Swaziland Sign...

At the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Just wanted to share this sign with folk. My little sister went to Paris this Summer and took a picture of this sign for Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland about 20 minutes away from my office in Manzini.

Small small world.

Stories

Stories. I have lots of little stories, random things that happen during the day, small incidences that build upon each other and before I realise it, together they have created a greater understanding of the world I am living in.

Take last week. I had a detailed work plan for the week, a host of trial cases which I was to follow. The aim for the week was to test the M & E form that I have drafted and begin the baseline studies on the procedural aspects of trial cases at the Magistrates Court. I discovered on Monday morning that the chief magistrate was in Singapore for training, so no trials were happening that week.

I sat outside the court house, gathering my thoughts before going back to the office. A young woman was next to me with her daughter, completing some forms. Her daughers name was Letta, a toddler who enjoyed nothing more then sprinting away from her mum towards the car park. After asking how the woman was doing, Sebe asked for some help completing the forms. They were applications for passports for herself and Letta. The entire document was in English and Sebe was embarrassed to say that she was not ‘educated enough to fill them in.’ The forms required details on her next of kin, and a signature from an authority figure to declare they knew her. Of course I completed the forms in full, requiring a Swazi to complete technical English forms without any guidance is absurd.

Walking to the edge of the car park I told Sebe where I worked and Sebe replied, ‘when I need help, I will come to you at SWAGAA.’ Sure enough she came on Saturday morning looking for me, and was told to come back on Monday morning to speak with me. She wanted to tell her story: one of poverty, abuse, struggling to support her daughter and relying on the hands that abuse her to get by. Sebe needs a job.

And someone to listen to her.

She didn’t want to speak to a counselor on Monday, but the counselors here at work reassure me it takes time. This young 22 yr old has reached out to me three times, and I hope that she comes back, tells me how the job hunt went.

Prayers

There was a horrific storm on Saturday night. An awesome storm, in the Ulysses use of the word awesome. It was blowing a gail and the rain was falling so thick that one could not see more then a few metres in front of themselves. I did not go out. Instead I went to bed saying a prayer for someone, I could feel that it was a bad night.

I woke up at half 5 with a phone call from a dear friend whose brother had died in that storm.

I don't really have an observation or Swazi social commentary for this one. Death is a real thing here. My Swazi family and friends make comments about the Swazi national work being the need to attend funerals on the weekend. It is a lesson for me. Most notably in the ability to connect with people, cultural boundaries are not so big when there is a need for them not to exist. I will do what I can to support, knowing that I come into the situation not dealing with numerous bereavements of my own. Perhaps it helps. I am just posting this to ask for prayers.

The Privilege of Information

Freely available information in the name of education is key to progress. I have repeatedly had that reconfirmed to me while working here. Most recently the importance of information was confirmed at the second referral meeting held last week. To refresh; a referral meeting is a chance for all the partners who assist survivors of abuse (such as the police, NGOs, medical professionals, lawyers, etc.) to discuss challenges and successes for the prior two months.

One key partner, a police officer in the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences unit, informed the group that the crime of rape can only be established if the female victim was a virgin at the time of the attack. This, he explained, was because there was no way for the doctors to ascertain whether the rape had in fact occured.

These comments were drawing nods of interest from listeners. Whilst listening I was weighing up the importance of ensuring that I was respectful towards my Swazi counterparts & did not embarrass my SWAGAA employees, with the need to explain in no uncertain terms that the information being shared was false.

I had to speak out and clarify for the group what the laws on rape and evidence are in Swaziland. In a way I was in a position of responsibility to do so; after almost two months of trying I managed to get a handle of case law from the High Court of Swaziland. In fact, the case law shows that the laws pertaining to rape are far more sensitive to the needs of rape survivors then was being shared with the group. Likewise the medical professionals are far more advanced then he would have led the group to believe. Bottom line in no way does an individual have to be a virgin in order to have her rapist convicted.

The miss-information about the law, even in circles that deal with rape crimes every day, is a direct result of lack of information. It took me weeks, repeated phone calls and a few wasted trips to Mbabane before I could get the information from very helpful but over-worked prosecutors. There is not even a textbook on Swazi Criminal Law.

Which would be a great project for someone to undertake.
Don't know who, I am just saying....

Babies and Tazzering

Yet more delays between posts (that is the line that I seem to be opening my diary entries with most often these days also). But new month, time to turn over a new leaf.

Friday night was a big one. Sitting sweltering hot in the office all day, leads one to go to the local hotel pub, sitting in the outside bar having a white wine spritzer (I've been listening to too much Lily Allen). Later in the night we ended up at 'Tinkers,' an outdoor nightclub. Which completely lives up to the Scottish understanding of the name- Tinkers is not the classiest club and it comes to a certain time of night when one has to clear out. That time came on Friday night when a man runs towards the exit gates with some women running after him, the man just managed to get through the exit when the guard caught up with him and began practicing his tazzering skills.

Driving through the back streets of Ngwane Park, we see a woman with her back to the road, sitting in a red satin negligee. We get out to see what is happening, her hair is disheveled and her face looks a little messed up, though i can not tell if these are old or new scars. The woman tells us that she has just had a baby. Just then a man comes stumbling up the road with a blanket for them both, they had been waiting outside for 30 minutes for the ambulance to come. Its a huge blessing that no one attempted to cut the umbilical cord. As we drive towards the main road, gooey baby girl with her small cries, mother and confused father in the back seat, we passed the ambulance, but didn't stop and drove straight to RFM hospital.

The attendants said Mother and baby were both going to be OK. While in the hallway waiting for confirmation of this, before heading home, my friend started telling the father that, 'you know, you musn't be scared. Women are strong, it's amazing. That is why you must respect women always.' To which the new father replied, 'yeah, thanks. I think I am going to go and have another drink now.' I am happy to say that the male nurse shut down this notion pretty quickly, basically ordering the father to remain and check up his new baby.

I don't know what had happened between the parents. My friend and I have our assumptions, perhaps I am projecting my knowledge of life in Swaziland onto these two people. The enormity of the situation; the small blessing that no one attempted to cut the umbilical cord; that the birth was straight forward; that maybe that gentleman has taken in a few words of respect for women that he will pass onto the mother of his child and that those words of respect will then permeate into every aspect of the girls life; that I had the opportunity to meet such a young female life with all the possibilities and challenges that girls face, before her. These thoughts have been with me since Friday night, and yet my host Make (mum) was not surprised at the whole situation. Simply commenting that it was nice of us to take them to the hospital.