Del Caribe al sur de África: Descubrir lo inesperado en Esuatini – Blog

Nabila Mella reflects on her experience in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), a South African country where she arrived as a Dominican global health student.

As I got off the TransMagnific bus in Mbabane, the capital of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), I wondered if I was one of the few Dominican people who would visit this small and unique country, nestled between South Africa and Mozambique. I found myself in the last absolute monarchy on the African continent.

As a Dominican studying in the United States, I arrived in Eswatini with preconceived ideas formed by my background and my privileges. Despite all my research, I soon realized that no preparation could compare to experiencing Eswatini firsthand.

Getting to Eswatini was an odyssey

I traveled from Washington DC to Amsterdam, and then took another 11 hour flight to Johannesburg (South Africa). To save costs, opt for a four-hour bus from OR Tambo Airport. Upon reaching the border, the driver made us get out of the vehicle, go through South African customs and walk to Eswatini.

When I arrived, I realized that almost everyone in Eswatini was unaware of my country, the Dominican Republic (DR), just as we were unaware of theirs. After having lived in the DR and other countries such as the United States and Belgium, arriving in Eswatini It offered me the opportunity to question my assumptions about the world. I understood that classifying places only by their rent it does not take into account the richness, complexity and resilience of its communities.

But why was he in Eswatini?

It’s a question I get asked often. Before going to Eswatini, I studied a master’s degree in Global Health. Eswatini, with its high prevalence of HIV/AIDS (almost 25% in adults in 2022), offers a unique environment to study and contribute to one of the health challenges that most affect the region. It should be noted that it was the first african country in achieving the 95-95-95 HIV targets in 2020.

I traveled to Eswatini within the framework of a university association with CovenantUSAID/PEPFAR executing partner, to support its HIV/AIDS project Insika Ya Kusasa. The goal of the project was to prevent HIV transmission both vertically (from mother to child) and horizontally (between communities). We worked with teenage girls and young women, many of whom were orphans whose parents had died of AIDS and who were now cared for by their grandmothers or other relatives.

Pact strengthened the capabilities of local partners (Swazi organizations) and financed their operations. What caught my attention the most was that the entire staff was Swazi. In the field of global health, it is common to find foreigners in leadership positions, so seeing local experts carrying out such impactful work was truly inspiring. Deepened my vision of how true collaboration in global health should work.

In addition to supporting Pact in its operations, I did my thesis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teenage pregnancies in the unique context of Eswatini. It was eye-opening to work directly on a project so crucial to the sexual and reproductive health of girls and women, and helped my understanding of the complexities surrounding global health and development.

Outside of work, explore the stunning natural beauty of Eswatini doing trekking and safaris (or game unitsas they call them there) and enjoying its varied flora and fauna, which included giraffes, my favorite animal.

First impressions and surprises.

Despite my initial concerns, I never felt. insecure in Eswatini. Walking through Mbabane felt safer than I expected, a difference from what I experienced in Santo Domingo, my hometown. In my Western vision, Eswatini was the same as, for example, South Africa, where the violent crimes are common.

I was surprised by cold what I was doing in Eswatini during the southern hemisphere winter (May-August), as I was expecting warmer weather. The cold mornings forced me to wear the same coat as in Washington, DC.

In the field of global health and development, it is easy to group places based on their geographical location, but it is important to understand the diversity and variety that we can find around the world, especially on the African continent.

Although my initial concerns about safety quickly faded, other surprises were in store for me. One night, I was woken up by loud banging on the roof. I was convinced it was a storm, until I looked out the window and saw the clear sky. Later, my colleagues laughed and told me that they were probably monkeys running across the roof to get to the avocado tree that was behind the house. I honestly couldn’t blame them: those avocados were worth the effort!

Eswatini has few restaurants, bars or other places to socialize, and most Swazis lack the income to dine out. However, I was happy to find a dominicans. By chance, I met a Dominican couple who had moved to Eswatini for work. It was wonderful to find a small part of my community there.

I left Eswatini not only with fond memories, but with a renewed sense of responsibility to advocate for true equity and collaboration. This experience helped me reflect on the role I want to play in global health and from what angles I can contribute.

As I began to appreciate the landscape and culture, I became curious about siSwati, the local language, and intergenerational communication. Although English had been imposed by British colonial rule, it was interesting to note that many young Swazis in rural areas were not fluent in it, unlike the older generations.

In global health and development, it is easy to group places based on their geographic location, but it is important to understand the diversity and variety that we can find all over the world, especially on the African continent.

During my stay in Eswatini, I questioned the lack of Swazi students in my university’s exchange program, which helped alleviate the inequality in global health education. This imbalance made me reflect on whose interests were being served. Despite my and my peers’ efforts to address these issues and decolonize the curriculum, we saw little progress. The true collaboration and exchange They are essential in global health; without them, it is useless.

Saying goodbye to Eswatini: a bittersweet departure

As I concluded my time in Eswatini, I reflected on the friendships I had made and the lessons I had learned, not only about global health, but about myself. This experience reconfigured my vision of global health, reminding me that our work must go beyond superficial interventions and address the deeper inequalities embedded in the global system. I left Eswatini not only with good memories, but with a renewed sense of responsibility to advocate for true equity and collaboration. This experience helped me reflect on the role I want to play in global health and from what angles I can contribute.

I’m happy to say that I still keep in touch with friends and colleagues there. They hold a very special place in my heart.

If you are interested in visiting the country, I highly recommend it for its unique context, friendly people and exceptional natural environment. And if you visit, make sure you get to the avocados before the monkeys do.

Ngiyabonga Eswatini <3