My most powerful memories are of people walking, walking everywhere; to school, to shop, to worship, to work; and the colours of clothes and fruit stalls, colours made more vivid by the clear, bright sunshine; I remember the glorious night skies of the southern hemisphere, especially when camping in the Bush. I also thank God for the resilient and joyful folk I met, undaunted by poverty and Aids; proud to be African, and often proud to be Christian.

I began in Swaziland, a former British Protectorate, staying in a “sugar town”, that is to say a community almost entirely financially dependent upon one crop, sugar cane, and one company. The Anglican priest, Fr Nicholas Cox, gave me hospitality and showed me around.  He is a young man, educated in England, who began as a VSO volunteer and stayed on to be ordained. He has dedicated his life to the Swazi people and the Anglican Communion out there. The church is not vast, but full of lovely and devout Christians, black and white, who have a great social concern for the needs around them. They run a youth programme and support several projects helping sufferers from Aids and orphaned children; even though many of them are by no means wealthy.

The Managing Director of the sugar company, Mandla, is a Swazi, who is committed to the area and the wider economy. He is helping financially to support several schools in the region, two of which a friend of mine is a founding trustee. Mandla has great aspirations for the country, including an end to the corruption of some members of King Mswati III’s government.

With men like that, there is real hope for the country.  Though ravaged by the effects of Aids (the highest rate in Africa) and still desperately poor, I found the country beautiful, with its deep rich red soil and towering green mountains peppered by the lovely, if primitive Swazi huts. It was also the country where I had my closest encounter with wildlife, being attacked by a male lion: fortunately it was in a small game reserve, and there was a thin, but thankfully sturdy, fence between us!

I intend to continue links with the parish in Swaziland through prayer and regular communication. My sabbatical did achieve at least one objective: that of widening my horizons.  As time goes by I hope to reflect more deeply on lessons I have learned.

Incidentally, on November 2 at 4pm in St Andrew’s Much Hadham we are hosting a Brass Band Concert, in support of Desmond Tutu’s Appeal to support African schools. I hope you will be able to come and enjoy. Do make a note in the diary.

Chris Boulton