BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE- Yesterday, World Vision Eswatini closed of a E137 million, 19-year project in style.
This happened in a celebration at Matsanjeni South Inkhundla, where the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development converged with seven communities.
The event marked the closure of the World Vision Area Programme and the official handover to the project offices to the above mentioned ministry.
The programme has been running for 19 years and has utilised E137 million since inception, benefitting over 25 000 emaSwati through numerous projects such as community engagement, livelihoods/economic development, food security, health and nutrition.
Present during the celebration was Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala, the Matsanjeni community, World Vision Eswatini partners and stakeholders and children from the Matsanjeni community.
World Vision Eswatini began in 1992 as an emergency relief organisation before transitioning to transformational development and advocacy for the most vulnerable children, people and communities in Eswatini.
With a high HIV prevalence, Eswatini has a significant proportion of children without parents (orphans) who generally tend to have poorer health, nutrition and education outcomes.
The organisation supports broader government initiatives targeted at these and other vulnerable children and further works with traditional structures existing within the communities, to ensure sustainability. The transformational development programmes in World Vision include maternal, new-born and child health and Nutrition, Education, HIV and AIDS, Water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Livelihoods and economic development, Child protection and the spiritual nurturing of children.
The entity works very closely with the communities served, including children, parents and caregivers, partners, faith leaders, government departments, parastatals, international agencies, and the civil society. The active participation of children in designing, delivery and review of programs is highly emphasised.
