Swaziland has the highest concentration of HIV/AIDS in the world, with two-fifths of the adult population infected. The life expectancy there is 40 years, and in 2003, 17,000 deaths occurred due to AIDS. This constant devastation of the population has resulted in many households run entirely by children, and the number of orphans grows every day. The goal of our project is to improve the educational facilities and programs within rural Swaziland. With the money that we acquire we will build a preschool for the children of the village, KaPhunga. In Swaziland there is only a 79% literacy rate, and overall education levels are low, mainly because only 44% of the children attend a secondary school. The country of Swaziland has a population of just under a million, more than half of which is under 18 years of age. This is important because if we can increase the level of education within this youth majority it will spark significant change in the future. A better school is a necessity in the village of KaPhunga because it would provide stability within the lives of the children. In Swaziland there are 95, 000 orphans, 63, 000 as a direct result of AIDS. There are many households run entirely by orphans, and they are left with the responsibilities of working and acquiring food. The school we would like to build would guarantee these impoverished children with at least one meal a day, and it would provide them with a sense of community. The purchasing of supplies and the hiring of builders for the construction of the school would happen in Swaziland. Swaziland has a 40% unemployment rate, and 69% of the population lives below the determined poverty line. In 2005, statistics showed that 48% of the population lives on less than one dollar a day. By purchasing supplies and hiring builders in Swaziland, we are bringing more capital into the local economy of KaPhunga, and are also providing much needed jobs.

I have been a volunteer at a local Peace and Justice Center for some time now. Our organization, established in 1983, envisions a world of peace, justice, and freedom. It pursues a revolutionary and empowering vision of a democratic community where differences are respected, conflicts are addressed nonviolently, and oppressive structures are dismantled. It fosters compassion, solidarity, and reconciliation. The Center is committed to replacing violence, war, racism, and economic injustice through active nonviolence as a way of life and as a means to instigate positive change. The foundation that this preschool education will provide has the potential to drastically change the course of these children’s lives. Each child would be guaranteed at least one meal a day, a crucial step towards fighting disease and malnutrition. In addition, this project would positively impact the local economy by supplying the villagers with jobs and steady incomes.

I am 16 years old and this summer I am going to be visiting the small village of KaPhunga in Swaziland, a country in Southern Africa. I have made contact with a young man there who will be sharing his home with my family while we help out in the village. We are hoping to improve the educational facilities in the village, as the already existing school is not large enough to accommodate all of the children in the village. The existing preschool opened in 2007 with support from international donors. They have since opened a bank account and elected a community committee to govern the school. We have applied for other grants as well, but every additional dollar helps.

Donate to our organization: http://peaceandjusticesonomaco.org/index.html ...Or spread the word on the unfortunate situation that these children are in.