FOR ENGLISH PLEASE SCROLL DOWN *In 1944 het die Gereformeerde Kerke en die Hervormde Kerk in Kaapstad besef dat daar 'n dringende nood was aan die verspreiding van die Woord onder besoekende seelui in die hawe. Op 9 November 1944 het die gemeentes die Nederlandse Afrikaanse Seemanskomitee gestig, met die doel om voorsiening te maak vir die behoefte van Nederlandse soldate en seelui op pad na en terug van Indonesië. Al die werk is toe op 'n vrywillige grondslag gedoen.Met verloop van tyd was dit duidelik dat die mense gespesialiseerde sorg nodig gehad het. 'n Persoon is aangestel teen 'n geringe vergoeding om die skepe so dikwels moontlik te besoek. 'n Paar van die gemeentes het begin om die werk finansieel te steun. Later het die Gereformeerde Kerke besluit om die werk op hulle eie te doen in Kaapstad en het toe afgestig.Vir baie jare het net die Nederlandse skepe aandag gekry, maar geleidelik het dit baie duidelik geword dat daar geweldige geleenthede is vir sendingwerk onder ALLE seemanne in die Kaapstadse hawe. Die naam van die komitee is toe verander na die Christelike Seemans Welsyn Organisasie. Ongeag die gebruik van die woord "welsyn", is daar meer aandag geskenk aan die geestelike welsyn as die fisiese welsyn van die seelui. Die werkswyse was ook meer geestelik van aard.Van 1972 af, is daar baie gevorder. Durban, die grootste van die Suid-Afrikaanse hawens het die volgende terrein geword waar gewerk is. Teen die einde van 1975 is die eerste sendingwerker aangestel in Saldanhabaai. Toe die heel eerste skip die nuwe hawe invaar, was ons werkers daar om hulle te ontvang. Hoewel ons nie heeltemal gereed was vir die eerste skip in Richardsbaai nie, het ons organisasie kort daarna begin werk in die nuwe hawe. Die organisasie het baie vinnig gegroei en teen 1 April 1991 het ons 'n tak geopen in Port Elizabeth.Die Seemansorganisasie het begin as 'n interkerklike organisasie. Danksy die gesonde groei daarvan, het sy aktiwiteite bekend geword onder sy talle ondersteuners in die land. Ons donateurs (medewerkers) het geweldig bygedra deur ons werk bekend te maak aan die algemene publiek. Ons het gevolglik nou donateurs van oral in die land en hulle verteenwoordig feitlik alle Engelse en Afrikaanssprekende kerke. Die donateurs ondersteun ons met hulle voorbidding en gebede.Toe die Welsynswet gewysig is, is die organisasie amptelik erken as godsdiensorganisasie en die woord "welsyn" is toe geskrap uit die naam. Sedert 1978 is die amptelike naam die CHRISTELIKE SEEMANSORGANISASIE.
*In 1944, the Reformed Churches and the Hervormde Kerk in Cape Town, realized that there was a dire need amongst the seamen who visited the harbour. On 9 November 1944 these congregations founded the Nederlandse Afrikaanse Seemanskomitee (Dutch Afrikaans Seaman's Committee), with the aim of caring for the needs of Dutch soldiers and seamen on their way to and from Indonesia. At that time all the work was done on a voluntary basis.In the course of time it was clear that these people needed specialized care. A person was appointed, at a minimal renumeration, to visit these ships as often as possible. A few of the congregations started to support the work financially. In due course both the Reformed Churches decided to work on their own in Cape Town, and broke away.For many years, only Dutch ships were given any attention but gradually it became abundantly clear that there were immense opportunities for mission work to be done amongst the seamen in the Cape Town harbour. At that stage the name of the committee was changed to the CHRISTELIKE SEEMANS WELSYN ORGANISASIE (THE CHRISTIAN SEAMAN'S WELFARE ORGANISATION). Despite the use of the word "welfare", the modus operandi changed all the more and the focus was much stronger on the spiritual welfare than the physical welfare of the seaman.From 1972 onward there was great progress. Durban, the largest of the South African harbours, became the next field of activity. Towards the end of 1975 the first harbour mission worker was appointed in Saldanha Bay. When the very first ship entered the new harbour, our workers were there to receive them. Although we were not quite ready for the first ship in Richards Bay, our organisation started its activities there soon after. The organisation was growing with leaps and bounds by then and on 1 April 1991 we opened a branch in Port Elizabeth.The Seaman's Organisation started as an interdenominational organisation. Thanks to its healthy growth, its activities became known to it's numerous supporters throughout the country. Our donors (co-workers) contributed immensely by publicizing our work. The result is that we now have donors throughout the country who represent practically all English and Afrikaans churches as well as donors in America and Britian. These donors support us through their donations and prayers.When the Welfare Act was amended, the organisation was officially recognized as a religious body and the word "welfare" was dropped from the name. Since 1978 its official name is the CHRISTIAN SEAMAN'S ORGANISATION.
