We just returned last night from another weekend in Swaziland. This may be the last one for awhile as we feel our job is done with mentoring the new AP coordinators there. We had a great seminar and were hosted very well. We had planned to take a facilitator in training with us and he made it to the border when he realized he forgot his passport! So we found him a ride back to Maputo and continued on alone.
Swazi is very beautiful. Here’s what we saw out our bedroom window:
Sadly, I couldn’t find the camera when we went for a walk. I wanted a picture of the nice waterfall we walked to but you will just have to imagine it.
A friend had just purchased a batik at Baobab Batiks and wanted another one so I said we would get it for her. Swazi is notorious for poor signage on their roads, so we had to backtrack a bit but we did find the place. It was actually the factory so we also got to see the ladies working with the wax, sewing and dying the products. They are very beautiful and quite different in texture than the batiks lining the streets of Maputo. Here’s what our friend asked for. These are expensive but beautiful and they don’t fade.
Gone Rural is close to Baobab so we stopped in there to see their products made of woven grass and sisal. I’m trying to find a way for the women in the village in Moz to use the sisal that grows wild there. This organization has created jobs for many Swazi women and their products can be seen in many parts of the world. Check out their website: http://goneruralswazi.com/
The other thing we enjoy at Barry and Viki’s is their large garden. We are trying to start some cuttings of their tree tomato plant. The fruit is amazing – quite tart and good. It looks a bit like a tomato but it is more oval and has a hard peel. This is a big garden with a full-time Mozambican gardner. The picture only shows a small portion of it. They sell some of their produce and use it at the health food shop/café that Viki owns. The eating is always fresh and organic at their house. And the open spaces, clean and beautiful are like a cup of cold water to these thirsty, rural at heart souls living in a city.
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