2011-06-13 12:55

Sister Cities sends delegation to Swaziland as goodwill ambassadors

Exchange programs are what it’s all about for Fort Worth Sister Cities. This summer several delegations will be visiting Fort Worth’s sister cities including a Service Adventure group of 21 students and adults departing on June 14th for Mbabane, Swaziland. The delegation will be led by Nancy Marchant and Jay Kurima along with Cydney Marshall and Dr. Staussa Ervin. While in Mbabane the delegation will visit the U.S. Embassy, participate in school and university discussions, as well as make book and shoe donations. The group will also visit a health center under construction that is being built with a grant received by Fort Worth Sister Cities from Sister Cities International and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The center is being built to provide a place for community health education, HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, and food distribution. “Fort Worth is blessed to have this amazing relationship with Swaziland. They are a gracious people with a rich, cultural history that we can all appreciate,” said City Council representative and Mbabane, Swaziland liaison Kathleen Hicks. Local artist Jo Dufo will also accompany the group to work with the people of Mbabane to paint a peace mural. Dufo has plans to paint murals on public buildings in all eight of Fort Worth’s sister cities. Murals have already been painted in Fort Worth and Nagaoka, Japan. Youth Ambassadors to Swaziland include Gabrielle Carpenito, Marley Grissom, Calandra Jones, Morgan Killian, Chandan Prasai, Adam Tapper, Bailey Upp, and Hunter Werth. Adult Ambassadors — Tamara Albury, Jo Dufault, JoAnn King, Cortney Palmer, Michael Rodriguez, Yolanda Thomas, Cathey Upp, Priscella Williams, and Mac Zimmerman. TCU Business School professor and his wife, Dr. Bob & Jeannie Boatler, will also join the delegation to discuss future business school exchanges with the University of Swaziland.