Children using water provided by a UNICEF-funded borehole at Mahlandle Primary School, Swaziland

The last absolute monarchy in Africa, Swaziland is home to more than 1 million people, who are mostly rural and rely on subsistence agriculture. Over the last decade, erratic weather, the high price of food, inputs, and fuel, a decline in the use of improved agricultural practices, and the continuing impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic have made it more difficult for people to get enough to eat. With an unemployment rate of 40 percent, and 80 percent of the population relying on subsistence farming for survival, the lack of constant access to water has been one of the major obstacles to achieving sustained food production and the country’s overall development.

IRD started operations in Swaziland in 2007, in response to the ongoing drought emergency in the country. IRD’s programs have focused on water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH), and food security and agriculture.

Programs
- Drought Mitigation through Community Management of Water Harvesting Systems
- Borehole Rehabilitation Project

Stories
- U.S. Ambassador and USAID/OFDA Visits IRD Programs in Swaziland

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  Contact
  Yemane Abraham
  Country Director
  Phone: +268-602-2410
  

  Phone: +268-404-7970
  E-mail: yabraham@ird-dc.org

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