Swaziland Charitable Trust - Working for the people of Swaziland

General Information
The kingdom of Swaziland is a small landlocked country bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It has a land area of 17,363km and a total population of 1.169 million (July 2004).

The country is divided into four administrative zones: Shiselweni (South), Lubombo (East), Hhohho (North), and Manzini (centre).

Economic Situation
Swaziland is classified as a middle income country (2004 GNP per capita: 1636 US$) but income is distributed unequally - the richest 10% of the population control almost 40% of the total income, while the poorest 40% control only 14%. It is estimated that 55% of the rural population live below the poverty line.

The Swazi population is predominantly rural, with only 32% of the population being urbanised. The contribution of agriculture to GDP, however, has steadily declined from 21% in 1985 to 9% in 2003. 56% of the land area is referred to as Swazi Nation Land (SNL), which is vested in the King, in trust for the nation; 44% is privately owned Title Deed Land (TDL).

There is a modern commercial sector, mainly on TDL (main products being sugar cane, pineapple and citrus), and a smallholder traditional sector, on SNL. Most SNL land area is used for communal grazing. Crop production on family smallholdings covers only about 10% of the area. The SNL is overgrazed with soil erosion and land degradation undermining the sustainability of farming systems. Access to capital is also a severe constraint for most SNL farmers.

Currency
The currency in Swaziland is the Lilangeni (plural emalangeni). It is linked to and of equal value to the South African Rand. Over the last 5 years the exchange rate has ranged from £1:E10 to £1:E15.

Education in Swaziland
Missions pioneered the development of formal education in Swaziland. The State now builds schools throughout the country, but has been unable to satisfy the demand for education and community schools have proliferated. All three types teach the national curriculum and are provided with teachers by the Ministry of Education, but mission and community schools receive little support for the development and maintenance of buildings. All charge admission fees to students.

Food Supply
Cereal production is commonly less than half requirement, with the balance normally being covered by commercial imports. This has serious consequences for the poor households, since they spend 32% of their income on maize.

Health and Nutrition
Life expectancy in Swaziland has declined sharply to 37 years. In the absence of HIV/AIDS, the life expectancy would have been 59 years. The under-five mortality rate is estimated at 90 (per 1,000 live births), the percentage of under-fives suffering from moderate and severe under weight at 10% and from moderate and severe stunting (low height for age) at 30%.

HIV/AIDS
Swaziland now has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. HIV prevalence in the adult population (15+) has increased from 3.9% in 1992 to a staggering 42.6%. There are an estimated 200,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (2003) of which 110,000 are women and 16,000 children. The current estimate for AIDS orphans is 70,000.