Day #48 Taking Time to Think about Swaziland

I have been afforded much needed leisure and quiet time during my stay with my brother and his family. I have been thinking about my friend and former colleague, Martha, and shot her an email.

This is Martha. We have five years of stories from our years serving together in the two top administrative positions at Southern Cayuga Central School.

This photo was taken in Martha's office at SC before she left for training and beginning her new position as Director of Operations for Peace Corp Swaziland. I found this photo when I Googled Peace Corps Swaziland with the intention of perusing the information and imagining Martha there. I miss her so!

I missed a call from her on Friday, so she called at a prearranged time on Sunday. It worked, although, she had forgotten that I was in Texas and in the Central time zone. What a treat to hear her voice and catch up briefly!

Let's review some basic geography....

This is where Swaziland is relative to the world.

This is where it is relative to the continent of Africa.

And this is a detail map of the land-locked, British Tributary of Swaziland. Martha is in Mbabane. Instead of managing a fleet of school buses, she is managing a fleet of jungle jeeps. Instead of managing a school budget, she is managing the Peace Corp budget in Swaziland. She is VERY good at what she does and my successes at Southern Cayuga are due largely to her skills.

Swaziland has the world's highest HIV prevalence rate. HIV and AIDS prevention is the primary work of Peace Corps Swaziland. And so now you understand even more about why I am thinking about Swaziland. HIV and AIDS education is a high priority in the Worth household. My mom and I are writing her story about living 30+ years with the virus. I think I can learn and give something in Swaziland. Martha has a room for me!

The Peace Corp began under President John F. Kennedy. Last year was an anniversary year. The primary work initially in Swaziland was malaria prevention.

 And so in 2013 I will travel to Swaziland. I hope to arrange a visit with Banele Louis:

my sponsored child through World Vision from Maseyisini in Swaziland.

My parents always sponsored a child. We received and we wrote letters. When I was finally able to in my 30s, I continued this family commitment over the years. I also sponsor a child from Ethiopia, Yakob Cheneke. There are other organizations that you can sponsor children through. Compassion International is quite popular. Two other children I have sponsored have aged out of the program. I would encourage everyone to consider this. I pay about $1 a day per child.  Recently, World Vision has provided the opportunity to email sponsored children. They regularly provide cards for holidays and birthdays that are easy to sign and mail.

And today's featured photo of Baby Ethan, scowling and blowing bubbles while waiting for Auntie Mary Kay to come out of the bookstore. Cute. Cute. Cute.