Swaziland is a nation being destroyed by the AIDS epidemic. Over 70% of the population is said to be HIV positive. A whole generation is almost completely missing. Many are left in hopelessness and, as a result, neglect and abuse their children. This abuse assists in the spread of HIV and the dwindling of the Swazi population as a whole.
El Shaddai Children’s Home is working to change these statistics. Rescuing children from destructive and potentially deadly situations, the Home provides children with a safe, nurturing environment and the opportunity to hear the Gospel. The goal is to raise godly children to become the next generation of Christian leaders for Swaziland.
Living at El Shaddai came with many opportunities to minister to the children. Our days on the mountain varied from day to day. Some mornings were filled playing in the baby house taking care of the children up to five years old. Others were spent doing administration and organizational tasks necessary to keep the home running smoothly. A team worked in the large garden every day providing the children with fresh produce. Another group assisted in the preschool where children from El Shaddai as well as from the surrounding community attended in the mornings.
Our daily afternoon task was buddy time. Each Racer was assigned to a child, and we were each other’s “buddies” for the month. My buddy was Thakhona, a spunky 15-year-old. This time was mainly dedicated to homework. We would study for upcoming tests, or I would quiz her in subjects where she was struggling. An education from a Swazi public school is lacking in many areas, so this period of the day was critical for these kids’ studies. After study time, we would play games, listen to music, or play outside. These few hours of the day were definitely some of my favorite and were for many others as well.
One of my favorite days in Swazi was the day we took the kids on a day off the mountain. Many of the kids had not ever left since being at El Shaddai! A few members of my squad fundraised money to give these kids that opportunity. We took them first to a grocery store where they were able to buy themselves some treats. Many of them stared wide-eyed at the large displays of candy and chips struggling to make decisions over these new options. We then took them to see Rio 2 at the movie theater – another first for many of the younger ones. We finished off the day with a pizza lunch at the local restaurant. Everyone had a fun time, and the kids were so excited to get day away.
El Shaddai offers nearly 100 children the opportunity to have a safe and care-free life. In order to operate such a facility, a large amount of finances are necessary. Each child needs $70 a month to supply for their needs. Some of them are fully sponsored or partially sponsored, but some still have no sponsors at all. These funds provide for all of their basic needs, school fees, and any medical expenses they may have. For example, some of the children are HIV positive and require special treatments. Others, like sweet, smiling Bryan who has cerebral palsy, need extra care. Each child knows their sponsor by name and exchanges letters with them.
You can see the names and faces of each child at www.james127.org and find out who is still in need of sponsorship by clicking on their pictures.
