My Life and Times: Gogos of Swaziland

I forget , I forget.....the days and times when I gave thanks for....

A Grain of Rice,

A Drop of Water (Clean)

A Pair of shoes

A abode to Live

A Mother to Care

A friend to share.

Philosophy of my forgetting.....They are common things

Dear Friend,

Once my Geography teacher, asked a half question on the way of describing Africa “Why Africa is called So....? Subin. ” “Miss Sorry”... “Why Africa is called Dark Continent”... “Africa is called Dark Continent because most of the people are Black in color.”I answered so confidently and that makes a class of 65 pupils laughed at me..

I recently came to know a land in Africa which i had never learned in my Geography classes or i didn’t see her in the map of football nor did I hear her Music(Africa)!Swaziland; Like every other country she had her own stories ......

The Kingdom of Swaziland (Umbuso weSwatini) is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south, and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique. The nation, as well as its people, are named after the 19th century king Mswati II. The head of state is the king or Ngwenyama (lit. Lion), currently King Mswati III, who ascended to the throne in 1986 after the death of his father King Sobhuza II in 1982 and a period of regency. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother or a ritual substitute, the Ndlovukati (lit. She-Elephant). Swaziland's economy is dominated by services industry, agriculture and subsistence farming. The most common religion in Swaziland is Christianity which totals 82.70% of the total population, in which various Protestant and indigenous African churches, including African Zionist, constitute the majority of the Christians, followed closely by Roman Catholicism.

Traditional Houses in Swaziland

But Swaziland have another haunting story to tell...About a disease which have taken their hope to survive; AIDS.42 % of the total population is infected by the HIV; Majority of the youths are bed ridden by the this acute crisis...Statistics shows;56% of women who are between 25-29 are held by the hands of this octopus...11% of the family is headed by children...By the absence of the youth in the family, Families are leading to utter poverty. How an underdeveloped nation can grow without the energy and passions of the Young heros. Who will look after their Old men and women; Who will guide their children. Each morning they are waking up with a big Question marks in Life..Each day the death rate of children are increasing due to famine, waterborne diseases, Aids and so on..Corridors& verandhas of Hospitals(a few in number) are occupied by the Swazis(No difference of Age).Pictures are horrible and deeply shaking..

Now Grandmother’s (Gogo) of Swaziland are courageously taking the responsibilities of the families due to the unhealthy middle aged swazi’s. They are taking care of the orphan kids, who are not only from their family but from the neighbourhood too. In this old age they are walking back to fields with their spade for their Grandchildren. They are working in the soil to fill their belly. They often forget their pains and aches to bring up them...Even they are recollecting the good old stories which are faded from their memories to share with the kids... When they are getting ,

A Grain of Rice,

A Drop of Water (Clean)

A Pair of shoes

A abode to Live

Then She began to pray: “Siyabonga, Siyabonga, Siyabonga”

(“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.” )

Gogo and Orphans

The real happenings in Swaziland were told by the doctors of Good shepherd Hospital, Siteki which gave the depth of the problems. Dr.Maithri, My friend, A compassionate doctor and moreover Man with a Jesus complex from Australia is bringing the stories infront of the world. He drawn their pathetic life through his beautiful blog and urging that World is in need.You know, Our Universe is beautifully responding to his pleas and projects. Angels like Kathleen Hartmann and Sister Mauleen Maccarthy are doing an unparalleling work in that part of Africa through the Home based care units. They often visit their homes and listen to their necessities. Finally comes up with beautiful project which would better their lifestyles. They are really changing their lives morally and physically. Now a days they are worried about the women and girls who were walking miles to collect water; even it is full of mud. Now they are going to construct a bore well to supply clean water .They believe it will help a community of 3000 peoples in membane.. They are setting examples by their sacrificial lives.