Raising Up Orphans in Swaziland

How does an African village in eSwatini achieve sustainability? In 2006 AIDS had ravished the adult community in Swaziland and babies and children suffered the worst impact. Partners In Action, through an international partnership, acquired an abandoned town in Swaziland called Bulembu. Today Bulembu is a thriving town with numerous business enterprises. Orphaned children receive food, education, and the hope for a future. No child is left behind in Bulembu.

Bulembu started as an orphanage that took in these abandoned and otherwise orphaned children and sought to give them a life of hope and joy. Built on the site of an abandoned asbestos mining town, Bulembu now stands as a shining example of what can be accomplished to raise up children in Africa.

God provided the path to purchase the 4400-acre property to house orphaned children and the business experience to establish an amazing social venture. Today 400 orphans live in the former miners’ renovated cottages. Two large dining halls provide simple, nutritious food cooked in a communal kitchen. The children attend to chores to keep up vegetable gardens, hand-wash and line-dry their clothes, and maintain the tidiness of their home. The children learn in bright and clean classrooms with dedicated teachers. There is a Christian Church, a health clinic, a commercial bakery, and a small general store.

Bulembu business enterprises include a processing plant to harvest and package honey, a sawmill that employs men from the area, the Bulembu Lodge and restaurant for travelers, and an artesian spring that supplies water to run a bottling operation. A former golf course has become a dairy cow operation. As each enterprise has moved steadily toward greater sustainability Bulembu has become more self-supporting and less dependent upon donations.

Communities are transformed when generosity to the needy is based upon building sustainable businesses ventures. Members learn, grow, work, and manage profitable enterprises with the right entrepreneurial assistance throughout the process. This model is rapidly becoming the new standard for best practices to make the greatest impact in the world.

Partners In Action offers its success in Bulembu as evidence of the transformative truth that people want to thrive through their own efforts, not merely survive on hand-outs.

Partners in Action enables social transformation through its ability to develop, fund and implement sustainable business activities. Partners in Action identifies communities in need, defines business ventures that can enhance and grow a community, and provides the right combination of entrepreneurial skills and venture-funding to implement new businesses.

Partners In Action creates social impact by empowering sustainable humanitarian projects that focus on improving the lives of individuals in underserved communities around the world.

Partners in Action continues to be a Christ-centered and purpose-driven organization whose goal is to spread God’s message throughout the communities we serve. Learn more about Partners in Action from the video above from Jerry Bowman, Executive Director and CEO. Click image or here to view. To learn how you can volunteer or support their work, visit their website here.

On MissionFinder, we have over 1,000 ministries offering opportunities like this to serve at home and around the world. Does your church or organization need help organizing mission trips? Check out our partner site, MissionMinder.com. Their easy to use software will help you manage all the details for your short-term mission trips and team members online. Unlimited Trips. Unlimited team members. Easy online fundraising pages. Try it free for 30 days. Learn more here.

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