hello mum

you will be pleased to know when i flew back from manzini to jo'burg yesterday the total luggage for red bag and suitcase was 19kg! a big decrease from 33kg huh!
mine was less than dads!

its warm here - 27 degrees. I was freezing cold up at Hawane when it was 20... what is wrong with me, if it was 20 at home I'd be in shorts...

bought vuvzelas today for about £3, not bad! so ste can make some noise when we come back!

we might go to zulu land, drankensburg and lesotho next week!


hope you are fine

love

Pictures from pre school...

The Last Week...

Sanibonani!

Ninjani?

I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. I am leaving Swaziland on Thursday. Then off to South Africa with my dad :-)

So much has happened, and I have met so many amazing and inspirational people. It will be hard leaving. The girls at the farm threw me a leaving party last night and invited a load of people which was pretty awesome.

Bye Bye

Mountain Walk Pictures

Sanibonani!

Sanibonani!

Ninjani?

I am getting the phrases slowly!

Thank you for all your comments, it is really encouraging to read them especially after a difficult day :-)

Salakahle!!

Katherine xxx

3 hour mountain walk..more pictures coming

Saturday morning, took the children on a 3 and half hour walk up the mountains and it was a killer!! Here are some of the photos..

Pictures...

End of the week...

Well this week has certainly been interesting…

Monday I was at pre school, and we all had a lot of fun using the play dough! The cost of play dough is too expensive for the pre school so they make their own and use food dye to change the colour. Quite clever really, and much more cost efficient.

Monday afternoon I was in the containers with one of the Makes, and a girl in my class called Zodwa, looking for clothes and shoes. After an hour and a half climbing over boxes and plastic bags inside a hot container we found nothing. Zodwa needed tackies as her other ones were too small, so I gave her my trainers I brought here. She needed them more than me. I was taken aback by her gratefulness, and it made me think back to when I bought them. In my mind they were just Nike trainers. They weren’t particularly expensive by UK prices, yet I still took them for granted as a necessity for the gym. Zodwa was quite happy to wear shoes that were falling apart, had no laces and were too small.

Tuesday morning I was in church for a while doing some emails, and when I went back to the farm it was time to make shortbread biscuits for cell. Everyone had to make a dish of some kind, so we had a tonne of food! I led cell tonight so I had to prepare for that, then do keep fit with the girls.

Since I’ve been here I have met numerous people with stage 4, full blown Aids. I noticed the other day how accustomed I’ve become to meeting people with HIV/Aids. Sadly, it doesn’t shock me anymore, the problem is so widespread.

Wednesday, we went to the hospital to do visits to the men’s ward and children’s ward, and to say it was horrible/awful is an understatement. I met some children who had been in horrific car accidents and had brain damage that were given 2 paracetamol. The disabled children were just put in the workers kitchen at the end of the ward. The children in wheelchairs were tied up, and left. When I prayed for the children I just cried.

Friday today,and its youth at Potters Wheel and me and Musa are doing worship...I somehow got myself put forward for singing...

Weekly Update

Sawubona guys!

This week has been so busy! Monday- Wednesday was pre school, and Thursday and Friday was homeschool. Tuesdays I now help run library club, and on Weds and Thurs I do homework clubs at the houses.

Thursday afternoon I went into the community and we set up for the clinic, not too far from Hawane. The clinic went well and was packed as per usual. Afterwards we went on a home visit, to visit a 30 year old man who had been bed bound for over a month, he hadn't moved from his mat on the floor. The man had full blown Aids, stage 4, and also had Meningitis. It was suspected that he had numerous other diseases too. Jane and Jude the two nurses decided that we had to take him to hospital. It took him so long to stand up I thought we might all have to carry him. He looked awful, skeletal and so thin. I was asked to pray for him and his eyes kept rolling, they couldn't focus on me which was really sad to watch.

His homestead was one of the smallest I have seen, it had 1 tiny bedroom with his mat on the floor and 1 other bed to sleep 6/7 children, as well as the man and his mother. The other room was the entrance to the homestead and can have been no more than 2m by 2m. It was used as the store room, kitchen and living area, and was so smoky!

We took him to hospital, which looked like a prison. It was appauling and the wards were horrible.

Two other girls from the U.S arrived on Friday, and I think they were tired because they slept for a long time!

Youth was really good on friday, the kids really enjoyed themselves.

On Saturday we all got the combi into Mbabne which was an experience! It was packed out! One of the girls had to sit next to goats on the way back! Trying to get the shopping in on that was difficult!

We all went to the CLC church up the road from the farm this morning and we were the only white people in the church! We had to stand up and introduce ourselves! I loved it! Everyone sings and dances to the Siswati songs! It is a real African Gospel church, and it was really good to see people I've met in the community there and children who go to the pre school.

I am Potter's Wheel church now, the evening service starts at 5pm, so in 10mins. We got the bus then a combi down here and it was packed again.

I am off, pictures tomorrow!

Bye Bye