...traveled to Ntjanini.

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller

On Saturday Sean and I boarded a bus to Ntjanini in 105 degree weather. We got on the bus an hour before it left (at noon) because it is the only bus from Manzini for the entire day, and fills up fast - unlike our buses to our site that run about every 30 minutes from 6am to 6pm and we can hop on anytime. We left at 1:00pm and went about an hour on tarred road before spending the next 2.5 hours on a dirt road. Again, unlike our site, just 1.5 hours on an all tarred road. It was a hot day and all transport is always hot so it was a balancing game of drinking enough water to stay hydrated but not enough to have to pee on such a long ride.

We arrived to Ntjanini around 4:30pm. Ntjanini is rural, about 1 hours from a big town (Nhlangano) and it is very mountainous. Unlike where we live, close to a town and very flat. We have no fruit trees and our maize is stunted from the drought. Ntjanini has a plethora of fruit trees yet the ground and maize is completely scorched by the sun. Both areas are full of children, have a clinic, primary and high school. People speak more siSwati in Ntjanini. 

We walked about 2 kilometers down and up a hill to the Simelane homestead. The walk from our station at home is approximately 50 meters. The homestead is run by Gogo Nhlabhatsi who is 89 years of age. She was one of two wives to Babe Simelane before he passed away. Gogo speaks no English. She has a helper who lives on the property with two small children. She speaks almost no English. Also, Gogo houses 5 students who her oldest son (age 70) pays school fees for, because he believes in education. They speak okay English. Unlike our home where there are no small children, a monogamous couple and excellent English speakers. 

Ntjanini and the homestead of Gogo Nhlabhatsi is the home of anther Peace Corps volunteer and close friend. We have spent the last 8 months with her, sharing in holiday celebrations, out of country trips, and the chaos of the country we chose to be our home for the next 2 years. But this was the first time to see her home. It was the first time to experience her lifestyle and see the people and the town she loves. We met her family for the first time, visited her community store, talked with the French teacher at her high school, and laughed with her neighbors. 

Leaving today, in the rain, as we walked down to the station it was clear that a short visit changed things. We can picture her life when she talks from now on. We can ask more in depth questions and she can explain things easier now that we have seen what she sees. Her life is similar to ours but so very different. 

So on our long bus ride back to site today, and thinking about all of this, it makes the excitement and anticipation of our families coming to visit even more appealing. Our world, our life, which is so extremely normal to us now, can be experienced together with the people we love and miss the most. We can't wait to share in this experience face to face, knowing that when the visit is over a richer experience together begins.

...needs more porch sittin'.

"Sometimes, we are so attached to our way of life that we turn down a wonderful opportunity simply because we don't know what to do with it." - Paul Coelho

Question: What are you giving up for Lent? 

Grace and I have done a lot of thinking on the subject this morning and we’ve had a few realizations we’d like to share. For instance, we have successfully given up fast food (Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, etc.) for 231+ days now! Don't get me wrong, there's been mornings when we’d love a grande venti whatchamacallit latte (it's too hot here lets go with frappachino), but we don't miss waiting in long lines of people both patient and impatient to get it. There’s a lot of other things as well that although we desire them on occasion, we’ve realized we get along just fine without (231+ days and counting). Some of that list includes the common things we would normally try to give up for Lent, thinking we were sacrificing something that would make life difficult and thereby honor God and remember the trials of Jesus in the wilderness. The list includes TV (Netflix, News, Sports), sweet tea, milkshakes, and social media sites (really just Pinterest here because it eats up all our data). As we’ve sat and talked through what we’d like to sacrifice for Lent, we’ve realized that all the things we’ve been tempted by in the past are gradually fading away. Sure we’d love a milkshake every now and again and missing the Super Bowl and upcoming NCAA basketball tournaments is a bit of a bummer, but we relish the time that the absence of what we don't really need gives us. The walks through our community, stopping to talk to school children, laughing with our family out on the veranda, relaxing in the hammock, the early morning sun peeking through the trees while working in the garden, but beginning to identify what we can and can't sacrifice isn't all we’ve realized. We’ve begun to see some of the things that we take for granted that millions of people all over the world and here in Swaziland live without everyday. The most notable among them…machines. Specifically, washing and dishwashing machines. Much of our time on weekends that has been freed up by the absence of football on TV or a milkshake run has been replaced by laundry. If you really want to challenge yourself for Lent consider giving up your washer and dryer! All in all, we've begun to really appreciate/admire the resilience of the everyday living and I think we’re beginning to understand the difference between what is a temptation and what is a necessity.

For those of you who are wondering our Lent plans, we’ve resolved to add some things to life here because we’re not quite sure what to give up. At the top of the list is to drink more water. A necessity we don't consume enough of. Also, we’re going to try to wake up earlier and join the Swazis who start their days early to avoid the heat, and we’re also going to limit talking to things that don't talk back. I don't how to explain about the last one…it happens. Finally, we’re going to spend more time out on our porch, enjoying the time we’ve been given to appreciate God’s grand creations and enjoying some of the simpler things in life, like a cool breeze. 

Happy Ash Wednesday.

...sends an update.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's time for a Swaziland, KaLanga, and KaDlamini update! There's been a lot happening in January as schools begin opening nationwide, so we thought it appropriate to give everyone a little update on Swaziland, our community, and our homestead.

As mentioned, January brought with it a new school year! On January 26th, schools all over the country opened for 1st term, and what a hectic opening week it has been. Many of you know that Swaziland is in the middle of one of its worst droughts in history (it's rained twice in January for a combined half hour in KaLanga, and keep in mind it's the rainy season) and it has wreaked havoc on the education system. Schools in Mbabane that normally rely on actual plumbing had to turn students away because the Hwane dam that supplies water to Swaziland’s biggest city is hovering at around 5% capacity, and to think I thought Boone Lake looked pathetic before we left…eish! In order to help schools with dry pipes, the government has been distributing 5,000-10,000 liter jojo tanks but with no plan for implementation many of them still sit empty or are not plumbed into the buildings that need water. Many schools began frantically digging out latrines for students in the absence of their usual toilets. Now in the rural communities such as ours, pit latrines and jojo tanks are commonplace so the drought has a smaller impact on the school as a whole, however for reasons not quite known (but widely speculated) the government has been unable to fund the “Zondle” program yet this year. The Zondle program provides all students with one meal during school usually rice/maize meal and beans. Now, with no food, our students simply leave every day to go home when they would normally get a small meal. The government is also struggling to keep pace with their programs that support OVCs and their education because the previous number of 78,000 OVCs has doubled to over 150,000 this year. Also, this is the first year the the Free Primary Education program catches up with the secondary schools. The FPE program, funded by the EU, resulted in an increase of students in primary school, a great thing! Yet, even with several years of awareness that these students would eventually move on to secondary school, the influx of Form 1 students this year has found many schools to be unprepared. Even our own high school went from two Form 1s to five, and they are still working on the class room that will house the additional 150 odd students. Despite all the hiccups and general chaos, PCVs country-wide are rejoicing because with the opening of schools the entire country, which has laid dormant it seems the last two months, comes to life again and projects are getting underway finally! Also, the drought, despite its historic proportions, has failed to warrant the declaration of a national disaster, although our community finally made the list of hardest hit areas, so hopefully some aid is on the way for community members.

Speaking of the community, not a whole lot has been happening lately. Our church that meets at the local high school is busy building a new building to meet in which is exciting! This past Friday a team of doctors set up shop at our primary school and stayed busy all day treating community members with various ailments and just giving check ups, which was a great event to witness. The new Inkhundla is built but we’re all waiting on the King’s schedule to open up so he can come officially open it. The Inkhundla houses the “modern” government’s community leaders aka the Member of Parliament, the Bucopho (translates to” brain” so you get the picture) etc., whilst the Umphakatsi houses the “traditional” government’s community leaders aka the Chief, Indvuna (head man), umgijimi (Chief’s runner) etc. The Umphakatsi leaders and Inkhundla leaders work together but the Umphakatsi usually has more power and controls the people while the Inkhundla has more money and controls development. Such is what I understand, and they both play a significant yet separate role in keeping the Prime Minister and King informed. Also, it is Marula season here! There are marula fruit trees all over Swaziland and round about this time of year the fruit ripens, is harvested, and subsequently turned into Marula, a local brew resembling a fruity mead. 

That brings us to news of the homestead as Babe has done his best to keep me informed of national and local happenings while sharing a mug of Marula a couple of nights this week. On the homestead, January was Make and our older Sisi’s birthday month, so Grace baked a cake and bought another to share with our family. After spending a bit of a stressful week in early January with no water except our 100 liter reserve, the jojo is full again (or rather half-full now)! 

Also, my phone has officially survived the long drop. For those of you who are bewildered the long drop means the “long drop toilet” (aka the outhouse or pit latrine among others). Here in Swaziland we enjoy many things but access to the world via the interwebs or the ever elusive 3G network (what's 4G again?) is not one of them. There are certain places on our homestead that one can find a strong enough to use Whatsapp or Opera Mini but chief and greatest among them is what I like to call the office. Yes, you guessed it, it's the long drop. Now before I go on and I get judged by all our readers for playing with fire, I bet there's a good portion of you who take your phone (or a hardcopy magazine if you have such luxuries, my phone houses all my digital books and magazines) to your own office in the states. So, I did nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, I took my phone with me to a place that is the only location on the homestead that has a reliable connection with Swaziland’s 3G network. All of America just about has an equivalent connection as my office so what’s your reasoning? Anyways, after checking my email and ensuring the blizzard hadn't buried our families according to CBSNews, I put my phone down. And then it fell down. A long drop down. Now, let me break down the anatomy of a Swazi long drop toilet. It is essentially your quintessential American outhouse. Big pit, concrete slab floor, block seat, hole in block seat and slab, block walls, and tin roof. Due to the continuance and daily use of Swazi long drops, each one also comes standard with a vent hole through the slab floor, adjacent the block seat. Now, you may find long drops with a metal duct pipe connecting this hole to a hole in the tin roof complete with a whirlybird type passive vent. Or you may not. As is the case with many rural long drops such as ours, the vent just vents into the occupied space. To continue though, my phone took a hop like a ground-rule double and performed a swan dive with such elegance (it wouldn't fit any other way) down the vent hole that I score it even now as a perfect 10. In shock and slight amazement I came to Grace to explain my stupidity and my phones current predicament. Grace handled my explanation quite well, understanding all along that such an event was an eventuality given my habits, and armed me with duct tape, a large metal spoon, two crocheting needles, a flashlight and an epic plan for retrieving my phone. I returned to the long drop tools in hand (or rather in pocket, I preferred a slight level of discretion) and set about looking for my phone. Much to my relief, my phone also executed a perfect landing, just to the side of the mountain of excrement on a plain patch of dirt. I muttered a small prayer of thanks remembering that our long drop was recently built before our arrival and so the mountain had not yet collapsed to the valley floor. It was a ways down there though and it looked up at me reflecting my face off the screen and saying, “you idiot, get me out of here”, and so I begin to duct tape my tools together forming a makeshift pole which I attached a loop of duct tape to sticky side out. From there I carefully lowered my pole through the vent and stuck the duct tape to the screen of my phone. Then pulling upward very very carefully (another drop and my phone might decide it'd rather stay on the mountain than in the valley) I was able to maneuver my prize back through the vent once again. I returned victorious to the house and proceeded to use all of the remaining Clorox wipes, thank the good creators of the OtterBox, and thank my wonderfully resourceful wife for a great plan. With that, you are all officially updated as to the going-ons of Swaziland!

Across the world we want to send a happy birthday to Sam McCord and another one to JL Collins, the big 28 and even bigger 83!  We love you both!

...dlalisanani (plays as a team).

"Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals." - James Naismith 

Today marks a major milestone in our Peace Corps journey! We have successfully completed our first project in Swaziland! Yes, thank you, we can hear the thunderous applause clear across the Atlantic! Yesterday marked the end of our SKILLZ Basketball program at SOS Siteki. We had 91 total participants across the two weeks in December and January and of the 91, 33 attended the required 8 or more practices to successfully complete the program with 14 kids earning perfect attendance! We had a little “graduation” ceremony yesterday in the social center for all the different groups of kids and it was a very proud (and a little tiring) experience. Grace has been taking pictures since the start and worked up an excellent PowerPoint slideshow of pictures and videos for all the kids to watch. They were all so happy to see themselves dribbling, passing, and shooting, I wish we could've videoed their reactions! Our favorite 3yr old (I can say that because he's the only 3yr old we know here) and youngest participant was dancing in his seat throughout the entire twenty minute show! After the video we passed out certificates, a candy bar, and a new pencil to all the kids who completed the program, those who had perfect attendance also got a wallet made out of old juice boxes. It was so much fun for us to hand everything out and see all the proud smiles and I think we finally got that sense of accomplishment, and this was before we even knew the real success of the program! 

Grace has spent most of the morning compiling our report in our Peace Corps Volunteer Reporting Form (VRF), and below are some of the highlights:

• At the end of the program, 94% of participants knew that having an older partner increases the risk of getting HIV vs. 33% at the start.

• At the end of the program, 94% of participants knew that alcohol impairs/clouds judgement and can cause poor decision making vs. 42%  at the start.

• At the end of the program, 100% of participants knew that HIV affects all type of people, not just black people vs. 86% at the start.

• At the end of the program, 97% of participants knew that if a partner is unfaithful the risk for HIV increases vs. 35% at the start.

• At the end of the program, 89% of participants knew that an HIV-positive mother can give birth to an HIV-negative baby vs. 62% at the start.

• At the end of the program, 94% of participants knew that men do not have a right to be violent towards women vs. 57% at the start.

• At the end of the program, 77% of participants said they feel like they can ask an adult questions about sex.

• At the end of the program, 95% of participants said they feel like they can ask an adult questions about HIV.

• At the end of the program, 82% of participants said they would feel comfortable being tested for HIV.

All in all it has been a great first project! It's been a great opportunity for us to learn all the kids names and just get to talk with them. Some of the older kids who didn't  talk much at all in the beginning opened up a lot by the end, and we even had kids catch us on the way home to apologize for being late or missing a practice because they had chores still to do. All of the kids had a blast learning different parts of the game of basketball too, and it was always refreshing to see the kids who took to it naturally helping out their friends who were struggling. The humility of some of these kids is astonishing, but they all beam with pride when we break out the Morristown East jerseys and suit up for 4 on 4 or 5 on 5. It's been a blast both weeks and although we came home dead on our feet most days, we’re encouraged by the impact we’ve made and our ready to start up another project! (Oh and we got some pretty epic farmer's tans out of the deal too!)