Children of Swaziland

Swazi children generally seem very well adjusted and know their place in society from an early age. Girls may look after their younger sisters and brothers, boys look after the cattle and learn farming, even in school. They are very independent and amuse themselves in their free time. Often boys make ingenious wire cars, featuring a working steering mechanism, with which they may walk to the local shop to buy groceries for their mum and transport these on those cars back home.

They learn their traditions as well; the vigourous "sibhaca" warrior dances are popular with boys and there are many dance groups that participate in various festivities; young girls can frequently be seen singing and dancing, the songs associated with the uMhlanga (Reed Dance) and uMcwasho girls' ceeremonies. In the countryside the most common dress for boys is the "emajobo" loin covering, consisting of two pieces of animal skin. Girls nowadays wear store-bought dresses, but for the uMhlanga and uMcwasho ceremonies the young unmarried girls wear the "indlamu", a very brief skirt decorated with beads.

	Two brothers	Dancing girls	Albino boy	Sibhaca dance
	Small boy	Kids of Dlangeni	Looking after sister	Eating oranges
	Wire car	Zulu boy	Learning to farm	Traditional dress

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