Our Story

In 2006, seventeen volunteers from various parts of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand journeyed to Swaziland, Africa with Cynthia Prime on a humanitarian mission. Alerted to the dire needs of orphans in the country, Cynthia and friends had raised funds to feed 1,000 children for one week in the area where she was to be a guest speaker at a conference. The experience was life changing. They encountered thousands of children, many lacking even the basic needs of food, clean water, and safe shelter. On that first mission, the volunteer team distributed 17,250 meals and snacks, clothing for 11,700 orphans and children in need, and performed roughly 2,500 health examinations and treatments.

What began as a short-term humanitarian effort became a life-long commitment. Cynthia Prime and her ministry partner Linda Schultz co-founded the faith-based nonprofit organization that would become SOHO, to give hope to orphans and vulnerable children. The organization’s goal is to improve the quality of the children’s lives through programs addressing their health, food security, education, spiritual nurture, and their capacity to become self-sustaining, contributing members of their community and country. SOHO currently operates two multi-purpose centers which serve 150 children daily, as well as outreach programs in various parts of the country that touch the lives of hundreds more.

Read “From the Founders”

How We Work

SOHO, as a USA based non-profit, has the advantage of “feet on the ground” in Eswatini, in ministering to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. SOHO works with Seeds of Hope Outreach, a sister NGO registered and operating in eSwatini to implement its programs. Seeds of Hope Outreach has two multi-purpose centers: 1) Mhlosheni in the Piggs Peak area, and 2) Nhlambeni close to Manzini, the most populated city. Seeds of Hope Outreach also conducts outreach activities in destitute areas such as Marekamp, near Nhlambeni, where nurturing and enrichment programs are provided. Hope Discovery Learning Center (HDLC), the Swazi nation’s first inclusive academic program serving children with special needs, is under the auspices of Seeds of Hope Outreach.