I've raised £1000 to pay for phone credit for freedom. For student human rights activists in Swaziland
Organised by Swazi Lives Matter UK
Story
In 1968, Colonial Britain handed over the power and wealth in Swaziland (Aka ESwatini) to the Swazi Royal Family. Now King Mswati remains the only Absolute Monarch in Africa. 63% of Swazis live below the poverty line, whilst the Royal Family live in ostentatious wealth. In 2019, 46% of youth were unemployed. Political parties are banned, as is the Swaziland National Union of Students. They cant even open a bank account to collect funds.
The students are leading a struggle for democracy, and against police brutality. They lack basic resources such as phone credit. These funds will be used to send phone credit direct, through a top up gifting app, to those nominated by student leaders.
MUKU'S STORY As a student pro-democracy activist, I have not been able to stay at home since the ESwatini Massace in June, when troops shot hundreds of protesters. More than 100 have been killed in the clampdown against protests, and the police are hunting down activists. We need phone credit to keep in touch with our families and comrades, to organise ourselves and to keep safe. I was inspired to join this movement because having grown up with dire poverty all around me, I want to see change in my country. We are just young people wanting a future for ourselves."
