Challenges of working in Africa ...

... come in all shapes and sizes!

Unfortunately, our account with PayPal has been shut down.  They say that they are unable to work with charities that operate in certain countries which they have determined to be "high risk."  And Swaziland is on that list.

We're bummed about their decision and we hope it doesn't slow down our efforts to help vulnerable children and orphans in this country.  This is part of the process of working in Africa; you find yourself in a "high risk" country in more ways than one!  PayPal may be worried about the risk of fraud occurring in this country, but we're mostly concerned with the "high risk" of suffering and even death for the forgotten orphans here.

We hope that all of you will continue to join with us in our cause.  If you are interested in donating, there are still various ways to do it.  One is to send money directly to us via old-fashioned checks in the mail.  For those who would rather go the online route, we are working hard to have a new online payment system in place by early January.  Stay tuned!

And Merry Christmas to everybody!

Eric and Keri Dziuban's Christmas tree in Swaziland.

We're starting to grow!

Project 23.3 is gaining momentum!

- We now have a Facebook page -- go ahead and search for it (and then "like" it)!

- Generous donations keep coming in; one person is even giving a set amount out of each paycheck!

- Fundraising ideas are coming from all around as new partners join together with us to help make an impact for these children, and let them know that we haven't forgotten them at all.

- Our partners on the ground in Swaziland are working with the local community to make arrangements for finishing the preschool. Here is a picture of its current condition. As you can see, it still needs a lot of work. That's where we come in, and it's why your help matters a lot!

And here are some of the playful faces which could be filling the school once it finishes:

We're so excited that things are moving forward and we're working toward our goal in Vuvulane. If you are new to the site, check out the post below for more details about this project. There are real struggles and dangers every day for so many children in this village. We have the chance to give them something really positive that can impact their lives in a big way ... thanks for being a part of that!

A reminder that life in rural Swaziland can be very different than most of us are used to:

Let's keep working; these kids deserve our best effort!