 Swaziland, South Africa
Children's Education Outreach
(October, 2009)
Reaching Out to Give the Children of Swaziland a Brighter Future!
"Good works are the links that form a chain of love."
~Mother Teresa
There is an urgent need for new primary education buildings and support facilities in Manzini, Swaziland, South Africa. According to a recent Africa Region Human Development Study, in Swaziland, the pupil-classroom ratio is 47:1 -- 50% of classrooms do not have electricity, there are insufficient desks and chairs, inadequate bathroom facilities, and 67% do not have an adequate fresh water supply. A picture of a current temporary school facility is shown below. Government funds are not available to construct the new education facilities that are needed. In addition to a lack of adequate facilities, there is an increasing orphan population due to the rate of HIV/AIDs deaths. According to UNICEF, 38% of 15-49 age groups have HIV/AIDs, and only 77% of children have both parents alive. So with better facilities, more students and AIDS orphans, will not only have a structured learning environment, but will ensured of at least one nutritious meal a day.
In order to help support local educational facilities, World Missions Possible is planning on sending a 10-person team to help construct the government-required teacher's house and additional latrines at Lomngeletjane Memorial Methodist Primary School, so that the school may be opened for the children's use. The school is located about 18 km outside of Manzini, Swaziland. It is a very rural farm community. Many of the children do not go to school because they are either orphaned or destitute and have no way to pay the school fees of the the other school in the area. This school is located in an area that will save many children from walking a great distance to attend the closest school, which is over 5 km away.
The construction of additional latrines and the teacher's house are required before the Government will register the school and provide the teachers, curriculum and the initial cost of desks and chairs for the teachers and students. The second 4-classroom block is required for the school to be a "complete school" for grades 1 through 7. The one extra classroom can be used as a Home Economics classroom until the community can raise its own funds to build a Home Economic block and other buildings that are usually found at schools, such as a administration block, an agriculture block and additional teacher's houses.
As you can see, the current school building is made out of cement block, wood for the roofing beams, a metal corrigated iron roof with metal door and window frames and a wooden door. The floor is concrete. Electrical conduit is installed, but these estimates do not including running the electrical wiring or plumbing the house for connection to the school's borehole. All building materials will be be acquired locally - in Swaziland, supporting the local community. Much of the material - lumber, roofing, nails, cement, window and door frames, etc., will be purchased through a local store called CashBuild. The sand and stone to mix with the cement and the blocks are ordered from other local contractors. We also plan to hire a local contractor to be the main builder and he hires a few of the local men to help with the building projects. We will use a combination of team funds and labor to reduce the cost of building the structure and to promote the exchange of knowledge and friendship between the American team and the local Swazi residents that live in Lomngeletjane and around St. Paul's Methodist Church in Manzini. 
How you can help:
- Please contact Swaziland Team Leader, John Amos joamos836@yahoo.com, or Roxane Richter roxanerichter@yahoo.com, for more information on how you can help donate funds for the team's in-country transportation costs, building materials fees, or other mission trip costs.
- Help the Swaziland team solicit grants from corporations and foundations.
- Have a Swaziland fundraiser at your church or civic organization -- or allow the team to conduct a fundraiser activity at your local church or community center. Contact John Amos on upcoming fundraising activities that will be conducted by the team.
Thank You!
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