From the Caribbean to Southern Africa: Discovering the Unexpected in Eswatini

Nabila Mella reflects on her experience in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), a country in Southern African where she arrived as a Dominican global health student.

As I stepped off the TransMagnific bus in Mbabane, the capital of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), I wondered if I was one of the few Dominicans to visit this small, unique country, nestled between South Africa and Mozambique. I found myself in the last absolute monarchy in the African continent.

As a Dominican woman studying in the United States, I arrived in Eswatini with preconceptions shaped by my background and privilege. Despite all my research, I soon learned that no preparation could compare to experiencing Eswatini firsthand.

Getting to Eswatini was an odyssey

I flew from Washington, DC to Amsterdam, then endured an 11-hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Afterwards, I took a 4-hour bus ride from OR Tambo Airport to save costs. To cross the border into Eswatini, the bus driver led everyone through.

When I arrived, I realised that most people in Eswatini were unfamiliar with my country, the Dominican Republic (DR), just as we were with theirs. Having lived in other countries like the DR, the USA, and Belgium, arriving in Eswatini offered me a chance to question my assumptions about the world. I comprehended that categorising places by income alone overlooks the richness, complexity, and resilience of the communities within them.

But why was I in Eswatini in the first place?

This is a question I get a lot. Before I went to Eswatini, I studied for a Master of Science in Global Health. Eswatini, with its high HIV/AIDS prevalence (almost 25% in adults as of 2022), provided a unique setting to study and contribute to one of the world’s most pressing health challenges. Notably, it was the first African country to achieve the 95-95-95 HIV targets in 2020.

I travelled to Eswatini as part of a university partnership with Pact, a USAID/PEPFAR implementing partner, to support their HIV/AIDS project, Insika Ya Kusasa. The project aimed to prevent HIV transmission both vertically (from mother to child) and horizontally (across communities). We worked with adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), many of whom were orphans (OVC) whose parents had died of AIDS and were now cared for by grandmothers or other relatives.

Pact strengthened capacity with local partners (Swazi organisations) and financed their operations. What stood out to me was that the entire staff was Swazi. In global health, it’s not uncommon to see foreigners in leadership positions, so seeing local experts conducting such impactful work was truly inspiring. It deepened my view of how true collaboration in global health should work.

Aside from supporting Pact in its operations, I did my dissertation on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent pregnancies in Eswatini’s unique context. It was eye-opening to work directly on such a crucial project regarding girls' and women’s sexual and reproductive health, enhancing my understanding of the complexities surrounding global health and development.

Outside work, I explored Eswatini's stunning natural beauty through hiking and game drives (safaris), enjoying the diverse flora and fauna, including giraffes, my favourite animal.

First impressions and surprises

Despite my initial concerns, I never felt unsafe in Eswatini. Walking in Mbabane felt safer than I expected, unlike my experiences in my hometown of Santo Domingo, DR. In my privileged, western view, Eswatini was the same as, for instance, South Africa, where violent crime is common.

I was surprised by the cold weather in Eswatini during the southern hemisphere winter (May-August), as I had expected a warmer climate. The chilly mornings required me to wear the same coat I used in Washington, DC.

In global health and development, it is easy to group places depending on their geographic location, but it is important to understand the diversity and range that we can find around the world, especially in the African continent

While my initial safety concerns quickly faded, other surprises awaited me. One night, loud thuds on the roof jolted me awake. I was convinced it was a thunderstorm—until I peeked outside to see clear skies. My colleagues later laughed and told me it was probably monkeys dashing across the roof to get to the avocado tree behind the house. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them—those avocados were worth the effort!

Eswatini has few restaurants, bars, or other places to socialise, and most Swazis lack the discretionary income to dine out. However, I was pleased to find Dominicans there! By serendipity, I met a couple who had lived in the DR and moved to Eswatini for work. It was wonderful to find a small part of my community there.

I left Eswatini not just with fond memories, but with a renewed sense of responsibility to advocate for true equity and collaboration. This experience served as a time to reflect on what role I want to play in global health and from which angles I can contribute

As I grew to appreciate the landscape and culture, I became curious about siSwati, the local language, and intergenerational communication. While British colonial rule had imposed English, it was interesting to observe that many younger Swazis in rural areas were not fluent in English, unlike older generations.

In global health and development, it is easy to group places depending on their geographic location, but it is important to understand the diversity and range that we can find around the world, especially in the African continent.

While in Eswatini, I questioned the lack of Swazi students in my university's exchange program, highlighting the inequity in global health education. This imbalance made me reflect on whose interests were being served. Despite efforts by my peers and me to address these issues and decolonize the curriculum, we saw little progress. True collaboration and exchange are essential in global health; without them, it's useless.

Saying goodbye to Eswatini: A bittersweet departure

As my time in Eswatini concluded, I reflected on the friendships I had built and the lessons I’d learned—not just about global health, but about myself. This experience reshaped my views on global health, reminding me that our work must go beyond surface-level interventions and address the deeper inequalities embedded in the global system. I left Eswatini not just with fond memories, but with a renewed sense of responsibility to advocate for true equity and collaboration. This experience served as a time to reflect on what role I want to play in global health and from which angles I can contribute.

I’m glad to say that I am still in touch with friends and colleagues there. They hold a very special place in my heart.

If you are interested in visiting the country, I highly recommend it because of its unique context, affable people, and exceptional natural environment. And if you do visit, make sure you grab some avocados before the monkeys do!

Ngiyabonga Eswatini <3