By Cherry Brandstater MD | Project Coordinator, New Hope Centre
The 2013 school year for New Hope Centre is in full swing. We are fully aware what an advantage our children have over the thousands of orphans in Swailand left to their own devices just to survive. With this in mind we have made a conscious decision to keep our kids in contact with those in need in other parts of the country. One of the ways we do this is to take them to other schools to present plays, talk with the students, encourage them and pray for them. It is one of our highest goals to be preparing our students to step into the leadership vacuum created by the AIDS epidemic in Swaziland. They will not be able to do that unless they are personally familiar with the plight of their people. This happens through exposure. Their leadership must be based on compassion and wisdom. In May we began the process that we hope to complete this school year of visiting 36 schools with messages of hope and caring. Several teams have already been sent out with remarkable acceptance and exciting results.
One of our family members at New Hope Centre, Elijah aged 17, was sent for a two week training session to a chicken farm to learn how to manage the chicken business. While there he will learn how to prepare a business plan with the goal of starting a small business at New Hope Centre that will supplement the income needed to keep things running. It will also serve, of course, as a valuable tool for him in knowing how to run a business of his own in the not too distant future. He will serve as the manager of the business at New Hope which should favorably influence his ability to get a bank loan to start his own farm.
On a lighter note our kids have been learning how to rock climb and build kites and banners. We have a mountain rising up behind us that provides lively winds which set the kites and banners flying gaily in the sky, much to the delight of the little ones.
We also have some struggles. Clearly we are not able to provide as high salaries to our teachers and other staff as other schools and businesses can. Since we live in a subsistence society this is a serious issue. Consequently, we have lost three of our teachers and are in the process of trying to find excellent replacements. We are looking for teachers with high level scholastic qualifications, but also those with sacrificial hearts who see what is being accomplished here in the lives of the children and want to be a part of it.
Your contributions have been such a vital gift to us. Those of you giving thru GlobalGiving represent one of our largest sources of revenue and enable us to have hope for the future of Swaziland. Thank you from the hearts of fifty children who need, love and pray for you.
With gratitude,
Cherry Brandstater MD
Project Coordinator
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