First I'd like to thank so many of you that have replied to me on Facebook, LinkedIn, email, and in person about my "musings" here. I wasn't quite sure what I would do when I first thought to write about our Africa trip, but, it has been fun.
THANK YOU
I know I have gone on and on about the 1,000 toothbrushes and the 500 tubes of toothpaste we were able to bring, but I want to thank those who really made it possible, and who donated their time and supplies:
Melinda Earlywine, Burlingame, CA
Dr. Terrence Lau, DDS - San Mateo, CA
Nicole Cook - Creighton University Alumni Relations Office
Creighton University Dental School
Dr. Nigel Suarez, DDS - San Francisco, CA
Dr. Sean Moran, DDS - San Francisco, CA
Dr. Stephen Los, DDS - San Jose, CA
Los Medicos Voladores "The Flying Doctors"
Dr. Michael Bird, DDS - San Raphael, CA
Dr. Nhung Ding, DDS - Arlington, TX
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
I never wrote about our time in Kruger National Park where we did a three day drive and saw all the amazing big, little, wild, tame, crazy animals, birds, and plants. WOW! If you have checked out my pictures on Facebook, you know that we saw some pretty crazy sights, up close and personal.
Did I mention that on a few of occasions I nearly lost all control of my bodily functions we were so close to the action because I was truly scared, thrilled, or really freaked out? : - )
1) The rhino in the road 40 feet in front of us turning to look at us - dead on
2) The baboon outside David's rolled DOWN window, about 5 feet away...until I slowly rolled up his window (YIKES)
3) The water buffalo with those big gorgeous horns, turning to look at us, about 10 feet away as (s)he was eating grass
4) Our friend Scott giving the nickname of 'college wrestlers' to warthogs, and seriously, if you see one up close and personal, they really do look like one (I couldn't stop giggling every time we saw one)
5) The three HUGE (there is big, and then there is BIG) elephants that walked on their path about 50 feet in front of us...passing from one side of the road to the other
I have long heard of people taking a safari. I have watched the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, National Geographic Channel, and myriad other television programs. But it isn't until I saw these amazing creatures in person did it really hit me that we are but a small part of this planet, and unless we take care of it, much will continue to be lost.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town, South Africa, where we spent the last five days our trip galavanting, is by far the most beautiful of cities. The way Table Mountain, the world's oldest mountain(!) surrounds the entire city, the way the white sand beaches go on for miles, the way that its hills and peaks and bays and inlets provide views that stun, one after the next, had David and me saying, simply, "wow". We couldn't come up with any more superlatives because the beauty just continued the more we explored.
If you saw the Facebook pics you also saw that we drove, well, I drove (fun challenge, left hand side of the road, stick shift) to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. David only had two "YIKES" moments as the passenger that day. : - )
What we thought was the southern-most point on the African continent, well, it's darn close, was a wonderful half day trip down and back. The trip is only about 30 miles from Cape Town, and you can actually see it from the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, but, it's about a two and a half hour drive - and worth EVERY minute of it. And the animal adventure of Africa didn't stop...we saw Ostrich (on the ocean...so counter intuitive), penguins, and more baboons.
Cape Town itself is major city of 3.1 million people, but it is the physicality of the environment that makes it a place not to be missed (if you're ever in the 'hood).
SWAZILAND - FINAL THOUGHTS
As I mentioned previously, when two Swazi's we had met asked us what we thought of their country after two weeks, all we could say was "complicated".
Is Africa with 53 countries on the continent the most complex group of countries on the planet? I honestly don't know, but it's clear to me that one cannot have a conversation about the continent before very quickly having to consider far too many aspects of life (eg. oil, desserts, HIV/AIDS, Islam, Christianity, China, Darfur, and on and on).
Our impressions of Swaziland, the last Monarchy on the continent, was made more difficult because to honestly make sense of something you need to leave judgment 'at the door'. Yes, Swazi women have almost no rights. Hunger is rampant. HIV infection rates are approaching 50%. Life expectancy is now down to 32. The population has decreased in just the last 10 years from 1.5 million to just 1.2 million. And I could go on and on...
But looking at the Swazi people isn't the only answer. As we heard from our friends Scott & David who saw much over one year in the country, and Peace Corp workers, and other volunteers we met during our trip, many "all hands on deck" initiatives are taking place in Swaziland with the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Bank, and multiple relief ("charity") organizations from various countries including Japan, Germany, Canada, and Ireland all putting tremendous resources into Swaziland.
As we all know too well, from work we all do in our own back yard at local PTAs, city shelters, food banks, community gardens, and on and on, when activities are not coordinated, we all know how frustrating that is. Each of us wants to do our part to better the world, and many of us are, but, often the lack of those leading individual efforts do not communicate with one another leading to those whose feet are 'on the ground' to want to yell, "it could be soooo much better".
I guess what I am really trying to say is...the world is a big (really big) place. David and I got to go away and see some spectacular things on a three week vacation, and learn so much more about the world that will help both of us to frame decisions we make for the rest of our lives...but don't know, it was my step mother back in Iowa who brought it all full circle for me. "Shouldn't every single day that you step out your front door be the same kind of exploring, awe inspiring, and fact finding experience."
: - )
I am grateful to all of you who have followed my thoughts here. I will continue to share "musings" as they come my way and as I have signed off each of my postings to date,
PEACE
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Swaziland Post No. 3
DISCLAIMER
I first must apologize for all the typos and errors in spelling and otherwise *blach* in my typing. I am using a keyboard that is not in US native English, and the spell check capabilities, well, ugh...so, while normally a stickler for those kinda things, again, my apologies.
I want to share more of the joy and positive things that happened while we were in Swaziland. There were moments that lifted my heart and humbled me in ways I never imagined.
TOOTHBRUSHES
Many of you know David and I gathered about 1,000 toothbrushes and some 500 small tubes of toothpaste to bring with us to hand out. Having no idea how it would all work, I was amazed over and over and over...each time we handed one out one to a person. The first day David I went on Home Based Care (HBC), together, we brought about 200 or so toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. Imagine to our complete surprise, when mid afternoon, after seeing patients and people on the side of the road, we ran out. EEEK!
Upon arriving at a homestead, or tree on the side of the road, or any other place where patients from the Good Shepherd Hospital lived, or generally agreed to meet when the HBC team came, their overwhelming thanks for attention from the nursing team, David and I were REALLY knocked out when we handed out a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. People in Swaziland are possibly the most gracious, to a person, I have ever met. Never, was anything that was provided, the entire time we were there, handed out, given, received with no less than two hands cupped together, a small bend at the knees, and a "thank you" offered - man, woman, and child. A simple toothbrush and tube of toothpaste, sometimes brought large smiles, a few whoops and giggles, and for the children...it was hard not to break out in tears a few times...their ear to ear grins would stop any traffic anywhere in the world.
We would not only hand out individual brushes and paste to the patients, but we would ask how many people were living in their homesteads and provide enough for them as well. Again, the 'thanks' were amazing.
The delivery of toothbrushes and toothpaste continued on other ride-alongs with the HBC team, and I am so happy to say...every last toothbrush and tube of toothpaste we brought with us, is now in the hands of nearly 1,000 different people in Swaziland.
I was just a conduit to make it happen - and I owe a LARGE, GENEROUS, HUGE "thank you" to those that donated (I'll list them all when I get home).
There we many other examples of the happiness and just general nice times that I can share, that weren't so focused on the hunger and poverty and illness and very difficult situations in the country.
Our friends Scott and David made friends with MANY Swazis, and while raising a bit of money from friends and family to pay school fees for kids, buy shoes and school uniforms, pay for medical expenses from some, and even pay for the construction of a few homes (pictures coming - 10'x10' cement block structures), they dug deep into their own pockets to help many.
(My) David and I were able to witness the results of much of the past year of their work and we, and because we are friends, we were received, welcomed, and hugged, kissed, and in a sometime embarrassing way, shared in the generosity of their good works.
The houses that were built for sisters Doris, Elsie, Selena, we got to see them. The ones in progress, we got to see them. We got to share in the pride and joy that a cement structure provides to someone instead of living in a (very common) stick, mud, stone thatched roof home.
We were able to share in the happiness of kids who received monthly bus fare ($10) from Scott and David so some they could go to school every day.
We were able to see and share in the measuring of a few children (WAIT until you see these kids' pictures) as new school uniforms and shoes would be on their way.
We were able to share in, as I briefly mentioned in a previous post, a going away dinner that will forever live as a seminal moment in my life. David and Scott essentially helped a young boy, Tabiso, 12 years old, after his mother died shortly after they arrived nearly a year ago, get relocated to live with his aunt and uncle, and their 9 children, and over the past 12 months, weave his way from being an extremely difficult child, into one that is coming to integrate into a new family, and one that has received wonderful care and attention from our friends Scott and David that include buying a 5,000 liter new water tank for the house to catch the rain, and over various good things over the year.
On our last Saturday, Halloween in the US, we were able to be part of a most generous, honoring, 'last supper' (Scott and David leave Swaziland Nov 12) that Tabiso's aunt and uncle provided. You will see pictures of this as well. While having a cow is one of the highest status symbols in Swaziland, their family was fortunate enough to have goats (next in line). So, to thank Scott and David for all they have done the past year, they killed a goat, we cooked the goat, and a great feast of food was provided including potatoes, salad, mealy-meal (maize product), and drinks...words cannot share with you all how it took our breath away many times during the evening when we saw just how happy and honored and thankful the family was for what had been given to them...I will never forget it.
And the last happy, joyful, pure emotions I will share that I will always remember will be the children's faces...a smile that starts from the bottom their BARE feet...comes up and passes through their heart...and them comes out in this big, broad, wide, tooth filled grin...I will cherish those forever.
I have been writing all these posts in Cape Town, South Africa where David and I have spent the last four days. I'll share more about Cape Town in other blog posts, because if you ever(!) have the chance to come you...you have to! This city and region's physical beauty in unsurpassed in anything I have yet to see anywhere else in the world!
We leave tomorrow, Friday afternoon, for our 30 some odd hour return trip home.
There are so many more stories, of course, that haven't written about, but in conversations and emails and maybe other blog posts later about Swaziland, I'll share, cuz there are some GREAT ones...trust me!
This has been a three weeks in my 44 years that surpasses anything...I...have...ever...done. David and I have been moved to tears in so many ways, at so many things, both good and bad, and yet we leave here with a very happy and contented heart!
PEACE...
Mark
I first must apologize for all the typos and errors in spelling and otherwise *blach* in my typing. I am using a keyboard that is not in US native English, and the spell check capabilities, well, ugh...so, while normally a stickler for those kinda things, again, my apologies
I want to share more of the joy and positive things that happened while we were in Swaziland. There were moments that lifted my heart and humbled me in ways I never imagined.
TOOTHBRUSHES
Many of you know David and I gathered about 1,000 toothbrushes and some 500 small tubes of toothpaste to bring with us to hand out. Having no idea how it would all work, I was amazed over and over and over...each time we handed one out one to a person. The first day David I went on Home Based Care (HBC), together, we brought about 200 or so toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. Imagine to our complete surprise, when mid afternoon, after seeing patients and people on the side of the road, we ran out. EEEK!
Upon arriving at a homestead, or tree on the side of the road, or any other place where patients from the Good Shepherd Hospital lived, or generally agreed to meet when the HBC team came, their overwhelming thanks for attention from the nursing team, David and I were REALLY knocked out when we handed out a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. People in Swaziland are possibly the most gracious, to a person, I have ever met. Never, was anything that was provided, the entire time we were there, handed out, given, received with no less than two hands cupped together, a small bend at the knees, and a "thank you" offered - man, woman, and child. A simple toothbrush and tube of toothpaste, sometimes brought large smiles, a few whoops and giggles, and for the children...it was hard not to break out in tears a few times...their ear to ear grins would stop any traffic anywhere in the world.
We would not only hand out individual brushes and paste to the patients, but we would ask how many people were living in their homesteads and provide enough for them as well. Again, the 'thanks' were amazing.
The delivery of toothbrushes and toothpaste continued on other ride-alongs with the HBC team, and I am so happy to say...every last toothbrush and tube of toothpaste we brought with us, is now in the hands of nearly 1,000 different people in Swaziland.
I was just a conduit to make it happen - and I owe a LARGE, GENEROUS, HUGE "thank you" to those that donated (I'll list them all when I get home).
There we many other examples of the happiness and just general nice times that I can share, that weren't so focused on the hunger and poverty and illness and very difficult situations in the country.
Our friends Scott and David made friends with MANY Swazis, and while raising a bit of money from friends and family to pay school fees for kids, buy shoes and school uniforms, pay for medical expenses from some, and even pay for the construction of a few homes (pictures coming - 10'x10' cement block structures), they dug deep into their own pockets to help many.
(My) David and I were able to witness the results of much of the past year of their work and we, and because we are friends, we were received, welcomed, and hugged, kissed, and in a sometime embarrassing way, shared in the generosity of their good works.
The houses that were built for sisters Doris, Elsie, Selena, we got to see them. The ones in progress, we got to see them. We got to share in the pride and joy that a cement structure provides to someone instead of living in a (very common) stick, mud, stone thatched roof home.
We were able to share in the happiness of kids who received monthly bus fare ($10) from Scott and David so some they could go to school every day.
We were able to see and share in the measuring of a few children (WAIT until you see these kids' pictures) as new school uniforms and shoes would be on their way.
We were able to share in, as I briefly mentioned in a previous post, a going away dinner that will forever live as a seminal moment in my life. David and Scott essentially helped a young boy, Tabiso, 12 years old, after his mother died shortly after they arrived nearly a year ago, get relocated to live with his aunt and uncle, and their 9 children, and over the past 12 months, weave his way from being an extremely difficult child, into one that is coming to integrate into a new family, and one that has received wonderful care and attention from our friends Scott and David that include buying a 5,000 liter new water tank for the house to catch the rain, and over various good things over the year.
On our last Saturday, Halloween in the US, we were able to be part of a most generous, honoring, 'last supper' (Scott and David leave Swaziland Nov 12) that Tabiso's aunt and uncle provided. You will see pictures of this as well. While having a cow is one of the highest status symbols in Swaziland, their family was fortunate enough to have goats (next in line). So, to thank Scott and David for all they have done the past year, they killed a goat, we cooked the goat, and a great feast of food was provided including potatoes, salad, mealy-meal (maize product), and drinks...words cannot share with you all how it took our breath away many times during the evening when we saw just how happy and honored and thankful the family was for what had been given to them...I will never forget it.
And the last happy, joyful, pure emotions I will share that I will always remember will be the children's faces...a smile that starts from the bottom their BARE feet...comes up and passes through their heart...and them comes out in this big, broad, wide, tooth filled grin...I will cherish those forever.
I have been writing all these posts in Cape Town, South Africa where David and I have spent the last four days. I'll share more about Cape Town in other blog posts, because if you ever(!) have the chance to come you...you have to! This city and region's physical beauty in unsurpassed in anything I have yet to see anywhere else in the world!
We leave tomorrow, Friday afternoon, for our 30 some odd hour return trip home.
There are so many more stories, of course, that haven't written about, but in conversations and emails and maybe other blog posts later about Swaziland, I'll share, cuz there are some GREAT ones...trust me!
This has been a three weeks in my 44 years that surpasses anything...I...have...ever...done. David and I have been moved to tears in so many ways, at so many things, both good and bad, and yet we leave here with a very happy and contented heart!
PEACE...
Mark
Monday, November 2, 2009
Swaziland Post no. 2
The trip to get to Swaziland was very uneventful, phew. 22 hours of flying and about 32 hours of travel time. We were prepared for a less than glamorous time, but, in the end, it all went very well. South Africa Airways is really quite wonderful (in coach even...).
We arrived at the Manzini International Airport (3-5 flights a day, and only to Johannesburg, so yet, it is an International Airport () in a small 20 seater and our friend David picked us up. (My) David and I kept saying to ourselves we wondered when we would feel like we were "really" in Africa. The Manzini airport and all was tiny, teeny teeny tiny, but that wasn't so much to raise an eyebrow. As we drove the 45 minutes to the Mabuda Farm where we stayed, we got our first eyeful.
One of the first things to knock my senses was the trash all over the side of the road. Remember in America in the 60's and early 70's, before we had aluminum recycling, and concerted efforts (remember the Indian crying on the television ad) to get us all not to open the window and just drop trash out the window, well, picture everyone...dropping everything...as they are walking, out the windows of cars and vans and busses. We were told all the trash was referred to as "Swazi Flowers". It really is terrible.
Getting settled into our place at the farm, was comfortable, easy, and as you will see by the pictures I will post, beautiful beyond words. The Farm is located on a plateau at about 2,500 feet, so we had views that just knocked us out every time. The weather for the most part for our entire two week stay was VERY San Francisco-like. It was foggy, in the 60's, and a bit windy. We had a few warm days in the 80's.
Eating was easy. We had B&B wares delivered every day, yogurt, cereal, FARM FRESH eggs and milk (wow!), so that was okay. And for lunch we generally had sandwiches as Scott and David's place had a full kitchen and the grocery store in Sitecki was like any other grocery store you'd find anywhere (except for a few things of course), but we had lettuce and vegetables and most anything you can imagine. David is a vegetarian, and he did just fine!
I feel like I am now in storytelling 'mode' and I have to be careful about 'sticking to the highlights', because as many of you know, I can go on...and on!
HOME BASED CARE (HBC)
I was able to go out with our friend Scott 3 times, and David got to go twice. Again, so much in my head. There is a local hospital in Sitecki, but, well, it is less than what any one of us would consider to be a place we would visit. Even the Swazi's, they not to go there because if you go there, you die there. There are about 200 beds. In my 2 walks through the wards, I never saw more than 30-40 with people in them. Remember, HIV infection approaching 50%, one of the world's TB hotspots, and yet the doctors don't admit patients and the Swazi's don't go because they know the care isn't good.
For the daily HBC visits it is a bit of a production. Hunger, as you might expect, is staggering. So we we 'get the truck' from the hospital each morning (8:30) and make 3-4 stops before gathering up the 2-3 nurses to head out on our day. Swaziland has a main food source, maize. We were there just as the planting started, and Scott and David kept pointing out every bare spot in the ground that in just a few months would all be corn growing. So, what the Swazi's do is grind the corn into what they call Mealy Meal. And from there they make a paste or porriage(sp?) or pancake-like item.
We would gather (all donated) the same things every day from the same places; 20 10kg bags of Mealy Meal, 12 1/2 liter bottles of Mabuda Farm milk, 20 bags of this dry item called Corn Soya (a nutrition-packed mixture of maize and other nutrients) to help the "really" hungry, and then last was a small(!) black shopping bag called "packs" containing a 1lb bag of beans, a 1/4 liter bottle of oil, (and I am now having block, I don't remember much else) but let me tell you, there wasn't much, and the last item were these large/long bars of soap (12" long) to help people to try and clean.
After getting the truck loaded, Scott driving, 2-3 nurses, and then either David or I, out into the Homesteads we would go. I could make a whole (long) entry of just the few times we went out, but all fives senses were assaulted in ways that I could not have expected. Again, I had pictures in my head before we left, but it is not until you are "in it" that you truly understand.
Urinating and deficating in Swaziland is done where ever...literally. No judgement, it just simply is what it is. On the side of the road. Out the front door of their homes. In a group of people standing and talking. It was common to see it...
Most in Swaziland have never bathed in their lives. Most do not have running water or electricity. Water is usually gathered from a water hole, used by the animals as well, to both cook and drink.
Unemployment is 60%. Enough said.
The population of Swaziland, just 10-15 years ago was 1.3 million. Today is it just 1 million. The country is really dying.
Did I mention previously that women have NO rights. It is a Kingdom and the king, still taking child brides (he's up to about 13 or so) continues to perpetuate the male dominated society in ways that are hard to fathom. WOMEN, you rule...and MEN, let's not all forget that.
Marriage, though the country is extremely religious, isn't a common. What happens is that a man will get a 'wife', have anywhere from 2-10 children with her, tire of her, and simply move on to the next woman leaving the first with all the children to care for...and then the man moves on to the next one...and so on and so on. It isn't hard to think about how HIV is spreading. What then happens is that children die, mothers die, fathers die, and then other family members take over the care taking (Grandmothers, aunts, etc.).
PICTURE THIS - When we talked about homelessness in the United States, they simply could not(!) fathom what we were talking about...at all. Everyone is taken in by someone, no matter how poor or how little they have, no one is left out. Again, it is their culture and deeply ingrained.
Spiritual Healers are still used and respected in Swaziland. While it is not my method or brand of medical care, permit me to reshare a story our friend Scott told us...that was the best he had ever heard. A women they had seen recently, clearly in the last stages of liver failure, showing signs of severe abdominal bloating, etc. was told by the Healer that she had a six inch little man in her, in her belly, and the reason she was so full of fluids is because the man was peeing in her, and if she came back the next day, she could pay him to perform a ritual to remove the little man.
Even I couldn't make that one up...
I have more great stories to share about laughter and joy and smiles and children and good...
Repeating a mantra, has this trip changed my life, yes. Has this trip allowed me to think about how this world functions at a larger level, yes. Will I become a monk and live my life more simply, no, but it will inform more of my decisions, more of my actions, and more of how I am able to work through all that comes my way.
As I say...PEACE to y'all.
Cheers,
Mark
We arrived at the Manzini International Airport (3-5 flights a day, and only to Johannesburg, so yet, it is an International Airport (
One of the first things to knock my senses was the trash all over the side of the road. Remember in America in the 60's and early 70's, before we had aluminum recycling, and concerted efforts (remember the Indian crying on the television ad) to get us all not to open the window and just drop trash out the window, well, picture everyone...dropping everything...as they are walking, out the windows of cars and vans and busses. We were told all the trash was referred to as "Swazi Flowers". It really is terrible.
Getting settled into our place at the farm, was comfortable, easy, and as you will see by the pictures I will post, beautiful beyond words. The Farm is located on a plateau at about 2,500 feet, so we had views that just knocked us out every time. The weather for the most part for our entire two week stay was VERY San Francisco-like. It was foggy, in the 60's, and a bit windy. We had a few warm days in the 80's.
Eating was easy. We had B&B wares delivered every day, yogurt, cereal, FARM FRESH eggs and milk (wow!), so that was okay. And for lunch we generally had sandwiches as Scott and David's place had a full kitchen and the grocery store in Sitecki was like any other grocery store you'd find anywhere (except for a few things of course
I feel like I am now in storytelling 'mode' and I have to be careful about 'sticking to the highlights', because as many of you know, I can go on...and on!
HOME BASED CARE (HBC)
I was able to go out with our friend Scott 3 times, and David got to go twice. Again, so much in my head. There is a local hospital in Sitecki, but, well, it is less than what any one of us would consider to be a place we would visit. Even the Swazi's, they not to go there because if you go there, you die there. There are about 200 beds. In my 2 walks through the wards, I never saw more than 30-40 with people in them. Remember, HIV infection approaching 50%, one of the world's TB hotspots, and yet the doctors don't admit patients and the Swazi's don't go because they know the care isn't good.
For the daily HBC visits it is a bit of a production. Hunger, as you might expect, is staggering. So we we 'get the truck' from the hospital each morning (8:30) and make 3-4 stops before gathering up the 2-3 nurses to head out on our day. Swaziland has a main food source, maize. We were there just as the planting started, and Scott and David kept pointing out every bare spot in the ground that in just a few months would all be corn growing. So, what the Swazi's do is grind the corn into what they call Mealy Meal. And from there they make a paste or porriage(sp?) or pancake-like item.
We would gather (all donated) the same things every day from the same places; 20 10kg bags of Mealy Meal, 12 1/2 liter bottles of Mabuda Farm milk, 20 bags of this dry item called Corn Soya (a nutrition-packed mixture of maize and other nutrients) to help the "really" hungry, and then last was a small(!) black shopping bag called "packs" containing a 1lb bag of beans, a 1/4 liter bottle of oil, (and I am now having block, I don't remember much else) but let me tell you, there wasn't much, and the last item were these large/long bars of soap (12" long) to help people to try and clean.
After getting the truck loaded, Scott driving, 2-3 nurses, and then either David or I, out into the Homesteads we would go. I could make a whole (long) entry of just the few times we went out, but all fives senses were assaulted in ways that I could not have expected. Again, I had pictures in my head before we left, but it is not until you are "in it" that you truly understand.
Urinating and deficating in Swaziland is done where ever...literally. No judgement, it just simply is what it is. On the side of the road. Out the front door of their homes. In a group of people standing and talking. It was common to see it...
Most in Swaziland have never bathed in their lives. Most do not have running water or electricity. Water is usually gathered from a water hole, used by the animals as well, to both cook and drink.
Unemployment is 60%. Enough said.
The population of Swaziland, just 10-15 years ago was 1.3 million. Today is it just 1 million. The country is really dying.
Did I mention previously that women have NO rights. It is a Kingdom and the king, still taking child brides (he's up to about 13 or so) continues to perpetuate the male dominated society in ways that are hard to fathom. WOMEN, you rule...and MEN, let's not all forget that.
Marriage, though the country is extremely religious, isn't a common. What happens is that a man will get a 'wife', have anywhere from 2-10 children with her, tire of her, and simply move on to the next woman leaving the first with all the children to care for...and then the man moves on to the next one...and so on and so on. It isn't hard to think about how HIV is spreading. What then happens is that children die, mothers die, fathers die, and then other family members take over the care taking (Grandmothers, aunts, etc.).
PICTURE THIS - When we talked about homelessness in the United States, they simply could not(!) fathom what we were talking about...at all. Everyone is taken in by someone, no matter how poor or how little they have, no one is left out. Again, it is their culture and deeply ingrained.
Spiritual Healers are still used and respected in Swaziland. While it is not my method or brand of medical care, permit me to reshare a story our friend Scott told us...that was the best he had ever heard. A women they had seen recently, clearly in the last stages of liver failure, showing signs of severe abdominal bloating, etc. was told by the Healer that she had a six inch little man in her, in her belly, and the reason she was so full of fluids is because the man was peeing in her, and if she came back the next day, she could pay him to perform a ritual to remove the little man.
Even I couldn't make that one up...
I have more great stories to share about laughter and joy and smiles and children and good...
Repeating a mantra, has this trip changed my life, yes. Has this trip allowed me to think about how this world functions at a larger level, yes. Will I become a monk and live my life more simply, no, but it will inform more of my decisions, more of my actions, and more of how I am able to work through all that comes my way.
As I say...PEACE to y'all.
Cheers,
Mark
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Swaziland Post #1
2 weeks with no internet connectivity, and I must admit, it was a bit of a relief. While our friends have an internet connection, the speed was not fast enough to do any updates, banking, or any other what we consider to be day to day tasks - so with our time in Swaziland complete, and now in Cape Town (GORGEOUS) here's a bit of a starter with more to follow.
1) For all those who said "it will change your life..." you are right.
2) When a couple of Swazi's we met over the two weeks asked us as we were leaving, "what do you think of Swaziland?", my answer is "complicated".
There really is so much to tell, share, and write, but the thoughts in my head are still swirling around because while our time in Sitegi was so great, and spending time with our friends Scott and David was wonderful, and seeing the beautiful countryside was truly spectacular, the "complicated" and conflicting parts of our visit and impressions of Swaziland are:
1) The King's, yes, it is the last of the 53 countries in Africa to have a soverign(sp?) monarch, claim to fame that the country has the best roads in Africa.
2) Woman have NO rights...stories on stories about that
3) The HIV infection rate continues to rise...past 40% towards 50%
5) Swaziland is one of the Tuberculosis "hot spots" on the world map
6) The Swazi people were wonderfully kind and generous
7) Doing the Home Based Care with our friend Scott, going out to homesteads was sad, humbling, heart lifting, sad, terrbily heart wrenching - and I will have many stories about that as well
8) Our last night there was celebrated (for our friends Scott and David) at a Swazi family's homestead with the killing of a goat, cooking it over a fire, eating and celebrating as if we too had served a year in the land giving back...tears and sadness and many smiles that night.
9) Joy is Joy - no matter the world over
10) Children's laughter is children's laughter...the world over.
11) Our time on the Mabuda Farm, where we stayed in Swaziland was pretty cool...cows and chickens and roosters and peacocks...up at sunrise to be at sunset.
12) Because homosexuality in Swaziland is, well, not so much against the law, but it just simply isn't acknowledged or something that they know, and because of the country's highly religious nature, being "in the closet" for even two weeks...with David...was something that also added to the "complicated" time I mentioned above.
I will writer more maybe later today (10 hours ahead of San Francisco time) and we are off to see the sights of Cape Town today.
This is a trip that will change my life. It is a trip that will help to sort out personal priorities, it has too. It is a wonderful opportunity that with the pictures I will post when I get home, you too will see the treasure and joys and conditions of this big crazy world of ours.
PEACE to everyone...
1) For all those who said "it will change your life..." you are right.
2) When a couple of Swazi's we met over the two weeks asked us as we were leaving, "what do you think of Swaziland?", my answer is "complicated".
There really is so much to tell, share, and write, but the thoughts in my head are still swirling around because while our time in Sitegi was so great, and spending time with our friends Scott and David was wonderful, and seeing the beautiful countryside was truly spectacular, the "complicated" and conflicting parts of our visit and impressions of Swaziland are:
1) The King's, yes, it is the last of the 53 countries in Africa to have a soverign(sp?) monarch, claim to fame that the country has the best roads in Africa.
2) Woman have NO rights...stories on stories about that
3) The HIV infection rate continues to rise...past 40% towards 50%
5) Swaziland is one of the Tuberculosis "hot spots" on the world map
6) The Swazi people were wonderfully kind and generous
7) Doing the Home Based Care with our friend Scott, going out to homesteads was sad, humbling, heart lifting, sad, terrbily heart wrenching - and I will have many stories about that as well
8) Our last night there was celebrated (for our friends Scott and David) at a Swazi family's homestead with the killing of a goat, cooking it over a fire, eating and celebrating as if we too had served a year in the land giving back...tears and sadness and many smiles that night.
9) Joy is Joy - no matter the world over
10) Children's laughter is children's laughter...the world over.
11) Our time on the Mabuda Farm, where we stayed in Swaziland was pretty cool...cows and chickens and roosters and peacocks...up at sunrise to be at sunset.
12) Because homosexuality in Swaziland is, well, not so much against the law, but it just simply isn't acknowledged or something that they know, and because of the country's highly religious nature, being "in the closet" for even two weeks...with David...was something that also added to the "complicated" time I mentioned above.
I will writer more maybe later today (10 hours ahead of San Francisco time) and we are off to see the sights of Cape Town today.
This is a trip that will change my life. It is a trip that will help to sort out personal priorities, it has too. It is a wonderful opportunity that with the pictures I will post when I get home, you too will see the treasure and joys and conditions of this big crazy world of ours.
PEACE to everyone...
Friday, October 16, 2009
1,000 and ready to go!
It seems a bit crazy right, three months ago we make the decision to take a trip to Swaziland and South Africa, and WOW, we leave tomorrow morning. We don't arrive until Monday morning, but, that's all part of the fun.
All the mundane completed, the past few days have been about transferring my work to my colleagues and THEN just this afternoon thinking about packing.
Through the generosity of many, I was able to collect nearly 1,000 toothbrushes. I had hoped to get 500. It's so cool. As our friends in Swaziland emailed this morning, they said we may get a bit of 'trouble' by the Customs Agents in Swaziland about why we are bringing these into the country. Last resort they said, tinged with both a bit of seriousness and what I am hoping was some humor (I do hope), bribe them with giving them some.
It's all an adventure.
Friends and those with whom I have shared we are going on this trip have all been so kind. Well wishes and kind words...
The food we'll eat, we're not sure. The people, we've heard are quite friendly. The accommodations, we think are comfortable. The experiences we will have...we can't wait.
To all - PEACE.
Mark
All the mundane completed, the past few days have been about transferring my work to my colleagues and THEN just this afternoon thinking about packing.
Through the generosity of many, I was able to collect nearly 1,000 toothbrushes. I had hoped to get 500. It's so cool. As our friends in Swaziland emailed this morning, they said we may get a bit of 'trouble' by the Customs Agents in Swaziland about why we are bringing these into the country. Last resort they said, tinged with both a bit of seriousness and what I am hoping was some humor (I do hope), bribe them with giving them some.
It's all an adventure.
Friends and those with whom I have shared we are going on this trip have all been so kind. Well wishes and kind words...
The food we'll eat, we're not sure. The people, we've heard are quite friendly. The accommodations, we think are comfortable. The experiences we will have...we can't wait.
To all - PEACE.
Mark
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Preparing for our trip to Swaziland and South Africa isn’t taking all that much time or effort. All we really have had to do to prepare is get our shots (check), make some reservations (check), make sure our cats will be fed and watered (check), and, well, I cut off all my hair (I need to post a new picture). Packing will be pretty straight forward, so, what we really have been focusing on is…
When we asked our friends Scott and David, who we are visiting in Swaziland, if there is anything we can bring, without any hesitation they said children’s clothing and toothbrushes and toothpaste.
With the large number of orphaned children, and just general poverty, clothing is something children don’t always have. Many, if not all of us, take using our toothbrushes and toothpaste on a regular basis for granted. As you can imagine, that just simply isn’t the case for most living in a country where rural poverty exceeds 55% in all parts of the country.
Okay, so (my) David and I looked at each other and we pretty quickly agreed that I would take the dental items and he would take care of the children’s clothing. Being a 3rd Grade teacher and having access to both Lost and Found piles at school and the generosity of hundreds of parents, he can take that one. Having graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, NE., and the university having a great tradition of not only “the giving spirit” but also a very good dental school with alumni all over the country, I had a plan.
I first set a goal of how many toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste I wanted to collect. 500 sounds like a good number, don’t you think? I checked with Scott & David to make sure I wasn’t going too far in my efforts, but Scott said they see 25 patients a day, and we can possibly give them all out while we are there. GREAT!
Working with Creighton’s alumni office, I wrote an email which they sent to the 50+ dental school alumni in the Bay Area, telling the story of our trip, and then asking for a donation. The response has been so very generous, and while people are in process of shipping things to my house, I believe my goal of 500 toothbrushes will be met (the toothpaste seems to be a bit harder to come by).
And, in sharing my story with a couple of friends, don’t you know one person wrote me an email to say that she casually was telling her dentist about our trip and the first thing he said was, “how can I help?”.
One unexpected outcome so far was learning about an organization, Flying Doctors, a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that helps improve the health and well-being of the peoples of Mexico and Central America through the provision of no-cost, high-quality healthcare and health education clinics. A Creighton dental alum is the president of the San Jose chapter and I am going to their October meeting before our trip to share our story and collect their donation for us to take with us.
People in so very many ways are kind, generous, considerate, sharing, caring, and it often comes from places you never expect!
Peace! Love! Back soon…
When we asked our friends Scott and David, who we are visiting in Swaziland, if there is anything we can bring, without any hesitation they said children’s clothing and toothbrushes and toothpaste.
With the large number of orphaned children, and just general poverty, clothing is something children don’t always have. Many, if not all of us, take using our toothbrushes and toothpaste on a regular basis for granted. As you can imagine, that just simply isn’t the case for most living in a country where rural poverty exceeds 55% in all parts of the country.
Okay, so (my) David and I looked at each other and we pretty quickly agreed that I would take the dental items and he would take care of the children’s clothing. Being a 3rd Grade teacher and having access to both Lost and Found piles at school and the generosity of hundreds of parents, he can take that one. Having graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, NE., and the university having a great tradition of not only “the giving spirit” but also a very good dental school with alumni all over the country, I had a plan.
I first set a goal of how many toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste I wanted to collect. 500 sounds like a good number, don’t you think? I checked with Scott & David to make sure I wasn’t going too far in my efforts, but Scott said they see 25 patients a day, and we can possibly give them all out while we are there. GREAT!
Working with Creighton’s alumni office, I wrote an email which they sent to the 50+ dental school alumni in the Bay Area, telling the story of our trip, and then asking for a donation. The response has been so very generous, and while people are in process of shipping things to my house, I believe my goal of 500 toothbrushes will be met (the toothpaste seems to be a bit harder to come by).
And, in sharing my story with a couple of friends, don’t you know one person wrote me an email to say that she casually was telling her dentist about our trip and the first thing he said was, “how can I help?”.
One unexpected outcome so far was learning about an organization, Flying Doctors, a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that helps improve the health and well-being of the peoples of Mexico and Central America through the provision of no-cost, high-quality healthcare and health education clinics. A Creighton dental alum is the president of the San Jose chapter and I am going to their October meeting before our trip to share our story and collect their donation for us to take with us.
People in so very many ways are kind, generous, considerate, sharing, caring, and it often comes from places you never expect!
Peace! Love! Back soon…
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Going to Africa!
This is my first ever blog posting, so, I welcome ALL comments, thoughts, and ideas on how to make it easier for you to read.
--------
Just a "simple boy from Iowa", saying to myself, and out loud now over and over that I am going to Africa just sounds, well, crazy (in a great way!). About six weeks ago my partner David and I decided to make the trip.
WHY ARE WE GOING?
We have two dear friends, Scott and David, who are spending a year (Nov '08-Nov '09) volunteering in Swaziland, specifically in and around the town of Siteki. For the entire time of their trip, we have been talking via Skype, emailing, and in nearly every communication they have asked us to come visit. Finally some sense kicked into us. When will we ever have the opportunity to visit Africa, and not just be tourists, but actually get to spend time with friends who have been living there for nearly a year, and on top of that, get to see and feel the "real Africa"?
SCOTT AND DAVID IN SWAZILAND
Scott is a nurse who spends nearly every day traveling out into the bush country with a few others providing medical supplies, food, and most importantly HIV/AIDS drugs. You can read Scott's blog here as we have done and learn about the real and absolutely heart wrenching effects HIV/AIDS has had in the country.
Swaziland has the world’s highest adult HIV prevalence rate of 26.1%. Average life expectancy has dropped from 57 to just 31 years of age. There are 56,000 orphaned children and 10,000 adults and children died from AIDS in 2007 alone.
David is an experienced PR and Marketing administrator with the venerable Russell Sage Foundation in New York City. As the the principal American Foundation devoted exclusively to research in the social sciences, David has capitalized on his 15 years experience and has been spending his time working with the local Good Shepherd hospital, local groups, and individuals in any way he can including grant writing, providing administration functions, and being a beacon of hope for many.
You can read David's blog here and learn not only about the real devastation HIV/AIDS has wreaked on this small country's institutions but also about the small glimpses of hope and care they have been able to provide during their trip.
During our time with Scott and David, David and I plan to make numerous day trips into the bush country to meet the many(!) families, orphans, and others they have come to share on their blog postings. Reading blog postings and then seeing it for ourselves will be a very different experience, and one that I have no idea how we'll respond or react. But, we look forward to witnessing what is real and know it will help to shape and inform everything from that moment on, for the rest of our lives.
TRAVEL PREPARATIONS
Once we made the decision to go, three weeks 10/17-11/7, we had to sort out all kinds of things including air, accommodations, vaccinations, and what else we might do.
To get there, we fly from San Francisco to Washington DC (5 1/2 hours), layover for a few hours, get on a South African Airways plane that flies 8 1/2 hours to Dakar, Senegal, refuels, and then flies another 8 1/2 hours to Johannesburg, South Africa. We'll spend the night at the airport, and then grab a short 'hop' to Manzini, the only airport in Swaziland, where Scott and David will pick us up and drive back to Siteki (about 45 minutes). Without the overnight, total travel time is about 28 hours. Oh my....
Once there, we are staying for two weeks on the same property as Scott and David, the Mabuda Farms. Owned by Swazilands' ONLY, yes, only eye doctor, the doctor and his wife both run a working farm and have built some B&B type structures. We have a friend who has been and she says it is quite comfortable.
We're planning a short 2 day trip with Scott and David to the Kruger National Park in South Africa where we are promised seeing "every animal on the planet that has four legs". :-)
After two weeks we'll going to fly to Cape Town, South Africa and spend five days being "real" tourists. Scott and David will be preparing to leave Swaziland and head back to the United States, so it will be a good time for us to leave them. In Cape Town, we are learning there is much to see and do, so, we're very excited about that.
We got our shots last week at the San Francisco Immunization and Adult Travel Clinic , ugh. Polio booster, Typhoid (REALLY?!), and Tetnus. We've got our Malaria pills ready to go, and that's about it.
I'll write more before, during, and after our trip, but suffice it to say, we are thrilled and honestly, keep pinching ourselves.
Thanks for following...
--------
Just a "simple boy from Iowa", saying to myself, and out loud now over and over that I am going to Africa just sounds, well, crazy (in a great way!). About six weeks ago my partner David and I decided to make the trip.
WHY ARE WE GOING?
We have two dear friends, Scott and David, who are spending a year (Nov '08-Nov '09) volunteering in Swaziland, specifically in and around the town of Siteki. For the entire time of their trip, we have been talking via Skype, emailing, and in nearly every communication they have asked us to come visit. Finally some sense kicked into us. When will we ever have the opportunity to visit Africa, and not just be tourists, but actually get to spend time with friends who have been living there for nearly a year, and on top of that, get to see and feel the "real Africa"?
SCOTT AND DAVID IN SWAZILAND
Scott is a nurse who spends nearly every day traveling out into the bush country with a few others providing medical supplies, food, and most importantly HIV/AIDS drugs. You can read Scott's blog here as we have done and learn about the real and absolutely heart wrenching effects HIV/AIDS has had in the country.
Swaziland has the world’s highest adult HIV prevalence rate of 26.1%. Average life expectancy has dropped from 57 to just 31 years of age. There are 56,000 orphaned children and 10,000 adults and children died from AIDS in 2007 alone.
David is an experienced PR and Marketing administrator with the venerable Russell Sage Foundation in New York City. As the the principal American Foundation devoted exclusively to research in the social sciences, David has capitalized on his 15 years experience and has been spending his time working with the local Good Shepherd hospital, local groups, and individuals in any way he can including grant writing, providing administration functions, and being a beacon of hope for many.
You can read David's blog here and learn not only about the real devastation HIV/AIDS has wreaked on this small country's institutions but also about the small glimpses of hope and care they have been able to provide during their trip.
During our time with Scott and David, David and I plan to make numerous day trips into the bush country to meet the many(!) families, orphans, and others they have come to share on their blog postings. Reading blog postings and then seeing it for ourselves will be a very different experience, and one that I have no idea how we'll respond or react. But, we look forward to witnessing what is real and know it will help to shape and inform everything from that moment on, for the rest of our lives.
TRAVEL PREPARATIONS
Once we made the decision to go, three weeks 10/17-11/7, we had to sort out all kinds of things including air, accommodations, vaccinations, and what else we might do.
To get there, we fly from San Francisco to Washington DC (5 1/2 hours), layover for a few hours, get on a South African Airways plane that flies 8 1/2 hours to Dakar, Senegal, refuels, and then flies another 8 1/2 hours to Johannesburg, South Africa. We'll spend the night at the airport, and then grab a short 'hop' to Manzini, the only airport in Swaziland, where Scott and David will pick us up and drive back to Siteki (about 45 minutes). Without the overnight, total travel time is about 28 hours. Oh my....
Once there, we are staying for two weeks on the same property as Scott and David, the Mabuda Farms. Owned by Swazilands' ONLY, yes, only eye doctor, the doctor and his wife both run a working farm and have built some B&B type structures. We have a friend who has been and she says it is quite comfortable.
We're planning a short 2 day trip with Scott and David to the Kruger National Park in South Africa where we are promised seeing "every animal on the planet that has four legs". :-)
After two weeks we'll going to fly to Cape Town, South Africa and spend five days being "real" tourists. Scott and David will be preparing to leave Swaziland and head back to the United States, so it will be a good time for us to leave them. In Cape Town, we are learning there is much to see and do, so, we're very excited about that.
We got our shots last week at the San Francisco Immunization and Adult Travel Clinic , ugh. Polio booster, Typhoid (REALLY?!), and Tetnus. We've got our Malaria pills ready to go, and that's about it.
I'll write more before, during, and after our trip, but suffice it to say, we are thrilled and honestly, keep pinching ourselves.
Thanks for following...
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