Eswatini

A relationship. A community. A part of who we are.

Our Story

For more than twenty years, Buckswood has been part of a living partnership with a community in Eswatini.
This is not a school project, not charity, and not “volunteering tourism.”

It is a relationship – built slowly, respectfully, and with deep trust.

Students travel not to “give,” but to learn, share, and grow.

They return with something that cannot be taught in any classroom:
perspective, humility, gratitude, courage.

What Makes This Partnership Different

“We do not go to fix the world. We go to understand it – and to understand ourselves within it.”

• 20+ years of continuous partnership
• Shared friendship, shared responsibility
• Real life, real work, real learning
• No performance, no posturing – only people

What Students Experience

Students live alongside families and friends in the community.
They cook, garden, build, play football, dance, make music, learn languages, share stories.

They see the world through different eyes – and return changed.

They gain:

Personal

• Confidence
• Humility
• Gratitude

Social

• Friendship across cultures
• Teamwork
• Empathy

Worldview

• Understanding of global realities
• Awareness of privilege & responsibility
• A sense of connected humanity

In Eswatini, our students learn how to be human.
Not just successful – but good.

Student Voices

“I learned that happiness doesn’t come from what you have, but who you share life with.” – Year 12 student

“I stopped thinking the world is divided into ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is only ‘we’.” – Former pupil, now studying International Relations

Belonging Goes Both Ways

This is not a one-direction story.

Friends from Eswatini have visited Buckswood.
We exchange experiences, traditions, music, food, games, and learning.

This is mutual connection, not charity.

Who Takes Part?

The Eswatini Partnership is open to the whole school:

• Students help plan projects
• Students support fundraising
• Students help keep the relationship alive, year after year

This is not something a few students experience.
It is something the whole community carries.

Why This Matters

In a world that can feel divided and anxious, our students learn:

• To step outside their own experience
• To see dignity in every person
• To give more than they take
• To build relationships based on respect

This is how we raise global citizens.
Not by talking about the world but by living in it, beside others, with open hearts.

Eswatini is the Buckswood Way

Eswatini is not a trip.
It is a relationship.
It is a home-away-from-home.
It is a part of our identity.

And our students carry it with them forever.