https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCCtAT248UQ
The Journey of Challenge Ministries, Eswatini
Challenge Ministries Eswatini began with a simple yet profound encounter. After experiencing a call from the Lord, Kevin Ward could no longer ignore the sight of children flocking to the streets of Mbabane, Eswatini's capital city. Driven by a deep sense of purpose, Kevin and his wife, Helen, sought the Lord's guidance on how they could make a difference. Their journey led them to a dilapidated nightclub on Johnson Street, a notorious area associated with the highest crime rates in the country. At that time, a staggering 60% of all crimes in Eswatini could be traced back to one of the nine nightclubs on this street. Despite the daunting environment, Kevin and Helen committed to leasing the run-down nightclub and transformed it into their first soup kitchen.
During the day, they opened their doors to street children, offering showers, clean clothes, hot meals, and a basic introduction to education and the Word of God. However, it quickly became clear that providing a bowl of soup and sharing God's love was not enough. The nights were when these children were most vulnerable to abuse and trauma. Recognizing this, Kevin and Helen opened their first homes to provide full-time care, offering street kids a safe place to call home.
But the challenges didn't end there. The harsh reality of street life had led many children to substance abuse as a means to mask the pain of their pasts. In response, Kevin and Helen developed the Teen Challenge Men’s Center, the nation's only drug rehabilitation facility at the time. As the center began to receive more serious cases of substance abuse from an older population, they asked themselves a critical question: "How do we reach the children before they experience the trauma of the streets and turn to drugs?" This question drove them to double down on their childcare efforts, focusing on receiving more children into care before the streets could take their toll.
As men found hope and healing through rehabilitation and children were nurtured in family-style care, women in search of help began arriving as well. With the support of friends and partners, Challenge Ministries took on the Elusitweni Women’s Center—a Teen Challenge facility dedicated to providing protection and discipleship for women and their children suffering from physical or sexual abuse, trafficking, domestic violence, and substance abuse.
The HIV/AIDS crisis continued to ravage Eswatini, leaving a generation of children without parents. The government’s social welfare department brought more and more children to the ministry's family-style homes. Kevin and Helen again asked, "What more can we do to help these children?" This question led to a turning point in 2006 when the opportunity arose to partner with local and global entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and supporting agencies to purchase and restore an abandoned mining town—Bulembu. This dilapidated town, with its existing infrastructure, held the potential to become a sustainable orphan care community. With a vision to transform the lives of a nation of orphans, Bulembu Ministries was launched.
Also in 2006, Challenge Ministries launched Potter's Wheel Church in the capital city, envisioning it as a ministry center to serve the nation's leaders. The ministry embraced a dual role: serving the most vulnerable while working alongside government policymakers to help them understand the real issues facing the people of Eswatini.
By 2008, it had become evident that the ministry needed to extend its reach into rural communities, directly serving children and families. Believing they could stem the tide of despair by embedding their care points within communities, Challenge Ministries launched the Rural Community Sites project, known as ICBC (In the Community, By the Community). Each site would include a church, a pastor's home, a preschool, and a volunteer-led compassionate care team, empowering local communities to take ownership of the transformation they desired.
By 2021, having cared for hundreds of children in their homes and nurtured them to reach their full potential as the next generation of LiSwati leaders, the ministry identified an opportunity to work more closely with the families of these children. This insight led to the launch of the Family Strengthening and Reunification Department, a program dedicated to journeying with relatives of children in care, aiming for permanent placements and the restoration of family units.
Today, Challenge Ministries continues to grow and evolve, remaining steadfast in its mission to bring hope, by discipling people, strengthening families, empowering communities for Kingdom transformation. Through their dedication, the Wards have built a legacy that goes beyond soup kitchens, care homes, and community sites —creating a movement that transforms communities, restores families, and empowers the next generation to lead with love and purpose.