Tackling the causes and effects of poverty and injustice is kind of a big job. It ain’t going away overnight. But sometimes small steps, when taken together with other people, can make a mind-blowing difference in the lives of people who otherwise might not have hope.
Mahlalini is a village in one of Africa’s smallest countries, Swaziland, where 60% of the population live on the equivalent of $1.25 per day, over 40% of the population is infected with HIV/AIDS, 1 out of every 5 children is an orphan, a 15-year old has only a 20% chance of reaching age 35, and 15,000 households are headed by orphaned children.
Enter World Vision
Swaziland is not unique in its need, as about 2/3 of the entire planet’s population eek out meager and difficult livings. World Vision (www.worldvision.org) supports children from all over the world by matching donors and needy kids for monthly support of $35.
Enter Sammamish Presbyterian Church (SPC)
Anyone can go to www.worldvision.org and begin a relationship with a child in need, which I encourage you to at least think about. But SPC (www.spconline.org) decided to make an even more dramatic impact by collectively focusing on a specific community, Mahlalini. In a partnership with World Vision over 140 families in Sammamish, WA have adopted children from the same community, have maintained written communication, have traveled to their village, and have continued to spread the word about how small change from us can make a huge change in the life of a child and their supportive neighbors. It is a coordinated all-out blitz attack on poverty.
Our non-profit of the month for December is actually a monthly sponsorship of a child in Mahalini. We are excited to share with you whom we get to sponsor in Swaziland and will keep you updated just like we have with our microloans thru www.kiva.org . Check out the video of the trip to Mahalini http://www.spconline.org/pages/Mission/ChildIsWaiting.html
