Birthday Week… err, Month!

 
2012 marked 25 years that I've graced this world with my presence. On the 15^th, I had one of the best birthdays ever… however, my Little Mermaid party is a close second. Typically the whole month of December is dedicated to both Jesus and my birthday, but unfortunately Peace Corps interrupted my celebration habits with a week of IST (in service training). So on the 14^th I started the celebration with one of my friends coming up for a Friday night braai. Then on Saturday the real party began. Can I first just say how excited I was to have a birthday in the Summer time?! It may sound ridiculous, but every birthday so far has been accompanied by cold, gloomy, snowy weather. That is why this year I HAD to have a pool party! It may seem as if I am rubbing my "posh corps" lifestyle in your face, but I can't help it if I was placed with a pool in my back yard. 

By noon, my community was crowded with Americans—we had overtaken the place. Sunbathing, cocktails, good music and food, what more could a girl ask for. The party started at 9am and lasted throughout the night. By midnight I had 12 people stuffed in my house, and another 12 camping in tents on my front lawn. I may have forgotten to tell them about the snakes, but luckily there were no fatalities. Sunday was an encore to the previous day's festivities and so it continued onto Monday. Here it is Saturday again, and I still have people staying with me. I've calculated the dates and I am going to be crowded with people well into the New Year. First comes Christmas in a couple days, naturally it will be spent at the CC. Then almost immediately I will be on the sandy beaches of Mozambique dipping my feet in the Indian Ocean as I ring in the New Year. Can't wait to tell you all about my trip!

Ube Khrismusi lomuhle!

World AIDS Day

    I come from a country with HIV prevalence close to 0%, to now living in a country with the highest rate in the world. HIV isn't a 'them' issue, it is an 'US' issue. I was never really concerned with HIV before I came to Swaziland, simply because I never knew anyone personally affected by it—that is not the case anymore. I don't know anyone personally with HIV, but that doesn't mean my friends, neighbors, etc.. don't have it, they just don't talk about it. I do however know tons of people first hand who have lost an immediate family member due to the virus. HIV isn't just some 'bad thing' you associate with Africa. It is a real disease taking millions of lives and leaving millions of children as orphans. 

December 1^st was World AIDS Day and I was so happy to see the country's response to that day. Fellow PCV's all over the country organized events, while other NGO's also did things to commemorate the day. My community did a survey to determine the current rate of HIV in my community specifically, and at my school I organized all the students to wear red. As someone who is now living on the frontlines of this war, I encourage all of you reading this see what you can do to fight AIDS; even if it's just being educated on HIV, getting tested, praying, or befriending someone who is positive. 

Let's all work together to have an AIDS free generation.

30 Things I’m Thankful For

Every year around this time, people make of list everyday of what they are thankful for. This year I decided to make a list of 30 things I am thankful for since being in Swaziland. These are in no particular order.

1. My laptop. Without this thing I would be bored out of my mind. Every week I spend countless hours listening to music, watching TV and movies, writing my blogs, typing reports and projects, uploading and editing pictures, and the obvious facebook stalking.
2. My iPod. This thing serves as a force field when I walk the streets of my community. All I do is put my headphones in and it's like I disappeared. Sometimes walking along the road gets exhausting when every day you have to say "Sawubona" to 100 people. It also comes in handy when the preachers on the khumbi yell the whole trip.
3. Refrigerator. This is the best investment I've bought since being here. This place is so hot, and being able to have a cold water bottle or even a refreshing spoon full of yogurt sure makes everything much better. Then there are those times when just sticking my face in there for 5 minutes is all I need to survive another day.
4. Country Club. My oasis. Whenever I want to sit in the nice air conditioned relaxing uninterrupted space with friendly staff, I come here. Taking a dip in the pool, jumping on the trampoline, exercising in the gym, or acting like a kid on the giant jungle gym are some of my favorite times. I also love this place because they host the Fun Fair, which was hands down the best weekend I've ever had.
5. Hlane Game Reserve. I love the fact that I can drive down road at any given minute and see baboons the size of a school child, monkeys running freely stealing the sugar cane, beautiful impalas grazing, and the occasional giraffe and elephant. Despite my 1^st world surroundings, this reminds me that I am in Africa.
6. Thoko Gama (Danni S). My neighbor and closest allies. We were neighbors during PST and now we live only 10 minutes away. To add to my wonderful set-up, I am fortunate enough to have another PCV live so close to where we see each other 1-2 times a week. Having an American friend close by is great and helps my sanity, but the fact that we help each other with our different projects is another blessing. We're able to have a greater effect on our communities when we work together.
7. My Swazi friends. I've made several close friends since being here. At times I do feel like no one understands me, and at times I know they don't even understand me, but the fact that they stick around during my mood swings means a lot.
8. My children. I have mentioned my 4 girls and 1 son to you all before, but I just say it again—these kids mean the world to me.
9. My PST host family. They were the foundation of my introduction to Swaziland. Through them I've learned that I don't know how to wash my clothes, cook, clean, and I am too sensitive. I still don't know how to wash my clothes, I am getting better at cooking, I don't really care about cleanliness anymore, and most importantly, I've developed a "so what?" attitude which is key to survival here.
10. Malaria Pills. Without them I would be dead. I have on average 15 new mosquito bites a week—if anything this is a great conversation started amongst the Swazi's.
11. ORS. This stuff brought me back to life. I was dehydrated and puking my guts out. Drinking my ORS revived me and within a week I was healthy again.
12. My weak immune system. For several weeks it took a hit, and as a result I've lost 25 lbs since being here!
13. Mango and Avocado Season. Between June and July avocados grow everywhere, and the same for mangos during Nov and Dec. My taste buds are in love with these treats!
14. What Should PCVS Call Me. This blog is 100% hilarious and 100% true. Take a few moments to check it out.
15. Skype. Thanks to technology, I have yet to be homesick. Love that at any one point I can see my mom, dad, boyfriend, or friends.
16. Care Packages and Mail. I love getting stuff in the mail, and thanks to everyone who has sent me something! I don't care what it is in the boxes, but when I see something sent from America and gives me a little piece of home, as well as give me a sense of assurance that I am not forgotten over here. A BIG THANKS AGAIN to everyone who has sent me something. It really does mean a lot!!!!
17. Art Supplies. Despite the fact that children gravitate towards me, I never really know what to do with them. Now that I have crayons, markers, and paper, I can entertain the kids and keep them occupied for a few hours a day.
18. Birkenstocks. Back in the States, I hated these shoes. I always gave my mom a hard time when she wore them, but now I find myself wearing these as my go to shoe. These things seriously are practical, comfortable, and for the setting—they're cute. I don't think I'll wear these when I get back, but in the meantime, I love em'!
19. Deodorant. Enough said.
20. KFC Ice Cream. So McDonalds is nowhere to be found in Swaziland, but KFC is everywhere! And the best part is that they have this soft serve ice cream for 3 Rand—that's only $0.37!!!
21. Chicken Dust. My favorite food in Swaziland is by far this little treat known as Chicken Dust. It got its name by its location. All throughout Swazi, there are braii stands on the side of the road grilling chicken. When the wind picks up or cars fly by, the dust from the road covers the chicken. This stuff is so freaking good I wish everyone could try it!
22. My Mom. My mom is my lifeline. She is the one that gets me. I am so thankful that without a doubt I can call her with anything good or bad. She even knows just what to get me—those care packages, it's like she went inside my room and picked everything out. She also realizes my love for coffee and keeps me supplied with all those goodies.
23. Jason. My partner in crime. This man has been by my side for the last four years of my life and without him I honestly would not even be here to write about Swaziland. I owe him a debt of gratitude. I hope he realizes just how much he means to me. It takes a real man to let his girl go off and follow her dreams, and an even bigger man to wait. Te amo mucho….
24. Christian Culture. Swaziland is obnoxiously conservative for my liberal life, but I appreciate the fact that they still acknowledge God through every facet of life.
25. My French Press. See # 22.
26. "Where There Is No Chef" Cookbook. This PCV gem is what has helped me with my cooking skills. I definitely had no idea what I was doing before in the kitchen, but with this book, I've been able to explore my culinary side.
27. Sex in the City. Seriously my favorite show ever. Whenever I watch an episode, it makes me feel like I'm back at home. It also gives me a sense of satisfaction whenever I get the urge to go shopping or I miss wearing my heels on a daily basis.
28. Tea Time. Swaziland was colonized by England. The Brits are long gone, but one thing that stuck was "tea time". Every day between 10 and half past, Swazi's break for tea, coffee, and biscuits. My new favorite tradition.
29. NGO's I Work With. Working with an NGO makes my job a lot easier and productive. The NGO I have had an opportunity to partner up with is SWAGAA (Swaziland Action Group Against Violence).
30. PCV Vehicles. Never will I ever enjoy a khumbi ride in this country. See # 2 again. I'm sorry, there is just no way that cramming a ton of sweaty bodies and screaming babies on an old van bouncing up and down on a rough road can ever seem like a good time. Therefore, I am thankful for when the white knight rolls into town!

And those are my 30 things. Happy Thanksgiving America!

Consider This

Like many Americans this year, I wasn't thrilled will either candidate nominated in this past election. Additionally I was less thrilled with the results. Nevertheless, I still voted. To those of you who didn't vote for whatever reason, that's ok. It was YOUR choice. Just like it was MY choice to vote for whoever I wanted. Even if my party didn't win, as an American I will respect my President and continue to show love for my country.
America is the country that the rest of the world looks up to. Even in my little Swaziland, I had almost all of my colleagues at school engaged in this election. People look to us for leadership, for direction, for inspiration, and for a new start. Sometimes when we're stuck in our situation we forget how good we really have it. Thankfully at this point in American history I am glad that I have the chance to step back and take a look at all the positive things about our country, although it does get discouraging when reading some facebook statuses.
Prior to November 6^th, I had a lot of people ask me who I was voting for and they asked my opinion about Obama. You should see the shock on their face when I told them that he wasn't really my cup of tea, but once I gave factual substance to support my view they certainly understood. Then when Obama won, those same people were sympathetic and respected my choice. I wish people back home could be more like that….. The thing I loved most though was everyone's sense of support and admiration for our government. The morning after the election, my Head Teacher sent me an email saying he was sorry my candidate had lost, but congratulated us on a successful election. I had another expat say how much he admired our people in the fact that despite there being more than one party, we as Americans rally behind the person who won. I have more instances where people were just so impressed about how our electoral system works and how much they like democracy.
    For those who don't know, Swaziland is one of the last absolute monarchies in existence today. They have a king, Mswatii III who still holds all the power. To set the record straight, I am not disrespecting any one government or government authority, but I wish to purely compare and discuss the nature of my American government that I see so many of my fellow citizens taking for granted. Here, the king is not voted for, he is chosen amongst the royal family and he is king for life. The people here are subjected to him and must follow what he says. Yes, there is a parliament that is voted in, but ultimately the king still has the final say. One Swazi made the comment to me that really put things into perspective. He said, "If you guys have a bad president he will be out within 4-8 years, and if he wants a second term he will actually try to do a good job to get reelected. We on the other hand don't have that system. A king could be good or bad, it doesn't really matter because he will be king for life." If you really think about what that statement means, especially how it affects the Swazi people, you won't want to take our democracy for granted.
Civilization was founded on monarchies; the Old Testament is littered with them. 1 Samuel 8:6-11 even tells the story of the Israelites asking God for a king to rule over them. So I am not saying monarchies are bad. The root of what I am saying though is found in the scripture passage I just mentioned. The Israelites thought they could do better than God. They saw what other nations where doing and they wanted that. The warning with that comes in 2 Timothy 4:3-5, there will be a time when people will ignore what they know is right for what they want to hear and makes them feel good. What I am seeing today in America is that likeability is more favored. We want to do what will please people and not necessarily what is morally right. Sadly, some of those who see this problem continue to only see the negative and again, get stuck with just complaining. Like I said in the beginning of this post, I am glad that I get a chance to step outside America and see all that is good. Yes America is not in the best place it could be, but we are still very very fortunate that we have the power to change the course of the nation and we can do so freely without fear.

I will end with this passage founded in 1Samuel 12:14-16 [this is Samuels farewell speech].
        "If you fear the Lord and serve and obey Him and do not rebel against His commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors. Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!"

Chinese Food

While people back in the states are bundling up in their chunky sweaters, cute jackets and knee high boots, I'm sitting over here sweating my butt off and it's only just Spring! PCVs and Swazi's all warned me that my city is the hottest in the country, but oh my gosh(!) this place is really really hot. It gets to be about 40 degrees Celsius with very little breeze. And the fact that my house is like a giant oven doesn't help. So it's no wonder why I got dehydrated. But before you all start to point your finger at me saying that I need to drink lots of water, let me stop you and announce that I drink water nonstop all day long; it was just one of those unfortunate bound to happen things.
Since Wednesday of last week I had felt under the weather. It might be because of the Chinese food I ate, or the unrefrigerated leftover Chinese food I ate, or it might be the fact that Obama was re-elected; regardless of what it was, something in my stomach wasn't agreeing with anything. To spare all my non-PCV readers the details of my bodily functions (which are now a normal topic amongst my circle), I will just say that I had gone3 days without eating anything and was still hanging out in the bathroom like it was giving out free money.
Saturday came and was the day of my first hip hop event—it about killed me. I almost passed out a few times in public and couldn't seem to keep it together. After about the 5^th person telling me I looked bad, I knew I needed to go see the PCMO. Sunday morning the nice white air conditioned PC truck rescued me and whisked me off to Mbabane and that is where I spent my next 4 days in the Med Unit. Tuesday I was finally eating again and not having anymore…"episodes", and since I had watch 2 seasons of Modern Family, I figured I was good enough to go.
And that is where I am now, safe and sound in my cozy little place I like to call home. So the lesson learned in this situation is stay away from Chinese food and vote Republican… or maybe not?

Happy Halloween!

So I've now had my second holiday in Swaziland… Halloween! Just like I celebrated 4^th of July (read it here), I went all out for this holiday as well. The benefits of having my American friend and closest PCV being only 15 minutes away, means that whenever I want to act like an American, I can just take a quick khumbi over to see her. Prior to Oct. 31, I ate all the candy corn my mom sent me, I've been drinking my pumpkin spice Starbucks coffee, and I watched the Halloween classic "Hocus Pocus". And despite being Spring here, the weather this past week has felt like Fall weather back in the states. I couldn't be more happy!
After prepping for the holiday I was ready for Halloween; sadly however, no one here celebrates it. So I wore my orange and black to school with only myself knowing the significance of the colors. I animatedly exclaimed "Happy Halloween!" to my students with them responding in "sooooo?" My little girls came to the house without any costumes and I had to prompt them to at least return with a knock on the door saying "Trick or Treat". After years of being excited for this day due to my niece and nephews, I was ready to go see Thoko (my PCV friend) and get my Halloween on. 

Turns out Halloween was not lost after all! Thoko's kids knew exactly what to do. She had over 20 kids come over and knocked on the door for candy. We then went for a walk at night to the sitolo to get ingredients for the cookies being made later when I ran into "Kanye West". I wasn't planning on doing any costumes, but I ended up being his Kim Kardashian. Back at the house, Thoko and I came up with the idea of melting the left over Halloween candy to make caramel apples. The idea was right, but the end result was poorly executed. The toffee was colored black and when mixed with my brown caramels made it look gross, but since it Halloween, it worked. Too bad it tasted horrible. 

Thanks to my mom, Betty Crocker, and Thoko's oven, I was able to make the pumpkin spice cookies, which eventually ended up as a cake because we forgot to take the pan out when we preheated the oven. When we stuck the fork in the cake to see if it was done, it took a big chunk out of the middle. IDEA! We decided to make a face in the pan of cake/cookie and within moments, my Halloween was complete—I had carved a pumpkin face, kind of. To top this evening off, we watched Harry Potter 1. Now the rest of my week will be spent watching the rest of the HP movies… thanks Thoko.


Next up: Thanksgiving din din at Thoko's. 

Happy November!

I’m Staying

October 28^th made it 4 months that I have been in Swaziland. I've had two months with my training family in the rural areas and two months in my new community. I've tasted enough of Swaziland to decide that I like it and I want more. I've seen the good, and I've seen the bad—and what I thought was bad really weren't at all.
These past two months I've been trying to integrate myself into the community the best way I can. My favorite times have to be with my little girls and my son (Jelly Belly, Angle aka Dimples, Pretty Girl, and Solomon). Every day after school I have a team of kids at my door. They come in and play from about 4-6 PM; we color and make crafts, they dance, I dance, then they laugh. I attempt to do my laundry, than they take over and finish it. Yesterday while washing my clothes, one of my kids said the nicest thing…. "Asanda, you know nothing!" I couldn't help but agree. It amazes me how smart these kids are. They definitely are in survival mode and I would want them on my side if I was ever stranded alone in a foreign place. Oh wait—I already am!

Another one of my highlights of the day is when some of my high schoolers come over. Some work on my garden, other come and teach me new card games, another comes and actually has some tutoring done. I love her enthusiasm to know English and her desire to get better. Even with all her homework she has from the school, she still wants to come over and do extra work. I let her read this book called "The Heaven Shop". It's a book about a girl in Malawi whose parents both died from AIDS. We discuss the book, which then leads to other discussions about life in general. It's moments like these that I cherish. Sometimes at the school I walk around wondering if people even understand why I am here. I know in time that will change, but for the moment being I love the few small yet meaningful relationships that I've made. It makes this whole journey a lot less lonely. 

International Day of Girl Child

October 11, 2012 was the first time in history that the UN declared a day especially for the girl child, and as a PCV I was able to take part in celebrating it with millions of girls around the world. This was my first official project at my school that I have undertaken and was a bit flustered to say the least. Plans A and B weren't happening, so I resulted to doing Plane C which was an assembly with all the girls in my high school. There was no guest speaker or anything memorable, but I wanted to do something to commemorate the day even if it was just for a few minutes. At the sound of the ending bell, I called all the girls into the courtyard of the school. I read a few facts about why there was a need for such a holiday, and then I had one of the girls in Form 5 read the proclamation declaring the day.

Here are a few statistics given by the UN about girls around the world:

• ILLITERACY – By 2015, females will make up 64% of the world's (adult) population who cannot read.
  
• SCHOOL DROPOUT – Only 30% of girls in the world are enrolled in secondary school.
  
• FORCED MARRIAGE – One in seven girls in developing countries is married off before age 15.
  
• VIOLENCE – One in 5 high school girls has been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. Worldwide children as young as age 11 are forced to work as prostitutes. Some estimates have as many as 1.2 million children being trafficked every year.
  
• BODY IMAGE – More than half (54%) of 3rd-5th grade girls worry about their appearance and 37% worry about their weight. More than half (57%) of music videos feature a female portrayed exclusively as a decorative, sexual object.
  

Girls in Swaziland

The girls in Swaziland are not exempt from the statistics above. There is a reason why we (PC) are here in Swaziland to help the youth. Aside from the work we do with HIV, gender equality and female empowerment are two of the major focuses here. Plenty of studies will tell you the percentage of girls who are pregnant, have HIV, or both. Statistics can point out how many girls drop out of school and how many girls are sexually abused. But the real assessment of help doesn't come from a list of statistics; it comes from trying to build relationships with these girls.

Last week, while trying to plan my event, was probably the hardest time yet. Then this week while I substituted for one of the teachers, I had even more challenges. The problems I faced weren't due to miscommunication with people, which is inevitable. The frustration I had, came from the confidence levels and attitudes of the girls. Never in my life had I seen so much resistance, self-doubt, and fear. I have to be very careful not to take their attitudes personally. Wanting to celebrate this day for the girls and not having them care at all about it, is enough to make me stressed. From the objectives I have in mind to accomplish here, as well as my daily interaction within the community, I finally have a real idea of what is ahead of me.

Sustainable development doesn't happen by people merely receiving handouts or by being told what to do. Sustainable development also doesn't come into fruition by someone else crossing the finish line. The only way to move this country forward, and other countries like it, is to begin breaking down the strong holds in these people's lives. A person has to realize they need help and want it, in order for it to happen. My hope and prayer is that during my stay here, I will be able to make a change in these girls behavior that have been replicated from generation after generation. I want these girls to know that for once, someone is on their side; that for once they realize that they need to be treated with respect while also treating others with the same proper respect. I want these girls to find their voice and realize that they aren't subject to men and that their future is what they make of it.

I've been fortunate to find some girls in Form 4 who really seem to get it. I want to build them up as leaders and role models in the school. Next year when I start the Girls Empowerment Club, I am hoping to find even more girls who want to come together and encourage each other.

Next up on the agenda… Peer Educator Day (Oct. 25) and World Aids Day (Dec 1). Let's hope my camera doesn't act up again so I can have some pictures for you all to see.

Back in School

It’s been almost 7 years since I was in high school. I’d forgotten how silly kids could be, and how fast their minds and vocabulary grow.  Even though the roles are now reversed and I am no longer the student, I have to admit that I was a little nervous about being the new kid. Sure when the Head Teacher announced that I was from America, everyone went nuts. But what will happen once the glitz of it all fades away. Although I am working in the schools, I am not a formal teacher. I don’t want these kids to see me as someone who stands in front of the classroom and punishes them if they act up. I want these kids to see me as someone who they can come to and talk to—someone who they know will listen and accept them for who they are.

So far everyone has been great. The teachers are all very friendly and willing to help. We have a good number of teachers here who are in their 20’s, so I’ve made some friends who have helped me around the community and given me an alternative to staring at the walls in my house or watching Modern Family over and over. They even got me to play some soccer. Some of the guy teachers play on the field behind the primary school and invited me to come by. They say I did a great job….. but come on, have you ever seen me kick a ball?!

One of the great things I love about this place is the hospitality and everyone’s willingness to help me out. I have the maintenance guys coming over to put nails in walls and hang up curtains, the woodshop guys building me furniture and fixing my shoes, the agriculture people helping me attend to my garden, the ladies bringing me free produce, and everyone’s collective concern for my mosquito bites that have over taken my body.

A difference that I see here amongst the children is the size of them. There are grown men in Form 2 (Grade 9). Many factors determine why students are older than some yet in the same grade. I always find myself asking them how old they are. I think the oldest ones we have here are 22. Then there are the little ones. Some of the boys in Form 1 (8^th Grade) are so stinking cute! But I have to keep my eye out for these boys; they will try and charm the pants off of you. I was talking to one teacher when this little Form 1 walks by and gives me this sly wink. I laughed at the teacher, and he said I had to watch out for that one—“he’s naughty”. Lol

One of the things I enjoy is the morning assembly; before the bell rings the kids line up and begin a song of worship. Then they say the Lord’s Prayer. I like seeing them all together wearing their green and white. In Africa, the students wear uniforms to school. This is part of their school fees and is also one of the reasons they stop attending school; parents can’t always afford all the school fees for all of their children.

The primary kids are also something special—they make me feel like a rock star! As soon as I walk in the gate, a flood of children run towards me.  “ASANDA! ASANDA!” they yell. I haven’t done any work with these kids yet, but I do come to visit them and let them know I am around. You should see their sad faces when I tell them I am not their teacher. Nevertheless, during their break I play with them in the court yard. Heads up—never tell a group of 100 children to “run to the tree and back”—you may have casualties. My innocent game of Simon Says quickly turned into a scene from Hunger Games. 

In order to save my job, and maybe a kids life, I told them to teach me a game instead. I LOVE THEIR GAMES! Almost all of them involve dancing and shaking your booty. Yesterday was “Open Day” were the parents came in…. I know I had a few of the adults in seams when they saw me amongst the kids acting like their own children. Then they played a game where the boys ran across the field doing back flips! OMG THEY ARE SO GOOD! I was half afraid and half astonished by all the back tucks they were doing! It is a sight to be seen. One day I will get my video camera out so my viewers at home can watch.

I guess it is something unheard of when I tell them I don’t have children. When I am sitting in the classroom with all the little girls, they ask if I can be their new mom. I said yes, they are all my children! Then as they continued to braid and play with my hair, they fought over who would be child number 1,2,3,4……

A Day in the Community

Last week I went to my first community campaign for HIV/AIDS. Fortunately where I live, there are lots of these that go on. The campaign this month was geared towards behavior change. What that means is getting people to change the way the think and act in terms of their sexual decisions. Here in Swaziland, a lot of people use the excuse of culture to justify their promiscuity. Polygamy is still an active practice here, though it is decreasing in the younger generations; but MCP (multiple concurrent partnerships) is still very prevalent.  Back in the day, Swazi culture deemed it acceptable for a man to have multiple wives. The difference between then and now is that the man did not sleep with the woman until she was his wife. In theory, sexual active was bound to the man and his wives. However today this is not the case. 

[In case I haven’t mentioned this yet, Swaziland has the highest rate in the world for HIV. About 40% of people between the ages of 18-49 have HIV. Even more shocking, the community where I live, as well as the neighboring communities where I also work, have the highest rate in all the country, (one community has over 80% of people between the ages of 18-49 with HIV).  For security and sensitivity reasons, I don’t want to list any of these communities by name; just know that it is a major issue here and EVERYONE is affected by HIV in one way or another.  For many of you in the States, you will never know what it is like—even I am still trying to fully understand it.]

So now that I’ve mentioned a little bit about HIV statistics, I want to bring it back to the polygamy and MCP. “Culturally” a man is defined by how many wives he has, and or how many girlfriends he has. I don’t know where this got lost in translation, but if you ask any ‘old school’ Swazi, the men didn’t sleep with these girlfriends until they were married. Today the men think that before they marry the woman, they have to “test the goods”. This is why I put quotations around culturally, because “culturally” the men didn’t sleep with women that weren’t their wives, but the past couple generations think they have to. So now you have these men with 3-5 wives who sleep with girls before they marry them, then the men go back and sleep with their wives. If the man was just infected with HIV, he spread it to the whole network of people he was sleeping with. The same is true with men who have MCP, they sleep with multiple women in the same period of time. If the man has HIV, he has just spread it to that whole network of people he’s been in bed with. If you put two and two together, you can see how HIV has spread so widely here. 

This is why the campaign I just worked at focused on behavior change…. It was to encourage people to stay faithful to their partner. The slogan they used was “Tsembeka kulotansdzana naye uncobe i-HIV/AIDS”. It basically means, staying faithful to your partner will prevent HIV.  My mission here in Swaziland is Youth Development; at least that is what my title says. A lot of the work I do will deal with behavior change. In case you haven’t noticed, behavior change takes a lot of time; and more than likely, I won’t be around to see the long term impact I’ve made, since I’m only here for 2 years.  However at this HIV campaign I attended this past week, I was able to record a minor success—and it has nothing to do with HIV, but rather community. 

Let me tell you what happened. I was at the site watching a group of people try to set up a tent for the event. There were at least 13 of them gathered around holding poles, looking all types of confused. Rather than staying in the car waiting on my counterpart (who was also the only one I knew there), I decided to add a 14^th person to the madness and hold up a pole. Not speaking their language, I simply observed and tried to interject with hand motions if I thought it might help.  After being unintentionally pushed out of the circle, I saw the group of men claim defeat and put all the poles down and walk away. Not wanting to give up on this tent, I started looking closer at the poles and saw that they had labels on them, and that it was actually somewhat of a puzzle. While I have never EVER put a tent up before in my life, I knew I could do this. So I called a few of the men back over to help me; by the way, there were about 80 people crowded around watching me center stage as I tried to assemble this thing—no pressure. I pointed to the labels on the poles and showed them how to sort it out so they could see that there was a system to this. Eventually I had all 13 men back over here watching for me to give the next move. Within 10 minutes we had the tent up! Just a moment ago, they were ready to walk away and say forget it, but now I was applauding them as they had the tent assembled! 

This story is an example of how my work in Peace Corps will go—I observe, I help, and I try to show things in a different light. These guys who I helped, work in the sugar cane fields and are very good with their hands and manual labor; I on the other hand am not. But with my way of thinking, I look for an explanation and direction. I saw that the tent had all the materials it needed to be built, and we had the man power to put it up. They just needed someone to look at it from a different angle. My goal here is not to change the Swazi people to what I want or how I think it should go, but rather to show them other ways of doing things, so that it might make them a better person. And honestly, I am looking to learn a lot of new things from them too. 

Maybe after that day, one of those guys will look for directions before jumping into something and getting confused, maybe someone will learn to take leadership and others will listen, or maybe one of the females that was watching from the sidelines will see she is just as capable of “putting up a tent” as I was.  Or maybe all of them have forgotten about this event already. It really doesn’t matter; what matters was that in that moment, I was able to help a group of unfamiliar people come together and work to achieve a common goal. As minor as this was, that day, I helped someone see a challenge conquered.