Cabrini Ministries - St. Philip's Mission

The Cabrini Mission Foundation’s St. Philip’s Mission, located in the remote Lubombo lowveld region of Swaziland, serves the healthcare, educational and childcare needs of the area. Run by Sister Diane Dolle Molle and Sister Barbara Staley, St. Philips serves the local community via the following activities:

Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Hostel

This facility was established in 2002 to respond to the HIV/AIDS/TB pandemic by caring for neighboring OVCs and helping extended families. The hostel serves both male and female children usually between the ages of 3 and 18 years old. As of this past summer, the Cabrini hostel at St Philip’s was housing 134 children. St Philips strives to keep siblings together and maintain the family unit. In addition to providing housing, education and healthcare, they also offer the following programs:

  • The Bridge School is an extension program for hostel children who are high achievers. These children’s academic work is extended and paves the path to mainstream higher education.

  • English Enrichment Classes have commenced for the Bridge School children and 7 hostel children in St Philip’s High School and meet 3 evenings a week with the goal of mastering the English language as a tool to better equip them to be self-sufficient in the "outside world".

  • The Aftercare Program is expanding as now 7 children have finished their formal schooling at St. Philip’s and/or have returned to their extended family homestead. Cabrini continues to support these young adults as they enter trade school or other paths to independence and self-sufficiency.

  • The Life Skills Program teaches older children about independence and finding their way in the world. They are taken to the city and taught about using public transportation, shopping, obtaining proper travel documents, National ID card, etc.

St Philip’s Health Care Outreach (HCO)

This Cabrini service provides a continuum of healthcare and supportive services to homesteads 6 days a week. They offer care for OVCs living on homesteads as well as care of HIV, AIDS and TB patients in the areas served. The Healthcare Outreach offers healthcare, medication, counseling, testing, Antiretroviral therapy (ART) , transport and psychosocial support. Specific services include:

  • HIV testing
  • Prenatal care
  • Mother/baby program
  • HIV/TB drug therapy assistance and monitoring
  • Patient transport service
  • Medical counseling

Agricultural Program

Cabrini has 6 hectares of irrigated land on which vegetables are grown to provide food for the hostel children and HIV patients. Any surplus food is sold to raise funds for hostel operations. Crops grown include corn, beetroot, onions, butternut squash and pumpkin, beans, spinach, chilis and tomatoes.

Presently, Cabrini is supporting more that 450 HIV positive patients with weekly food supplements of vegetables from these gardens, in addition to educating the local residents on agricultural techniques to benefit the community.

For further information on the activities of Cabrini’s St. Philips Mission, please visit Cabrini Ministries in Swaziland.