BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – Principal Secretary (PS) at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Thabsile Mlangeni, has welcomed new 7 volunteers/students from the United States of America who will be working under Microprojects unit.
The student volunteers were introduced to the PS and senior government officials by Engineers in Action Program Manager Ana Jovanović.
In her remarks, Mlangeni said it was encouraging to see commitment in developing communities where the volunteers help in building footbridges.
“As Ana mentioned, we are now close to 40 bridges completed together with Engineers in Action, our valued partner in rural community development. These bridges have solved challenges that communities have lived with for many years,” said the PS.
Today, she said, these bridges connect people to essential services such as schools, health facilities, shops, and markets for their produce. She said the benefits were truly endless, and they deeply appreciated the contribution made by Engineers in Action and the students who come to work alongside them in solving these challenges for communities.
“Our people in this country are generally very welcoming, so we hope you will enjoy your stay here. You will be staying in Kubuta, and we hope you enjoy interacting and mingling with the community. Some people may become very excited and want to come very close to you, but please do not be alarmed. They are simply happy to have you with them. Everyone wants to be your friend and perhaps even show you off to their friends. Some of the younger people may even want to create content for their Facebook pages, so you may experience a bit of that as well,” warned Mlangeni.
She noted that they were very happy to welcome the students who are from university, and said Microprojects will ensure that they were properly introduced to the community and well taken care of throughout their stay.
The PS said they believed the volunteers arrived at a very good time, which is the winter season.
“I know it is nothing compared to what many of you are used to, but for us, this is winter. We normally do not have snow, although with climate change, one never knows. Still, I am certain it will not be harsher than what you are accustomed to. It is a friendly winter, and it actually makes work easier because extreme heat can make construction very difficult.”
Mlangeni told the visitors that as government, they hoped volunteers will enjoy living within the communities, tasting the local food, and perhaps even experiencing some traditional cultural activities. She said some students who visited in the past were fortunate enough to attend a fully traditional wedding — no white gowns, no suits, just authentic tradition. Experiences like these, she said, make the visit even more exciting and memorable.
She added that they were also hopeful that the Kubuta community will participate actively and work closely with volunteers so that they could achieve the intended objectives.
She said when visitors are present, participation is usually even greater because everyone wants to work alongside the visitors. If the community fully applies itself and provides the locally available materials required, the PS said, the project could even be completed in less than eight weeks.
“It is always exciting to welcome our students. This group is a little smaller this time, probably the smallest team we have hosted, but with strong community participation, I am confident the project will still be completed successfully and on time.
The next team arriving after this one will be working in Kabhoke, which is nearby, and I look forward to seeing them as well,” she said
She said they were truly delighted to have the volunteers in Eswatini. She urged them to enjoy what is, for Emaswati, a cold but for the volunteers perhaps a warm winter, and enjoy working with the communities. She said they were excited to see Engineers in Action, the students, and the team from the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development making a real difference in rural areas.
The PS highlighted that development was not taking place everywhere, but what they wanted was inclusive development — development that leaves no one behind. When they spoke about development, she said, every person should be able to feel it and see its impact within their own community and household.
When people are able to access services more easily, she noted that everyone benefitted, and that contributes to the overall development of the country in a way that includes every member of society.
“I am certain many of you will want to return for a second or even third visit. We have seen students come back because of the incredible experiences they have here and because participating actively in these projects becomes truly exciting and meaningful,” she said.
Over the next eight weeks, the PS said, the volunteers will even begin learning a few words of the local language. In fact, she said, eight weeks was enough time for the volunteers to even start constructing sentences. Mlangeni infirmed volunteers that they may even be given local names so that the community can interact with them more easily and remember them.
Before long, the PS, said Eswatini will begin to feel like home, even though it is a completely different environment from what you they are used to.
If time allows, the PS said, she may even visit the project site while the volunteers were still working there.
#Government #EconomicPlanningMinistry #Eswatini #PS #Microprojects #CommunityDevelopment #LocalCulture
(Courtesy Pic)
