Marnie's Swaziland Experiences

In honor of World AIDS day...

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:17:37 GMT

This is an e-mail I recieved from a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer.
(I apologize for those of you who have both of my journals on your friends page)

Zandi's story:
Happy World’s AIDS Day, 2007!

My name is Amber Kelley and I am an Academic Counselor in the International Division for Team Asia. Before joinging UOP in March of 2005, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, serving the cause of HIV prevention and impact mitigation in the Kingdom of Swaziland, a Sub Saharan country of Africa. I served in the rural village of Dinabanye for 27 months. Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world, with 46% of the adult population testing positive and 20% of the children, mainly orphans, testing positive. In Arica, a child dies every minute from AIDS. Despite these overwhelming numbers, there are great stories of hope surfacing in Swaziland. One such story is that of Zandile Nxumalo, now fifteen years old. In honor of World AIDS Day, 2007, I would like to tell you Zandi’s story in hopes that in exchange for a Jean’s Day, you will support her in her body’s fight against HIV.

I was introduced to Zandile on my frist day, December 1, 2003, in my new village. She was an orphan who had come to live with extended family after the death of her parents. I had also been taken in by this same family, thus by the tradition of Swazi culture, we were “sisters.” At that time Zandi was 11 years old, but was the size of my 6 year olds in my village. Her body was covered in sores, and I had also learned that since the death of her parents, two years earlier, she had not spoken. Despite her illness and silence, Zandi still ranked number 1 in her fifth grade classroom.

It was clear that Zandi had AIDS and that her time was short. There were nurmerous obstacles to overcome just to have Zandi tested for HIV, but eventually, she was tested, and became the first child in the country to be treated with Anti Retro Viral (ARV) medications, or the AIDS Cocktail, that would save her life. Zandi responded so well to the medications that rules against child testing were overturn, the few doctors in the country became comfortable treating children for HIV, and the first ever Pediatric ARV program was begun! Zandi’s inspiration has saved hundreds of child’s lives!

Zandi was growing tall, gaining weight, her sores were melting away, and she took up the habit of singing songs of her own making almost all day long, to the consternation of her teachers. Zandi was speaking again! One of her first sentences was, “I have AIDS.” She began telling everyone, “I have AIDS, but I am coming ok because I take the medicine.” In a country where the stigma against HIV+ people ran high, I worried about our community’s reaction to her constant declarations. The response was overwhelming. Every mother and grandmother was asking how to have the children in their care tested for HIV. All of the teachers at Zandi’s school asked for training on how to help familes learn about testing and medication. The first ever HIV support group for kids was founded in our little dusty village! Again, so many children have life today because of Zandi’s courage.

Zandi was still suffering however because the Great Aunt who had charge of her was senile and abusive. The doctors informed me that Zandi would not survive the virus if she were not removed from this dangerous and stressful environment. That is when the Italian Sisters at Our Lady of Sorrows School decided to help. They agreed to take Zandile in as a boarding student. Our Lady is the best school in the country! Nelson Madela even sent his daughters to this school during apartied. Only affluent young women lived at this school so Zandi was in for quite a culture shock. This was the first time that Zandi slept in a real bed, had running water and owned a new pair of shoes.
Zandi finished her first year, Grade 6, at Our Lady in the top 25% of her class. Zandi was very disappointed in her final scores. However, having suffered from a prolonged illness at the end of that year, I thought her standing in the top 25 was a terrific achievement. What’s more, Zandi began to talk more and more with those around her putting two years of silence behind her. When she found that her peers found her funny, she abandon her role of “Class Brain” for that of “Class Clown.” She burst with personality. It was so wonderful to witness Zandi socializing and feeling comfortable with herself, that the Sisters and I decided there was no need to remind her, just yet, that her grades could be better.
During Grade 6, Zandi turned 13 years old. That year Zandi gained 7 kilos (about 15 pounds), a sign that the ARV drugs and her new environment were forcing her HIV viral load down, and her immune system up. We celebrated with lots of chocolate cake! Every time Zandi reached a new weight goal we celebrated with rich treats like cakes and cookies, as the rarity of such things in a village child’s life really allowed her to know there was great cause for celebration. Also, Zandi’s CD4s, the white blood cells in the body, often referred to as the soldier cells of the immune system, went from 90 to 193. We certainly had a great deal to cheer about in 2005!
A CD4 count of less than 200, according to the World Health Organization, is considered Stage IV AIDS, or End Stage AIDS. Once a person is placed in the Stage IV category, they are never removed, even if they show a tremendous increase in CD4s, as it is always very important for medical practitioners to know the full road the client’s body has traveled. A CD4 count of less than 200 also means that a person is still at high risk for contracting other infections such as TB or pneumonia. Zandi was not quite out of the woods in 2005, but she was vastly closer.
In 2006 Zandi began Grade 7. I was not in Swaziland to witness all of her daily accomplishments this time. My Peace Corps service ended in November 2005, so I had returned to my family in the United States. The Sisters informed me that the stress from my absence did cause Zandi to suffer a short illness, but that their constant assurances and hugs, along with my more than frequent phone calls, quickly restored her sense of security, and health. I too felt heartbreak at our parting, but my phone calls with Zandi, coupled with the wonderful reports on her happiness and health made our transition easier.
2006 and Grade 7 were full of milestones and triumphss for Zandi. At the end of Grade 7, Zandi turned 14 years old. She also finished Grade 7, as one of the top 10 in her class! It has been good for her to learn that she is in one of the better schools in the Nation now and that to keep her place at the top of her class she must work very hard. Due to minimal resources, higher education in Swaziland is only given to the best of the best. Zandi now has her sights set on a college scholarship and I am sure that with focus and prayer she will accomplish her goal.
During this past year Zandi also decided that Math and Science were her favorite subjects and she also enjoyed choreographing the dance and song presentations for parent weekends and visitor assemblies. She will also sing a solo for anyone whose listening. During 2006, Z went from 32 kilos to 47 kilos, a gain of 33 pounds! I have also heard that Zandi has grown quite tall and is now matching her classmates in size.
Even better news came in December of 2006. A friend working as a nurse at the clinic where Zandi receives her monthly ARV medicines informed me that Zandi’s new CD4 count was 564! When Zandi began taking the drugs in 2004 her CD4 count was only 90. This increase is much higher than most any children in Swaziland, and the nurses believe this is due to her stable, loving and healthy environment. Zandi now has a CD4 count of a perfectly healthy individual, meaning that the HIV viral load in Z’s blood stream has been drastically reduced. Zandi has not suffered a single HIV related illness in nearly TWO yearS!
Zandi is a favorite of the nurses at the clinic, as she was their first ever child client. Seeing Zandi’s amazing progress has also given the nurses inspiration to continue their grueling struggle against HIV in their country, villages and homes. Zandi has been a precious gift to so many.
Zandi is also the first HIV+ child to live on the campus of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Italian Sisters, through caring for Zandi daily, have learned a great deal about HIV and all of the ways that it can be defeated. Confidence in their ability to help children fight the virus has skyrocketed and they have now begun their own HIV support group for children living in the region. Father Dlamini and the Sisters fill the back of their pickup truck with children and their families weekly and carry them to the clinic where they can receive treatment and medications. The inspiration of Zandi’s life is now helping save the lives of many children.

ON September 7, 2007 Zandile turned 15 years old! She was also able to take her first school sponsored field trip to Cape Town South Africa, where she learned about the history of apartheid. At this time, she is also in the top five of her class! On January 4 of 2008 she will begin Form II, which is Grade 9.

Up until this time, I have been able to support Zandi’s financial needs on my own, but this year my situation has changed and I am worried about by ability to meet all of Zandi’s financial needs. This year Zandi will need $3,600. This covers the cost of her tution, boarding, books, exams, field trips, uniforms, clothing, toiletries, her special diet needs, her ARV medications and her monthly visits to the doctor. It is my hope that in honor of World AIDS Day, 2007, some of my friends here at UOP would be willing to donate five dollors toward the Zandi Education fund in exchange for a jeans day. Zandi and I thank you for your support!

When we set out on this journey together, our hope was to support one child, and to help one child have a fighting chance at life. We gave Zandi the resources she needed and she did the rest. Our efforts did help one child win her fight to thrive, but reality exceeded our hopes. Zandi’s life has inspired hundreds who are now involved in the fight against HIV. The tiny speechless child from a unknown village, attending a humble school is a beacon to us all … and she will guide so many more with God’s continued blessing on her life.
Please keep Zandi in your prayers so that she may continue to live a bright and happy life, and please continue to pray for the Sisters, the nurses and all those in Swaziland involved in the fight against HIV. God bless you and know that your efforts and your prayers are appreciated.

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:36:28 GMT

From PCV Alyson's journal:
the world fact book- life expectancy
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
Swaziland has recently achieved a new distinction- the lowest life expectancy in the world, now 32.62 years of age.

Also:
Gap now has a line of clothing that helps raise money to "eliminate" AIDS in Africa. That's an unrealistic goal, but I like their optimism.
Check it out~
www.gap.com/red

Half of the money from the clothing goes to the Global Fund. I believe they are made in a factory in Lesotho...a sweatshop it may be, but they have created jobs where there are none...I just hope they are getting a fair wage making those $150 jeans.

Added by Holly:
"During the week of September 11, 2006, $4 million of (RED) money flowed to Swaziland. Derek von Wissell, director of National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS, described where the money will go: "First, a large portion of the money will be directed to orphans - feeding them, keeping them in school, protecting them and offering them a future. Second, some of the money will help support the treatment of people on anti-retroviral therapy. (RED) is saving lives. (RED) is helping orphans survive and giving them a better future. (RED) will make a difference."

--this is lifted from the (RED) site: http://joinred.com/globalfund.asp

Fond Memories?

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 05:13:16 GMT

I found this poem on a advertisement for a hostel in Swaziland while I was traveling in Maputo. I took a picture of it and I've added it to my Power Point slide show. I will type it out on the handout with websites on ways to help Swaziland.
It's not perfect, and I doubt that it's written by a native siSwati speaker, but I like it and I thought I would share.

"Has it been written, as lines on your hands, that life would lead you to Swaziland.
All the mysterious things on this path created dwinely to lighten your heart.
"Sawubona", "I see you" the Swazis will say acknowledging your "being" in a timeless way. Your spirit has slipped into Swazi time.
Now you smile at things you find...a traveler's place...
A house of mirrors where people just like you linger...
they tell secrets of lines on their hands...and how life lead them to Swaziland."

Long time no call...

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 05:35:06 GMT

I finally re-charged my phone card and called my Swazi family tonight.
Sometimes I put it off because I'm afraid of what they might tell me. Tonight they told me that MaSwazi passed away. This was a man who approached me and my Make to talk about how he was HIV+ and he wanted me to talk to his wife. She's better off without him because he wouldn't allow her to take the medications.
Babe also told me that Zanele is "mentally disturbed". He says that she started having affairs with men right before my departure and it's caused problems all these months and they can no longer trust her. She's living in her grandmother's homestead...and I thought she moved there to care for Maria's children...but he tells me she's only staying there because she has no where else to go. I don't know what to believe, but I think my Babe would tell me what he knows.

It sounds like the Young Heroes orphan project has been going well in my community so far. My Make says that NERCHA is keeping her busy because she is the community contact. One of the family members has spent the money from Young Heroes and Make turned her in and they are asking her to give the money back for the children. Now they have to designate a new family member who can be trusted better. This corruption is common. Drastic times call for drastic measures and I have a hard time blaming anyone in their situation...although it's not fair that the money raised for the orphans didn't get to them.
The youngest member of the largest orphan headed household (Melusi's) has also passed away. She was born with HIV...and lived to be 4.

Today after Umphakatsi my Swazi parents are taking someone to the Dr. because she is critically ill. She started taking the ARVs and then didn't know when to go back for more (because she's illiterate and couldn't read the paperwork they gave her)...so she's been without for many days and she's very ill because of it. Stopping the medications kills people. I think the Dr's see so many cases every single day that they just assume everyone knows the drill and they don't take the time to make it clear to each patient.

They are upset that my village didn't get another volunteer, but they told me that Meredith is living with a new volunteer who will replace her. I guess the water project that Meredith spent so much time on and raised the money for still hasn't started...but my village has electricity~ go figure. How practical.
I'm glad I didn't waste much time on either one of those projects.

wrote May 11, 2006

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 20:12:04 GMT

This is a letter I wrote for the PC staff in Swaziland...

Home:
When I came home I moved in with my 79 year old grandpa who has been struggling since my grandma passed away 3 years ago. He needed someone around to remind him of things and help him with housework and just check on him once in a while. He has a lot of dementia issues and one of his biggest signs is that he hoards food and garbage like you wouldn't believe! It was so disturbing to me after living in poverty to see him waste so much food and money on a daily basis and I couldn't do anything to stop it. In December my 40 year old uncle broke up with his girlfriend and also moved in with us. I hadn't planned on living with 2 men so the house got crowded quickly. I also quickly noticed just how depressed, lonely and bored my grandpa is and how I couldn't really help him with much of that since he refuses to spend time at the senior center or consider moving into a retirement apartment to spend time with people his age. I stayed living with grandpa until a couple weeks ago when I finally got my own place. I still stop by a couple times a week and I do laundry at his house. Since my uncle is living there now I felt ok about moving on because Grandpa isn't alone.
I now have my own studio apartment with a flush toilet, hot running water and a refrigerator! This is the first time I've ever been able to afford to live alone and it's so nice! It's a bit lonely sometimes, but I'm not far from my family so I spend time with them when I feel lonely these days.

Love life:
Many of you know that I had a boyfriend back home during my service. We weren't together very long before I left for Swaziland and 14 months apart created a lot of unrealistic expectations about how our lives would mix when I came home. Due to the high expectations about our future together our relationship was instantly disappointing when I got home, but it lasted 3 more months and ended right before Valentine's Day. I think both of us are still a bit upset and confused about the whole situation so we aren't talking right now. It's important for me to remove myself from him in order to move on and create a life for myself here.

Work:
Also in February I got a job with Goodwill Industries! For those of you who aren't familiar with Goodwill it is a business that takes in donated used clothing and household items and sells them in a retail store and then uses the money to help people with disabilities, at risk youth and ex offenders succeed after getting out of jail. I am the Employment Specialist for the Workforce Development and Social Services program. Since I am the only person in this program in my area I am also the program manager. Our headquarters is in Spokane, WA and I have to travel there for trainings and meetings sometimes. It's a 3 hour drive from where I'm living and I am traveling there twice this month. I work mostly with people with disabilities right now, but in the future I may work with ex offenders and at risk youth (at risk of being involved with drugs or gangs or going to jail for irresponsible activities).
We have assessment tests for people with disabilities to find out what they are good at which eventually helps them either find employment or some sort of activity that makes their lives more worthwhile. We may also give them training in the retail store so they can learn job skills. At some point I will also have clients that I will help find employment in the community. I sometimes feel like I'm still in the Peace Corps with this job because it's a new program and I'm on my own...but I have a lot more resources to tap into...and honestly I miss being involved with health care. I attend a lot of workshops, but they are about things like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Mental Health issues and Substance Abuse. I am currently helping with a Community Resource Meeting with the Department of Social and Health Services. It's too bad this kind of meeting can't happen in Swaziland! Imagine a meeting with all the NGOs and GOs (like Nercha) discussing what they do and how they can work together!

I moved back to an area that I grew up in, but I haven't really lived here since I was 16 so it's been difficult to connect with people again. Since I'm not in school and my co-workers are all much older than I, I never spend any time with people my age which has been a huge change in my life. I need to work on meeting new people in this area. I live close to my mom, step-father, younger brother and sister, grandpa and some other extended family which is nice.
I do try to keep in touch with my Swazi family and my friend Zanele. My Swazi Make is having a baby any day now and I'm so sad that I'm going to miss it. I really hope it's a girl so they can name it Ncedile after me!

Well, that's my long winded update. I hear that Lindiwe is leaving the office for a job at NERCHA. I wish her the best of luck!
I'd love to hear from office staff and I hope everyone is doing well. When I write to my fellow PCVs I always remind them to feel free to tell me the good, the bad and the ugly~
I send my thoughts even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes...Swaziland is always on my mind.
Take care~Marnie

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 20:27:07 GMT

Just in case anyone is interested I finally have all of my Swaziland pictures online...
http://photos.yahoo.com/swazipcv

The newest albums are from the last 4 months of my time there and they are labeled...
Sept-06
Nov-06
Maputo
Reed Dance
Zanele

I hope you enjoy them!

~Marnie

Finally! A year's worth of hard work...

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 20:06:09 GMT

http://youngheroes.org.sz
The families in my village are listed under Endlovini. The MAFU family of 4 children are related to Zanele.

Peace Corps Helps Create Sponsorship Program

Tiny Swaziland in Southern Africa has the world’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS. A generation of Swazi children is growing up without the basic necessities of life, because their parents are dying daily.

Now, you can help these orphans by supporting Young Heroes, a new program created by Swaziland’s National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA), with the help of the U.S. Peace Corps. Through Young Heroes, you can sponsor an orphan family with funds for food, clothing and education fees.

You’ll find complete information about the program at http://youngheroes.org.sz, and in the press release attached to this email.

We particularly hope that young people in schools, churches and other groups will be motivated to help their less fortunate peers by sponsoring an orphan family. But adults can be Young Heroes, too.

You Don’t Have to Be a Sponsor to Help

Even if you choose not to become a sponsor, you can help these orphans right now – with very little effort.

How? By helping us spread the word. We’re a new program in a poor country and we’re trying to make the most of a small budget.

So, we’d be very grateful if you’d take a moment to do three things for us:

1. Send the attached email to your local newspaper, radio station or TV station and urge them to tell your community about us.

2. Give this information to someone you know who has a group that would be willing to consider becoming a sponsor. If you’re in school, bring it to your class; your fraternity or sorority; your team; your club; your Scout troop; your church group. If you’re an adult, give it to a teacher; a church leader to put it into your church newsletter; your department at work; your golf foursome; your book club…

3. Forward this email on to your friends, and ask them to send it along to their friends.

The AIDS orphans of Swaziland are in desperate need of food, clothing …and hope. We’d be very grateful if you’d help give them that by helping Young Heroes in any way you can.

Thank you,
Steve Kallaugher
Project Supervisor/Young Heroes

Steve Kallaugher is a former executive at The Wall Street Journal. In 2004, he came to Swaziland as a Peace Corps volunteer to do HIV/AIDS work at a grass-roots level in a rural community. While there, NERCHA asked him to create a program to help find sponsors for orphan families. The result is Young Heroes. Mr. Kallaugher now works for NERCHA. You can contact him at skallaugher@nercha.org.sz.

Press Release:
CONTACT:

Steve Kallaugher

P: (011) 268 404 1703

E: skallaugher@nercha.org.sz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW PROGRAM TARGETS YOUTH, CHURCHES TO ASSIST AIDS ORPHANS

U.S. Peace Corps in Swaziland Helps Create “Young Heroes”

Mbabane, Swaziland, February 2, 2006 -- Swaziland’s National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA) today announced the inauguration of Young Heroes, a program through which Americans can sponsor orphan families with monthly donations for food and clothing.

The Internet-based program can be found at http://youngheroes.org.sz.

With 42.6% of adults (age 15-49) infected, Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV in the world. UNICEF estimates that some 70,000 children in the country’s population of one million have already lost at least one parent to the disease, and that nearly 15,000 now live in child-headed households. Orphans who have caretakers usually live with a grandparent or other elderly relatives who are often past of the age of being able to work.

Speaking in the capital city of Mbabane, NERCHA Director Dr. Derek von Wissell said, “Our greatest desire is to encourage young people with advantages to help their peers who have little or nothing. AIDS is creating a generation of orphans in Swaziland, and they are in desperate need of the most basic fundamentals of survival.

“We welcome everyone as sponsors, including adults. But our primary goal is to motivate youth as individuals and in groups such as classes, schools, church groups, Scout troops and sports teams to become involved in the fight against the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS. “

NERCHA Underwrites Cost of Program

All Swazi orphans under the age of 18 who have lost both parents are eligible to enroll in Young Heroes.

Enrolment and sponsorship are done on a family basis. Unlike similar programs, sponsors help support all the orphan children in a family, not just one individual. A crucial goal of Young Heroes is to keep families together on their homesteads and in their communities, where they have the most security and are surrounded by a familiar support system. In instances where there is more than one orphan, family sponsorship avoids the inequality of offering assistance to one child but not his or her siblings.

Importantly, NERCHA is underwriting virtually all operating costs of the Young Heroes program, so that donations go directly to the intended recipients. However, bank transaction fees, such as wiring and foreign exchange, are not paid for by NERCHA. Because of this, sponsors are asked to contribute an additional 95 cents (US$0.95) to cover these costs. No other donations whatsoever go to any administrative overhead.

Peace Corps Steps In to Help

At NERCHA’s request, two Peace Corps volunteers from the United States worked with the organization to create Young Heroes: Justin Garland of Littleton, CO and Steve Kallaugher of New York City and Northampton, MA. Having completed his two years of Peace Corps’ service, Mr. Garland has returned to his home in the United States. Mr. Kallaugher, a former executive with The Wall Street Journal, has joined NERCHA to become Young Heroes’ project supervisor.

To manage the growth of the program most effectively, at launch Young Heroes has enrolled some 125 families with 300 children in 11 communities. New families in need of sponsorship are being added constantly by the program’s two full-time employees, with the assistance of Peace Corps volunteers and their Swazi colleagues throughout the country. These volunteers identify orphan families in their communities, enrol them in the program and will assist in monitoring the families who receive donations.

How Young Heroes Works

Visitors to the Young Heroes Web site at http://youngheroes.org.sz will find full information, including photos of the orphan families seeking assistance.

Sponsors can choose a family or give where the need is greatest, in which case a family will be assigned to them. While one-time donations are gratefully welcomed, sponsors are requested to make a minimum commitment of one year so families can rely on a steady source of basic necessities.

Basic sponsorship costs $19.95 per month per child for food ($239.40 per year, including transaction fees) and $29.95 per month per child for food and clothing ($359.00 per year). Plans are in development to enable sponsors to also assist with school fees for the 2007 school year. In cases where there are many children left orphaned in one family – some families have as many as 10 – multiple sponsors will be sought.

Young Heroes Foundation has been established as a 501(c)(3) corporation in the United States, in order to ensure both transparency and compliance with U.S. law. Donations may be made to Young Heroes over the Internet via PayPal, or electronically or by mail to its bank account at Wachovia Bank in New Haven, CT. From there, funds are wired directly into the Young Heroes account at First National Bank in Mbabane, Swaziland. Once a month, all collected funds, together with distribution instructions, are wired to Swazi Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC). The post office creates a money order for each family that has received donations and sends it to the post office nearest the family. The family caretaker – usually an older relative, trusted neighbor or eldest child – presents a photo I.D. card and is given the full amount received. Signed receipts for the distribution of the donations are returned to NERCHA for verification.

In this way, Young Heroes insures both the lowest cost of operation and the most efficient connection direct from sponsors to the families they support.

– 30 –

EDITORS: If you would like photos to accompany this story or more information, please email Steve Kallaugher at skallaugher@nercha.org.sz.

About NERCHA

Established by Swaziland’s government in 2001, NERCHA is the country’s National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS. Its mandate is to coordinate the government’s battle against the epidemic. NERCHA’s core objectives focus on three areas: prevention; impact mitigation, including the care of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs); and care and support for those infected.

Acting as the conduit for monies received from the U.N. Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, NERCHA works with organizational and community partners across all sectors to ensure that comprehensive services are delivered to the grass-roots level all throughout the nation.

By providing this leadership, NERCHA coordinates, facilitates and motivates the fight against HIV/AIDS all throughout Swaziland. It is a central resource for ideas, assistance and funds that confront the nation’s growing problems caused by this deadly disease.

For more information about NERCHA, go to nercha.org.sz.

-30-

SUGGESTED SIDEBAR

One Orphan’s Voice

Swazi orphans talk about their lives in UNICEF’s new book, “About Us: Ngatsi.” This excerpt from Bongani’s story is reprinted with the permission of UNICEF.

Bongani’s Story

I am eleven years old. I am a boy. There aren’t any adults around where I live. My grandmother who was looking after us died. In our homestead there is me and my cousin Nondumiso. She is three years old.

I get along well with my cousin. The problem comes when she gets sick. I worry where to get the money from to take her to the clinic. She normally gets the flu. I think my cousin will have to go to the neighbour’s place. Then I will be alone.

I don’t go to school now. I went to school up to grade three. Then there was no money. I don’t read and write very well. I can count. I think it is important that I finish school. I remember the English books at school. And the siSwati books. And social studies. I liked social studies. When I grow up, I want to be a nurse.

I am afraid that people are going to steal things from our house. We don’t have a lock on the door. The door is just planks. It’s scary living all alone. I worry about criminals. The house is falling apart. People might even be mean, and destroy it. It would be easy. They just push at the walls, and they would fall down.

The rain comes in. It needs more thatch. I can’t do that myself. The wind comes in. I try to put mud on the cracks, but when it rains the mud just falls off again.

My cousin and I get food from that car. (Editor’s Note: A World Food Programme vehicle). They started last week. We’ve been asking food from the neighbours. Now we get cooking oil, and beans, and yellow powder (Editor’s Note: A corn-soya nutritional blend.)

We need soap, and matches. We need candles for the night. We give the neighbours our beans, and they give us soap. We don’t have clothes. We don’t have blankets. We sleep on the ground, on grass mats. We cover ourselves any way we can.

For water, we go to the river. It is far. It takes 30 minutes to go there, and 30 minutes to go back. We have a wheelbarrow. I use it to fetch water. I am worried the wheelbarrow will be stolen. At night, I put it in the room with us when we sleep.

-30-

SUGGESTED SIDEBAR

Put the Fun in Fund Raising

Whether you’re a school class or a church group, a civic organization or a group of friends, here are some of the ways in which you could raise money to become a Young Heroes sponsor.

• Dress down day

• Costume day

• Tag sale

• Town litter clean-up

• Book sale

• Bake sale

• Car wash

• Auction for dates

• Auction of art work or other crafts or goods

• Raffle – get local merchants to donate goods

• Collect recyclable cans and bottles

• Sports Tournament

• Walkathon

• Jogathon

• Cross-cultural dinners

• Put on a dance

• Show a movie night with a special theme

• Put on a talent show

• Have a teach-in about AIDS

• Put on a World AIDS Day program

Young Heroes NERCHA project

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 19:22:23 GMT

I'm not sure how many people still check this journal, but I wanted to update a little about the progress of the orphan project I was working on.

I found 6 families in my village that were orphan headed households in need of assistance. Most of the parents died of AIDS.

One of the PCVs in my group quit Peace Corps to work for NERCHA, National Emergency Response Counsil on HIV/AIDS. He has been working on this Young Heroes project for nearly a year now and it is finally launching this week!
That means the families now have ID cards so they can collect money from their nearest post office in order to feed, and clothe the children. The money can also be used for soap and toiletries. Originally the project was going to cover school fees as well, but this became a very hot issue and it will now not be included. These children should already be sponsored through the government for free school fees because they are double orphans. This is not always the case, because many of these children are forced to work to help their families or they become pregnant due to poverty circumstances...which prevents them from further education. Even if they are getting free school fees this won't cover their uniforms or books that need to be purchased. The money raised through this project will help pay for these needs.

This means NERCHA will need donations! As soon as I have the link to the website and I get the ok from Steve (former PCV) I will be e-mailing everyone I know for donations. Every little bit counts, and the American dollar goes a long way in southern Africa.
I'm not positive, but I think I can direct people to the exact families from my village.

I know it's not always easy to come up with money to help projects like this, but it would help a lot if you continued spreading the word around by forwarding the e-mail or a link to this journal. NERCHA has a very limited advertising fund so it is counting on us very resourceful Peace Corps Volunteers.

Emer'gen C juice packs

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:34:47 GMT

I may be home, but I'm still trying to help...I hope this works!

Hello.
My name is Marnie Cockrill and I am a returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Swaziland, southern Africa. During my service my fabulous father sent me a huge package of your Emer'gen C juice packages and I shared them with the people in my village who were HIV+.
Swaziland currently has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the world. The statistics say that 42.6% of the pregnant population is currently infected. In certain age groups (18-25) the rate is up to 56% currently infected. Swaziland is a very small country (about the size of New Jersey) with only 1 million people. The people are poor and the government is doing very little to fight the poverty and HIV/AIDS problems.
Antiretroviral medications are free and available, but it's not easy to get people to test...much less get them to a hospital or clinic every month for new medications. Then once a patient does test and starts medications it is very difficult to maintain the diet needed to help the medications work their magic.
My friend Zanele tested last July and if she hadn't she would be dead by now...I have no doubt about that. Since she tested and started medications, she has become healthy again. Now she is open about her status and helping others. This is almost unheard of in a country where HIV/AIDS has such a huge stigma that family members will push away ill loved ones in order to get away from the sickness. Zanele has joined a HIV + support group in a local town and has now started a smaller support group in the village that she lives in.
I left Zanele with the rest of my Emer'gen C juice packs and I have since sent her a large package of more for the people in the support group. Every extra vitamin and nutritious option counts for these people with immune deficiency problems. I have another package ready to be sent, but this is becoming expensive for me who has not found employment in the states since leaving Africa in Nov.

I am telling you all this story because I am wondering if you do any kinds of donations to certain groups? I can link you up with my friends who are still volunteering who will make sure the juice packages get to the right people. There are currently around 50 Peace Corps volunteers still fighting for the cause and teaching awareness and prevention in Swaziland.

Please let me know if there's any chance to get donations. Your help would be much appreciated.
Please take a look at my Peace Corps journal and photo web site if you are interested.
Thank you very much for your time~
Marnie Cockrill, returned Peace Corps volunteer

Peace Corps Journal & Pictures:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/04swaziland06/
http://photos.yahoo.com/swazipcv

More observations

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 03:17:58 GMT

My Space seems to be the biggest online craze lately...I've noticed it come up in conversation multiple times. Must update my account.

It was 14 degrees F yesterday. I can't get the same kind of exercise here because only crazy people walk for miles in weather like that! There's at least an inch of ice on all the streets in Cashmere.

I nearly hit a deer on the way to Ron's house last night. Here we don't have to slow down for cows...it's deer that irratically jump in front of cars.
One of the days last week when it snowed all day I watched a herd of deer walking through Grandpa's front yard looking for food. It was a beautiful sight.

People are actually wearing capri pants with big tall hooker boots (I'm assuming to keep their legs warm)!?

Yesterday I went to the Ear Nose & Throat Dr for my ear issues and she put this little metal tube sucky thing in my ear and started ripping out all kinds of build up from the 2 different kinds of drops I used in Africa! It was so painful the Dr. actually stopped and suggested I use some other drops to loosen up the debris so I can return for the pain next week. I'm so tired of ear drops! This is the 3rd try!

REadjustment

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 17:27:00 GMT

Well folks, I've been back in the USA for just over 2 weeks now.

Yesterday I decided I would treat myself to new make-up since I've never had anyone do my make-up and suggest specific colors. Yes, I did learn that there's much more important things in life than wearing foundation and mascara, but after 14 months in Africa I need a little help feeling pretty...

After having someone at Nordstrom's apply Mac make-up on me I spent over 45 Rand just on the tax for the make-up I decided to purchase! What a waste!

Then while I was eating lunch at Claim Jumpers with some old friends I looked out the window at the mall parking lot and noticed that 80% of the cars were SUVs! It only snows in the Seattle area about twice a year (it's actually happened twice this week so maybe this year is the exception) so it's not actually practical to clog up the streets and parking lots with huge vehicles that pollute the earth and cost a fortune to fuel. (Some of you in Swaz may be happy to hear that gas prices have gone down and I saw $2.25 a gallon). These people must have too much money to waste going to the ski mountains a couple times during the season...

Not to mention that all these people driving fancy SUVs were also spending thousands of dollars on Christmas gifts!
I just can't deal with Christmas this year. I just spent over a year in a country where very few people can afford to do anything different for Christmas so it's treated just like any other day (except they may pray a little more).
I always do Christmas cards and I won't even do those this year. I don't want any gifts and I can't afford to get anyone gifts either.
I wasn't big on Christmas before Africa, but now I just see 364 other days during the year when you can tell your friends & family you love them without forced gift giving...
Like I said before...there's more important things in life.
Bah Humbug.

Today I am meeting Tegan's parents at Tully's for tea! I'm delivering them a gift from her and I'm assuming they will have lots of questions about Swaziland and life in the Peace Corps. I invited my Dad & step-mom to join us since they have been especially interested in my time there as well. The Cougar fans will have to sit on one side of the table though...

A few other things I have noticed:
Big eyebrows are big again.

Everything in the USA is BIG...dogs, bags of chips, chunks of cheese, cars, houses, restaurant meals, RVs (don't exist in Africa as far as I know), family size shampoo, high heels, birthday cakes...you get the idea...

I hate the fashion available this year. Apparently the sequin craze is worldwide. Ruffles, lace and little sweaters or jackets that only cover the breast area are also HUGE.

Mountain Dew actually has 3 flavors now...original, Code Red and a Baja Blue one. They have their own energy drink too (as if Mt Dew didn't already have enough caffeine)!

My friend Jason actually thinks I look younger. I feel like I aged 10 years in Swaziland!

The mother I lived with in Swaz is now at home recovering. The diagnosis...too much oil in her body pushing down on the baby? Sounds like crap to me...but I'm glad she's home and getting healthy.

I talked to Zanele and she was thrilled with the NATICC workshop for people living with HIV/AIDS. She somehow managed to get 20 people to sign up for a HIV support group! YAY! She also talked to a high school on World AIDS Day for a PCV on Dec 1 and another World AIDS Day for a different PCV on Dec 2. She's keeping busy!

Home Sweet Home

Thu, 24 Nov 2005 01:14:13 GMT

Well, I made it home smoothly on Friday night. I went from Swaziland to Johannesberg, South Africa, to a little island off the coast of Senegal for gas fill up to Atlanta to Seattle to Leavenworth for dinner to Wenatchee for clothes and then all the way to Lake Chelan for sleep. It was a very long 2 days for me.

I tried to update a couple more times before this, but I haven't been able to find the words.
It's good to be home, but it's real strange at times. Actually it's been easier to return to home than it ever was to return to my village after a vacation. Home is always easy to return to.
I still haven't attempted a grocery store or Walmart or a mall. I think all of that can wait until after the crazy Thanksgiving shopping chills out a bit.
My driver's license was expired when I got home so I couldn't get it renewed until yesterday. Driving again made me nervous at first but now it's normal again.
Yesterday I spent about 3 hours at a walk in clinic to get my ears checked out. The patients and traffic there was quite a different experience after seeing Hlatikhulu hospital. Everything in America is so clean and steril! There aren't any crazy recovering crack heads in the clinics in Swaziland either.

What have I noticed since I came home?
Most people who have cell phones now have picture phones.
There's new tv shows and movies that I've never heard of.
It's so cold here I can't wear any of the skirts I've been accustom to wearing daily.
Taco Bell tastes just the same as when I left. It's gross actually and I can't believe how much time I wasted wishing I could eat it when it wasn't available.

On a sad note...the mother I lived with has been really sick. She was in the Nhlangano hospital, but got transferred to a hospital in Piet Retief, South Africa yesterday. I'm worried, but I know she's normally healthy so I have faith that she will be ok as long as the medical care is ok. There's not much I can do about it from here. Like always the symptoms Babe told me are vague...horrible headache, knee swelling, pain all over, and vomiting. I have no idea what that could be? She wasn't feeling well the day I picked up my belongings either.
I've tried to call Zanele 3 times, but haven't been able to talk to her.
I did talk to Meredith for nearly an hour a couple days ago. She says it's really different in our village without me. She's getting ready for a month long trip home for Christmas.

I know I need to take it easy and soak up this time without a busy schedule, but I've been so bored in Africa that I'm really anxious to get a job here and have a schedule. Everyone I know has a full time job and other adult responsibilities so it's awefully boring during the day with nothing to do. I wasted enough time in Swaziland feeling worthless so I'm ready for a new reason to get out of bed.

Carley asked me last night: "What was the best and the worst about your experience?"
The worst: Going to a place to help and feeling helpless...like the problems were constantly over my head.
The best: Being able to travel around Southern Africa...and living with the Sangweni family.

I'm not sure how often I'll continue updating this journal. Eventually I would like to make a power point presentation with pictures about my experience and I hope to start a little fundraiser for my village with my wish list for them. I'll keep everyone updated.
The YoungHeroes NERCHA orphan project should be online and ready to accept donors in January. When it is, I can direct people to the 6 families from my village.

Emotional Goodbyes

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 06:45:23 GMT

Yesterday I had to pick up my belongings from my homestead and say goodbye to my Make (mother), Zanele and Gcina (my 3 yr old). I've never seen Make cry, but she did. It was short (thankgoodness), but heartbreaking. Meredith came to help pack up my things into the PC vehicle and come back to Mbabane with us.

Last night Dr. Delouis from Baylor College of Medicine came to Happy Hour to catch up and say goodbye. He truely is one of our (PCVs) biggest cheerleaders, more so than even the PC staff which is sad. He has a lot on his shoulders here dealing with the Ministry of Health and getting the Center for Excellence up and running. So far there isn't a Pediatrician hired so he's worried he may have to fill that role as well when he's been hoping to come see some of our sites and meet some of the amazing people doing HIV awareness work at the local level. He really wants to meet Zanele.

Most of the last hugs with my fellow PCVs have been teary eyed.

I just wanna get on the plane and get this over with.

Today I have my exit interview with the Country Director, which should be painless. Then I get on the plane at 2 pm and arrive in Seattle at 12:30ish pm on Friday. My Dad and Terry will drive me to Wenatchee and hopefully I'll be able to spend that Fri night with Ron in Chelan.

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:02:17 GMT

Close bank account: check
Last dinner with PSN/friends at Nono's (Uncle Tom's treat!) : check
8 am complete physical with PCMO: check
10:30 am dental exam & cleaning: check

Now I have a million other things to do but I can't complete them until I know my flight information and collect my belongings from my homestead. So far it doesn't look like any of that will be accomplished today.
I just wanna go home.

ET day

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 07:26:49 GMT

Well, for some reason I can't send e-mails from this computer in the PCV lounge, so I guess I'll just update here. I gave the PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) a heads up last night that I wanted to start the ET (Early Termination) process today. Right now I'm waiting in the lounge for her to talk to me. After I talk to her more in depth about my reasons for leaving and my medical issues I'm not really sure what's next. I'm guessing I need to talk to the CD (Country Director) to get the process started. I hear I have to have a exit interview with this woman in the office that I have no relationship with who is suppose to be my supervisor (substitute APCD, since ours had a brain tumor and left 6 months ago and his replacement isn't coming until Feb). The only time I've ever asked her for assistance it wasn't helpful at all so I decided to skip dealing with the office.
She was just in the lounge and didn't even acknowledge my presense so this should be fun.

I'll update when I can. This could be the longest 4 days in Swaziland.

Sat, 12 Nov 2005 13:54:53 GMT

Early Termination update:
I hear that Rebecca is leaving Swaziland on Tuesday.
Then 4 new PCVs that just finished In Service Training have decided this isn't the experience they wanted so 2 are going home and I hear 2 are staying in Africa for a while until they figure out their next move.
That's Katrina, Kaitlin, Rouge & Colin.
Sounds like Peace Corps Swaziland is losing 6 people early within a week or two.

I'm having a great time in Durban but it looks like I'm not gonna make it to the beach. I'm exhausted and I spent way too much money at the Victoria St Market today so now Meredith, Steph & I are relaxing back at the hostel and Holly, Kate & Michelle went to the beach for a while.
Tonight there's a new restaurant/lounge opening up at Suncoast Casino and the theme is Madonna which sounds like fun (but mostly we wanna go to make the Diva mad that he missed it). There's a hefty cover charge so we might not make it.
Yesterday Steph & I hung out at the mall waiting for the girls to get here from Swaziland. We got hairs removed at a salon and spent an hour in the Pick & Pay supermarket (the same one I had a panick attack in with Seema & Monica in July). My Swazi purse broke in the mall so I bought 2 new ones. I actually bought another new one today...3 new purses in 2 days is a little outta control.
Last night we ate Indian food and had drinks at a place called Bean Bag Bohemian. We had a frosty drink that was served in a actual tea pot.
Tonight we're going to Thai food.
Tomorrow all we'll have time for is breakfast and travel back to the Swaz.
:(

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!
I'm 27!

Mi Vida Loca

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 07:02:17 GMT

Greetings from Durban! We're at Hippo Hide Hostel again (my 3rd time).
Yesterday Steph & I had quite a birthday! First, we scored a free ride to Durban with one of my Afrikaans neighbors who was going anyway. We ended up joining their family road trip to grandma's house. Me, Steph, Dad, Mom and 3 kids piled into a Toyota Corolla for a 6 hour drive. It was so funny! We even stopped at a rest stop and they bought us lunch!
We got here super fast for free and a free meal!
Then we cleaned up at the hostel and went to find some food. Holly & Val (who both just finished their PC service and are now traveling) surprised me and found a MEXICAN restaurant!
Afterwards we went to the movies and saw GOAL, which was one of those feel good sports movies with a cute Mexican boy who had a hard life and ends up going pro in England.
It was a fabulous day!

The birthday weekend isn't over yet though...
Meredith, Kate & Michelle are on their way to Durban right now. So, the 7 of us girls could do some more damage!

I guess I can write about it here now...
On Monday I plan on going into the Peace Corps office and telling them that I'm ready to go home. I haven't been able to tell them yet because they want you to leave the country right away and I wasn't ready yet. I have no idea when my flight will be, but I hope to be home by the 18th.
I hope to fly into Wenatchee and I won't have any money for a couple weeks so I can't go to Seattle until I get my check. There's a wedding I want to attend in Seattle the first weekend in Dec though.
Hopefully I'll see you all soon!

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 12:51:35 GMT

My Make is pregnant. This will be her 7th child (she's 36 yrs old). All together this will make 9 children for Make & Babe combined. It took me about 6 weeks to really accept this news. I hope it's a girl so they can name it Ncedile.

My chicken decided the pit latrine was a good place to lay eggs. So she sat on them for 21 days and now she's got chicks. Now I have to fight with mama hen everytime I want to use the toilet. She made me bleed!

We named the pig Blondie.

More Progress

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 15:22:21 GMT

Happy Halloween everyone who's in a country that celebrates Halloween. My second Halloween in Africa...and it feels just like any other rainy Monday. No candy corn here.

Wanna know just how amazing my friend Zanele is?
She's now giving lessons on HIV/AIDS at her house! She has about 18 men & boys (and a few women) collecting condoms from her house and they keep asking her questions so she decided to ask them to tell their friends and schedule a day to talk about their questions. On Thursday she had 13 men & boys show up at her house to hear her talk about living with HIV and prevention and anything else they asked. One girl showed up and she decided to leave and tell her friends to come the next day. On Friday Zanele had 19 women & girls in her small front room! After the lesson one of the boys who has been collecting condoms heard about the lesson and asked Zanele why she didn't tell him! He was bummed he missed it and asked when the next lesson was planned.
I have been wanting people to approach me and ask me about HIV the entire time I've been here...with very little luck. Zanele says the biggest barrier is that I'm not fluent in siSwati.

I was busy during both sessions so she did it all on her own and came to my house to tell me about her lessons afterwards. She gave the lessons in siSwati, but wrote her lesson plan in English. She's willing to make this a regular event, but she hopes next time it can be under a tree somewhere instead of on her homestead.

Yesterday Meredith and I went to talk to Zanele about the NATICC support group she joined and the upcoming events around our area. I asked Zanele if she would be willing to talk to the Anti-AIDS (horrible name, I know, but it's common) Club at the school Meredith helps at. She's not only willing to talk to the after school club, but she said she was willing to talk to the whole school! This is more than amazing because this is the high school she attended and these are the children of her community members and she's willing to tell all of them about her status! She says, "I am not afraid."
I am now going to tell all the volunteers that I know a HIV+ woman who is willing to talk to people about her status for meetings, boys & girls camps, youth groups, classrooms, clinics... As long as the transport is payed for and she's not busy with other things I'm pretty sure she'll do it. It's one thing for us to be teaching about HIV/AIDS, but it's a lot more powerful if the message comes from someone who is positive, was once very sick and is now living a healthy, active life.

I e-mailed the article I wrote to the Dr. that lead the Baylor College of Medicine workshop I attended in June and he passed it around to everyone he knew. He also suggested that I ask Zanele if her story could be printed in Swaziland. At first I was really reluctant because I know another woman who is HIV+ and doing outreach and she left her child with extended family members and they starved it to death because they considered the woman's outreach a way of tarnishing their family name.
Zanele only found out her status in July so I wanted her to take her time and go through the baby steps it takes for a person to get used to their new life and sharing it with others. It sounds like she's ready and she's not going to let anyone hold her back! I'm not sure if the story I wrote about her is what should be published here, but if I could connect her with a NGO with a widespread newsletter and they interviewed her that might be better. Dr. Delouis would like to meet her someday after reading what I wrote about her.

I've been published!

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 10:16:09 GMT

This article was just published in the Cashmere Valley Record (my hometown weekly newspaper):

Marnie Cockrill, a former Cashmere High School student, has been serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, southern Africa, since September 2004.

According to NERCHA (National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS), Swaziland currently has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the world (an alarming 42.6% of the adult population is estimated to be already infected). Instead of writing only about my work here I would like to share a story about a woman who is living positively in Swaziland with HIV. Her name is Zanele, and she is a 33 year old mother of two daughters ages five and three. I first met Zanele in November, 2004 when I was still a volunteer in training. Her mother’s homestead is the one closest to the Swazi family I stay with. The next time I saw Zanele was in July, 2005 at a relative’s funeral (her uncle’s wife died of AIDS) and she was showing obvious signs of HIV infection.

I had just attended a workshop put on by the Baylor College of Medicine so I felt confident in my ability to identify the clinical symptoms of the disease. Her signs consisted of dramatic weight loss (just over 35 pounds), oral thrush, weakness, coughing, ear infection, tooth decay and sore joints. She later told me her menstrual cycle had been on-going for a month and a half. (The cough especially scared me because when a person has TB they must take medications for that before they can start antiretroviral (ARV) medications for HIV and that can take months.) After ten months of HIV/AIDS work in Swaziland, I was fed up with seeing so many of my community members get sick and quickly die so a local Rural Health Motivator and I talked to Zanele about her symptoms and told her I would arrange transport to get her tested that Monday after the funeral. She completely cooperated and seemed thankful for any help that came her way. Because it was painful for her to walk to the bus stop we laid Zanele in the bed of a small Toyota truck to get her to town thirty minutes away for counseling and a HIV test. We went to NATICC (Nhlangano AIDS Training, Information and Counseling Center) a local NGO that has an unofficial partnership with Peace Corps volunteers.

She tested HIV positive that Monday and was told to return on Wednesday for a CD4 (T cell) count. That day there was no transport available from her home to the HIV clinic so we slowly walked to the bus stop and then to the clinic, letting her rest multiple times along the way. It takes one week to get CD4 count results because there aren’t enough machines in this country to make this a more rapid process, so she returned without me that next Wednesday because I was out of the country on leave. Her CD4 count was 192, which meant she qualified for antiretroviral treatment (the magic number here is below 200). After picking up her CD4 count Zanele and her sister had to get back to the bus rank and travel another thirty minutes to the nearest hospital where ARVs are available. Luckily her x-ray showed that she didn’t have TB and we caught Zanele’s infection at a good time so she improved almost instantly with the medications. When I returned from leave she was radiant with smiles, walking with ease and grateful for the help just one week after starting ARVs. The change I’ve seen in her has truly been miraculous.

HIV patients in Swaziland have to see a doctor and get ARV refills once a month. I decided to go with Zanele to see what the process was like for her first refill. We left our community at six am and didn’t return until after four pm. First the patients sit and stand in a line to get their blood drawn to see their progress and how their liver is reacting to the medications. After the blood draw they wait in line again to get the paperwork with their results. Then they go to another part of the hospital to sit in another line to see a nurse who asks them a few questions about their current health. Then they sit in another line to see a doctor, and then one final line at the hospital pharmacy to get the actual refills. This process took seven and a half hours the day I accompanied her (the rest of the day we spent traveling). One of the things that prolongs the wait time is that most of the doctors in this country are foreign and don’t speak the local language (siSwati) so they have to wait for a busy nurse to do the translations. Luckily Zanele’s English skills are good and she had me there to help her express her needs to the doctor who was from Uganda. Still, we spent less than five whole minutes with the person who prescribed her medications.

Zanele is currently taking her third month of ARV treatments and her health continues to improve. Thankfully, a closer clinic now has ARV treatment so the transportation costs less and the line is a little shorter. In September NATICC came to our local clinic for the third time for mobile testing and she couldn’t wait to get her two daughters tested, along with other family members who she had talked to about her illness. Luckily, her daughters’ results were negative, but she plans to test them two more times just to make sure.

The most amazing thing about her progress is that she’s decided to share her status with community members and encourage them to get tested and start treatment before they become bedridden like she was! She tells me that people have asked her where she got help and she tells them Ncedi (my siSwati name that means, “the one who came to help us”) and that she has HIV and is now being treated for her illness. She has also told me that many people do not believe that she is HIV positive because she looks so healthy now. The Peace Corps constantly reminds us that our work here needs to be sustainable because we are only in these countries for a short period of time and our work needs to continue with local people after we leave. Zanele has taken this to a whole new level and I am constantly amazed by her positive attitude and fearlessness about being stigmatized because of her condition. NATICC is now planning to train her to become a local AIDS awareness speaker.

One day I told her I planned on putting some condoms in the pit latrine at a homestead that sells homebrewed alcohol so the customers could take the condoms anonymously. She then told me that she has her own supply of male and female condoms that she has been giving out to the community! She told me that some of the people in our community have been intimidated to ask me for condoms because of the language barrier and the fact that I live with a Zion pastor, so I decided to give her the ones I had and make another trip to collect as many free condoms as possible for her to give away!

Thanks to my friendship with Zanele I have no fear that the HIV/AIDS awareness work I’ve been doing here will disappear when I do. I can’t take credit for Zanele’s progress and outstanding community outreach, I just held her hand through the process, she learned to fly on her own.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact Marnie at swazipcv@yahoo.com

Support Group News

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:38:40 GMT

Mhlosheni clinic official NATICC VCT statistics:
September: 13 tested, 2 HIV+ (1 male, 1 female)
October: 23 tested, 11 HIV+ (1 male, 10 females)

Yesterday Zanele took Khanyesile to NATICC to test and while they were in the waiting room Khanyesile said she was going to the bathroom and never came back. She wasn't ready to test. It's sad, but now she's lost her chance to get help from Zanele. She says, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink".

Instead of making the trip a total waste Zanele stayed at NATICC all day and joined their support group! She came to my house last night talking a million miles a minute trying to explain her day to me. She was so excited about things that it brought tears to my eyes! She mentioned maybe even getting training to become a counselor, which could turn into a paid job! Exciting progress is being made! Red Cross has finally noticed the drastic numbers of people with HIV in my area and they are hoping to start a support group or at least gather those people with gardens and talk about what to do now.

Today I'm in Manzini and I just bought a ton of batiks! The market was stressful and Manzini is busy today because there's a big UNICEF event at the fairgrounds.

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:18:12 GMT

I am so sunburned that I couldn't sleep last night. It was still 80 degrees when I went to bed and I had chills thanks to my sunburn. It's my own fault for trying to have a tan for the first time on my birthday (which is in 17 days by the way...) I think it will be the first birthday in my almost 27 years that I will spend at the beach (in Durban.

I visited Khanyesile with Zanele a few days ago and she has agreed to get tested. I can't take her on Wednesday so Zanele is going to. The Country Director is visiting my site so I have to stay put (even though I think it's a bit more important to be doing my "job" during that time, but oh well.)

The Red Cross team of women in my area got a pig as a income generating project this last week. (They plan to breed it and sell the piglets from what I gather.) Since my Make is the chairlady of the committee the pig has to stay at our house. Make isn't very happy about this because that pretty much makes her responsible for keeping the thing alive...
Well, the animal lover in me has been concerned about the pig's well-being so I've been checking on it fairly often. The other day the third time I checked on the pig it was gone. My brothers had just gotten home from school so I asked them if they knew where the pig was. Nope. So I looked around and finally found it casually walking up the hill from our garden. It was the most hilarious site watching me and my brothers catch this pig and get him back in the pen before Make came home! Good times in Endlovini.

One of the fellow PCVs just got home from America where she was visiting her boyfriend (a returned PCV) so tonight we're gonna make cookies!

One of the new PCVs that came in June left last week after a "mutual agreement with the PC staff". Good luck at home Heather!
The guy with the Meningitis issue decided to go home instead of searching for another country. He's from New Orleans and his family back home probably needs him more than Swaziland or Fiji. He left today. Good luck Brian!

That's all for now...

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 07:50:03 GMT

The very last Voluntary Counseling & Testing day at my clinic was a success! Zanele came with me to support the people she has been encouraging to test. She was amazing! She was encouraging more people who were just there for the clinic to test! Every time I turned around she was asking me for more numbers (we started giving out numbers to help with the statistics because sometimes people go through counseling and decide they aren't ready to test).

25 people counseled, 23 decided to test and 11 were HIV+ (47%). I think the high number of HIV+ was because this was the 4th time the mobile clinic has come and because Zanele has been single handedly been encouraging more high risk people to test. Most of the people who tested were from my village and this clinic covers at least 5 villages.

As I was walking home I kept thinking I really wished Zanele could get a paid job doing what she's doing. And guess what happened next? I actually found 100 Emalangeni bill on the ground! In a land as poor as this one that is a freakish occurence! I decided right away that the money wasn't meant for me or any other Swazi to find...it was meant for me to surprise Zanele with! She's been taking care of her own homestead because her mother has been attending to her sick husband in South Africa, and Zanele is taking care of her extended family's home where 2 people died recently and now there's only orphans and she's been cleaning our house too! She's a busy lady! I knew she would be responsible with the money and make it last a lot longer that I could.
She gasped when I brought it to her like she had just won a million dollars or her prayers had been answered! It wasn't that much money, but it will help for a while.

I went to the government building (Inkhundla) on Wednesday to collect some supplies for the Rural Health Motivators because 14 people came down with diarrhea in my area this week due to the dirty river water. The man with the keys to the supply room decided not to show up for work that day so I didn't get any Jik (bleach) for my community. It's one of those stupid Africa rules that makes no since. Just like at the post office when there's only one person that has the keys to the packages and if she's not there you must come back another day to get your package. Irritating!

Yesterday I had to do some first aid on a neighbor boy after his brother hit his head with a leather wip used for cows. Split his head right open! They couldn't take him to the clinic to get stitches because they needed a police report. We cleaned it up, used some antibiotic cream and covered it with a bandage. I heard this morning he went to the clinic. It's out of my hands now.

This morning the first thing Zanele said to me was, "Kanyesile is going to die". She was furious! This is a woman we had both talked to back in the beginning of Sept. begging her to test and start ARV treatment because she's dying. Zanele was expressing all the frustrations that I've felt for a year now. She now sees that people would rather die that get tested and it's frustrating to her also. We arranged for her to get tested last Sept, but she ran away and just returned yesterday even weaker than before. Zanele doesn't understand why people refuse to test. I told her she was easy and no one else has been so willing to test after I suggested it.
Zanele is amazing and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to work with her.

Welcome Back to Swaziland

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:24:56 GMT

One of the guys who was doing great on ARVs decided he was better and no longer needed to take the tablets. He died this last weekend. He was about 24 years old and he left a girlfriend and a child that is showing signs of HIV infection.
I haven't seen him in a couple months and Zanele just told me before my trip that he stopped taking his tablets and he was sick in South Africa. When I last saw him he was doing so well he was hoping to get a job. I never checked on his compliancy to the ARVs because he never officially revealed his status to me.
I wish I could stand up at his funeral and make a public service announcement begging people to take this virus seriously. How many more people have to die before people understand?
Everytime someone dies I always wish I could have done more.
RIP Sunny Boy

Tomorrow is the last Voluntary Counseling & Testing day at my clinic this year. I wanted to walk around and remind people today but there's been signs up for weeks and I'm just too tired to deal with it. If people don't care enough to take care of their own health I can't talk them into it.

Yesterday some freakish thing happened at my Babe's (father's) church. Halfway during the service a young girl (maybe 15 years) that no one had ever seen before joined the service. Minutes later she "fainted" and stayed unconcious for about 2 hours. No one knew who she was or what she was doing there. It's not like anyone can call an ambulance when something like this happens so all they could do was pray. Once she woke up she explained to them that she had visited a traditional healer and then she passed out again. So, my Babe and other church members drove her to this healer and he had never seen her before. So, they drove to the nearest "town" (Hluti) to talk to the police, but somehow they found someone who knew her and took her to her homestead while she was still unconcious. The people at the homestead said she "faints" often. This town is about a 30 minute drive away. I have no idea why she would be deep in my small village at my Babe's small church on a random Sunday. Was this a sign from God that she needed help? Did they get her the help she needed?

I think I have amoebas again.

I didn't like Maputo. It's a dirty, smelly, rundown city that only offers great seafood (if you don't mind picking out raw seafood on a dirty table with flies swarming around it) and a nightlife. We met some great backpackers that we hung out with all day Saturday. 8 of us actually ended up going to dinner together and then to a bar to listen to jazz afterwards.
I didn't even like the market which is usually one of my favorite parts about traveling (buying things to take home). The vendors where constantly begging us to buy things and following us and surrounding us. It was exhausting. I really just wanted to look around and get a few things and that was nearly impossible.
Alyson really liked the seafood.
Rebecca liked the seafood and the nightlife.
I don't eat seafood and I haven't been interested in drinking or live music or dancing since I left America.
I'm glad I went, but my favorite part was meeting new people through the hostel we all stayed at. The Thai food the first night was the only meal I really enjoyed.
We met a woman named Leslee who did Peace Corps Namibia years ago and just recently finished Crisis Corps (a shorter version of Peace Corps for returned PCVs) in Nambia. I really enjoyed her company and her boyfriend John who joined us for dinner.
I also enjoyed hanging out with Stina from Sweden, Lisa from the UK and Niell from Ireland (but he lives in Cape Town now). The first night we shared a room with a guy named Loic from New Zealand, France and UK who was vacationing before he moved to Cape Town with his girlfriend who was from there.

Alyson and I had a great conversation about how we believe Peace Corps Swaziland should only be Crisis Corps. No one should have to deal with this much death & dying for over a year. Even HIV/AIDS counselors in America rarely hold the job for very long.
I understand the importance of learning the language and integrating into a community and living with a local family, but this country is dealing with the biggest HIV/AIDS crisis in history and it's crappy that only we can see that.
I'm burned out.
I don't feel a bit refreshed after vacation.
I see HIV/AIDS signs everywhere. I saw it in Zanzibar, Cape Town & Maputo. And I see it every single day in Swaziland. Until I escape this continent I will not escape the images I've seen.

Hello from Mozambique!

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 14:21:02 GMT

I will never understand why a 4 hour drive takes 12 hours in Africa...but that's how we started Day 1.
Got up at 4:50 am to catch a 6 am bus from my site to Manzini. Got there around 8:30, exchanged emalangeni for Mozambique metical (it's around 3,560 metical per 1 emalangeni/rand and about 25,000 metical per $1) and waited for the khombi to fill until 11:15. The jerk who owned the khombi wanted me to pay an extra 10 ema to put my backpack in his trailer...but we argued about it until he gave in and let me carry the bag inside. Then we waited about 2 hours at the border while people on the khombi where using fake papers and bribing the customs jerks...
And we finally got to the hostel in Maputo around 5:30 pm. It's only a little over an hour to Mozambique border from Manzini and then another hour in Mozambique to Maputo. We stopped a hundred times and the khombi was overloaded so it was CRAWLING up all the hills.

So far not too impressed with Maputo. It's a dirty, old, rundown town damaged by a long civil war. We had fabulous food and service the first night of Thai food, but I haven't been impressed with any of the other meals.
Rebecca enjoyed the fish market which I will explain later.

Tonight we're trying local Mozambique food.
Fabulous surprise: our friend Alyson ended up in Maputo at the same hostel on the same weekend and we didn't know we would be here at the same time!
We bought fabrics and went to the market this morning. I got royally screwed because I gave 1,450,000 instead of 145,000...somehow after the transaction I ended up 230,000 short but I couldn't find a safe place to count it for a couple hours later. I'm just mad at myself for being so stupid. I've never carried over 3 million of any sort of currency! I'm a millionaire in Mozambique! Must be more careful with all those 000000000000000000's.

It's really too bad that I'm so tired of Africa that I can't enjoy myself like I would if this was new and exciting. It's been really neat to see the extremely different culture so close to the border of Swaziland.