Negotiating condom demonstrations at the High School

     Last school year 8 girls, mostly in the 8^th and 9^th grades, dropped out of the local High School because they became pregnant, and so far this year, ½ way through the school year, 5 have dropped out. (A girl must drop out when she becomes pregnant; another issue, one we are not going to tackle. Notice also, the numbers only count pregnancies, not spread of disease.) Most Swazi churches and, we think, most rural Swazis, which would certainly include our community, believe teaching condom use encourages promiscuity, and preach only abstinence.

     We approached the High School Principal and asked if we could give demonstrations of condom use to the High School students. He enthusiastically agreed, saying the Ministry of Education had specifically mandated that instruction. We worked out a schedule to do the demonstrations, one class of 30 or so at a time, and brought 500 male condoms and 200 female to our hut (the nearby Refugee Camp clinic had been our only local source of female condoms, but the ones they stocked had January '14 expiration date, so we'd stopped using that supply, but expiration doesn't matter for a demo, so we took all of those; we'll still carefully explain that checking the expiration date is one of the important first steps in using a condom.)

Talking to some of the classroom teachers, with whom we would be working on this, I sensed a little uneasiness from some of the older ones, so when we heard a faculty meeting had been scheduled, we asked for a chance to explain to all the teachers together what we would do, to save time going over their part individually with each, and also to be sure they understand that this was directed from above. The meeting was to start at 11, and the principal asked us to wait outside until he came to this topic – 30 minutes, he told us as he entered the meeting.

     Boy, did we miscalculate!

     2 ¾ hours later, after having chance to visit with lots of the students whom we know and like (we could visit with them because they were not in class – all the teachers were in the meeting), we were called into the meeting. We started to describe what we would do, stressing that we would emphasize that abstinence is safest, and asking the 9 classroom teachers for help in scheduling the sessions, but the teachers started to ask about objections from the parents. The Principal was silent. Some of the teachers pointed out that students are already told about condom use in their science classes. Finally the Principal said he would have to take to the School Committee the question of whether condom use should be demonstrated; the School Committee is composed, as far as I can tell, of the more influential people in the community – all far more “traditional” than any of the High School Teachers.

     Swaziland is a very “top down” hierarchical society, so I was astonished to see the extent to which the teachers felt free to push back. But we've also been told that consensus and discussion are greatly valued here, and people feel free to express different views, up to a point, and a group will not make a decision, I think, while a significant dissident voice is dissatisfied. I think.

     After the meeting we huddled with the science teachers, who showed us the pages in their text books illustrating condoms, and their lesson plans talking about use. Some of the objections may have been a little territorial; the science teachers may have wanted credit for already doing this instruction, and may resent the “whites in shining armor” coming in to show how this should be done, when the locals are doing it pretty well already, thank you very much.

     The next day we delivered to the Principal, as he had requested, our demo kit of a male and female model and condoms. He asked us to wait, and next thing we knew he'd pulled 8 or so teachers into his office, and had us go through the steps of using them. I wisely let Katherine take the lead on this. There were many questions. Is the female condom comfortable? (Not really) Does it work well? (No – kind of noisy, but it is safe if used correctly; the man needs to aim carefully on entry.) They were interested in the size of the model penis – Katherine laughed and said she was “not going there.” huh

We showed the group the pages from the text book illustrating some condoms. The group agreed that if these demonstrations were done as part of the established, mandated science curriculum, there could be no objection.

     So I think that's where it stands. We plan to start scheduling with the science classes. Katherine will be at a Books For Africa meeting in Mbabane the day this week when the next School Committee meeting is scheduled, so if the principal still thinks this needs to go to them, I get to appear there. Just me. All alone.

     We left then for a boys and girls volley-ball tournament 20 miles away. The kids kept playing and playing, and they'd brought sandwiches for the girls team, which has been a big success, but the boys were famished; we bought the boys bananas

That's our friend John Koffi closest on the right, Head Boy, refugee from Congo, whom were desperately trying to get some postgraduate opportunities, here, SA, or even in the US, so far without much success - he will not get a scholarship to a Swazi college because he is not a citizen.

     Here are the girls, in the championship, which they won, with the setting sun. (The boys lost in the semis, famished from having only a banana, then won 3^rd place in the consolation.) The Fashion and Design Department of the High School designed the uniforms, of which the Department and the girls are terribly proud. They are quick to say the colors are from the American flag.

        We did not return until after 7 pm, the bus literally rocking with the girls dancing and singing to the tunes on the music system – I think I recognized Alana, that's all; we've been away a long time. So how do these girls on rural homesteads, many without electricity, know these songs? Our radio connection is so bad I can only get BBC's South African feed about twice a day, and Voice of America hardly ever.

     We walked home exhausted, lit by the full moon. My shower outdoors was chilly – in the 40s – but the full moon was splendid. KUF passed.