Confession: Pretty much all of this next part is straight plagiarism. Except the prayer at the end - I could handle that all on my own. The information comes from The Swaziland Partnership website, which is an organization founded by the pastor at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene (my home church) and the president at Southern Nazarene Univeristy in Bethany, OK. The Swaziland Partnership was created to evaluate and take action against the many needs in Swaziland, which you'll see listed below. BFC sends out several GO Teams (regular church people with a desire to serve) a year, which minister to the Swazi people through medicine, construction, teaching, and compassion. (In fact, I've been in contact with the Director of Global Outreach, who coordinates the many aspects of the Swaziland Partnership, to see if we can team up with them in May.) Check out their website for more information. It's very informative.
Fast Facts About Swaziland:
Located in Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
It is the smallest country in the Southern hemisphere (slightly smaller than New Jersey)
Population: 1,133,066
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 40.3 %
15-64 years: 56.1 %
65 years and older: 3.6%
Life Expectancy at birth: 32.23 years
Government: Monarchy (last monarchy in Africa!)
Capital: Mbabane
Gained independence from the UK in 1968
Below is a list of many of the needs for which we can pray.
Water:
Half of the Swazi population does not have access to clean drinking water, with 60% of the boreholes (water wells) not in operation. The lack of water, and especially clean drinking water, is the source of immediate and long-term health issues with dehydration, water-borne diseases, and inadequate crop production.
Medicine:
Swaziland has a good system of hospitals and clinics throughout the country to serve their people. However, they do not have a continuing medical education system for their doctors and nurses to provide information on new research and methods.
Medical Equipment & Supplies:
The Swazi National Board Plan states the need for new and updated medical equipment and supplies for Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital (RFM) and their 17 rural clinics. The staff is highly trained, but they need the tools to get the job done.
Construction:
RFM was built in the 1920s. Many of the 17 rural clinics were built in the 1930s and ‘40s. These original structures all need renovation. Many of these clinic communities do not have adequate housing for the nurses and their families. Some of the nurses are living in their clinic or in a storage facility nearby. For some, their families live in another city due to lack of housing. It is difficult to keep nurses in these rural communities when there is such inadequate housing.
The Church of the Nazarene continues to plant churches and needs new church facilities. Most congregations will have enough funds to lay a foundation or build the walls, but are not able to finish construction.
Compassion:
There are not enough hospitals or hospices to contain the number of people with AIDS. Many of these people are dying in their own homes.
Education:
Swaziland has three colleges of higher education with trained and talented staff. What they are requesting is continuing education for medical professionals, pastors, and those on the frontlines of AIDS care.
Community Vegetable Gardens:
The United Nations ranks Swaziland #4 in the world for food security issues–which means that starvation may soon outpace AIDS as the #1 killer in Swaziland.
AIDS:
We were appalled that over 289,000 were killed in the Indian Ocean tsunami in late 2004, in a matter of minutes by monstrous waves. Yet, there is an AIDS tsunami every month as over 289,000 die in Sub-Saharan Africa from AIDS. Swaziland has the highest HIV infection rate in the world at 42%.
There is great social stigma to the admission of AIDS. Many communities will ostracize the person and their family if they are found to be HIV positive.
AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children :
“Over 12 million children in Africa are orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 134 million children do not have access to education. 91 million children are living daily with debilitating hunger and an estimated one million children enter the commercial sex trade every year in order to survive.” From Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
Experts say that Swaziland will have 200,000 AIDS orphans by 2012, which is 20% of their current population. There are many other vulnerable children in Swaziland. These children may have only one parent or may be living with a grandmother or aunt. They may even be cared for by an older sibling as there are 15,000 households led by children.
Swazi children must pay for their primary and high school education. College education is paid for by the government. To attend school, families must purchase the school uniform, black school shoes, textbooks, and school supplies. Thousands of children do not get the opportunity to go to school. Many families sacrifice all that they have by working jobs in other cities or countries to pay for their children’s education. The Swazi government just offered free education for grades 1 and 2 this year. While this is an excellent start, they do not have enough teachers or schools to accept everyone who came on registration day. Many were turned away.
There are Gogos (grandmothers) who have lost their children to AIDS and are caring for multiple grandchildren. There are pastors’ families caring for additional vulnerable children from their community in their homes. Many of these pastors cannot afford to send their own children to school. Some pastors have to choose which of their children they can send to school since they cannot afford to send them all. It is a terrible decision to have to make.
God, we lift up this country. The needs seem endless, impossible to overcome. And they are - for us. But thank You that You are greater than our need. In our weakness, Your grace is made perfect. Feed the hungry. Give water to the thirsty. Teach those who are eager to learn. Build the house for the workers whose trust is in You. Clothe the naked. Care for the orphan. Do it through us. Use us as the answer to our own prayer, as Your hands and feet. We love You. Help us to love others as You love us and more than we love ourselves. In Jesus' Name, amen.
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