ON THE HILLTOPS OF SWAZILAND away from the busy traffic of Mbabane city, a dusty road meanders through the small villages as it connects the village life to the city lights. About a mile from this road lie a series of 14 very neatly laid out chicken coops. The setting is beautiful, but even more amazing is the impact these chicken coops are having in the lives of 14 women and their 94 dependents.

Busisiwe Mabuza is one of these women.

Busisiwe is a widow who was left to raise ten children when her husband died almost seven years ago. When her husband died, her “estate” was a few farming tools: a cultivator, a plough and a rake. She did what she could to survive—subsistence farming, renting out her tools, and selling crafts. But it was a struggle for her to raise her young children, and she often wondered where their next meal was coming from.

Then she heard about AfricaWorks, our strategic partner in Southern Africa, and what they were doing to help bring economic development and jobs to communities. She says, “I knew from the word ‘go’ that this is my opportunity to break the poverty line.”

LINKS THAT END POVERTYThese chicken coops are the foundation of a poultry “value chain” strategy in Swaziland managed by AfricaWorks.

Each of the 14 coops is run by a family that can raise 6,000 – 7,000 chickens a year. Together, these families form an association which is connected—with improved purchasing power and fair contract prices—to supplies, such as chicks and feed, and a poultry processor.

In addition, a marketing company sells their processed chickens to hotels, restaurants and supermarkets—markets they would not have access to individually. They also participate in technical training to improve the quality and quantity of chickens they grow and receive small loans, if needed, to get them started or grow their businesses.

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These components all work together in a way that lifts these 14 families out of subsistence farming, giving them an opportunity to use their gifts in farming to raise their family with dignity.

Busisiwe still works very hard, but, for the first time since her husband died, she is able to say she is providing for her family with dignity. She says she is “emotionally free” to dream about her children’s high school graduations and their future because she is able to pay their school fees. Instead of thinking of where her family’s next meal is coming from, she spends her days tending her chickens and expanding her farm. She can afford to rent a tractor to cultivate her land, and purchase high quality seeds.

“Developing this poultry value chain in Swaziland wasn’t easy, but it is the most effective way to connect many farmers to a stable marketplace and creates a way for them to live out God’s calling on their lives―to work and provide for their families with dignity,” says Tinashe Chitambira, Executive Director of AfricaWorks . “It makes a huge difference.”

Watch a video of Grace’s story and find out more:

dignity.org

We are proud to be a tour partner for the 2013 Sea to Sea tour. The tour begins June 21st and lasts for 9 weeks.

For more information about the tour and how you can volunteer, give or pray, visit seatosea.org.

PARTNERS WORLDWIDE HAS RECENTLY SIGNED on to the Evangelical Immigration Table. This group of Christian leaders, representing businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations, believe that we need to reform immigration laws in order to better love our neighbors. These leaders also recognize that the Bible speaks clearly and repeatedly to God’s concern for the immigrant.

We at Partners Worldwide believe that the best way to end poverty is give everyone equal access to opportunity for a better life. At this important time when there needs to be bipartisan agreement on the terms of new legislation, please join us in praying that our government leaders will pass comprehensive immigration reform, transforming lives of millions of honest, hard-working immigrants.

THE EVANGELICAL IMMIGRATION TABLEFor I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Matthew 25:35

To learn more or take the “I was a stranger” challenge, go to: www.EvangelicalImmigrationTable.com

Busisiwe and one of her children