Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - November 25, 2001
Bobby Jordan

She says the unusual 6ha development at the centre of the middle-class suburb of Roodepoort outside Johannesburg, made up of igloo-shaped homes that she saw in her dream, is a gift from above.

"I didn't want to look after Aids patients," a chuckling McClintock said, "but I guess He had other ideas."

A sprightly devout Christian, McClintock's remarkable act of charity began when she opened the Bible one day - hoping God would show her a new direction in life - and "chanced" upon a passage from Isaiah urging her to help people who had been cast out of their homes.

"I thought about it and decided it was very much a directive to help people with Aids. I began to weep when I realised that this is what I have been called to do," McClintock said.

She then embarked on a 10-year pilgrimage, starting out by opening her home to three gay Aids victims who found themselves with nowhere left to go. She had virtually no money and survived on donations from sympathisers to pay the bills, such as water and electricity.

"On one occasion our bill for lights was R257.52. I was wondering how I was going to pay it when some friends came to visit and presented me with a cheque for exactly that amount they had raised in church," McClintock said.

Other miracles started happening thick and fast.

McClintock was unable to afford a home loan for a bigger hospice, but sponsors emerged in the nick of time and before long she had opened Sparrow Guest House - so called because she didn't want to awaken prejudice from her middle-class neighbours.

"That was 1992 and we had heard that some multiracial homes had had bullets through their windows," McClintock said, adding that fortunately she had never had any such problems.

On another occasion she asked God's help to feed her and her growing family of Aids victims because she could no longer afford groceries. When she arrived home later that day, she found the kitchen and lounge filled with food parcels -- a timely gift from a Roodepoort welfare organisation.

Shortly afterwards she learnt that the mayor of Roodepoort had decided to have Christmas in June - and had donated a large quantity of meat to Sparrow residents.

"That's when I realised this is all from above - I don't have to be worried," McClintock said.

Since then she has received generous funding from the Gauteng provincial government and the overseas-based Lancaster Foundation, as well as many donations from private companies and individuals.

The money has enabled her to start work on her "dream" Aids village, which she believes will offer hope and sustenance to more than 300 Aids victims. So far her hospice has lost more than 600 patients in 10 years of often heartbreaking work.

About 80 builders were busily completing the new village, which has raised eyebrows in Roodepoort because of the igloo-shaped buildings.

McClintock believes the unusual design is the final fulfilment of her prophetic dream, which featured many houses without roofs.

Shortly after having the dream, she was taken to see low-cost housing in nearby Muldersdrift, and discovered the distinctive igloos made by a company called Dome Space Africa.

"I thought, that's it!" said McClintock. Now the domes are almost finished and people are expected to start moving in early next year.

To accommodate the influx of people, the area had to be officially declared a "township" by the local council but, rather than an eyesore, local officials believe it could become an international tourist attraction.

The village will include a daycare centre, a hospice, a chapel, a staff training centre, a clinic and pharmacy, a farmyard and vegetable garden, a craft centre, a flea market and a tea garden.

"We're trying to encourage the tourism board to see this as a unique village. There is still a lot to be done," McClintock said, adding that it still needed a lot more funding.

The Sunday Times Charity Fund is helping to fund a baby unit for sick infants on the property.

The co-director of Sparrow Ministries, Lynette Nel, said McClintock was one of a rare breed who kept her heart wide open, no matter what.

"She is the most dedicated person I've ever met. Nothing is too much for her. She is an inspiration," Nel said.

But McClintock insists the credit must all go to her Creator.

"This is not an ego trip. I'm trying to show that there is a God that cares.

"We aren't on this planet alone, you know," McClintock said smiling.

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