Fleeing genocide in Rwanda and hoping to find a new beginning, the Frederick family arrived in Eswatini a couple of years ago.

The parents and their eight children first stayed at a small refugee camp at Mpaka. Among their many challenges, they did not understand the language of their host country and had few possessions beyond the clothes on their backs. They then moved to Manzini, where they have made a home out of a large shed that is on the property of a local church.

Eeking out an existence has been difficult although the father, a pastor, and mother are hard-working. Until the family was absorbed into the SOHO food parcel program, sweet potatoes from their garden provided their main sustenance. The children would often faint in school because of hunger. In addition to food insecurity, the Fredericks have struggled to pay for school fees, which has often kept the children out of classes.

This spring SOHO co-founders Cynthia Prime and Linda Schultz and board member Dr. Dawn Lewis visited the family. During the visit, they met Kalen, the oldest daughter, who was deeply distressed. About 17 years of age, she desperately wants to be in school even though she is bullied because of her very dark skin. Kalen spoke of her desire to be a model and her interest in journalism. She wants to be admired and respected.

The women encouraged Kalen to embrace her natural beauty. Dawn took a stylish handbag from her shoulder and presented it to Kalen, with a promise to find a sponsor so she could return to school. Smiles replaced the tears on Kalen’s face and  hopelessness gave way to joy. The SOHO team is also working to get the other children back in school and regularly assess their progress.