All standing in front of our new digs in Vuvulane.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
CHIPS Staff in Vuvulane
All standing in front of our new digs in Vuvulane.
Friday, November 01, 2013
Swaziland Update: New Donation Site and Van Status
New Donation Method - Van Status
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Thursday, October 10, 2013
2013 10 08 - New Office Building and 501c3 status approved!
From: Du______ L R________
Sent:
Saturday, September 28, 2013 9:34 PM
To: Da_____
R_________
Subject:
Yippee!!! 501 (c) (3) Approved!!!
Importance:
High --- Spread the word, we’ve been approved!!! On September 22,
2013, the IRS approved Kudvumisa Foundation USA Inc. tax exempt status.
We will keep you posted as we transition to receiving donations through
the Kudvumisa Foundation. Thanks to all who made this possible!
USAID Update
We’ve hired another
counselor for the HIV testing, and finished interviews last week for a Finance
and a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer. These new positions are needed
to help manage the grant from PEPFAR/USAID.
Swaziland Ministry of
Health
As reported in the
previous newsletter a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with
the Swaziland Ministry of Health. The “town” of Vuvulane has
provided a building to move into rent free. Office renovations were needed to
comply with the requirements for secure and climate controlled ARV drug
storage, and secure storage for patient files. Installation of the required AC
is pictured on the left. The air conditioner is a crucial requirement
for meeting the drug storage requirements from the Ministry of Health,
not for staff comfort!
Office Renovations
Complete
Total cost was about E16,000/$1,684USD; local labor was
used and it was managed ourselves to reduce the cost. A donation
of E3000/$316USD was received from an Australian couple who visited and saw our
work. Please be prayerful about giving to provide for ongoing maintenance for
this facility. The recently painted and renovated building is pictured on the
right.
The ministry is still waiting on delivery of the new passenger van. The mobile
clinic has been ordered; this vehicle is paid for and is being transported to
Durban for the mobile clinic conversion.
For the kingdom of
God belongs to such as these... Luke 18:16
There are a number of
children in abusive situations in the communities we work in. Neglect,
rape, physical and emotional abuse; this takes a toll on us to watch as the
government is unable to cope or deal with the situation. Please pray for
these children, there were three in particular need of a new home. One of
the three children was placed in a Christian orphanage that belongs to a friend
of ours and he is doing very well! Praise the Lord! He is adjusting
to having many brothers and sisters and a Make (mother) that takes care of him,
rules that he must follow to protect him and to having electricity and running
water. His first bath was hilarious, he loved it! There was more water on
the floor than in the tub! Light switches were also fascinating to him at
first, he would not stop turning them on and off!
The other two (2) children were placed in a Buddhist orphanage which is very
disappointing, but at least they are in a safe place. Teresa is working to
get them moved to the Christian orphanage. Please pray with us about this
situation!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month internationally.
Teresa is involved in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Network here in
Swaziland. One of the King’s wives has shown an interest in coming to the
Breast Cancer walk at the end of the month and Teresa will be visiting the
Royal Palace today (10/08/13) to meet her and to discuss her presence at the
walk. This is a great honor and we ask that you please pray that it goes
well and for an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with her! Her
presence in a public place has many complications and certain protocols must be
followed which makes it difficult to navigate, so please pray for wisdom.
A dear friend of the Ministry needs
your prayers.
Cheri
McDaniel was very instrumental in getting us the funding through Rotary
for the new van and setting up the donor advised fund for the property through
Rotary. Included here is an email from Cheri: Dr Leo said I have
colon cancer and the biopsy confirmed. Though the cat scan showed no signs of having
spread to other body parts, the surgery will be what doctors call the
"gold" test. My first hurdle is successfully going through surgery
after being off blood thinners for a week, something my Cardiologist hoped I
would never have to do. This makes a greater risk of heart attack or stroke
which I have never had, thankfully. Then I will be a candidate to face
necessary steps thereafter. Dr Louis Barfield asked that as many as
possible pray for him during this time. Apparently I have a Christian
surgeon! Cheri’s surgery is tomorrow the 9th of October.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Cheri McDaniel,
her doctor, surgery and recovery.
- Pray for children that are in
abusive situations.
- Pray for funding for the needed
building renovation and ongoing maintenance.
- Praise God that the IRS 501c3
status has been granted.
We also need prayers
for wisdom and strength as we move forward with expanding CHIPS and working
with this grant, hiring new employees and many other challenges. It has
been very busy and stressful so please pray for health, peace and rest in the
midst of all the changes and expansion. These are all good things and we
are very grateful that the Lord has blessed us with this grant and we want to
do this with excellence!
Anna, who has been with us since we have been in Swaziland, is part of our
family and we love her. She has recently been diagnosed with stage 3
cervical cancer and she is on the waiting list for the government to send her
to South Africa for radiation and chemotherapy, which are presently not available
in the country. We don’t know how long this will take since the
government is having difficulty paying the bills to South Africa. They
will not take additional patients until they receive payment. The
treatment in South Africa is very expensive so we can’t afford to send her for
treatment ourselves and she has no medical aide. We are praying for the
Lord to heal her and/or to provide a way for her to receive treatment.
From: Du______ L R________Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2013 9:34 PM
To: Da_____ R_________
Subject: Yippee!!! 501 (c) (3) Approved!!!
Importance: High --- Spread the word, we’ve been approved!!! On September 22, 2013, the IRS approved Kudvumisa Foundation USA Inc. tax exempt status. We will keep you posted as we transition to receiving donations through the Kudvumisa Foundation. Thanks to all who made this possible!
USAID Update Swaziland Ministry of Health
Office Renovations Complete
Total cost was about E16,000/$1,684USD; local labor was
used and it was managed ourselves to reduce the cost. A donation
of E3000/$316USD was received from an Australian couple who visited and saw our
work. Please be prayerful about giving to provide for ongoing maintenance for
this facility. The recently painted and renovated building is pictured on the
right.The ministry is still waiting on delivery of the new passenger van. The mobile clinic has been ordered; this vehicle is paid for and is being transported to Durban for the mobile clinic conversion.
The other two (2) children were placed in a Buddhist orphanage which is very disappointing, but at least they are in a safe place. Teresa is working to get them moved to the Christian orphanage. Please pray with us about this situation!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month internationally.
Teresa is involved in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Network here in
Swaziland. One of the King’s wives has shown an interest in coming to the
Breast Cancer walk at the end of the month and Teresa will be visiting the
Royal Palace today (10/08/13) to meet her and to discuss her presence at the
walk. This is a great honor and we ask that you please pray that it goes
well and for an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with her! Her
presence in a public place has many complications and certain protocols must be
followed which makes it difficult to navigate, so please pray for wisdom.Anna, who has been with us since we have been in Swaziland, is part of our family and we love her. She has recently been diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer and she is on the waiting list for the government to send her to South Africa for radiation and chemotherapy, which are presently not available in the country. We don’t know how long this will take since the government is having difficulty paying the bills to South Africa. They will not take additional patients until they receive payment. The treatment in South Africa is very expensive so we can’t afford to send her for treatment ourselves and she has no medical aide. We are praying for the Lord to heal her and/or to provide a way for her to receive treatment.
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Prayer Requests
Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. Psalm 89:8
We serve a God who is faithful to His promises and covenant in every way.
Wisdom! We are moving in to areas of ministry and work way beyond what we originally envisaged. Praise God! This work needs to be done with excellence and integrity.
Support! We appreciate your continued prayers and support! I would ask you to share this work with interested friends and colleagues. Our support during the year wanes during the US summer months.
Stateside! Nathanael finishes school here in November. We will be back in the States for about 6 weeks. While it will be a time to visit family and help Nate get re-acclimated (reverse culture shock?) we do want to visit our supporters and reconnect.
We are honored and privileged to be able to be here in Swaziland and do what we do. We are thankful for the support and prayers of everyone who makes it possible.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/z0hSj
Australian Volunteers International
We have received confirmation that Kudvumisa Foundation will be receiving a "volunteer" from Australia in September. Georgina will be joining us for a two year commitment: her salary will be paid by AVI. We have a small commitment to help with housing.
Her effort will be focused entirely on working with the ladies in Section 19 we call the "Sewing Ladies". Much time and effort has been dedicated over the past two years to help these ladies learn the skills to create marketable items and achieve a minimal level of proficiency and quality to access American markets. Georgina will continue to work on skills and marketable items, but her primary goal will be to help these ladies develop the skills to operate as a business and ultimately to be able to stand alone with or without our help.
Gabby was here for 4 weeks between May and June with a Projects for Peace grant provided by the Davis Foundation Projects for Peace. She was accompanied by two of her friends/co-grantees from Notre Dame of Maryland University: Amber and Andreina. These girls spent three weeks in Section 19 teaching the "Sewing Ladies" and other ladies in the community how to crochet. This is another skill added to the repertoire for these ladies, living in a difficult place under sometimes difficult circumstances.
PEPFAR Grant
The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was begun by President George W Bush in 2008 and sent billions to different countries and organizations to combat HIV. Swaziland has received over $130 million since 2009. This year an opportunity was advertised for small/nascent organizations to apply for 15 months of funding. We fit those requirements perfectly! We submitted a letter of Expression of Interest which was accepted and then a full proposal, which we just received notification this week, that was accepted.
This grant will allow us to expand geographically and demographically: we will be able to expand into additional communities as well as remove the child/caregiver constraint on who is eligible to participate in the CHIPS program. We included two specific pieces of lab equipment in the proposal for point of care blood work analysis. Speeding up the turn around time for blood work will speed up the process for initiating new patients on HIV drugs as well as reduce the dependency on the local hospital lab.
A number of additional staff will be required: a qualified nurse, counselors, monitoring & evaluation staff and lab technicians.
This is a tremendous answer to prayer as our official funding for this program is exhausted this year.
Mobile Clinic
We will be looking at purchasing a 4x4 vehicle for use as a mobile clinic. This will come from the sale of our existing kombl (the one being replaced) and money from Divinity Lutheran in Maryland. With a nurse that will come on staff in August (see PEPFAR Grant) we will be able to begin the transition of stable patients for our direct care and in-community HIV drug refills. We are still working on a Memorandum of Understanding with Good Shepherd Hospital to operate as a medical outreach and source our supplies and drugs through them as well as a Public-Private Partnership with the Swaziland Ministry of Heath for our in-community services.
Replacement Van (Kombi)
It is finally happening! We have full funding for the replacement patient transport vehicle. Much thanks to the Baton Rouge-Capital City, Baltimore City, and Mbabane Rotary Clubs. We are anticipating transfer of the full funds in the next two weeks. The replacement van will seat 17 so we'll be able to carry more patients per trip. This will allow us to expand the program to more communities and HIV affected people. As part of the grant, the vehicle will have an in-vehicle video education system to help promote messages regarding health, hygiene, and positive living while the patients are being transported. Messages specifically tailored to an HIV+ audience for drug adherence and methods to stop new infections will be prominent. As a Faith Based Organization (FBO) we also have the opportunity to share material which will share the Gospel message of hope.
Friday, May 03, 2013
May Update
link to newsletter: http://eepurl.com/yU7SX
The Baton Rouge - Capital City Club will be sponsoring the "ROYAL BOOKSTORE / ART GALLERY." Rotarian and author/artist Jacques Royal introduces "LOUISIANA HISTORY AND HERITAGE at it's BEST" through his 4 bilingual (English & French) books, pen and ink drawings and photography. Take home autographed books, beautiful photographs, and limited edition prints of Louisiana Plantation Homes and French Castles (Chateaux).
Next door at "THE ROTARIAN", shop and wear T-Shirts designed by J. Royal. Browse through handmade bags and seed jewelry from Swaziland, Africa. Several young LSU art students will have a variety to choose from. JIMMIE JULES' JAZZ BAND from Reserve, La. will encourage foot stomping and dancing in the streets. The more money you drop in his buckets "JAZZIER" he will play. 100% of profits from sales at the capital City booth will go toward two projects: ROTARY FOUNDATION HEART OF AMERICA SAVE SWAZILAND CHILDREN DONOR ADVISED FUND, which will purchase 4 acres and 30,000 sq. ft. of buildings to provide a medical clinic, community and jobs-training center and store fronts to lease for sustainability and locally the BATON ROUGE CENTER FOR WORLD AFFAIRS.
LSU Tiger Stadium West Parking Lot this Saturday
$20 per vehicle (no limit to occupants)
Party and contests from 2 PM to 6 PM
We are honored and privileged to be able to be here in Swaziland and do what we do. We are thankful for the support and prayers of everyone who makes it possible.
We are catching about 17kg of fresh crawfish each week so far from the
Mbuluzi River and from several ponds/dams in Tambankulu. This has been
with only 2 traps and minimal effort so far. We are selling to Mountain
Inn, Calabash and several private parties. We are expecting this income to cover the cost of a full time nurse!
Our major limitation is our inability to process the live crawfish in
Maphiveni. The land we are waiting for an opportunity to purchase in
Maphiveni would provide us a place to begin a business incubator where
this and other business ideas could have an opportunity to develop an
economy here in the lowveld and to also help fund the outreaches we
operate. Please consider donating towards the land purchase! Follow
this link to donate through PayPal or check: http://www.kudvumisafoundation.org/RDAF/HowToContribute.asp
LSU Tailgate Party (for everyone in or around Baton Rouge)
Rotary District 6200 will be hosting a tailgate party at the LSU Tiger Stadium West Parking Lot this Saturday. Center-folding the "Tailgating Party" will be a reminder of New Orleans's Rue Royal flanked on either side by Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde serving their famous beignets. Bring tents, folding chairs, food and drinks to spend a fun day with RI President Tanaka. Let’s show him how we have fun in South Louisiana. Join the crowds under the BIG tent for music, football pools, Rotary Spirit and cooking contests, photos with RI President Tanaka, and lots of fun.The Baton Rouge - Capital City Club will be sponsoring the "ROYAL BOOKSTORE / ART GALLERY." Rotarian and author/artist Jacques Royal introduces "LOUISIANA HISTORY AND HERITAGE at it's BEST" through his 4 bilingual (English & French) books, pen and ink drawings and photography. Take home autographed books, beautiful photographs, and limited edition prints of Louisiana Plantation Homes and French Castles (Chateaux).
Next door at "THE ROTARIAN", shop and wear T-Shirts designed by J. Royal. Browse through handmade bags and seed jewelry from Swaziland, Africa. Several young LSU art students will have a variety to choose from. JIMMIE JULES' JAZZ BAND from Reserve, La. will encourage foot stomping and dancing in the streets. The more money you drop in his buckets "JAZZIER" he will play. 100% of profits from sales at the capital City booth will go toward two projects: ROTARY FOUNDATION HEART OF AMERICA SAVE SWAZILAND CHILDREN DONOR ADVISED FUND, which will purchase 4 acres and 30,000 sq. ft. of buildings to provide a medical clinic, community and jobs-training center and store fronts to lease for sustainability and locally the BATON ROUGE CENTER FOR WORLD AFFAIRS.
LSU Tiger Stadium West Parking Lot this Saturday
$20 per vehicle (no limit to occupants)
Party and contests from 2 PM to 6 PM
Favorite Verses
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:14We are honored and privileged to be able to be here in Swaziland and do what we do. We are thankful for the support and prayers of everyone who makes it possible.
Crawfish
We are catching about 17kg of fresh crawfish each week so far from the
Mbuluzi River and from several ponds/dams in Tambankulu. This has been
with only 2 traps and minimal effort so far. We are selling to Mountain
Inn, Calabash and several private parties. We are expecting this income to cover the cost of a full time nurse!
Our major limitation is our inability to process the live crawfish in
Maphiveni. The land we are waiting for an opportunity to purchase in
Maphiveni would provide us a place to begin a business incubator where
this and other business ideas could have an opportunity to develop an
economy here in the lowveld and to also help fund the outreaches we
operate. Please consider donating towards the land purchase! Follow
this link to donate through PayPal or check: http://www.kudvumisafoundation.org/RDAF/HowToContribute.asp
Public-Private Partnership with SNAP
Our discussions with Swaziland National AIDS Programme under the Ministry of Health continues. We purchased a lockable metal cabinet and an air conditioner unit for the CHIPS office in Tambankulu. Storage of antiretrovirals requires a temperature controlled environment. In the summer, it gets so hot in the office that the computers shut down; way too hot for the drugs. Teresa is discussing the training and medical requirements with the Director of SNAP. Our goal is to begin providing ARV refills locally to the HIV+ patients we currently transport 50 km. Please agree with us for favor so this can happen as quickly as possible. We have budgeting challenges to overcome to be able to do this properly: full time nurse (see crawfish above), the replacement van (Rotary grant process is in process), and a mobile clinic vehicle.501c3
Kudvumisa Foundation USA Inc. was registered last year in July. We are still waiting on approval from the IRS on the 501c3 status. So a published 90 day evaluation time was a little on the hopeful side. But the good news is that applications put in a month before ours have now come through, so we should be really close! This will change how we receive personal and project funds and make it more cost effective for us (smaller percentage going towards administrate fees, more towards the projects!). We will announce this as soon as it it happens!
Prayer Requests
We met another young lady at the national TB Hospital while we were visiting Thobile who desperately needs prayer and encouragement. Nomcebo is probably in her late twenties, has been receiving daily injections for TB for four years and has been basically incarcerated at the hospital for that long. She is tired. She helped us in translating when we visited with Thobile and we had plenty of opportunity to pray with her. But the daily and seemingly endless grind wears even the strongest down. She has seen countless come in only to die (including Thobile). Please join us in trusting God for healing in her disease racked body: restoring her lungs and strength to her legs. Please join us in prayer for encouragement and strength in a dark place. Our God is a good God. He only desires the best for us: to walk in healing He has already provided. We sometimes fall so short and are passive instead of fighting for the things that are by right ours.Saturday, March 30, 2013
Swaziland Update: New Patient Van, Crawfish, Marula Nuts and More!
http://eepurl.com/xp14n
SNAP UPDATE: We are working with SNAP (Swaziland National Aids Programme) under the Ministry of Health for a Public-Private Partnership Agreement that will allow us to provide ARV (drugs to control HIV) refills and initiations in the communities we work in. This will be a unique opportunity in Swaziland to pilot and roll out a vital mobile service to the rural and isolated HIV population Kudvumisa Foundation/CHIPS serves. There is progress!
Our first of two requirements to meet are appropriate drug storage. This requires about $1500 for air-conditioning and lockable cabinets for drug storage. Second, we will also be needing a full time nurse to work in the targeted communities. We would be most grateful for a volunteer nurse, but if not, we will be required to fund the salary of the nurse, which is one of the highest gazetted salaries here in Swaziland (about $1000/month) . If you can help in either of these two needs (or know someone who can) please contact us!
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
We are honored and privileged to be able to be here in Swaziland and do
what we do. We are thankful for the support and prayers of everyone who
makes it possible.
le
our attempt at middle veld crawfish farming has been slightly less than
successful so far, with the introduction of decent traps, there are
several people catching Australian Redclaw Crawfish now in the low veld
Mbuluzi River in Maphiveni and the dams and canals in Tambankulu and
Vuvulane. We delivered our first shipment to a hotel/restaurant in
Mbabane. We are hoping they will come through with a 10kg per month
standing order to start. This is a great start in an economic
development project which will contribute to combating poverty in these
areas and will contribute to the sustainability of the CHIPS outreach.
This picture is from the Mbuluzi. Thokozane, a friend of ours from
Evusweni in the middle veld, just placed a trap. He thought I was
kidding when I said there are hippos and crocodiles in the river.
SNAP UPDATE: We are working with SNAP (Swaziland National Aids Programme) under the Ministry of Health for a Public-Private Partnership Agreement that will allow us to provide ARV (drugs to control HIV) refills and initiations in the communities we work in. This will be a unique opportunity in Swaziland to pilot and roll out a vital mobile service to the rural and isolated HIV population Kudvumisa Foundation/CHIPS serves. There is progress!
Our first of two requirements to meet are appropriate drug storage. This requires about $1500 for air-conditioning and lockable cabinets for drug storage. Second, we will also be needing a full time nurse to work in the targeted communities. We would be most grateful for a volunteer nurse, but if not, we will be required to fund the salary of the nurse, which is one of the highest gazetted salaries here in Swaziland (about $1000/month) . If you can help in either of these two needs (or know someone who can) please contact us!
CHIPS Patient Van Replacement
Thanks to everyone who attended the March 9th fundraiser at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. It was a great success and the process has begun to apply the funds to a Rotary International Future Vision grant for the patient van replacement. We're hoping to have the funds here mid April and the new van mid May.
Good Friday
This from Isaiah 53 is especially appropriate today:1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
Crawfish
While
our attempt at middle veld crawfish farming has been slightly less than
successful so far, with the introduction of decent traps, there are
several people catching Australian Redclaw Crawfish now in the low veld
Mbuluzi River in Maphiveni and the dams and canals in Tambankulu and
Vuvulane. We delivered our first shipment to a hotel/restaurant in
Mbabane. We are hoping they will come through with a 10kg per month
standing order to start. This is a great start in an economic
development project which will contribute to combating poverty in these
areas and will contribute to the sustainability of the CHIPS outreach.
This picture is from the Mbuluzi. Thokozane, a friend of ours from
Evusweni in the middle veld, just placed a trap. He thought I was
kidding when I said there are hippos and crocodiles in the river.Marula Nuts and Shells
We take delivery of a screw press next week to press oil from marula nuts and moringa seeds. Another experiment in creating income in the impoverished areas we work in. If successful, we hope to be able to provide affordable nutritious cooking oil to the informal market while creating an income opportunity for people in our areas from a readily available natural resource that is discarded now. We are using the marula shells to manufacture fire starters as well. These have met with great enthusiasm form the people who have tried it. All these if successful contribute to an economy in Maphiveni and Vuvulane and the the sustainability of our outreaches here.Daran in Baton Rouge and Baltimore
Daran will be traveling to the States for two weeks in May. His first week will be in Baton Rouge coinciding a May 4th Rotary fundraiser for the purchase of land in Maphiveni for a clinic and community eduction center. More details will be forthcoming on the fundraiser. The last week will be in Baltimore to visit Gabby. Though the trip is short, he'd love to meet with our supporters in these two areas (and anywhere in between) if possible. Email us and we can work out the details.
Update on Thobile
Late February Thobile succumbed to numerous bouts of TB and finally MDR-TB and the subsequent treatments in addition to years of being on treatment for HIV. We won't know and I guess it doesn't matter at this point what was the final straw. She died the day after receiving a major blood transfusion for a major decline in her condition. Her mother had visited her that morning and was on her way back with juice for her. Teresa was heart broken. Daran and Joelle went to the funeral and was given a chance to speak to the small gathering about the impact Thobile had had on many people's lives and for her love of Jesus. She wasn't here anymore in pain or suffering: she was in the presence of the Lord she loved. Thobile would have been about 21 years old.Saturday, March 16, 2013
Sewing Skills Trainer - Australian Volunteers International
Sewing Skills Trainer
Australian Volunteers International advertised a volunteer position to work with our group of wonderful ladies in Vuvulane! Great news/potential for the sewing project in Section 19!
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Update on Thobile
View our last newsletter at http://eepurl.com/uXYUf
Thobile is "interred" in the National TB hospital: She has been feeling
better. Last week when we visited, she came walking out to the car
dancing and saying, “Mommy, I am very, very hungry!” I was so thrilled
to see her up and around and hungry, all good signs. I brought her
food, treats that she likes, like white bread, corn flakes, chips,
yogurt, juice, full cream milk and fruit. She gets food at the hospital
but it is tasteless and sometimes too heavy for her to handle. Then I
got a call this week that she was feeling poorly again, weak, and pains
all over the body. So I am not sure if it is another setback or the
flu. At any rate, she still needs much prayer! TB in this country is
becoming so difficult to treat! I can’t take her out of the hospital
until she can stay well and I know she wants to get out. Please pray
for complete healing in her little body, mind soul and spirit. It is so
difficult to be in this institution. I was told that the girl that was
in the bed next to her, died last week. She is such a strong little
one, I know that God has a plan for her life. She is a prayer warrior
too, she loves the Lord!
There is also another young girl who is 15 years old that has been admitted to the TB hospital last week. She is very sick, unable to feed herself, take her meds, and too weak to walk to the bathroom. When visited the day after she was admitted, she was found lying in her urine, shaking from chills and high fever, her medications were spilled on the floor, and her food was sitting there untouched. Her medications for HIV had not been given to her yet and it was 11:30 am. These medications should be taken at the same time every morning and every evening, which should have been much earlier in the morning. Unfortunately, the care in this institution is not up to par. The patient load and the severity of these patients is very high and there are not many nurses or nurse assistants. So I know this must be very difficult, not to mention the risk to the nursing staff of contracting the multi-drug resistant TB. This is just a difficult place to be, especially when you can’t care for yourself. So I am also asking for prayer for this little one who is so sick and so helpless. We know that God cares for those who can’t help themselves.
I would like to request prayer for is Nomcebo Treasure, who has been helping us with interpreting for Thobile since she has been in the hospital. She calls me when Thobile needs something or informs me when she is not doing well. Nomcebo is a precious lady who also loves the Lord very much! She has great faith even when things aren’t going well for her. She has been on TB treatment for 3 years and still doesn’t seem to be getting better. When I told her that I had asked people from all over to pray for Thobile, she asked, “Oh, please ask for prayer for me too!” The doctors are telling her that she has some holes in her lungs where the TB is hiding and that is why it is so difficult to treat. So I told her that I would ask our friends to prayer for her complete healing as well.
I can’t tell you how many times I have visited these precious ladies and I have been down about some little circumstance in my life and been so encouraged after visiting with them and seeing their joy and faith in the Lord even in the midst of their dire circumstances! Praise God, we are here to be a blessing, but we are so blessed by His people here!
Also I want to update you about Khanysile, our lady that is in the sewing program that was so sick and in the hospital. She is doing much better, she is home and back to sewing, praise the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers! We are very excited about our team that is coming in just 2 weeks to be with us to do medical clinics and construction out in Vuvulane and Maphiveni!
Thobile is "interred" in the National TB hospital: She has been feeling
better. Last week when we visited, she came walking out to the car
dancing and saying, “Mommy, I am very, very hungry!” I was so thrilled
to see her up and around and hungry, all good signs. I brought her
food, treats that she likes, like white bread, corn flakes, chips,
yogurt, juice, full cream milk and fruit. She gets food at the hospital
but it is tasteless and sometimes too heavy for her to handle. Then I
got a call this week that she was feeling poorly again, weak, and pains
all over the body. So I am not sure if it is another setback or the
flu. At any rate, she still needs much prayer! TB in this country is
becoming so difficult to treat! I can’t take her out of the hospital
until she can stay well and I know she wants to get out. Please pray
for complete healing in her little body, mind soul and spirit. It is so
difficult to be in this institution. I was told that the girl that was
in the bed next to her, died last week. She is such a strong little
one, I know that God has a plan for her life. She is a prayer warrior
too, she loves the Lord!There is also another young girl who is 15 years old that has been admitted to the TB hospital last week. She is very sick, unable to feed herself, take her meds, and too weak to walk to the bathroom. When visited the day after she was admitted, she was found lying in her urine, shaking from chills and high fever, her medications were spilled on the floor, and her food was sitting there untouched. Her medications for HIV had not been given to her yet and it was 11:30 am. These medications should be taken at the same time every morning and every evening, which should have been much earlier in the morning. Unfortunately, the care in this institution is not up to par. The patient load and the severity of these patients is very high and there are not many nurses or nurse assistants. So I know this must be very difficult, not to mention the risk to the nursing staff of contracting the multi-drug resistant TB. This is just a difficult place to be, especially when you can’t care for yourself. So I am also asking for prayer for this little one who is so sick and so helpless. We know that God cares for those who can’t help themselves.
I would like to request prayer for is Nomcebo Treasure, who has been helping us with interpreting for Thobile since she has been in the hospital. She calls me when Thobile needs something or informs me when she is not doing well. Nomcebo is a precious lady who also loves the Lord very much! She has great faith even when things aren’t going well for her. She has been on TB treatment for 3 years and still doesn’t seem to be getting better. When I told her that I had asked people from all over to pray for Thobile, she asked, “Oh, please ask for prayer for me too!” The doctors are telling her that she has some holes in her lungs where the TB is hiding and that is why it is so difficult to treat. So I told her that I would ask our friends to prayer for her complete healing as well.
I can’t tell you how many times I have visited these precious ladies and I have been down about some little circumstance in my life and been so encouraged after visiting with them and seeing their joy and faith in the Lord even in the midst of their dire circumstances! Praise God, we are here to be a blessing, but we are so blessed by His people here!
Also I want to update you about Khanysile, our lady that is in the sewing program that was so sick and in the hospital. She is doing much better, she is home and back to sewing, praise the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers! We are very excited about our team that is coming in just 2 weeks to be with us to do medical clinics and construction out in Vuvulane and Maphiveni!
Teresa in the States
Teresa in Baton Rouge and Baltimore
Teresa will be traveling to the States for the month of March. Her first two weeks will be in Baton Rouge (coinciding with the fund raiser- see previous post or view our last newsletter at http://eepurl.com/uXYUf ) and the last two weeks in Baltimore to visit with our oldest, Gabby. Though the trip is short, she'd love to meet with our supporters in these two areas if possible. Email us and we can work out the details.Baton Rouge Fund Raiser
Our latest newsletter can be viewed by following this link: http://eepurl.com/uXYUf
The Rotary
Club of Baton Rouge Capital City
"Reaching Out For A Cause"
Old State
Capitol, 100 North Boulevard
Baton
Rouge, Louisiana
Saturday, March
9, 2013
6:00 - 7:00 Wine and Light Hors d’
oeuvres - Silent Auction
7:00 - 8:30 Concert
Featuring
National
and International Musicians
Baton
Rouge Ethnic Dancers
Runnels
School String Orchestra
Proceeds Benefit
Baton Rouge Center for World Affairs
Promote Baton Rouge through education,
international economic development, and cultural awareness initiatives.
The Possibility Project – Baton Rouge (formerly City
at Peace)
Empowers teenagers to create safe,
peaceful, and productive lives, and communities, using the performing arts
and community action as vehicles.
The Teresa and Daran Rehmeyer Kudvumisa Foundation Project
Baton
Rouge natives, Teresa and Daran Rehmeyer, need a replacement bus to
transport patients to distant medical facilities in Swaziland. They have been serving since 2005. |
Tickets:
Adults $25 Students $15
Checks
Should Be Payable To: Reaching Out For a Cause (ROFC)
Tickets Are
Available at the Door
For Tax Exempt
Donations Make Check Payable to:
Rotary District 6200 Foundation
Designated to:
Reaching Out For a Cause (ROFC)
Mail to:
Rotary District 6200 Foundation
11616
Southfork Ave. Ste. 300
Baton
Rouge, Louisiana 70816-5241
Contact:
Pat Robinson at 225-335-0322 or robinpat2004@yahoo.com
for information.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
CHIPS Transport
CHIPS (Children's HIV Intervention Programme Swaziland) makes two to three trips to Good Shepherd Hospital in Siteki from Vuvulane/Maphiveni per week. Here is a typical trip (this was from this Tuesday):
Macethuka: 3 for ARV refills
Section 19: 1 for ARV refill the 2 for re-initiation on ARV's
Maphiveni: 2 sick (to see doctor) and 3 ARV refills.
 |
| CHIPS starting a trip to Good Shepherd |
 |
| CHIPS khombi in the cane fields |
This is eleven people who would have no hope of battling HIV without CHIPS. Our khombi (van) is on it's last leg (axle). We also make numerous trips during the year for unscheduled transport to Good Shepherd or other clinics for baby deliveries and emergency transport for very sick CHIPS clients. We are at 66% of the funding we need for a replacement. Please pray with us for provision. If you could help, follow this link, but please send us a message that the donation is for the khombi! God Bless!
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