March 9, 2000
Today Maggie and I drove to Mahlanya where we met The Rev. Londalosa Shongwe, the rector of four small churches in the rural areas of Swaziland, who also serves as the overseer of two Anglican schools, St. John's and St. Stephen's.
We drove for about two hours on roads, half of which were macadam and half of which were dirt. At St. John's we met with the teachers and their students, about 600 of them. The schools are grades one through seven. The teachers at St. John's are quite dedicated and they work in a school which doesn't enjoy the protection of a fence thus falling prey to local thieves and vandals who steal and destroy school property. The classes are large, numbering as many as 50. The kids are bright eyed and alert, and they are very well behaved. We walked into several classrooms where the teachers weren't there and the kids were sitting at their desks without any disruption. It was great to see these teachers giving so much to these eager youngsters. They study the basics: reading, English and Siswati, math, social studies. They also study Home Economics and Agriculture.
From St. John's we drove about 30 minutes to St. Stephen's which was in an area more remote than St. John's. This school also had about 600 students, and the greeting we received was truly magnificent. Maggie and I were surrounded by kids wanting to shake our hands. Here, too, the teachers are doing a remarkable job, living and working in conditions which are inadequate. They have no electricity and no water, the latter being obtained from the nearby river which is about 200 yards away. Most of the teachers live on the school grounds in houses which, like the school, have no water and no electricity. Many grade papers at night by the light of a single candle. And yet the kids are bright and alert and appear to be most anxious to learn. There is no lunch available for either students or teachers. At dismissal they gathered outside in rows according to grade, sang a song in Siswati and recited the Lord's Prayer. It was a very moving experience.
It is interesting to note that each child has to pay school fees, and many students don't attend because they or their parents can't afford the rather modest fees. The government pays the teachers and the school fees go to provide basic supplies and maintenance to the buildings. The kids wear uniforms, the girls in blue at St.John's and green at St. Stephen's and the boys in khaki at both places. They all appear to be happy and joyous and eager to learn.
I'm attaching several pictures which will give you an idea of the schools and the kids.It was another memorable day in this beautiful country.
Yours in Christ, Dan & Maggie.
St. John's classroom
St. John's Faculty (with Maggie Land in the rear)
St. John's kids waiting to shake hands
St. Stephan's students lined up for dismissal.