Week 3: A funeral at section 19

Corine woke up this morning, to find out that two of her friends were late (had died).  Funerals occur almost every weekend in Swaziland.  Gogo I, who had terminal cancer at section 19, passed early in the morning .  Another young woman in Ebuhleni died, probably but not confirmed from HIV.  

      We headed to section 19 to cry with our friends for Gogo I.  We waited in section 19, played with kids and talked with the sewing ladies while the family packed up Gogo’s belongings.  Then we covered ourselves with traditional Swazi cloths and headed out to the mudhut where gogo I lived.  Corine and our ladies greeted the sister of Gogo I.  A group of about 20 women were singing out call and response as the family brought out bundles of possessions to put into a tiny white sedan.   The moon was rising and almost full.  Earlier in the day, Ncamsile, a village health motivator, had called a friend from the same community as Gogo to have the family collect the possessions and the body, and during the call, Ncamsile could hear the family fighting amongst themselves. Like many in Section 19, Gogo I was estranged from her family and the reasons why were unclear.  The police had also been called to collect the body but left after the family showed up. The community women sang out in strong clear voices as gogo, was carried in a blanket from her mudhut to the car.  The body and all the family crammed into this tiny white sedan.  The women sang on as the car slowly drove along the dirt road flanked by people on one-side and sugarcane fields on the other side.  We talked with our friends as we walked back to our car.   Gogo I had been in pain from terminal cancer since feb without family to care for her, and nothing but over the counter medications to ease her suffering.  The ladies expressed a hope that their own deaths would hold more dignity and peace than that of Gogo’s; but that they were glad that Gogo I’s pain was finally over.