Eight-year-old Mbali Nomusa Mathabela was left to fend for herself after her father abandoned her at Marekamp, where she hid in the bushes from potential abusers day and night. Eventually Mbali received assistance from an elderly Gogo who gave her a place to stay in her shanty, and SOHO stepped in to provide a food package each month. Yet because Mbali had no documentation, SOHO could not move her to a caring home, even though one was found. Thus, SOHO engaged Swaziland Action Group Again Abuse to conduct a search for any relatives, and Mbali was reconciled with her mother’s side of the family. SOHO also worked with Social Services to obtain a birth certificate for Mbali, which enabled her to be enrolled in school.

Ncamiso Dlamini is small for his age. In the Marekamp slums where he wandered, he was called “monkey” and treated like an animal. A child with a disability, he was cursed and considered no more value than a stray cat or dog. He didn’t know how to take care of himself, so he was consistently unclean, underfed and alone as other children did not want to play with him.

In 2023 Ncamiso was admitted to SOHO’s Hope Discovery Learning Center (HDLC). Today Ncamiso sports a heartwarming smile and seeks every opportunity to meet and greet. He is smart and realizes that he is valuable and wanted. He benefits from Marekamp’s feeding program and always seeks to share his meal with the Gogo who looks after him. He is a teacher’s pet at HDLC and a testament to SOHO’s philosophy that every child deserves love and grace.

Another example of SOHO’s transformational work is Siyamthemba (Siya) Nhleko of Mhlosheni. At age three, Siya lost both her parents. A younger cousin took her in, who struggled because she was unemployed but worked hard to put food on the table. SOHO entered the picture, providing a food parcel monthly, uniforms and school fees as well as emotional support, so that Siya could stay in school. Today she is one year away from graduation, with dreams of college if she is able to get a scholarship. With one in three girls suffering abuse and turning to trafficking in order to stay alive, Siya is a profile in courage.

Indeed, SOHO is not just about addressing individual needs, but also making significant change possible for orphans and vulnerable children in Eswatini. In addition to our feeding, educational and enrichment programs in Nhlambeni and Marekamp, we are now developing a new facility, Lentsaba Children’s Village & Farm, which will eventually provide loving homes for up to 250 children.