2013-03-26 04:12 A small delegation of Directors Emeriti Mike Hyatt and Mary Palko, along with President and CEO Mae Ferguson are traveling to Swaziland in April to conduct the final evaluation of the health and social center built by Fort Worth Sister Cities with a grant from Sister Cities International funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  While there they will also meet the newly elected mayor of Mbabane, Arnold Dlamini, as well as the new U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland, Makila James. The Nkwalini Community Health & Social Center has provided health and social services to 1,530 adult residents in one year.  Of the 1,530 residents, they have provided 26% HIV/AIDS or STD counseling which is made available weekly and provided immunization services to 590 children since the initiation of the project.  There has also been a 30% increase of number of children fed in this part of Mbabane. The Nkwalini Zone 4 Community Health and Social Center contains the following elements providing services to the community:

• Health and Social wellbeing programs:
  • Kitchen (Neighborhood Care Point) for Orphaned and  Vulnerable Children
  • Consultation Room to provide counseling services for chronic ailments such as HIV/AIDS, TB, Hypertension, Diabetic, Cancer and drug abuse
  • Antenatal Care (ANC), Child Immunization and minor treatments
• Health Demonstration/Waiting Area for:
  • Conducting mass health educational meetings for the community
  • Immunization campaigns
  • Dining facilities for orphaned and vulnerable children
• Storeroom
• Ablution facilities
• Water system providing clean water for the community

The collaboration between Fort Worth and Mbabane has certainly accomplished the Sister Cities International goal of peace and understanding between two very different cultures.   It has cemented this relationship through the creation of trust among the participants and the joint feeling of pride and accomplishment derived from the project.  The people of Swaziland and Fort Worth have forged a significant bond working, living and planning together.  This is what was intended by President Eisenhower when he proposed the idea of citizen engagement in order to foster peace.