January- Swaziland!!!
Population: 1.2 million, Total Area: 6704 sq. miles. About the size of Connecticut. (181 people per sq. mile)
Languages- English, siSwati, isiZulu, Xitsonga.
Religions- Traditional beliefs 40%, other 30%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%.
Weather- Daily high around 82*F, daily low around 70*. According to friends it’s unusually HOT, it may say 82* but feel more like 109*.
Swaziland is the smallest of all the African Countries.
Swaziland is home to one of the world’s oldest mines, discovered in Ngwenya in 1970 and is one of the top tourist attractions.
Exports- $2.04 billion (2011 est.): soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit.
People- Swaziland has the world’s highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Over 30% of the population is infected.
Unbelievable Government Corruption- In 2002, hundreds of thousands of Swazis faced starvation. Two years of drought as well as bad planning and poor agricultural practices were blamed for the crisis. The government came under criticism for buying the king a $50-million luxury jet—a quarter of the national budget—while famine loomed. In 2002, the country’s judges resigned en masse in protest of the government’s refusal to comply with court decisions. In April 2003, the government information minister announced that the media were banned from making negative remarks about the government—criticism of the king’s new luxury jet in particular would not be tolerated. In 2004, a third year of drought fell upon the country. International donor agencies and human rights groups condemned the king’s plans to build new multimillion-dollar palaces for each of his 11 wives (12 by 2005) while his people faced starvation and the country’s AIDS epidemic spiraled out of control.
Although the king signed the country’s first constitution in Aug. 2005, the document essentially maintains the status quo: opposition parties remain banned and the king retains ultimate power.
From The World Race- The Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the last remaining monarchies in Africa. Home to 1.1 million people and breathtaking scenic views, it’s also where the world’s highest HIV/AIDS infection rate lives (26.1% in adults and over 50% of adults in their 20s). It’s estimated that by 2050, Swaziland may cease to exist. Young orphans are scattered throughout this nation in desperate need of attention. For years, Adventures has been committed to seeing these statistics reversed. Here, you’ll most likely find yourself involved in a variety of outreaches, including education, orphan care, care point feedings, and more.
If you’ve read my first blog post ‘about me’ you’ve picked up a little on how I came to discover The World Race through my wonderful, friends /mentors/ soul mates/ world changers/ role models Rusty & Ericka Jackson. (More to come on this power couple in another blog!)
He was a sportscaster in Arkansas with a dream of working for ESPN. She was a pageant girl in Alabama with a dream of becoming Miss America. In June 2007, they took a trip to Swaziland, where their worlds collided. Ericka was on a short term mission trip with her College Ministry group from Auburn AL (War Eagle ;)) and Rusty was on his first World Race. On that trip, thousands of miles from home, they found themselves face-to-face with each other for the first time, and face-to-face with an orphan crisis they never knew existed. Soon they were falling in love with each other, and falling in love with the children of Swaziland.
They married in April 2009 (After seeing each other face to face a total of 11 times) and both worked for Adventures In Missions. From there they founded The Sound of Hope in may of 2010. Its A 501 (c)(3) Non Profit Organization to raise funds and awareness for orphans and vulnerable children around the world. They are committed to helping children break out of the cycle of poverty by partnering with programs that offer holistic care. They seek to educate, engage, and empower others to join the movement in creative ways. Now their passion and purpose is to change the lives of those children in Swaziland, and the lives of some precious kids they’ve grown to love in India, Thailand, and Burma too!
I could go on and on about them, so I will in a separate blog. 😉 Until then, Please Check out the VIDEO below from their last trip to Swaziland, follow them on twitter, find them on Facebook and check out their website!
Twitter: @the_SoundOfHope
Facebook: The Sound Of Hope
www.TheSoundOfHope.Org
Peace and Blessings,
Beth Milam
#BethBeyondBorders #InSwazilandAsItIsInHeaven
Then I heard the voice of The Lord saying,
“whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. SEND ME!”
Isaiah 6:8
