Updates – Hampton Piggs-Peak

John Lovett Returns PDF Print E-mail
With our friend John Lovett’s recent return to his home in the Piggs Peak area, we are able to get a first-hand account of the situation in Piggs Peak with regard to the fires and the drought. John writes “I spent some time traveling around to see the effect of the forest fire and the continuing drought; it seems that the Swazi people are never far from one disaster or another.
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Hampton Piggs Peak Partnerships’ Goal PDF Print E-mail
Recent articles have spoken about the assistance we are providing to the people of Piggs Peak in the form of school fees for children and food and other provisions for those in need. The goal of the Hampton Piggs Peak Partnership is to alleviate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Piggs Peak where the incidence is estimated at 40%. Some people in Hampton have asked how providing food, clothing and access to education play a part in fighting AIDS.
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Nazarene Church PDF Print E-mail
A couple weeks ago we heard about the recent disaster that has struck the Piggs Peak area. Raging fires fueled by strong winds destroyed approximately eighty percent of forest plantations in Piggs Peak as well as many homesteads. Early reports from Swaziland Red Cross say that 90 homes in Piggs Peak were burned or destroyed by the fires. Since that time, we received a number of emails from Steven Mavuso, the secretary at Nazarene Church (the “twin” of St Paul’s Presbyterian Church within the Hampton-Piggs Peak Partnership). St Paul’s has been sponsoring a vegetable garden at Nazarene Church. Steven told us that the produce from the garden has been provided to some of the victims, but there are hundreds of others affected who require shelter, food, clothing and other assistance. Steven says “we are faced with another tragedy in Swaziland. We were nursing the OVC cases (orphans and vulnerable children), not knowing that we would face another disaster. Kindly inform the members of your church about this and tell them that we are very thankful for their prayers in such times of desperate need. We very much appreciate their support for sponsoring us money for the garden project.”

National Disaster PDF Print E-mail
Over the past week we have received reports from our twin community of Piggs Peak telling us about a recent disaster in that town. Vusi Matsebula, the Town Manager, informed us of raging fires fueled by strong winds that have destroyed approximately eighty percent of the forest plantations in Piggs Peak. As many as 300 homesteads are reported to have been destroyed by the windstorms and the fire; infrastructure such as water systems that supply potable water also suffered damage. The forestry industry in Piggs Peak is one of the few sustainable sources of employment for the town and news reports from the area tell us that “many people will lose their jobs” The Swazi government has estimated the total number of people affected probably runs into several thousands and has declared the fires a national disaster. Furthermore, the fires have broken out at a time when about 40 percent of Swaziland’s one million people are facing acute food and water shortages after a prolonged drought and the worst harvest in the country’s recorded history. Vusi says “We are still reeling in shock”.

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