This beautiful Christmas photo comes from Carmel Lawry at Holy Family Care Centre in Limpopo, South Africa — and it marks her final Christmas on placement before returning home.
For nearly a decade, Carmel has been a constant, caring presence for some of South Africa’s most vulnerable children — those who are orphaned, abandoned, abused, or living with HIV/AIDS. When asked to describe her, the staff say simply: “Carmel is so helpful.” The children say: “We love Carmel.”
But those words only hint at the depth of her contribution.
When Holy Family’s manager of twelve years departed in August 2023, Carmel stepped in as Interim Manager — keeping the centre running while a new leader was found. When Jeanette Lesisa was appointed in January 2024, Carmel devoted herself to mentoring her across accounting, payroll, government reporting, and the countless daily decisions that keep a children’s home functioning.
By July 2025, Jeanette was confidently managing every aspect of the role independently. That’s the Palms way — building local capacity that lasts long after volunteers return home.
Carmel’s work has touched every corner of the centre: arranging specialist medical care for children with complex health needs, modernising financial systems, developing maintenance programs, and walking alongside former residents through the outreach program. One young man, a former resident who spent 16 years at Holy Family, had never received a birth certificate — Carmel worked tirelessly with Home Affairs until, finally, he got the document he needed to open a bank account and build a future.
This year alone, the centre supported 356 adults and 111 children and young people — many of them because Carmel helped build the systems that keep the doors open.
From all of us at Palms: Thank you, Carmel. Your years of service embody everything we believe in — solidarity, patience, and the quiet work of building relationships that change lives. We are deeply grateful for your dedication and can’t wait to welcome you home.
Carmel arrives in Australia on 9 December. If you’d like to hear more about her experience, watch this space for an interview in the new year.