Mission Among the Sick at the House of Hope (Likhaya Lekwetsemba), Manzini, Eswatini

House of Hope is a center of the Catholic Diocese of Manzini, founded in 2001 with the aim of assisting people affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The center operates under Caritas Eswatini and welcomes patients of all ages from all over Eswatini.
In addition to its original mission, today House of Hope also provides care to people suffering from paralysis, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. Patients are cared for by a team of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, who provide treatment and support with professionalism and dedication.
Over the years, the center has expanded its services to respond to the emerging needs of the population and the signs of the times, continuing to bear witness to the Church’s closeness and charity toward the most vulnerable. Reading the signs of the times, the Church recognized the need to establish this center to offer the sick both physical and spiritual care, so that they might complete their earthly journey in hope, peace, and serenity.
It is important to remember that, in the past, people living with HIV/AIDS were often victims of discrimination, marginalization, and abandonment. Many of them lacked access to necessary care, including antiretroviral medications, which were too expensive for most patients. Unlike today, these medications were not distributed free of charge, and this situation unfortunately contributed to the loss of many lives.
Our mission as Adorers of the Blood of Christ at House of Hope is to respond to the cry of the Blood of Christ through the service we perform every day. We accompany the sick and those who care for them with prayer, sisterly closeness, comfort, and hope. In particular, we stand by long-term patients and those who, because of their illness, have lost hope, so that they may experience the consolation of God’s love and regain the strength to face their journey with dignity and confidence.
At the same time, we also encourage and support family members and caregivers, urging them to carry out their service with love, patience, and dedication. We invite them to recognize that, through their thoughtful care for their loved ones, they can receive abundant blessings from God.
As Adorers of the Blood of Christ, we share in the sufferings of the sick by constantly entrusting them to prayer. We also accompany them with words of comfort, encouraging them to accept their suffering with patience and hope. We know full well that, from a human perspective, it is not easy to accept pain and trials; however, by trusting in God’s merciful love and in the strength that flows from the Blood of Christ, the journey of suffering can be transformed into an experience of faith, consolation, and hope.
Our presence as Adorers of the Blood of Christ in service at House of Hope has become a tangible sign of consolation for the people we meet every day, who are often afflicted by pain, anguish, and discouragement.
At the same time, our mission at House of Hope offers us the opportunity to share our Congregation’s charism with the sick, with those who care for them, and with all the professionals with whom we collaborate on a daily basis. Through prayer, the witness of our lives, and fraternal service, we seek to make present the redeeming love of Christ and the power of His Most Precious Blood, so that every person may feel welcomed, loved, and supported on their journey of suffering and hope.

Sr. Margarita Silvery Ngoi, ASC