Swaziland...what do you do there?

As we start the new year, we wanted to take a bit of time to go over what exactly it is that we do in Swaziland. Hopefully, this will answer your questions and help you understand what we are doing.  If you have any more questions, please contact us and we will be happy to give you more answers. 

CHIPS (Children’s HIV Intervention Program in Swaziland)

We are the field leaders for Vuvulane CHIPS. In April, 2010 we moved from Mbabane, Swaziland (where we had worked with the Hope School) to Vuvulane, Swaziland which is across the country. This move was made so that we could assist Jabulani and Mary (who are national staff) run and expand the CHIPS program.  Currently, the CHIPS program in the Vuvulane township services 5 communities, two located inside the township and 3 on the outer parameter. The villages range from areas with permanent structures such as a preschool to areas with nothing but squatter homes on the edge of sugarcane fields. Most areas have 100-300 inhabitants. The five areas serviced are Mgidzangcunu, Section 19, Macethuka, Khomba, and Maphiveni. 

Along with Jabulani and Mary, we work to provide care for minors and caregivers of minors who are HIV+. Our duties vary from screening patients for HIV, public health education, and transporting patients to and from Good Shepherd Hospital. Once patients are enlisted into the government's HIV ART (anti-retroviral therapy) program, the ART medications are free. CHIPS workers help facilitate entry into the program and then provide support as needed. 

Our CHIPS supervisors are Daran and Teresa and we are working closely with them to get the funds/permission to build a medical clinic/community center in Maphiveni. Having this community center would enable us to care for the health needs of this village while also providing a place to have classes and a central location to run the micro-industries. Another one of our projects, is to start micro-industries, in these communities, which involves teaching the local people a marketable skill so that they can then provide for their families. 

Overall, our main purpose here in Swaziland is to share the God's love and His salvation to everyone we meet, that they would come to know God as their loving Heavenly Father who has provided a way to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for us as we go about the Father's work here in Swaziland. 

Back into the swing of things

Just a couple of updates as we get back into the swing of things here in Vulvulane.

We were encouraged at the TEAM conference and were able to renew friendships. One of our goals for the conference was for wisdom and discernment as to our role for the next year and we did receive clear direction through a lot of wise counsel. 

On the way home, we stopped by the ocean for two days and enjoyed the time of rest (also we were able to finally warm up as it was really cold in South Africa). It is good to get back and we plan to start the public health meetings in Maphiveni again on January 21st.  Our garden was under several inches of water, looking like wetlands, when we returned and looks like we've lost the tomato crop. The 2nd maize crop is doing well as well as several other vegetables.

Bonginkosi and Sifiso have been employed by the new security company but they will find out if they can stay in this village or will be transfered elsewhere. We hope they are able to stay. Mira and Luke have left the hospital and disappeared. Please pray for them wherever they are at.

The micro-industries are both doing very well. We will be visiting the mushroom houses on January 26 as one of the final steps of training before we can get that micro-industry going. The floor polish production in Section 19 has taken off very well. The people in the area around Tambankulu, where the Chips office is, often stop in and buy the floor polish. The participants in the Maphiveni jam making project started with paw-paw jam and have now increased production to include mango and lemon jam.

We are still praying and weighing how to bring Chips into Mafucula. This settlement is very spread out and there are a lot of needs to be addressed. Central points of contact would have to be established and home visits would take a lot longer. There is a lot of distances between homesteads and the main road is a steep winding dirt road that is used by smugglers since it is on the border of Mozambique and Swaziland.

Another thing that we will be focusing on now that we are back is meeting with the Chief of Maphiveni to continue our discussion of the community center that we (Chips) would like to build in Maphiveni.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers as you can see that there is a lot going on and many decisions to be made.  We greatly appreciate all of you!

Mary is holding Standiwe, whom we affectionally call Rav-4. Remember he was born in the back of the 

Rav-4 on the way to the hospital? He is doing very well!

Maize, Cabbage and Squash...coming out our ears!

Our garden has been blessed with great production this year. We've had so much produce that we are constantly giving away vegetables to those around us.

Our garden had just sprouted

And it's growing!

The maize is so tall

Just before Christmas we had a surplus of cabbage, maize and squash to give to all who attended at the meeting in Mgldzangcunu. At a recent public health meeting in Maphiveni we were able to give everyone spinach, carrots, green beans, mangos, and onions.

It is our prayer that God's word would grow abundantly in the hearts of the people that are in these villages just like our garden has grown so well. We know that God is the One who plants the seeds and causes them to grow. We are thankful that we are always under the care of the Master Gardner.

And a snake named Monica

Do snakes chase you?  Do snakes snore? What do you do if a snake comes inside your house?

These and more were all questions asked of Thea, the snake lady, at the snake demonstration that was held in Maphiveni this week. Thea clarified what was a snake myth and what was true about snakes. She also told us that there were 7 deadly snakes here in Swaziland and what to do if you got bit.

 Thea also brought her friend Monica, an 8 year old Indian Python (see pictures) so that we could all feel a snake. Ian was quite taken with Monica. Oh, and the answers to those questions; snakes do not snore, they do not chase you, and if one comes into your house-leave it alone and it will leave on it's own.  It was a very helpful and informative demonstration... now hopefully we won't see any more snakes!

Life in Swaziland: Maphiveni

In order to give you a better idea of what we do on a daily basis and a glimpse into the Swazi culture and people, we are going to start a series called Life in Swaziland. We will share photos and stories about all the communities we serve, activities and work we do, and show you the beautiful people that we interact with. Enjoy.

Maphiveni, pronounced 'map-a-vein-i' is one of the settlements nearby where we spend a lot of time. This settlement is quite special to us. It is our hope to eventually build a community clinic here at Maphiveni which would provide holistic care for people with HIV and TB; including counseling, starting and refilling ARV's. Our Chips office would also be at this location along with a center where classes and micro-industries could be held. Right now, there is one micro-industry in operation here in Maphiveni, making paw-paw jam. There is a group of people from this town who are going to receive training on successfully growing mushrooms which would become the second micro-industry project here.

Jubulane (left) is translating for us. 

Every Friday night we teach a public health education class here at the Maphiveni Mercy Care Preschool. This is a good time to connect with the community and to hand out our surplus of vegetables to those in need.  Once a month we have a quiz night and hand out prizes to those who can answer correct questions about the topics we have covered in the past few weeks. There are prizes and it is always a lot of fun. 

The children here at Maphiveni Mercy Care after-school program love action songs almost as much as we do! This is one of the sites that we have done a monthly children's program. 

This sweet baby Kwaneie is 11 months old but is the size of a 2-3 month old baby. She is malnourished and possibly HIV+. She lives on a diet of watered down corn porridge. We were able to provide some temporarily formula and are coordinating with a pediatrician at the hospital to see what type of nutritional supplement we can offer the malnourished children in our area. In August of this year we lost a HIV- baby to malnutrition. Please pray for us as we provide nutritional education and seek to raise funds for our new malnutrition program. 

Jabu#1 and Vusile (age 3) are both enrolled in the Chips program. We have been able to help provide transportation and supplement the costs for Jabu#1 recent chemotherapy sessions as well as medical care/treatment for Vulsile. It is our belief that Vulsile would really benefit  from moving to Hope House (a residential rehabilitation center in Manzini, 1 and 1/2 hours away) and we are currently talking to his father about this. Vulsile's mother died of AIDS. 

This is baby Clement, who at 9 weeks old is a butterball baby. Quite a change from being fed sugar water in his first 36 hours of life. We are thankful that there was funds available to provide adequate nutrition for this sweet baby boy. 

A different perspective

Our dear friend Candy just visited us for 10 days. We had a good time showing her around and introducing her to the delightful people here. She sent this letter back home to her supporters and we thought that it was nice to have a different perspective on what we do so we're sharing the letter with you.

 Hi Friends!

I left the US on Monday and got settled at Ian & Jenn's house on Thur. night.  They live in the western region of Swaziland, surrounded by lush sugar cane fields, in the middle of nowhere.

I went out with them yesterday and had a wonderful time (which means I feel at home here).  They are involved in helping get Swazi's screened for HIV and then getting them set up with the free government ART (anti-retroviral therapy) if they test positive.  The program is called CHIPS (Children's HIV Intervention Program in Swaziland). That is just the surface of what they do!  I will write more and send pics when I am back in the US on a wireless network.

Yesterday, we went to 5 areas (ave. population roughly 250 people each).  The situation here is overwhelming.  High HIV rate, Extreme unemployment, infants dying of malnutrition, vertually no mental health care for the entire country, with the added burden of refugees from Mozambique.

Ian and Jenn are working with populations that other workers were not even aware exsisted until they were place here 6 mo. ago.  The people in this area are not sure what they are going to eat from day to day.  One baby we checked on had been born about 36 hr. earlier and had only recieved sugar water. Thank Jes_s, we were able to secure testing and milk for the infant!

We spent the day, checking on sick individuals and securing testing for endangered infants/children, along the way we provided a little clothing and food where the situation was extreme - trying to ensure that 2 infants would not die of malnutrition.  Sadly, an HIV negative infant died recently due to lack of proper nutrition.

During the evening Ian & Jenn went back out to hold a meeting in one of the areas and teach on substance abuse.  Ian asked what dreams they had.  Just  getting them to think beyond food and the present cirucumstances is an act of hope.  The response was encouraging.  One area is in the infant stages of starting a microbusiness among the women.  It has sparked hope. 

As always, they share the good news wherever they go - they are a strong presence of hope and love here.  I know this because when I arrived I already had 2 "brothers" and 1 "sister" - Swazi young adults who have claimed Ian & Jenn as their very own.  One brother told me how he lost his parents and how Ian & Jenn were  sent by our Father to take their place.  We are one happy family here.  It will be difficult to leave! (which means I may return for an extended stay).

There are other programs Ian & Jenn would love to see implemented here:

1. food pantry for malnourished children
2. micro-industry in each area, led by local Swazi councils
3. literacy program
4. program for Swazi youth, focusing on  abstinance, life-skills, & Jes_s
5. securing land/building to use for garden space & resource center to house programs mentioned
6. seeing the CHIPS program expand to other unreached areas

Right now these are just dreams.  Their ultimate goal is train and empower Swazi's, to work themselves out of a job in 5 years.  To realize these goals will take financial support and asking the Father for dreams to become reality. 

Would you join us?  You can write me or talk to me when I arrive back in the US.  I will be home on Sept. 30th. I will have a video and pics to share.

I will write more later. Please ask the Father:

• Guide us to those most in need
• Open doors for HIS work
• Open hearts to HIS love
• Daily Strength
• Favor with local chiefs to buy land - meeting today

IF this has moved your heart, PLEASE respond by writing Ian & Jenn to let them know they are not alone in this work.  Letters & e-mails are very scarce here!  Ian & Jenn Stephens  piggwr4647@aol.com

Much love,

Candy

A few updates and prayer requests

A couple of updates:

Maria is recovering well from her surgery and is still at the hospital.

Jabu is on week 4 of her treatment and is fairly well. She was sick last week but seems to have recovered.

Vusile is doing fine and was quite the happy boy the last time we saw him.

Khomba: We have tested over 40 people at this settlement for HIV. About half have tested positive for HIV and we have been busy transporting patients to the Good Shepherd Hospital and getting them started on ARV's. The   stable patients have been transfered to the clinic in Vulvulane for care. That transition has been going well.

Crossroads is on hold until September 11 as the children are on a school break.

Maphiveni: This past Friday we started our public health meetings in Maphiveni. There were 8 people in attendance and we were able to discuss obstacles they have blocking them from reaching their dreams/goals for life.

Baby Lato is about 9 months old and isn't doing well. She is HIV+ and was just recently approved for food aid. Please pray that the treatments would work and that she wouldn't suffer the effects of malnutrition.

Another prayer request is for Jabu #2 (there are a lot of Jabu's around here). She is sick with HIV and needs treatment, but is having a hard time to admit to her friends and neighbors that she is HIV+ in order to get treatment. Jabu #2 has many children that she is having a hard time providing for.

The minibus that Chips uses, to transport patients to and from the hospital, is in the shop needing a lot of repairs. Please pray that this would be fixed quickly and within our budget. It's been difficult to be without a large vehicle and we have had to get creative with our transportation needs.

We thank you for your prayers on these matters and would love to hear how we can pray for you.
Drop us a line at piggwr4647[at]aol.com and tell us your prayer requests.