tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45372108831094697332024-03-05T20:43:30.419-08:00annie in swazilandI came here to serve and yet I've found that I have so much to learn, and Africa, with all its need, has much to teach me.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-52490331169211410982022-07-09T17:08:00.004-07:002022-07-11T00:51:25.154-07:00We’re finally back ‘home’!<p><br /></p><p> It’s been 2.5 years since I last posted…because Covid and political unrest have kept us away from the children we love for that long. Luckily our programs have continued in our absence due to the hard work of our colleagues on the ground. But maintaining positive open relationships with our kids is crucial to the success of Give Hope, Fight Poverty because in order to help alleviate struggles; we have to know which ones exist. </p><p>It has been interesting because when we finally returned, for some irrational reason, we expected the kids to be exactly as we left them in January 2020. Naturally they’re taller, older, and unfortunately some more downtrodden. 2020 and 2021 have seemed to do a number on many of us. However, for kids who had very, VERY little to begin with, the last two years have seemed to darken their hearts and hopes. And in turn, it’s certainly hurt mine to see. </p><p>One of our kids had dreams of being a musician/rapper, hoped to play music at church, and wanted to join the dance team at school. When I recently saw him, somehow those dreams have seemed to disappear. He is now ‘studying and hoping for good results on the school exams, but in swaziland, jobs and opportunities are limited.’ Today we surprised one of our female students who told me ‘it’s been so many years, I started to fear I would never see you again’. Yet she too wondered if there was a future for her and her child with the looming unemployment.</p><p>But, we’re back. And so far after the emotional hellos and updates, it’s been nothing but hugs, laughter and happy tears ever since! We learned that a family of girls wants a garden so they can sell produce and create a small income (garden cost $500), one of our Malindza high school students wants to repeat her English test so that she can get into college ($150), and two of our boys wanted bicycles to ride to school because bus fare has gotten too expensive but it’s too far of a distance to walk. (Already completed that wish ($500)!) </p><p><img height="448" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/a3e824b0-c192-412f-a338-3849d47ebc24" width="336" /></p><p>We learned about a double orphan whom we are supporting him in school but we wish to also build him his first home. He currently lives in a stick and mud hut that floods whenever it rains. He is a junior in high school with no parents or siblings. We need $3,500 but even $10 could help!! </p><p>Better blog tomorrow, I promise. It’s been a long day.</p><p>It’s 2am and we’re getting up soon. Goodnight from Swaziland! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-54544539475550281392020-01-02T12:35:00.001-08:002020-01-02T12:35:13.508-08:00Happy New Year from eSwatini! 2020
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guys, we have been trying to post a blog the last couple of
days.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yesterday the wifi was out, today it’s
the power.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There was a really strong
thunderstorm and we haven’t had electricity since.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As soon as I am able, I will post this! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Life is hard here in Swaziland.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There are struggles in the communities due to
jealousy mostly, but also just greed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After
delivering the chickens to the child-headed homes this week and showering to
rud our<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>bodies of the AWFUL POOP SMELL </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">😉</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
we high fived a job well done. But nothing is ever that easy here.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We soon found out that there was a fox in the
hen hole and it wasn’t an animal, yet a human wishing to steal the orphaned
children’s chickens. We consequently bought locks for the chicken coops and tried
to arrange for people to watch the chickens while the kids were in school, but
at the end of the day, nothing is going to stop a determined thief.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Who would steal from a child orphaned and
alone in a small one room hut with no basic necessities, you might ask? I had
the exact same question...<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So far, they’re
all safe. Happily chirping, locked in their new homes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday we delivered aid to Malindza (school uniforms/supplies,
soap, sanitary pads – even iPhones thanks to my badass partner Kait, her mom
Maureen and our long time donor Jan. These phones help keep the kids safe and
help them with their college assignments/research projects) And then went two nights
ago to a child-headed home in eLangeni where we’ve been shooting off fireworks
and dancing into the new year for over a decade.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s INCREDIBLE to have been so privileged to
watch these kids grow and thrive.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s my
biggest blessing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The girls went on safari yesterday and saw a bunch of
animals including a baby elephant.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mama elephant
wasn’t super impressed by how close they got to her baby and charged their
jeep.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Luckily, the driver backed full
speed in reverse and high tailed it out of there!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And finally, today we hosted a clinic in a very remote area
of Malindza under a tree.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There was an entire
“shelter” of double orphans waiting for us. Luckily thanks to Susan’s friends
& the Chi O girls, we had an entire suitcase full of bras, stuffed animals,
toys and other gifts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The kids went
wild. Today Lexi has been a little sick.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>She has had a sore throat for the whole week but today got a bit worse.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She took medication after medication to
combat her symptoms – an added reminder of our privilege.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Most of what the people asked for today at
the clinic was Tylenol or ibuprofen.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We just got home from Mazwi and Mphilo’s home with Nomfundo,
Nosipho, Junior, Nelly, and Zinhle.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s
bizarre to feel fully at home in two places on opposite sides of the
world.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Tonight, although I’m missing my
4 year old and my husband, there was no place in the entire world I’d rather
be.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I listened to Mphilo talk about the
amazing Christmas she had thanks to my friend Kandas for including her and Mazwi
in his family’s celebrations.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I listened
to Nomfundo talk about her dreams of becoming a business woman in the
future.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I listened to Nosipho talk about
anything – every single word that comes out of her mouth is joined with a
joyous laugh.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She laugh-talks. It’s
amazing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’ve never seen anyone more genuinely
happy in my entire life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And I had “the
talk” with Mazwi (age 16) asking how many wives he planned to have, he didn’t hesitate.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>ONE.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Good boy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then, I asked Junior (age
6) and immediately he held up 1 finger.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We teach them young lol.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Goodnight and happy 2020 from Swaziland. Thank you for all
of your past support and your continued support. Thank you to all of my
volunteers’ parents for sharing your kids (even you, Jean, sharing your “big
kid Susan”).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s not lost on me that this
is often family time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m grateful you
allowed them to be introduced to this amazing Give Hope, Fight Poverty family
we love so very much.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thanks for every
single dollar… every penny.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We could do
nothing without you!! 2020 blessings to you all, and goodnight from eSwatini!
www.fightpoverty.org/donate.html</span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-89086167602792332942019-12-30T14:59:00.000-08:002019-12-30T23:18:00.888-08:00First blog from Kansas/purdue/keen trip!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I promised a blog, so I am going to deliver. But it is midnight,
so it is going to be short! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Today was: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">NECESSITIES: We delivered food and necessities to
child-headed homes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We had umbrellas
(Thanks mama Jan) and a solar energy system (Thanks Kim!) and toiletries (Thanks
Kansas Chi Omegas) to give to the kids in need.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We also spent donor dollars to provide emergency food aid to provide the
families. This is an exceptionally hard time because the children aren’t in school
so they aren’t receiving school lunch or any food aid.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank you! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i>STINKY HOT GREAT WORK:</i> Today we had 103 chicks in the
car.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They smelled bad and pooped EVERYWHERE
but they were so cute and serenaded us with their chirping!! Oh, and they
pecked Hayden and Kiyah’s legs… but there are no bruises... well Hayden has a
little one but she said it’s cute and Kiyah said it felt like a tattoo and already
has a bunch of those <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>- so all is good. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">😊</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We took the chickens to child-headed homes in Malindza to give
the kids an opportunity to have access to protein (eggs) and income generation
(selling the chickens).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we dropped
the chickens at Amanda’s house (one of the 7 homes), she exclaimed “Now I am a
chicken mommy, I’m so happy!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I loved
it. Amanda lives alone with her grandmother and these chickens will make a
difference in all of the children's lives! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">NEED: When we approached one of the children’s homes<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>- it’s actually for 2 small girls.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They live with an older brother who is an alcoholic.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We wish to build the girls their own one room
home away from the brother and his wife where they are currently staying.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>$3500 will build the entire home.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Right now their home is stick and mud – that they
share with the older brother and his wife - and has holes the size of sheets of paper leaving them exposed to animals and rain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our “village” is amazing.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I have never once doubted that a need will be fulfilled because we have YOU.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Many years Kait and I (Annie) wondered how we’d
keep this tiny organization alive since no one knows about eSwatini and so many
other organizations have budgets for marketing, websites, and fancy galas.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We should have never doubted you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>GHFP Village is FIERCE.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And we appreciate every penny you trust in
us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Every penny helps the kids.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You’ll never see Annie or Kait in fancy
evening gowns somewhere pretending to represent the orphans who are barefooted in a
torn t-shirt. We love these kids like family and are grateful for you for changing the path of their lives!Siyabonga from eSwatini!! Siyabonga
for your trust and support.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-60511008970191581772019-10-16T12:27:00.001-07:002019-10-16T12:27:53.887-07:00Thank you - a great day of action with your donations! First of all, a HUGE thank you to all of you who donated! We were able to do so much today to change the path of lives because of your help...<br />
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We started at the furniture store where Kait laid on the beds like Goldilocks until we found the perfect pair of beds for our new child-headed family. We bought the beds (and pillows and blankets) and strapped them to the roof of our car. Then headed to Malindza to the children's home. <br />
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But on our commute, we came across a primary school where a lot of our kiddos attend. They were just being released for the day. One of the boys (standing in a group of 3) motioned the Swazi sign for hitchhiking. Some of the kids walk a LONG way to and from school (10km!) and so just as Kait was saying "Are we pulling over to get them...?" with a skeptical look on her face as our car was already filled, I yelled "YEP!" and opened the trunk. I was expecting the 3 boys to jump in... but as they jumped in, other children noticed what was going on and they rushed to the car and climbed inside. They were packed in like sardines before I finally told the others that we did not have room for more. Off we went to their homes (which indeed was forever far away). When we made it to their neighborhood, I opened the trunk and counted as they popped out. 16. 16 kids, two adults, food, pillows, two suitcases, blankets and two mattresses in the car today. When in Rome... but this is a new record, even for us!<br />
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We reached Mathanda's homestead and delivered the beds. The old man next door who checks on the little one when the older children are at school was shocked. He kept saying that the children would have wonderful dreams tonight and that they've never had a pillow before. The oldest, Mathanda, has never even had a bed (3 middle ones were sleeping on an icky piece of flimsy foam and the 4 little ones were on a grassmat). We also took Owen (the 4 year old) to a nearby preschool and got him registered for January (when the new school year starts). We also went to the store and bought him his very first school uniform! The builders will be finished fixing their home and affixing the rain catchment by tomorrow. We also delivered chairs to sit on, a pitchfork to help with their garden, backpacks, and some clothes. THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE. We will keep a close eye on these kids and see how we can continue assisting. They are all now part of the GHFP family! And they will thrive like all of our children have and continue to do. Can't wait to see them again in December!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-58301000572580350572019-10-15T14:57:00.001-07:002019-10-15T14:57:49.586-07:00Sucker punch straight to the heart. If you guys have been following this blog for the last decade-plus-years, you'd vouch for me that I try to keep the stories light and hopeful. Today it's impossible to spin a happy tale. I type this with tears piling up making it hard to see the keyboard.<br />
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We were alerted by one of our partners Nomfundo that there was a family in dire need of help. We didn't know much at the time and Nomfundo NEVER asks for specific things - feeling like that is overstepping some boundary. She just introduces us to families who need help and asks us to help "in any way we can". Sometimes we end up finding a child who has had to drop out of school for many years because although they are now living with a grandmother who loves them, there is no money for school fees. So we pay their tuition and uniform fees with your donations. Other times we find a child who has food scarcity or lack of water access and we use your donations to address those needs. The needs are usually great, sometimes expensive, but almost always possible to overcome. Today we found a complete and utter tragedy. <br />
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We arrived at the homestead to find that every single adult has died. No grandparents. No parents. No aunts or uncles. Poof. Gone. But, what remains in the home are EIGHT small children. The eldest, 16 but still doing grade 7 (elementary school), is now in charge of raising the seven little ones...which means he is in charge of feeding them, clothing them, providing psychosocial support, and teaching them everything your parents taught you. Who is there for him? How does he do this without money or a job... still only a child himself? <br />
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The youngest is only 4 - my daughter's age. Since the oldest 7 kids go to elementary school all day, the 4 year old stays home alone. STAYS HOME ALONE. What in the actual eff?! Seeing him sitting in front of his stick and mud hut playing with an old plastic measuring spoon with dirty knees and the absolute emptiest saddest expression on his face shredded my heart. My daughter can't even poop without an audience and a fairytale story where she is the hero. And this child - factoring in the siblings' walk to and from school - is absolutely alone fending for himself every day for 8 hours. No stories. No hugs. No guidance. No love. Alone. With a broken measuring spoon and a large cup of water (hopefully clean/potable?!) left for him in case he gets thirsty while EVERYONE is gone. <br />
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It took a while to process the situation. To triage the needs. <br />
- Immediately we saw that we could fill their need of <b>water with a rain catchment system</b>. Kait and I rushed around Malindza ordering and hauling building materials while Raymond and a crewmate Ben repaired the roof, built the stand, tank and gutter system that will harvest the rain water from their roof offering them a means to irrigate the vegetable garden they were trying to prepare. <i> Done! </i><br />
<i></i><br />
- The grandmother was trying to<b> build them a home</b> but failed to finish it before she died earlier this year such that when it rains outside, it's wet inside. Tomorrow Raymond and Ben will seal the home with plaster sand both inside and outside. The kids will stay dry despite any inclement weather.<i> Tomorrow! </i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>-</i> We will be searching for a <b>preschool</b> that will accept the 4 year old mid-year so that he is no longer home alone all day. We will need to pay for his tuition (usually $150 a year but I won't know for sure until we find the school) and school shoes/uniform (usually $50)<i> hopefully soon </i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>-</i> The 8 kids sleep on one icky dilapidated foam mattress pad. We'd love to buy them a new<b> mattress, pillows, sheets and blankets</b> for $225<i> hopefully soon </i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>-</i> A<b> chicken coop</b> could give could give the kids a means of protein (nutrition with the eggs) and income (with the sale of the chickens). It's about $800 for the coop and the chickens and a starter set of feed<i> hopefully soon. </i><br />
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I hope I didn't scare you with our needs! Thanks to Cindy Kaser for her recent donation before this post... we will be putting your money toward this family. If anyone else donates, we'll do the same. These kids need our support to be self-sufficient. These kids need a tiny miracle. Will you be a part of the miracle? I know we can do it if we join together!<br />
www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html<br />
mail a check made out to GHFP to 2436 N Alabama St Indy IN 46205<br />
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SIYABONGA KAKHULU for making things happen!!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-7749267405500466832019-10-14T14:41:00.000-07:002019-10-14T14:52:13.876-07:00Kait's here now!!<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This morning, I went back to Malindza.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There was an unfortunate occurrence where too
many cooks tried to be in the kitchen (perhaps also an issue of Swazi male dominance?
It’s tough being a girl here…and I only have to tolerate it a handful of times
a year) and my builder was let go and another was hired without my knowledge or
consent.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s a problem. For many
reasons, but mainly because we’ve had poor builders in the past where we spent donor
dollars to build and then spent double the money to fix the problems when we
were given the Leaning Tower of Pisa.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lo
and behold, Raymond (one of my favorite Swazis) to save the day! Not only will he
be building what we originally hired him for (3 rain catchments and 2 chicken
coops at child-headed homes) but also now the home for our homeless high school
boy in Malindza.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Phew! It will be a
permanent and beautiful structure! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I picked up Kait from the shuttle bus stop today and we
headed straight back to Malindza for more building.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we reached Mthokozisi’s future homestead,
the building store we purchased supplies arrived simultaneously with our
delivery.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mthokozisi’s grandfather was
there as it pulled up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He immediately
started shaking and reiterating that Jesus is coming, and that he sees
Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He tried then to tell me how “strong”
I was.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He kept pointing at me saying, “You
are so strong.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I immediately thought he
failed to find the proper English word as I made a muscle and winked/laughed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Strength has never been a strong suit –
emotional or physical.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I knelt and shook
his hand and in my mind yelled THANK YOU to all of our donors who gave this old
man the thing he was hoping most for in his life – a safe home for his homeless grandson he was
unable to personally provide.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Before this, his grandson was buying cell phone airtime from
town and selling it at a higher amount in the rural areas.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Some days he would come home with some
coins.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Other times, he would come home
empty handed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He had a 6<sup>th</sup>
grade education and he was almost entirely alone as his immediate family all
passed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now he is thriving in school and
almost a home owner (and egg-laying hen owner) in a couple of weeks.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s amazing how thoroughly and how quickly
our donors change children’s lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kait
and I are forever grateful!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Early morning back in Malindza.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Goodnight from Kait and Annie in eSwatini!
Thank you for supporting our endeavors to help the kiddos – despite the
hurdles! </span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-76349890900853894652019-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:002019-10-13T12:30:07.003-07:00I'm alone in eSwatini!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was keeping this trip to eSwatini a secret because some of
our Swazi kids have FB and I didn’t want them telling Mazwi I was coming for
his surprise birthday party.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But now
that the party is over, I can tell you what I’ve been up to so far! </span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mazwi’s birthday! His actual birthday isn’t
until the 26<sup>th</sup>, but I wanted to throw it early to add more surprise.
He had 40 family and friends there to celebrate.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Bongani helped a couple of my friends cook
the meat (TONS of it – pork, brats, and chicken) and there was a big cake and
lots of music!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My favorite part of the
day was when Mphilo (his sister) would only give out candy to those who were
dancing in order to liven the party up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mazwi made
me giggle because he conned a 5 year old into dancing and made him bring back
the candy! Ha! Everyone left with full bellies and big smiles. Happy 16<sup>th</sup>
to the beautiful young man who holds my heart. </span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Delivered aid! I drove all over Malindza Village
with our partner Nomfundo to deliver school shoes, solar kits (solar lights
with a Bluetooth enabled speaker and a USB port to charge a phone), and
emergency food aid to all 19 of our sponsored high school children there. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Building chicken coops and rain catchment systems
at child-headed homes!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>One major problem
in Malindza is the lack of water.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There
aren’t streams or ponds like near eLangeni.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Our solution is to harvest the rainwater by affixing gutters to their
homes which drain into a very large tank.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The children also have no one to take care of them and no money to buy
things they need.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, we have been providing
them with a chicken coop in order to raise hens and sell the eggs. All of the
materials for these 5 projects (2 coops and 3 rain catchments) will be delivered
tomorrow and building will start immediately after. </span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">House building! One of our boys was out of
school for many years after his mother died. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When he started school again with your
scholarship, his uneducated uncles became jealous and kicked him out of their
home.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Luckily, his grandfather gave him
a piece of his land so we’re able to build him his very own house registered to
his name that no one will be able to kick him out of!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He’s in form 3 (Sophomore year), loves
volleyball (he even volunteers teaching young kids how to play at the neighborhood carepoint) and is excited to have his own place equipped with a rain catchment
system and a chicken coop! Can’t wait to watch him continue to thrive without
the family challenges & homelessness he was facing previously… Go Mthokozisi, go! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kait arrives in the country tomorrow! Can’t wait to pick her
up from the shuttle station.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Until then,
I have a couple of requests.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">WE NEED WATCHES: our high school children like
to have watches to time themselves during their national exams.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Any kind and any colors, they just need to
keep time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lots of the kids are requesting
analog, but I am sure digital would be fine too.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">WE NEED COMPUTER MICE: We have 10 laptops to
start a computer lab at Phonjwane Primary school.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But they have a “pointing stick” to use as a
mouse and those are very challenging for small children to operate.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’d love to offer them external computer
mice instead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Any kind will be great! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The things above can be mailed to 9 West Hazel Dell
Lane Springfield IL 62703.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Or if you’d
like to send money to buy these items locally in eSwatini, you can donate
online (<a href="http://www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html</span></a>)
or mail a check made out to GHFP to the address above. We will send you an IRS
receipt for your taxes. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px 48px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Siyabonga kakhulu THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping us help the kids! </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-24223066780531862832019-08-07T00:31:00.002-07:002019-08-07T00:31:23.935-07:00Last day with U Iowa
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry for the lack of a blog last night.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The internet was down.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And now, the electricity is out… so I’m not
sure when I will be able to post this.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>But hopefully by the time I’m done writing, the electric will be
back.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning is our last morning in eSwatini.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After we pack, we’ll head to the
airport.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s an odd feeling.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m excited to go home to see my daughter and
I miss her so much…and my husband.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But a
part of me never wants to leave.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I was
glancing down in the shower this morning and saw the water coming off my body
was a deep red-brown.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yesterday we
walked all over the mountain delivering solar panels to child-headed homes and
I was wearing flip flops since I had given all of my shoes away.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>With each step, the shoes must have flipped a
tiny bit of the beautiful soil onto my legs. I didn’t notice.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This morning, as it is washing down the
drain, as crazy as it sounds, I am sad to see it go.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday we woke up and drove to the refugee camp. The camp
has 205 children – a number of them unaccompanied minors.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They literally have nothing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And the country struggles so much to support
their own people, they are unable to truly help the refugees.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They offer breakfast and lunch (but no dinner)
to the children. They don’t offer any preschool support (preschool is $10/mo),
the high school fees are very expensive - $500-900 a year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They only offer adult refugees food
(breakfast and lunch) for the first 3 months.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Then, somehow, they are expected to fend for themselves.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Life is hard everywhere in eSwatini…
especially the refugee camp.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We delivered
materials for the children: teaching supplies, sanitary pads, reusable sanitary
pads (thanks Kristen), soap, stuffed animals, soccer balls, books, games, and medical
supplies. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Afterward, we went to deliver two more solar panels with
Mphilo’s help.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(and now you’re back to
the beginning of the story with the dirty legs and the sadness in the shower…) Good
news is, the electricity is back on so I can post this…bad news is, it’s time
to head to<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>the airport so I must go and
cut the blog short.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our next team doesn’t return until December, so there won’t
be any new posts until then.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Siyabonga
kakhulu (thanks so much) for all of your support!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We couldn’t do any of this without you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><a href="http://www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html</span></a></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="color: #0563c1;"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-68751227097136924712019-08-04T14:59:00.000-07:002019-08-04T14:59:14.799-07:00U of Iowa day 4
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you know me, you know that “Dancing Gogo” (gogo –
grandmother) is my hero. This woman lost all of her children, is burdened with
raising her grandchildren (3 young elementary school kids), had a stroke and
barely made it alive. Our amazing nurse partner Kandas sent us pictures from her
hospital bed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She couldn’t move one half
of her body, but the other half was smiling…and dancing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She recovered, miraculously – without proper
medication or rehab, and is now even walking without a cane! We dropped off a
solar panel system for her home today. She will place a panel on her roof and drag the
battery through a window pane.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It will
light 2 LED lights (enough for her small one room home we built for her) and recharge
a phone battery through the USB port. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She was so excited!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And it was awesome to see her baby and her
twins (Xolile and Thobile) who are SO grown up now in grade 5.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They translated her siSwati for us. So proud
of them. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And now, for the first time in Gogo’s
entire life, she’ll be able to have light in the dark night.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Afterward we played at Nothando’s house.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The group played keep-away, hide and seek,
and soccer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We checked out the new
chicken coop Kait’s team built for her (There are 3 egg laying hens incubating
babies right now in the “upstairs” section – super exciting!!). We also dropped off the clothes we’ve worn so far
this trip for them to sell in the rural area.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It’s crazy that the old clothes we wear during the trip enable the girls
to create a door to door business that makes them $120 per load (we drop with 3
girls, so $360 per trip – just from our old clothes!!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After leaving Nothando’s house, we went to the Malindza
Refugee Camp.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It is a tough pill to
swallow walking in and realizing that the hundreds of children living there
(mostly escaping war in Central African countries) now have to live with no
water, minimal food, and no resources.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They
will now experience peace but famine, dehydration, and cholera/fecal-oral
diseases from the lack of sanitation and hygiene.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So sad.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We distributed toothbrushes, hair combs, soap, and stuffed animals
(Thanks Mellissa Taft!!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kait’s team
from last month sanitized the used hotel soaps from the local hotels.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’re small.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And used.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>But the kids at the refugee camp tried to come back through the line for
seconds… and begged for thirds.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After receiving
the soap, the all smelled it, and smiled.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It’s just soap.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No scent.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No fancy things.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A simple tiny used bar of soap.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Privilege...I feel it every single day.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After we left the hundreds of kids at the refugee camp, we
went to teach/play with orphaned kids in rural Malindza Village.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They showed us their handmade volleyball
court and begged for balls (thanks Megan Kaser for old soccer balls you
donated, that was the best we could do).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>They also practiced English with us.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I played a flashcard “guess the English word as fast as you can and you
win the flashcard” game.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The boys ate it
up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They frantically yelled the English word
“Fox, elephant, lion, rabbit, dog, bird, cat…” and then we got to “skunk” and
they all stopped dead in their tracks and looked at each other stunned.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They mumbled the siSwati word.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I asked them to repeat it, and then after
hearing it, I prayed that I would never be required to repeat it in siSwati again!
TWO CLICKS.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Wow.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Will practiced the whole ride home and got it
as close as anyone would ever get it in our car…. But I still think he might
make the locals giggle if he said it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After
over a decade of trying to learn siSwati, I have given up. I feel like I have
already learned the only thing I really need to know when working with these
kids… Ngiya ku tsandza.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“I love you.”
And I sure do love them all! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><a href="http://www.ifightpoverty.org/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ifightpoverty.org</span></a> </span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-43757116162853578242019-08-03T14:59:00.003-07:002019-08-03T14:59:30.498-07:00U of Iowa blog from Professor Will
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you had asked me what eSwatini would be like, and what kinds
of experiences our students from the College of Education at the University of
Iowa would have, I would have given you a well-rehearsed and planned itinerary
using words like orphans, child-headed home, children’s long term care
facility, schools, and the like. And all of those things would be true. But I would
have no way of truly being able to describe the magnitude and complexity of
what those terms would bear out in real life here in eSwatini (formerly
Swaziland). Indeed Annie and I developed a well-planned visit to this country,
well, I told Annie what kind of experience I was hoping to plan for our
students and she was the genius and the on-the-ground person here who has masterfully
coordinated a visit that has been beyond meaningful for our students. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today began by loading the small SUV with a 120lb bag of
beans and another 120lb bag of rice to take as a symbol of gratitude for allowing
our teachers to visit and work with the students in the rural care point. The
call that went out to the community was that University students would be there
on Saturday to conduct a few lessons and games in English. We were told that
the primary group of students who were invited were the villages drop-outs – a mislabeling
of these kids whose only reason for not attending school is their inability to
pay. When we arrived, it was clear that word had quickly spread as there were
many, many more on the preschool grounds than just school “dropouts”. We
quickly divided into three groups. Rachel took the 10-13 year-olds, Jordan took
the preschoolers with our colleague Katy – an elementary teacher in Austin –
and I took the older kids. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My group started with a funny game of charades. All of the kids
took turns picking words and acting them out and then passing the duty onto
someone else. Some of the charades that got the biggest laughs were “drinking
straw,” “goat,” and my rendition of “body builder” which apparently looked more
like a gorilla than a body builder. True story, the kids asked me if American body
builders act like gorillas and I may have answered, “kind of.” We moved on from
charades to a few other language learning games, one which reminded them of a Swazi
game that they taught me. We then played a game that involved chanting and singing
and tug of rope, except no rope, only grabbing an opponent and pulling them
over the line. Jordan and Rachel were so adeptly teaching the other children
through play. I was so proud of them. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then got a tour of the classroom from Make Dlanini – the head
of the preschool. While the school was well-outfitted, thanks to Annie’s
organization, I couldn’t help but notice a single poster on the wall – The
Contamination Cycle – a pictorial guide to child outdoor defecation. I later
debriefed with Annie and learned that outdoor defecation is a leading cause of
death among children. How wild that we in the States create bulletin boards about
math, science, English, student birthdays, this classroom is adorned with life-saving
imagery about poop. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This incredible juxtaposition is my shadow on this trip. How
incredibly similar are the needs of the children of this planet, yet due to a variety
of circumstances, their life-experiences, realities, threats to safety, and
well-being are so incredibly different. This morning was powerful. We left the
village preschool realizing all the incredible needs of the community, just to
provide basic schooling and food, not to mention the complete lack of water,
and a need to use donkeys to fetch water from the river a half a kilometer
away. That’s right, no clean water available at this preschool. Our hearts
ached as we pulled away and said goodbye to the kids. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our afternoon took us to the <a href="https://www.swazi.travel/Mantenga_Cultural_Village_and_Nature_Reserve"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Mantegna
Cultural Village</span></a> where we toured a traditional historic Swazi village, and
watched some amazing traditional dancing and singing. Afterwards, the Iowa team
hiked to the Mantegna waterfall for some pictures. The entire walk was a conversation
about our Swazi experience – about the contradictions, juxtapositions and
challenges in this country. And we talked about everything about this place
that is beautiful – the resiliency of the children and families, the incredible
bonds of community that put some of our best efforts in the States to shame, and
the wonderment and hope that an education can provide. Everyday we’ve been here,
we’ve seen some hard things, had to hold back a tear or two, or slowly swallow in
silence as we’ve seen tough things that no child should have to experience.
Today, however was a little different for me. As I talked to the “dropouts” it
was clear the one thing they wanted more than anything was to be back in school.
To know that may not be a reality for many Swazi children is a bitter pill to
swallow. Educational access and equity is an issue that persists in the US, but
I can’t shake this heartache seeing how this issue manifests here. This is why
we are doing this work. I hope our students leave here with a sense of purpose and
conviction to change this issue not only in their own communities, but also
right here in Swaziland. I know I’ll be scheming once I return to the States on
how I can help some of these kids get back to school. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
www.ifightpoverty.orgAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-50338144632208822202019-08-02T14:31:00.001-07:002019-08-02T14:31:52.191-07:00University of Iowa Day two...
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Growing up, if you asked, I wanted to be a doctor –
particularly Patch Adams, the happy doctor who always cured my patients and
made them laugh.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today, we went to the
long term children’s ward at the Mbabane Government hospital to help the play
coordinators (teachers) teach through play and I remembered why I was never fit
to be a doctor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>During the short time we
were there, one of the little angels went into surgery (surgery in eSwatini
government hospital, yikes!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The kids
all had IV drips and one was so active, the IV almost yanked off of the wall
(or out of her tiny hand). <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We read them
books, practiced animals/colors/shapes, and practiced with writing with the
older ones.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We learned what the needs
were for the play coordinator who does this full time (Please!! If anyone has
megabloks type blocks, decently new-ish crayons, dry erase markers or dry erase
sleeves…). </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While the University of Iowa group worked more with the bedridden
kids, Katy and I chatted with the program manager Raquel who is an uber sweetie!
We talked about her new role with our partner, the Rocking Horse, the needs of
the organization and the overall needs of the children’s ward.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I told her that my best Swazi friend died in
this hospital two years ago without adult diapers even though he lost the use
of his legs and had no blankets to keep him warm in the drafty winter air or
adequate food for his mother who was acting as his bedside nurse (there aren’t
exactly nurses for the patients) – even medications required to keep him comfortable
as he died were a shortage at the hospital.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Raquel confirmed that this happens often in the children’s ward as well.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She told me that there was an influx of
newborns/NICU babies who needed intravenous nutrition, but the hospital lacked
the IV drips small enough for their tiny veins.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>After doing research, these cost only $0.10 USD each.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we chatted more about needs and how we could fulfill
them, a stretcher was pushed down the hallway completely covered by a sheet
moving toward the morgue.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Raquel
gasped.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My mind immediately went to my friend
Sifiso.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He couldn’t be under there, as
he died 2 years ago.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But somehow he
was.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Katy and Raquel resumed
talking.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I only knew this because I could
see their lips moving, but it was as if no audible words were coming out.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today I was reminded that life is so fragile,
and I was not built to be a doctor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I returned to the ward.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I went straight to the little baby Katy and I were working with.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I picked up the book I was using with her and
pointed to an animal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In the sweetest
voice, she raised her tiny hand with the IV, pointed to the animal with me and shouted
“CHICKEN” with a huge grin.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It was a pig,
but I cheered.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I cheered because she had
a grandma there who smiled when she answered wrong, exposing a mouth with no
top teeth, who laughed while she said slowly “P I G…P I G… PIG!” and the baby
parroted “PIG”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I cheered because she
was getting discharged this week.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I
cheered because there was no stretcher and sheet with her name on it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I looked around the room at my amazing friend
Katy and the awesome team from University of Iowa (Jordan, Professor Will, and
Rachel) who were smiling and laughing with other bedridden kids and felt so
blessed to be a tiny bright light in someone else’s murky world today. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank you for your support making all of this
possible! </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.htmlAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-30460752846755836112019-06-06T12:57:00.001-07:002019-06-06T13:34:51.716-07:00May: Final Day<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">
The "winter" breeze is blowing... rustling the beautiful flowering tree outside my bedroom window. A dog is barking in the distance. The guest house manager Futhi is belly laughing in the other room and My. Heart. Is. So. Full. I don't know why it is this way, but I just FEEL more here. It isn't always a good thing, I feel more pain and sadness as well. But today, after waking up early to drive across the country during the most beautiful colorful sunrise peeking out over the endless rolling mountains to the most destitute area to deliver food to some of the most hard working and deserving high school children, we spent the day with our eLangeni kids laughing and smiling until our cheeks hurt. Full, full, full… so full my heart can barely stand it. </div>
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You see, after we delivered food (so grateful for our donors that insure the kids in food scarce environments will eat), we took Bongani and Njabuliso hiking with us. They are the sweetest best boys you will ever meet. It was so fun to hike and laugh and joke and be able to show them a part of their country they haven't seen before - since they are always the ones showing me around. At the top of the mountain, Bongani rapped about life and how we must search for God even in the good times, not just going to Him when times are bad. It's a good reminder for me... to be more like Bongani that way. Njabuliso has a big exam next month and after passing, he will be eligible for a large promotion in his job as an automotive engineer (he's one of our hardworking college graduates!) So proud of all of our kids and love love love the young men and women they are growing into!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTP5kjvE2W6D9mjQaKtYtNjXfpJ2TzAsy98CNXsm_v5OW51aLvRG2DF_r-9wXicW_8QrFFu5WTWM4eKT4okQMirq1d_hJMK5suYwTLONZEJ4aOeJbBtrXXCBNT03617WOTX9EE3pw5vOM/s1600/61972898_10201342274296559_2932432317693558784_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTP5kjvE2W6D9mjQaKtYtNjXfpJ2TzAsy98CNXsm_v5OW51aLvRG2DF_r-9wXicW_8QrFFu5WTWM4eKT4okQMirq1d_hJMK5suYwTLONZEJ4aOeJbBtrXXCBNT03617WOTX9EE3pw5vOM/s320/61972898_10201342274296559_2932432317693558784_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jump, Bongani! I will catch you ;) </td></tr>
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As this trip sadly approaches its end, I will remind everyone reading about our win a trip to eSwatini program. If you raise $250 before August 10th, you'll be eligible to win a free trip to eSwatini (by random drawing <a href="https://mailchi.mp/6c2eae4818cb/win-a-trip-to-the-kingdom-of-eswatini">https://mailchi.mp/6c2eae4818cb/win-a-trip-to-the-kingdom-of-eswatini</a>). We'd love to have you participate and potentially come with us! </div>
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Additionally, we'd love, of course, to receive your donations. With smaller organizations like ours, no monetary denomination is too small. (<a href="http://www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html">http://www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html</a>). </div>
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And you can always contact me directly with any questions or comments you have! anniefightspoverty@gmail.com </div>
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Until we return to eSwatini in July...……. Siyabonga (thank you) and goodnight! </div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-50541699275403029322019-06-06T12:52:00.001-07:002019-06-06T13:31:38.073-07:00May: Day 5<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
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Day 5... In a nutshell:</div>
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1. An anonymous good friend donated money in January for the Malindza refugee camp borehole to be fixed. They hadn't had water in over a year and the refugees arrive from central Africa with cholera, malaria, dysentery and other diseases where sanitation and hygiene are extremely important. We bought the new pump and there was water flowing. But then a bit storm hit. The tanks shifted since they weren't completely full yet and the wind was fierce. They dislodged from their pipelines and now there are leakages everywhere. I panicked. The amount of money to properly replace the pipelines was a LOT. I did a hail Mary and reached out to an amazing friend who works here in Swaziland on the water crisis. Seth agreed to take over the entire refugee camp crisis and promised not to leave the site until it was up to his organization's standards. I met Seth because of a beautiful amazing friend of mine, Katie, who was his photographer and who has since died of cancer. It's amazing the connections the world spins for all of the right things to fall in place at the right time. GRATEFUL FOR SETH and his organization - The Thirst Project! Heart full.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanks that cannot fill due to leakages</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaks in all of the pipework do to being dislodged during a storm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water the children will drink from a creek during the meantime until Thirst Project is able to save the day.</td></tr>
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2. Super thankful for our donors enabling us to provide free popup clinics. We had kids faking coughs and fighting over our DPH (Nyquil). We had people with "headaches" who just wanted Tylenol. I don't blame them. You likely have a cabinet full of first aid stuff. What happens when you experience stomach problems, severe headaches, eczema, cold/cough/flu and you have no medicine to help your symptoms. It's not lost on me that the 500 people we saw did not indeed currently have a headache or a cough, but I am happy we could provide them with relief when inevitably they did. I kept giggling about my husband's "man-colds" that basically knock him unconscious and require surgery/medication/lobotomy to heal... for all of the man-cold people in line, and everyone else, you're welcome for your Tylenol. ;)<br />
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3. But we also had people at our clinics with severe situations. For instance we had a 3 year old girl who had a wound in her leg (we still don't know how - playing?) and a worm entered and started to live/grow there. Nothing disgusts me. During my PhD program I worked with human feces for 6 years. Vomit, no problem. A visible worm growing and moving just under the skin of a 3 year old? I tried to channel my husband and keep the best poker face I could while I secretly shuddered inside. </div>
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4. We also had a 12 year girl who was HIV positive and was rejecting the 2nd line of drugs. In America this wouldn't be a big deal because we have over 20 lines of drugs, but in Swaziland there are only two. So now this sweet angel will slowly die an icky death and the reason she rejected her drugs so soon? She lacked food to take the medication properly. I know it is putting a bandaid on cancer, but after the clinic (so others wouldn't see) we drove around the area in search of her house (it turns out it was "just past the tree and the rock on the other side") to offer her the leftover beans and soup that were in our trunk. </div>
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5. We had a couple more highlights like one of my best friends Kristen Lee and her friends make Days for Girls reusable sanitary pads that were a highlight at the clinic. 50 pad kits (all we had room for this trip in our suitcases) were gone within minutes. Similarly with our sanitized and recycled used hotel soaps. Poof. Gone. And the kids were sniffing the soaps and commenting on how "fresh and clean" they would smell after bathing. Tiny used hotel soaps. <br />
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Little things go a long way here and we are ever so grateful for the support we're offered to offer those little things that mean a lot in our kids' daily lives!!</div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-34158991622354030922019-06-01T14:43:00.001-07:002019-06-06T13:10:30.980-07:00May: Day 4<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Day 4 -<br />
The group went on safari today and saw tons of animals! Hannah had a plan to sit in the middle seat and use the other volunteers as lion food if any got too close to the Jeep. I am happy to report to you that we lost no one in this adventure ;)<br />
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But before the safari, we had the much anticipated meeting with one of the Malindza Chief's men. The story starts years ago. We had a brilliant high school boy, Sethu, who was living with an ailing grandmother. He's orphaned and alone. Things happened and he had no where to live. The Chief allocated land for him, we were able to raise some money (forever grateful for our amazing donors), and we built him a permanent cement structure on his brand new yard. For a few years, everything went well. Don't get me wrong, he lives alone. He faces food scarcity. He has minimal water access. He has no electricity. But, he had a safe place to sleep at night and a roof over his head.<br />
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Now fast forward to today. We found out yesterday that Sethu's uncles were trying to steal his home and land. Typically in Swazi culture, the elders have rights to family lands. And Sethu had not yet even informed the chief of what was going on to see what his side of it was. I went to bed nervous. But, it was all for nothing. The Chief was upset to hear of the uncles trying to take Sethu's home. He sent his men to remove to uncles and make sure Sethu was okay. They noticed that the neighbors were also taking advantage of Sethu by slowly encroaching on his land (which is very valuable in rural eSwatini because everyone needs it for their subsistence farms). They suggested we invest $100 to buy a roll of barbed wire and fence Sethu's place to prevent any more thievery from taking place. SETHU GETS TO KEEP HIS HOME!! Off to bed, goodnight!<br />
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Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-75448587718619479032019-05-29T13:20:00.003-07:002019-06-06T12:48:50.504-07:00May: Day 3If you guys know me, you know that Dancing Gogo is my hero, and when my hero fell (from a stroke) early this year, I did not do well. (Although as you can see from the photo of her in her hospital bed, even a nearly fatal stroke cannot knock that smile off of her face!! Be like Dancing Gogo)<br />
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She is the most strong, loving, and courageous person I've ever met. On our honeymoon when my husband (who is buff...and hot, okay that's off subject) and I dug and dug and hit solid rock when trying to build her a toilet, we gave up after about a foot (and hours) of digging. We went home and decided to try again the next day after re-hydrating and getting some sleep. The digging was impossibly hard and the sun was impossibly hot. When we got to her house the next day, she had single-handedly finished digging the 6.5 foot deep hole and somehow climbed out of it.<br />
That was years ago, years before the stroke that took her down and took my heart down in the process. In March when I visited her, she was unable to use half of her body. She was unable to talk, unable to move her arm, and unable to walk....dragging her right foot as she mumbled and hobbled along. Dancing wasn't even a figment of her imagination. <br />
This time, as we approached her house, I heard her yelling in clear siSwati "MY FRIEND" (as she does) and dancing with the mere help of a thin cane (as she did). My heart melted. Dancing Gogo dances again. It is a miracle. I am crying of happiness typing this and I am so so so so grateful for everyone's thoughts and prayers. She has had no medication and no rehabilitation. It's truly a miracle. And one that is SO needed as she cares for 3 orphans at her homestead including our twins.<br />
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We hung out with Lungelo today. He talked about his excitement that he's finishing his 5th year and entering his final year of his accounting university program. He has indicated a desire to move to campus dormitory housing this year (instead of living far away with his great aunt and commuting) because he will have better access to the computer lab, library and study groups. It will be an extra $520 but it is definitely needed. Would anyone like to contribute? He's an incredible person who has been with us for over a decade. He is excited to graduate and give back to the other orphans of his community. Even $20 would help!! Here's his story in his own words: <a href="https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=99427110133c5667a9eaea056&id=743d5705f3">https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=99427110133c5667a9eaea056&id=743d5705f3</a><br />
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We rushed to the school today where we picked up Mphilo and Bongani (our helpers and navigators) to help us deliver beds and food to Bonginkhosi and Nomcebo. HUGE thanks to Susan MacNeil and Carole Juranek for making this possible. The kids were sleeping in mud homes on a mud floor on top of only a grass mat. Now they have mattresses and pillows, sheets and blankets! I am going to bed with a smile on my face thinking of them cozying up on a bed for the first time as high school students. THANK YOU for making their daily life a little bit better. <br />
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After it all, we drove Bongani home. I listened to him talk about his new love for Biology class and his recent participation in the choral music program at school (although he thinks the current song selection is boring haha). I heard him talk about his excitement for his final year of high school and heard an eagerness for his future. I feel so much gratitude to YOU when I hear hope from them. You are giving them hopes and dreams. I am blessed to be the middle(wo)man. But you are changing their lives. Thank you thank you thank you.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-53198663964133406242019-05-28T23:22:00.002-07:002019-06-06T12:20:25.047-07:00May: Day 2It's actually now the morning of day 3. Sorry for the blog's delay... I went to bed as soon as we got home last night at 8pm and just woke up (7am)! I feel like a bear coming out of hibernation! :)<br />
Yesterday was a great but super long day! We started bright and early at eLangeni Primary School where we helped Suzi cook and serve food for 634 kids. One of the "cauldrons" is now unable to be used (the area supposed to keep the fire contained has been damaged which also resulted in fire burning the roof of the entire structure) so Suzi has to use a "portable" cookpot that weighs hundreds of pounds empty and she must carry it herself. You can see volunteer Allison stirring some of the the beans below.<br />
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After feeding the children, we went across the street to the eLangeni Preschool. There were almost 50 kids waiting to pounce as soon as we entered the room. They yelled "take me" which apparently means pick me up and never put me down. They were the cutest and it made me miss my little one. (Give Tinlie a big hug and tell her that mommy has her "Africa candy" (as she calls it)).<br />
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We later delivered food to some of the most destitute child-headed and granny headed homes in Malindza - we also identified homes/locations for the 3 rain catchment systems we will be building thanks to the Power of One foundation grant we received. We decided on the following:<br />
1. We approached a home where it appeared as if no one was home. As we were leaving, we heard a weak voice off to the side of the home. An elderly lady was laying under a blanket. She was the grandmother of the 12 year old orphan we were trying to find. The 12 year old was at school and the grandmother is paralyzed, laying under the blanket, unable to move, until the grandchild comes home to care for her. They will receive the first rain catchment system.<br />
2. We met a lady raising 3 small children. She is actually the sister of the children's grandmother. The grandmother passed last year. She moved in to help the kids. They will get the second rain catchment.<br />
3. We walked into a yard of a woman named Happy. We noticed that her stick and mud home (see below) was not sturdy enough to accommodate a rain catchment gutter system, so we will build her and her orphaned grandchildren a home before installing the rain catchment system. She is the mother to two grown boys and now is raising her sister's grandchildren. Her sister died when her youngest child was only 8 months old. Now she is 14 months. She was thrilled to get food as she spent the entire day going door to door asking for food to feed the baby to no avail. As she was expressing her gratitude for the home and rain catchment, she said - "I have asked God to provide for these babies, to give me what I need to care for them. And He brought me you." What He did was bring the lady YOU! So grateful for our donors who change lives in rural eSwatini. I cannot imagine trying to raise my daughter (or my sister's kids) in a stick and mud hut without food or water. Thank you for giving her what she needs to give them a fighting chance!!<br />
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Excerpt from Sage:<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Day 2 here in eSwatini and the busy days are in full swing! We started off the day by visiting eLangeni primary school to assist with making the lunches of over 600 students. Rice and beans mixed with some peanut butter and soup mix was on the menu for the
day. All 7 of us realized just how weak we are when we learned that Suzi carries very large, heavy pots full of rice, beans, and water by herself every day whereas it took two and sometimes three of us to do the same tasks. After finishing up lunch and helping
serve the students, we headed over to the preschool to play some games and entertain the kids for a bit (which I think their teacher appreciated). My workout for the day included picking up and swinging every kid who would yell “take me” while jumping up and
down in my face because how do you say no to that? We finished out the day delivering food to several of the sponsored kids homes and preparing for the construction of rain catchment systems that will happen later this week. One of the highlights of the day
was seeing dancing Gogo still dancing and smiling after suffering a severe stroke within the past year. Although this is my second trip to eSwatini, I’m still blown away by the gratitude of kids, families, and other individuals who receive support from Give
Hope, Fight Poverty in one way or another. But more than that, I’m finding myself more and more inspired by the positive attitudes and resiliency of Swazi people, like dancing Gogo, and think we all have a lot to learn from them. </span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-86558844198423377902019-05-27T13:31:00.000-07:002019-06-06T12:05:18.409-07:00May 2019: Day 1Last trip to eSwatini, you didn't see any blog posts from me. It's tough programming an entire day then coming home to log receipts and blog after everyone else in my group falls asleep. So this trip, I'm going to put my team to work! Tonight's guest blog after my short excerpt is from Hannah Lindgren. This is actually her second trip to eSwatini. Her goal - both trips - is to film the kids thereby giving them a voice to tell their stories to the world. Stay tuned for more on that.<br />
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Tonight, we delivered food and visited with two of our original child-headed homes (added to our program over a decade ago). At the first home, we learned they have experienced food scarcity for 2 weeks. They've been struggling but working hard to continue their pursuit of their college studies and their hopes of starting a rural grocery store. Many of you recently donated your old clothes. Some of these clothes we wear during the trip and leave behind with the girls who will eventually clean, mend (if needed) and sell them. Tonight we heard from one of the girls who sells our old clothes as a means to support her child-headed family. She mentioned that from the sale of the clothes we left in March she was able to buy medication for her sister who has experienced chronic throat ulcers. She also bought handigas to be able to cook indoors when it rains and bought some food as well. Thank you for your donations!<br />
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We then went to Mazwi and Mphilo's home to say hello. When we asked Mphilo how her day at school was, she answered "marvelous". If only I could remain as positive as Mphilo. We talked to them about their new goats, their baby chickens (just born) and their excitement around their future. Mazwi is interested in rapping now and even gave us a taste of his new lyrics. I must admit that I am partial to everything Mazwi says and does... so I might have to start getting into rap now ;) He later texted me that he needs to repeat his video recording because he had not rehearsed enough and was not ready ;)<br />
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Here's an excerpt from Hannah:<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">We made it to eSwatini! As we watched the Indiana-like fields of South Africa turn into hilly, rocky eSwatini, I did some reflecting. It's been 14 months since my first trip with Give Hope and already so much has changed. This time around, the "newness" and raw differences of life here that I was flooded with the first time have been replaced with a sense of comfort and familiarity, allowing me to see things with a fresh perspective and new depth. This is a complicated, beautiful place, and I'm incredibly excited to have another opportunity to give these amazing kids a platform to tell their stories. Already on Day 1, we conducted four interviews! This week we're also going to gather a lot of new footage and photos of Give Hope programs that we haven't gotten before. The possibilities for how we can use this footage and the impacts the videos can have are endless. With an end-of-the-first-day perspective, the week ahead seems long, but I know it's going to end up flying by. Now time to get some sleep so I'm ready for it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-9826441214207315552019-01-02T11:41:00.001-08:002019-01-02T11:41:17.692-08:00Final Day of Jan 2019 trip
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a
storyteller.” I think about how often I have been speechless when I sit down to
write my blogs at night.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Any words I
type don’t seem to adequately capture the inexplainable beauty and the underlying
pain so abundant here in Swaziland, but I try.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I can’t wait until May when Hannah will return to capture the children’s
stories in their own words…but until then, here I am, your storyteller.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning we started early to fetch Raymond – our builder.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We drove to the hardware store where we purchased
the materials for two more rain catchment systems, this time for granny headed
homes in Malindza village.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As we followed
the “for hire” truck carrying all of the building materials, I prepped the group
to meet “dancing gogo”, my hero!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And,
sure enough, she lived up to her nickname.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>She even ran inside to tie traditional Swazi ankle bracelets on that
sound like rain sticks when she moves. Dancing gogo dances to the beat of her
own drum – with a nearly toothless smile on her face – despite the tough life
she lives. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Almost all of her children
are dead and she’s raising her grandchildren without a job or any income.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She works tirelessly while smiling and dancing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Previously she had to walk very far pushing a
wheel barrow full of tanks to fetch water.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Now, thanks to your generosity, her work will be a little easier because
she will have access to water on her homestead through an enormous tank Raymond
is installing tomorrow! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank you so
much! </span></div>
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After getting Raymond set up to build the two tank systems, we went to our New
Hope Centre where we met with Nurse Kandas to host our free pop-up clinic.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We saw around 100 orphans and elderly people
from the village.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sweet Banelile (you
have read about her in past blogs this week) was the only one we couldn’t treat
on site.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She needed an injection for her
asthma.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, we drove her with us to our
next stop – the refugee camp - where Kandas was able to provide the injection
at his clinic there. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pulling up to the camp, I didn’t know what to expect.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I only knew beforehand the very basics:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There are around 500 people living in the
camp with almost 300 of them being children under the age of 17 – some even
unaccompanied minors. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The refugees are escaping
war and famine around Africa.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The camp
is a severely underfunded.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we
asked the Director why they kept admitting new refugees when they could not properly
accommodate the ones they currently have, he said Swaziland has a law that
prevents them from turning anyone away. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But he also mentioned that when he pleads with
government for funding, they tell him they are already stretched too thin. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There are many problems at the camp, but one
is that there is not enough free food, so they only offer it to the children
and disabled.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But they end up sharing it
with those around them creating a culture of malnutrition.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Also, there is no water and hasn’t been for almost
a year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They built 16 pit latrine
toilets at some point, but they are now all overflowing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since many of the refugees have cholera upon entry,
sanitation is so crucial to prevent the spread of disease – particularly to the
65 children who make up the youngest and most vulnerable cohort: aged 0 - 4y.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks to a dear friend of mine matching donations in a
recent facebook campaign, and all of you donating to reach the goal, we were
able to raise enough money to build toilets at the camp. However, the director
told us that the lodging actually has flush toilets inside.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The only problem (and the reason why they built
the pit toilets to begin with) is that there is no water to flush the
toilets.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They have a borehole but the
pump malfunctioned a year ago and they have been unable to fix it due to a lack
of funds. Therefore, instead of building more pit latrine toilets, we went to a
drilling business where we commissioned them to fix the borehole.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They said that the previous pump was much too
weak to accommodate a 500-person community causing it to die before it was destined.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We bought a larger, more powerful pump that
is supposed to last at least 10 years! I’m prayerful that the pump works perfectly
and the refugees are able to have access to clean fresh water for the next decade!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Your donation is a blessing! Water is life! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our way out of the camp, a man came up with an excited
grin!! He pulled out a stack of papers and said “Hello.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I need an American wife.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I have my paperwork!” I’m not exactly sure
what paperwork he was referring to, but shucks…I’m already married. I let the
other girls fend for themselves as I took pictures of the children playing
barefoot in the rain.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I couldn’t help
but think how awful their lives must have been back home that they
would pack up their small children and flee to Swaziland’s refugee camp located
in the middle of a desert without access to water, minimal access to food, and sanitation levels that are a recipe for a public health outbreak.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thankfully, through the generosity of our donors,
the water will solve many of these problems for the women and kids who make up a majority of the camp.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Siyabonga kakhulu for your support… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the last blog until our next group arrives on the
ground the 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> of March.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Until then, thank you so much for your generosity! Nothing is possible
without you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Find us on facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/GiveHopeFightPoverty"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.facebook.com/GiveHopeFightPoverty</span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or visit our website: <a href="http://www.ifightpoverty.org/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ifightpoverty.org</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if you have 4 minutes, watch this video: <a href="https://youtu.be/WzKft6AxGWs"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://youtu.be/WzKft6AxGWs</span></a> </span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-24292421384734117012019-01-01T12:35:00.001-08:002019-01-01T12:35:39.086-08:00NYE and New Year's Day 2019!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">New Year’s Eve:</b> My
daughter Tinlie Lihle always askes me “Mommy, will you rub my arm?” as I put
her to bed. Tonight (after a much needed nap), we went to eLangeni to shoot off
crickets (fireworks) with the Msibis and Mazwi & Mphilo – a tradition we
started many years ago.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I don’t even
like fireworks, but it is so beautiful here.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>You see, there are no lights in the rural areas.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No street lights at all.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s complete darkness other than the glitter
shooting up from the ground and exploding in the sky.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We were dancing and singing and playing games
in the light of the fireworks and in the black darkness of the night.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But just before midnight, Junior (5 years
old) woke up scared from the fireworks.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>He came to the door crying.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I
left the others to put him back to bed - on his blanket on the cement
floor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As I snuggled him back to sleep,
I rubbed his arm the way I do with my 3 year old and sang “Jesus loves me, this
I know” just like I do with her, into his sleepy ear.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Missing my baby girl tonight!! Can’t wait for
her to be old enough to tag along with me in Swaziland…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But let’s back up!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This
morning we paid the eLangeni high school fees for all 11 orphaned students
(THANK YOU SO MUCH!!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We pay these fees
directly to the bank eliminating any chances of corruption.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are very grateful that you are investing in
these hardworking amazing children!! Siyabonga!! Watching what the children are
able to accomplish with your support is one of the biggest blessings in my
life!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Afterward we went to Malindza village where we hosted our
annual NYE party.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We had over 100
children attend.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These are orphans from
preK through primary.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We played games
and the children ate the chicken we provided (meat is an extreme luxury
here!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We also spent the day getting
Banelile prepared for her first year at the school for the Deaf.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It makes me so sad that there aren’t services
here.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I couldn’t stop thinking about one
of my best friends Lindsay who is a speech pathologist and how much I wish she could
help.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here I go getting ahead of myself
again… Banelile is 6 years old and mute. But she is very sharp! She understands
commands and can write.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She just can’t talk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And because of this, in Swaziland, they will
not accept her into the public schools paid for by the government.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Without our donor Anika paying her school
fees at the school for the Deaf, she would sit at home every year while her speaking
peers would learn and grow.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But the
school for the deaf is a boarding school.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It may be a blessing in disguise that she has a place to live – as long
as she learns to love it – because her mother is dead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And her father abandoned her when he realized
she “wasn’t perfect”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She was being raised
by her grandmother, but she had a stroke and is immobile.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Banelile is now alone.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Perhaps although in my Western mind, I’m
cringing that she has to go to a deaf school although she hears perfectly, she will
gain a new community of peers, friends and “family”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, we’re back to the fireworks part of my story… Someone
brings out a radio. Suddenly dance music is playing loudly in the dark, under
the glittering sky.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mazwi hears the beat
and starts swaying.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We form a circle
around him cheering him on, and he starts dancing… SO BEAUTIFULLY!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(Although if you know me, I am biased.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sweet 3 year old orphaned Mazwi, 12 years ago,
is the main reason GHFP was formed – everything he does is beautiful to me!! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And I pray every day that a cure for HIV is
found so he can live “forever”.)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As he
was dancing, I couldn’t help but remember my friend Sifiso, who died of AIDS
last November.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sifiso was a professional
dancer and 6 years ago, when Mazwi was 9 years old, he gave Mazwi his first unofficial
“dance lesson”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sifiso would be so proud
to see him now!! It is now 1am and I’m tired.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Sorry if this blog is scrambled thoughts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But my main thought tonight is gratitude.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Endless thanks to all of our donors who make
these children’s lives better.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When I
see these kids now, smiling hopeful and happy, my mind always momentarily
flashes back for a second to their previous life – before your sponsorship –
scared and unsure… and I am giddy with endless abundant gratitude!!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">New Year’s Day: </b>Today
we drove to Hlane Royal National Park.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Elise was hopeful to see an elephant.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>As we drove into the park, we saw giraffes along the highway eating leaves
from tall trees.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>During the safari, they
also saw lions, rhinos, warthogs, impala, hippos bathing in the watering hole,
and ELEPHANTS!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We dropped off our used
clothes with Nomalungelo on our drive.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>She will sell them and use the money to support herself (she is done
with high-school but there are no jobs in her rural village, so we try to support
her this way).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Once we arrived at home,
the girls spent 2 hours sanitizing soaps.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We collect used soaps from local hotels and sanitize them in a bleach
solution before distributing them to children in the rural communities.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Tomorrow we will distribute them to the
refugee camp and at our rural pop-up pediatric clinic.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Goodnight from eSwatini!! To the Dorsch, Kaur, Madhan and
Andersen families – THANK YOU for sharing your family with us… the ladies have
been AMAZING here and have been crucial in the implementation of our programming!
I hope they have gained a fraction of what they have given back.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If anyone would like to support our programming,
you can do so here: www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-30334903732345411322018-12-30T13:40:00.001-08:002018-12-30T13:40:16.807-08:00Another day in eSwatini!This morning we went shopping for Nothando's new home! Previously, our high school junior was raising her 5 year old daughter Luyanda and a handful of nieces and nephews (all 9 of her older siblings are dead) in a mud and stick home. In July, thanks to you, we raised money and built a new home for them. And today THANKS TO YOUR FURTHER GENEROSITY, we bought them their VERY FIRST BED!! I told Nothando about the "no more monkey's jumping on the bed" book my daughter loves and encouraged her daughter Luyanda to jump and give it a try (oops!! haha)! We bought mattresses and brand new sheets and plush pillows.... it literally gave me goosebumps knowing that previously all 7 kids slept on the (mud previously) cement floor with a few blankets on top. Tonight, for the first time in life, they will experience a bed. THANK YOU!!<br />
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Additionally, thanks to our friend Sube, we have now installed a gutter-tank rain catchment system that will collect rain water for irrigation and cleaning purposes. Malindza is an arid particularly dry area so being able to harvest every drop of rain possible is often the difference between growing crops versus not....health versus malnutrition...life versus death. We are so grateful for the opportunity to build this system allowing Nothando to harvest the water and use it to change the future for herself, her daughter, and her nieces and nephews!! Thanks Sube!! xoxo<br />
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Afterward, we delivered school supplies and emergency food aid to all 16 of our sponsored Malindza high school students. Since the area is so rural, this took the entire day! And the "roads" to these children's homes are not what you'd think. I often wish my car had wings to fly over the grand canyons in front of us...or that it had tires of steel to sustain the constant punctures from the cactuses and thorny bushes. All day my stomach was in knots worried about the very likely chance of blowing tires or getting our car stranded in the "middle of nowhere" while understanding the importance of the work we are doing (this area faces severe food scarcity and extreme malnutrition). After a long day of driving (off-roading!), I was in an anxious/sour mood and ready to return the car safely to the comfort of our guesthouse driveway. As we delivered the last emergency meal-pack, I was cheerfully counting down the 90 minute until home. Even if Santa Claus or a genie in a bottle granting wishes popped up in the middle of the highway on the way home, I would not have stopped.<br />
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Have you ever felt like you were being tested? As we were driving along the MR3 (major highway), I noticed in the distance an animal or something traveling slowly in the road. Cars were dangerously weaving out of the way (there are no shoulders in eSwatini). As I approached, I was shocked to see an elderly man in a tattered orange jumpsuit pushing an empty wheelchair in the busy highway with speeds up to 70 miles an hour. He was shuffling slower than a turtle - I wish I was exaggerating. I briefly told my mind to ignore it. I drove on eager to reach the comfort of home. Then, a few miles away, I felt myself being pulled to turn around. I apologized to the team - who all yearned to be home and eat their first meal of the day at 8pm, and made a U-turn. <br />
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When I reached the man, I asked him where he was going and how we could help. He said his bus would be 5R ($0.50). I eagerly ran to the car to grab it, patted myself on the back, and had my mind set to HOME. As I got in the car to drive away, I felt ashamed and got back out. I asked the man if we could drive him to his destination. He looked so relieved! We folded his wheelchair into our trunk and I helped lift his paralyzed left side of his body into the car. I refrained from unrolling the window - although the car now smelled like a dead animal - and drove following his instructions. When we reached his destination, he asked for a glass of water - we obliged - and then after he thanked us and prayed that God would bless us abundantly for the rest of our lives. <br />
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In Swaziland, I'm selfish. I'm tired. I'm emotionally exhausted. I feel like we're doing "all we can" here...or at least "enough". I was tempted to speed past the crippled man pushing a wheelchair in the highway like all of the other cars. But, I knew that my whole <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">life has been filled with people like you who have helped me when you likely didn't feel like it - and definitely didn't have to. Today was a day we had the chance to be that person in return. As Sukhi lifted him out of the car and placed him on the path with his wheelchair to guide him, I was thankful that my patience and anxiety were challenged. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
This morning we went to church and the pastor told us to rid ourselves of the negative aspects of our lives/personalities as God is giving us a fresh new year to change for the better. Goodbye impatience! Goodbye anxiety! What will you kick to the curb?? Tomorrow we will be cooking for over 100 children in Malindza for a new year's eve party. Hopefully these girls like to chop vegetables...and LOTS of them! ;)Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-49064450878943577822018-12-29T14:15:00.003-08:002018-12-29T14:15:46.296-08:00Another day in eSwatini (Dec 2018)
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today reminded me of the past and made me so very hopeful of
the future… but I’ll tell more about that later… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We started out at Nothando’s home (where we recently built a
new home & toilet for a child-headed family).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We hired Raymond to build a rain catchment gutter-tank
system so they have the ability to harvest rain water to irrigate their crops
during the dry season.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thanks to a donation
made by our long-time donor and friend Sube, as well as a BraveHeart Foundation
grant, we will be able to complete Nothando’s home as well as 4-5 other
child-headed homes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Super exciting!
Water is LIFE! More about this tomorrow….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back to my original story… past becoming hope.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For lunch today, we met with our 2019
sponsored eLangeni High School students.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>They were shy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Perhaps a bit
scared/intimidated.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a year of turnover.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A huge portion of our sponsored kids recently
graduated (YAY!!) and this group of kids are particularly new. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today’s pizza lunch was an awkward game of
them expressing their gratitude for the sponsorship – an open door that will
enable them to start to hope for a better future….. and us trying to recall
camp ice-breaker getting to know you games while the entire time, we – on both
sides – fumbled on our words.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We were
stumbling because we wanted to express how much we were cheering for them
without freaking them out or putting too much pressure on them, and on their
end – quiet and shy perhaps from a fear of disappointing us if they don’t succeed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Little do they know that we’re going to love
them and be their biggest cheerleaders no matter what! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward to dinner time and it was a completely
different atmosphere.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We had dinner with
our college kids and recent college graduates.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Most have been supported for over a decade! Instead of nervously telling
us their favorite color was blue and they really life giraffes, they felt
comfortable telling us about their dreams of the future and the challenges they’re
currently facing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nomfundo is wanting to
start a rural grocery business where she sells food to people living in rural Swaziland
unable to travel to the cities to shop.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Awesome! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lungelo is tired and
exhausted from university, but still has 2 more years of his 6 year accounting program
(he’s doing great!). Sanele has recently graduated and was describing his new
job (he’s currently on day 2!) working for a welding company and his dreams to
someday be self-employed in the field. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sizo was reflecting – now as his job as a high
school teacher – how he wished he would have tackled high school as a student
and how he develops relationships with his students outside of the class to
learn about their particular learning strengths and weaknesses so he can best differentiate
his instruction for them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The conversations were easy and trusting.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The hope was visibly transparent in our
students’ words and faces.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Perhaps I
didn’t see the hope in the students’ eyes at lunch because they were busy
looking toward the ground in fear/nervousness. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But I bet, after a couple of years of
sponsorship and support, we will see the fire light in their eyes and start
learning about their aspirations and the hurdles they need to overcome to get
there… and that’s my favorite part of this whole darn thing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What are we without hope?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And how we are as individuals ever able to
achieve greatness without the support of a whole entire village of other people?
How lucky are we – Give Hope, Fight Poverty - to be even a small part of that
village for these kids…?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We dropped one of the new high school kids off after lunch.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His family is particularly food scarce – he lost
his mother as a baby and has been raised by his grandmother who is raising
multiple orphaned grandchildren.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was
particularly shy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Didn’t say much at lunch
except that he loved math & science and wished to be a doctor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His grandmother was on the verge of tears as
we unloaded the rice, beans, etc onto her doorstep.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She explained how she was praying to God to
make this span of time between 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade and high school last forever
so she didn’t have to explain to her eldest grandson that she had no money to
send him to high school.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then when Bheki
told her he found a sponsor, she knew her grandson would finally have the
chance to succeed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Someday this small brilliant
boy will become a brilliant man who saves lives…. because when school starts in
January, thanks to your generosity, he will have a desk and a chair with his
name on it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I am filled with
gratitude.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank you for believing in
these amazing kids.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank you for changing
their lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>www.ifightpoverty.org</span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-1802953214330625072018-12-28T21:39:00.001-08:002018-12-28T21:39:26.894-08:00December 2018 eSwatini trip, Day 1
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I decided this go round not to use the kids names to maintain
their privacy on the world wide web… Sorry if it gets confusing, I know you are
concerned about the kiddos you may have been following for over a decade. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s now morning here in eSwatini and yesterday – when we
arrived here at noon - we hit the ground running.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We bought food for the kids, medicine for the
clinic, school shoes for their uniforms, and went to play with some of the
kiddos in the evening.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We learned that
one of our kids is likely on the second line of ARVs.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I always had a suspicion as the child has
been HIV-positive since birth and is now 15 years old.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Often the body tends to develop resistance prior
to 15 years.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Apparently the doctors switched
the drugs in 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Although
HIV is a chronic disease in America with drugs to maintain you for your natural
lifetime …Swaziland currently only has two lines of drugs available to the
public. I’ll now be ferociously praying for a third line of drugs to become
available before our sweetie needs it. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also learned that one of our child-headed family’s eldest
sisters decided it would be a great idea to start a lucrative bar at their home
despite the fact that their home is full of young children who are particularly
vulnerable to drunk men.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I asked where
her 5 year old daughter is while the men are lingering around getting
intoxicated.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our student just hung her
head and didn’t answer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She did say, however,
that she has been woken on more than one occasion and asked to be some drunk
man’s “girlfriend”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Where can I hire a bodyguard?
Ferociously praying for a bubble of safety around the little ones at that
homestead. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The one good news story of the day is one of our children
got to meet their paternal grandmother for the very first time!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The grandmother learned about our child a while
ago and has been frantically searching for him ever since.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You see, the father left the child after the mother
died when the child was only a baby and was never seen again.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He ended up dying of HIV eventually and his
family never knew of the child’s birth until his death bed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our child spent Christmas with the grandmother,
aunt, and some of the grandchildren. They enjoyed learning about their father
and learning about the 4 half siblings they never knew they had.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The siblings are much older and a couple of
them have good jobs (police and a nurse).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I am hopeful that they reach out and offer some support to our child –
however minimal it might be.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was the last one asleep and the first one awake! If you know
me, you know I sleep a lot at home… I think I’m always in training for these
trips.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Saving up sleep for the deficit
that will soon be inevitable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And the
country has apparently decided to permanently rid itself of my caffeine source
- Coke Light (diet coke) after years of it being scarce.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So I’m awake solely on adrenaline. Haha.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here’s to the start of day two! </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you want to see pictures, follow <a href="http://www.facebook.com/GiveHopeFightPoverty">www.facebook.com/GiveHopeFightPoverty. </a>Thanks for your support!! </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-69511365210555200192018-07-24T13:07:00.002-07:002018-07-24T13:07:20.207-07:00Final day - July 2018!<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning we dropped off medical supplies (N95 masks to
prevent TB, gloves, and plastic disposable specula) to Baylor’s pediatric HIV
center (thanks Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach!!). The waiting room was packed
with patients, so we didn’t stick around for a tour.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Afterward we delivered laptops and books to
Phonjwane Primary.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The brand new Usborne
books, from Tiffany, were added to the library we built last month (Tiffany,
now they’re all delivered – thanks so much!).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>And the laptops are slowly starting to build a computer lab for the children.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Have any old laptops you’re willing to part
with? I’d love to bring them here! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At New Hope Centre, we finally finished the plastic bottle privacy
wall in front of the 4-stall toilet. Raymond’s team will finish the toilet
portion on Thursday but it is framed and the roof was being installed
today.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yesterday and today we had visitors
coming from the neighborhood to check out the construction.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They were amazed and thought it was beautiful.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They kept referring to it as the “toilet’s
decoration”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Haha <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are so glad that the 900 plastic bottles (Thanks
for organizing the collection & storage of them all Beished!!) were
repurposed rather than being burned as trash polluting the air, and that the orphaned
children in the rural community now will have ample toilets preventing infectious
disease.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you to everyone who has donated toward Nothando’s new
home!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She and her younger sisters and
nephew will soon be in a permanent cement structure rather than their stick,
rock and mud hut.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I used the recent donations
you made through Facebook to buy the materials for the foundation today.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Raymond is going to start on digging and
laying the foundation next week when he is finished building the toilets.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hopefully by December when I return to Swaziland
we will have the rest of the money raised and can build the house then.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’re still $3,300 short.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you’d like to donate, contact me: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">anniefightspoverty@gmail.com</a> or
donate online: <a href="http://swazilandannie.blogspot.com/donate.html"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://swazilandannie.blogspot.com/donate.html</span></a>
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every trip to Swaziland, I encourage the volunteers to bring
clothes and shoes they are willing to part with.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Throughout the week, we have been putting our
worn clothes in suitcases. We then give the clothes to some of our sponsored
kids who will wash and sell the clothes as a small business. On the way home,
we delivered the clothes to Nomfundo and Mphilo.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we were leaving Mphilo’s house, I stopped
to take off my Nikes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Beth & Kylie saw
what was happening and followed suit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We
all walked down the mountain barefooted as Mary walked ahead warning us when
she saw broken glass or thorns. I’m always so thankful for the amazingly
generous people who travel with me to Swaziland.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And I am super excited that Mphilo (and soon
her customers) have 3 pairs of well-made sneakers now!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The group decided to go home and shower/pack.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I ran off to see my late friend Sifiso’s 4
year old daughter Sikhanyiso.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Throughout
this week there were multiple times when I saw someone from behind with Sifiso’s
gait or had to double-take when I saw someone from far away with a similar
smile.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I have to sometimes remind myself
that I won’t ever see him again, but I see him SO MUCH now in his daughter –
they’re twins!!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I gave her mom rent
money and bus fare for her to get to school (Thanks Ashela!!) and gave her a beautiful
doll that looks like her (Thanks Aleks-Handmade!!). She had the flu and looked
very tired; but she is learning a lot in school, starting to understand English
and looked excited to see her new doll!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tonight I got the most beautiful thank you message from Sizo
and I always want to pass it along because nothing is possible without your
generosity: “My words always fail me when I say how grateful I am to you, Kait
and the donors in the States who have generously and lovingly given their hard
earned money to better our world.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank
you thank you thank you! It is people like you all that make me believe there
is such a thing as guardian angels, always there when you need them the most.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you’d like to travel with us to Swaziland, we’d love to
have you!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We have trips traveling throughout
the year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Join a team or form your own
team.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Everyone is invited!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’d love to chat with you about the possibilities:
anniefightspoverty@gmail.com </span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-20284914872346462042018-07-23T14:35:00.003-07:002018-07-23T14:35:26.028-07:00Day 5!
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning we hosted a free clinic (thank you Hospital Sisters
Mission Outreach for the medical supplies including the blood pressure cuff and
stethoscope that was so handy today! and Rotary club of Indianapolis for
sponsoring all the prescription medication!) in eLangeni village.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We started at 7am and the line didn’t cease
until 4:10pm.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nurse Kandas didn’t take a
break at all throughout the day and the stream of children and their caretakers
didn’t break either.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our volunteers
counted out dosages, disseminated donations (soap, reusable sanitary pads (Thanks
Kristen and team!!), and underwear, and played with the kids waiting in line
(Jose was a pro soccer player!!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The underwear was a surprising smash hit. Originally, we
were distributing the underwear, pads, soaps etc as the patients exited the clinic.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After many hours, Nurse Kandas pointed out
that he suspected many people were only in line for the free underwear and we
should attend to them so the line disappears and he stops seeing “fake patients”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sure enough, as soon as the underwear was finished,
many of the ladies waiting in line went home.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>(Thanks again Kristen and team!!) </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another smash hit in the distribution were the hand-made bracelets
from the residents at Monarch Landing retirement community! (Thanks Sherry and
Kelly!!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We had to stop people from
taking more than one because they were such a commodity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Even the men wanted the bracelets!! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the clinic, we went hiking with our friend Sthembiso
(Baby T) and this time Lungelo (our sponsored university student) came
too.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our trips here in Swaziland are
relentless.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s a relentless need, a
relentless time constraint, and a relentless worry that what we’re doing isn’t
enough.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Many many years ago, my friend
Sifiso introduced me to a mountain top in Mbabane where the whole world seemed
to stop.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The anxiety and worry wash
away.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s somehow a pause button
that is pressed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You can lay on a rock
listening to the sound of the birds chirping above you and the cars buzzing far
below you and just BE.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sifiso is no
longer alive to hike with us, but the gift of serenity he left behind is
something I cherish.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After hiking, we met some of our sponsored kids for dinner
at Nando’s.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I love watching the US
college students mingle with the Swazi college students.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Of course the daily lives here are much more
challenging, but the similarities end up being more common than the differences.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Music, likes/dislikes, and hopes for the
future… <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We were too many for our rental car, so I drove
a few kids home alone.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While I was driving
Sizo and Bongani home, I was treated to a duet-serenade.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sizo started “covering” the Christian song that
goes “There’s power in the name of Jesus… break every chain….” And between the
verses Bongani rapped about the importance to place your trust and life in God’s
hands.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If I didn’t have both hands on
the wheel avoiding pot holes the size of the Grand Canyon while off-roading in
the rural area, I would have tried to record the beauty.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Far too beautiful for only my enjoyment.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But it filled me up so much… Sizo talked
tonight about how he didn’t meet Bongani until last year when I introduced them
at a previous Nandos meal (we try to do this every trip with some of the 55
sponsored GHFP students).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He mentioned
that they are now great friends and collaborating on music endeavors. When I think
back to 11 years ago – the initial paths being created – until now when they all
keep weaving such a beautiful story, it can bring me to tears.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I am eternally grateful for these children
(and young men – Lungelo reminded me that he is no longer a child), and I’m as
equally eternally grateful for their relationship with me as I am grateful for
their relationship with each other.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What
an indestructible bond only a miracle can create… </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Tomorrow is another
construction day… just as my back was starting to heal haha.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Finishing the toilets tomorrow! Goodnight
from Swaziland! </span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537210883109469733.post-56880972554152164242018-07-22T14:08:00.003-07:002018-07-22T14:08:58.500-07:00Day 4
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guys, I still (and feel like I always will) hurt! We’re constantly
filling (more) bottles, hand pumping and carrying (more) borehole water, moving
(more) Earth, carrying 50lb cement blocks, and mixing cement/river sand/plaster
sand/ and water by hand. My husband once tried to get me to lift with him and I
barely did and then couldn’t walk for 3 days afterward. I already know he
wouldn’t believe what we’ve been up to here… and we aren’t even done! We’ll
finish the very top portion on Tuesday.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s
amazing to think of the plastic bottle TRASH that we are repurposing to become
a toilet to help with rural sanitation to ultimately SAVE LIVES.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Trash saving children’s lives…… makes the
aches and pains all worth it (but I am still chewing ibuprofen like candy).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After over a decade of coming to Swaziland, I have stopped
participating in the group’s safari experience.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Sometimes I see some impala by the watering hole at Hlane, but I haven’t
seen an "real" wild animal in ages.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today, on
the way to safari, not even to the park yet, Mary shouts “GIRAFFES” at the top
of her lungs.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We look over and see 3
beautiful creatures eating leaves on tall trees along the road.<span style="margin: 0px;"> Suddenly all anxiety disappeared. </span>I always appreciated giraffes because I too have
been a vegetarian for 20 years and I have heard that giraffes are docile and
the “lovers of the wilderness”. <span style="margin: 0px;"> But </span>Mary
told me today that they like to fight and WHAP people with their necks, so now
I am trying to forget that tidbit of info and dream about frolicking with my
gentle long necked friends…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are ALMOST done with the toilet wall.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are constructing a 4-stall (2 girl and 2
boy) pit latrine toilet out of plastic soda/water bottles.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This not only saves the environment of the
toxins from burning the plastic but it also saves the children from
communicable infectious disease.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s
been a learning process as there are currently NO structures in Swaziland built
this way, but it is coming along.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
main struggles have been having enough water to mix the mortar (the borehole is
hand-pumped and down a steep hill), and the energy/manpower to mix the cement
by hand (the group thought there would be an electric cement mixer….everything
is man-powered in Swaziland!!). Perhaps our group should have exercised a bit more before this trip haha.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Afterward, we stopped by Nothando’s house.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She is a high school junior and the eldest
person at her homestead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She raises her
own 5 year old daughter Luyanda, 3 sisters and 1 nephew Peliswe all alone.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We dropped food and a flash drive to assist
her studies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we asked what she needed
most, she said a new home.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hers is made
of rocks, sticks and mud.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When it rains,
her dirt floor turns to mud. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She sleeps
in this muddy room with all 5 of her relatives.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>She needs a more permanent structure!! A new house for the 6 children
would be around $3,500 total.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Even $25 would
help us get there…. Would you consider it? 100% of any donations will go toward
this project: <a href="http://ww.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://ww.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html</span></a> </span></div>
Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164759119003218690noreply@blogger.com0