Fires

During winter in Swaziland we see fire a lot. Sometimes it is a bit too close for comfort, as fields are burned that directly touch fences around our homes. We have thrown water on the fences several times over the past few weeks. We also learned that the Mbabane fire department will send a truck, that arrived 30 minutes later, by which point the fire had traveled on. We also use fires for warmth in our homes. Unfortunately, building fires with wet wood is not very easy, and I often resort to crawling under some covers with a space heater running. Finally, we see the fires within us as we learn more and more about the economic struggles that Swaziland is facing. I will close by posting 2 links to recent articles about Swaziland. I am most proud of sharing the article by Shaun Raviv, a friend whose writings on Swaziland have also recently appeared in the Atlantic Monthly. He has spent hours and hours working with the children of Swaziland to better understand this epidemic from within those who are affected most.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13963463

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/07/12/swazilands_silent_hiv_epidemic?