Swaziland far behind U.S. in health

Figure A: The life expectancy in Swaziland is 47.97 years while in the U.S. it is 78.24.

Figure B: The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in Swaziland is 66.71. In contrast, it is 6.14 per 1,000 live births in the U.S.

Figure C: The number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Swaziland is 26.10%. in the U.S. it is 0.60%.

Source: CIA World Factbook land as an immersion trip experience.

Mamba says the idea of having American college students visit the hostel would be a great influence on the children.

“We can be very glad if we can get some students here and visit so that our children can see how important it is to get yourself into books and read,” Mamba said.

The students attending public schools are faced with the challenge of not only learning in a second language, but the over populated classrooms are lacking school supplies.

“You find that in each class a teacher may be taking 80 students per class which makes it difficult for the students to grab the basics of each subject,” Mamba said.

According to Singleton, who is responsible for the childcare component of the hostel, the children need more undivided attention to advance themselves in their education.

“When you sit with each of the kids they have a different story behind each and every one of them,” Singleton. “What we are focusing on strongly is reading and reading and reading! I don’t think we can have enough reading,” Singleton said.

The campus community welcomed Singleton and Mamba during the campus-wide reception hosted in the Mansion. Gene Castellano, vice president for marketing and communication; Ms. Shirley Dixon, assistant professor of education; President Marie George; Dr. Susan Pierson, assistant professor of education and Bryde all spoke on behalf of the college and its excitement of having the Swazi guests for the week.

The visit also included a campus-wide presentation in Widener Lecture Hall called “Educating Children in Swaziland” which allowed Singleton and Mamba to discuss their work with the orphaned children and the mission of Cabrini ministries.

Singleton and Mamba plan to return home with plans to further enhance the after-school program and ultimately the child care services.

“What I would like to say to a child is you’re not the only one that has lost somebody some of us have survived it. You may be born to be an orphan but that’s not the end. You can change things,” Singleton said.

“We can help them get the education and nobody can take the education away from them.”

KmK94@cAbRINI