- Swaziland is a small kingdom between South Africa and Mozambique.
- It is one of the world’s last absolute monarchies although it does have an elected Parliament.
- There is a high respect for education and they have a literacy rate of 88%.
- It is a member of the Commonwealth.
- They have never had a war or apartheid.
- They sent troops to serve with us in WWII.
- They are a friendly and positive people.
BUT………
- It has the world’s HIGHEST incidence of Aids at 27.7%. Many sufferers also have TB and are spreading drug resistant TB.
- Some 175,000 people are on anti-HIV therapy out of a population of 1 million.
- The life expectancy of women is around 30 years.
- 42% of pregnant women are HIV+.
- Many children are in a household where a child or grandparent is head of the household..
- It is reckoned that 45% of children (229,000) are in child headed households.
- Children who are vulnerable are often cared for by the grandparents or distant relatives. However, when the elders die the children drop out of school.
- There is a very high rate of teenage pregnancy and girls who become pregnant are not allowed to continue in school.
- Abortion is a criminal offence.