Hey here’s an article I wrote for the monthly Swaziland SoJournal. I had to write it up in about five minutes, so be understanding. I’m gonna blog more soon. Lots of Love!
Hello, my name is DuDuZile Mabuza. I live in Mashobeni South. I am twenty one years old. I am a girl. For those of you who have attended a preschool graduation recently, that introduction may be familiar. Like many preschools around the country, Mashobeni Apostolic Preschool held their graduation ceremony on World AIDS Day. In attendance were the little graduates’ parents and relatives, community members including the bucopho Babe Zwane, the children’s teacher Tholakele Mabuza, Administrative Officer of Peace Corps Swaziland Nicole Miller, our local Member of Parliament, and other friends. Shown here is a picture of Babe MP handing a diploma to a graduate. It was a joyous occasion, which began with the children doing the grand march down the church isle, then each child introduced him/herself in the format I just did. Introductions were followed by performances of various songs, poems, and Bible verses. Babe MP was the keynote speaker. He donated several chairs and some cash to the school. Then all the American guests were graciously presented with emaheya. Finally the best part, cake!!!
Tholakele, my sisi Felicity, and I had been working with the children for several months. Now was their time to shine. During their performance, we occasionally had to cover our ears because the kids were shouting into the microphone. Tholakele’s philosophy is that a child should be able to shout, to speak out, about what they think, feel, and what they’ve learned. She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever met in Swaziland. Several of her students are OVCs, including one little boy who lost his mother only a week before the graduation. Tholi truly cares about each one of them and confessed to me that every year she worries about what might befall them in primary school. On that day, it was beautiful to see these kids, shouting out all the many things they’ve learned, with confidence. The type of confidence these little ones demonstrated is critical in developing the sense of self worth that will help them make decisions to protect themselves from HIV. I want to thank Tholakele for all her dedication, as well as Babe MP, Nicole, Erik, Tim, Deja, and everyone else who attended for making it a special day for the kids. Sgiyabonga kakhulu.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
article
Hey here’s an article I wrote for the monthly Swaziland SoJournal. I had to write it up in about five minutes, so be understanding. I’m gonna blog more soon. Lots of Love!
Hello, my name is DuDuZile Mabuza. I live in Mashobeni South. I am twenty one years old. I am a girl. For those of you who have attended a preschool graduation recently, that introduction may be familiar. Like many preschools around the country, Mashobeni Apostolic Preschool held their graduation ceremony on World AIDS Day. In attendance were the little graduates’ parents and relatives, community members including the bucopho Babe Zwane, the children’s teacher Tholakele Mabuza, Administrative Officer of Peace Corps Swaziland Nicole Miller, our local Member of Parliament, and other friends. Shown here is a picture of Babe MP handing a diploma to a graduate. It was a joyous occasion, which began with the children doing the grand march down the church isle, then each child introduced him/herself in the format I just did. Introductions were followed by performances of various songs, poems, and Bible verses. Babe MP was the keynote speaker. He donated several chairs and some cash to the school. Then all the American guests were graciously presented with emaheya. Finally the best part, cake!!!
Tholakele, my sisi Felicity, and I had been working with the children for several months. Now was their time to shine. During their performance, we occasionally had to cover our ears because the kids were shouting into the microphone. Tholakele’s philosophy is that a child should be able to shout, to speak out, about what they think, feel, and what they’ve learned. She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever met in Swaziland. Several of her students are OVCs, including one little boy who lost his mother only a week before the graduation. Tholi truly cares about each one of them and confessed to me that every year she worries about what might befall them in primary school. On that day, it was beautiful to see these kids, shouting out all the many things they’ve learned, with confidence. The type of confidence these little ones demonstrated is critical in developing the sense of self worth that will help them make decisions to protect themselves from HIV. I want to thank Tholakele for all her dedication, as well as Babe MP, Nicole, Erik, Tim, Deja, and everyone else who attended for making it a special day for the kids. Sgiyabonga kakhulu.
Hello, my name is DuDuZile Mabuza. I live in Mashobeni South. I am twenty one years old. I am a girl. For those of you who have attended a preschool graduation recently, that introduction may be familiar. Like many preschools around the country, Mashobeni Apostolic Preschool held their graduation ceremony on World AIDS Day. In attendance were the little graduates’ parents and relatives, community members including the bucopho Babe Zwane, the children’s teacher Tholakele Mabuza, Administrative Officer of Peace Corps Swaziland Nicole Miller, our local Member of Parliament, and other friends. Shown here is a picture of Babe MP handing a diploma to a graduate. It was a joyous occasion, which began with the children doing the grand march down the church isle, then each child introduced him/herself in the format I just did. Introductions were followed by performances of various songs, poems, and Bible verses. Babe MP was the keynote speaker. He donated several chairs and some cash to the school. Then all the American guests were graciously presented with emaheya. Finally the best part, cake!!!
Tholakele, my sisi Felicity, and I had been working with the children for several months. Now was their time to shine. During their performance, we occasionally had to cover our ears because the kids were shouting into the microphone. Tholakele’s philosophy is that a child should be able to shout, to speak out, about what they think, feel, and what they’ve learned. She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever met in Swaziland. Several of her students are OVCs, including one little boy who lost his mother only a week before the graduation. Tholi truly cares about each one of them and confessed to me that every year she worries about what might befall them in primary school. On that day, it was beautiful to see these kids, shouting out all the many things they’ve learned, with confidence. The type of confidence these little ones demonstrated is critical in developing the sense of self worth that will help them make decisions to protect themselves from HIV. I want to thank Tholakele for all her dedication, as well as Babe MP, Nicole, Erik, Tim, Deja, and everyone else who attended for making it a special day for the kids. Sgiyabonga kakhulu.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Walk Across the Nation
Okay so IST is officially over. I’m going to miss hot showers a lil bit. But I have some great ideas and I’m really excited to get back to my community and start working. The Peace Corps Volunteers have rallied together and we’re organizing a “Walk The Nation” event, to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. It’s a twelve day walk across Swaziland. We’re going to have a lot of work to do as far as lodging, logistics, safety, fundraising (which we’re not allowed to directly do,) and marketing. I’m psyched though. That’s a lot of freakin walking, around 16 K per day. We’re all going to have really killer legs after this, Swaziland is a mountainous country. Unfortunately the route doesn’t go near my community. Fortunately that gets me out of a lot of bitch work. If anybody knows a celebrity or something that wants to join an HIV awareness campaign, let me know. Also, if you’d like to contribute to the Walk, NERCHA is fundraising (since we as Peace Corps volunteers are not allowed to fundraise.) So, just let me know if you want to help out. The other volunteers in the Shisolweni region and I are also planning to organize an HIV support group for kids with HIV. We all agree it would be great for kids with HIV to play with other kids facing similar challenges.
My host family is my foundation. Everyday I’m gone they call me. Actually, they all call me. Make says they miss me. Babe wants to know when I’m coming home. Innocent asks when I’m coming to church. Leslie reminds me about the engagement party. Desmond wants to remind me to bring the camera. Felicity just buzzes all the time anyway. It’s like I found the Waltons in Swaziland. I’m gonna start saying “goodnight Johnboy” every night through my window.
Bad news, a lot of my crap mildewed during IST. Also, my house is full of flies because the door swelled up during the rain and I wasn’t able to close it, and I live by the cattle crawl. In the main house there’re even more flies, yum. But beyond that everything’s great.
The local preschool I’ve been volunteering at had their graduation of December 1st. The new building is a result of Peace Corp Partnership fund. My friend, another volunteer, and my boss and her husband all came to the graduation. The preschool teacher is just wonderful and she’s become a great friend. The kids were so cute, they got up and recited bible verses, songs and poems. They all introduced themselves in English. The member of parliament was there and he donated some chairs.
My bhuti Leslie is officially engaged and I attended his engagement ceremony. His fiancée sang . She is really lovely. So before I go back to the US the family will have had three weddings, and atleast one baby born. There’s this who’s been working in my clinic. She’s in her twenties and from America. She’s working through Doctors Without Borders (MSF in Europe.) She served in the Peace Corps in Gambia five years ago. Another volunteer and I spent the night at her and another MSF person’s house the other day. We all went out to a country club and had an awesome time. They’re going to establish an HIV support group here in Mashobeni, and I’m gonna try to help out. I’m just very busy and working on several projects right now, which I’m sure I’ll talk more about. However, Walk Across the Nation is gonna be on a huuuuge scale for this country, we're getting coverage int he newspapers and the radio and so on. So, let me know if you'd like to get involved and I'll keep you posted. XOXO
My host family is my foundation. Everyday I’m gone they call me. Actually, they all call me. Make says they miss me. Babe wants to know when I’m coming home. Innocent asks when I’m coming to church. Leslie reminds me about the engagement party. Desmond wants to remind me to bring the camera. Felicity just buzzes all the time anyway. It’s like I found the Waltons in Swaziland. I’m gonna start saying “goodnight Johnboy” every night through my window.
Bad news, a lot of my crap mildewed during IST. Also, my house is full of flies because the door swelled up during the rain and I wasn’t able to close it, and I live by the cattle crawl. In the main house there’re even more flies, yum. But beyond that everything’s great.
The local preschool I’ve been volunteering at had their graduation of December 1st. The new building is a result of Peace Corp Partnership fund. My friend, another volunteer, and my boss and her husband all came to the graduation. The preschool teacher is just wonderful and she’s become a great friend. The kids were so cute, they got up and recited bible verses, songs and poems. They all introduced themselves in English. The member of parliament was there and he donated some chairs.
My bhuti Leslie is officially engaged and I attended his engagement ceremony. His fiancée sang . She is really lovely. So before I go back to the US the family will have had three weddings, and atleast one baby born. There’s this who’s been working in my clinic. She’s in her twenties and from America. She’s working through Doctors Without Borders (MSF in Europe.) She served in the Peace Corps in Gambia five years ago. Another volunteer and I spent the night at her and another MSF person’s house the other day. We all went out to a country club and had an awesome time. They’re going to establish an HIV support group here in Mashobeni, and I’m gonna try to help out. I’m just very busy and working on several projects right now, which I’m sure I’ll talk more about. However, Walk Across the Nation is gonna be on a huuuuge scale for this country, we're getting coverage int he newspapers and the radio and so on. So, let me know if you'd like to get involved and I'll keep you posted. XOXO
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
I’ve come to terms with it…I’m losing my ability to speak English. If my spelling wasn’t impeccable before, it’s gone to hell in a hand basket now. I find myself speaking Swinglish. Even my dreams have a SiSwati word thrown in here or there. When I go home I know am I still going to catch myself responding to people with ‘yebo.’ Also “she fell pregnant” “da thing” “this child” “that girl” “as for me” “that side” and “shame” have all entered my vocabulary. Not to mention a series of sounds “How!” (surprise) “iiiish” (wow or too bad) plus a plethora of mmmhmms, yeahs, clicks, and grunts, which all serve to emphasize.
I’m so ready for IST. I still love my community and my family but good lord I need some time with a hot shower and Americans. Also I keep repeating the four movies I have, time to trade with some people. Okay here are some quotes:
“Here, do you want this?” (girl younger than me, offering to give me her baby)
“Hola, bobaby” (a pick up line, using three languages, nice)
“DuDu is not my wife, she’s my chick” (the chief’s nephew, while lighting a cigarette)
“The grandgogo says you are so beautiful” (my friend Erik’s make)
“You are a living giant!” (the kids at the youth meeting)
“You are not exercising, you are just walking” (Make, walking home, after I ran 2 miles)
“You are going to fail your SiSwati test” Make
“Your husband will pay us twelve cows” Make
“What does poo mean Dudu?” Babe “It means poop.” Me .“poop?” “you know…poop, caca, shit.” “shit?” “yes shit, feces” “Oh! Feces, you mean simba.” “I thought Simba was a lion.” “Simba means feces.” “So does Dudu.”
It’s getting warmer. The rainy season is just ending and summer’s about to begin. Everyone has planted their crops and begun the hard process of weeding. It’s beautiful and green out, like spring time. I’m wearing tank tops and enjoying the weather. I also saw my first big hairy spider. It was digging a tunnel in the road. My bhuti told me he’s never found one inside, which is the only reason I’m still here. =)
I keep having these recurring dreams in which I go back home and do things like spend time with my family and go out to the club with friends, before panicking because I forgot to tell the Peace Corps office that I went home for a vacation. I quickly have to explain to everybody that I need to catch a flight home to Swaziland before the office finds out I’m gone. Then I wake up, all shocked that I’m still in my hut...then relieved I go back to sleep.
I’m so ready for IST. I still love my community and my family but good lord I need some time with a hot shower and Americans. Also I keep repeating the four movies I have, time to trade with some people. Okay here are some quotes:
“Here, do you want this?” (girl younger than me, offering to give me her baby)
“Hola, bobaby” (a pick up line, using three languages, nice)
“DuDu is not my wife, she’s my chick” (the chief’s nephew, while lighting a cigarette)
“The grandgogo says you are so beautiful” (my friend Erik’s make)
“You are a living giant!” (the kids at the youth meeting)
“You are not exercising, you are just walking” (Make, walking home, after I ran 2 miles)
“You are going to fail your SiSwati test” Make
“Your husband will pay us twelve cows” Make
“What does poo mean Dudu?” Babe “It means poop.” Me .“poop?” “you know…poop, caca, shit.” “shit?” “yes shit, feces” “Oh! Feces, you mean simba.” “I thought Simba was a lion.” “Simba means feces.” “So does Dudu.”
It’s getting warmer. The rainy season is just ending and summer’s about to begin. Everyone has planted their crops and begun the hard process of weeding. It’s beautiful and green out, like spring time. I’m wearing tank tops and enjoying the weather. I also saw my first big hairy spider. It was digging a tunnel in the road. My bhuti told me he’s never found one inside, which is the only reason I’m still here. =)
I keep having these recurring dreams in which I go back home and do things like spend time with my family and go out to the club with friends, before panicking because I forgot to tell the Peace Corps office that I went home for a vacation. I quickly have to explain to everybody that I need to catch a flight home to Swaziland before the office finds out I’m gone. Then I wake up, all shocked that I’m still in my hut...then relieved I go back to sleep.
daily life
It’s now the rainy season and I love it. The weather is cool and cloudy, a lot like autumn back home minus the leaves. Everyone else doesn’t seem to care for it and a few people have started saying “it is your weather, DuDu.” I love the sound of rain on my tin roof, which usually makes it sound like there’s a hurricane going on, even if it’s just an average rainfall. The thunder and lightening here is also something else. Lightening striking in the far off hills is really beautiful. So here’s a typical day for me:
6:00-8:00 make the bed, sweep the floor (there’s always dust), fetch water, wash a few clothes or bucket bathe, wash dishes, boil water, make tea and breakfast
8:00-1:00 Go to the clinic OR go to the high school OR go to the preschool OR go to town. If it’s Saturday then I go to a community meeting. If it’s Sunday, church.
1:00-2:00 Go home and make lunch
2:00-3:00 Chat with somebody (usually Mumcy at the kagogo center)
3:00-6:00 Read (a lot), tidy my house, write, listen to music, play solitaire, think about life (a lot), take clothes off the line, chase the kids/chickens/dogs around the yard, make dinner
6:00-9:00 Hang out in the main house with the family, listen to the radio, talk with make, study SiSwati, play with the kids, and maybe watch a movie on the laptop with my brothers
9:00-10:00 light the candles, wash face, brush teeth, read a little more, hit the hay
And so goes a day in the exciting life of a Peace Corps Volunteer…
6:00-8:00 make the bed, sweep the floor (there’s always dust), fetch water, wash a few clothes or bucket bathe, wash dishes, boil water, make tea and breakfast
8:00-1:00 Go to the clinic OR go to the high school OR go to the preschool OR go to town. If it’s Saturday then I go to a community meeting. If it’s Sunday, church.
1:00-2:00 Go home and make lunch
2:00-3:00 Chat with somebody (usually Mumcy at the kagogo center)
3:00-6:00 Read (a lot), tidy my house, write, listen to music, play solitaire, think about life (a lot), take clothes off the line, chase the kids/chickens/dogs around the yard, make dinner
6:00-9:00 Hang out in the main house with the family, listen to the radio, talk with make, study SiSwati, play with the kids, and maybe watch a movie on the laptop with my brothers
9:00-10:00 light the candles, wash face, brush teeth, read a little more, hit the hay
And so goes a day in the exciting life of a Peace Corps Volunteer…
anniversary party
Okay so last Saturday I was a bridesmaid in the renewal of my Babe na Make’s wedding vows. They’ve been together thirty one years, have ten children (counting me), and nine grandchildren. I am so happy I was placed with this family. They’re hard working, God fearing type people, if you know what I mean. Especially Make. I’m learning so much from them and I feel really safe and welcome in their home. Over four hundred people attended the event, including five of my friends. As we walked down the aisle we did a grand march which is sort of like a dance, not sure how to explain it. I can’t even imagine how much my family spent to feed everybody. The next day we ate the head of the cow which is kind of a ceremonial thing. Normally certain parts of the cow are restricted to men such as the tongue and most of the head. I think because I am an ‘auntie’ (an adult unmarried/childless woman) on the homestead, I was entitled to eat with my bobhuti (brothers.) We cooked and ate in the roundavall which is a round hut with a thatch roof. The women sit on one side and the men on the other, but once again since I am an auntie, I sat with my bobhuti. I ate cow lung, tongue, nose, and God knows what else.
I’m beginning to get a groove going here. Pretty soon I’ll have a weekly schedule going. I taught my first high school class today and it went awesome. I asked them all to write down questions on pieces of paper and then I collected them. Some of them were easy to answer. Do you have children? Where are you from? How much does it cost to fly to America? Some were harder. Why doesn’t America have AIDS? Is there a cure for AIDS that Magic Johnson used? Why does Swaziland have so much AIDS? What happens if a girl has sex while menstruating? How does AIDS kill? When are you ready to have a child?
I’m beginning to get a groove going here. Pretty soon I’ll have a weekly schedule going. I taught my first high school class today and it went awesome. I asked them all to write down questions on pieces of paper and then I collected them. Some of them were easy to answer. Do you have children? Where are you from? How much does it cost to fly to America? Some were harder. Why doesn’t America have AIDS? Is there a cure for AIDS that Magic Johnson used? Why does Swaziland have so much AIDS? What happens if a girl has sex while menstruating? How does AIDS kill? When are you ready to have a child?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Working (sortof)
Okay so things are finally getting rolling for me. I’m doing stuff! I have something to do everyday. There’s a clinic where I go and count pills, weigh babies and then squirt vitamin A supplements down their throats (poor things), distribute soya flour from the World Food Project, but mostly just chat with people. The nurses are great. I have an appointment to shadow the “career guidance teacher” at the high school tomorrow. I hope to team up with him to teach the high schoolers “lifeskills” and about HIV. I’m going to the primary school on Thursday to see about possibly shadowing a teacher there as well. The teachers at both of the kresh (preschools) in the community are texting me and asking me to visit them too. I went to a community meeting yesterday, during which the six sub communities in Mashobeni each elected committees to be in charge of food distribution to needy families. The food has been donated by Save the Children. And I thought they just made commercials that make you feel guilty. Turns out they actually help people. Friday I will start traveling from homestead to homestead, conducting a census, asking about members of the family, ages, deaths, etc. But mostly it’s so people know who I am and that I’m here to work. Mumcy will be going with me to help with translation and just keep me company. Mumcy is the kagogo manager. The kagogo is a building in the community, designed to support orphans in the community. In truth though I think Mumcy is facing a lot of road blocks. It’s hard to get work done here. Sometimes it feels like everything is going so slow. Still Mumcy’s wonderful and I have high hopes. I took one woman to Nhlangano AIDS Training Information and Counseling Center to get some medication for swelling in her ankles and wrists. We weren’t able to get a CD4 (T-cell) count done but I hope eventually we will be able to get her on anti-retroviral therapy. She just lost her husband and two older children to AIDS. She has two young kids. It’s the first time I’ve felt like I might actually be helping save somebody’s life. Um, yeah I’ve been doing other stuff, but nothing too exciting. I read by candlelight and sip tea. Oh but one big thing, my babe na make are having a huge anniversary party this Saturday at their church. Over a thousand people are expected to come!! We’re killing a cow, several goats, and fifty chickens. Lots of people to feed. I’m going to wear traditional Swazi attire I think. I’m also part of the entertainment, we’re doing a taditional dance for Make and we’ve been practicing for a week now. Ought to be hilarious. I invited other volunteers, so good times. I miss home…send me letters guys! XOXO
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