Return to Kruger

Last weekend we took another trip up to Kruger, and we managed to see all of the Big 5. If you want to read more about Kruger, you can read my post from last time we went here.

Pasture Valley Children's Home

Clare is currently on break from school, so she and I took the opportunity to volunteer at Pasture Valley Children's home for five days, and I'm so glad we had the chance to do so. Pasture Valley is a dairy farm, plant nursery, and children's home run by Peter and Michelle McCubbin near Nhlangano, Swaziland. While we were there, we stayed with Gail and Mike, a couple who live and work at Pasture Valley. They were great hosts, and we really enjoyed spending time with them.

The children's home consists of three houses- Stella House, David House, and Timothy House- where the children live with a housemother, or make in siSwati (pronounced mah-gay). The aim of the set up is to make the children feel more like a family. Not only are the children a family, but everyone else on the farm is a part of the family as well: Peter and Michelle are Babe (pronounced bah-bay) and Make, and Gail and Mike are Auntie and Uncle.

Currently, there are 34 children, ages 2-18, living at Pasture Valley. Most of the children are orphans, many due to AIDS; some are HIV positive themselves. Despite the many hardships these children have faced, there are always smiles on their faces. Though some people would look at these children and say they have nothing, I would disagree. Though they don't have many possessions, they are surrounded by people who love and care about them, which is something money can't buy.

The girls really enjoy playing hand games. They tried to teach me a few, but I didn't catch on very quickly.

As you can imagine, being a home to 34 children, Pasture Valley is hopping during break time. Between farm chores, preschool, swim lessons, and other activities, there's hardly a dull moment. We had a great time helping out and getting to know the children, and I'm hoping we'll go back to visit sometime soon. To learn more about what goes on at Pasture Valley, visit their website.

Clare and I with the McCubbin family and Gail and Mike

The children of Pasture Valley

In addition to her work at Pasture Valley, Gail also works with the Bambanani Project. Bambanani is a siSwati word meaning “supporting one another for a better tomorrow” or “holding hands.” This organization helps to train women in traditional and non-traditional handicrafts and create a market in which they are able to sell their products. To see more information on the Bambanani Project visit this webpage.

A few of the beautiful necklaces crafted by the women of the Bambanani Project

World AIDS Day

Every year, World AIDS Day is recognized on December 1st. The goal of this day is to spread awareness and increase prevention of HIV/AIDS. Because there are so many people affected by this disease in Swaziland, (1 in 4 adults- the highest prevalence of HIV in the world) the message of World AIDS Day here is extremely important. Education regarding HIV for those at risk is the best way to stop the spread of this epidemic disease. 

HIV has led to a life expectancy in Swaziland of only 49 years, one of the world's lowest, a 15% population of orphans, and an increase of violence against women due to misconceptions about transmission and treatment such as the idea of "virgin cleansing*." Without education about the prevention of HIV/AIDS, the situation in Swaziland will continue to deteriorate. 


Thankfully, organizations such as PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) are working to spread awareness and reduce the spread of HIV through clinics, media campaigns, etc. PEPFAR  is "the largest [commitment] by any nation to combat a single disease internationally." PEPFAR is working to set up sustainable, host country owned and driven, HIV prevention programs that link HIV with other health needs and intertwine multiple health-related programs.


So wear your red ribbon today, and speak up for HIV/AIDS awareness.

*Virgin cleansing refers an idea, widely spread throughout Africa, that if a male infected with HIV engages in intercourse with a virgin that he will be cured of his affliction. This most often occurs by means of rape.


References:
Avert.org- statistics on HIV/AIDS in Swaziland
The-AIDS-Pandemic.blogspot.com- Myths and Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS
Pepfar.gov- Information on PEPFAR's efforts to end HIV/AIDS
WorldAIDSday.org- Act HIV aware picture

Rural to Ramp

This weekend I went to an event at House on Fire called Rural to Ramp. This fashion show, organized by Mustard Seed Africa, showcased many of the beautiful handcrafts which are created throughout rural Swaziland. With an amazing level of creative diversity, these fashions both entertained and amazed the spectators, including myself. I had a great time watching the show, and I was more impressed than ever by the talented women (and men) who live in this country. The money raised from the event will support the Swaziland Homeopathy Project in providing homeopathic treatment for men, women, and children throughout Swaziland living with HIV/AIDS.

Gone Rural

Pachimana Weavers

Baobab Batik

Lillian Jane Jewelry 

Quazi Design

All photos by Sebastian du Pont via Mustard Seed Africa

Check out more of the products above by visiting these websites:

Gone Rural

Baobab Batik

Quazi Design

There were too many designers featured in the show to picture above, but here are a few of the websites for those not pictured:

Imvelo Eswatini

Tintsaba Weavers

Rosecraft

Happy Halloween!

Alright, alright, I know it's a few days early, but there was a halloween party at the Embassy tonight, and aside from watching a ridiculous amount of Halloween themed movies, it was my celebration for this year. Since they don't celebrate Halloween here, we had to make Jack and Clare's costumes: Jack went as a zombie, wearing a cut up version of one of my undershirts and covered with paint, and Clare dressed as static cling with socks and wash cloths pinned all over her clothes and her hair done up in one of my wonderful experiments.

I do actually have a decent picture of them, but I thought this represented their personalities more accurately.

I opted out of dressing up this year, but I did make some pretty cute cookies! They turned out pretty well, thank goodness, considering they took the better part of two days.

The party included trick-or-treating, a costume contest, magic tricks, and of course, bobbing for apples.

This is Alex. She and her parents moved here a few weeks ago, and she'll be in first grade at Jack's school, starting Monday.

I'm off to watch Halloween Town now, so happy Halloween everyone! 

Kruger National Park

This weekend Clare and Jack had a short break from school, so we took the opportunity to head up to Kruger Park in South Africa from Friday to Monday. Kruger has the most diverse range of wildlife of all the parks throughout Africa: from the Big Five to the Small Five and everything in between. We were able to catch a glimpse of four of the big five animals, including the lion, elephant, cape buffalo, and rhino. Unfortunately the leopard eluded us, but hopefully we'll be able to see one during another visit.

By going to Kruger we got the chance to see many animals in their natural habitat as opposed to seeing them fenced up in a zoo. We saw giraffes grazing just feet from our car, a whole herd of elephants crossing the road in front of us on their way to the watering hole, and even a lion slinking through the long bush grass. This trip was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to visit again, and I'm not the only one- Clare asked as soon as we were leaving the park if we could come back next weekend.

For more information on Kruger visit the Park's website.

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

Mlilwane is a small game park located in Ezulwini Valley. There are very few predatory species within the sanctuary with the exception of a few large reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles. Other animal species living within Mlilwane include warthogs, ostrich, zebras, hippos, and antelope.
People have the option of walking through the park or driving their own or a rented vehicle. There are also accommodations within the park for overnight visits.

Ngwenya Mine- The World's Oldest Known Mine

Ngwenya Mine is a large iron ore mine located in the north west region of Swaziland. The mine's peak activity occurred between 1964 and 1977 when the Angolo-American Corporation obtained rights to harvest the iron ore within the mine. During that time period a total of 28,370,000 tons of ore were extracted.

Ngwenya Mine- 1964-1977

Ngwenya Mine- Present

However, the mining at Ngwenya started long before the Angolo-American Corporation arrived. In fact, mining activity is thought to have started about 42,000 years ago, making Ngwenya Mine the oldest known mine in the world. During this time period iron wasn't being harvested. Rather, people harvested red haematite which was used in ceremonies because when mixed with water it looks and smells like blood.

Ngwenya Mine is currently a tentative candidate for UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Many people believe that if it is added to this list tourism will spike significantly. Because of this view, reopening the mine to collect the remaining ore is a highly controversial issue. If the mine were to be reopened, it would no longer be considered for a World Heritage site. See a swazi news article on the topic here.

Umhlanga- The Reed Dance

The Reed Dance, or Umhlanga in siSwati, is a traditional eight day ceremony in Swaziland in which all the maidens from around the country cut reeds to present to the Queen Mother. On the seventh day, all of the girls dress in traditional clothing and dance before the king. This year, nearly 60,000 maidens participated in the festivities.
For more information on the Reed Dance, check out this website.

Before the actual dancing began, people gathered in the field surrounding the stadium. We got the chance to talk to many people, including Peace Corps volunteers, many Swazis attending the ceremony, and even some of the young girls who were participating.

After this photo was taken, all the girls flocked around my camera to see the picture. They were very excited.

This is Sharon and her sister, Michelle. They really enjoyed hanging out with us,  and Michelle especially enjoyed having her picture taken.

During the ceremony, we caught a glimpse of the King who was seated with the Queen Mother, as well as his fourteen wives.

This is King Mswati III and the Queen Mother to his right.