Today I am announcing the official start of the Scared Education Campaign–a long-term goal to invest in the education of 30 talented orphans in Swaziland.

In Swaziland, secondary education levels are among the lowest in the world. Less than 40 percent of children eligible to attend school can afford to enroll. At a cost of nearly $1,000/year, education is simply out of reach for those kids who need it most.

What does this look like?

On one of our first ever trips to Swaziland, we met a woman named Gugu. Gugu was a widow herself, and every day watched as young girls–12- and 13-years-old–would work as prostitutes for food and money. They came and they went. Every day she watched the future of her country wither away.

One day, she gathered up a few of the girls and asked one life-changing question: "What would it take to stop you from being prostitutes?"

They answered: "A school: We need a school to attend because without education we have no future anyway, so what does it matter what we do with ourselves now to survive?"

Gugu opened a school the next day beneath the shade of a large tree.

There was no time to lose. Today, God has blessed Gugu's bold and faithful action with a thriving and bustling CarePoint. Hundreds of children now come to her CarePoint for food, shelter, and education.

Gugu has created a light in the darkness of Swaziland. With an HIV infection rate of over 45 percent, HopeChest has decided to make a strategic, long-term investment in these thirty boys and girls.

Through this fund, we are going to award five-year scholarships–valued at over $5,000 each–to these bright young children. That's a steep investment that will require $30,000/year for the next five years, but it is worth it, and I know that many of you will partner with HopeChest to support these children.

Over the next few weeks, I'll give you more information about how you can join with Children's HopeChest and support these children. I can tell you this, each will need a sponsor to commit $80/month for the next five years. Is that you?

I'll also soon be sharing how you can gain exclusive access to the writing and video blogs of the thirty recipients. Everyone who joins the campaign can vote for their favorite entries on our exclusive Web site. The winners will receive a party for their CarePoint–and they will be celebrated as the guest of honor.

If you want more information right now, contact Hannah Leman at hleman@hopechest.org. She's got all the details.