It was the day after Christmas back
home in Oregon and my Dad and I were getting ready to go play some golf at a
nearby course. I got in the truck
and pulled up my email on my phone.
There was a message from the Peace Corps. Was this what I was waiting for since I herd I was accepted
into the Youth Development sector back in June? It was a moment of excitement
and hesitation at the same time.
This would be telling me where I would be living for 27 months. I opened the email and read. So many emotions and questions begin to
run through my head. The next 6
months would be an eventful time for me, preparing my life for 27 months
abroad.
As you probably already
know, I am in Swaziland now. The
Kingdom of Swaziland. It has been
almost a year from now that I herd of Swaziland for the first time. I am living here now and couldn’t
imagine being in a better place. I
arrived in Swaziland in June and have been living here now for almost 6
months. What better time to
reflect on the culture, food, people, history and just share some of the
beautiful things I have seen, learned and experienced here.
Swaziland is Africa’s
last absolute monarchy, hence The Kingdom of Swaziland. A country of about 1.4 million people
living in the size of a country comparable to New Jersey and rich in culture
with little influence from the outside.
The larger country of South Africa with the exception of Mozambique to
the east surrounds Swaziland, yet you seem like you are the only place in the
World when you are in Swaziland.
Traditional cultural events such as Umhlanga
and incwala still flourish today and
the entire country turns out to support their national heritage and celebrate
their unique culture. Culture is
what makes us who we are, it includes our religion, beliefs, morals, food,
lifestyle plus whatever else shows our uniqueness. Swaziland is one of a kind.
I don’t like spouting
off a lot of facts, numbers and dates on things cause after about two sentences
I honestly stop reading. I just
want to share some culture experiences first hand so you can gain some
perspective on the history and the Kingdom of Swaziland. If you like that stuff though there are
hundreds of websites you can look up to find the GDP, exact size, average age,
dates, and whatever else you like.
For me though learning about Swaziland has come from a few things, Swazis
are always happy and enjoy helping others out. Also, the strong presence of dance, music and singing in
whatever they do and lastly are Swazi’s love of God and the Creator.
No matter where I have
gone here I have always been greeted with great enthusiasm and a willingness to
help out. The respectful cultural
greeting wherever you go and before you speak with someone is always Sawubona. Yebo. Unjani? Ngiyaphila.
It is saying hello, acknowledging them, saying hello back, and asking
how they are. It is a cultural
value and taking a genuine interest in everyone you interact with. Taking time to learn a language of
another culture is probably one of the highest forms of respect and showing
that you want to be part of something more. Speaking the native language creates a more enriching
experience in any country, especially Swaziland. I have had people walk with me great distances just to show
me where a store is because they care.
Others have carried groceries for me because they care. An entire bus stopped right in front of
my house so I could unload my bed and not have to carry it because they care. Killed chickens and a pig to celebrate
me being with them because they care.
Being here and seeing what little most people have, I experience a
giving of more than they have. I
think that is a lesson from the Bible somewhere.
Singing, dance and
music is all around in Swaziland.
During the morning assembly at the schools the children sing beautiful
praises each day, singing from the surrounding churches fill the air on
Sundays, the young girls dancing and singing as they carry the reeds down the
road during Umhlanga, and maybe even
some Lil Wayne in between the gospel music on the Khumbi and bus rides.
There have been a few presentations and celebrations at the schools in
my community here and they all center around these three things. You can find students singing songs,
performing dances, traditional and unique, plus music blasting while everyone
dances around the speakers. I
don’t think anyone has a bad voice here when they sing, except for me, so I
avoid it. It all revolves around
celebrating life, enjoying friends and family, and praises to God. Worship is all around us in whatever
you do, from skiing down the mountains, the working and serving, to
singing. Swaziland worships with
their voices and talents every day.
It is hard to really
sum up the history and culture of Swaziland without writing 30 or more
pages. I have learned though they
are proud of their culture, a group of strong people willing to work and learn,
and love God. Don’t get me wrong
though there are other religions and this is not everyone in Swaziland, to be
politically correct, but it is hard to deny the presence of God and see their
love for one another. So why does
a country like this have one of the highest HIV rates in the World then? You see people happy, helping each
other, loving God, working hard yet they struggle with this devastating disease
each and every day. Everyone in
this small Kingdom has been affected in one form or another with HIV/AIDS; with
26% of adults between 15-49 is HIV positive. It has the highest rate of tuberculosis (TB) in the world
and 80% of patients are co-infected with HIV. The Kingdom of Swaziland is a beautiful place with friendly
and loving people who only want this to go away. They want to return to a healthy and empowered kingdom free
of disease, death and able to worship fully and finally celebrate their rich
culture to its full potential.
