Swaziland, Africa

Swaziland is located in the South East portion of Africa in between South Africa and Mozambique. It is the smallest country in Africa…..look closely.

Statistics about Swaziland

• Swaziland is the smallest country on the continent of Africa (1 million pop.) and equivalent to the size of New Jersey.
• 44% of children are considered orphaned and vulnerable.
• Swaziland has more orphaned vulnerable children per head of population than Darfur.
• Most people living in the rural areas of Swaziland make their homes out of mud, rocks, and sticks with thatched roofs. The urban population usually live in homes made from cement blocks and metal roofs.
• Farming is the primary way of life in Swaziland.  The country has been in a severe dought since 2003 causing the government to declare a natural disaster in June of 2007.
• The outcome of several recent joint assessments in 2007 indicates that the recent maize harvest is 61% less than that of 2006.  Approximately 410,000 people will require varying levels of humanitarian assistance including food, agricultural inputs, water and sanitation, health and nutrition services, and early livelihood recovery.
• A recent government report cited Swaziland’s problems as “drought, wild fires, issues of orphans and vulnerable children, HIV/AIDS drug shortages, poverty and slow growth of the economy.”
• The unemployment rate is at 50% with 69% of people living on less than $1/day compared to $88/day for the US.
• The only answer to this crisis: JESUS CHRIST