African theology in its social context

the long version

Swimming through Life is the story of one man's part in helping to bring about some of the Twentieth Century's most radical social transformations. It is the story of how Eric Krystall is swept up in the struggle to end injustice, getting involved, first in the anti-apartheid movement in his native South Africa during the 1950s, and then in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in the United States of America. It is the story of how Eric bucks prejudice in pioneering controversial new approaches to population studies, and of how - on returning to Africa in the 1970s - he goes on to develop some of the continent's earliest family planning programmes. Eric's ensuing career, spanning four decades (and including more than 25 years of service as a Rotarian), has been dedicated to solving many of Africa's and the developing world's most intractable health and social problems. His love for his adopted country Kenya, in particular, shines through. The events of Eric's life, skillfully recorded by son Nathan Krystall, reveal how the inner workings of the global aid and development community have changed, as the earnest ideals of the early years are overtaken by cynicism and self interest. Imbued with compassion and gentle humour throughout, Eric's story is a moving testimony to what it means to be human in an increasingly uncaring world.--Back cover.