So, I stole another blog. But Loretta wrote such a good one! I loved spending the month with her in Swazi and getting to know her heart. And, she has the best hair ever. Read away…
http://lorettawashburn.theworldrace.org
We landed in Johannesburg May 5th and spent the night at the Rosebank Hostel for all of about 15 hours before hopping on a bus to Swaziland at 5:30 the next morning. My team’s ministry is Hope Rises and our contact is an American woman named Corine Demetrios. Back in the States Corine had it all – money, career, power, and then one little trip to Swaziland changed everything. With no missionary training or religious/theological background, Corine left her glamorous life in the US behind to live in Tshaneni, a rural town in northern Swaziland. Having been in real estate a few years back was good for her pocketbook. Now that she’s moved to Swaziland, her savings and 401K are gone. She works 11 hour days, 6 days a week on a farm to support herself now while also coordinating the building and growth of her organization. Hope Rises is currently building a preschool, which we’re tenting in, and there are plans to build another nearby in the future.
Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s nice, preschools are always good.” And you’re right, they are. What we’re learning every day though is how hopeless the outlook is for Swaziland. I’m a christian missionary and I’m here to tell you, at this stage the Kingdom of Swaziland is hopeless. For years I’ve worn a silver ring that reads “HOPE,” not because I’m a super bubbly or over-the-top optimistic person, but because I believe that no matter how dark things seem, there’s always hope in every situation. I even keep messing up when I type the word “hopeless”, as though I’ve never used it before. I’ve been here a few weeks, heard some stats, begun to understand the culture, and I’m telling you that nothing short of an act of God will save this nation. Maybe I’ve ruffled your inner activism spirit and you want to argue with me that “there must be a way!” Good, that’s what Swaziland needs. Get on your knees and pray and then find out how you can help. Here’s a few things I’ve found out:
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HIV/AIDS is the biggest issue at hand, however, there’s such a shameful stigma attached to it that no one admits they have it. Because of this people are dying every day of the “flu” or “TB” and they aren’t taking good enough measures to prevent spreading the “flu” or “TB.”
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50-90% of the people have AIDS/HIV. The percentages vary based on governmental pressure to not sound so bad, and whether you’re talking about a more rural or urban area.
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Swaziland is ruled by a king of seriously questionable morals who has something like 12 wives and spends billions of dollars on his birthday celebrations. Meanwhile his people live in poverty.
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The branch heads are family, and the police are like the mob, resulting in major corruption.
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There are no jobs and kids have nothing to do to pass time except have sex off in the bush somewhere.
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Its common for an orphaned teen girl trying to raise her siblings to trade sex for some bread or the chance to watch TV. In fact, some men will purchase a TV just for that reason. The community knows this but no one is bold enough to do anything about it.
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Every August, young girls are sent to dance for the king. The already poor family spends a pretty penny on the required outfit (a sash around the waist) for this honor. These girls are “protected” at night by drunken guards (you do the math).
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UNLESS CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS DO A 180, HEALTH STATISTICS PROJECT THAT HIV/AIDS WILL CAUSE THE ENTIRE NATION TO DIE OUT BY 2050. That’s 39 years. The life expectancy here is 29.
Corine is walking the walk and doesn’t miss all that she left behind. I don’t know how she does it. As an American I can come up with all sorts of ways to get ahead, improve the quality of life, or build relationships that will result in lasting changes. Swazis don’t have that kind of mindset, and most importantly, they don’t have that kind of time left. Swaziland isn’t hopeless because its people are in poverty(aside from the king),it’s hopeless because of its culture. To its credit, there are campaigns in place to promote safe sex and reduce disease transmission.
Let me close by saying that my American mindset causes me to still have hope for Swaziland. Its impossible not to care once you know a person’s name, story, children, heart, etc. I believe that if everyone took it upon themselves to care for and act on behalf of another person’s life, then nations like Swaziland will have a future.
