I’m back from Training Camp, and I’m more excited than ever to finally get to experience these nations that my squad and I have been devoted to for the last 9 months.
Unfortunately for my writing, I gained one more country to research, as we will no longer be going to Ireland in month 1. Instead we will start our great adventure in Turkey… thoughts? I had been getting used to the idea of Turkey until recently when a woman kept going on and on about how great Ireland is, and how it’s a photographers dream location, and everywhere you go is just beautiful. I’m just standing there thinking, “just shut up already”.
Anyway, month 7, for the time being, still has us in southern Africa; month 2 on this enormous continent.
Next stop: Swaziland
A Brief History
Swaziland is really small. I mean puny. It runs only 120 miles from north to south, and just 81 miles east to west (roughly the size of New Jersey). It’s mostly surrounded by South Africa, with only it’s eastern side bordering on Mozambique.
The earliest recorded history in Swaziland began around the 4th Century, when Bantu tribes from the Great Lakes regions in Africa began to travel south. They inhabited Swaziland for the next several centuries before the Ngwane kingdom became the dominant ruling force in the country… and Ngwane is still an alternative name used for the kingdom of Swaziland.
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Swaziland was greatly influenced by British rule in southern Africa. After the Second Boer War in 1902, Swaziland became a British Protectorate, with many government services coming from South Africa.
Swaziland’s independence came without major incident. Britain actually encouraged their independence in the early 1960’s, and they were officially granted full independence from Great Britain in 1968.
Religion in Swaziland
Christianity is actually quite prominent in Swaziland. 35% of the country is protestant, while 30% is African Zionist (combination of Christianity and African Cultural religions), 25% is Catholic, and the remaining percentages are split between Muslims, Baha’i, 7th Day Adventists, and Mormons.
The government allows freedom of religion to be practiced in Swaziland, but sadly there are many people who may claim to be part of the Christian faith, though don’t seem to care to practice it’s teachings, as can be seen in the staggering HIV rate across the country-26% of adults have the disease, while 50% of adults in their 20’s are infected. Granted, not all cases of HIV come from sexual transmission, but in Swaziland, the disease is mostly spread through having multiple sexual partners, and husbands who take multiple wives.
What we will be doing in Swaziland
Thanks to the enormous rate of adults with HIV, the life expectancy in Swaziland is just over 47 years, the 7th lowest life expectancy in the world. This contributes to a very high number of orphans across the nation, so in all likelihood, the bulk of our work could very well be with education programs and orphan care.
Adventures in Missions has taken a special interest in the education of young Swazi’s, as the United Nations Development Program has predicted that if the HIV epidemic continues unabated, the nation of Swaziland itself may cease to exist within the next 50 years.
Why I’m Excited
As I’ve mentioned before, and I’m sure I will mention again: I truly love the African continent. It’s history and culture is absolutely fascinating to me, and I really look forward to diving into everything that Swaziland is about. Granted, child ministry hasn’t always been where my heart lies, but I see this as a great opportunity to grow in this aspect, and see the impact of Christ on a younger generation that is starved for love and attention.
Also, as a man who deeply values the importance of sex, and it’s role in our lives; as well as the incredible gift that it is, I hope to impart some of these values on the adults that we work with, and let them know why God truly cares about keeping this sacred act within the confines of marriage… How do you like THAT for working around an awkward topic
Fun Facts
Glass-blowing is a common cultural trade, though only recycled glass is used.
National anthem is “O God, bestower of the blessings of the Swazi”.
SiSwati is the main language, though English is widely spoken as a second language.
Home to several species of animals and exotic birds, it is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world.
Swaziland is akin to Las Vegas for South Africans. It offers gambling, adult movies, horse and dog racing tracks, as well as other taboo and illegal activities in South Africa.
The population of Swaziland is just under 1.2 million; of that number, 7,000 people die every year due to AIDS-related causes. That means that Swaziland loses .6% of it’s population every year, due to AIDS alone.
Swaziland is very healthy in other areas: heart disease, strokes, and cancer account for a combined total of 5% of deaths in Swaziland, compared to 55% in the USA.
