Sawubona (sow-boh-nah) or in other words, HELLO!!
STOP #1
SWAZILAND
As many of you may already know, as September rolls around I will be getting myself ready to live in Swaziland for 3 months. Swazi or eSwatini (recently changed name) is a small country in South Africa known for its wilderness reserves and festivals showcasing traditional Swazi culture. Mozambique marks it’s Northeastern border where it stretches down to South Africa. The nearby famous Hlane Royal National Park is home to diverse wildlife including lions, hippos and elephants. The two official languages spoken in this country are Swati and English and you’ve already learned how to say “hello”!!!!! whoop whoop!!! A few popular food items and dishes include porridge, pumpkin, corn on the cob and meat. 80% of the population are Christian while the other 20% are Islam and traditional Swazi religion. 1,414,204 people live in Swazi as of 2019. 48% of the population is male while 52% is female. The people of Swaziland face many health issues, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Not only does Swazi hold the highest HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate in the world at 26% but it also holds the lowest documented life expectancy rate in the world of 31.88 years. Despite an abundance of natural resources including quarry stone, small diamond, gold deposits and coal, and a high literacy rate compared to other African countries, 69% of Swaziland’s population lives below the poverty line. With that being said, 1,000 children are left without parents. As a whole, the country’s growing at a rate of 1.5% per year facing all of these problems including excessive hunting, overgrazing, soil degradation and limited potable water. Adventures in Missions has built a longstanding base in Swaziland run by local and international staff. Through this mission, we will be partnering with Children’s Hope Chest to operate large systems of care points serving local orphaned and undeserved children.
Swaziland is the country I am most excited to visit for a million reasons. I cannot wait to hug and love on these children who deserve to know about the great love Jesus provides. The food and culture will also be an amazing experience that I am totally looking forward to. I cannot wait to share photos, videos and blogs about the work we do in this small Southern African country. God’s going to do some crazy miraculous work there and I’m counting down the days until I get to experience it.
I ask of you one favor and that is prayer over Swaziland. To pray for physical and emotional healing in this country and for an abundance of necessities to be restored.
Love always,
<3 P
