Good News in Rural Swaziland!
Much has been accomplished through Kudvumisa Foundation in Maphiveni and Vuvulane in the past year! CHIPS continues to serve close to 300 HIV+ children and caregivers. For those in the program, access to health care and the intentional care and compassion of the CHIPS staff has provided hope for these children and their caregivers: without which the prognosis would have been very poor.
Several income generation projects have been initiated to bring relief and address the symptoms of isolation, marginalization and poverty (no access to health care, inability to send children to school, meeting basic food and family needs). These include:
-
a sewing project that includes nine women in Section 19 in Vuvulane. The women have been able to sew shoulder bags for Timbali Crafts as well as developing several unique designs for small purses and shoulder bags. Their own designs have been sold to visiting missions teams from Healing Place Church Swaziland (picture above) and hopefully by churches and friends back in the States.
-
harvesting marula nuts. The marula fruit is used to ferment a fairly potent brew (maganu). The nut is typically discarded in larger piles each year. There is an edible nut inside the shell which is extracted by cracking the shell between two rocks. We purchase the nuts from the local producers and package them for resale to in-town shops.
-
harvesting marula shells. We are trying to develop a market for the cracked marula shells for landscaping as a ground cover for flowerbeds or paths. Also, we are working on compressing the shells to make a fire-log for sale in the high veld (it gets cold here in the winter).
-
harvesting (and farming) crawfish. Australian redclaw crawfish were introduced here several years ago. They are abundant during the summer in the low veld Komati and Mbuluzi rivers. We will purchase live crawfish and market them to the restaurants and hotels in Mbabane, Ezulwini, and Manzini.
-
developing moringa plots at each homestead. Moringa is a tree common through tropics and subtropics. It is known for its highly nutritious leaf. We are hoping that the leaves from trees at each homestead can be added to their local diet and excess leaf can be sold into the growing local market as a cash crop.
|
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. The system can process USA & International cards. You can also set up automatic monthly gifts if you select the "Monthly" option. Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Daran & Teresa Rehmeyer, Fund Code #111.
|
|
Personal and Ministry Needs
Last year, CHIPS had over 2000 recorded client service contacts. It is hard to keep that pace without things wearing out! We are still believing God for the land and funds to develop a full community clinic in Maphiveni (PLEASE visit KudvumisaFoundation.org to learn how to help through the Rotary Donor Advised Fund we have established). The backbone of CHIPS is the ability to provide transport to the closest hospital for our clients. Until a local clinic is established, it is imperative that our transport stays on the road and is reliable and safe. Our current khombi (13 seater van) is on its last legs (axles?). We are asking for you, our partners, to make the need known in your circles for funds to replace the khombi. A Toyota Quantum or Mercedes Sprinter will cost around $50000USD. I thought buying 'cheap' was the way to go in the past, now we have a rattle trap that requires constant repair and service to keep it on the road! This is a critical need.
Our personal financing needs bolstering as well. Several unforeseen costs have depleted reserves: a hail storm severely damaged one of our vehicles and a crazed wildebeest broadsided our other vehicle while returning from Maphiveni. Both required extensive repairs. We would ask that you would pray about sending something extra this month. God is faithful and God is good. All the time! It is His character. |
CD4 Re-Counts: DONE!
We had been asking for help in purchasing reagents for the government CD4 machine at the Good Shepherd Hospital lab to perform follow up CD4 measurements for close to 60 of our CHIPS clients. A sizable donation from the Rotary Club of Mbabane and a donor through our fellow missionaries Ian & Jenn Stephens allowed us to purchase all the required reagent. Fifteen of the CHIPS clients who had their CD4 count retested were immediately in the position of beginning ART (antiretroviral therapy). This is fifteen people who otherwise would have had to wait for clinical manifestation of AIDS. For many, it would have been too late and they would have succumbed to the disease. |
Spread the Love on Facebook!
Kudvumisa Foundation's Facebook Page
|
|
