E-mailed from Swaziland, by Tamsin Smith
When a child in Swaziland is orphaned by AIDS, community leaders step in to help, setting aside land and forming KaGogo (“Granny”) Centers. There are about 300 such places in Swaziland. We visited the Esitjeni KaGogo Center on Friday, where 20 women care for some of the country’s 70,000 AIDS orphans.
Ms. Inkhosikati LaMtsetfwa is the granny in charge. She is unforgettable. Within five minutes of our arrival, she had Christy carrying a huge bucket of beans in from an outdoor fire pit to feed to the kids. She and a few other women then taught Christy and me how to perform a Swazi dance… or tried to, at least in my case! The grace of Swazi moms and grannies was revealed to us in many other ways as well.
Inkhosikati took us to her homestead, an extensive network of beautiful thatched circular mud structures, the largest of which is the Indhlunkhulu or Big House. The Big House is a special room that signifies the idea of community support and love, where no child is abandoned and no one is first in line. All are equal under the roof of the Big House.,,
The children at this granny’s center lack for nearly everything – clothes, toys, food and, of course, family. But they have a place to be with one another and a network of care.
AIDS has crushed this generation of kids in Swaziland. The children sang songs about this killer disease. Antiretroviral medicine, which costs just $140 per year, could have saved their sick parents. The (RED) money flowing into Swaziland through the Global Fund – and thanks to (RED) shoppers and partners – is filling this void and more, in a way extending the roof of the Big House to cover all the people in this amazing country.
On our last evening in town, we walked by some kiosks where local artisans sell sculptures and traditional fabrics. It was dusk, as a young man said hello, encouraging us to come back tomorrow morning when there would be more light to look around his shop. He was on his way to sing with a choir in a nearby hotel. We went to hear him sing – chorus groupies! We introduced ourselves and asked his name. “Comfortable,” he said with a smile, “because I am always Comfortable.” This is an easy place to love. And a hard one to leave.
Hamba Kahle – Go Softly, Tamsin
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2 comments:
Tamsin, what more can I say that I haven't already said to you and Christy in these posts?
Both of you have beautifully described your experiences in Swaziland and of how these experiences will shape your future activities for the people of Swaziland through (RED).
You have both very effectively brought us a real glimpse into the daily lives of the heroic people that you have met and of why it's SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUY (RED)!!
Ultimately, it's the people to people connection that we make with each other that will make our movement to end AIDS and extreme poverty a success.
You, Christy and Julie have all helped to draw us closer to each other and I am very grateful for that. ~
I found the ending of your post to be very effective in expressing what was in your heart:
"This is an easy place to love. And a hard one to leave.
Hamba Kahle – Go Softly, Tamsin"
Please remember that those we love are always with us, Tamsin, for we carry them in our hearts wherever we go.
As I carry the three of you, all the folks at (RED) and the People of Africa in my Heart wherever I go.
Take very good and gentle care of each other. Blessings will surround you and yours always.
ALWAYS (RED) AT HEART, debbie :)
(austin tx)
thanx tamsin for this. nothing like walking in and being put straight to work. grandmothers have that capacity anywhere in the world.
in this world of want, to bear a name as beautiful as Comfortable must be awesome. so often these sweet african people seem to emulate virtues in the midst of the rubble of their lives, even in the littlest ones who's lives are valued in these Big Houses. surely as Bono has often said, God is with the extreme poor.
Sounds like you're getting a glimpse of heaven. i'm happy for you.
stay safe, stay close, go softly, and tamsin i bet you can dance!
sammi =)
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