Celebration update

I am not sure how to write this blog about the 40/40 celebrations. (And maybe that is why I have not done it sooner.) But let me start by saying that I was excited to be there. There were thousands of people. Many were dressed in their traditional wear; which means that there were many girls without tops. (The D-team girls decided that we were not going to wear our traditional attires; we will leave it for the more cultural events. But we always keep the top part ofour bodies covered!)                                                                                           

As Jumbo was dropping me off in the middle of a crowd of people (I had to wait for Musa to come and meet me; Jumbo wasn’t willing to leave me all by myself surrounded by drunk Swazi men … yes, the beers were flowing freely), I told him, “I feel like this is what I am made for. To be surrounded by the local people, to be part of their culture (but not to conform to it) and to be part of their lives.” I can’t sit at home while half of Swaziland is at one of the biggest celebrations in the history of Swaziland! I have to be there!

Unfortunately I arrived a little bit too late! I could get into the stadium after standing in a long line for a while, but there was no way to get a seat once inside. There were just too many people! It was crazy! I couldn’t even get close enough to get a good look of what was going on! I had a glimpse of the field just once. I even took a picture of the king, the queen Mother and some of the other important people sitting down.

Some of the things that happened during the celebration:

• The king made a lap (in his car) around the field to wave at everyone. (I missed this, but the D-team was there and they got the picture!)
• The president of Zimbabwe was there, his arrival was announced and everybody cheered for him. (What in the world is up with that????!!!!!)
• The king honored the men who played a big part in Swaziland getting its independence from Britain.
• Lots of cultural dances, parades, school choirs singing, etc.
•  The king made a speech; he said things like … it can only get better from now on … education should be free (for primary schools) …. better health care for all …
• Free food was handed out to all who attended … except that they ran out of food and people who came from far to get food didn’t get any …
• Flags were handed out to all … they also ran out of this and people who took more than one were selling them! (I got one for free though from a nice little girl)

After the celebration at the stadium all the important guests went for the garden party / gala at one of the royal residences. Here they celebrated some more, more speeches was made, they sang to the king, he cut his birthday cake, etc.

Why is it hard for me to write about this (and to be honest without getting slammed for being judgmental!!!!!)? Millions and millions of Emalangeni (US $1 = 8 Emalangeni) were spent on this party. I do not understand how a 100 million Emalangeni can be spent on an event like this in a country like Swaziland.

… a country where people are dying because of HIV Aids, poverty and hunger?

… a country where children are kick out of school because they cannot afford to pay the E100 they are behind, or because they do not have a mathematical drawing set?

… a country where women are having their babies on benches in the hospital hallways because there are no beds available for them? Or where the cockroaches are running over dying babies?