Three Sundays have been set aside to publicize the work of World Vision. This nondenominational Christian charity is devoted to helping residents of communities in nearly 100 countries around the world improve their lives.

Continuing through May 11, each Sunday is focused on raising people's awareness of the dire conditions in Swaziland, a poor nation completely surrounded by South Africa. Their goal is to find sponsors who will pledge $35 per month to support 100 vulnerable or orphaned children.

Sponsors can choose needy children from photos and biographical information on display at the church. Afterward, they may write to their sponsored child and receive frequent updates about the child's life.

Recently, two members of the Gilroy congregation spent two weeks in Sub-Sahara Africa learning about local conditions and the work of World Vision. Linda Ramirez and Annie Fortino were the only West Coast residents among 26 Americans visiting Swaziland for the session.

They received two days of training concerning Africa's HIV/AIDS crisis. Then the group split into smaller teams; the Californians joined two other Americans to work in a community named Maphalaleni, where some 14,000 people live in an area about the size of Gilroy.

They experienced very primitive conditions - few cars, trucks, bicycles or horses for transportation and no electricity or running water. Three or four mud huts per extended family are surrounded by several acres of farmland. According to Ramirez, going from one area to another on the rough roads was reminiscent of the "Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland."

World Vision doesn't attempt to come to an area and take over. Their goal is to forge relationships, let locals discover their own goals, then empower them to accomplish these tasks on their own. The Gilroyans saw this effort up close:

n A poor family consisting of a blind mother and handicapped, unemployed father live in a two-room house World Vision helped them acquire. Their 12-year-old son had just started attending school, an hour's walk away.

n HIV/AIDS is a serious problem in Swaziland. The region's 25 percent infection rate is one of the highest in the world. They learned about the huge orphan population resulting from parents who died from the epidemic, and they visited with native caregivers who support AIDS patients and pastors who train people in how to avoid the disease.

The Americans also visited a micro finance group made up of 15 residents who pooled their funds to create an informal bank. Members took out small loans to start businesses, then repaid the money with interest. The bank's profit is distributed among participants, who are then able to buy livestock or improve their homes with their monetary shares.

Linda Ramirez, who is the church's Mission Director, says guest speakers during each of the three weeks' worship services will highlight aspects of World Vision's work in Africa. She hopes that the "Sundays of Hope" will increase knowledge and enthusiasm among members so that more people can take a similar informational and inspirational trip next year.

For more information about sponsoring a needy African child through World Vision, contact Gilroy Presbyterian Church at 842-3000 or e-mail director of mission Linda Ramirez at lramirez@garlic.com.

Chuck Flagg Chuck Flagg is a retired teacher with a passion for religion. Write him c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365 Gilroy, CA 95021.