About Swaziland

An independent country landlocked between Mozambique and South Africa, Swaziland is the worlds only remaining absolute monarchy. Mostly highlands with some sloping plains, its size compares to that of New Jersey.

The country suffers from drought with limited supplies of potable water and a diminishing wildlife population due to excessive hunting, overgrazing, soil erosion and soil degradation.

The estimated human population in 2007 was 1.3 million. The latest estimate is under a million with an orphaned population of approximately 200,000. In recent years, Swaziland has become a country with the highest AIDS prevalence rate at 26.1% (2007 est.) with some estimates as high as 50%. Over 10,000 people die each year from the deadly disease and over 190,000 people live with AIDS (2007 est.)

Second to HIV/AIDS, human trafficking is a major problem in Swaziland. It is a source, destination and transit country for women and children forced into commercial prostitution, domestic servitude and agricultural.

For more country information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaziland

LifeCorps Orphan Project-Swaziland

Swaziland suffers from the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world, leaving approximately 200,000 orphaned children. Too young to work, too young to fend for themselves, many become easy targets for human traffickers forcing them into a life of drugs and prostitution.

• In 2010, the total number of orphans in the world was over 132 Million children. Over 14 Million children were double orphans (Maternal + Paternal orphans)

• In Africa, there were over 53 MILLION orphaned children, over 10 Million without both parents, 15.7 MILLION orphaned from AIDS

• In Swaziland, it is estimated that 1/5 if the population is orphaned.

• In many cases, the grandparents or older children of the orphaned child become the guardians.

• Those without a guardian become dependants of the community which are already living in poverty making the situation more severe.

• Many become lost into society as street children, making them vulnerable to the gang culture forcing them into a life of violence, prostitution and drugs.

• Orphans become stigmatized and suffer persecution.

• Orphans are at risk of missing out on schooling, food and nutritional security, suffer anxiety and depression and in greater danger of contracting AIDS

• After the grieving stage, an orphan is at greater risk of suffering from physical, verbal and sexual abuse and in some cases they live with the very disease that killed their parents. AIDS.

LifeCorps and El Shaddai Ministry-Swaziland

Foundations began in 1998 in the Ekufikeni (meaning "Place of Arrival") Valley of Swaziland. In 2000, with forty dollars, Kallie and Charmain Coertzen moved to the property and lived in a trailer for two and a half years with their two children, and a little shack housing several orphans. The Swaziland Welfare Agency began bringing orphaned and abandoned children to this secluded mountain home. It wasnt long before they realized that the AIDs pandemic was much larger than they had estimated.

The government of Swaziland has never supplied any financial support.

The children are from sexually and physically abusive homes, some abandoned in the streets and wooded areas, some given up by grandmothers unable to provide for them, and others are runaways. Sadly, some children are HIV positive and require an anti retroviral to survive. Many have been directly affected by the AIDS pandemic.

El Shaddai runs the only school in Swaziland that does not charge for education. The pre-school to grade seven classes contain almost three hundred children from the orphanage and the surrounding villages. Not far away, a high school was created for high school students which travelled a great distance to their old high school.

Twice a week, El Shaddai sponsors a health clinic open to anyone in the community, providing consultation and medicines at no charge.

The Agriculture Program, which grows maize and vegetables, raises chickens, cattle and pigs, helps to provide healthy meals and exposes the children to basic farming techniques.

The vision for LifeCorps and El Shaddai is to help as many orphans as possible. Providing them with a healthy, secure and loving environment until they are able to sustain themselves and become an integral part of a secure and just community.

For more information about El Shaddai Ministry visit: http://www.elshaddaiswaziland.org/

How Can You Help

Through LifeCorps you can give financial support to:

• Provide the daily basic needs of an orphaned child, which includes food, clothing, water, shelter, education and health care

• The Agricultural Program which includes the raising of chickens, cattle, pigs and growing feed.

• A building project-Teachers housing

• General Operating Funds.

• Health Clinic