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The Lighthouse ministry started in 1996 by providing a feeding project, funded by collecting food from hotels and restaurants. Evidence of HIV infection among orphaned, abandoned and homeless street children that were fed was extremely high.
Among the first 15 children fed, 14 were HIV positive. It was established that there were two main causes—infection was transmitted to the child by the mother, or sodomy, which was a result of living on the street.
We started a residential center to accommodate needy children who were either infected or affected by HIV. The work was formally founded in April 1997 as Lighthouse Care Centers.
We want to be one of the vessels the Lord uses to train up His children in the way of the Lord.
Our purpose:
- To provide safe homes where disadvantaged children could find security, stability and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe in raising up local role models as well as national leaders to help set up centers throughout Swaziland and Southern Africa.
- Each center is to be self-sustainable & autonomous
- Each center is to empower its leaders to reproduce the work.
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We work with social welfare and Save the Children Fund by receiving abandoned children from them.
We work the streets to take street children off the streets who want to come off.
We place children in our homes by age, behavioral patterns and distance from known relatives.
We work on reconciliation with relatives who would be interested in taking the children back into their homes.
We provide a safe and structured routine environment for both children and youth.
We have adapted and use the successful, Christ-centered Teen Challenge program with children and youth.
We provide education in government schools for children and youth.
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Children are being saved, discipled and healed physically, emotionally and spiritually. |
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