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After three days in Joburg it was time to move on and get on with our Swaziland adventure. Our minivan was expensive but safe. Many people tell us to not take the combi vans for long distances so the only other alternative was to catch the expensive minibus 500R - $70 for a 5 hour journey.
We had to wait at the border leaving South Africa as one of the other passengers had picked up his wife's passport instead of his own when he by mistake. His own passport was back in Cape Town (a 5 hour ride and two hour plane away!) Eventually through much persuasion by some of the other women passengers, the border police decided to permit him exit and re-entry. His daughter was anxiously waiting for him across the border in Swaziland, and unfortunately we had to leave him waiting for his temporary documentation to be sorted. We later found out that he did get through safely.
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| Michelle with Rachael, Allana, and kids at the orphanage |
Since we arrived late, and couldn't get in touch with our friends at the orphanage and the backpackers, and the taxi driver had no idea where the hostel was, we eventually got a ride to Manzini with a lady from our bus, and she invited us to stay with her for the night. Angela was our rescuer. She had a spare room and together we assembled a delicious late evening meal. The next morning we finally, we got in touch with our friends from the orphanage, and Angela actually drove us all the way there - super nice!! Here we were our first night in Swaziland and we had already encountered Ubuntu yet again! How great was that!
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| Lunch Line |
For the next nine consecutive days we worked solidly at the New Hope Centre orphanage getting a ride with Sergio the hostel owner every morning at 7.30 and getting back every evening before dark at around 6pm. The kids were so much fun. Some took to us more than others and wanted to play with us or just to be around us. There were some interesting characters for sure! Many come from tragic backgrounds, many are still recovering. For some you would never know that they had been left for dead under trees or seriously abused by members of their family. The New Hope Centre was doing what it was supposed to - giving children the chance for a better life.
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| Pentecost Celebration |
Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in Africa - between 40% and 50%. The population of Swaziland is 850,000 people (it used to be 950,000), and about 200,000 of those are estimated to be orphaned children. Those numbers are really shocking and it's only just recently that Swaziland has come out of denial and admitting it has a problem with the HIV! As for the children they are left to fend for themselves or live with family members who abuse them. They lead pretty miserable lives. At New Hope there are 49 children that have better lives and given the hope that their futures can be different.
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| Martin with Titus and Hepsipa |
When the kids were in school, Martin and I did all sorts of projects such as painting buildings, organising camping gear, first aid medical supplies and the director's offices. The orphanage was hard, but rewarding work and we would come home exhausted every night.
As for where we stayed - Swaziland Backpackers, it was one of our most favourite places so far. The owners, Sergio and Paula, were just taking on the running of the place since there manager left a week before and they made us feel so welcome and part of their family. Every night Paula would cook some amazingly delicious food with a huge variety of dishes. It was so wonderful to have home cooked food every night amongst Sergio and Paula and the other guests. The nights were getting colder (it's winter here) and we would keep warm around the camp fire before heading to our tent. * Mush
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