I Heart Swaziland
This morning we entered the Kingdom of Swaziland, one of the smallest countries in Africa. What a fantastic surprise. Having just traveled for over a week amongst the guarded, still shell-shocked Mozambicans, the friendly, laid-back vibe of Swaziland was a welcome change. My guidebook Lonely Planet is right when it says “What [Swaziland] lacks in size it makes up for in its rich culture and heritage, and relaxed ambiance…[I]t’s a complete change of pace from its larger neighbors.”
The Tree
I knew my stay in Swaziland would be a good one when I saw all the beautiful purple Jacaranda trees:
They make me happy. They remind me of What Dreams May Come, one of Warren’s favorite movies. Since Warren’s death, it’s one of mine as well. The movie is about a woman whose husband dies, and she never gets over it. His heaven is her painting, the purple tree just one of many beautiful trees that makes up her painting and his heaven. It was comforting to see the trees. They make me happy.
AIDS
One of the highlights of our stay in Swaziland was a trip to a local village. Just a few miles from where we were staying, this small village runs an orphanage, and to support the orphanage, they invite visitors to their village to learn about Swazi culture, hear Swazi music, see Swazi dancing.
Unfortunately, this village orphanage is just one of many in Swaziland. This tiny country has more than 200,000 AIDS orphans and it will only get worse. By 2010 one in six people will be a child under 15 who has lost both parents. You see, Swaziland has the world’s highest HIV infection rate in the world.
I took a lot of pictures of the kids. They were adorable. The little guy on the far right is sure to be the next chief. He took the entire affair very seriously.
Afterward, I took pictures of some of the kids, then showed them the images on my camera’s digital screen. This is always a real treat so I try to do it as often as possible. Most of these children have probably rarely if ever seen a picture of themselves. They were thrilled, clambering to be the next one photographed.
At the end of our stay the women laid out handmade crafts for sale (to generate money for the orphanage). I don’t buy souvenirs, but I made an exception for the exceptionally good cause. I bought a keychain with a carved wooden mask. It looks like the one that Greg Brady stole from that sacred Hawaiian burial site. Maybe that explains what happened to me next in Swaziland…read on.
I hope this whole endeavor is a good money maker for the orphanage. I know that our group certainly gave. Touched by the plight of the children and the charm of the performance, we all gave additional donations.
Or another option...
For travelers for whom kids are not their philanthropic cup of tea, you can always sponsor a Swazi toilet in a bathroom just north of the South Africa border:
I saw this a few days ago. Lemme know if you’re interested. I’ll hook you up.
The Tree
I knew my stay in Swaziland would be a good one when I saw all the beautiful purple Jacaranda trees:
They make me happy. They remind me of What Dreams May Come, one of Warren’s favorite movies. Since Warren’s death, it’s one of mine as well. The movie is about a woman whose husband dies, and she never gets over it. His heaven is her painting, the purple tree just one of many beautiful trees that makes up her painting and his heaven. It was comforting to see the trees. They make me happy.
AIDS
One of the highlights of our stay in Swaziland was a trip to a local village. Just a few miles from where we were staying, this small village runs an orphanage, and to support the orphanage, they invite visitors to their village to learn about Swazi culture, hear Swazi music, see Swazi dancing.
Unfortunately, this village orphanage is just one of many in Swaziland. This tiny country has more than 200,000 AIDS orphans and it will only get worse. By 2010 one in six people will be a child under 15 who has lost both parents. You see, Swaziland has the world’s highest HIV infection rate in the world.
Not depressing enough? More incomprehensible stats: 39% of all adults between 15 and 49 are HIV positive (compared to 3.9% in 1992). A quarter of the population is predicted to be dead from the disease by 2010. Life expectancy has fallen from 58 to 33 years. So horrifying.
The Village Visit
The kids and village leaders danced and sang, demonstrated how to weave mats and crush corn, taught us simple Swazi words, and laughed. Lots of giggling. It was a simple, intimate exchange—not one of those pre-packaged “culture shows” that always ends up feeling so icky. I took a lot of pictures of the kids. They were adorable. The little guy on the far right is sure to be the next chief. He took the entire affair very seriously.
Afterward, I took pictures of some of the kids, then showed them the images on my camera’s digital screen. This is always a real treat so I try to do it as often as possible. Most of these children have probably rarely if ever seen a picture of themselves. They were thrilled, clambering to be the next one photographed.
At the end of our stay the women laid out handmade crafts for sale (to generate money for the orphanage). I don’t buy souvenirs, but I made an exception for the exceptionally good cause. I bought a keychain with a carved wooden mask. It looks like the one that Greg Brady stole from that sacred Hawaiian burial site. Maybe that explains what happened to me next in Swaziland…read on.I hope this whole endeavor is a good money maker for the orphanage. I know that our group certainly gave. Touched by the plight of the children and the charm of the performance, we all gave additional donations.
Or another option...
For travelers for whom kids are not their philanthropic cup of tea, you can always sponsor a Swazi toilet in a bathroom just north of the South Africa border:
I saw this a few days ago. Lemme know if you’re interested. I’ll hook you up.