Report from Molepolole

View Larger Map
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.