It has
finally arrived after just over 3 years living in The Kingdom of Swaziland. To
be exact it has been 1,150 days since I put my feet on the ground in Swaziland.
I arrived June 24th, 2014 and will now be departing this wonderful
kingdom on September 27th, 2017. With just about 40 days left in
Swaziland I made a list of 40 things that I will miss about Swaziland and Peace
Corps. I have been posting them each day with photos on Facebook so be sure to
check them out there. (They are in no particular order)
 |
| Overlooking this mighty Kingdom of Swaziland |
1. The
preschool that I was able to help establish and seeing the smiling faces each
day as I passed by. They have been able to graduate over 80 children now for
the first time ever.
2. The
size of the avocados here and being able to buy them for less than 50 cents
each (USD). Was able to make the best guacamole ever.
3. Sunsets
and sunrises over the landscape each and every day. God’s creation is amazing.
4. Traditional
attire from the men and women along with all the colors that are expressed. The
fabric market and making curtains from them was the best.
5. Boys
from BRO (Boys Reaching Out) club and playing soccer, board games and having
fun together along with taking them to the annual BRO camp that we started. It
was the first BRO camp Swaziland has had back in 2015. There have now been more
than 200 boys who have got to experience this camp.
6. Working
with the teachers at my High School and Primary School as friends and creating
the bonds in and out of school.
7. Hiking
Sibebe multiple times and getting some time with God alone in His beautiful
creation.
8. Going
to church with my family here and hearing the voices and their passion for God.
Even though they could last from 3 hours to all night, the passion is amazing.
9. Being
able to buy fresh produce on the streets from the bomake (women) that would
last a week all for about 5 USD. This would include potatoes, onions, carrots,
tomatoes, apples, oranges, pears, lettuce, spinach, beets and even avocados.
10. Sawubona
(Hello) and Unjani (How are you?) greetings everywhere you go.
11. Young
Heroes staff and the passion everyone has for working with the orphans of
Swaziland and building a bright future for all of the kids.
12. Peace
Corps staff, their support, laughter and always being their for you. They are
family.
13. The
GLOW girls and their smiles that would fill a room.
14. Fresh
meat on the homestead and braai (BBQ) meat on the weekends. This included pork,
chicken, beef, goat and even the occasional warthog or kudu.
15. Playing
cards and casino with my bhuti even though I still never learned how to play
the card game casino. I could still beat him at checkers, sometimes.
16. Volunteer
gatherings on holidays or just when we needed some time off. The conversations
and stories to share were endless from our time in our communities or just the
most recent bus ride we just took across Swaziland.
17. My
friends.
18. Rainstorms,
thunder and lightening moving across the sky. You can see it come from miles
away and hear the roar, as it gets closer to you. God is so powerful and just a
small demonstration of his power.
19. The
simplicity of life in Swaziland. Being able to just sit under a tree for hours
during the day and talk or just watch life go by and observe.
20. Culture
and the festivals including Umhlanga and Marula festival. Culture is what makes
us who we are and why we are. It should never be changed but celebrated and
loved.
21. The
places and trips with fellow volunteers during holidays or just long weekends.
South Africa, Lesotho and Mozambique will be remembered for all those crazy
adventures we Americans had.
22. My
family who welcomed me on day one to Swaziland and taught me things such as how
to wash my clothes by hand, cooking traditional Swazi food, the SiSwati
language and the kindness of Swazis.
23. My
new family who loved, protected and put up with me for two years as well as
took me in as their own son.
24. Make
Masuku, the gospel singer who I would hear her singing on the radio blasting
when she was not home and then hear her singing in the mornings when she was
home.
25. Pap
(traditional Swazi dish) with Chicken dust (BBQ chicken sold from the side of
the road) and the awesome Swazi beans. Best meal my parents had here while in
Swaziland was Chicken Dust (all for under 2 USD)
26. Playing
soccer with the kids after school on the dirt fields and joining the game with
my teachers and Young Heroes after work. Soccer is life and it was nice to see
it all around.
27. Animals
and the different wildlife around, even the monkeys who would run across my
roof and steal your food. Seeing the Elephants, Rhinos, Lions, Hippos, Zebra
and Giraffes roaming free and safe.
28. Bushfire
Festival 2015, 2016 and 2017. One of the top 5 festivals in Africa along with
the music at House on Fire and the food and quiet evenings at Malendelas
restaurant. It has one of the best settings for watching the sun go down over
Swaziland while enjoying a nice cold drink.
29. The
days of staying at backpackers including Sundowners, Legends and Lidwala. Always
having taco nights and staying up late talking and telling stories or playing
games with travelers and new friends.
30. Seeing
students succeed and build a future for themselves in and out of school.
Working with the entrepreneurs and learners to be better and be successful.
Especially working with Lindokhulu who is a young woman who has been out of
school for 5 years now and returned to finish her Form5 and get accepted into
college to be a teacher.
31. The
Swazi Times and Observer headlines. I don’t think you can be a Peace Corps
Volunteer without having your picture in the local newspapers for some reason
or another.
32. Entertainment
on those long bus rides from it breaking down, them having to pull over and
weld a seat back in on the spot, the animals that catch rides, having to run
and jump on the bus like a pro without them stopping and trying not to smash
your eggs that you just bought at the grocery store.
33. The
time my parents came to Swaziland and we went to Cape Town and then they were
able to meet my family here. It was a special moment having them come together
and spent time here in Swaziland. Will be something that I will remember for my
entire life.
34. Seeing
the smiles on the kid’s faces and the laughter as they run home from school.
Every day seeing children around the community and town in their uniforms
laughing and playing together on their way or coming home from school.
35. The
music here in Swaziland, the local musicians, and even the house music they
play at Solanis (local hangout) in the evenings. That is all the music I will probably
be playing and listening to now when I am back in the US. Get ready for some
Tigi by Sands.
36. Those
best friends I will never forget here, Baba Siyabonga. You know who you are.
37. Friendliness,
support and help from all Swazis as we would learn what taxi to take to get
home, how to order our chicken dust, carrying those large bags of groceries
that we thought we could carry to the bus and just spending the last 4 hours
talking with us on the side of the road.
38. The
dancing even though I can’t dance I tried sometimes.
39. The
hikes and adventures where Swazis always wonder why we do some of the things we
do as Americans. Hiking up a mountain for fun, running through our communities
at 5 in the morning or working on a 1500 piece puzzle at our house.
40. The
Kingdom of Swaziland and my family and home for the last 3 years and more.
 |
| Just another Swazi sunset
This is only 40 of the things
that I will miss and love about Swaziland but there are so many more things
that changed my life here. It was and always will be part of who I am now.
|
Siyabonga Kakhulu and Salani
Kahle
(Thank you very much and stay well)
