annie in swaziland

Tree Nursery! We purchased almost 100 today to plant at our child-headed homes for sustainable nutrition and a means of income-generation.

 Here are some of our trees - we purchased banana, litchi, avocado, grapefruit, lemon, and many more!

This is a photo of my dress I wore all day and the cow manure (tree fertilizer) that I proudly wore as an accessory.  If I can struggle a little more so my kiddos can struggle a little less, I will do it gladly - any day anytime. 

Today, I felt alive!!!!!
Every day in Swaziland I've been able to pinpoint my emotions - except one.  Unequivocal admiration for the most hardworking children I've ever met... unconditional love for them... absolute serenity and peacefulness in my heart - like no feat is too great.  But I realized that I have never felt so alive as the months I've been privileged enough to be in Swaziland over the last 6 years.  The red dirt, the warm sun, the friendly smiles, the beautiful mountains, the amazing kindness, the honorable strength of all ages... I feel blessed to be among these incredible people.  I feel alive and invigorated.

Today was super busy! 12 hours nonstop buying $2,000 worth of food (Thanks FOODOM grant!!), brand new artisan direct products we will sell in the states from the handicraft market to support our orphan programming, invoices for our Orphan Education Grants*, hours of playing with our orphans, and purchasing 100 fruit bearing trees for our Trees of Hope program that will provide sustainable nutrition and an income-generating program (Thanks Power of One Foundation!!).  I also introduced the team to the Princess Chief today - one of the most inspirational brilliant and amazing women I have ever been privileged to meet - and listened to her as we sipped on glasses of fresh apple juice and listened to the frogs croaking in the distance.  There is no where I would rather be than here...

* Thanks to the recent donations from Hope Lutheran and the Elbles (Aunt Boss and Grandma), we were able to add 5 children to our Orphan Education Scholarships! 5 dropouts who would otherwise be unable to finish high-school due to the fact that their parents have recently died and they have no one to pay for their fees.  Thank you so much for allowing our tiny organization to grow, we are so lucky to be able to add these incredible hardworking children!

I promise to blog longer tomorrow but it's past 10p, and I need a shower and need to lead the team through another super long day tomorrow starting at 5:30am. Thank you for all of your support - we couldnt do this without you!!

www.ifightpoverty.org