A Journey with Africa’s Children

The Vision
• Sustainable Economic Empowerment for at-risk populations and improved food security must accompany our work with Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and those suffering with HIV/AIDS.
• Fully integrated economic, social and spiritual programs (HIV/AIDS, health, and church development).
• Partnership with Africa Works, an organization that has extraordinarily successful economic empowerment projects in other locations.
• Establishing mid-sized cooperative agribusiness enterprises that offer real business ownership to vulnerable people.
• Africa Works has a 98% loan repayment rate!
• Monies repaid are then re-invested in new projects that provide the same type of opportunity for a whole new group of people!
• A selection criterion based on the need for intervention in marginalized communities, as well as location and resource prerequisites (social capital) needed for a project to operate successfully.
• After an in-depth assessment of AFAC, Africa Works has entered into a formal partnership with AFAC and has begun in Swaziland!
• Future projects include: broiler chicken poultry farms, egg production poultry farms, large-scale irrigated farming cooperatives, and dairy farming.

Investment in AFAC will save thousands of lives and provide hope and a
radically different future for generations to come in the country that has become
the global epicenter for the HIV/AIDS pandemic. You will not find a better
opportunity to make a real, long term difference!

The Reality in Swaziland:
• Highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS and TB in the world – a deadly combination.
• 42% of all pregnant women seeking prenatal care are HIV positive. (This number is probably higher in our rural project areas.)
• HIV/AIDS is misunderstood and stigmatized. Misinformation and denial abound, leading to new infections, and eventually more orphaned children.
• The life expectancy in Swaziland is only 33, the very lowest in the entire world (compare to US at 78).
• One in Ten Swazis is an orphaned child. Many households are led by young children who have lost both parents to AIDS.
• In many villages there is no access to clean water.
• Food shortages are commonplace. Women and children in a situation of food insecurity are 80% more likely to engage in transactional sex for survival – radically increasing new HIV/AIDS infections.
• Many children cannot afford an elementary education. This traps them in the cycle of poverty, lack of opportunity, subsistence living, vulnerability and increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
• The average income is less than $2 per day with 70% unemployment.
• Most of population are subsistence farmers who have no protection against the effects of drought and climate change. There is a lack of access to technical training that would help them improve agriculture or husbandry practices.
• The above problems are all interrelated and cyclical.
• A solution must be multifaceted and have the “buy-in” and leadership of the communities being served.

• Solutions for Swaziland must move beyond unsustainable ways of helping that discourage initiative and empowerment and increase dependency upon the outsider.

Mgambeni is doing so well. The poultry farm continues. But with the addition of the well, they started a garden next to the chicken coop and are using the water from the well toirrigate. They are using the chicken waste for fertilizer. They’ve divided the garden into plots that each person has responsibility for. They can feed their own families from their plot but they must also provide for one family of orphans. The community has been so impressed by this that now the chief has given 1.5 hectares of land next to Pastor Edward’s house to start a community garden. Here they will divide up the plots like at the church site and the volunteers from 4 other churches will take responsibility for their plots and feeding orphaned families. I was really humbled by the community coming out to meet us and express their thanks. They thanked us for being different than the large NGO’s here by giving them ownership of the projects from the beginning. They say it makes all the difference to them.

Sitting in the church service this morning, I was overcome by the presence of God, and so thankful for how He has provided for us over the years.

As I listened to Sam talk about being a “tween”, not really part of one culture or another, I knew what he was talking about. I”d never had a home town or culture growing up, because my parents moved every couple of years. “Home” was wherever my family was. When I grew up, though, I realized that the anger and bitterness I felt toward my parents was because of their abuse and neglect Ð things I hadn”t allowed myself to really see before, because I just had to survive.

As I reflect back on my growing up years, I”m thankful for the experience, because God used it to prepare me for the mission field. Because I moved every couple of years, I”m very adaptable to whatever environment I find myself in. I”ve never really had a place to call “home”, before living in Hawaii. I basically adopted my husband”s home as my own. But even that is tenuous at best.

Because I know the pain of abuse, I identify whole-heartedly with the abused and hopeless. I have always identified with the underdog, the powerless, because I know what that is like.

For the nearly 10 years my husband and I have lived in Hawaii, finding employment has been very difficult for him. Before moving here, he worked on satellites and space stations, which aren”t made here. But we both felt that the Lord moved us to Hawaii for a reason. My husband has held a couple of jobs in the small high-tech industry here, but was just laid off, again. So we”ve been asking ourselves, “Now what?”

Even though our income has been off again on again for the years we”ve lived in Hawaii, and our standard of living has decreased the longer we”ve lived here, God has used that time to show us what is really important: Our relationship with God, each other, and finding and fulfilling the purpose for which He made us.

Pastor Drew showed us a video a few weeks ago about the meaning of Christmas: God with us. And it is His call on each of our lives to live out this reality. We are the hands and feet of Jesus himself.

I have had the incredible opportunity to live this out for the last three and a half years as a missionary to Swaziland, empowering and lifting God”s people out of poverty and cruel circumstances. I have found that James 1:25 is true for me, true religion is caring for the widow and orphan in their distress. And my family was able to experience that with me for the first time last year when they went with me to Swaziland.

As we contemplate what 2009 holds for us, I look forward with anticipation as we hope and pray that God will allow our family to serve him full-time, maybe even moving to Swaziland for a while. My husband contemplates using his skills to improve people”s lives, creating tools and machines that will help them be more productive, or improving the quality of their drinking water. What a gift to see the gleam in his eye as he thinks about the opportunity to make a difference for God!

Though we have no idea where this time of uncertainty is taking us, we are excited and open to the possibilities and opportunities God is opening up for us to serve together as a family in the kingdom of God. I have found there is no greater joy than being in the will of God the Father, and being his hands and feet, his mouth peace and servant, to those without hope, without food or shelter, those who are closest to God”s heart.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

Just in from Mgambeni: the first delivery of chickens has arrived! The rest should be coming on Monday. Praise God for his faithfulness!!

As of today, the Nsindatje cows have been delivered to the government quarantine in Swaziland!! The biggest hurdle has now been overcome. The cows will be in quarantine for one month, after which the Nsindatje church will be able to bring the cows to the farm. Praise God!! Keep praying for all to continue proceeding well. We look forward to reporting when the cows are finally in Nsinatje!!

Today was an amazing adventure in seeing the gospels come alive! Paster Edward Mkhonta at Mgambeni Assemblies of God church had invited all of the surrounding neighbors in his village to come to the new poultry farm to meet his American friends. Little did we know that literally hundreds would come! We had planned on about 100 people coming, including children, to whom we would give blankets, hygiene kits, clothing, and feed them lunch. When we saw the multitudes coming, it was like seeing Mark 6: 34 – 44 come to life. Jesus had compassion on the multitudes, and began to teach them many things. Those of us making peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches began to pray for God to supply enough food for the crowd. We needed a miracle! Ryan Hale, the leader from Missouri who brought 8 others with him to Mgambeni, began to teach them about God. Pastor Daniel Mazibuko, one of AFAC’s Swaziland directors, interpreted for Ryan. Meanwhile, we found 25 loaves of bread, packages of peanut butter and jam, and hundreds more toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap to make 200 more hygiene kits for the kids. When Ryan was finished teaching, Daniel led a prayer to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. About 80% of those who came accepted Christ! Then we began to feed the crowds. Everyone received a sandwhich! Every child received a hygiene kit! And every orphan received both, plus a piece of clothing and a blanket! In case that wasn’t enough, we also prayed for healing, and several women came to us and said that as soon as they came on the property, they were healed of their aches and pains. Praise God!!! How wonderful to see God’s Spirit poured out on so many!!

When we arrived at Mgambeni today, we found that the chicken coup had already been completed by the church women! The women had made the cement blocks themselves at the river, brought them up the hill to the church grounds, then build the chicken coup walls and floor with the blocks, mixing cement by hand on the ground. They also completed the roof. The church wanted to impress their American sponsors with their dedication and hard work. We were impressed!!! When we arrived, we used the large chicken coup at a meeting place. There was still some work for the American team, though. We set out to clear the land of thorn bushes. Tomorrow we start digging holes for the fence posts and erecting the fence around the yard. The chickens will have plenty of space to exercise every day. Above is a photo of community folks sitting in the yard of the chicken farm. The large building in the back is the chicken coup.

Having become wary of waiting for months for the Swazi government’s agriculture department to purchase and deliver the dairy cows, our Swazi Board obtained a refund and decided to use the Swazi Dairy Board, a private company. The cows will hopefully be delivered in the next few weeks to the government cattle quarantine, where they will stay for one month. After the 30 day quarantine is over, Nsindatje will be allowed to retrieve their cows and commence dairy farming! The church has plowed the ground, planted special grass that is beneficial for dairy cows, and also ran a drip-irrigation system to the pasture. Inside the storage shed there was hay to feed the cows once they arrive. Please pray for Nsindatje! The church has become discouraged during the long wait. Pray that the cows will finally come home in August!

Sharon Busscher, James Delano, and Heidi Lum embarked on a two-week mission to follow up with our church partners in Swaziland. First, we visited Nsindatje, where we helped the church start a dairy farm in September 2007. The farm is fully ready for the dairy cows, and waiting on the Swaziland government to issue permits for the importation of the cows from South Africa. Though we were disappointed that the cows have not yet been delivered, we were pleased with the church’s work to complete the irrigation system, quarantine pen, and milking shed. We were also pleased to be able to drink clean water from the new well installed last October. The children’s health has already shown great improvement from the clean water! Next, we visited Hlobane, where an Advocates team constructed a church and installed a hammer mill (gristmill) as an income-generating project. The village is completely transformed! The bare mountain top now has a large church, which is used for a weekly clinic by a government nurse, and a preschool Monday through Friday. Next to the church are the new hammer mill and a new grocery shop. There was a line of people waiting to have their corn ground into meal, and people eating food from the grocery shop. Combined with the preschool activity inside the church, the mountain top complex was a hub of activity! We praise God for the transformation this project has brought about in the village! Orphaned and vulnerable children are benefitting from the income generated by the project and are receiving blankets, toothbrushes and paste, and food. We visited the Mgambeni village to encourage the church that will receive a project from a partnering organization, Seventy Two, in June. A team from the Missouri organization has adopted the Mgambeni project and is getting ready for a one-week working trip in June. We then went to the capital city, Mbabane, where we had meetings with several government officials and our Swazi Board of Directors. We have embarked on a partnership with a very reputable adoption agency, and were able to introduce them to the government with the assistance of our Swazi Board. Our hope is that the adoption process will benefit orphaned and abandoned children who are not attached to any community. The adoption agency will also support our efforts to help orphaned children in their communities. Praise God for the progress being made in this area! Finally, we met with the Regional Director of World Relief, who traveled from Mozambique to meet with us. We are working out the details of our partnership with them to support the African churches in their work to care for orphans and those suffering from AIDS. We are continually amazed and excited to see what the Lord has in store for us as we continue our work to empower the African churches to care for AIDS orphans. Please continue to support us in prayer as we try to faithfully follow our Lord in helping orphans in Swaziland.