Abstract:
‘The most terrible poverty is loneliness and feeling unloved’ (Mother Teresa). Swaziland is
in the unenviable position of having the highest HIV infection rate in the world, with an
adult prevalence rate of 42%. This is a national crisis which, in the Swaziland context, has led
to feelings of severe hopelessness and rejection and which needs to be addressed through a
multidisciplinary approach. The church is in the unique position to demonstrate the love and
grace of God in the midst of this pandemic. A small congregation of the Swaziland Reformed
Church situated in the southern Shiselweni district of the country decided to take up this
challenge. This article showed what the effects could be when the church becomes a vessel of
love and grace within the community.
