Spring Rains, Lively Spirits at Esigangeni! by Melody Rockwell

Swaziland Safe Water Project -- sponsored by substantial grants from the Episcopal Church United Thank Offering Gift and Trust Fund and Episcopal Waters of Hope with generous donations from the Iowa Safe Water International Ministries and the Diocese of Iowa, parishes and individuals...

Misty valleys, cold drizzling rains greeted the Swaziland Safe Water Ministry team as it headed out on its first mission, September 28, 2009. The 10-passenger van was packed full. The windows steamed up. We bumped along dirt roads west from Mbabane to Esigangeni Primary School. Through the foggy van windows, we saw huge rock outcroppings like giant hippos partially submerged in a greening river of hillsides.

Damp cold chilled all who waited for us in Fr. Charles' Kunene's parish, but the team was warmly welcomed though almost an hour late in arriving. Early into the session, we discovered that we were actually one year late! The people of Esigangeni had waited for two hours last year for the Iowans to arrive and then were told that the 2008 mission team had gone elsewhere. When we were late arriving yesterday, the group began to despair that they were to be passed by once again. Miracle of cell phones: they called Mbabane & learned that we had left the Thokoza Center and were on our way!

Irene Skhosana, President of the Mothers Union, Diocese of Swaziland, embraced each of us as we emerged from the van into a swirl of students in maroon and navy uniforms. We were ushered into a church and introduced to about twenty parishioners, who were active participants in HIV/AIDS outreach, Mothers Union and youth programs. We were impressed by the intentional guidance of the older women to recruit young men and women into leadership roles, including the chlorination program. We are thankful to Alfred Sipho Dlamini for the way in which he skillfully and respectfully led this introductory phase of the session.

Irene told us how excited and thankful they were to have us finally come to them with a chlorinator. The people of Esigangeni explained that they had been waiting for over ten years for a promised water system to be installed. There are some wells in the area, but most of the people rely on river water. Diarrhea is a chronic problem. They know that the water they drink is not safe and many try to treat their water with bleach. Some use water guard tablets, which are expensive and not affordable for the general public, and when they cannot get the bleach or tablets, they are forced to drink dirty water. This community realized they have a problem with their water and wanted to do something about it.

The first time out, the new trainees hit a homerun in delivery of their message. Most of the discussion was in Saswati, so we Iowans could not make head or tails of what was being said, but knew from the active, respectful discussion that questions were being asked and well-answered. At one point, Greg Stout, one of the trainers said, "I feel very good right now. I feel that I'm not needed." Yes, I agreed. It was obvious that the archdeaconry trainees (Jabu, Nothemba, Mthunzi & Dumsane) were making the case not only for how the chlorinator works, but how it can be effectively used after the team had gone back to Mbabane. And this time it was different from the Iowa chlorinator demonstrations and presentations, because the Esigangeni community will have members of a Swazi team they can call on if they run into any difficulty using the chlorinator later on. Yebo!

In turn, the Swaziland Safe Water Ministry team members were impressed with the church members plan of action: the Mothers Union will organize and teach the young people how to chlorinate their water, and designated a young woman to be the coordinator. All the girls, the homemakers and future homemakers in the community, will be involved in this program. They also intend that the whole community benefit from the chlorinator's use, not just the Anglicans. The group also had immediate plans to demonstrate the chlorinator at a Mothers Union meeting this coming Thursday, a youth meeting on Saturday, and a Health Motivators meeting on Monday. Yebo! Yebo!

Today, we head for St. Matthias... Rev. Orma Mavimbela's parish. More postings soon!