5 new houses:ready to build

 

Due to several generous donations, we have the funds to build a sturdy house for 6 elderly clients, Gogo Doris, Gogo Mamano, Mkhulu and Gogo Sifundza, Mkhulu Phineus Matimba, Mkhulu Mpopli. All live in Maphiveni except Mkhulu Mpopli who lives in Macetuka

These houses will be such a blessing to these abandoned wise souls and will protect them from the elements by providing a safe place. Now if we can just get our builders to start and finish before the rains come! The two builders spend a lot of time in the forest cutting down trees or in jail for something or other.We look for the most vulnerable and needy among the elderly in the communities that we serve to be beneficiaries of the Housing for the Elderly project.

Many thanks to our friends who have donated towards the Housing for the Elderly project. We pray that this generosity will impact our elderly friends in a way that they can see the love of God. Please pray that the building would commence and go smoothly. If this project is something that you would like to be a part of, please consider donating in the ways below and drop us an email letting us know where you desire your gift to be used.

P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.
Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Benefits of providing a scholarship

 How does a school scholarship benefit a student?

 Eric, a high school student going into his final year, has been receiving a scholarship from a generous donor. This has allowed Eric to attend a better high school with all the fees and uniform paid for, something his mother couldn’t afford.  When the teachers saw how hard Eric studies and that he would catch fish/crawdads to sell to earn money for lunches and bus passes, they all pitched in to cover his lunches. Last year, with his mother out of the country, the head teacher allowed Eric to board with her.  Eric’s grades have been well above the class average and he continues to study even in spite of the teachers being on strike and no classes being held. 

Please continue to pray for Eric, that God would bless his studies and provide great opportunities for Eric to make a huge impact on those around him. We're also praying that as Eric finishes school and enters the marketplace with his career that God would place him in a great sphere of godly influence and use him to further the Lord's work. 

Again, we, as well as on the behalf of Eric, share our thanks for those who have come along side this student as well as others to provide them with a scholarship and opportunities that they wouldn't normally receive. Know that when you give towards a scholarship, you are impacting many more people than just your one student.

 

  Would you like to help another hard working student like Eric by providing the opportunity for schooling when money is an issue? You can give in the ways stated below and then just drop us an email letting us know your intentions for your gift. Thanks!

 P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.
Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

clothing, classes and chili sauce

Gavin is a 2 year old, almost three, little boy who has been very sick. We tested him and he is HIV+. He was quickly initiated on ARV's. His mother died from unknown causes and Gavin now lives with his Aunt and three small cousins. It's hard to find such a little one who already has HIV, but we pray that the ARV's can give him the longevity and quality of life to fulfill the purpose that God has for him. 

The Simunye Church has given us several bags of clothing to pass out. Clothing give-aways can get crazy and we need to come up with a better system to give the items to those who are in most need and will actually use it rather than selling it for beer. 

Jabulane and Mary have started a six month business course. Jabulane is doing Business Management and Mary is doing Office Management. We hope that these classes will give them extra qualifications to pursue the dreams that they have, since neither of them have a college education. Jabulane wants to do business management consulting and Mary wants to own her own business. They both continue to work hard side-by-side with us in Chips and we are thankful for them. 

Several of our more stable clients in Maphiveni want to transfer to the Simunye clinic as it will be more convenient for them to make their appointments. Bethusile, the rural health motivator at Maphiveni, makes a reasonable income from selling chili sauce and Vaseline with aloe. She thought that it would be a good idea to share with to some of the Chips ladies and see if there is any interest in learning these skills in order to make an income. Bethusile even suggested a stall at the side of the road to sell the items. We're hopeful that this will turn into another micro-industry for the women.

P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.
Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Housing for the Elderly

Our hearts have been burdened for the elderly who, along with the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC's), are extremely vulnerable to being neglected, cast off, and isolated. Babe Shongwe was not just another statistic but he was our friend and we were horrified to find out that he had to spend his last days alone in filth and squalor of a home falling down around him with no food or comfort. 

As we mentioned in our last newsletter, it's our desire to come alongside this fragile population and show them care, love and Jesus in every way possible. 

One elderly gentleman, Mpopli, is in the TB clinic getting treated for multi-drug resistant TB and will be there for several months. His house is decrepit and we would like to refurbish it before his return. We can't build a permanent new home due to regulations but can make it a better and safer place for him.  

Mpopli's house

Our rural health motivator in Maphiveni has pointed out Gogo Mamano's house that desperately needs a new roof. Gogo Mamuno is not a Chips client but is very frail and in the most need of assistance at this time. A generous friend from the States is providing the funds to help restore her roof, which is so appreciated. Hopefully this project will be done here in the first couple of weeks. 

Gogo Mamano's house

If you would like to help with making housing safe for the elderly and to provide for their other needs please donate at the link or address below and drop us a note letting us know the intention of your gift is for Housing for Elderly.  Please pray for these people, that God would reveal Himself to them as the One who never leaves nor forsakes them, and that He would give us wisdom on how best we can help each very special elderly person. 

P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.
Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Reagents are on their way to Good Shepherd!

 The reagents that have been sitting in South Africa for the last month are now on their way to Good Shepherd Hospital and will be there this week! Praise God!

We mentioned the generous gift of a couple month supply of reagents last month here. This is such a huge answer to prayer as there just hasn't been any reagents (and therefore no testing for our clients) for quite some time. The first order of business will be to test all our Chips patients who are HIV+ to check their CD4 levels and get them initiated onto ARV's as soon as possible. Then we'll be able to test those who want to come forward and find out their HIV status. Finally, we will be retesting those patients who are already on ARV's to check their levels to see how the medications are working. This will keep us busy for several weeks. There is a large enough supply that we should be able to test all our clients who have been waiting. 


Please continue to pray that there will be a steady supply of reagents provided in a timely fashion. Again, we are so grateful for the Mbabane Rotary club and the donors in the US who have made getting more reagents a reality.

P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.
Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Fanzile and his strike

These are the pictures that go with the last post A Little of This and That  

 We gave this woman (and many others) a package of dehydrated vegetable soup to help ward off the chill and hunger of the cold winter nights.

Fanzile is enjoying the Teachers' Strike very much and has declared a strike on bathing to be in order as well. Much to his chagrin, we left him a bar of soap and told him that he needs to bathe. 

Here is Fanzile and his Gogo (grandmother).  

P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.
Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.