Country
Swaziland is one of the three surviving monarchies in Africa; the other two are Morocco in north Africa and Lesotho in southern Africa. The kingdom is led by King Mswati 111 with parliament and consultation prescribing all laws and customs. Swaziland is fiercely proud of her strong traditions. Swaziland's monarchy is an old and revered institution. It plays an integral part in the life of the nation and is the focus of many traditional ceremonies and much of the cultural life centres around the King. Traditional tribal values have always been maintained, with distinctive national dress regularly worn by all at colourful ceremonies marking specific occasions.
Swaziland is landlocked and covers an area of 1734 kms. (6704sq miles) about the size of Wales. It is divided from north to south by four regions and within these regions every environmental feature of the African continent is to be found - with the exception of the desert. The highveld, middleveld and the lowveld are almost equal in size with the fourth region
Lubombo, being the smallest.
Swaziland is a quiet society compared with other African countries. There is very little nightlife in terms of clubs and bars. The nightclubs can be slightly unsavoury and unsafe. The private clubs are expensive to join and dominated by white expatriates. There are some bars that are nice and lively with a mixed clientele.
There are national libraries in both Mbabane and Manzini. The biggest library and bookshop is at the University of Swaziland (non-students are welcome). There is also a British Council Library which stocks documentary videos and periodicals, and the American Cultural Centre is similar.
There are video rental shops which are quite well stocked. It is possible to find sports facilities in Swaziland: tennis, golf, squash and gym. There are also a few stables where horse riding lessons and trails are available. Football is the national sport and several leagues exist, amateur and professional. Swimming is restricted mainly to the hotels and private residences or private clubs.
Practically everything can be purchased in Swaziland. There is no need to bring household goods (bed linen, pots and pans). Choice is more limited than in the United Kingdom but prices are less. English is widely spoken and written in Swaziland as one of the two official languages. The other language is siSwati for which you will receive the necessary training. In the rural areas most people do not speak English although it is taught in all the schools. The transport infrastructure is Swaziland is poor especially in rural areas. Roads between the towns are good and tarred but once away from these many roads are dust/dirt tracks. The bus network is good. Links between Mbabane and Manzini are regular and the rural areas are quite well served to the main nearby roads. Cars can be expensive but a useable car could be purchased for around £2000.
Region
The placement is based in the Mlamula Nature Reserve in the north east, close to the Mozambique border. The Reserve combines the scenic charm of the Lubombo mountains supporting a wealth of vegetation, bird life and game, within 17,000 hectares of Swazi wilderness. The Reserve is 4kms off the main road from KwaZulu Natal to Kruger National Park in South Africa and Mozambique. It is 88kms from Manzini.
Duties and Responsibilities
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To lead the planning, implementation and co-ordination of the Community Outreach Programme for Mlawula Nature Reserve. However, the Development Worker is encouraged to work hand-in-hand with the senior Warden, NGOs and agencies engaged in community matters.
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To expose the communities to permaculture, bee-keeping, rehabilitation of denuded areas and community training awareness on the environment, through site demonstrations and audio visual facilities etc.
- To raise funds for community development projects.
- To carry out public relations work in promoting the conservation efforts of Mlawula Reserve and the Swaziland National Trust Commission through talks, radio/television programmes, newspaper publications etc.
- To carry our project write-ups and supervision of the implementation of community development projects.
- Be responsible for the equipment and facilities of the Mlawula Outreach Programme.
- To produce monthly, quarterly and annual reports to the senior Warden
- To carry out any other duties that may be assigned by the Senior Warden or Director of Parks.
- Supervision and training of Assistant Community Outreach Officer (counterpart).
Person Specification
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in relevant subject area.
- At least to years working experience of CBNRM (community-based natural resource management).
- Experience of working on development issues, preferably in a parastatal or government agency.
- Experience of report writing.
- Fund-raising experience for conservation/environment projects.
- Valid drivers licence
Desirable
- Ability to work with people from different cultures, and to adapt work practice accordingly.
- Experience of training others or sharing skills in a less formal manner.
- Experience of bee-keeping and/or permaculture.
Placement Information
Accountability:
Senior Warden
Terms and Conditions:
40 hours per week.
7.30am to 4.30pm but a need to be flexible.
Holiday entitlement 25 days.
Environment:
The Development Worker will share an office with his/her counterpart. There is a separate computer room to be shared with other staff. Vehicles are used on a shared basis. There is a wide range of teaching equipment; video camera, tv/video, slide projector, etc. and an office photocopier.
Other Information
Accommodation is available at the Reserve.
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