Hi all -- Christine and I spent a wonderful afternoon at an orphanage in the northeast of Swaziland last Saturday. One of the best things about Swaziland is that it is easy to meet people. Everyone, Swazis and ex-pats alike, are friendly and willing to talk. One day I went to the Mountain Inn, in search of a good Internet connection. This gal Margie was also there and we started talking (Americans gravitate towards each other). Turns out, she is from San Diego and was a social worker. She is a Christian, and was called to Swaziland two years ago and has been here since. She found this orphanage, and has participated in its growth. Today the orphanage has reached its maximum size, with about 50 children -- babies, toddlers, youngsters and teenagers. As Margie explained it, the folks who run the orphanage, Kallie and Charmain Coertzen, started with nothing. They do not ask for anything (monetary donations or otherwise), but things come their way. As many Christians believe, these things happen because God is watching out for them and helping
them.This little orphanage grew, in the past few years, mostly due to the HIV/AIDS deaths, and some of the children are HIV positive. But, though they have added new buildings, and continue to work the land, there remains a family atmosphere. Margie believes, probably quite rightly, that very few orphanages can compare to the standards of health and loving care shown to these children.
Margie herself is in the process of adopting a 4-year old Swazi boy, though the baby she holds in the first
photo is Angelique. She came to the orphanage undernourished and still shows some signs of slow development. But, the "little angel" has made great progress. Margie is her primary caregiver. The magogo in the last picture is cooking a big pot of pap (or papish), which is the staple food of Swaziland. It is a very finely ground maize, which is boiled and stirred. If Swazis have money, they will have a piece of meat with pap, such a chicken livers, or beef. Pap is very plain, but makes an excellent accompanient to dishes. I eat it everyday because I love the taste and texture. Swazis eat it because of the taste, and the healthiness of it, but also because it is very inexpensive. A large helping of pap costs about 20 cents in American money.
4 comments:
I'm not big on "cereal" of any kind but the pap is probably quite like hominy grits which are very popular in our south and of course, the old winter standby, hot oatmeal. Do the Swazi add anything to flavor it, like salt and pepper or perhaps sugar to sweeten it?
Sandy Mac
When you were visiting your friend's homestead, you mentioned the magogo's house. Why is it round? Just like here, going to "grandma's house" has special meaning for all children.
Sandy Mac
I'd love some papish. It looks good in the pot anyways. A word about the housing too...you said they're like cement with coverings, does that help keep the inside cool in the summer? I know in Puerto Rico they use cement houses and it's supposed to be nice in the summer.
1Ah, the curious Macaluso family! Always with the excellent questions. As for pap, no, as far as I know it is never sweetened. It serves more as a base for stews, chicken broths, chicken liver broth, vegetable stew, etc...last weekend my friend Twana (remember pic of her in her ranger gear?) made boiled chicken (she bought live chickens, did them in, plucked and boiled them) with pap and red beets and onions. It was delicious to have the pap covered in chicken broth. Also, Swazis still eat with their hands -- even pap -- so, as you can imagine, it is my kind of place!
The magogos house is round, because that is the oldest style of Swazi hut/house. All Swazis lived in "bee hive huts" until fairly recently (last 50 years or so). Today, the beehive huts are used more for special occasions, rather than daily use. While the exterior was originally sticks and tatched roofs, the floor was made out of cow dung that was wet down and spread. I was at a traditional beehive hut on a day when this was being done. The floor becomes very smooth and hard.
And, I don't think traditional huts are cool in summer, since there is no insulation. Even my office is getting too hot -- and it is still spring here. Maybe Puerto Rico has a nice sea breeze to help!
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