Village Life, Dec 29th
Many of the Peace Corps volunteers live in government housing compounds built for those working in schools and government institutions. However, several of us live in houses within the villages. My village is called Molepolole, which has over 50,000 people. It is one of the oldest. Its first chief came up to Botswana because of the tribal wars in South Africa. He also asked for protection from the British against the Boers. Actually David Livingstone lived here for a while with his family and was friends with the chief. My school is named after one of the chiefs and his son is now the third one to rule in the family.
My ward is Goo Ntlo Edibe, which means house of the sin. (Not sure how it got that name.) The father of my original host family is the kgosi or chief for the ward. He is paid by the government and is in charge of the kgotla, or meeting house. There are village committees for health, development, education and other things. Trucks drive through the ward usually in the morning or evening announcing meetings and important messages with a loud speaker. One cannot under estimate the importance of protocol here and going through the proper channels.
The ward is maybe 10 or more square blocks of winding dirt paths and roads and hundreds of people. Each family compound is about the same size, about a quarter of an acre. Because the Land Board hands out the land, the compounds are all about the same size. My compound has a main house, two small ones and a traditional round hut with a thatched roof. I live in one of the small houses, the daughter and her daughters in the other, her mother and father in the main house, and son in the traditional hut. So there are three generations on this compound which is not that uncommon since many people have children without having husbands. Economic times are hard in most cases, so living together makes sense. The grandmother in my compound is a retired primary school teacher with a pension and lands a few hours away where she raises some crops and a few cows and goats.
Although compounds are the same size, they are not all equal. The number and types of houses may vary in number and in quality of construction. However, most are constructed with cement blocks that they usually make themselves using a mold. The roofs are tin or thatched. The neighbors may or may not have electricity or water. Some have a stand pipe outside for water and others have water in the house. In my case I have both water and electricity inside. My electricity comes from via a cord in the main house. My electricity often goes out since the family forgets to pay for electricity. Sometimes the whole village is without electricity or water for short or long periods of time. The water in my case is in the bathroom which serves as my kitchen sink. I have a gas stove attached to a huge gas cylinder. My fridge is electric and plugs into the wall. My house has no ceilings other than a hot tin roof which resonates with noise when it rains. The ceilings have a web of white plastic tubing that contains electrical wires, I suspect. The floor is smooth, grey cement.
Despite unequal accommodations and access to utilities, the social life is on-going with people dropping in to chat beginning at 5:30am until dusk. To begin with many people are related to each other. For example, this past week elderly relatives died in different compounds. So there are uncles, cousins, “sisters” and “brothers” all over the place. When there is a funeral, all relatives from near and far come as well as neighbors. The same goes for weddings. In both cases you do not have to be invited. You can always drop in for free food. This is important since the majority is unemployed. Whether drunk or sober, young or old, disabled or healthy, everyone seems to be treated with respect in terms of the formal language. (Note I cannot understand what they are saying most of the time beyond the formal greeting.) A book entitled, Juggling Truths, by Unity Dow, a former high court justice and wife of a former Peace Corps volunteer, is about life of young children growing up in the village. It sounds amazingly realistic.
In terms of religion, there are many formal and inform Christian churches in the ward. There is also a small Mosque nearby that many South Asian business owners attend. We do have some well off Indians living in the ward. The majority of people attend a form a Christian evangelical church. They usually wear what looks like a Salvation Army or scouting uniform to church. Women might wear blue or green skirts with white shirts and a matching scarf. I have been hesitant to attend because the services last several hours. The music is generally very lively. As a matter of fact, people spontaneously sing at most events. It is really great to hear.
Most compounds have sandy yards with a few trees for shade. Goats, donkeys, chickens, dogs and cats tend to run free throughout the ward. I think most go home to eat at night, but who knows. Children also wander around. There is not a problem of getting lost and most times there are people at home in most of the houses.
So this is long way of saying, I feel fortunate to live in a family compound in the village as opposed to a government compound. Life is happening all around me. I only understand a small amount of what goes on around me and this keeps me guessing. Most of the beliefs and practices I will never know since I am an outside. But I fill in the blanks with my own filtered truths, as may be the case.
On finishing this piece, I stepped outside my door to see a beautiful double rainbow in the aftermath of a light rain. This comes after a day full of beautiful cumulus clouds before a sunset of a red and orange sky against the backdrop of low thorn trees and bushes on the distant hills. All this makes a scenic setting for relatively quiet village life. So that is how it looks today. I realize this is a rather lengthy description. Hope it is clear. Let me know if there are other topics you would like address. I also apologize if I have been repetitive in my accounts. I do hope to post photos at some point when I get a little help from my friends.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
A Local Safari
My Local Safari
Last week two Peace Corps friends invited me to share a small house with them for two nights at the Mokolodi Nature Preserve, just 10 K from Gaborone, the capital. Being up for new experiences, I was delighted to join them. Not knowing what we would fine, we were in for lots of surprises.
Our little traditional house was located near one of many watering holes. Morning, noon and evening we were treated to the sight of warthogs with their young wallowing in the mud, groups of gemsbok jumping on and off stage, ostriches overseeing the activity, giraffes spreading their legs to reach down to drink, grey herons perched along the shore, baboons playing in the trees, Egyptian geese floating in the water, kudu with their long twisted horns cautiously coming out to drink and retreating and lots more. The scene was like a stage with the entrance and exit of different species. It turned out to be our favorite pastime between activities that included cheetah petting, giraffe tracking, horseback riding, and viewing rhinoceroses, wildebeest, zebras, hippos, snakes and other game during an evening game ride.
There were no long bus ride, no large crowds and noisy crowds. We slept with the monkeys outside our windows and woke to the baboons barking in the morning. Throughout the visit we saw many colorful birds which we tried to identify before they flew off. Although most of the large animals had been imported to what had been a large ranch, I could not tell where exactly I was in Botswana. with a shrub and tree savannah as a back drop, the animals roamed only to be hunted by a few leopards and brown hyenas.
As we were leaving the park, we stopped by the educational center to see if we could arrange a low cost visit to the reserve for our 20 plus HIV positive teen club to take advantage of the reserves wonderful educational activities. To our surprise, we discovered we were talking to a former Peace Corps volunteer from 1977. He stated in fact that he knew a donor who would pay for an entire two day visits so our students ages 13-19 could spend a night. We were excited and booked a weekend for the club, knowing all we had to do was arrange transportation.
To our amazement, we discovered we were talking to a former Peace Corps volunteer from 1977. He never left Botswana. He came to teach science at a high school in Mochudi and married a local woman who became the first female high court judge and well known author, Unity Dow. Their kids were now grown and several were lawyers like their mother. Peter Dow had gone on to obtain a degree in the environment and conservation. With his wife stepping down from the court to pursue human rights cases and his leaving the Mokolodi Nature Reserve in January, a new chapter will begin in their lives. So Botswana in many ways is a small world and one full of surprises.
Last week two Peace Corps friends invited me to share a small house with them for two nights at the Mokolodi Nature Preserve, just 10 K from Gaborone, the capital. Being up for new experiences, I was delighted to join them. Not knowing what we would fine, we were in for lots of surprises.
Our little traditional house was located near one of many watering holes. Morning, noon and evening we were treated to the sight of warthogs with their young wallowing in the mud, groups of gemsbok jumping on and off stage, ostriches overseeing the activity, giraffes spreading their legs to reach down to drink, grey herons perched along the shore, baboons playing in the trees, Egyptian geese floating in the water, kudu with their long twisted horns cautiously coming out to drink and retreating and lots more. The scene was like a stage with the entrance and exit of different species. It turned out to be our favorite pastime between activities that included cheetah petting, giraffe tracking, horseback riding, and viewing rhinoceroses, wildebeest, zebras, hippos, snakes and other game during an evening game ride.
There were no long bus ride, no large crowds and noisy crowds. We slept with the monkeys outside our windows and woke to the baboons barking in the morning. Throughout the visit we saw many colorful birds which we tried to identify before they flew off. Although most of the large animals had been imported to what had been a large ranch, I could not tell where exactly I was in Botswana. with a shrub and tree savannah as a back drop, the animals roamed only to be hunted by a few leopards and brown hyenas.
As we were leaving the park, we stopped by the educational center to see if we could arrange a low cost visit to the reserve for our 20 plus HIV positive teen club to take advantage of the reserves wonderful educational activities. To our surprise, we discovered we were talking to a former Peace Corps volunteer from 1977. He stated in fact that he knew a donor who would pay for an entire two day visits so our students ages 13-19 could spend a night. We were excited and booked a weekend for the club, knowing all we had to do was arrange transportation.
To our amazement, we discovered we were talking to a former Peace Corps volunteer from 1977. He never left Botswana. He came to teach science at a high school in Mochudi and married a local woman who became the first female high court judge and well known author, Unity Dow. Their kids were now grown and several were lawyers like their mother. Peter Dow had gone on to obtain a degree in the environment and conservation. With his wife stepping down from the court to pursue human rights cases and his leaving the Mokolodi Nature Reserve in January, a new chapter will begin in their lives. So Botswana in many ways is a small world and one full of surprises.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Weddings,Funerals, Xmas and
Weddings, Funerals and Christmas Time
December, 2008
As I write in the cool of the morning, I am listening to news from the world and US via a shortwave radio, it all seems rather distant in an out with the airwaves fading in and out. So I switch to Pete Singer and listen to the song of homelessness in the US. In the forefront are the noises of cleaning and preparations for a wedding gathering. Sweeping, cooking, and movable plastic chairs are a necessity for any gathering whether it be a wedding or a funeral. People come, talk and eat. The chairs are moved constantly to either be in or out of the sun depending on the weather, but most often it is to pull under the shade of a tree.
Early one morning few weeks ago the lobola or bride price was decided by the older men in the family. Not sure how man cows it was, but there is a coral or kraal not far for actual cow to be placed, viewed and transferred if necessary. Today the wedding is occurring. The guests are gathering at the bride’s house across the way and the actually wedding party will meet here. Last weekend, there was another wedding celebration just behind my house. It took all morning to erect a huge tent and wonderful music floated throughout the neighborhood all day.
December is the time for lots of wedding celebrations. All children and teachers are off from school and most people return to their villages for several weeks to celebrate Christmas. Families gather in their compounds. Mine has several generations. The young ones toddle around, the teens cruise and do chores, the older sibs go visiting and the old ones sit and talk. It is all very relaxed. Christmas is family time. Some go to the lands to plough, most travel home, and those who work get time off later. Most holidays are at least two days here because people have to travel home, especially those who live near the Kalahari Desert in the middle of the country. Everyone I know who live there loves it and really misses it when they choose to work in the towns.
Funerals take place weekly. Mostly the old folks attend them. Everyone in this large village of 50,000 plus is related to everyone else. Hence, they are your sister or brother here. Many live to a ripe old age, but those with HIV/AIDS die of secondary infections like the son of my family who died a painful death just a few years ago leaving a small toddler who is toddling around this Christmas. Those who die on Sundays or during the week are buried early Saturday morning. The body comes to the house on Friday night and then leaves early the next morning for burial. The nights leading up to the burial have evening prayers in which the departed is prayed for after which people are feed hot meals regardless of their numbers. For the prayers and the funeral, there is wonderful music with wonderful call and responses. One of our teachers died the last week of school. At 7am one morning the last week of school, all students, teachers, admin, and staff (about 2500 plus) gathered in the outdoor assembly space. Teacher, students, administrators and family (from Zimbabwe)spoke, sang and prayed in a beautiful memorial service which was organized within a day or two.
These weddings, funerals and family gatherings are essential elements of the lives here in Botswana. While people live and work in a conventional bureaucratic system, the real life is family centered. Christianity and traditional beliefs are inextricably interwoven here in Botswana. Yet the dress, offices, streets and buildings look very western on the outside. Hence, as an outsider, one does not know what is happening below the surfaces. It all adds to the mystery, humbling one when you think you know what is happening or going to occur.
Which reminds me, if you and the time and really want to know what Peace Corps in Botswana is about, I suggest you Google some blogs of other volunteers. I just read several to learn how many of my co-workers are doing. Their stories make a real collage of what happens here. One was accidently stuck with a needle while holding a baby being treated and is now suffering through a month long treatment to prevent HIV, not easy. Many describe their experiences living and working here, their successes, failures and surprises. Many are very good writers and keep you in suspense. In all cases the story are very human and personal.
December, 2008
As I write in the cool of the morning, I am listening to news from the world and US via a shortwave radio, it all seems rather distant in an out with the airwaves fading in and out. So I switch to Pete Singer and listen to the song of homelessness in the US. In the forefront are the noises of cleaning and preparations for a wedding gathering. Sweeping, cooking, and movable plastic chairs are a necessity for any gathering whether it be a wedding or a funeral. People come, talk and eat. The chairs are moved constantly to either be in or out of the sun depending on the weather, but most often it is to pull under the shade of a tree.
Early one morning few weeks ago the lobola or bride price was decided by the older men in the family. Not sure how man cows it was, but there is a coral or kraal not far for actual cow to be placed, viewed and transferred if necessary. Today the wedding is occurring. The guests are gathering at the bride’s house across the way and the actually wedding party will meet here. Last weekend, there was another wedding celebration just behind my house. It took all morning to erect a huge tent and wonderful music floated throughout the neighborhood all day.
December is the time for lots of wedding celebrations. All children and teachers are off from school and most people return to their villages for several weeks to celebrate Christmas. Families gather in their compounds. Mine has several generations. The young ones toddle around, the teens cruise and do chores, the older sibs go visiting and the old ones sit and talk. It is all very relaxed. Christmas is family time. Some go to the lands to plough, most travel home, and those who work get time off later. Most holidays are at least two days here because people have to travel home, especially those who live near the Kalahari Desert in the middle of the country. Everyone I know who live there loves it and really misses it when they choose to work in the towns.
Funerals take place weekly. Mostly the old folks attend them. Everyone in this large village of 50,000 plus is related to everyone else. Hence, they are your sister or brother here. Many live to a ripe old age, but those with HIV/AIDS die of secondary infections like the son of my family who died a painful death just a few years ago leaving a small toddler who is toddling around this Christmas. Those who die on Sundays or during the week are buried early Saturday morning. The body comes to the house on Friday night and then leaves early the next morning for burial. The nights leading up to the burial have evening prayers in which the departed is prayed for after which people are feed hot meals regardless of their numbers. For the prayers and the funeral, there is wonderful music with wonderful call and responses. One of our teachers died the last week of school. At 7am one morning the last week of school, all students, teachers, admin, and staff (about 2500 plus) gathered in the outdoor assembly space. Teacher, students, administrators and family (from Zimbabwe)spoke, sang and prayed in a beautiful memorial service which was organized within a day or two.
These weddings, funerals and family gatherings are essential elements of the lives here in Botswana. While people live and work in a conventional bureaucratic system, the real life is family centered. Christianity and traditional beliefs are inextricably interwoven here in Botswana. Yet the dress, offices, streets and buildings look very western on the outside. Hence, as an outsider, one does not know what is happening below the surfaces. It all adds to the mystery, humbling one when you think you know what is happening or going to occur.
Which reminds me, if you and the time and really want to know what Peace Corps in Botswana is about, I suggest you Google some blogs of other volunteers. I just read several to learn how many of my co-workers are doing. Their stories make a real collage of what happens here. One was accidently stuck with a needle while holding a baby being treated and is now suffering through a month long treatment to prevent HIV, not easy. Many describe their experiences living and working here, their successes, failures and surprises. Many are very good writers and keep you in suspense. In all cases the story are very human and personal.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Obama's Victory and A Visit
On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, I awoke at 4am to listen to the Voice of America in order to find out the polls were closing and Obama was ahead in many key states. By 6am he was giving his acceptance speech in Grant Park. History was in the making. Here in Botswana, as in other parts of Africa, people were aware of the possibility that an African American would be the next American president. So I went around the school with a bag of sweets celebrating with everyone I knew, and in some cases with those I did not know. Being from Chicago and having worked for Obama in his US Senate race, it was a wonderful victory. I was so happy we could celebrate on both sides of the ocean. It could also bring change after years of war around the world. Happy Days!!!
Then I had the good fortune of a visit by my friends, Ken and Martha Simonsen, who visited me after a tour of South Africa. Being professors of philosophy and English, they did me and the school a favour by planning excellent presentations to history and English teachers. Ken discussed Nietzsche and the way his philosophy was used and misused by Hitler to create the concept of a superior race. His views were thought provoking and gave the history department additional information for teaching modern world history. The group also compared persons in African history who represented some of the characteristics which Nietzsche had in mind. Martha presented to the English department on strategies for teaching remedial English as well as ideas for teaching Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and poetry. The member of the department went away with lots of ideas and great appreciation for her ideas and approaches. In both cases the teachers here saw and experienced master teachers and their methods of teaching in the US which contrast to the more preaching style of learning in Botswana.
After having taken advantage of the Simonsen’s teaching skills and experience, they invited me to join them in Johannesburg for a long, welcomed weekend. We saw some old friends we knew from Zimbabwe and caught up on what they had been doing. Then we learned in more detail about the long fight against apartheid by visiting several excellent museums and Soweto, a township that played an important role in the conflict. I even saw the museum where the first student killed in a protest against learning in Afrikaans took place. The day is now celebrated on June 16th as the day of the African child in Botswana and other countries. In addition, we saw an outstanding performance of Mozart’s Magic Flute, played on marimbas and including African music and dance. It was a most memorable time which went all too quickly.
And now as a write this is early December, I would like to wish everyone a good holiday season wherever you may be. As usual, I invite you to add comments and questions. I for one have lots to be grateful for in the New Year.
Then I had the good fortune of a visit by my friends, Ken and Martha Simonsen, who visited me after a tour of South Africa. Being professors of philosophy and English, they did me and the school a favour by planning excellent presentations to history and English teachers. Ken discussed Nietzsche and the way his philosophy was used and misused by Hitler to create the concept of a superior race. His views were thought provoking and gave the history department additional information for teaching modern world history. The group also compared persons in African history who represented some of the characteristics which Nietzsche had in mind. Martha presented to the English department on strategies for teaching remedial English as well as ideas for teaching Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and poetry. The member of the department went away with lots of ideas and great appreciation for her ideas and approaches. In both cases the teachers here saw and experienced master teachers and their methods of teaching in the US which contrast to the more preaching style of learning in Botswana.
After having taken advantage of the Simonsen’s teaching skills and experience, they invited me to join them in Johannesburg for a long, welcomed weekend. We saw some old friends we knew from Zimbabwe and caught up on what they had been doing. Then we learned in more detail about the long fight against apartheid by visiting several excellent museums and Soweto, a township that played an important role in the conflict. I even saw the museum where the first student killed in a protest against learning in Afrikaans took place. The day is now celebrated on June 16th as the day of the African child in Botswana and other countries. In addition, we saw an outstanding performance of Mozart’s Magic Flute, played on marimbas and including African music and dance. It was a most memorable time which went all too quickly.
And now as a write this is early December, I would like to wish everyone a good holiday season wherever you may be. As usual, I invite you to add comments and questions. I for one have lots to be grateful for in the New Year.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Six Months In Botswana
Six Months in Botswana: The Past, Present and Future
Wow! It is hard to believe that I have been with Peace Corps for six months. A great deal has transpired. I survived two months of intensive training in the language and culture, which immersed us into the new environment along with a family home stay for three months. But the training did pay off in preparing us to live, work and survive in a new part of the world. I feel very lucky to have had a team of coaches along the way. When I think of what refugees experience in terms of coming to the US with all that support, I am amazed they survived and even thrived. During the past four months, I have been on site at my senior secondary school with thousands of students and over one hundred teachers. Certainly, I have made my share of mistakes and have a long way to go to be accepted by students and teachers. Visibility I have when I walk around the school. Acceptance and trust are things that I have to earn and will take time. I thought the first part of my service would be the hardest, but now I am not so sure…
The next six months will be much warmer, to say the least. The weather is generally in the 90’s during the day although somewhat cooler at night. It has been very dry without much rain to date. I think I tend to melt and have become lethargic. Nothing seems that important. At times I just want to sit rather than move.
With my training mostly over, it is now up to me to implement life skills into the schools in all disciplines. These skills include goal setting, self awareness, assertiveness training, decision making and more, all as an effort to prevent behaviors which spread HIV and AIDS. That is a tall order. There are no blue prints, although there are some classroom materials and resources. Since I am supposed to build capacity at the school, it is import to partner with teachers and students. My goal includes networking both in the schools and in the community. One of my goals is to work with the Ministry of Health to provide better healthcare for our students who getting pregnant, being raped, and in some cases committing suicide. Life is difficult for them. Most do not live with their parents, who are working elsewhere. Most are poor and without adequate resources. If one could wave a wan and create jobs in the area that would be great. When most students graduate, they are unemployed and cannot afford higher educations. The world economic slump will not help markets for Botswana diamonds and economy. The high price of oil is making all the prices rise. Inflation is a problem and hurts the poor even more.
In addition to being an advocate for student healthcare, I am trying to assist with a variety of workshops for teachers and students on HIV and other topics. Since I am attached to the Guidance and Counseling Center, I counsel students from time to time and basically refer them to qualified social workers.
I am also working with another volunteer to assist a juvenile rehabilitation center with some programing other than vocational skills. They have social workers but no training in regards to rehabilitation of young criminals. The ages are 14-19. The young men need health information, life skills and in some cases literacy skills. Most dropped out of schools early. Not sure where the training will come from at this point. It all must be in Setswana since English is not an option with the young men.
Livng here has not been difficult, since I have water, electricity, a stove and refrigerator. My little house is on a family compound with about three other houses including both young and old folks. The capital city is about one hour away. I have been there several times to buy things at large shopping centers to supplement what I can purchase locally. My life is relative simple. The Peace Corps provides me with an adequate living allowance. In addition to learning more Setswana and seeing how I can assist the teachers and students, I also hope to see some of the country in the next six months.
Over all, it has not been an easy ride both in terms of the training and the job. I have had good days and bad days. My mood goes up and down. The work is challenging and I tend to stay busy. I am enjoying getting to know some of my fellow teachers. I am also very fortunate to have a wonderful counterpart who is head of the counseling department and guiding me along the way in addition to going back to school half time.
I find working around the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health bureaucracy very frustrating. With over half of the people in the country employed by the government, it is like working for city of Chicago and abiding by lots of rules. The school itself is also very hierarchical which presents many problems in getting permission to do things. The fact that teachers use and abuse the stick to discipline students creates problems on many levels. I realize this practice of disciplining students is part of the culture and even the traditional authorities beat people as a form of punishment. However, I cannot accept this. To date I have not figured out easy effective, alternative strategies for teachers to use. If anyone has good solutions, please comment below.
I did get what I asked for in joining the Peace Corps, but not exactly what I expected. The reality has been harder than I anticipated. I have learned a great deal since my arrival six months ago. I hope to learn much more in the next six months.
Sorry for the long report. Do feel free to make suggestions and observations.
Wow! It is hard to believe that I have been with Peace Corps for six months. A great deal has transpired. I survived two months of intensive training in the language and culture, which immersed us into the new environment along with a family home stay for three months. But the training did pay off in preparing us to live, work and survive in a new part of the world. I feel very lucky to have had a team of coaches along the way. When I think of what refugees experience in terms of coming to the US with all that support, I am amazed they survived and even thrived. During the past four months, I have been on site at my senior secondary school with thousands of students and over one hundred teachers. Certainly, I have made my share of mistakes and have a long way to go to be accepted by students and teachers. Visibility I have when I walk around the school. Acceptance and trust are things that I have to earn and will take time. I thought the first part of my service would be the hardest, but now I am not so sure…
The next six months will be much warmer, to say the least. The weather is generally in the 90’s during the day although somewhat cooler at night. It has been very dry without much rain to date. I think I tend to melt and have become lethargic. Nothing seems that important. At times I just want to sit rather than move.
With my training mostly over, it is now up to me to implement life skills into the schools in all disciplines. These skills include goal setting, self awareness, assertiveness training, decision making and more, all as an effort to prevent behaviors which spread HIV and AIDS. That is a tall order. There are no blue prints, although there are some classroom materials and resources. Since I am supposed to build capacity at the school, it is import to partner with teachers and students. My goal includes networking both in the schools and in the community. One of my goals is to work with the Ministry of Health to provide better healthcare for our students who getting pregnant, being raped, and in some cases committing suicide. Life is difficult for them. Most do not live with their parents, who are working elsewhere. Most are poor and without adequate resources. If one could wave a wan and create jobs in the area that would be great. When most students graduate, they are unemployed and cannot afford higher educations. The world economic slump will not help markets for Botswana diamonds and economy. The high price of oil is making all the prices rise. Inflation is a problem and hurts the poor even more.
In addition to being an advocate for student healthcare, I am trying to assist with a variety of workshops for teachers and students on HIV and other topics. Since I am attached to the Guidance and Counseling Center, I counsel students from time to time and basically refer them to qualified social workers.
I am also working with another volunteer to assist a juvenile rehabilitation center with some programing other than vocational skills. They have social workers but no training in regards to rehabilitation of young criminals. The ages are 14-19. The young men need health information, life skills and in some cases literacy skills. Most dropped out of schools early. Not sure where the training will come from at this point. It all must be in Setswana since English is not an option with the young men.
Livng here has not been difficult, since I have water, electricity, a stove and refrigerator. My little house is on a family compound with about three other houses including both young and old folks. The capital city is about one hour away. I have been there several times to buy things at large shopping centers to supplement what I can purchase locally. My life is relative simple. The Peace Corps provides me with an adequate living allowance. In addition to learning more Setswana and seeing how I can assist the teachers and students, I also hope to see some of the country in the next six months.
Over all, it has not been an easy ride both in terms of the training and the job. I have had good days and bad days. My mood goes up and down. The work is challenging and I tend to stay busy. I am enjoying getting to know some of my fellow teachers. I am also very fortunate to have a wonderful counterpart who is head of the counseling department and guiding me along the way in addition to going back to school half time.
I find working around the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health bureaucracy very frustrating. With over half of the people in the country employed by the government, it is like working for city of Chicago and abiding by lots of rules. The school itself is also very hierarchical which presents many problems in getting permission to do things. The fact that teachers use and abuse the stick to discipline students creates problems on many levels. I realize this practice of disciplining students is part of the culture and even the traditional authorities beat people as a form of punishment. However, I cannot accept this. To date I have not figured out easy effective, alternative strategies for teachers to use. If anyone has good solutions, please comment below.
I did get what I asked for in joining the Peace Corps, but not exactly what I expected. The reality has been harder than I anticipated. I have learned a great deal since my arrival six months ago. I hope to learn much more in the next six months.
Sorry for the long report. Do feel free to make suggestions and observations.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Why I enjoyed working on a school magazine
My school celebrates it 50th Anniversary this Saturday. Everyone is working hard. I got involved accidently because Peace Corps had taken some photos of our swearing in ceremony at the school with the former President, Festus Mogae. Then, although I was the newest member, I happened to meet one of the oldest students while soliciting funds to print the magazine.
This opportunity has given me a chance to learn the history of the school and obtain a great article for the magazine. Fortunately, I met two Peace Corps Volunteers who visited this summer for the first time since teaching there in 1971 and 1972. He also wrote and article. So coincidences never cease. It turns out back in the 70's they had several Peace Corps teachers as well as some from other African countries.
I have proved useful as an editor, since the magazine is in English, which is a second language for most. However, they use Oxford English and I use Webster's, like counselling, realise, programme, etc. Considering the difficult of writing in a second language, I am amazed at how good the writing is.
In this process of working long days, I met some very helpful teachers.
I have learned lots about the students through their poetry about HIV and early pregnancies.
It was an opportunity to learn teachers' views and their expectations of students.
Since we were working in the Art Department, I saw lots of the student art, which is excellent and shows me some of the traditional life scenes. At the same time I learned Adobe Page Maker 7 and CorelDraw 11. If the computers did not have so many viruses, life would have been easier.
Never having worked on a newspaper or magazine staff, it was very challenging for me. As I write the magazine is still not at the printers, but considering all the late submissions and changes, it is amazing it is getting done, even if it will not be printed on time. But for me it has been a wonderful journey. I have found in the process that it was a Kenyan, and Indian and myself who ended up with most of the work-a real international experience.
Now, everyone is free to find my errors and edit my English! I realize I have changed tenses and not written the best prose, but this is the age of the internet cafe and e-mails. So pardon the writing.
Go Siame (Go Well)
This opportunity has given me a chance to learn the history of the school and obtain a great article for the magazine. Fortunately, I met two Peace Corps Volunteers who visited this summer for the first time since teaching there in 1971 and 1972. He also wrote and article. So coincidences never cease. It turns out back in the 70's they had several Peace Corps teachers as well as some from other African countries.
I have proved useful as an editor, since the magazine is in English, which is a second language for most. However, they use Oxford English and I use Webster's, like counselling, realise, programme, etc. Considering the difficult of writing in a second language, I am amazed at how good the writing is.
In this process of working long days, I met some very helpful teachers.
I have learned lots about the students through their poetry about HIV and early pregnancies.
It was an opportunity to learn teachers' views and their expectations of students.
Since we were working in the Art Department, I saw lots of the student art, which is excellent and shows me some of the traditional life scenes. At the same time I learned Adobe Page Maker 7 and CorelDraw 11. If the computers did not have so many viruses, life would have been easier.
Never having worked on a newspaper or magazine staff, it was very challenging for me. As I write the magazine is still not at the printers, but considering all the late submissions and changes, it is amazing it is getting done, even if it will not be printed on time. But for me it has been a wonderful journey. I have found in the process that it was a Kenyan, and Indian and myself who ended up with most of the work-a real international experience.
Now, everyone is free to find my errors and edit my English! I realize I have changed tenses and not written the best prose, but this is the age of the internet cafe and e-mails. So pardon the writing.
Go Siame (Go Well)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Why I Like Peace Corps in Botswana
Blog Reasons why I like Peace Corps
When I thought of volunteering abroad, I thought Peace Corps would be the best alternative. One was for the language training and the other for the healthcare. As a retired person, these benefits have served me well.
I just returned from a ten day in-service Peace Corps training in a beautiful, Botswana village called Kanye. It has hills around it that remind me of the Smokey Mountains. Another friend said it reminded him of West Virginia. In any case, we had excellent language training. Not sure how I did on my latest test, but I really appreciated the professional languane tutors. I had a great time with two other volunteers and a good, clear teacher. At one point he read in a Setswana newspaper to us and we had to transcribe what we heard and then translate it. Fun with lots of guessing. Although we all try had, we generally have trouble being understood or understand what is being said. We hope this will improve with time.
In terms of medical care, I have been very healthy, but it helps to have a trained medical service that will give you the vitamins and other preventive pills one needs in addition to showing interest in you. Peace Corps also provides us with a useful supply of medications that you hope you will never have to use, such as some pills in case we actually get malaria or something to take in case the the bird flu comes around, heaven forbid! (There are so many chickens where I live, it would spread like wildfire. ) Since I am fasting for Ramadan again this year, I have now been told exactly what kinds of foods I should eat and drink in the mornings and evenings to help my fast from sun up to sun down. Botswana is basically Christian, but Molelpolole has a mosque which I recently attended that was very welcoming. Although I have no intention of converting, I enjoyed the service from a separate hall for women only.
One benefit that I did not anticipate, are the other volunteers. There are 53 of us now and they are a great support group. We rely on each other for books, recipes, coping strategies, support, etc. We have a lawyer, nurses, public health students, HIV experts, social workers, counselors and lots of hard working people. They work with health clinics, NGO’s, and District HIV coordinating committees, in addition to the schools. Many are also talented on the computer. With their help I hope to post some pictures soon.
At this past training, we were well fed, heard some great talks on HIV in Botswana, and played soccer after the long day of sitting and listening. I played goalie with a very protect team of PC volunteers and our Batswanan language trainers. As the masodi mogolo(old lady), I get lots of support. Even with that we lost, but we had fun doing it.
As volunteers we all face different challenges. Our housing is in general better than the locals and we also get a decent living allowance. When we travel, we usually visit each other and get free room and board. These are real benefits that make living and travelling here easier for us.
In addition to all we are learning about Botswana, we also having to know lots a acronyms. Many start with B for Botswana such as the BDF( Botswana Defense Force), BOTUSA (Botswana US Aids Program), UN this and that, Ministry of this and that, Village committee for this and that, PC (Peace Corps ) this and that, and lots of unpronounceable Botswana names, words and places.
So there it is. Life here is a challenge. We all have lots of frustrations. And et me remind you that the views expressed here are my own and in no way represent the US government or Peace Corps. If you have questions or comments, just jot me a line. Others may want to know the answers as well. Tsamaya sentle. (Go well)
When I thought of volunteering abroad, I thought Peace Corps would be the best alternative. One was for the language training and the other for the healthcare. As a retired person, these benefits have served me well.
I just returned from a ten day in-service Peace Corps training in a beautiful, Botswana village called Kanye. It has hills around it that remind me of the Smokey Mountains. Another friend said it reminded him of West Virginia. In any case, we had excellent language training. Not sure how I did on my latest test, but I really appreciated the professional languane tutors. I had a great time with two other volunteers and a good, clear teacher. At one point he read in a Setswana newspaper to us and we had to transcribe what we heard and then translate it. Fun with lots of guessing. Although we all try had, we generally have trouble being understood or understand what is being said. We hope this will improve with time.
In terms of medical care, I have been very healthy, but it helps to have a trained medical service that will give you the vitamins and other preventive pills one needs in addition to showing interest in you. Peace Corps also provides us with a useful supply of medications that you hope you will never have to use, such as some pills in case we actually get malaria or something to take in case the the bird flu comes around, heaven forbid! (There are so many chickens where I live, it would spread like wildfire. ) Since I am fasting for Ramadan again this year, I have now been told exactly what kinds of foods I should eat and drink in the mornings and evenings to help my fast from sun up to sun down. Botswana is basically Christian, but Molelpolole has a mosque which I recently attended that was very welcoming. Although I have no intention of converting, I enjoyed the service from a separate hall for women only.
One benefit that I did not anticipate, are the other volunteers. There are 53 of us now and they are a great support group. We rely on each other for books, recipes, coping strategies, support, etc. We have a lawyer, nurses, public health students, HIV experts, social workers, counselors and lots of hard working people. They work with health clinics, NGO’s, and District HIV coordinating committees, in addition to the schools. Many are also talented on the computer. With their help I hope to post some pictures soon.
At this past training, we were well fed, heard some great talks on HIV in Botswana, and played soccer after the long day of sitting and listening. I played goalie with a very protect team of PC volunteers and our Batswanan language trainers. As the masodi mogolo(old lady), I get lots of support. Even with that we lost, but we had fun doing it.
As volunteers we all face different challenges. Our housing is in general better than the locals and we also get a decent living allowance. When we travel, we usually visit each other and get free room and board. These are real benefits that make living and travelling here easier for us.
In addition to all we are learning about Botswana, we also having to know lots a acronyms. Many start with B for Botswana such as the BDF( Botswana Defense Force), BOTUSA (Botswana US Aids Program), UN this and that, Ministry of this and that, Village committee for this and that, PC (Peace Corps ) this and that, and lots of unpronounceable Botswana names, words and places.
So there it is. Life here is a challenge. We all have lots of frustrations. And et me remind you that the views expressed here are my own and in no way represent the US government or Peace Corps. If you have questions or comments, just jot me a line. Others may want to know the answers as well. Tsamaya sentle. (Go well)
Friday, August 29, 2008
August in Botswana
At present I am living in a dust bowl. It is dry and the wind this month makes small funnel clouds both close and far. They could be tornadoes, except they are brown. Hard to keep you shoes and clothes clean. I cannot believe the amount of dirt I track in. It is like Chicago, except it is brown. I could clean every day. The space under the doors allows not only dirt, but leaves, crickets, spiders, ants and other assorted creatures in my place. I think the critters march in in broad daylight when I am not home. I had a noisy cricket in my bathroom. I found it and put him outside. Then the noise kept coming but louder. Found an even bigger one. I welcome spiders to even out the war with the insects. . My floors are cement, so I can sweep everything out the door. I have also installed my beautiful green mosquito net. It gives me a room within a room. Now I am no longer cold. The weather is really beginning to heat up, but things cool off at night.
This month I have spent making my place homey. I have bought curtains, pots and pans, dishes, sheets, towels, utensils, buckets for water when the water does not run and candles for when the electricity goes out. Since I only have water in the bathroom, I spend lots of time carrying water and dishes back and forth. There is no hot water, so I heat water for baths. Just use about two buckets a day. Water is a problem in Botswana. I received a lovely donation of spices and teas, so my kitchen is getting well stocked. I have found some delicious local beans, so rice and beans plus my spices are delicious. There is also wonderful fresh chard and rape that I have practically daily. I do not have a refrigerator, so food does not last long. A guest donated another mattress, which is now on my floor as a yoga mat and a place for playing Uno and connect 4 with my young neighbors. Besides children’s art, I now have some photos on the wall and even some aerial maps of Molepolole and different parts of Botswana.
Since school does not begin again until September, I have been interviewing people in the village. I just visited a juvenile rehabilitation center. Another Peace Corps volunteer and I hope to do further observations and perhaps help with some life skill workshops. This week I met some great folks from SAMEID, an organization for developing private media in Southern Africa. I want them to come for a workshop on HIV and the media. The intent is to inform and help people think critically about the news media. The government really controls the press here, so there is a lot to think about and learn. My role at the school is turning out to be encouraging critical thinking, as I did years ago at Harper College.
On the HIV front, I also visited a group of older women like myself who were doing Home Based Care work with the elderly and people living with HIV/AIDS, although the ARV treatments have really altered the wellbeing of these people who previously have not been able to work. In addition, I interviewed the chairman of the men’s multi sector HIV committee in Molepolole. One of the many factors affecting the spread of the disease seems to be the fact that men and women have many concurrent sexual partners, rather than getting married or staying with one. The young women tend to hook up with sugar daddies and get pregnant early. These cultural partners are very strong. Many men and women have jobs away from their partners which encourages the practice. For examples, teachers are placed by the Ministry of Education. They are not usually placed in the same town as their spouses. Evidently men are very competitive about the number of women they have relations with in the same or different towns. Changing attitudes is one thing, but changing behaviors is even harder.
Well the Olympics have passed me by and now the Democratic Convention has as well. But the Peace Corps provides us with old issues of the international version of Newsweek, so I will get news eventually.
On August 31st I leave for 10 days in service training in Kanye, another village not far from Gaberone. We will be doing more language study and discussing our needs assessments to determine how we can be most effective at our sights.
Hope to post some photos eventually. I still have lots of questions and few answers. But maybe that is how it will be.
Go siame,
Molly
This month I have spent making my place homey. I have bought curtains, pots and pans, dishes, sheets, towels, utensils, buckets for water when the water does not run and candles for when the electricity goes out. Since I only have water in the bathroom, I spend lots of time carrying water and dishes back and forth. There is no hot water, so I heat water for baths. Just use about two buckets a day. Water is a problem in Botswana. I received a lovely donation of spices and teas, so my kitchen is getting well stocked. I have found some delicious local beans, so rice and beans plus my spices are delicious. There is also wonderful fresh chard and rape that I have practically daily. I do not have a refrigerator, so food does not last long. A guest donated another mattress, which is now on my floor as a yoga mat and a place for playing Uno and connect 4 with my young neighbors. Besides children’s art, I now have some photos on the wall and even some aerial maps of Molepolole and different parts of Botswana.
Since school does not begin again until September, I have been interviewing people in the village. I just visited a juvenile rehabilitation center. Another Peace Corps volunteer and I hope to do further observations and perhaps help with some life skill workshops. This week I met some great folks from SAMEID, an organization for developing private media in Southern Africa. I want them to come for a workshop on HIV and the media. The intent is to inform and help people think critically about the news media. The government really controls the press here, so there is a lot to think about and learn. My role at the school is turning out to be encouraging critical thinking, as I did years ago at Harper College.
On the HIV front, I also visited a group of older women like myself who were doing Home Based Care work with the elderly and people living with HIV/AIDS, although the ARV treatments have really altered the wellbeing of these people who previously have not been able to work. In addition, I interviewed the chairman of the men’s multi sector HIV committee in Molepolole. One of the many factors affecting the spread of the disease seems to be the fact that men and women have many concurrent sexual partners, rather than getting married or staying with one. The young women tend to hook up with sugar daddies and get pregnant early. These cultural partners are very strong. Many men and women have jobs away from their partners which encourages the practice. For examples, teachers are placed by the Ministry of Education. They are not usually placed in the same town as their spouses. Evidently men are very competitive about the number of women they have relations with in the same or different towns. Changing attitudes is one thing, but changing behaviors is even harder.
Well the Olympics have passed me by and now the Democratic Convention has as well. But the Peace Corps provides us with old issues of the international version of Newsweek, so I will get news eventually.
On August 31st I leave for 10 days in service training in Kanye, another village not far from Gaberone. We will be doing more language study and discussing our needs assessments to determine how we can be most effective at our sights.
Hope to post some photos eventually. I still have lots of questions and few answers. But maybe that is how it will be.
Go siame,
Molly
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Camp ala Botswana
August Aug 10 to 16, 2008, Youth Empowerment Forum, Pitsane, Botswana
The Youth Forum represented over 100 poor and vulnerable children as well as many exceptional youth from the ages of 8 to 18 years old. They were bombarded with talks by all kinds of organizations presenting on everything from alcohol abuse, HIV and AIDS prevention to volunteerism a la the Red Cross and Peace Corps. Students recorded their notes on each topic and participated in productive discussion groups to elicit more participation. I personally had fun debating with a team of old people against some students who advocated student rights. We lost when the students voted, but we did try our best.
The students were assisted by 30 or more facilitators from government offices, teachers, NGOs, and 12 Peace Corps volunteers who all worked as a team over the weak to focus on the children’s needs and concerns. It was an intense camp atmosphere with little time for play and sports. We all stayed in dorms of the 10 year old Barolong Vocational School in the southern part of Botswana near South Africa. And during the week we did take a field trip to see the Botswana Defense Force’s automated diary, which happened to be near the South African border, although we did not cross it.
The experience was very challenging in part because it was both in Setswana and English. The Peace Corps Volunteers had trouble understanding the Setswana and many of the kids and adults had trouble understanding the English, although the society is amazingly bilingual.
The forum was sponsored by such organizations as UNICEF, UNDP (Development and Planning), the Ministry of Education, the Red Cross, etc. They provided us with three meals a day plus tea breaks in the morning and afternoon. The experience was intense. The question was, did it build capacity? Maybe and maybe not, but it might have planted some seeds in the minds of some of the children. Did the Peace Corps make a difference by our presence? We hope so, but in any case we learned more about Botswana culture and customs. The last evening we also attend a “braai” which is really a barbeque in which everyone, except me, cooked their own meeting over the fire.
I learned lots about different organizations that presented to the students. Also got tested for HIV by a PEPFAR or US aided organization. The counseling was excellent so our money was well spent. They used the rapid test so I knew very quickly that I was negative.
I also enjoyed seeing a different town and part of the country. It is the center of the cattle slaughtering houses and also has the main mental hospital. Lobatse looks like it could be a town in the Midwest. It has a shopping center, train and several housing developments. The weather there is colder than Molepolole because it is farther south and nearer the southern part of the Kalahari Desert. (Cold showers were a challenge!)
Our winter is almost over. Days are windy and nights are still cold, but the days are generally warm. My clothes dry quickly on the line these days. I have a major needs assessment of my school and the community due soon which will keep my busy while the school is on break until the beginning of September. I am busy organizing my new home and hope to have some time to post photos or at least refer you to other volunteers blogs to give you a visual image. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. Tsamaya sentle! Good well!
The Youth Forum represented over 100 poor and vulnerable children as well as many exceptional youth from the ages of 8 to 18 years old. They were bombarded with talks by all kinds of organizations presenting on everything from alcohol abuse, HIV and AIDS prevention to volunteerism a la the Red Cross and Peace Corps. Students recorded their notes on each topic and participated in productive discussion groups to elicit more participation. I personally had fun debating with a team of old people against some students who advocated student rights. We lost when the students voted, but we did try our best.
The students were assisted by 30 or more facilitators from government offices, teachers, NGOs, and 12 Peace Corps volunteers who all worked as a team over the weak to focus on the children’s needs and concerns. It was an intense camp atmosphere with little time for play and sports. We all stayed in dorms of the 10 year old Barolong Vocational School in the southern part of Botswana near South Africa. And during the week we did take a field trip to see the Botswana Defense Force’s automated diary, which happened to be near the South African border, although we did not cross it.
The experience was very challenging in part because it was both in Setswana and English. The Peace Corps Volunteers had trouble understanding the Setswana and many of the kids and adults had trouble understanding the English, although the society is amazingly bilingual.
The forum was sponsored by such organizations as UNICEF, UNDP (Development and Planning), the Ministry of Education, the Red Cross, etc. They provided us with three meals a day plus tea breaks in the morning and afternoon. The experience was intense. The question was, did it build capacity? Maybe and maybe not, but it might have planted some seeds in the minds of some of the children. Did the Peace Corps make a difference by our presence? We hope so, but in any case we learned more about Botswana culture and customs. The last evening we also attend a “braai” which is really a barbeque in which everyone, except me, cooked their own meeting over the fire.
I learned lots about different organizations that presented to the students. Also got tested for HIV by a PEPFAR or US aided organization. The counseling was excellent so our money was well spent. They used the rapid test so I knew very quickly that I was negative.
I also enjoyed seeing a different town and part of the country. It is the center of the cattle slaughtering houses and also has the main mental hospital. Lobatse looks like it could be a town in the Midwest. It has a shopping center, train and several housing developments. The weather there is colder than Molepolole because it is farther south and nearer the southern part of the Kalahari Desert. (Cold showers were a challenge!)
Our winter is almost over. Days are windy and nights are still cold, but the days are generally warm. My clothes dry quickly on the line these days. I have a major needs assessment of my school and the community due soon which will keep my busy while the school is on break until the beginning of September. I am busy organizing my new home and hope to have some time to post photos or at least refer you to other volunteers blogs to give you a visual image. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. Tsamaya sentle! Good well!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Past Month
Since the swearing in ceremony, I have been involved in a number of activities.
1. I moved into my own three room space on a small family compound with a few other small structures on it. Since this only occurred within the last week, I have just begun settling in to my new quarters. I do have electricity, running cold water and toilet. It is located about one half mile from the school so my commute will be walking paths around housing compounds filled with chickens and goats. Shops are not far so I can walk there as well. Will give an update in the near future. Have been enjoying cooking and trying different vegetables. We do have Indian spices here locally so my vegetables are curry with ginger.
2. Have been getting acquainted with my school by visiting classes, making a map to find classes and offices, talking to students, teachers and administrators and attending school assemblies and meeting of which most are in Setswana. A small book which I carry helps me keep track of the names of the people I meet, but I usually at a lost coming up with the right name when people test me.
3. I covered a few guidance classes dealing with vocational skills. One exercise dealt with the process of finding jobs in a newspaper which listed qualifications required and the application process. Writing a curriculum vita and practicing job interviews are things that we will work on hopefully in the future. The classes generally have 30-40 students. My English was a real barrier. The students tend to talk Setswana and write English which is a real good trick. They did listen when I talked setswana and helped me with it. Even a few phrases here and there helps.
4. A week ago I attended a guidance and counseling workshop with about 30 teachers for the primary and junior secondary schools. Lots of attention was given to making plans and assessing needs. There are about 8-10 schools in my cluster and I hope to visit some of them in the future. Some of these schools have up to 50 students a class.
5. My own needs assessment of the school and Molepolole is moving along. In addition to interviewing students, teachers and administrators on campus about issues facing the school, I am visiting NGO’s(nonprofits) and government organizations in the community. Had a great interview yesterday with the administrative counselor in charge of development for the district. There are many challenges in the Kweneng District. Most of the district is rural but part borders on the capital of Gaborone so there is a competition of resources and funds between rural needs and more urban development and housing. Water is a big issue in terms of drinking water and water for farming. Generally the district has subsistence farm
6. Having been working with a young university student on my Setswana pronunciation as well as a primary teacher on my grammar, but alas her vacation is over. She and her friends where teaching guidance classes about HIV and AIDS. They had a rally with music and entertainment. Very successful. The students really related to them. My language progress is slow. We have trouble being understood in English and Setswana because we do not have the normal English accent nor the proper sounds a combination of consonants in Setstwana. For example “tlh” is pronounced more like cl in clay, an “ng” which is inhaled and nasal, and “kg” is a strong k with an expiration as in Kalahari. Plus we do not give the lyrical sound to most sentences.
7. Have been walking and running through the dirt paths and roads in this village area learning my way around and greeting people, especially enthusiastic kids who wave and run after me with saying hello or a lyrical “howareyou” as a single phrase. Generally people warm up and wave when you say "dumela" and test me on my greeting responses.
8. Spring is on its way. There are some flowering read bushes, a giant pointsetta with only red leaves at the top of each stem and no green ones, and lots of colorful birds both big and small. Have also been enjoying lots of different kinds of chickens and their chicks. It seems to be gradually staying lighter longer. So there is now light between 6:30am to 6:15pm.
9. Have been enjoying the "Cry of the Kalahari"by Mark and Delia Owens which is an older book dating back to the seventies and their research on lions and the brown hyena. They really encountered some life threatening experiences in the Kalahari. They were gutsy. I read the latter mixed with "A Few More Days" by a Swedish journalist ,who documents the life of a woman with HIV and AIDS in the 1990’s and one of the Ladies No. l Detective Series by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Botswana. Since it gets dark early, we have lots of time to read, cook, do our assignments for Peace Corps, etc.
Hope summer has been good in the Chicago area. I know I will get my share of sun and heat in the near future. Would love comments. Have lots to learn. Can not talk about much with authority after just three months.
I intend to get photos up in August with my new haircut.
1. I moved into my own three room space on a small family compound with a few other small structures on it. Since this only occurred within the last week, I have just begun settling in to my new quarters. I do have electricity, running cold water and toilet. It is located about one half mile from the school so my commute will be walking paths around housing compounds filled with chickens and goats. Shops are not far so I can walk there as well. Will give an update in the near future. Have been enjoying cooking and trying different vegetables. We do have Indian spices here locally so my vegetables are curry with ginger.
2. Have been getting acquainted with my school by visiting classes, making a map to find classes and offices, talking to students, teachers and administrators and attending school assemblies and meeting of which most are in Setswana. A small book which I carry helps me keep track of the names of the people I meet, but I usually at a lost coming up with the right name when people test me.
3. I covered a few guidance classes dealing with vocational skills. One exercise dealt with the process of finding jobs in a newspaper which listed qualifications required and the application process. Writing a curriculum vita and practicing job interviews are things that we will work on hopefully in the future. The classes generally have 30-40 students. My English was a real barrier. The students tend to talk Setswana and write English which is a real good trick. They did listen when I talked setswana and helped me with it. Even a few phrases here and there helps.
4. A week ago I attended a guidance and counseling workshop with about 30 teachers for the primary and junior secondary schools. Lots of attention was given to making plans and assessing needs. There are about 8-10 schools in my cluster and I hope to visit some of them in the future. Some of these schools have up to 50 students a class.
5. My own needs assessment of the school and Molepolole is moving along. In addition to interviewing students, teachers and administrators on campus about issues facing the school, I am visiting NGO’s(nonprofits) and government organizations in the community. Had a great interview yesterday with the administrative counselor in charge of development for the district. There are many challenges in the Kweneng District. Most of the district is rural but part borders on the capital of Gaborone so there is a competition of resources and funds between rural needs and more urban development and housing. Water is a big issue in terms of drinking water and water for farming. Generally the district has subsistence farm
6. Having been working with a young university student on my Setswana pronunciation as well as a primary teacher on my grammar, but alas her vacation is over. She and her friends where teaching guidance classes about HIV and AIDS. They had a rally with music and entertainment. Very successful. The students really related to them. My language progress is slow. We have trouble being understood in English and Setswana because we do not have the normal English accent nor the proper sounds a combination of consonants in Setstwana. For example “tlh” is pronounced more like cl in clay, an “ng” which is inhaled and nasal, and “kg” is a strong k with an expiration as in Kalahari. Plus we do not give the lyrical sound to most sentences.
7. Have been walking and running through the dirt paths and roads in this village area learning my way around and greeting people, especially enthusiastic kids who wave and run after me with saying hello or a lyrical “howareyou” as a single phrase. Generally people warm up and wave when you say "dumela" and test me on my greeting responses.
8. Spring is on its way. There are some flowering read bushes, a giant pointsetta with only red leaves at the top of each stem and no green ones, and lots of colorful birds both big and small. Have also been enjoying lots of different kinds of chickens and their chicks. It seems to be gradually staying lighter longer. So there is now light between 6:30am to 6:15pm.
9. Have been enjoying the "Cry of the Kalahari"by Mark and Delia Owens which is an older book dating back to the seventies and their research on lions and the brown hyena. They really encountered some life threatening experiences in the Kalahari. They were gutsy. I read the latter mixed with "A Few More Days" by a Swedish journalist ,who documents the life of a woman with HIV and AIDS in the 1990’s and one of the Ladies No. l Detective Series by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Botswana. Since it gets dark early, we have lots of time to read, cook, do our assignments for Peace Corps, etc.
Hope summer has been good in the Chicago area. I know I will get my share of sun and heat in the near future. Would love comments. Have lots to learn. Can not talk about much with authority after just three months.
I intend to get photos up in August with my new haircut.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Challenges on the School Front
My First Week on Assignment, June 30, 2008
My blog has not been recently updated since I have had limited internet access and have been completing my Peace Corps training while transitioning to my assigned post for the next two years. On June 20, I was sworn in as a volunteer after signing an oath to uphold the US Constitution and protect the country from enemies at home and abroad. The ceremony was presided over by the US ambassador and a former president of Botswana. I realize this posting is rather long and dry, but hope that some of you familiar with schools might be interested,
I have been assigned to a public school with students from approximately 16-18 or older. It has over 2,000 students and is on of 28 secondary schools in the country. It is one of five schools with a double shift. The first shift goes from about 6:30am to 4 pm. The other begins at 10 and goes until about 6pm. Saturdays are 8-10am. The class times change from morning to afternoon every other week so that neither school has early mornings or late afternoons. It is on a six day schedule so the day the class is taught changes every week. I am still trying to figure it all out. For example, if a class is taught on Monday one week, the next week it is offered on Tuesdays.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, I have been assigned to help implement a Life Skills curriculum dealing with HIV and AIDS. But before doing that, I must complete a 2 ½ month needs assessment to determine how my skills best fit the school and the community. This process will give me time to learn more about what the culture and the community. I have been assigned to the Guidance and Counseling Department which has a part-time head. She also doubles as the school nurse handing out sanitary pads, pain killers and taking sick students to the hospital.
There are about 150 teachers. I attended a three hour new faculty workshop yesterday. We learned about the organization of the school and the administration, the courses and course schedule, the computer availability, the library, the dress code for teachers, the lunch room problems of feeding two shifts tea and lunch, the need for teachers to volunteer to sponsor, without pay, sport teams and clubs after school, the responsibilities of teachers regarding corporal punishment which is allowed if it is documented and witnessed, and other school rules. It helped me to understand how the school was run and who I should see in the various areas.
Over the past week I have attended an excellent class on South African History, was introduced to most of the administration and many of the teachers, have been finding my way around campus to different classrooms and offices, eating some good traditional food in the lunchroom- stampe(boiled dried corn) and soup(a delicious vegetable stew), taught a guidance and counseling class dealing with regarding the employment process, had a few setswana language lessons, observed a university student teach about how multiple partners can lead to HIV and AIDS, and just today was introduced to the entire school an outdoor the school assembly, which began with the Lord’s Prayer.
My hours are from 7:30 am to 4:30pm. There is a tea break and an hour for lunch, but this is difficult to observe due to meetings. I am very fortunate to have an office in the Guidance building since most teachers have only desks in large departmental offices. Supplies, textbooks, time and space are at a premium here. The Ministry of Education controls the budget. Students do pay school fees, but if they can not afford it, the government pays. Most teachers live on campus or in government housing. Parking is not a problem, since most people students and faculty who live away from the school, use public buses or “comfies” which are taxi vans.
I will try to answer questions, but as you can tell, my time is limited. Suggestions are welcomed.
My blog has not been recently updated since I have had limited internet access and have been completing my Peace Corps training while transitioning to my assigned post for the next two years. On June 20, I was sworn in as a volunteer after signing an oath to uphold the US Constitution and protect the country from enemies at home and abroad. The ceremony was presided over by the US ambassador and a former president of Botswana. I realize this posting is rather long and dry, but hope that some of you familiar with schools might be interested,
I have been assigned to a public school with students from approximately 16-18 or older. It has over 2,000 students and is on of 28 secondary schools in the country. It is one of five schools with a double shift. The first shift goes from about 6:30am to 4 pm. The other begins at 10 and goes until about 6pm. Saturdays are 8-10am. The class times change from morning to afternoon every other week so that neither school has early mornings or late afternoons. It is on a six day schedule so the day the class is taught changes every week. I am still trying to figure it all out. For example, if a class is taught on Monday one week, the next week it is offered on Tuesdays.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, I have been assigned to help implement a Life Skills curriculum dealing with HIV and AIDS. But before doing that, I must complete a 2 ½ month needs assessment to determine how my skills best fit the school and the community. This process will give me time to learn more about what the culture and the community. I have been assigned to the Guidance and Counseling Department which has a part-time head. She also doubles as the school nurse handing out sanitary pads, pain killers and taking sick students to the hospital.
There are about 150 teachers. I attended a three hour new faculty workshop yesterday. We learned about the organization of the school and the administration, the courses and course schedule, the computer availability, the library, the dress code for teachers, the lunch room problems of feeding two shifts tea and lunch, the need for teachers to volunteer to sponsor, without pay, sport teams and clubs after school, the responsibilities of teachers regarding corporal punishment which is allowed if it is documented and witnessed, and other school rules. It helped me to understand how the school was run and who I should see in the various areas.
Over the past week I have attended an excellent class on South African History, was introduced to most of the administration and many of the teachers, have been finding my way around campus to different classrooms and offices, eating some good traditional food in the lunchroom- stampe(boiled dried corn) and soup(a delicious vegetable stew), taught a guidance and counseling class dealing with regarding the employment process, had a few setswana language lessons, observed a university student teach about how multiple partners can lead to HIV and AIDS, and just today was introduced to the entire school an outdoor the school assembly, which began with the Lord’s Prayer.
My hours are from 7:30 am to 4:30pm. There is a tea break and an hour for lunch, but this is difficult to observe due to meetings. I am very fortunate to have an office in the Guidance building since most teachers have only desks in large departmental offices. Supplies, textbooks, time and space are at a premium here. The Ministry of Education controls the budget. Students do pay school fees, but if they can not afford it, the government pays. Most teachers live on campus or in government housing. Parking is not a problem, since most people students and faculty who live away from the school, use public buses or “comfies” which are taxi vans.
I will try to answer questions, but as you can tell, my time is limited. Suggestions are welcomed.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
My Assigned Location
Big News!
All 56 of us volunteers have been assigned to places all over Botswana. While others are going out to the Kalahari, the Okavanga Delta, and other exotic places, I will be in Molepolole for the next two years working with the Life Skills program at the Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary school consisting of 2500 students in form 3 and 4 ranging from ages 16 to 19 and above. The school is the highest level of learning under the British system before university and the only one in the district. My counterpart is supposed to be terrific so I feel very lucky to have this post.
In terms of our training, in addition to the language, we have been learning the Peace Corps model of development which involves terms such as integration into the community, appreciative inquiry interviews, seasonal and other calendars, maps of the community, and participation action planning. Collectively, they are called PACA tools. A partner and I just finished a two week project visiting a school and put on a skit today that made fun of the Peace Corps volunteer and her role in finding "opportunities" for moving forwards. I wore a cape with a Peace Corps sign on it and ran in with my hat, sunglasses and sandals, which are normal Peace Corps attire. I carried my PACA tools. We all had a good laugh and we received a standing ovation. We had fun planning it as well. So you can tell we are all a bit stir crazy after 6 weeks of training. It was only funny if you had gone through all the classes we have.
Next week we meet our counterparts and learn more about what we will be doing and where we will be living for the next two years. I will have cell phone coverage and internet as well as electricity. I will also have an outhouse and water available outside, which is the way the family I live with now lives.
Peace Corps in Botswana is considered to be Africa lite, however, we have other stresses and strains. For example, a Peace Corps volunteer who was extending to a third year beginning in a few weeks was just killed in a car accident in the capital, Gaborone. Car accidents are the second highest cause of death after
HIV/AIDS.
On a lighter not, most people here begin the day by drinking tea in the morning rather than coffee. Both are imported from South Africa. Tea time with a snack is about 10 or 10:30. Lunch time is about 1:30 to 3pm. There can be a late tea and also a late dinner. I find I am hungry all the time. Although most Batwanans are not vegetarian, they eat lots of porridge with few vegetables and some meat or chicken. Desserts are not common general speaking, but I do enjoy their scones and fried bread called fat cakes with my morning tea. Fruit such as apples are available for snacks.
So keep the comments and e-mails coming. Although I buy a newspaper, I do not get world news. For example, I hear nothing about the war in Iraq or the election, so any news is appreciated.
All 56 of us volunteers have been assigned to places all over Botswana. While others are going out to the Kalahari, the Okavanga Delta, and other exotic places, I will be in Molepolole for the next two years working with the Life Skills program at the Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary school consisting of 2500 students in form 3 and 4 ranging from ages 16 to 19 and above. The school is the highest level of learning under the British system before university and the only one in the district. My counterpart is supposed to be terrific so I feel very lucky to have this post.
In terms of our training, in addition to the language, we have been learning the Peace Corps model of development which involves terms such as integration into the community, appreciative inquiry interviews, seasonal and other calendars, maps of the community, and participation action planning. Collectively, they are called PACA tools. A partner and I just finished a two week project visiting a school and put on a skit today that made fun of the Peace Corps volunteer and her role in finding "opportunities" for moving forwards. I wore a cape with a Peace Corps sign on it and ran in with my hat, sunglasses and sandals, which are normal Peace Corps attire. I carried my PACA tools. We all had a good laugh and we received a standing ovation. We had fun planning it as well. So you can tell we are all a bit stir crazy after 6 weeks of training. It was only funny if you had gone through all the classes we have.
Next week we meet our counterparts and learn more about what we will be doing and where we will be living for the next two years. I will have cell phone coverage and internet as well as electricity. I will also have an outhouse and water available outside, which is the way the family I live with now lives.
Peace Corps in Botswana is considered to be Africa lite, however, we have other stresses and strains. For example, a Peace Corps volunteer who was extending to a third year beginning in a few weeks was just killed in a car accident in the capital, Gaborone. Car accidents are the second highest cause of death after
HIV/AIDS.
On a lighter not, most people here begin the day by drinking tea in the morning rather than coffee. Both are imported from South Africa. Tea time with a snack is about 10 or 10:30. Lunch time is about 1:30 to 3pm. There can be a late tea and also a late dinner. I find I am hungry all the time. Although most Batwanans are not vegetarian, they eat lots of porridge with few vegetables and some meat or chicken. Desserts are not common general speaking, but I do enjoy their scones and fried bread called fat cakes with my morning tea. Fruit such as apples are available for snacks.
So keep the comments and e-mails coming. Although I buy a newspaper, I do not get world news. For example, I hear nothing about the war in Iraq or the election, so any news is appreciated.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Quick Impressions
Hello Friends,
I have just returned from a day of seeing traditional dance, customs and traditions, as well as eating lots of good African food. So I wish I had photos to send, but hope to in the future.
Just some quick impressions to date:
I do not find the large or small African markets here. There are stores, some big and some small, and then tables outside them where they sell snacks, candy and sometimes spinach, which I often buy from women.
The state is the main employer. Health, education, welfare, roads and lots more is funded by the diamond and gold mines, so the infrastructure of Botswana is better than most African countries.
They are now working on expanding and diversifying their economy.
The level of transparency is greater here than in most African countries. There are problems with cost over runs, bureaucracy, and scandals of the type you find in Chicago where there are misappropriations and work not completed or completed on time.
Construction is on-going. There were only 10 miles of paved roads when Botswana became independent in the 60's and there are good roads throughout the country now. Construction for housing, schools, hospitals, malls, etc. is on-going. The schools look better and are better equiped than what I have seen elsewhere.
The transportation by bus and train are generally good. The vehicles are newer and better equiped than in many African countries. It does not mean there is not overcrowding and problems, but the prices are low and reasonable despite the high price of fuel.
The sky at night is amazing. The moon is generally bright and clear. The sky is filled with stars. I see the milky way, the dippers, Orion and his sword on a nightly basis. It is a wonderful night show.
I have learned some of the greetings in Setswana. Dumela is the main one. You say to everyone, Hello Mr or Mrs, how are you? I am fine. And how you? I am fine. Good bye. Thank you. You do this twice a day or more. It sounds funny in English but is so culturally appropriate here. Not sure where it was the British way or not. In Setswana, it is Dumela Rra le Mma, O tsogila jang? Ke tsogile sentle, weno o tsogile jang? Go siame. Ke a leboga. Do read the Ladies No 1 Detective Agency for learning about some of the protocol of Botswana which is very important.
Everyone dresses rather formerly here, especially the women. They are very stylish with their shoes, long skirts, neatly pressed shirts and pants. It is a challenge for me to look proper on days of school visits. On Sundays, women and men usually wear uniforms to church. Some have blue or green pants or skirts with white shirts and sashes. All very colorful.
Last of all, I enjoy tea time when we have it between sessions. In addition to black tea, red bush or roobios tea is always offered. We have scones or fat cakes(fried jelly donuts without the jelly). People drink tea in the morning, afternoon and evening from what I have seen.
So that is all for now. Perhaps I have repeated some things, but let me know if there are other things you wish to know.
Go Siame (Go well),
Molly (Mpho or gift is my Setswana name)
I have just returned from a day of seeing traditional dance, customs and traditions, as well as eating lots of good African food. So I wish I had photos to send, but hope to in the future.
Just some quick impressions to date:
I do not find the large or small African markets here. There are stores, some big and some small, and then tables outside them where they sell snacks, candy and sometimes spinach, which I often buy from women.
The state is the main employer. Health, education, welfare, roads and lots more is funded by the diamond and gold mines, so the infrastructure of Botswana is better than most African countries.
They are now working on expanding and diversifying their economy.
The level of transparency is greater here than in most African countries. There are problems with cost over runs, bureaucracy, and scandals of the type you find in Chicago where there are misappropriations and work not completed or completed on time.
Construction is on-going. There were only 10 miles of paved roads when Botswana became independent in the 60's and there are good roads throughout the country now. Construction for housing, schools, hospitals, malls, etc. is on-going. The schools look better and are better equiped than what I have seen elsewhere.
The transportation by bus and train are generally good. The vehicles are newer and better equiped than in many African countries. It does not mean there is not overcrowding and problems, but the prices are low and reasonable despite the high price of fuel.
The sky at night is amazing. The moon is generally bright and clear. The sky is filled with stars. I see the milky way, the dippers, Orion and his sword on a nightly basis. It is a wonderful night show.
I have learned some of the greetings in Setswana. Dumela is the main one. You say to everyone, Hello Mr or Mrs, how are you? I am fine. And how you? I am fine. Good bye. Thank you. You do this twice a day or more. It sounds funny in English but is so culturally appropriate here. Not sure where it was the British way or not. In Setswana, it is Dumela Rra le Mma, O tsogila jang? Ke tsogile sentle, weno o tsogile jang? Go siame. Ke a leboga. Do read the Ladies No 1 Detective Agency for learning about some of the protocol of Botswana which is very important.
Everyone dresses rather formerly here, especially the women. They are very stylish with their shoes, long skirts, neatly pressed shirts and pants. It is a challenge for me to look proper on days of school visits. On Sundays, women and men usually wear uniforms to church. Some have blue or green pants or skirts with white shirts and sashes. All very colorful.
Last of all, I enjoy tea time when we have it between sessions. In addition to black tea, red bush or roobios tea is always offered. We have scones or fat cakes(fried jelly donuts without the jelly). People drink tea in the morning, afternoon and evening from what I have seen.
So that is all for now. Perhaps I have repeated some things, but let me know if there are other things you wish to know.
Go Siame (Go well),
Molly (Mpho or gift is my Setswana name)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Update on Training
Hello again,
I am very much in a learning phase. For those of you who want to know more about Botswana, you might want to check out the US State Department latest bulletin on the country. Background Notes : Botswana (05/08) . The longer I am here, the more questions I have.
We are in the process about learning about the HIV problem. Depending on the figures you see, and most are outdated, the rate for adults is about 25%. The rate is higher for young women and people 14-24. That is about 3o%. So you can see it is a real problem. I am doing a project on the district of Molepolole to determine more information. The local clinic says the rate is going up in the sense that more people are being tested now that the ARV treatments are available and fewer people are dying. The mother to child transmission has gone down dramatically since the mothers are being monitored and treated with medication to prevent the transmission at birth. That transmission rate is now on 4% evidently. I will be dealing with younger people in the schools. There is a life skills program to be implemented to empower young people to make decisions regarding their lives. More as time goes on...
I walk several miles a day between various locations. It feels great. I am cooking for my host family which find my vegetarian ways odd. But they do eat my pasta, rice and various stews with vegetables. We did a mapping exercise of the community to show where the churches, stores, community center, clinic and hospital were located. All Batswana people have a clinic within less than 10 miles from where they live. That is an amazing accomplishment for a country in Africa. However, the ARV drugs are not at those clinics and are only found at hospitals and the district center, which is a real problem for many.
The news show President Khama visiting various parts of the country, which is the size of Texas.
Cattle prices are on the news nightly. Cattle are prized here. My host father has a cattle outpost about 3 hours away. To marry you need to pay a bride price. It is usually in the form of number of cattle. Most can not pay so many live together without being married. From what I can tell most young couples do not get married since unemployment is about 20 %.
There is also lots of news about Zimbabwe because so many refugees are here looking for work.
The newspapers are filled with pictures in the paper of people who have been tortured as the result of the last election. The next run off could be worse.
Our training goes on six days a week from about 8 until 4 pm. We are learning proper protocol for dealing with people in the work place. Among other things, we are told to dress well in business attire since the country in general is very formal. All kids have school uniforms which must be in order every day.
Have to run. My time on the internet is running out. I am at an internet cafe with a fairly good connection today. Forgive me if I repeat myself, I usually have limited time on the internet to re-read all postings.
I am very much in a learning phase. For those of you who want to know more about Botswana, you might want to check out the US State Department latest bulletin on the country. Background Notes : Botswana (05/08) . The longer I am here, the more questions I have.
We are in the process about learning about the HIV problem. Depending on the figures you see, and most are outdated, the rate for adults is about 25%. The rate is higher for young women and people 14-24. That is about 3o%. So you can see it is a real problem. I am doing a project on the district of Molepolole to determine more information. The local clinic says the rate is going up in the sense that more people are being tested now that the ARV treatments are available and fewer people are dying. The mother to child transmission has gone down dramatically since the mothers are being monitored and treated with medication to prevent the transmission at birth. That transmission rate is now on 4% evidently. I will be dealing with younger people in the schools. There is a life skills program to be implemented to empower young people to make decisions regarding their lives. More as time goes on...
I walk several miles a day between various locations. It feels great. I am cooking for my host family which find my vegetarian ways odd. But they do eat my pasta, rice and various stews with vegetables. We did a mapping exercise of the community to show where the churches, stores, community center, clinic and hospital were located. All Batswana people have a clinic within less than 10 miles from where they live. That is an amazing accomplishment for a country in Africa. However, the ARV drugs are not at those clinics and are only found at hospitals and the district center, which is a real problem for many.
The news show President Khama visiting various parts of the country, which is the size of Texas.
Cattle prices are on the news nightly. Cattle are prized here. My host father has a cattle outpost about 3 hours away. To marry you need to pay a bride price. It is usually in the form of number of cattle. Most can not pay so many live together without being married. From what I can tell most young couples do not get married since unemployment is about 20 %.
There is also lots of news about Zimbabwe because so many refugees are here looking for work.
The newspapers are filled with pictures in the paper of people who have been tortured as the result of the last election. The next run off could be worse.
Our training goes on six days a week from about 8 until 4 pm. We are learning proper protocol for dealing with people in the work place. Among other things, we are told to dress well in business attire since the country in general is very formal. All kids have school uniforms which must be in order every day.
Have to run. My time on the internet is running out. I am at an internet cafe with a fairly good connection today. Forgive me if I repeat myself, I usually have limited time on the internet to re-read all postings.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Report from Molepolole
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Hi Folks,
I have been in Botswana for two weeks totally occupied with training. I face many challenges.
Our progress is monitored by oral proficiency tests in Setswana every two weeks, portfolios with assignments due every week or so dealing with numerous competencies and a journal with our reflections. My first language proficiency test focused on the formal greetings and a description of our roles here. Hope to do better for the next test. My language teacher is excellent and I am in a class with 4 other highly motivated people over 60. The star of the class is the 68 year old with a hearing problem who will probably be moved to an advanced class because he catches on so quickly. The language is in part tonal and there are lots of unusual sounds. The grammar is challenging.
For these two months I am living with a host family which consists of a man in his 60's who is a chief of the village and his 50 year old wife, both of whom are very kind and friendly. They take good care of me and are teaching me to live, cook, clean and survived in a different cultural context. I love waking up to the roosters crowing in the morning. The stars are night are incredibly clear and plentiful. The landscape has trees and lots of sand colored earth. Last night and yesterday it poured rain. Unusual since we are in fall going into winter. The nights are getting cool and the days are sunny and somewhat windy. In general it is very dry here.
In addition to learning Setswana every morning, we are having speakers on HIV/AIDs, the country and the cultural, our role as a life skills advisors dealing with the schools, and the general Peace Corps approach to development. There are also talks about health and shots of all kinds to protect us from every disease known.
Next week I shadow a Peace Corps volunteer who lives and works in Thamaga about 40 kilometers from here. It should be a useful experience to learn what happens on the ground versus the theory we have been receiving.
We are now about 57 volunteers in total. All have lots of experience in travel, health, HIV, administration, and more. We all will be dealing with HIV prevention in some capacity. I will be working with the schools. Others will be working with nonprofits, the communities, or districts in general.
Let me know if you have any specific questions about what I have said or anything else about the Peace Corps and Botswana. For example, all our volunteers have different backgrounds but a US citizens even though they come from different countries originally. I am in training and will hopefully get more information about Botswana as time goes on here.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Botswana
Sunday, April 20, 2008
I am in Gaborone, Botswana. I arrived today with 58 other Peace Corps (PC) volunteers. About 20% of us are over 50. About 7 are over 60. There are several married couples. One couple had to drop out already due to a possible pregnancy. About 80% are female. Although many are in their twenties, there are those in the 30’s and 40’s. One is from Mexico, another from Singapore, one Korean, and two from Hawaii. Many have travelled extensively and some have worked in Africa. On is a PC returnee. Many will be working with communities, some with nongovernmental organizations (NG0)’s, some as assistant district coordinators and about 13 of us will be working with the schools as Life Skills Advisors (???). The backgrounds of several volunteers vary. We have several social workers, a few nurses, a natural health and medicine person who is also trained in acupuncture, a few with business backgrounds, some with HIV education experience, and many whom I yet to know.
We spent a night in a wonderful hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa and today were bused up to Botswana to stay a few nights in the capital before going to Molepolole, which is about 1 hour outside Gaborone. There we live with host families for about 9 weeks of training. The internet access will probably be limited there so do not be surprised if I do not post for a while.
My assignment post may not be far from Gaborone, since they are planning to place many life skill workers in a district near the capital to see if they can make an impact in one area. The job evidently will be difficult and not well defined. Everything is subject to change. Learning the language is also quite difficult evidently.
We are presently at a motel outside Gaborone, getting medical updates and further training. On Monday evening we will have a dinner with the US ambassador and several people from the government.
It feels like I have entered into some kind of arranged marriage for which I am being prepared. Once the training is over it evidently takes about a year more to figure out the placement before you can make a contribution. So it goes.
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Monday, April 14, 2008
Staging
Hello friends,
I feel very fortunate to have had lots of support and interest in my upcoming adventure.
Tomorrow I leave for a short staging period in Philadelphia where I expect to sign papers and obtain more information about our service in Botswana. I will also meet the 60 other people going to Botswana.
On April 18th we leave for Botswana via South African Airlines flying from New York to Dakar, Senegal, and then on to Johannesburg, South Africa. Get out your maps folks. We then bus to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. We are only there a few days and then will begin a three month training in a town an hour outside of the city. These are exciting times. During the training I hope to learn Setswana every morning. I will also be staying with a host family during this time. It should help my total immersion with the language.
Now I have to finish packing and get out the door!
Feel free to ask questions. Also, tell me what you know about Botswana and Africa. I have lots to learn. I may not know the answers. Perhaps I can find them out and we can share as my experience and knowledge increases.
So see you on line. I hope to get photos up eventually.
Molly
I feel very fortunate to have had lots of support and interest in my upcoming adventure.
Tomorrow I leave for a short staging period in Philadelphia where I expect to sign papers and obtain more information about our service in Botswana. I will also meet the 60 other people going to Botswana.
On April 18th we leave for Botswana via South African Airlines flying from New York to Dakar, Senegal, and then on to Johannesburg, South Africa. Get out your maps folks. We then bus to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. We are only there a few days and then will begin a three month training in a town an hour outside of the city. These are exciting times. During the training I hope to learn Setswana every morning. I will also be staying with a host family during this time. It should help my total immersion with the language.
Now I have to finish packing and get out the door!
Feel free to ask questions. Also, tell me what you know about Botswana and Africa. I have lots to learn. I may not know the answers. Perhaps I can find them out and we can share as my experience and knowledge increases.
So see you on line. I hope to get photos up eventually.
Molly
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Departing
The Peace Corps has given me mid-April as a date for our "staging" on the East Coast. We are there for 48 hours and then fly off to Botswana for three months of training. Not sure what "staging " means, but I guess eventually we put on some kind of show. Not sure about the training, but I have been sent 15 lessons to help me begin Setswana, which the Batswana(people in Botswana) speak. However, all these things are unknowns for now.
The hardest part is the leaving! How does one wrap up life in Chicago after decades here? I am not sure. But I am in the midst of sorting clothes, books, dishes, drawers, etc. to dispose of non-essentials. My motherly instincts says I should recycle my possessions so they will have good homes. Not so easy for books, clothes, and assorted treasures from the past. So I spend time fretting and making lists. What will I want to have in two years? Interesting question. I do not know, so I guess, but that takes time and energy. So to calm my nerves I do lots of yoga and meditation. Does it help? Not enough. I feel like I am getting ready to jump off a cliff.
Then there are the goodbyes. Life goes on and I hope to return in two years or so. How does one tell people you are going away for two years to Africa in the Peace Corps? The reactions very widely: Are you crazy? You will die? Americans are hated abroad? Will you be safe? Do you know anyone else going? (No) Why do you want to do that? What will you be doing? Where will you be? Are you sure you want to do this? And a few say: That is great! I want to do that! I looked into Peace Corps at one point. Wish I could do that. So it goes...
Am I nervous? Yes. About what? Mainly about leaving things in order and forgetting things I should take care of before leaving. So I am making up spreadsheets about repairmen for the condo, bills that need paying, things that need to be done in the condo before and after I leave, etc. Then there is disposing of the car after 135,000 miles.
Finally and almost incidentally is the packing for Botswana. How do you pack for the cold weather there in July and August. How do you prepare for the hot weather in January and February? What does one need? What does one want to take? What is a decent amount to take? This morning I went to the dentist and came home with dental supplies for two years. That was just for the teeth. What do I need for the rest of me? So I am shooting in the dark and guessing at most things.
In general, I do not know the answers to most questions. I keep waiting and delaying in hopes I will find out more answers. In the meantime, I am wrapping up some projects here and continuing with life as usual with a strong undercurrent of anxiety about all the unknowns. So stay tuned....
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