Poverty, Inequality, and Paul Farmer

Last week Khombi (comb-e), one of my best friends in the community, invited me to attend a night vigil (a night long funeral) with her on Friday January 27, 2012. She had said the woman who passed was a great family friend and wonderful woman. The topic changed rather quickly as conversations often do, and no other information was revealed.

Unable to attend the night vigil due to swim lessons that I teach at Hlanganani Primary School in Piggs Peak, I am busy on Saturdays and staying up all night prior did not sound like a good idea. As I started walking down at 7am Saturday morning, I passed friends and host family members returning home. All were weary, from the long night they had previously. Everyone except the men, who somehow regained their energy when they saw me in order to start harassing me bright and early. Yes, I am the mlungu (white person) wearing jean Capri’s and showing my knees. Get over it.

As I made my way down the sand and dirt road, I realized the funeral was for a next door neighbor. Shame.

After a long but wonderful day of swim lessons, I found myself waiting and wondering if there would be transportation back to my community. Bo-Make was fearful that there wouldn’t be and they urged me to talk to people to see if they would give me a lift home. On my sad, desperate, and failing pursuit I saw a woman I recognized and adore. She is a teacher at one of my primary schools. I gave up the pursuit to find a ride and decided to talk to her. She had attended the burial that morning around 10am. Upon my inquiry, she told me the general story.

The Make (mother) who died was the last bread winner of the family. She had 8 children of her own and more from her late husband’s side as well as many grandchildren. Two of the eight are still in school- grades 5 and 9. Her husband, the children’s father, had passed years ago. The only person left is the Gogo (grandmother) who now has the responsibility of taking care of the children. The heartbreaking part of this story is that Gogo has no source of income. Though the government is responsible for paying the bulk of the school fees- because the children are now double orphaned- the family still has to pay a small but hefty amount to the schools. Money of which, they do not currently have. That means a variety of things could happen. The children might have to postpone school, they will most likely have additional duties (household and supportive which may even require them to work the fields for food) and most often than not- result to other secondary and terrible “solutions” for money which includes taking up a “sugar daddy” and sleeping around.

An equally depressing story came to me that one of the young girls I work with in my after school clubs has picked up a lover/boyfriend over the Christmas holidays. There has been talk about her being Teka’d soon (where a young woman is “kidnapped” by the men’s family, taken into the kraal, forced to cry, and “officially” engaged to be a part of the man’s family.) The child’s mother, a single mom whose husband had passed years ago and is the sole breadwinner of the family, is also supporting 4-6 young children by herself and is extremely poor living with all 5-8 people in one incredibly small mud hut (smaller than some bathrooms I’ve seen in the U.S.). She couldn’t be more excited for her daughter. By her daughter being married, the family will inherit cows. Cows mean wealth and wealth means that they have the opportunity to pay for school fees for the other remaining children and most importantly to buy food. Why is this so depressing? The girl is 15 at the oldest. If she marries she will not finish her schooling and she will be entering a hard life very early on.

I have been reading Paul Farmer’s book, Pathologies of Power, and he talks a lot about how social and economic forces shape and lead to certain outcomes. He says,

‘…Poverty remains primary cause of the prevalence of many diseases and widespread hunger and malnutrition among black South Africans.’ The dismantling of the apartheid regime has not yet brought the dismantling of the structures of oppression and inequality in South Africa, and persistent social inequality is no doubt the primary reason that HIV has spread so rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa’s wealthiest nation. (Farmer, p. 45)

Though Swaziland had no participation in the Apartheid and in fact they offered amity to all those (both white and black South Africans alike) looking to escape the persecution, Swaziland like South Africa still suffers from the “structures of oppression and inequality” today. And in such situations, poverty will often drive people to make unhealthy decisions which they might never have made otherwise. Just as in the stories stated above. A lack of resources, money, food, etc, will drive young girls to find old men who might pay for their school fees which results in the spread of STDs and HIV, or force young boys to work in the fields for minimal pay in order to provide their families with food for the day.

It is a very depressing situation and unfortunately, it is not uncommon. My heart continually yearns for each family and each child that faces such an outcome. I am left standing helpless, unable to give any other assistance besides emotional and mental support. Anything else I would provide would be in vain, for the majority of Swazi people in the rural villages (70% of the Swazi population live in rural communities versus the 30% living in urban areas) are suffering from similar situations. My own host mother who had lost her husband about 14-15 years back has been raising her 2 youngest children on the homestead by herself with no outside help or income. If I was to give assistance to one, I’d be expected to give help to all. What then can we do? How can we help? What needs to change? These are the questions we need to think about both as an individual and as a society.

Inspirational Quotes

I have always loved quotes. To me, they act much like songs: provide inspiration, motivation, encouragement, healing, provoke thoughtful dialogue, and challenge oneself. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” –Woodrow Wilson
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something, and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” –Edmund Everett Hale, Writer
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank
“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” –Mahatma Gandhi
“Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The moral test of a society is how that society treats those who are in the dawn of life—the children; those who are in the twilight of life—the elderly; and those who are in the shadow of life—the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.” –Hubert Humphrey
“Who then can so softly bind up the would of another as he who has felt the same wound himself.” –Thomas Jefferson
“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you don’t believe one person can make a difference, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” –Anita Roddick
“You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” – Henry Drummond
“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
“If you want to change the world, be that change.” –Gandhi
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” –Mark Twain
“If you want happiness for an hour--take a nap. If you want happiness for a day—go fishing. If you want happiness for a month—get married. If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else.” –Chinese proverb
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead
“Do small things with great love.” –Mother Theresa
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead , teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Wisdom of the Sands
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” –Winston Churchill
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” –Martin Luther King Jr.
“A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another.” –Kahlil Gibran
“We can’t do much about the length of our lives, but we can do plenty about its width and depth.” –Evan Esar
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” –Sally Koch
“The best and most beautiful thing in the world cannot be seen nor touched…but felt in the heart.” –Helen Keller
“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” –Henry Ford
“A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.” –Greek Proverb
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor is given by what he gave.” –Calvin Coolidge
“The service we render others is the rent we pay for our room on earth.” –Wilfred Grenfell
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” –Nelson Mandela
“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men. For they may act on their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” -T.E. Lawrence
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs-ask yourself what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” –Pablo Picasso
“I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.” –C.S. Lewis
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” –Jawaharial Nehru
“A nomad I’ll remain for life, in love with distant and unchartered places.” –Isabella Eberhardt

Wedding Pandemonium

Marriage. Engagements. Weddings. Babies. And it’s not necessarily in that order. Every time I log into facebook someone’s announcing the news. And if you’re wondering why I talk about facebook a lot it’s because my genius internet phone has access to facebook and nothing else. It’s my one source to the outside world. Go figure. The only other source of news is the Times of Swaziland. If you have some time, look it up. It’s great and highly entertaining. Journalism at its finest!

Having babies in Hawaii is common- people have been popping them out since high school. And marriage after college is not only predictable but expected. So why is it all so shocking? Maybe because I tend to think the world revolves around me and when I left I expected everyone to pause their lives? Or perhaps I’m greedy and expect to be a part of everyone’s lives forever more? Both these may be, but there’s one other reason I couldn’t comprehend. We are 23, 24, 25 years old and so young! What’s the big rush? Then it occurred to me, my priorities are vastly different from the norm. I’m the oddball here! Not everyone else. Not better not worse just different. I’ve chosen to leave the comforts of home to brave the unknown, live with minimal necessities, engage in a foreign culture, and travel with a backpack and tent. Of course I’m going to be opposed at the thought of being tied down so soon. So what does marriage mean, why are all my friends jumping on board, and will there be any weddings to be a part of by the time I return? Questions flooded my mind, and I had much to contemplate while lying on the floor of my hut and praying it would rain.

About 6 months back, when the news started rolling in, emotions kicked in. I was going to miss the monumental moments in some of my best friends’ lives. About that same time, 2 of my best friends in my Swazi community became engaged. Then I realized how lucky I was. I was trading experiences. Though unable to be there for friends in the States, but fortunate enough to be a part of new friends’ lives, I was going to experience life’s meaningful moments in a new light.

In November 2011 I was invited to be a part of a friend’s lobola. A lobola is where the men’s family meets with the bride’s family and they negotiate the terms of the engagement (aka how many cows she is worth among other things). It is an intimate affair taking place at the female’s homestead.

I had arrived at my friend’s natal homestead around 9 am. As I walked onto the property singing “Ekaya” (announcing your presence/arrival) I was greeted by her friends and family members who ushered me into the home. There, I entered a small room filled with 20-25 people sitting on mats laid out on the floor. The room was split with men on one side and the women opposite them. In the middle of the room was a bucket and cup, filled with the local brew- which only the men were invited to drink. Placed next to the brew were trash bags filled with blankets, which is customary to give as gifts.

As I entered the room I sat down next to my friend, the bride to be. She asked me to photograph the ceremony and instructed me to move wherever I saw fit. We remained in the room for a couple of hours until the large negotiations were met.

Then everyone exited the room for a short break, fresh air, and the celebrations began! Singing, Dancing and laughter broke out as everyone crowded around the krawl and a cow was chosen to be slaughtered. The elders returned to the negotiations throughout the day, but I stuck close to the men preparing what was to be our lunch and dinner. It was incredibly interesting and I had a wonderful time documenting how to spear a cow, skin, cut, and cook it. Africans use EVERY part of the animal. It’s amazing and disgusting at the same time.

It was truly an amazing experience. I not only got to be there for a friend, but I got to experience and be a part of an intimate Swazi cultural moment. I was not an outsider. I was not an Mlungu (white person). I was not watching a documentary on some distant African tradition. I was a friend, a daughter, and a sister first handedly experiencing life in the shoes of a young Swazi woman.

A few weeks after, another best friend in my Swazi community got married. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The wedding was held at a country club, outside beneath the trees next to the pool. It reminded me a lot like weddings in the States. The only difference was that, like all Swazi events, it lasts all day long.

Though I’m bummed to be missing my friend’s weddings’ back home, I can’t help but marvel at how BLESSED I am to be here, and sharing these moments with my Swazi friends. I am so lucky to have formed bonds with these amazing women. I suspect and I hope, that we’ll remain friends for life- despite distance and differences.

Projects FUNDED!

A HUGE shout out to everyone: my projects have been fully funded! Whoohoo!

Books for Swaziland is moving forward both in America and here in Swaziland and it’s all because of your help and generous contributions. U.S. based NGO, Books for Africa, is collecting, gathering, and preparing to ship out our books. All 30 schools in Swaziland are growing in excitement for their libraries. From building shelves, saving money for the library fund, decorating a learning space and to attending library trainings, our schools could not be more excited! I’ll be sure to update as time goes on.

My second large project, GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is up and running! We have raised all the money needed to run the camp in April 2012. There are two parts to GLOW. The first is the charter clubs. Each Peace Corps Volunteer participating in the project will have started up a girls club within their communities. They meet with the young women, teach life skills, sexual education, healthy living, HIV prevention, and have discussions and lively debates on any topic of choice. The second part is Camp GLOW. Camp GLOW is a weeklong women’s empowerment camp that focus’ on addressing the issues pertinent to young Swazi women. It will be preparing, educating, and encouraging them to do more with their lives, to take action, to know their rights as women in this male dominated society, to empower them with the knowledge to make healthy choices, to give them the contacts in Swaziland who they can talk to for various reasons, and so that they may share their knowledge with other young women in their communities. The camp will be similar to those in the U.S. There will be plenty of games, arts and crafts, learning sessions, discussions, camp fires, etc, BUT will also include NGOs participation and presentations on all topics.

Last week, we held the Training of the Trainers for GLOW. Each PCV involved brought 2 community counterparts, who were are working with in our communities. We spent 4 days training them in becoming camp councilors at the camp, as well as providing them with information and preparing them for leadership within the GLOW charter clubs at the community level. There are 11 PCVs involved in this project, and we were responsible for leading the entire workshop. Surprisingly, this training turned out INCREDIBLY well. I was shocked and in awe at the energy, attitude, eagerness, and care that each counterpart showed in the sessions. Despite the 12-14 hour days, every single Swazi man and women in that room went above and beyond what was expected from them. One thing that will never cease to amaze me is the passion these women (and men) have in life despite EVERYTHING they have been through and currently have to deal with. They have gone through countless trials and tribulations, things we couldn’t even comprehend, and have overcome all obstacles with a smile and 2 feet planted firm in their faith. It is truly inspiring. I can’t wait until the actual camp and I grow with excitement from not only what we will be passing on to these girls, but also what they will be teaching us in their attitudes, their spirit, and their faith.

Thank you again for making our dreams a reality.

Swazi Livin'

Plumerias!


Bhuti wami (host brother) taking an afternoon nap in the latrine.




Fires!



Burning the fields in preparation for planting maize!



Make (Host Mother) controlling the fire.



Sunset on my homestead!

Umsheko- My Constant Companion

Up until July 2011 I’ve been as healthy as a horse. I prided myself on my stomach of steel. While others were having irritable bowel movements, got sick from drinking water or uncooked food and spent countless nights hugging their buckets and latrines, I’d be fine. Even including eating bloody chicken which my host family had made me my first time on the homestead, or the incredibly disgusting dirt dam where the animals go to cool off and I get my water from… For 1 whole year I hadn’t been sick once. Then in July right before my surf trip to Jbay, I got really sick. I’d done nothing out of the ordinary but I couldn’t stop vomiting and using the bathroom. After 2 hours of non-stop projection I called my Medical Officer (MO). Here’s how it went.

MO: “Oh hey Shauna! How are you doin?”
Me: “Hi. Not too well. I’ve had umsheko (diarrhea) since last night and I’ve started vomiting this morning- about 2 hours ago.”
MO: “Well, have you been taking ORS?” (Oral Rehydration Salts)
Me: “Religiously”
MO: “Ok. Well keep taking it and call me back in 2 hours. We’ll see if it stops.”
Me: ….pause….. “….ok….” (Thinking this has to be a bad idea)

2 hours later, the projectile vomiting and umsheko has not ceased but in fact has gotten worse and I’ve proceeded to hug my bucket (the toilet of my hut). I call the Peace Corps Medical Officer.

MO: “Hey Shauna- any better?”
Me: “No. Worse. Can’t hold anything in.”
MO: “Ok, hold tight. We’ll send a driver to pick you up.”
Me: “Thank you!”
MO: “In the meantime, take a sip of ORS every couple of minutes even if you throw up afterwards.”
Me: “Ok. Thanks. Will do.”

3 hours later. I call the MO.

MO: “Shauna…” (I detect a hint of forgetfulness in the voice)
Me: “hi.”
MO: “Transport will be on its way. Let me contact a driver and get back to you.”

I curled up in my bed, hurting and unable to move much with my bucket, plastic bags, and ORS. Somewhere between 2-3 hours later a driver came to my door. It was nighttime when I was admitted into the Mbabane Clinic- Swaziland’s “best” hospital. Though my MO potentially forgot about me in the midst of G7 COS medical exams, they went above and beyond staying into the late hours of the night to make sure the nurses gave me the proper meds, shots, and hooked me up to an IV. My MO, ACD (Assistant Country Director), Programming Director, and 2 friends stopped by in the next couple of days there to check up on me. One only stopped by to collect money I owed her. True friends.

We never found out why I was so sick and it escaped my mind until Saturday night, October 15, 2011. I woke up at 2am to stabbing stomach pains. I took my knife, flashlight, and TP as usual. (knife because there have been rumors about killers/rapists on the loose in my community and as The Ninja -our Safety and Security Officer- says “Stay Vigilant”!) Out in the latrine I began getting cold and the pain was unbearable. I started getting lightheaded. The next thing I know I was waking up to stomach pains curled on the ground around the toilet, one arm extended out under the door of my 4’x4’ silver bullet pit-latrine. It took me a few seconds to place where I was. I had fainted and I’m not entirely sure how long I was passed out on the floor. AWESOME. The umsheko eventually stopped after a week and I returned to somewhat normal health. “Somewhat normal” meaning I get umsheko on and off fairly regularly since this episode.

Fast forward to December 12, 2011: Umsheko, my seemingly constant companion returned after a short break. On December 14, I threw up, then on December 15 I had the full deal- body pains, joint aches, stomach pains, and hot/cold sweats. That night I reached a temperature of 101.7F. I called my MO and was talked through it. The next morning I woke up to a 100F fever. Once it reduced I left my community to get medical attention in town. I ended up waiting the normal 2 hours for transport out of my village, which only seems like death when you’re sick, are sitting under a tree trying desperately to escape the African heat, and have to repeatedly explain to everyone why you look absolutely terrible. The typical conversation:

Person: “Sawubona Thulie! Unjani?” (Hello, How are you?)
Me: “I am sick.”
Person: “Shame! What’s wrong?”
Me: “Please don’t ask.”
Person: “What is wrong?”
Me: “I am sick.”
Person: “Where are you going?”
Me: “To see my doctor.”
Person: “You should go to our clinic. Hlobes can help you.”
Me: “ I am not allowed. I have to see my doctor. I’m sorry, I do not want to talk right now.”
Person: “Ok. Bring back sweets for me?”
Me: “ugh…”

For 2 hours.

I finally make it into town, get meds, blood tests and put up in a backpackers. Excited to watch t.v., have a real toilet, and get some sleep, I find out it’s the going away party of a girl who worked there for 3 months. They partied all night and were annoyingly loud, interrupting and terrible all night. Definitely not the place to stay when you are sick. A few days later I’m back in the office for work and I start feeling hot and out of it. I ask for meds and to take my temperature. It’s in Celcius so I ask if it’s high.

Assistant MO: “It’s a little on the high side. Take these and it’ll be fine.”

I go to the computers to convert the temperature- 101F. Mmmhmm.

On the bright side, it’s been over 2 weeks and I haven’t been sick yet! Let’s hope 2012 brings health!!

Home, Soul Surfer, and Pipe Masters

“I knew I’d see Kelly. I called it.”
“Poor girl! Missing the Pipe Masters ;-)”
“So, good news is I camped on the beach, watched the eclipse, and saw Slater get his ass kicked…”

Facebook status’, messages and comments were blowing up my newsfeed and wall, all of which revolved around the Pipe Masters 2011. Pipe Masters is an annual surf competition held on the North Shore, Oahu, Hawai’i, and is part of the ASP Men’s world Tour. Friends both near and far reminded me that I could not soak in the rays of the warm sun, sink into the white sandy beaches, glide to and fro with the ever changing motion of the ocean, and hear the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore.

It was Saturday, December 10, 2011 and I had just returned to my hut after waving goodbye and watching my friends cross the Lomahasha border to enjoy a week in the beautiful crystal clear, warm waters of the Indian Ocean in Tofo, Mozambique. Homesick I did the only thing I can in such circumstances, turn on a surf movie and wallow in my misery. The movie of choice: Soul Surfer.

Soul Surfer is a story about Bethany Hamilton, a teenage girl on Kauai who lost an arm in a shark attack and follows her emotional, physical, and spiritual journey to fulfilling her dream and becoming a professional surfer. It’s a terrible movie choice for a girl LONGING to be reunited with the ocean. As soon as the movie began I started bawling uncontrollably like a big baby. Following the shark attack scene where I was gasping and had to pause the movie in order to wipe my eyes clear and see the screen, a friend called trying to finalize party plans. I successfully turned my crying voice into a sick voice. Definitely better acting than in the movie. But that is neither here nor there. I proceeded to watch the movie twice along with Brokedown Melody and Surfwise. After spending the entire afternoon crying my heart out, a peace overcame me. A peace from knowing I’ll be reunited with the sea soon enough.

Bethany says something in the beginning of the movie that I loved. She says, “Most people think of home as 4 walls. I think of it as the ocean.” I could not relate more. When I explain to people that my homesickness is not necessarily about my house, family, friends or a specific place but rather about the ocean, I usually get strange looks and the response, “what?!” Most people can’t relate and therefore don’t understand. Especially here in Swaziland, a landlocked country where the ocean in and of itself is an abstract concept. So what does it mean to me? It means love, life, happiness, wonder, mystery, respect, and an understanding and appreciation of something greater than us- God. It means the countless weekends spent surfing, playing and growing up at Puamana, camping on the beach with friends, surfing before, after and the occasional during school, BBQs, boating, swimming with dolphins, honus, humpback whales and sharks, family bonding, friendships strengthening and never missing an opportunity. The ocean was the place I’d go to clear my head, think, and gain perspective. The ocean is my home and I never feel more at peace than when I’m dancing with the sea.

So in my troubled days when all I do is dream of the ocean, I remember home is never too far away. No matter if it’s through a movie, across Mozambique, drive through South Africa, or a flight half way across the world, I will find peace where the land meets the sea.