TNS Office

Here is the cast of characters at our TechnoServe Office in Mbabane. Swaziland
who made our experience absolutely worthwhile. These are the best memories!



		(Above) TechnoServe colleagues attended the Swaziland Business Woman of the Year Gala (see our Oct. 9th blog for more details).

These people ARE the TechnoServe Swaziland office with whom Rick and I spent often spent 50+ hours per week. All of us fit into a 3-room office that's less than a total of 125 square meters. So we all really had to get along! And we were very lucky to have such a great group of colleagues who became our friends. Top row is "general administration" (L to R): Leslie (our Country Director), Lance (Controller) , Lisa (Office Mgr), Veronica (the "tea lady"), and Kiki (our ace driver). The middle row's folks are with whom I worked most closely (L to R) from the *Believe Begin Become* Business Plan Competition: Nelo (BBB Mgr.), Julie (Program Mgr.), Nolwazi, Stanley (both interns from Univ. of Szd.), and my best buddy, Atiba. He and I were pretty much inseparable (until his wife gave birth about 2 weeks earlier than anticipated-- all's well but he was on paternity leave for awhile). The Business Advisors in the bottom row are Rick's constant companions (L to R) Mpendulo (our timber, financial, and IT person); Debbie (Ms. Horticulture), Nina (a recent VolCon from Canada), Mkhululi (THE piggery and dairy go-to guy), and Eden (another VolCon from NYC), and you know the last 2 on the right.
	Three people with whom I also worked closely were from LULOTE, our partner NGO who will be responsible for implementing the JA programs in Swaziland. (L to R)Senator Gamedze who is a Swazi and Pan-African Member of Parliament as well as LULOTE's Executive Director; Thuli in accounting, and Thulani in program management (he's serious, not angry).


In case anyone is curious, this pictures below are of where we work in The Mall and across the street at The Plaza in downtown Mbabane. Lots of cars, buildings, construction--could be in any small city in the U.S. Below (L to R) is right outside office, downstairs inside the mall, then the rest are bits of a 360^oaround the Mall Entrance. Except the shots of the bridge are over the Mbabane River, between the two halves of The Mall. The river is next to one of the better restaurants, Finesse, where the frog symphony serenaded us on a couple of evenings.