens
Boys Ranch thus created Stitching Engedi.
In the last few years they have taken boys from the interior because
of great need for accommodation for these bush Negroes to live so
that they can go to school in town.
However because of the lack of qualified workers to care for the
boys they have stopped taking in new recruits. However in the future
ECS desires to begin the program again.
It is their desire to be self sufficient but they realize that
they need external investment which they are trusting will come
from International grants.
At Stichting Engedi there are numerous houses to facilitate workers,
families and the boys. There is a church on site and a dormitory
and a Mission House to house missionaries that want to visit the
centre.
There is rental facility for conferences, seminars and working
holidays. The rental ability is essential to fund the facility.
There is a bakery on site manned by a qualified baker and a furniture
factory to assist with revenue. There is also a chicken farm, dairy
and small holding of vegetables to feed the boy on site.
However the bakery is not cost effective because Engedi is located
outside of Paramaribo and therefore there is not much business.
The equipment has become old and outdated and parts are difficult
to find. So the bakery is only used when there are camps on site
and is not used as a commercial entity.
The highest priority of the furniture factory is to relocate to
a bigger premises so that they can increase productivity. This facility
is on site but is in need of refurbishment.
The dairy farm has 35 cows, they need to build some new cow sheds
to house the cattle and there is a need to re fence some of the
land.
Workers are needed for the farm and to train the boys in animal
husbandry.
Once funding has been sourced and Engedi has been refurbished ECS
believe that it will be a viable self funding project. Enabling
them to house, train and empower the bush negroes of Suriname.