Sanibonani!
According to my usual methods, I have procrastinated until the very last minute in setting up this blog, so it will be a little light on details. In short, in just under three days, I will be heading to Swaziland in Southern Africa, where I will live for the next 26 months as a Peace Corps HIV/AIDS volunteer.
The past few weeks here have been wonderful and overwhelming - I've spent time with my family, celebrated my youngest nephew's first birthday, seen one of my closest friends get married, visited with friends I see far too infrequently. I'm aware every day how fortunate I am to have so many wonderful, amazing people in my life. Which, of course, makes it much, much harder to leave for the next two years.
Ultimately, however, I'm more excited than I can explain about this next part of my life. I want to list all of the info about Swaziland that I've accumulated over the past few months for you, but, as stated above, I'm running short on time and still have lots to do before heading to staging on Tuesday afternoon. But, the beauty of modern technology means all you have to do is type "Swaziland" into your favorite search engine, and off you go! You'll find out pretty quickly that Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV in the world at approximately 26%, with recent statistics indicating that over 50% of pregnant women are infected. You'll find that laws still exist and are enforced that make it illegal for women to own property, despite the fact that these laws are unconstitutional according to the Swazi Constitution adopted in 2005. You'll find that Swaziland is the last true monarchy in Africa, with a king who not only reigns, but rules - and that political parties are illegal.
You'll also find a vibrant, beautiful and ancient culture, with passionate activists and artists, strong family bonds and amazing strength in the face of terrible poverty and disease. Although I'm sure the next couple of years will present their share, and more, of challenges, I can't wait until Swaziland becomes more than just words on a page, and I hope to use this blog to bring some of my experiences to you. I don't know yet what internet access will be like, so I don't know how often I'll be able to post updates, but I'll do my best.
In case you're interested, here's my mailing address for the first few months. If and when it changes, I'll let you know:
PCV/Catherine Reilly
Peace Corps Swaziland
Box 2797
Mbabane H100
Swaziland
AFRICA*
*Just an FYI, making "Africa" large and visible is very important, as it is apparently very common for packages to be sent to Switzerland instead of Swaziland. Oh, US Postal Service - what am I gonna do with you...
