My Swazi family

Meet my youthful housemates.

Well, actually, Busi (the tall, grown-up one) lives in the adjoining guest house, while Phephisa, Thando, Neliswa, Philile (left to right in bottom row) and Ntshiki (in Busi’s arms) come and go between Busi’s home village of Siteki a few hours east.

The two little ones are deathly afraid of me (as pictured), and I have no idea why.

Phephisa and Ntshiki are Busi’s children (she has a third child of fifteen years). Thando and Neliswa belong to Busi’s sister, Sphephile, and, finally, Philile is the child of Busi’s other sister, Futhi.

Such names make “Ryan” seem a bit of a yawn, no?