July 2009 - Posts
by Chris Matthews
Earlier this month, I took two weeks off from the show and Kathleen and I traveled to South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland where I had spent two years back in the 1960s helping develop small business enterprise as a volunteer in the U.S. Peace Corps.
We got a fabulous chance to see the historic efforts some very good people are making to save the amazing wildlife of Africa. I've got to give a real shout-out to Greg Carr, an American who is working and investing so hard to rebuild the great Gorongosa Game Park in Mozambique. He is working with the government of that country to bring back that country's precious resource.
I also want to pay tribute to Ted Reilly, who's spent his whole life in Swaziland. His father fought in the Boer War and he's now helping King Mswati to build-up and protect that beautiful little country's wildlife.
I've got to praise King Mswati for having the strength and vision to mean it when he bans poaching. Zero tolerance! No bail. No breaks...you kill, you go to jail. We've had too many elephants and rhinos killed in that part of the world.
I can't overlook the work of today's Peace Corps volunteers in Swaziland to deal with the HIV-AIDs challenge. They're up against some real challenges but I was very happy for the chance to meet with them.
Three cheers again to King Mswati for inviting the Peace Corps into his country and backing up their volunteer efforts. It makes me proud to have those young Americans over there working to meet a horror that affects Africa so greatly.
It was an incredible two weeks. I came very close to some amazing animals. In the very midst of the most wonderful scenery in the world. I was lucky to be in Africa as a young man and lucky to have returned there many times with my family since.
I hope to spend the rest of my life keeping in touch with the beauty and challenges of this wondrous continent.
Watch the complete video below.
