A Letter from Our Founder

There is a Swazi saying: “Umuntfu, Ngumuntfu, Ngebanfu.” It roughly translates to “I exist because we exist. I matter because we matter. I am because we are.”

In a world where individualism and neoliberal greed are consistently rewarded, the ideals of radical community which underpin Swazi culture are dynamic and subversive.

Possible Dreams International harnesses the power of Indigenous Swazi communities to address the insidious problems of HIV, poverty and endemic disease.

Where entrenched structural factors such as unemployment, water shortages or gender inequity threaten to undermine the agency of local people, Possible Dreams offers integrated structural approaches for empowerment:

Instead of ‘only’ providing emergency food aid for a household of orphan children, the team will engage with local community elders to ensure the children are safe from violence and have appropriate adult guidance; they will advocate for education and seek out a sustainable income source for the family.

Instead of ‘only’ building a house for a Gogo (grandmother) whose home of mud and stick has collapsed in the rains, the team will help grow a vegetable garden or other agricultural project to function as an alternate food source, they will assess both her mental and physical health and seek appropriate medical care for chronic ailments. They may facilitate her engagement in community projects like producing Indigenous crafts to be sold at market, or introduce her to a women’s collective which Possible Dreams facilitates with female leaders within her community. 

This holistic, integrated structural approach is made possible entirely because Possible Dreams is led on the ground by local Swazi people.

By centring Indigenous leaders within the local management team and creating a vast network of local and international supporters to help furnish the urgent financial resources required, Possible Dreams is providing a model for how global public health can be delivered respectfully and effectively in some of the most rural and remote parts of the world.

Possible Dreams does more than merely partner with communities. We are part of the community. And in celebrating the power of local communities and organisations working at the grassroots we seek to live out the beauty of the Swazi ideal ‘Umuntu, Ngumuntfu, Ngebantfu’ – I exist because others exist; I matter because we matter; I am because We are.

Community is our strength. Community is our aim. Together we can.

Kungenteka! (It’s Possible)

Maithri

To learn more about our Founder, you can hear him speak at TedX Melbourne about The Art of Dreaming or buy his book, a collection of stories from the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), at our Shop.

Our Operations

Possible Dreams International prides itself on being lead by Swazis for Swazis. Our organisation is made up of the Swaziland Field Team, International Executive Board, Fundraising Committee and our extensive community of supporters.

• The Swazi Field Team directs the operations of our organisation, and is based in Siteki, a rural village in the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland). Our team is made up of an experienced and passionate group of Swazis, who are dedicated to making a difference in the communities that they love and grew up in.

• The International Executive Board is made up of a diverse group of people who coordinate the overall governance and strategic direction of the organisation. We ensure the financial and ethical integrity of the organisation.

• Our fundraising committee and network of supporters make Possible Dreams International possible. We bring a range of skills to the organisation to help fundraise, and share the dream of our organisation.

The Swazi Field Team team takes in referrals from local community leaders, social workers and the local Siteki hospital, and also receive a number of self-referrals. We assess each referral carefully, looking at the whole picture of the client’s situation in order to identify their needs, strengths and goals.

We aim to help our clients through the model of Aid, Sustainability and Dignity. Read more about projects in this model. We support clients with their immediate needs for the short term, while working with them to develop and implement a long-term sustainable solution.

Whatever we do, our primary purpose is to respect and uphold the dignity of our clients.

Child Protection

How do we protect the rights of the child in the communities we work with? 

Before we use any photo, whether for an adult or child, we seek consent from the individual/s.

Environmental Sustainability

What environmental impacts do we consider with our current projects?

Due to the topography of the area and the existing weather patterns in the Lubombo region, we make an effort to harvest rainwater through the installation of Water Tanks whenever PDI builds a house. 

At the soup kitchen, we installed a drip irrigation system and for cooking, only dead and dry wood is used for fire making. This is in line with the Environmental laws of the country with regard to cutting of trees.

Part of a Global Movement

In 2015, the world committed to global sustainable development goals. PDI is part of this movement focused on the people of the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), contributing to achieving the following goals by 2030:

• Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

• Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

• Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

• Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

• Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

• Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

• Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Read more about them here at the UN website Sustainable Development Goals

Our Financials

Find our latest annual financial statement here: 2022 PDI Financial Statement

We believe that every donation we receive should be spent preciously. We are proud to report that 99% of every dollar spent goes towards implementing programs in the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland).

Our international community, including the Executive Board and the Fundraising Committee, are volunteers. The only paid members of our organisation are the Swaziland Field Team.