The latest updates of our work in Tanzania & eSwatini (Swaziland)
Want to get involved or have questions? Reach out to us – we’d love to hear from you!
Advocates for Africa’s Children is already planning “Journeys of Hope” to Tanzania for this July, 2019. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Heidi Lum at heidi.lum@afachildren.org.
Advocates for Africa’s Children has recently partnered with Hope for Children in Adversity to replicate our achievements in eSwatini (Swaziland) for the country of Tanzania. We are now working with a village named Makondeko where we have joined forces with the local community to bring clean water, build a preschool, and create economic empowerment through agricultural business such as poultry as well as vegetable and grain farming.
We were able to host a team of 27 youths and chaperones in July-August in 2018. They worked and stayed in the village at the church compound, painted the new preschool, and built a house for a needy family. The trip was life-changing for many of the youths, as they saw how much work it is to drink clean water, prepare a meal, bathe, and go grocery shopping. They came back with a new appreciation of the things we take for granted here in the US.
The youths changed the life of the family with whom they toiled to build a new house. The family has 8 children, and the father is disabled. But he does what he can to support his family by making wooden crafts. The youths were so impressed with his woodworking that they ordered and bought many things from him, including walking sticks and small wooden animals.
In 2018, we will be sending another 3 young adults in Swaziland to receive vocational training. Our community cooperatives will start another garden next to a new well provided by AFAC. This new garden will feed another 250 people. Because of the drought in Swaziland, many cows have died. Thus, the people are planning to raise more goats—a hardier animal. This will enable another 40 people to benefit from new businesses as goats are used for both milk and meat.
In Tanzania we are supporting a new church plant in an unreached area. We are also empowering 80 women to start small businesses, enabling them to care for their children. Additionally, we will install a clean water well that will also allow the community to start gardens.
Our child sponsorship program continues to support over 100 children in a remote area of Swaziland hard-hit by the drought and failed crops. Food security, access to education, and healthcare remain our top priorities for children supported through the sponsorship program.
AFAC is pleased to be recipients of a second shipment of solar cookers from Developing World Solar. The availability of these solar cookers for vulnerable families has many benefits. Time used to hunt for firewood is minimized, inhalation of smoke and resulting lung disease is greatly reduced, and environmental degradation is minimized. Eighty cookers are due to arrive in March.
A few years ago, AFAC had a dual project with Africa Works in the Lamghabi area of eSwatini (Swaziland), near the capital city. Recently we were able to visit the project and received some exciting news. Twenty-eight women have successfully completed training and are now running five poultry cycles each year. In each cycle they can raise 3,000 chickens apiece out of their own homes. This means that these women produce over 400,000 chickens each year for the local market! They and their families now have a greatly elevated standard of living, with larger houses, needed supplies and equipment and plenty of food.