Swazi girl unleashed for beloved BlogTrotters

I got all excited when Cara asked me to be featured on BlogTrotters, but at the same time pulling my hair as to what I was going to write about. I decided to let you in on my life as a Swazi girl. Hope you enjoy the tour.

Once upon a time, the Swazi girl was considered an asset to her family because she would one day bring wealth to the family through lobola (dowry) when she was ready to be married. Back then a girl would be brought up and prepared for marriage by the age of 16, and most of the time it was to a wealthy man.

My younger sister, dressed up for a Swazi traditional wedding.

Wealth was based on how many cows you had,...it still is. A father had to be reassured that his daughter would be well taken care of. That’s how things used to be, but all that has changed though in some parts of the country this culture still prevails.

Cattle at a farm in Siteki.

I have lived in Swaziland for a better part of my 28 years of life in a small rural town called Siteki. That’s where my family still lives… and in case you're wondering, I'm not marrried to a rich man, in fact a girl my age would be long married by now, maybe going for the 10th anniversary. If we were still following that culture, then my dad would be a very wealthy man, since he has four beautiful daughters.

Me and my sisters.

I have always enjoyed visiting home so to get away from the madness of living in the suburbs. I get to take full breaths of refreshing air,… without choking on exhaust fumes. I also get to see the beautiful Swazi landscapes without being obscured by sky-scrapers.

A view from the Lubombo mountain, Siteki.

Siteki is one of the smallest towns in Swaziland, and it's surrounded by families that know each other very well. It is almost easy to spot a stranger or a visitor in town. Creepy .... and it may sound like one of the scenes in a horror movie, where there’s a new guy in town and everyone seems to be giving him the 'who the hell are you, and what do you want in our town' look, but Siteki is a peaceful place to be and visitors are most welcome.

Our hotel in Siteki.*

For us, it is normal to have chickens scurrying around, cattle grazing on the fields, also seeing game park animals since we have a game reserve not too far from home. It’s beautiful!

Chickens at my grandma's place.

An ostritch at Hlane Game Reserve.

Rhinos at Hlane Game Reserve.

There are also many farms around, some of which provide us with dairy products, maize meal and lots of vegetables. There’s even a mill where the maize is ground to pap (porridge) - our staple food.

A maize mill in Siteki.

Goats at my grandma's place.

A pig in one of the farms in Siteki

A cow being slaughtered for one of the many family gatherings.

I always enjoy having the chance to eat a full traditional and organic meal, no pizza or McDonalds burger; also gathering with family and child-hood friends for tell-tale stories, no TV or PlayStations; just the simple life of a Swazi girl.

* Image source: Siteki Hotel