Action Four Africa (Swaziland)

Nkwalini Zone Four Orphan Care Point

Nkwalini Genesis

Nkwalini Zone 4 Orphan Care Point

Challenges await me nearly daily as I make the rounds in Swaziland!! During the last week in October 2007, I was at the Real Image Internet in Mbabane, hurrying to get email checked and answered, when the manager, Nick Mdluli, stopped by to ask if he could speak with me as he thought I could help him. I was hurrying to be on time at a meeting with our attorney, C. John Littler, with whom I was working to establish the non profit company, Action Four Africa (Swaziland), action4africa.com.

A few days later I met with Nick to visit with him about an orphan care point he and others of his community members had begun with a soup kitchen in July 2007. They felt they wanted to make the effort to care for their own orphan children in their community, a new entity for them, and they needed a care point in which to do just that. Nick and I went to the site for a short visit to give me some idea of their efforts so far, and to see the children and the ladies who care for them. Other members of the sub committee looking to set up the care point with Nick Mdluli were Vuyisile Dlamini, Sizakele Mthethwa, Sydney Nyembe, Boy Dlamini, Sipho Taala, Jotham Shongwe, Dudu Kunene, and Thokozile Zikalala.

November 7^th Nick, Sydney, and I drove to the care point to view the needs and discuss what could be done to better care for the 180 orphan children ranging in age from 1 to 18. There was a community water supply a short distance away which made it possible to have a garden. There was a space which could be used for a garden after clearing it of debris and dried tree branches. I marked off the area and shared how to prepare the soil for a garden---to clear it, dig it up to a depth of ½ meter, clear out the roots and rake it evenly. It would require involving the community to supply the tools and labor. I told them I would let John Weatherson, FAO emergency coordinator, know that this is a new care point and the folks needed help to learn to fertilize, plant, water, and care for a garden. The people were eager and the following Saturday the community turned out to get started on the project. The following week, Mr. Weatherson sent a crew led by Joao Mahlalela to teach the people how to establish a garden, providing the fertilizer, seedlings, fencing, and water cans. Joao continued to follow up working closely with the people to finally teaching them how to harvest, then replant for a continuous food.source.

There were other issues Nick, Sydney and I discussed starting with setting up an organized committee to establish their history, their mission statement, a survey to know the actual figures reflecting the individual family needs. This would also include their plans and materiel needs, establish the minimum food requirements, and determine who will be responsible for all the above. The group set about doing this task and it was completed and produced by Nick Mdluli before I left Swaziland. (this statement is included on a link for “history and governing care point”. In addition, our discussion recognized the need for a shelter large enough for the children to be out of the rain and sun, and where there may be room for activities of learning. There are a number of older teenagers who were not helping, but were eating larger amounts. I suggested there needed to be some limits to age, and if there was still a severe need for the food that they should be helping care for the younger children. The members of the community need to help with the various projects, provide a donation as able per family to offset needs for garden supplies and purchased food. They need to identify sources of help in the area of organizations who may donate food to them. The group is presently looking for an area for a community garden to allow more food to share in the community. These issues will be determined by the Executive Committee, whose members are: Nick D. Mdluli, Sydney D. Nyembe, Boy A. Dlamini, Themba Magongo, Sipho Taala, Jotham Shongwe, Phliph J. Siyaya, and Brian Shaw.

I commend these young folks for their recognizing and accepting responsibility to the challenge, and their willingness to put forth the effort to be able to care for the orphans within their community. It is my prayer that other communities will view the forward progress in caring for their own in this community, and replicate the same in their communities.

Submitted by Bonnie M. Van Schaick