Future projects for the Vuvulane Primary School

Principal Aero has told us of several future projects that he wants to tackle to help move the school to being self-sustaining.

This area is being dug out so that the school can have a fish pond. The fish pond would be stocked for free by the government. The students would be taught how to care for the pond as well as how to fish. The fish would be used as food for the students.  

In this field, Aero would like to grow maize and beans. Again the students would have to work the fields, gaining valuable experience and the food would be also used to feed the children. 

This is a water irrigation canal that is being put in to bring water to the field above. 

Another project is to tear down this old kitchen and build a larger one in it's place to better accommodate cooking for more students. There are plans to build more latrines and do some more painting as well. The enrollment has gone up at Vuvulane Primary School since their rates are more reasonable than the other schools in the area. We are so excited about all these plans that Principal Aero has for the school and for the children and to see how God is working through this by providing.

Ian was asked to lead a devotional at the school assembly and was able to fit that in just before we left for the UK. We're looking forward to our return to Swaziland and to see what our role should be with the school. Please keep the principal and the students in your prayers, that God would shine forth out of the Vuvulane Primary school to impact the community. 

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.

What a difference in less than a week!

What a difference in less than a week! We were told that the work on the refurbishment of the counselling/resource center at the Vuvulane Primary School would take at least two weeks. But when we went back in less than a week, this is the progress that we saw! 

The library room gets a new coat of paint.

Outside the buildings look sharp!  

Principal Aero was moved to donate some of his own money to provide supplies to paint another block of buildings while they were at it.  

The staff is very excited and thankful for the gift of the paint and supplies and the work is moving at an amazing pace. Praise the Lord!

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.

Vuvulane Primary School

Principal Aero from the Vuvulane Primary School came to us a couple months back to ask if we would partner with the school to help the abused and neglected children (since we do that already with a few). Aero is a Christian and has a huge heart for these children, especially the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OCV) that attend the school. 

Here is the principal sharing the vision that he has for the school. He wants to see an end to the abuse and neglect that many of the children face on a daily basis. Aero also wants to see the school being able to become self-sustaining, growing food for the students and teaching them valuable work skills at the same time. 

Aero has offered us this block of buildings to house an office that would be shared with the police and social workers that he would like to have on the premises in order to work together on eradicating the abuse.  

We did receive a donation for the school which Aero thought it would be best to repaint this block of rooms. This is how the building looked before the paint and supplies were purchased. 

This room would be turned into a library room for the children. It is in good shape and already has kid friendly furniture. 

Here are the books that need to be organized for the children. We are praying about this opportunity and will make our decision whether to partner with Principal Aero and the school once we return from our trip to the UK. If we agree, this would take up a lot of our time and we wouldn't be able to do as much with Chips as we have been doing. Please join us in prayer that we would know the direction we should go with this opportunity. 

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.

Vuvulane Primary School

Vuvulane Primary School is a poor rural school which serves the town and 4 other informal settlements. A large percentage of the children are OVC’s (orphaned and vulnerable children) and their parents /guardians are unemployed. These are the children we try to help with uniforms and fees. The school has received some funding from the government enough to cover the basics mainly teachers’ salaries. 

The principal, Aero Mthembu, is a Christian and has a deep commitment to the children in the school. Over the past few months, we have developed a good relationship and we enjoy the way he interacts with the pupils. Aero Mthembu really wants to improve the life of the children, but needs our help. The main objective he has is to set up a counseling /library center.  There is a need for furniture tables, chairs, paint to brighten the interior of the room, shelving for books, and breakfast food. Many of the children do not have a meal before school starts and the only meal they have is provided at lunch time by the school.  The education of these children is the future of Swaziland.

We are not asking for any specific dollar amounts, but we would appreciate your prayers and ask the Lord to see what He places on your heart to give towards this huge need. We are so thankful for wonderful ministry partners with whom we can share these prayer needs.

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.

World AIDS Day Celebration

The World AIDS Day celebration was a cool and cloudy day in Vuvulane.

 

About 300 people came out to take part in the celebration, it wasn't as many as we had hoped, but still a good turnout. 

 

There were many organizations represented who help in the fight against AIDS. 

Ian and Jabulane are manning the booth.

For the first time, Chips was asked to be a part of the celebration as an organization on the ground in this area. This was an honor to be included. We had information at our booth about what Chips does in the fight against AIDS, including HIV testing/follow-up, education about Parent 2 Child transmission of HIV(and how to minimize that), and positive living strategies.  

 

While the partnering organizations may have a different approach, we are all united in our desire to have no new HIV infections here in Swaziland by the year 2030. 

 

The people are waiting the start of the ceremony. There were speeches, drama groups, and traditional dancers telling the story of HIV through their dance. 

We pray that the message of HIV and the seriousness of it would continue to impact the community at large and that we would be able to see an AIDS Free Generation by the year 2030. While there is a lot of progress that has been made in the fight against AIDS, there is still much more to be done. 

So, for now, we will get up again tomorrow and continue our work in the community. Please continue to pray for us and the people that we serve. Wisdom, direction and provision for us; coming to know God, positive lifestyle changes and the common goal to see no new infections for the Swazi people. 

 
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.

Broken hearts

Babe Shongwe

We learned this week that Babe Shongwe, an older man in Section 19, has died and it just broke our hearts. Babe Shongwe was left to die alone, no one- not even his own children- was there to care for him at the end. Daran and Teresa found him lying in his own urine, hungry, sick and dying in a dilapidated hut at the beginning of the week. The neighbors (including some of the women that have been involved with the Sewing Project and whom we have mentored) only had excuses why they weren't able to do anything to help Babe Shongwe. A few days later, Babe Shongwe went to be with Jesus. During his life, Babe Shongwe had often talked about Jesus and how he relied on God.

This news upset us greatly as we have known Babe Shongwe since we first came to Vuvulane and he was such a sweet man. It is a hard existence, one of survival, for these people, but it's frustrating to see that so many, who profess to have Jesus in their hearts, aren't willing to care for the elderly who are sick and dying. We regret that we weren't there with Babe Shongwe during his last days here on earth. Daran and Teresa had a good talk with some of the Sewing Project ladies, explaining that we show how Jesus has changed our lives through caring for others. It's our prayer that God's word would transform the hearts of those who profess God; that others around would see God in their actions and be drawn to Him. Our heart breaks for the abandoned, the elderly and children who can't take care of themselves, the sick, and the ones dying alone.  (To read more about Babe Shongwe, here is Daran and Teresa's post about it http://rehmeyers.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-command.html)

This whole time we've been in the UK and the US, we have realized that our home is in Vuvulane, where God has called us to pour out our lives ministering to these people and to train up godly leaders in the community. We pray that God would do a incredible work in these communities where the people are marginalized and have no hope on their own, that this area of Swaziland would be so transformed that it would be a light for the entire nation. Please join us in praying for the people of Swaziland.


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.