Global Citizen Education

Swaziland is a nation ravaged by HIV/AIDS. The virus and associated syndrome affects over 40% of the population. A group of UBC students traveled to help local construction workers build a community centre to help grandmothers who have to provide food and shelter for a significant population of orphans. The community was named "Litsemba letfu" which translates into "Our Hope", to reflect the desired impact of the students on the community.

During May and June, a group of students from the University of British Columbia worked in Swaziland under the guidance of Developing World Connections, a non-government organization dedicated to providing sustainable aid to countries. Our project took place in Msunduza, a township of Mbabane, the nation's capital.

We hired local construction workers and helped them and the village grandmothers to build a community centre on top of a landfill. The building was made of large concrete blocks, supporting a wooden frame covered with corrugated metal. It consisted of a large dining room, a storage room, several toilets and a kitchen. In constructing this building, we hoped to provide some relief from the lack of nourishment and care for the citizens of Msunduza and the surrounding regions. Hopefully, the centre will help alleviate some of the hardships of the grandmothers of the area who have lost their children due to HIV/AIDS and other causes. These women are faced with providing food and shelter for a significant population of orphans.

Through extensive fund-raising before our departure, we provided half of the total funding required for our project. The funding, combined with the balance that was provided by the local SOS Children's Village Orphanage, was allocated to the employment of the local construction workers and to materials.

The community centre was named “Litsemba letfu” which translates into “Our hope” in English, and was so-named to reflect the desired impact of our work in the community.

-Devon Rasmussen