A Fresh Look at Abide Well
Do you know what Abide Well actually does?
I mean, “rural community development” is technically accurate, but that’s a broad term. What do we really do?
Every time I try to explain what we do, I end up wanting to explain how and why we do it. I want to dive into James 1:27, the story of the Good Samaritan, the widow’s offering, Jeremiah, the woman at the well… those stories shape everything we do. I love storytelling — from Scripture, from my childhood, from our life — and my hope is always that these stories help you connect a little more with the heart behind this work. You’ll see that thread in a lot of our email and social media updates.
But for today, I’m sticking to the what. Because I think it’s a question a lot of people genuinely have.
In the simplest terms, Abide Well runs two core programs:
a Feeding Program and a Building Program.
Our Feeding Program
We identify a preschool, elementary, or high school that’s struggling to provide lunch for its students.
We find trustworthy, vetted individuals in that community who are looking for work.
We train them to become chicken farmers and business owners.
We help with startup costs, and within two months, they’re producing 50–100 chickens every six weeks as independent contractors.
We buy the chickens from them and use the meat to provide lunch to the school.
We also launch a chicken farming class at the school itself.
We train them to become future chicken farmers and the class is led by an agricultural teacher.
The school also earns money at times for extracurricular activities
Our Building Program
We identify a widow or vulnerable family in desperate need of a safe home.
When possible, we ask them to complete community service to participate in the process.
We help communities build proper toilet facilities.
We install water systems in rural areas where access to clean water is distant or unreliable.
We partner with a local orphanage in Eswatini that’s working to reintegrate children into family-style homesteads.
These are often children who were removed from their mother at a young age, or children being reunited with an aunt, uncle, or grandparent.
Our role is to make sure there’s a secure, dignified structure waiting for them when they return.
The Results
Kids aren’t trying to learn on an empty stomach. Attendance improves. Children learn a practical, lifelong skill. And local Swazis in the community get a dignified way to earn a living.
And through all of this — the feeding, the building, the relationships — we get to share the gospel. We get to disciple. We show people Christ’s love in both word and action. I’ve had the chance to preach at local churches and share at schools we support. This is usually where I’d launch into the why — but today, I promised to stick to the what. So there you have it.
That’s the practical side of what we do at Abide Well.
The Hard Part
The need in Eswatini far exceeds our capacity. In the past, we attempted to address every request that came our way but ended up doing so inefficiently. Consequently, we’ve established clear boundaries and guiding principles.
During my last trip, I received multiple requests in just a couple days: 8 children needing school fees paid, 5 people requesting funding for business proposals, and 3 for urgent medical care, among many others.
The problem is, this isn’t what we do, and these are things we aren’t equipped to handle. Not to mention, there isn’t unlimited funding available. In the past, it was harder to define what we do — because we didn’t have these boundaries. But as hard as they are, they’re necessary. We can’t do everything. We’ve had to identify our strengths, and do our best to focus on them.
