Martha

This is Martha, Jean's favorite house girl. She worked for them until she was too sick and hopes to return now that she is feeling stronger. I was amazed by this woman's character. We drove 45 minutes to get to her homestead. By bus it would take two hours, although there were occasions that she had to walk. And she was never late to work.
Jean explained that she lives with a son and grandchildren at her homestead. Her husband, like many Swazi men, took his cultural liberties and had many mistresses. When he got sick with AIDS he returned home, and Martha nursed him until his death. He is burried in her corn field. I can't imagine the heart and strength it would take to recieve a husband home after that.

Martha takes great pride in her home and her family. As you can see she lives well below any American standard. No heat, no electricity, no running water. Only mud walls and cow manure floors, yet she keeps her home as if it were a palace,- making sure the mud cracks are patched right away.
The day we visited her, she was feeling strong and had been working in her corn field. And the entire time, she just beamed from having her friends visit her. She just kept saying over and over, "Oh madame! I'm so happy to see you. I'm just soooo happy!"
What a lesson in humility and contentment.