Swazventures

article

2008-01-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

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.

article

2008-01-03T02:08:00.000-08:00

Walk Across the Nation

2007-12-11T04:40:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-06T06:05:00.001-08:00

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.

daily life

2007-11-06T06:04:00.001-08:00

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…

anniversary party

2007-11-06T06:02:00.000-08:00

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?

Working (sortof)

2007-09-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

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

interesting...

2007-09-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Okay so a couple interesting things about Swaziland before I just take them forgranted. Warm milk with cereal (usually made with powder or straight from the cow. Grown men hold hands in public (seriously.) Couples don't usually touch each other in public. If you drop something, hurt yourself, fall on your ass, etc. you will hear a round of "ncesis" or "sorrys." The staple food here is call lipalishi or porridge which is basically grits only thicker. I'm not a fan. They also eat sour porridge and emasi (sour milk.) Boobs are no big deal here, you can pull 'em out whenever. The other day my Make started "breastfeeding" her newborn grandaughter as a joke. Church is very enthusiatic here, you will find people throwing themselves around, sobbing, praying outloud, laying hands on each other. Like Pentacostals gone wild. Everyone believes in withcraft, and I mean everyone. Some people think you can cure AIDS by sleeping with a virgin. Halls are considered candy here, and you see little kids running around and eating them. People beat their kids and their dogs. They think it's hilarious when I say we let the dog sleep inside. The price of a virgin bride is roughly seventeen cattle. Not a virgin? Let's negotiate. Families are real spread out here, you tend to find a husband will stay in one town and a wife in another, and they visit once a month or less. Maybe that's the ideal situation. They call me a giant. Respectable women don't drink here. In fact, drinking and smoking is fairly uncommon. But there are those that do, and I've seen my fair share of old guys holding 40s of castle on the bus, wasted, screaming "umlungu (white person), marry me." Swazis love to dance, and the singing is beautiful. The biggest tourist attraction is the maiden's reed dance where all the young girls go and collect reed and walk a long distance carrying them back to the king's city, all while wearing no shirts and verrrrry short skirts. At this ceremony, the king often picks one of the girls to be his new wife. Good times. I'll think of more later...XOXO.

New Addy

2007-08-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys here's my new postal address:

Colleen Larson
PO BOX 1118
Nhlangano S400
Swaziland, Africa

Use this one it'll be a lot faster than the Mbabane one.

Hooowwdy

2007-08-20T04:11:00.000-07:00

Note: This fire happened a month ago and everything's cool now.
Okay so the big news around here is that there was a huge forest fire gone wild here in Swaziland. There has been drought the last few years and burning fields is a pretty common practice here, and usually it doesn’t cause problems. Unfortunately the other night there were huuuuge winds and they fed the fire that spread out of control. At least four hundred homes were lost, though they’re still counting. The fire emergency service is still fighting the fire. So far I think only three people died in the fire. I myself saw it, and it made the midnight sky look like sunrise. Ash was falling on us as we watched. But we were really quite safe, the river near our home prevented it from reaching us. The Red Cross has stepped in to help some of the people who lost their homes. I feel bad for Swazis. They are such traditional, polite, Christian people and they face this kind of adversity. They already have so little. There country has the highest rate of AIDS in the world, it is the place you are most likely to be stuck by/killed by lightning on earth, and now forest fires are taking lives. Now I see people wrapped in blankets walking down the street carrying any furniture of value they could salvage. It just doesn’t make sense to me. However, I am thankful that my host family is safe and all the other volunteers.

So far in the Peace Corps, Maggie has been my best friend. Her house is close to mine so we have sleepovers a lot. She and I have a lot of things in common. She’s a very emotional person and very sweet. Some people have been sick but I have been soo lucky as far as health goes. Sure I got a third world cold and have an upset stomach now and then. All and all I’m very healthy and have no reason to complain. I’ve been pretty lucky all the way around though. My site is great too. Josh probably has it the best because he’s super close to Manzini (the main commercial city). He has his own apartment in a teacher’s dorm and a shower. I call him an asshole everyday for it (sorry Mom.) But on the up side, my Make is just great. She’s an incredibly motivated person. The Peace Corps awarded her with a certificate for all her hard work. She’s a rural health motivator. When a woman goes into labor and can’t afford to get to a hospital she helps deliver the baby. She’s an active church member of her church and has been the main force in building a preschool at the church. She has an income generating project where she raises chicken and sells them. She adopted three grandsons. All this she does while her loving husband, who is also a pastor, lives in another community (which is actually very common.) Most of all, she advocates for the orphaned and vulnerable children in Mashobeni. There are over five hundred children in my village who have lost a parent. I think one of my projects will be to try to help the community find funding for a neighborhood care point where children can come and get a decent meal. Okay so my training family named me SiPhiwe and always called me Phiwe. My permanent host family named me DuDuzile and always calls me DuDu. I went from Pee to DooDoo. Talk about an upgrade.

Okay I’m gonna start putting dates on my blog entries because obviously the previous paragraphs are from earlier dates/ I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer! There was a picture of us in a Swazi newspaper with the inkhosikati (sp?) aka the king’s wife. Swear in was a big deal at the Mbabane sun hotel. We had a fabulous lunch and afterwards we all went out to a local dance club. Good times. Now I’m sitting here in my new little concrete house, with some romantic candle light (no electricity yet.) It’s my second night at site. I bought a nice bed today and I’m having a table made by my bhuti who is a carpenter. Also I think I’m going to buy a wardrobe from another volunteer for a cheap price. My new family is great. I feel a little slumpy because I’ve had the flu for a couple weeks and been packing and staying up all night with volunteers instead of sleeping. I’ve got a nasty cough. Now though I’m just resting and telling myself I don’t have to do everything at once, I’ve got three months to fix up this place and get to know my community. As you know, I am the biggest slob on the planet. I am going to make an effort to keep this house organized, so help me God. Other volunteers told me that your room is your state of mind. If that’s true, that makes me at best chaotic and at worst psychotic. I plan to go to church tomorrow with the family. It’s weird to think that only three months ago, no one had ever purposed to me. Now somebody asks me to marry me once a week. Some volunteers are upset by this but I try to take it as a compliment. On Monday, I’m going to Manzini to meet up with some other volunteers and see if everybody’s doing alright. I realized that I am sooo lucky in so many ways, I’m in the high veld, I have two rooms, an understanding family, and a receptive community. I know there will be challenges but I think I have a lot going for me. Okay I know this is a boring blog, but this is mostly for mom and grandmom to read. More later…XOXO

PS. It's so weird that for 30R I can travel to Manzini and get my nails done, drink a cosmo, and blog for a little while. Two hours away I'm living in a shack and riding with goats. Go figure. I Love the Swaz. =)

DISCLAIMER: I am a currently serving Peace Corps Volunteer. The contents of this webpage belong to myself and in no way, shape, or form reflect any position or policy of the United States Government or the Peace Corps.

new family, new name.

2007-08-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

I have met my new host family and they’re great. They have given me the new name of DuDuZile Mabuza. Babe na Make Mabuza are great people. Babe is a pastor in a nearby community and Make is a RHM (Rural Health Motivator.) They have nine children and many grandchildren as well as three adopted grandsons who were orphaned. Make works very hard in the community to help OVCs (Orphaned or Vulnerable Children) and to increase awareness about HIV. I have my own office at the clinic in Mashobeni South. I also will be teaching at the highschool one day a week, among other work. The community was so receptive and nice. They miss the volunteer that I’m replacing (Amy) but they say they will also miss me. I am very happy and think I have a great site location. Lots of Love!!!
P.S. My cell phone number will be 653-9672 but it probably won’t be turned on until August 17th or later.

Mashobeni South!

2007-08-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

I’m going to be spending the next two years in a town called Mashobeni South. It’s in the high veld so it won’t be too hot which is what I wanted. I told the staff I was from Buffalo and I think they got the message. I also get electricity! I don’t think I’ll have a fridge but who knows. My counterpart (working partner’s) name is Comfort Zwane. When I asked who my counterpart was, a big group of Swazis starting laughing and said “he is big and loud just like you.” But really, I think it was meant as a compliment. Everyone says he’s a perfect match for me!! He’s a very tall guy and he’s funny, well loved, and respected. In fact he is nick named ‘awesome’ because of his size and personality, occasionally shortened to “some.” He is a bucopho which literally translates to the “brain.” It’s an elected position in the community with a lot of decision making power. He works closely with the chief in Mashobeni. Not everybody is as lucky to have a counterpart with a position like bucopho. I really hope it works out. I already know that there is a clinic, a high school, a teenage girl’s club, two primary schools and two preschools where I’ll be able to work. There are also umphakatsi. I have been spending a lot of time with Maggie and Josh (Figso na Sipho.) We usually cook dinner together a few days a week. They’re great friends. I’m going to miss being able to spend evenings with them after swear in. Swear in is August 16th and then we spend three months in “lock down” aka integration period. During this time we are suppose to focus completely on learning about our community and making contacts. We have to sleep at our own site every night. However, I will be meeting up with other volunteers for lunch in Manzini every now and then. Also I’ll be going to Nhlangano at least once a week and using the internet. There is an NGO there called NATTIC (Nhlangano Aids Training and Information Counseling Centre) that I want to work with. If I haven’t set you a letter yet, I’m sorry dude. But as soon as integration begins I’ll have much more time to write letters, training is so busy. I’m worried my SiSwati is coming along too slow, but I keep working at it. Language classes are like torture. I am going to miss my training family (especially the baby) so much but luckily I’ll be less than an hour away from them and they have promised to visit me and I have promised to visit them. Please drop me a letter it’s really encouraging to hear news from home.

Swazis

2007-08-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

There’s so much to say about Swazi people. They are a very demeur and quiet bunch highly value tradition, Christianity, and education. Physical affection isn’t a big part of their culture. Even close friends and family members greet with handshakes. However family is incredibly important to them. There are so many culture factors influencing the spread of HIV/AIDS in this country. Polygamy is completely socially acceptable even in the church. Almost all men have multiple cocurrent partners and so do most women. The stigma and shame surrounding HIV breeds myths and misconceptions. Some people even think condoms can give you HIV. Also, sex is not a subject people talk about, even with their children. Romantic relationships are like affairs here instead of partnerships, affairs nobody sees or talks about. I wish I knew how to explain it. Love for Swazis is this romantic notion with no real weight to it. Men will often express romantic sentiments to a woman simply because she’s a “lady” and not because he particularly likes her. Marriage is more of a familial tie than a tie between two people. In fact, during the initial marriage ceremony the man isn’t even present at all. The women of the family gather and perform a ceremony to bind a girl to their homestead, they physically force the girl to do this and occasionally do it against her will. Bride price (usually around seventeen cattle) is given to the girl’s family as a payment for the labor the woman will perform on the homestead and the children she will bear for the homestead. A man’s worth is determined by the number of cattle he has. The number of wives he has is also a status symbol. My Babe (father) has over a hundred cattle, making him fairly wealthy. He also has two wives and two homes in different cities, although both are considered one homestead. My family members often travel back and forth between the two. He also has several illegitimate children. I have too many bobhuti and bosisi (brothers and sisters) and nephews and nieces to count.

2007-07-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

I snuck into the internet cafe today. It's slower than ever. Every page takes forever to load. It makes loading pictures impossible, sorry. I’m really beginning to work at adjusting to the culture here. The other volunteers are a big help. When we're spending time together I completely forget I'm even in Africa. I have electricity in my room now. My Babe (dad) and bobhuti (brothers) hooked it up and they were using knives to cut wires and stuff. At one point they kept trying to reach over a beam to connect a wire and they just couldn’t reach so I just took the wire from my bhuti and did it. My babe thought that was hilarious. Babe has two wives and two homes in different parts of the country and most of the family is traveling from one homestead to the other regularly. Night time is kindof lonely around here especially since I have electricity now so I can actually stay up later than before. Also I don't really have any time to really sit and think because I get up at 6, do chores and then walk to school at 7:30 and I don't get home till 4:30 or later. I try to talk and bond with my family, cook and clean, then I feel obligated to study my SiSwati before bed. Lately after "school" the other volunteers and I have been walking down to the river. It's so secluded and beautiful down there, we just lay around on these huge smooth white rocks in the middle of the river. That's as close to downtime as it gets. If I don't go to the river, I jog with Maggie also known as Figile, a volunteer that lives nearby. Anyway, send me some news, I feel so secluded from the rest of the world in my village. The newspapers are so funny though. It’s a great contrast from American news because headlines are like “four legged baby born” and other tabloid type stuff. This country amazes me everyday. People don’t have any idea how big America is. They think it’s the size of New Jersey. They also think there are no poor people in America. They didn’t know that July 4th was Independence Day and they didn’t even know that America had ever been a British colony. There are all types of myths here, especially surrounding HIV/AIDS. There are traditionals healers here called sangomas that practice muti (magic) and even human sacrifice is know to happen here, especially around election time. The other thing I’m beginning to learn is just how deep the collectivist mentality runs here in Swaziland. Young people here sometimes intentionally spread HIV so they don’t die alone. Most people whom I’ve had the opportunity to chat with about AIDS think that everybody will eventually just die from AIDS. Again, the image of a frog in boiling water comes to mind. However the way these people are so family oriented is beautiful. I better get goin!! I’m doing just fine. Send news from home!

All My Love,
XOXO
Colleen

ooooh lovely technology...

2007-06-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

Okay so this is probably the last day I'll have internet/phone for a while. I'm just kindof overwhelmed with everything. It's hard to be out of touch but that's what I signed up for ya know. Maybe I'll be able to sneak in here on Saturdays or something. I'm in Nhlangano by the way which is a medium sized town right near the training center (aka school.) Yesterday we played with Brasil's bobhuti. Brasil, Deja and I made chocolate chip cookies last night and it was so delicious. I miss cheese. Ha. I also miss affection a lot. In Swazi culture people don't hug really, just handshake, even close people or family members. Just another thing to adjust to I guess. I love the music and dancing here though. People love to sing and dance all the time. Anyway, salani kahle! (stay well!)

2007-06-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

hey kids,

Not long to type now. Internet cafes are expensive!! I've been visiting with a volunteer named Brasil, going around and seeing the NGO she works with, aswell as the primary and highschool she works with, and the village meeting house called the upsagande (sp?) Today there was a mens' meeting about HIV and their role in prevention. I was so happy to hear this because I was just talking with some of the other volunteers about how important it is for men to gather together and talk about HIV, since almost all of the responsibility has been put on the women. They care for the sick and the orphaned and they are the ones teaching youth and trying to spread the word about HIV. I'd love to see some of the men here get proactive, because there are a lot of good men in this country. Anyway, love you all and missin you as usual!!!
XOXO

My addy

2007-06-28T02:03:00.000-07:00

US Peace CorpsP.O. Box 2797Mbabane, H100Swaziland, AfricaWrite AIRMAIL on letters and packages.

I'm here!!

2007-06-28T01:55:00.000-07:00

So I’m really in Africa. The roads are red and crowded by cows and chickens and there are huge mountains everywhere. I have seen beautiful sunrises and sunsets, not to mention quails, weird bugs, geckos, and beautiful flowers. I got up at 5 am everyday, I wash my clothes by hand, I collect water, and I don’t have electricity. It’s actually fun though. My bhuti (brother) is putting electricity into my room tomorrow though. He’s my older brother and I have fondly termed him the GodBhuti. He has a wife and two little boys named Cepho (2) and Simiso (6 mos.) My homestead is huge so I have at least 15 family members. I have a Make (mom) and Babe (dad) although Babe isn’t around all the time. I have a plethora of teenage bosisi (sisters) and bobhuti (brothers) and a bunch of kids not to mentions dogs, cows, and chickens that never seem to go to sleep. One of my sisis has a one month old baby and I get to hold him all the time. I am in great health and very happy. The volunteer group I’m with is awesome. We all get along really well and make each other laugh. I spent the night with another volunteer last night and we danced for hours with all her bosisi and bobhuti to some songs I haven’t heard since middle school. Training is going well. I am busy from 8am to 5pm taking classes, including culture sessions, technical sessions, medical sessions, and of course language sessions. I’m learning so much, it’s all really intense. Swaziland is great, I’m having fun. I miss you all though so please send me letters!!!

First post, Not at Post yet

2007-06-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

Okay so now it's time for me to bitch and complain. The night before I left for DC for my staging event I spent the entire night packing because I put it off . Thank God Annie, Amy and Christina were there to help. At the airport everybody was crying (except Annie and my Dad, they were high fiving ;) and it was a long sad goodbye. I'm gona miss Mom Dad Kev and Bets so much, and grandma and Uncle B. Sigh. So I get to my hotel at 8:00AM and they say my room won't be ready till 3PM. I was wandered around in uncomfortable heels for a while. Then my cousin Mary Elizabeth rescued me. She picked me up for a great lunch and it was wonderful to see her. We talked about Dad a lot. This is so overwhelming right now. I'm trying to make friends, and the other volunteers are very nice people but I'm so cranky and sad it's hard. Oh and by the way almost all the volunteers going to Swaziland are women. However I had a lovely dinner at a place called the Thai Tanic with nine of the Swazi girls and Christopher Jackson. I was so glad he came and I got a chance to kindof vent to him afterwards. He's doin well in his internship.
We has to do an exercise yesterday where we had to imagine whatsuccess as a volunteer will look like. I was so exhausted I just couldn't even picture it. On a positive note, I had a good night's sleep and I think I'll do much better today absorbing new information and enjoying the company of the other volunteers. Wish me luck everybody!!!

This concludes the first bitch and complain blog
Love you all! Missin you already! XOXO