Frequently asked questions

What is Shepherd's Keep Australia Ltd?

If you search our Australian ABN 446302544863, you will see we are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) as an Australian Registered Charity, a Public Benevolent Institution endorsed to access the following tax concessions: Income Tax Exemption Endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) We have a board of six members all volunteers who run the ongoing mission to raise and transfer funds direct to the orphanage in Durban, South Africa, known as Shepherd's Keep Home for Abandoned Babies.



When did Shepherd's Keep Australia start?

It has taken quite some time to set up the Company and it was officially registered with an ABN in November of 2018. Since that time there has been the ongoing process of getting official recognition from the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) and Australian Taxation Office for accreditation and DGR status. And whilst this was being processed our webmaster was busy finalising many aspects of this website which became active and operational in July 2019.



What do we do at Shepherd's Keep Australia?

Our team of volunteers are responsible for marketing and promoting this website in order to raise the much needed funds which are transferred to South Africa to assist with the ongoing running costs of the Orphanage in Durban, which is totally dependent on charitable donations as it receives no funding from their Government or any Independent source.



Why do we support Shepherd's Keep in Durban?

Quite some time ago it became known to our founder Chris Guyler and his wife Gem that this orphanage in Durban is always in desperate need of funds to continue doing the wonderful work it does by accepting abandoned babies and nursing them back to health, in order for them to work with local authorities to place them in the care of loving adoptive families. From deep within his heart, Chris was strongly driven to come up with a way to do whatever it takes to make a difference in the lives of these beautiful babies and help the wonderful couple Cheryl and Colin Pratley, who are the driving force behind the establishment and running of the orphanage. Every small difference we can all make in our world of need was the objective behind the motivation that Chris and Gem had in their hearts. Please help us to help them!



How do I know my donation is secure and what it is being used for?

You can be assured that all your donations made on this site are handled on our behalf by the secure financial website PayPal and are then transferred regularly from our trust account directly to the Shepherd's Keep trust account in Durban. Naturally we are also monitored on a regular basis by the powers that be in the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission) and the Australian Taxation Office who require us to be audited and report back and submit annual tax returns. Your donations support all the running costs of the orphanage including qualified nursing staff wages and many commodities including, nappies, formula, medicines, hospital and nursing equipment.



How much of my donation goes to Shepherd's Keep Home for Abandoned Babies?

You can be assured that an extremely large percentage of your donation goes directly to the orphanage in South Africa. Our team members are all volunteers and our operating costs of this website and the bank processing of your donation are both a relatively small percentage of each and every donation.



Why are babies abandoned in South Africa?

Regrettably one of the primary reasons that babies are abandoned is the prevalence of HIV/Aids and South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world, with 7.1 million people living with HIV, HIV prevalence is high among the general population at 18.9%. Hence due to health issues and the poverty that it creates, there are a great majority of babies that cannot be supported or cared for by HIV parents. Sadly the only way out for these parents is to abandon their baby and hope that someone will care for them before they die!



How does Shepherd's Keep Home for Abandoned Babies take care of these babies?

Shepherd's Keep Home for Abandoned Babies accepts babies at any time, day or night, 24/7 and they have magnificent facilities on the premises to medically see to the needs of these babies when they are brought to the orphanage. The Founder of the orphanage, Cheryl Pratley, is herself a highly qualified nurse and the staff are equally qualified to care for the babies with the assistance of other carers. The facility is second to none as witnessed by our Founders Chris and Gem who have visited the orphanage a couple of times over the years, whilst also visiting family in Durban as Gem was born and bred in Durban.



How can I help Shepherd's Keep Australia?

We're happy you asked that question and it is very simple to answer! You can help in a mighty way by simply communicating with everyone you know and making them aware of our website so hopefully their hearts are touched as yours was and they too may like to make a tax deductible donation to our cause. In this day and age we feel sure that you will be able to help in a huge way just by using all your social media outlets to make our website known to all throughout Australia, thank you!



Where is Shepherd's Keep Australia located?

That's another simple one to answer! Our Founders Chris and Gem are in Brisbane Queensland and the other four Directors are situated close by in nearby suburbs to Chris and Gem with our Webmaster Stan also in the Northern suburbs of Brisbane. And if you'd like to give us some feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Why not go to the "CONTACT US" button on the Menu, click the invitation at the bottom of the page and let us know what you think of our website or the work we are doing!