2011 Litesmba Service Trips
Posted by Mann Nolan | Filed under Swaziland
Litsemba is about HOPE. Hope for the children of Swaziland as we lean, and encourage them to lean, on our Lord, Jesus Christ. Litsemba 2010 was an amazing day of sharing this hope. Attended by 10,000 people, most of whom were children, we distributed thousands of beanies, blankets, bibles, and warm food. The children heard messages of hope from Heart for Africa co-founder Janine Maxwell, African Enterprise President Stephen Lungu, and His Majesty, King Mswati III of Swaziland.
We’re happy to announce that following the overwhelming success of Litsemba 2010, Heart for Africa will host Litsemba 2011 on July 23, 2011. Like Litsemba 2010, the event will be a day of celebration and hope for the children of Swaziland. There will be live music performed by US and Swaziland artists along with more powerful messages of hope from our guest speakers. Changing for 2011 is the location of the event. Litsemba 2011 will be hosted at Project Canaan, Heart for Africa’s private farm and children’s home property.
In addition to Litsemba 2011, we are also excited to tell you that we will be returning to serve the children in their communities working alongside the Swazi churches and their congregations. In 2010, working alongside churches was a new direction for Heart for Africa. We are so pleased that this new direction was warmly received by you, our volunteers, as well as by the church leaders and people of the communities.
There are a few changes for 2011 that we want to make you aware of as you pray about your decision to travel to Swaziland in 2011.
- This year we will have TWO Litsemba trips. The trips will overlap for the actual Litsemba event day so that everyone can participate. By offering two separate service opportunities, we are able to reduce the individual trip size while bringing more people to Swaziland to serve the children.
- Each Litsemba trip will include a “Medical Mission” team of 20 doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.
- Many of you have asked for a longer service experience and we have been listening. This year we are happy to offer an extended length service opportunity for you. We are calling it the Litsemba Extended Trip. This is a 16-day trip that will include service at two different churches along with serving at Litsemba 2011.
- As you consider your service opportunities for 2011, please pay special attention to the churches associated with each trip. For instance, if you are interested in serving at Church #1, you will want to register for Litsemba Trip #A or Litsemba Extended.
- Also note that there is limited space to serve at each church. So while we will work hard to accommodate your preference, understand that churches are filled on a first come, first served basis.
Litsemba Trip #A
- Departs from the US on July 15
- Returns to the US on July 25
- Limited to 180 volunteers plus 20 Medical volunteers serving at 15 of our church partners
- Serving at the following churches: 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 30
Litsemba Trip #B
- Departs from the US on July 20
- Returns to the US on July 30
- Limited to 180 volunteers plus 20 Medical volunteers serving at 15 of our church partners
- Serving at the following churches: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 17, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Litsemba Extended
- Departs from the US on July 15
- Returns to the US on July 30
- Space will be limited based on the available space on Litsemba #A and Litsemba #B. Both trips can not exceed the maximum of 180 volunteers and 20 medical professionals each.
- You will have the opportunity to serve at churches associated with Litsemba #A and Litsemba #B.
Tags: Litsemba 2011
MedAssets Honors Individuals for Charitable Contributions
Posted by Mann Nolan | Filed under Kenya, Swaziland
ATLANTA, Apr 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — As part of its annual Healthcare Business Summit, MedAssets Inc. (NASDAQ: MDAS) honored several humanitarians for their work in improving the lives of people in America and around the world.
Receiving the Humanitarian Award this year were the husband and wife leadership team of Heart for Africa, Ian and Janine Maxwell. They were honored with the award for their leadership in developing sustainable communities in sub-Saharan Africa that will lead to better food security and improved economic conditions.
Before honoring the Maxwells, MedAssets’ chairman, president and CEO John Bardis announced that the Company’s award was being renamed for Norman E. Borlaug, a 1970 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who dedicated his life to improving crop yields and varieties so that impoverished nations in Asia, Africa and South America could enjoy better food security. Borlaug died in September at the age of 95. Borlaug’s family attended the ceremony.
The Maxwells gave up lucrative business careers to devote their lives to Heart for Africa. The U.S.-based non-profit works with local African organizations to provide self-sustainable homes for orphans and vulnerable children through long-term programs and short-term service trips that deliver quality care, shelter, food, water, clothing, health care, social work, mentoring and education. The organization specializes in bringing people from North America to work in service projects alongside local partners in two African countries: Kenya and Swaziland. Over the past two years, MedAssets and its employees have donated more than $1.5 million and thousands of hours of volunteer time to developing Project Canaan, a sustainable agricultural community in Swaziland. When completed, Project Canaan will include farmland, fisheries, hydroponic greenhouses, orchards and dairy operations, along with housing and schools for orphans and vulnerable children and a health clinic.
“Heart for Africa is a cause that everyone at MedAssets has embraced,” Bardis said. “The MedAssets employees who have travelled there have been touched by the impact this project is already having on the people of Swaziland. As we continue to develop Project Canaan, that impact will be even greater and will offer this community an opportunity to thrive like never before.”
About MedAssets
MedAssets (NASDAQ: MDAS) partners with healthcare providers to improve financial strength by implementing spend management and revenue cycle management solutions that help control cost, improve margins and cash flow, increase regulatory compliance, and optimize operational efficiency. MedAssets serves more than 125 health systems, 3,300 hospitals, and 40,000 non-acute healthcare providers. For more information, go to www.medassets.com
About Heart for Africa
Heart for Africa is a U.S. non-profit working with local African organizations to provide self-sustainable homes for orphans through long term programs and short term service trips that deliver quality care, shelter, food, water, clothing, health care, social work, mentoring and education. The organization specializes in bringing people from North America to work in service projects alongside local partners in two African countries: Kenya and Swaziland. To date, more than 4,000 people have traveled with Heart for Africa. For more information, please visit www.heartforafrica.org.
Share on FacebookProjects at our Partner Homes
Posted by Mann Nolan | Filed under Kenya, Swaziland
Heart for Africa partners with children’s homes in Swaziland and Kenya. Together, there are over 400 children living at these homes. We are excited to see the development of the homes over the past few years. As they grow, needs continue to develop. We have four projects that we are working on at this time. Please consider a donation to help us complete these important projects.
New Hope Center
New Hope Center is located in Swaziland and is home to children. We are working to provide septic and hot water in the boy’s dorm and the girl’s dorm. These amenities will drastically improve the quality of life for the New Hope Center children.
Total Funds Needed: $5,470
Donate from the United States
Donate from Canada
El Shaddai Children’s Home
El Shaddai is located in Swaziland and is home to 70 children. The private school at El Shaddai provides a quality education for the children living in the home and many other children from the nearby homesteads. The El Shaddai school was the first completely free school in Swaziland.
El Shaddai has recently completed construction of 3 teachers homes. Providing housing for the teachers is a great benefit to ensure consistent employment of high quality teachers. We are currently raising funds to build three more teachers homes. Each will provide a home for two teachers.
Total Funds Needed: $7,210 per home
Donate from the United States
Donate from Canada
Strong Tower Children’s Home
Located in Kenya, Strong Tower is home to approximately 50 children. The home recently opened a new dorm which increased capacity from 24 to 70+. However, the home does not have a proper kitchen. Each day, the cook prepares three meals outside over an open fire. We would like to build a proper kitchen for Strong Tower.
Total Funds Needed: $15,200
Donate from the United States
Donate from Canada
Merciful Redeemer Children’s Home
Merciful Redeemer is located in Kenya and is home to approximately 100 children. Although the home has sufficient space to house the children, the two dorms do not have showers and toilets. The children bathe each day in buckets in the yard and use toilets in outhouses near the dorms. The showers and toilets are in place, but need a septic system completed before they can be used.
Total Funds Needed: $6,100
Donate from the United States
Donate from Canada
Tags: El Shaddai, Kenya, Merciful Redeemer, New Hope Center, Strong Tower, Swaziland
A Perfect Easter
Posted by Mann Nolan | Filed under Swaziland
On Sunday, April 4, Christians all over the world will celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I remember as a child, Easter being one of my favorite holidays. I would wake to find a basket overflowing with candy in our living room left by the Easter Bunny. My siblings and I would get dressed in our new Easter clothes and, with our parents, join our church family for the annual Easter Sunrise Service. Later in the morning, we would stand in our church and sing hymns praising God as we reflected on the Cross and the salvation provided through the sacrifice of Jesus. Later in the day, we would join all of our family at my grandparents house for a huge Sunday meal. The adults would sneak out into the yard and hide hundreds of brightly colored eggs in trees, under bushes, and behind fence posts. After all of the eggs were hidden, I would sprint out across the yard with all of my cousins in a race to find the most. I don’t really remember the prize that was given to the winner. But I do remember that Easter was fun. It was my favorite.
This Easter though, I am reminded of the thousands of children in Swaziland that will not experience an Easter like mine. They will not have new clothes to wear or a basket filled with candy when they wake on Sunday morning. They will not have parents that dress them and take them to church and then to a feast fit for a King that afternoon. They will not spend the day with their cousins running around a yard searching for brightly colored eggs. No, this Easter will be just like any other day. They will wake up cold and hungry and alone. They will wonder if anyone knows that they even exist.
There are people that know they exist. People that are praying for them everyday. People that want to make a difference in their lives. People just like you. On this Easter, I ask that you join me in providing food for the children of Swaziland. The Heart for Africa Gift Catalog is a great way to make a meaningful difference in these children’s lives. Your $20 donation will help provide a large cooking kettle to one of our church partners. These partners are providing daily care for the orphaned and abandoned children living in their communities. With your $25 donation, Heart for Africa will be able to grow healthy food and fruit trees at Project Canaan providing nutritious meals to the children in our partner homes and in the communities around our partner churches. Please join us this Easter in creating a new memory for the children of Swaziland.
~Mann
Mann Nolan is the Director of Communications at Heart for Africa. He lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Candice.
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