PIES DEVELOP A NEW CENTRE IN MALAGWANE
It has been an exciting year for Partners in Education Swaziland as we develop our partnership with the charity SOS Villages and work towards opening a new centre in Malagwane on the outskirts of Mbabane.
Concerned that there were an increasing number of vulnerable children requiring our services but whose needs were not being met, we took the decision to open a new Care Centre which supports the local community in neighbouring Malagwane and in particular will feed around 50 vulnerable children.
A site in Malagwane was identified which required appropriate Government approvals and site preparation.
Following this work has commenced and the basic building structure is in place. Much of the construction work has been undertaken by the community. We are now raising the funds to pay for internal works such as sanitation, kitchen and general furnishings. Private donations together with donations from Soroptimist and Rotary Clubs in the UK have been received to assist with the construction work.
It is hoped to open the new Centre in early 2017. In the meantime an emergency feeding station has been established for the children and meals are currently being provided for about 60 per day. The menu usually consists of rice or porridge with vegetable soup, beans, peas and spinach or cabbage. This has made a huge difference in the lives of the children of Malagwane.
As with the Msunduza Centre, the new Centre will provide an early childhood care and development programme each day ensuring pre-school children receive breakfast and lunch. In the afternoons the Centre will provide lunch to other needy children.
Members of the community will help at the Centre as volunteers cooking meals and providing basic education to pre-school children. It is anticipated that in time the Centre will become self-supporting which will enable us to utilise our finances to help other needy children.
The construction process has been running smoothly and the people of the community have been giving support when they can. It is hoped that construction of the Centre will soon be finished. We are now waiting for the electricity to be connected – and then it will be all systems go!