Invitation!!

so all that stalking the UPS man, and he decides to come when I’m out for coffee. I spied my package on the front porch from my car, and let’s just say my neighbors probably think I’m insane after seeing me sprint to the house, and trip up the porch stairs in my mad dash (in true Jami fashion). but who cares…my invitation is HERE! I’ve officially accepted my invitation to spend the next two years of my life in Swaziland as a Community Health HIV/AIDS Educator. I’ll be leaving June 26 for staging in a yet-to-be-determined U.S. city for a few days, and then will head to Swaziland June 28. So Swazi-where?, you ask…

Ever since my placement officer confirmed I’d be going to Sub-Saharan Africa, I’ve suspected they would send me to Swaziland, so naturally I’ve already read every Wikipedia article and volunteer blog, watched every video, and looked at every picture I could find of the country. So basically, I’m already a Swaziland expert (kinda, but not really.) First, where is it? It’s a small (roughly the size of New Jersey), land-locked country bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. See:

Swaziland’s capital, Mbabane is approximately 8435.1 miles from Augusta, Georgia (because apparently even the internet doesn’t know where Waynesboro is), and a flight between the two cities would be about 17 1/2 hours…yikes. Swaziland suffers from the highest HIV prevalence rate in the entire world, with roughly 25.9% of all adults infected (that’s at least 1 infected person in every 4 people for you non-math folks). They also have the fifth lowest life expectancy rate in the world at 48.66 years (up from 32 just a few years ago).

The government of Swaziland, or more appropriately, the Kingdom of Swaziland, is an absolute monarchy, and the head of state is His Majesty King Mswati III. Despite it’s small size, Swaziland amazingly has a very diverse landscape ranging from typical African grasslands (the bush) to mountains and canyons and rivers to rainforests. Since I’ll be getting there in June, I’ll be arriving in midwinter. From everything I’ve read, their winters sound about like Georgia or South Carolina winters with average temperatures in the mid 50s and little rainfall. Summertime is the rainy season and the temperatures average around 68 degrees and up. The Swazi people make their livings mining natural resources, farming, and manufacturing things like textiles and sugar-related products. Their big agricultural crops are sugarcane, corn, citrus fruits, pineapple, tobacco, rice, and peanuts (I think I can eat happily with those options). The two official languages are SiSwati and English.

Polygamy is widely practiced in Swaziland, and most people live on homesteads, which to my understanding are like compounds of several different huts. From everything I’ve read, most volunteers who serve in Swaziland will live on a homestead with a host family, so basically they will have their own private hut adjacent to their host family’s hut. Apparently, electricity is not uncommon, but running water is pretty rare. So it looks like my solar shower might come in handy…

When I applied to the Peace Corps a year ago, I listed no geographical preference. I didn’t really care where they sent me, but I must say that I am beyond thrilled about my assignment to go to Swaziland, and I think it will be the perfect place for me. Only 151 days until departure!