Peace Corps

African Days . . . Stories from the Bush

2009-04-30T09:24:00.001-04:00

Just Another Day in Paradise

So as you know by now, Botswana isn’t exactly the “Africa” that most people picture and far from the one I was expecting. But then there are some moments when “Africa” just seems to pour down on me and these days always leave me smiling and most content.

Since school is out of session, I am able to 1. Breathe and 2. Break the routine and get involved in “odd jobs” around the clinic and village. One of my favorite “odd jobs” is the monthly Mobile Health Stops at the cattle posts that fall under the responsibility of Semolale Clinic.

We pack up the truck with huge sacks of rations: tsabana (baby porridge), maize meal and sugar beans; and 2 large trunks filled with everything needed for a makeshift clinic: immunizations, medications, consultation equipment, test kits, weighing scale, condoms . . . and then I pile in on top of the food rations and settle in for the ride (they first tried telling me that I couldn’t go because the nurse and family health educator along with the driver, filled the cab leaving no room for me- luckily enough, I find huge sacks of corn meal to make a nice seat and be rather comfy!)

And now the trek begins . . . and you learn the reason why we only visit these places once a month. Basically you go to the outskirts of the village and turn off the main road onto a dusty, dirt path and then hold on and say some prayers. The path is so narrow that the thorn bush branches are smacking the side of the car the whole way which means windows must be closed- a real treat in the African heat AND in the back, there is a reserve fuel tank that kinda leaks . . .this is where I ride. The road is rocky and bumpy, the path seems to end but then there is some secret passage that only someone who is well versed on the path would know even existed- this is 4x4 off roading at its best. Then there are the river beds that we have to cross and every time I think to myself that this is nothing short of a miracle that this old truck can climb these banks without so much as a slip or hesitation. Other random obstacles like the approaching donkey cart, herds of cattle and goats, the fallen branches . . . and then, we arrive!

I spend the first 15 or 20 minutes overcoming my nausea, dizziness and motion sickness while being stared at intensely by the country folk—see a white person is a novelty anywhere here, but in these far reaches of the bush it’s like the ambulance is a UFO landing and I’m the alien species. Just as I begin wondering “Why do I put myself through this horrid journey? Didn’t I learn the last time?” . . . that’s when I remember the simplistic joy that comes only on these rare adventures to mobile health stops.

The mosadi mogolo (old ladies) start unloading the truck. They really know how to run the show, efficiently and with an iron fist- which I’m always grateful for. The mothers line up with their babies strapped to the back and the older ones in toe as we tie the scale to the tree branch and prepare to weigh the babies (all children under 5). Mothers make these slings for the kids like a giant over-all diaper that the kid is put inside and hung from the hook on the scale. These ladies are extremely creative and inventive using anything from lace trimmed material to old flour sacks to fasten these slings. The health cards are decorated in a similar manner with magazine cut outs of celebrities, foods, models—its like an art collage contest each one trying to make their child’s card better than the others. One by one we assess who’s due for immunizations, who is under weight or a growth failure, who’s been sick recently, etc.

Then the mothers line up with their sacks to get the food rations that the government provides to all children under 5 years- those who are underweight or malnourished get additional supplement. This can, and has, turned into mass chaos, but once again those mosadi mogolo lay down the law and people get their act together and act civilized so that we don’t get mauled. The ironic thing is that Botswana as a whole is rather prosperous and the government has used that money to develop NUMEROUS social welfare programs, so those who are actually hunger-stricken is very few yet they scrounge and hoard like they are planning for the next Great Flood.

Everyone load their acquired sacks into the donkey carts to return to their cattle posts. The nurse consults patients and gives immunizations. This is when I get to wait, relax, reflect and take it all in . . . ahh . . . the country . . . ahh . . . Africa

Usually this is the climax of the day and the return trip is only filled with happy exhaustion, but today wasn’t like all the other days . . .

Today as I’m hunched in the back cab, bumping along, dazing out to the tunes of my ipod and taking in the scenery, the car come to an abrupt halt. I look through the window into the truck cab and see my driver with a shot gun pointed across our family health educator and nurse in the front seat and out the opposite window. Just as I was processing the sight that my eyes were beholding (and wondering if I wasn’t a bit too dehydrated and seeing things) BANG! The shot goes off! What the %^&* are we doing with a loaded firearm in an ambulance with a leaky petrol tank on a bouncing, jarring bush path?!?!?!?!

The driver hands off the gun to the health educator and hops out of the car and goes running off into the bush. He comes back to the car with a wide grin and prize in hand: a guinea fowl. The bird gets stashed behind the seat and we are off again, my bottom jaw still in my lap and thinking to myself, just another day in paradise!

To put the finishing touch on my perfectly, purely African day, we stopped by my family’s cattle post on the way home and picked about 20 watermelons from the fields and loaded them into the truck, less the one we cracked open right then and there and devoured--- scooping the delicious, sweet flesh of the melon into our mouths with our hands and juice running down our chins, all under the glistening, Botswana sun. Pure bliss.

Ohhh-Ohhh, We’re Half Way There . . . Ohhh-Ohhh, We’ll Make It I Swear

In the past two months, I have experienced a range of extremes and it isn’t too surprising since Peace Corps predicts several rises and falls in mood/ attitude during the two year service, and the deepest low on the graph is right about the one-years mark. However, I’ve been riding a pretty uphill rollercoaster for the first year so now it’s just mixing it up with some occasional flips, unexpected turns and sudden drops.

Since I am indeed at the 1st year anniversary of my Peace Corps service, I’ve taken to opportunity to step back and reflect on the whole experience. Overall, I must say that it’s been a truly great and rewarding experience. I have met a lot of new people—colleagues, friends, family; learned a lot about a new place and culture, as well as, myself; been challenged to take on new endeavors and gain new skills, or recognize and develop ones that I didn’t realize I had.

So right now, I see myself faced with the mixed feelings of “It can’t be over yet, there’s too much I still want to do!” and “Are we there yet? I’ve done all that I can”. There’s still a lot of possibility and projects that I want to see take off, but at the same time I’m reminded on how slow and difficult things can be here and whether it’s realistic to invest the time and energy and hope into such endeavors. It’s even more disheartening when I notice that despite all of the work (and money) people are pouring in to this effort, the statistics continue climbing and the situation worsens. Meanwhile, I am enjoying the day-to-day work and personal interactions and if I don’t think about “my [Peace Corps] purpose” here, I realize that I am doing exactly the kind of work that I have always loved, so I’m just going to enjoy my current place and environment while I can because like all good things, it won’t last forever.

News Clips

So in an attempt to brief you on my different projects and how I’ve been spending my days here lately (aside from guinea fowl hunting/ rural health service expeditions), I’ll touch on a few updates here:

The Run for Life Event (the source of most of the abovementioned stress and busyness) was worth every bit of it because not only was it greatly successful, it was a lot of fun and a true community-building experience! The Run for Life was the 10K race that I organized along with the help and collaboration of many different groups and departments within Semolale and the surrounding villages. They really stepped up, allowing me to participate in the race, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I also got the opportunity to host some of my fellow PCVs in Semolale which was a real treat- nothing beats playing washers in the yard with a glass of sangria in hand and spending the evening with friends around the campfire!

Newsletter Summary of the Event:
On Saturday, March 14, 2009 the Run for Life 10Km Race and Health Event was held in Semolale. The event was hosted by the health team within the catchment area of Mabolwe, Gobojango and Semolale along with the help of many other members of the community including Semolale Police, Kgotla, Youth Group, Men’s Sector and Gobojango C.J.S.S. GLOW Club. The objectives of the event was to encourage healthy lifestyles through exercise, good nutrition and safe behaviors including responsible drug and alcohol use and safe sex practices to prevent the spread of HIV infection and maintain a strong, healthy body.
The day began early with race participants gathering from Mabolwe, Gobojango and Semolale villages at 5 AM. Over 50 participants representing all age groups showed up full of energy and enthusiasm! Excitement was abounding as the group was transported to the starting line and set off on their endeavor with their eyes on the distant finish line: Semolale Kgotla. All racers put forth great effort and were rewarded with a great sense of pride in their accomplishment along with refreshments, prizes for top finshers and a fun-filled day including inspiring words from Zebras National Team player, Kagiso Tshelametsi, promotion of nutrition and healthy lifestyle by Health Team members, an engaging and educational drama by Gobojango C.J.S.S. GLOW students, traditional entertainment by Tebelopele YAA (Youth Against AIDS) performance group and interactive HIV/AIDS education activities facilitated by Semolale Youth Group and Men’s Sector members. As March is the celebration of Month of Youth Against AIDS, young people were especially encouraged actively pursue healthy lifestyles by adapting positive behavior habits early in life and serve as positive role models for their peers. All were given the opportunity by Tebelopele for HIV testing and were encouraged to know their status. The day was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all who were involved in the day’s activities. It would not have been possible without the hard work, long hours and continuous efforts of those from the planning committee and affiliated organizations!

*Also check out a fellow PCV’s account of the day’s events:
www.botswanajess.blogspot.com

The 1st school term came to a close in early April. Working and teaching in the schools was one of my greatest satisfactions this year. I was deeply involved down to the last days putting in extra hours in the evenings helping the kids to review all of the material for their exams. By the last week I was even able to address some of my own material in the classroom and worked with a friend from the clinic to teach about nutrition and help the kids create a fun, artsy food pyramid to display in their classrooms.

At the Junior Secondary School, we were finally able to send off our Pen Pal letters to Vanuatu and I have heard from several of you that book donation and collection has begun—so next term should prove very exciting and fruitful. Here in Semolale, we ended the term with 2 very positive notes: Our Library book donation application was accepted and several hundred books were scheduled to ship out sometime last week to begin their voyage to Semolale AND our first batch of Pen Pal responses arrived from America! The kids will be thrilled—I can’t wait to see their faces!

The GLOW group created an original drama which they performed at the Run for Life post-race event to engage the community in issues related to leading healthy lives and adopting positive behavior changes. We have begun planning for a regional Life Skills camp that we hope to hold in August, during the next school break. We are modeling the camp off of the national GLOW camp we attended in December, hoping to share that experience with more students and encourage the development of new GLOW chapters in other schools within our region. It’s a BIG task, but hopefully we’ll be able to pull it off because it was be a really great opportunity and experience for these kids . . . fingers crossed—I’ll keep you posted.

The Youth Group was albeit quite for the first months of the year since the plowing and planting season was upon us, requiring most people in the country to head to the lands and cattle posts unless they are tied to the village or town due to school or government jobs. However, as of last week, they have been reviving themselves and preparing to perform at a national competition in Jwaneng (on the other side of the country) in the beginning of May. Senior Secondary Students and Youth groups across the country will be gathering to compete in drama and dance- including, hip hop, break dance, ballroom dance, and 2 popular Botswana styles of dancing. Some new leaders have emerged among the youth so my optimism and enthusiasm have been rejuvenated, and I am excited to see what the rest of the year brings.

Our village is in the process of creating a VMSAC (Village Multi-Sector AIDS Committee) to compile representatives from all government departments and areas within the community to address and combat the issues involved in the continuous problem at hand: the uncontrollable spread of HIV. We are electing our committee on May 6th- so hopefully this will provide me with a new outlet and partnership to carry out different aspects of my mission here. It’s kinda cool that there will be a whole committee whose role and goal is essentially the same as mine- it will definitely add a bit of concreteness to my tasks, and hopefully sustainability also!

As a sector of the VMSAC, the newly formed Men’s Sector is trying to get grounded and form a strong foundation in order to plan and implement activities within Semolale aimed especially at men. I think I will try to get them on board for my idea of a Father- Child Football Tournament. It seems like it would be a good match of interests and something to get them motivated and involved. I really like this group as it adds an additional dimension and develops a broader perspective for me of the issues surrounding the behaviors and attitudes behind the HIV epidemic.

I am trying to coordinate a group of 6 ladies in Semolale for an income-generating opportunity. There is an NGO called Mothers for All (www.mothersforall.org) whose objective is to train women who are HIV positive or caring for AIDS orphans with the skills to create jewelry with recycled magazine papers. The NGO then purchases finished products from the mothers and markets them to lodges, international craft shops & fairs and other viable outlets. The intention is to provide financial independence and practical skills in business and economics. As an addition the women are provided with recreation in a fun and supportive environment, while producing beautiful, quality crafts that are environmentally friendly. Win! Win!

It’s a happening time of year in the Peace Corps Botswana world. Our predecessors, Bots 6, who arrived in 2007 to begin their service, are now winding down and preparing for their departures and to what awaits them in life after Peace Corps. It will be sad to see our friends, mentors and colleagues leave and it’s a stark reminder of just how quickly this whole experience will escape us. Along with their departure will be the welcoming of the next group, Bots 8. They arrived in country last week and are busy studying Setswana, learning the tricks of the trade and coming to grips with what exactly they have signed up for! I can’t help but look back to my first impressions of those early days of my Peace Corps service and think “that wasn’t so long ago!” But indeed it was, and we are now fully adapted, integrated, confident upperclassmen about to pass along our knowledge, encouragement and words of wisdom to the new group. I will even be having my own hand in this whole process as I have volunteered to host 2 volunteers in Semolale to “shadow” me and learn the ins-and-outs of making this a successful and enjoyable experience. I will even be going back to my old training village, Molepolole, at the end of May to lead a session of Pre-Service Training and meet our new friends.

All of these introductions/ farewells have of course translated into an extremely packed social calendar. Most of May I will spend traveling to and from Gabarone/ Moleps meeting new volunteers, catching up with fellows Bots 7 PCVs and bidding good-bye to friends who will be leaving. Mixed in with this is the excited anticipation and preparation for my visit from America! My Mom, Mike, Valerie and Michelle will be arriving June 10th! We have BIG plans, including an overland safari and game-viewing in the Tuli Block, a traditional goat-and- sheep- slaughtering festival with my family and friends in Semolale and hopefully a ride in a Makoro, a traditional dug-out canoe, through the beautiful Okavango Delta, and maybe some other side trips and surprise excursions! I couldn’t be more excited!

Before launching into all of this craziness, I restored my calm and enjoyed one of the most pleasant Easters while camping with friends at a Dam in a nearby village, Mmadinare. The views were amazing and sunsets breathtaking, the meals were gourmet-grill styled and the drinks hit the spot, the environment was invigorating yet tranquil and the company was unmatched! I enjoyed hiking, climbing and exploring rock formations filled with monkeys, trail runs and even canoeing and swimming! Needless to say, it wasn’t easy to say goodbye to this pseudo-paradise and return once again to the dry and dusty Semolale.

Take Care! Until next time . . . .
Peace and Love

Living in the Boondocks . . .

2009-02-20T05:17:00.000-05:00

After spending January and most of February nearly exclusively in Semolale, I have made it to the big city at last! Enjoying all of those lovely things like hot water, bug-free sleeping arrangments, regular cell phone service and wireless internet . . .

Post- Holidays always provides a bit of a slump, but as everything here . . . it’s longer in Botswana. So I spent a good portion of January on a roller coasters constantly flip-flopping from good to bad, fast to slow, uplifting to frustrating, busy to bored . . . and I don’t know if it has evened out til now, almost the end of February! Basically everyone stays on “holiday” if not physically, definitely mentally for most of the beginning of the year. This of course means that even though I came back from my short holiday vacation completely refreshed and ready to go, I wasn’t exactly met with equal enthusiasm from others who I work with on various projects.

At first things were slow and I was enjoying the relaxation of being at home, reading, jogging, doing yoga and catching up with people around the village. And then things started getting hectic . . . I’m now working in the primary school almost every day. After a lot of scheduling and trying out different ideas, we have finally established a schedule of sorts that allows me to meet with each class once a week for about an hour. We started our pen pal program and sent our first group of letter off to the states at the end of January and are now anxiously awaiting their responses! I’ve continued the past few weeks with lessons on reading, English grammar, composition writing, parts of a story . . . and whatever else. Ultimately, I want to address different health topics but sometimes you gotte give a little before you get the freedom to do what you really want. I’ve really enjoyed working with the teachers and getting to know them better so we can form a nice cohesive team approach to education. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback so far and many teachers are coming to me seeking advice on how to approach different topics and how to incorporate new teaching techniques into their lessons. (Who would have guessed that all those hours spent “playing school” in the basement with my sisters would actually pay off! Haha ) Hopefully since they seem so receptive and are observing the benefits of a more interactive teaching approach, they will adapt them into their own lessons so that the students are ultimately “learning” rather than memorizing and regurgitating information that they don’t understand.
I have even gone out to join the students at the grounds after classes to train with them in “athletics”, which is basically track and field. They always find this quite hysterical but it definitely makes them more motivated and excited about going to exercise in the blistering heat. This experience in the school is one of those very tangible successes that I have as a volunteer. I receive instant gratification and results, which is extremely rare. So it’s also a good confidence booster in terms of morale as a volunteer to keep me motivated and plugging along at the sometimes impossible task put before me. And nothing can quite turn your day around like a bunch of smiling, laughing, energetic kids! No matter how exhausted or frustrated I feel, within minutes at the school I absorb their positive energy and develop a whole new look on the day!

And the other group that I am enjoying more and more is the Secondary School students from the GLOW club. I really like working with the kids in this age group. I feel like they are most often the least understood and ones that adults most often do not know how to relate to—are they to be treated like kids or adults?? I think they feel open with me because I can relate to them without a large age gap and can be seen as a peer role model, rather than a feared, elder. It’s kinda like being a big sister for a ton of brothers and sisters, but that’s a role that I’m used to filling and really enjoy. Since the beginning of this new school year, we have also introduced the GLOW club to male students. I really like this development in the group because it definitely adds a different and positive dynamic. I have observed that boys and girls have VERY different opinions on many issues and one of the best learning tools in terms of developing awareness and introducing new perspectives is by creating an environment where they can openly discuss issues with each other. With this said, there is still something to value in the comfort they feel when only in the presence of their same sex. So we have tried to devise a schedule where they meet once during the week as separate groups and then on Saturday mornings we meet together as co-ed GLOW. So far this approach has been very successful and each week more and more students are showing up to get involved. Part of this is due to our new focus on involving the school body as a whole in more GLOW activities—our goal is one a month. Last week we organized a mock protest among the students. The topic of debate was whether students or teachers were to blame for the underperformance and poor discipline of students. I could go into a long winded explanation giving you the arguments of each side, but I’ll say that for another time . . . either way it was a fun day filled with poster making, campus marching, chanting, rallying and debating.
At the Secondary school, I’ve also started to meet with the teachers in the English department to begin implementing a pen pal. Cultural exchange program between our students and those on Tanna island (a school Tim is working with), so hopefully they will begin corresponding in the next few weeks.
I’m also hoping to introduce more youth-friendly health services to students. I haven’t quite figured out how to do this yet, but I’m thinking something along the lines of monthly health topics addressed to all of the students followed by myself and the health auxiliary (another young co-worker) remaining on campus for a day for private “consultations” (a term I use very loosely) and counseling for those students who feel too embarrassed to approach the clinic staff with their health concerns (physical, mental and emotional)—especially those relating to abuse and sexual health: contraceptives, STIs, puberty, etc.

We are now busily preparing for our Run for Life! A 10K race aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and risk reduction (because everything has to be related to HIV in some way!). The race date is March 14th, which is quickly approaching! I hope to focus attention on the young population since March is also the Month of Youth Against AIDS (MYAA). There will most likely be a large number of youth gathered so I have invited the Dept. of Youth and Culture to come address them on this year’s theme: “One Me, One Partner, One Life”. I would like to see the youth group getting involved in entertainment and educational drama presentations, as well as, the GLOW clubs to increase their community presence. I have recently begun to meet and hopefully revitalize the Men’s Sector which is rather self-explanatory, but a group aimed at mobilizing men in the prevention of HIV. I’m hoping to train them in some of the interactive educational activities we were doing at the World AIDS Day event and have those activities going on for runners to participate in after the race. Some fellow PCVs are planning to come in to assist with the event so it will be a treat for me to finally host some of my friends and colleagues here in Semolale—since nobody ever makes it out this far without a specific reason!

As usual, I have balanced work with play and taken the opportunity to have some fun and interesting social and cultural experiences:

It’s been party time here in Semolale . . . many of our clinic staff are leaving on transfers so we have had farewell parties which always provided a lot of fun seeing everyone out of their work environment. My sister-in-law hosted a “kitchen party” the other weekend, which is like a bridal shower several years after a couple has been married. Guests (all ladies)come with different gifts for the kitchen and then ask her questions about her husband and her marriage and once she is finished being drilled she is presented with the gifts (if she answers satisfactorily). But she’s blindfolded and has to identify each item and who she thinks it is from. Once this portion is completed, the women all go outside where the “groom” and his friends have been preparing the braii(barbeque) on the fire and we all enjoy the food, music and dancing!

I finally had the opportunity the other weekend to go to my family’s cattle post. Cattle are probably the single most important thing in Botswana culture. It’s how a family’s wealth is measured, how it is determined if a man is suitable for a woman to marry (he must produce btwn 8 and 12 cattle to his potential wife’s family as lebola- so Tim you better start trading in your pigs for cows!) and no matter how long a person has spent in the city, their pride is always in the family cattle post. Since my brother is home in Semolale on his annual leave (1 month vacation- mandatory for all govn’t employees—nice huh?!) We packed up the truck early one Sunday morning with my brother, sister-in-law, 2 youngest daughters and my father and headed down the dirt road toward the border . . . in just a few miles the terrain changed dramatically and became lush, green, cooler and with significantly larger trees! It was such a welcomed breath of fresh air! Just the simple variety that it offered definitely helped to spice up the dull, dry, dusty days passing by in Semolale. So I was shown all of the brothers’ herds of cows, goats, sheep, and the crop fields and chicken . . . I had to pick out a goat that is now “my goat” to be “nice and fat before the family comes so we can celebrate with a feast!” I don’t know how they keep track of them but now I technically have a goat, haha Val I got one before you! They wanted me to have a cow too but I thought the acquisition of one livestock was enough for the day. . . maybe next time. My favorite part by far was the 400+ orange tree grove! So hopefully I’ll get back there more often because I really enjoyed it; I’ve been promised that I can go anytime to “check on my goat”. Ha!

Well, time has escaped me once again . . . Time to wrap this up! As you are all hoping spring is shortly around the corner, I’m looking forward to the impending cooler weather. Did the groundhog see the shadow? I wonder if Groundhog Day works in this hemisphere? Can that tricky little groundhog also predict how fast winter is coming?! Stay healthy, happy and safe . . . until next time . . .

~Love, Jaclyn

Happy Holidays!

2009-01-20T03:33:00.000-05:00

Happy 2009! Or as they say here, “Compliments for the New Year!” I hope that each and every one of you had a fun and festive holiday season enjoying friends, family, good food and spirits and maybe even some SNOW! I’m sorry that it has been a while since I was last in touch but I’m sure life was crazily swirling past all of you; so now that you have caught a breather, I’ll catch you up with the last month or 2 of life here in Botswana. First of all, let me say that it is now HOT, I mean really hot! I’ve been managing the heat pretty well, but then it just hits you one day when you are dressed in shorts and a tank top, preparing Thanksgiving dinner and dripping with sweat, that “Oh yea, I am in Africa!” It’s a far cry from my normal Thanksgiving skiing weekend . . . And even crazier is having this weather for Christmas! I feel pretty certain when I say that this is the first Birthday I have ever spent in my bathing suit, sipping margaritas and relaxing in an (outdoor) pool! But then again, it is the first birthday spent living in a sub-Saharan African country- so I’m guessing it shouldn’t be so surprising.

Way back when . . . I left off somewhere around the beginning of November . . . .

I spent a good portion of November meeting, discussing and planning with several teachers at the primary school and secondary school in hopes of expanding the schools’ programs and my service within the community. As I mentioned previously, we are hoping to incorporate health topics, life skills, English language, and culture. I am most excited about the culture part and am eager to get the pen pal program up and going. The teachers are excited about it also because they see how valuable it can be in developing English composition and comprehension as well as creating more globally and culturally aware students. Peace Corps actually has a program encouraging Volunteers in all countries to link with classes and teachers back in the States to facilitate this cultural exchange for young people in both America and other countries. Through this program, I am linked with Sara and her school and in addition, Ms. Iris and the students at Deer Park Elementary and even kids on Tanna Island from Tim’s Secondary School, hope to begin a correspondence with students here. We have also been working to complete the paperwork for the African Library Program. We already have our “Reading Room” but we are hoping to receive donations through this program to expand our resources and improve upon the “reading culture” that teachers are trying to create within the school. This is a rather long and drawn out process so hopefully I will be around to see these materials arrive in Semolale sometime before my service is through. . . hopefully!

When I wasn’t at the primary school, I was spending my time in Gobojango meeting with the GLOW girls a few more times before the end of the school term and making preparations with my local leader for the GLOW camp. Finally, the day came for our girls to head to the big city! The Gobojango girls were Gabs bound and as excited as could be! I have to admit, I was even excited---- what’s not to love about 10 days of non-stop, energy-filled, camp fun!?! This was truly a great experience bringing delegations of students from all of the country (boys and girls aged 12-18) to participate in discussions, lessons and activities to increase their level of education, self and social awareness, confidence in themselves and empowering them with the ability to make smart life decisions and influence their peers to do the same--- essentially to help develop these young people into LEADERS! The range of topics was broad and comprehensive, including: relationships (friendships & romantic), body changes, HIV & STIs, family, love, sex & dating, goals, values, leadership, human rights, gender based violence, discrimination, resource management, communication and others. They students participated in daily interactive sessions led by both Peace Corps and local delegation leaders (mostly teachers) and supplemented the lessons with fun activities such as talent shows, mock protests, team builders, scavenger hunts, camp fire . . . .
Overall, this was a great week! I realized just how much I missed camp life and how beneficial I believe these experiences are for young people, in any country or culture. It is especially valuable to children from these rural areas with little resources and opportunities to experience the world outside their home and all the life lessons and character development that occurs so naturally in these situations. Well, it is hard to recreate this experience with words, and in the name of brevity, I will conclude by saying that I hope and I feel confident that Camp GLOW made a memorable and lasting impact on many adolescents in Botswana. Hopefully, GLOW will spread and grow throughout communities as delegations return home and impart their newly gained knowledge and skills to others. I know our girls are psyched to start the new school term and have a lot of great ideas, enthusiasm and motivation! So I will keep you posted, as always!

The other big “work project” consuming much of my time during this month was World AIDS Day. I had told you that I was attending weekly meetings as part of the planning committee, but now it was crunch time! This means I spent days in Phikwe, furiously coloring, making posters, creating pamphlets, blowing up balloons, making displays and art projects--- and all of those things I always imagined myself doing post nursing school, haha! It was like an art show/ science fair rolled into one—I know my parents would be so proud! But in all seriousness, the day turned out to be a huge success. A group of “local” PCVs, along with some assistance from the Semolale youth, manned an educational tent on December 1st at the National Commemoration. Our activities included a “True or False Dart Game”, “Do it in the Dark”- a kind of blindfolded, condom demonstration and a serious of multiple choice questions rewarding participants with ever-popular “disweetsi” (candy!). Our tent was a madhouse from beginning to end! I guess that’s a good thing, confirming that we were able to attract a varied audience and impart valuable information to them in a fun and interesting way. What an exhaustingly, wonderful day!

Aside from my “official” work-related projects, I had many, what I like to call, “cultural” projects. Seems how 2 out of 3 of Peace Corps’s official goals involve me absorbing this culture that I am immersed in while sharing a bit of my culture with those I live and work with, I find this to be a perfectly reasonable—possibly even, essential-- use of my time. I can say that when I leave this place in a year and a half, it will be this experiences that I will remember and carry with me the longest. One of my most memorable days so far was “garden day”. It all happened rather unexpectedly. So I’ve had this great idea since arriving of creating this wonderful, community garden to produce nutritious veggies, community unity and recreation, etc. etc. however, once I arrived in Semolale, I found that a community garden already existed at our clinic. So then I thought “Well, I’ll just get involved in that garden.” But that didn’t exactly plan out either, so I basicallyfiled that whole idea somewhere in the far reaches of my mind and didn’t think much of it . . . until, one day I came out of my house after my lunch break and my mom calls me over, “Gorata! Gorata! Look, I am gyming!” (This is my 60 something year old host mother with pitch fork in hand- unearthing our entire yard. Oh, and “gyming” is what she calls when I go jogging, but I think it basically means any kind of physical activity) So low and behold, she is turning our yard into a vegetable garden! Excitedly, I run inside my house and grab my bag of seeds, that my American grandmother has sent me, and show them to my mom. Well, she is so excited that she runs next door to get the grandkids, starts sending the little ones to fetch people from all over the village to come help us. Even my father, who had been very sick up until now, gets up and starts digging small seed beds with the grandkids. Next thing you know, our yard is the Grand Central Station of Semolale! People of all ages were coming by to get their hands in the action or just to spectate and admire our hard work. So in the end, I wound up with my “community garden” after all!

With the odd weather and the busyness of my schedule, I barely noticed the holiday season sneak up on me. Since the span between Thanksgiving and New Years is probably my favorite time of year, I couldn’t let a little climate alteration and cultural differences stop my celebration! Instead, I decided to share in some of my favorite traditions with my new friends and family. One such way I did this was by hosting my own Thanksgiving dinner for my family and co-workers at the clinic. Of course some adaptations had to be made, but the general idea was still conveyed. We prepared traditional Setswana chickens (including the acquisition, slaughtering and butchering of—which is no fun or easy task!) instead of turkey along with butternuts (prepared just like mom’s sweet potatoes), mashed potatoes and don’t forget the pumpkin pie! Everyone joined around a big family table clad in construction paper Pilgrim hats and Indian headdresses as we each took a turn saying what we were thankful for this year. My close friend from the clinic helped me with every step of the preparations and helped to explain and translate the history of the First American Thanksgiving. Everyone felt very honored to be included in my tradition and I was truly grateful for their full and enthusiastic participation in my American holiday in Botswana.

The following weekend (Thanksgiving weekend) our Peace Corps Thanksgiving Dinner was held in Mahalapye. People poured in from all over the country, which was great to see some people for the first time since training. A handful of us came in a few days ahead to assist with the endless hours of cooking, baking and preparing for the big feast. Like I said earlier--- the day was HOT! The “Cooking Committee” slaved away inside the inferno of a kitchen but in the end, produced a glorious Thanksgiving spread- complete with cranberry sauce and Grandmom’s chocolate pie! Definitely a memorable Thanksgiving!

Between Thanksgiving and the next quickly approaching holiday, World AIDS Day and GLOW Camp were squeezed in. By the time I returned from GLOW Camp, Christmas had arrived in Semolale-- in the form of boxes and cards and goodies from all of you lovely people back home! A box even made its way from Vanuatu (and intact!) Thanks to everyone for all of the gifts, cards and warm wishes for Christmas and my birthday! You definitely made my holidays brighter and helped to get me in the Christmas spirit! Which I must say, spurred a frenzied holiday decorating and baking spree. My house dripped with red and green and silver and gold, in addition to any kind of snowy image I could find, and of course, lots of homemade snowflakes! My nieces and I decorated a tree in our yard while singing Christmas carols and followed up with a cookie baking marathon! Then to top it off, I prepared small holiday goodie bags and Christmas cards and got to play Santa Claus, delivering them all over Semolale, Gobojango, Mabolwe and Bobonong. This is not traditionally done in Botswana culture so just seeing everyone’s smiles and receiving their hugs and deep appreciation at such a small gesture, made my Christmas very merry!

For the holidays themselves, I was gathered with several other friends from Peace Corps. My heart was really torn because I wanted to spend Christmas both in Semolale, experiencing the holidays from a Botswana cultural standpoint along with friends and family there, as well as, with my fellow PCVs who share the same American traditions that make the season really seem like Christmas. But all of you who know me, know I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to explore a new part of the country . . . so off to Kasane it was!

On the way up we stopped in Nata, which is one of the crossroads of the country but only having a population of approx. 5,000. However, it does give visitors access to the Makalakgadi Salt Pans, which fill with water each year as the rains begin and attracts thousands of species of bird and other animals. So we camped at the Bird Sanctuary and made it our meeting point since we were gathering from all different areas within the country. We took a 2 hour hike out to the pans that actually resembled a beach as we approached them with small sand dunes and “sea” grasses along the way. We were also treated to spectacular sunsets over the vast skyline each evening. The next day we hitched rides up to Kasane, which is the town directly outside Chobe National Park and creating a headquarters for most safari companies and lodges catering to the many tourists who visit the area since Chobe boasts one of the largest populations of elephants in the world and other Big 5 Game. This is where Mother Nature decided to let the skies rain down on us as soon as we set up camp. That first night resembled a traditional Bandell camping trip with huddled, wet bodies trying desperately to avoid the relentless lakes, rivers and pools accumulating inside their tents. The rain did offer a nice change and relief from the heat but slightly hampered our plans for sunbathing, swimming, hiking, river exploring, etc. Hence the birth of the “Kasane Krawl”. Basically we figured that we as were in a town hosting several nice resorts and since we are all fans of both eating and drinking, we would so some “research” on the different resorts while ordering an appetizer and cocktail at each stop along the circuit. Christmas day was unlike any other. It started out just the same, waking up at 5 AM, but this year instead of gathering around the Christmas tree, we were off on our 3 hour game drive! This isn’t exactly the best season for seeing wildlife since the rain creates more foliage thus inhibiting the views, and the animals don’t have to travel to the watering holes as often. But we were able to see kudu, impala, elephants, lions prints, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, baboons, tons of cool birds and just like Michelle’s favorite song, I got a hippopotamus for Christmas (actually a whole bunch of them!) That evening we embarked on our sunset river (booze) cruise where we were able to again spot many different animals and a gorgeous sunset. To top off the evening, a few of us prepared a little “Christmas pageant” to entertain our friends, and yes video footage will be available at a later date so you all can have a good laugh as well!

For my birthday, I was able to submerge my body in the Zambezi river during a white water rafting trip—and submerge is an understatement seems how the first rapid was almost catastrophic including a dislocated shoulder and 3 near drownings! But we survived and continued on for 24 subsequent rapids along the most beautiful scenery from inside the gorge with cascades and waterfalls all around. The environment was almost tropical like a rainforest, such a dramatic change from the brown dust of Semolale and most of Botswana. Victoria Falls was breath-taking! We had just enough rain to fill the falls without overflowing them which would create too much mist making the falls not visible. We even got to splash around a bit at the top of the falls in the river feeding down to the gorge. At some point you’ll get the full details but hopefully this offers a small snap shot of my holiday season across the Atlantic. I definitely missed being home and sharing the holidays with all of you, but it was without a doubt a memorable way to celebrate!

So now, I am returning home, happy and excited to jump in to 2009! It took a few days to switch gears, but by the end of this week everything was in full swing. I’m always afraid that after a brief absence of mine from the village, that everything we were working towards previously, will have fallen apart or be at a standstill. (It’s like a min-test to see how sustainable things will be once I leave for good so that maybe by 2010, something will have really taken root and become established.) However, about mid-week I was contacted by partners I’m working with in the schools and youth group, to give me an update on the progress they’ve made while I was gone! Amazing! I almost couldn’t believe it, but I must say that it definitely helped boost my motivation and give me a more optimistic attitude towards January and 2009!

Oh! And we have 2 new puppies at our house, which are absolutely adorable! One is black and tan, he’s named Snickers and the other is a smattering of browns (and all kinds of trouble!) and her name is Little Rascal. Not only are their coats totally different, but so are their demeanors. It’s hard to image that they are from the same litter! Hopefully, I’ll have pictures to share soon. So it’s the best of both worlds, I get cute little puppies to play with and keep me company, but they aren’t really my responsibility so I don’t have to be tied down or feel guilty if I leave my village for a few days.

Wishing you all health and happiness for the New Year! May 2009 bring you great peace and joy! I love you all and miss you greatly!

Morning Commute

It occurred to me the other day as I was dodging mud pits and worrying about being late for morning report at the clinic that some things never change no matter where you are in the world. “Morning commute” can always have an element of stress, and usually always winds up with me being late! So obviously it’s not the same problems but in its own way it can be like African rush hour. You know how you have to time leaving your house just right or you will just hit too much traffic along the way? There are just too many other vehicles out on the road! Well instead of this traffic involving staring at the bumper of the car in front of you, here it just means that I run in to everybody and their brother on my short little walk to the clinic, each requiring at least a quick “Dumela! O tsogile? Ke teng! Go Siame” but it’s not always that easy . . . sometime you’ll find yourself held by the hand or wrist and walking in a completely different direction than you intended, chatting about who knows what in a language you don’t really understand. Depending on how many of these encounters you have, it can easily mean a 30 minute delay, despite any attempt of yours to cut the conversation short and move along.

Now when the weather is inclement, well that adds a whole new dimension to the commute! Usually people just forget how to drive in the rain or there are so many accidents on the road you have to take detour after detour, inevitably arriving in apology for your unintentional tardiness. Seems how there’s only about 10 cars in Semolale, accidents aren’t really the issue here. But road conditions . . . now that’s a different story. If we are lucky enough to have gotten a nice, earth soaking rain the night before, it has turned pretty much every footpath and “road” into a mud pit that could potentially swallow you whole if you don’t navigate it just right. So now, I’m like the car that forgot how to drive in the rain because I am inching along, choosing each step carefully trying to avoid the obvious sink holes and looking desperately for the driest piece of earth to step on. This probably can be observed by onlookers as some kind of psychotic jumping bean dance of mine, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! Once I make it through the first valley of mud and up to the main road, I must now resort to the long, tar-road detour, as opposed to my usual short cut that now resembles Lake Semolale more than anything remotely considered a “path”. (And the truly amazing thing is that I seem to be the only one experiencing such difficulties. These other ladies are so accustomed to this terrain and ever-changing conditions that they can manage to arrive without a speck of mud anywhere--- and in heels! I don’t think any amount of time here would improve my situation that dramatically, but I gotta hand it to them!)

PULA!

2008-11-14T05:20:00.002-05:00

Hello All!
Wow! What a month! A lot has been going on in and around Semolale. I’ve also had several opportunities arise that allowed me to get out to other parts of the country and work with other volunteers which is great in terms of strengthening networks, idea sharing and resource acquisition. So where to begin . . . ?

As you might recall from my last entry, I was working with the primary schools to finalize preparations for “Students Teach Parents: HIV/AIDS Day”. Despite the funding issues, we were able to pull off 2 of the 3 events to date. Semolale and Mabolwe both hosted their events the 3rd week of October. I was truly and delightfully surprised by the time and hard work that was put into these events. It’s always very refreshing and inspiring to find someone to work with that is motivated and enthusiastic about an idea or activity and really take off with it. The guidance teacher from Mabolwe turned out to be one such person who I am very grateful to have met and formed a partnership with. It was rather last minute that we decided to go ahead with the activity as planned, but you would have never known by the complete preparedness and ultimate success of the day. The kids had a great time and the school ground was full of anxiety and excitement as the parents and village stakeholders began to arrive. The event consisted of presentations (songs, dances, rhymes, dramas) at the main “stage”, as well as, displays and educational presentations in each of the classrooms that the parents rotated through. These included condom demonstrations, myth vs. facts, art work and creative writing, and many other creative activities. The students were able to capture everyone’s attention and all of the parents, even the chief, got involved and had a great time! I upload some pics from this event on the picasa page, so take a look!
For next school year (beginning in January) I am hoping to initiate a regular schedule at the primary school in Semolale incorporating many of the suggestions that I received from the teachers at our initial meeting upon my arrival. I am hoping to spend one or two half days each week at the school allowing teachers so sign up so that each class will have a session led by me each month. I have been asked to work on English composition, grammar, and public speaking which I am hoping to tie into the use of the school’s Reading Room. I also want to introduce health education focusing on a different topic each month. Also a cultural session taking a topic and exposing the students to that aspect of American culture while sharing that aspect of Botswana culture with classes back in the States. I am hoping to complement this with a pen pal program. There’s also been talk of an art exchange and some interest has been expressed in starting an art club so I have talked with the art teacher and he seems willing and excited to head such a club. So only time will tell, but as always, I have big ideas and high hopes! I am scheduled to meet with the faculty before the close of term at the end of November so we can meet the new term head on, so I will keep you all posted.

I have a lot of pots on the fire right now, so moving on to my next pot . . . the Youth Group has had quite a remarkable month! At the end of October they organized and hosted a multi-sectored community meeting to discuss the effect of HIV and AIDS in this community, to identify contributing factors and to propose possible solutions for effective education and behavior change. At first, it seemed like we bit off more than we could chew as most of the youth had never planned anything like this and were at a loss with where to start logistically, organizationally, and content-wise. However despite a few days of me pulling my hair out, we were able to enlist the help of the clinic staff and others in the community to lead them down the right path and wind up with a rather successful day. I was really impressed with the effort put forth by the youth. I think it was very rewarding for them and a boost in their confidence to have all eyes of the community on them. They were all in their best dress and actually showed up EARLY!
Last Thursday was one of the highlights of my service thus far. The Department of Youth and Culture came to Semolale with a truck full of equipment for the Youth Center that had been purchased with funding they received from their grant proposal. The original proposal was done by the previous volunteer but I have definitely had my share of headaches, stress and disappointments in the whole process so I can only imagine how the youth feel after this year-long process! It was better than any Christmas morning I’ve ever seen. All of the materials were presented to the youth and the community at a kgotla ceremony where all department representatives showed up in support of the youth and to offer words of congratulations and encouragement. The youth have been busily assembling everything within the center so that we can be prepared when all of the young people come back to the village at the end of the school term (many schools aside from primary schools are boarding schools in the larger villages). The Center now hosts a pool table, foosball table, ping pong table, TV & DVD player, music system, 2 computers and printer, tables and chairs, board games, soccer balls, volleyball and net, netballs and I’m sure there are a few other things that I’ve neglected but I think you get the point . . . this is a BIG deal! Especially for a small, remote village like Semolale. So kudos to the youth for their hard work and perseverance in this process; they are getting their due reward! We still have a lot of work to do as far an organization and operation of the center but this is certainly a step in the right direction. And now, with the reality that this youth center will soon be functioning there are so many new opportunities that have been created and the potential is truly limitless! (yet a bit overwhelming)

The G.L.O.W. club is excitedly anticipating the camp next month in Gabarone. At the end of October, the local leader and I went to Maun to meet with the other facilitators from the other delegations. It was a great weekend! I really enjoyed having the opportunity to spend a lot of quality time getting to know my local leader on a more personal level and forming a bond that I think will carry forth and strengthen our endeavors with the GLOW club. Just being surrounded by so many motivated and passionate people and exchanging ideas really helped to get the creative juices flowing and created a contagious energy for the weekend and GLOW as a whole. I am very excited for the camp and am optimistic about the impact that this week will have on these young girls. The sessions and activities are going to touch on such a diverse myriad of topics that are pertinent to adolescents and that are rarely spoken of and often considered taboo in this culture. I’ll go in to more details after the completion of the camp. Aside from “business”, we did get to enjoy a bit of Maun including a boat ride on the river at sunset and a walking nature/ wildlife safari where we got to see giraffe, zebra, kudu, warthogs and impala.
This past Saturday (Nov.8th) the GLOW club hosted an HIV/AIDS Carnival at their school for their peers. The girls created seven carnival “booths” for their fellow classmates to visit. The booths consisted of different interactive games and activities whose objective was to reach the adolescents at their level and impart valuable information about topics such as peer pressure, alcoholism, relationships, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and prevention and treatment of HIV/ AIDS. The girls led the other students in puzzles, role playing, a trivia game show “Jeopardy”, an STI Talk Show, creating an HIV Infection Tree, resolving facts vs. myths about HIV and AIDS, and condom relay races. The day was a huge hit with all of the students- which says a lot considering it was taking up some of their precious Saturday free-time. I think the event really energized and boosted the confidence of the GLOW girls to really breath fresh life into the club and take it to the next level.

At the clinic, exciting things have been happening as well. As of last week, our clinic is now an ARV (Antiretroviral) clinic which means our HIV positive patients can get their medications right here as opposed to going into Bobonong (50k). We will also have a doctor visiting once a week to consult and prescribe treatment, which will benefit all people in the community. I’m a bit removed from the immediate impact of this program since I focus the majority of my work outside of the clinic and working in preventative ways, but I can foresee great improvements that will be made possible due to this advancement of our clinic’s resources and ability to provide a higher quality of health care.
I was finally able to go on one of the clinic mobile trips. The clinic ambulance load up with medical supplies and rations and head out to the cattle posts the first 2 weeks of every month to weigh babies, consult patients, give immunizations, provide food rations, etc. After a 1 ½ hour trek across an unpaved donkey trail through the bush in the back of the truck riding on some sacks of samp and beans, we finally arrived. Although I was feeling a bit woozy after inhaling all the fumes from our reserve petrol tank (that’s necessary when you life out in the bush like I do), I really enjoyed the day and gained a different perspective of healthcare, life in other parts of Botswana, the “cattle post” culture and overall was a real eye-opener. It was definitely one of those picturesque “Peace Corps experiences” that all of you probably think I have every day; however, Botswana is fairly well developed so my typical day doesn’t look a lot like the mud hut/ starving baby picture that you might imagine.
The ladies from the clinic have been very faithful in attending our afternoon exercise sessions and it’s been a lot of fun hanging out outside of the workplace. We are even planning a clinic staff Thanksgiving Dinner that will be held at my house next weekend. We are going to serve traditional Setswana chickens instead of turkey, but I am going to do my best to replicate some traditional Thanksgiving dishes- so I’m hoping for a successful “cultural exchange”.

The next big thing on the agenda is World AIDS Day on December 1st. The Bobirwa (which is mine) and Phikwe Sub-districts are hosting the National Commemoration which will even be graced by the presence of His Excellency President Khama. Since I am on the planning committee, I travel into Phikwe every Wednesday for WAD meetings and preparations. On the big day, the other area PCVs and I will be running the testing tent with other fun and interactive educational stations. I have recruited some of my youth group members to come and help us man the tent- and of course do the Setswana translations! Throughout the whole month of November, there have been community outreach programs targeted at the smaller villages on the outskirts of these districts. Last weekend, my neighborhood, Gobojango, was the target community. There was a kgotla event with drama and traditional dance, HIV testing and education, condom demonstrations and a football tournament (from which Semolale took home the Gold medal!) it’s about as much festivity that can be found in these parts so I know everybody really enjoyed the day. I arranged for the youth group to take part in the festivities and even punctuated the day with a campfire at my house that night where I taught them all how to roast marshmallows.

Halloween weekend was spent camping at Khama Rhino Sanctuary, which was a fantastic weekend being out in nature and away from it all and spending quality time with friends. I knew I was missing the environment of home but I didn’t know how much I longed for it until I was able to sleep out under the stars and spend all night cooking and having some drinks around the campfire and I never felt more at peace. The only thing missing was Tim’s guitar around the fire and our feeble attempts to sing along. That was also the first weekend that I saw rain since the first week of my arrival in April— we had an hour long onslaught; it even hailed! Pula! The rain finally made it’s was to Semolale last weekend. Since then, the skies have been opening up at least once a day and I’m beginning to fear that I should have brought my kayak with me because the water’s getting awfully high here and I can barely make it across the road to the clinic without sinking up to my knees in mud. But I do love the afternoon/ evening thunderstorms, in addition to the nice respite from the intense sun and heat. Unfortunately with the rain also comes the plague of every insect known to man- and some unknown! First it was the infestation of ants, then these flying things that shed their wings all over the house, of course the mosquitoes, and a ton of other unidentified varieties and despite the fact that I let the spiders and geckos reside in my house, they aren’t doing a very good job of bug control!

So all in all, Life is Good! I feel very fortunate to be here and be surrounded by great people, and I am eager and optimistic to see what adventure awaits me next, because if one lesson has presented itself to me time and again it’s it “Expect the Unexpected”!

Picasa Web Albums - Jaclyn

2008-10-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

Picasa Web Albums - Jaclyn

Settling in for the long haul

2008-10-11T08:34:00.001-04:00

Post IST

At first it was a rude awakening being back at site. Suddenly I found myself being the only American/ English speaking person and the rural isolation of Semolale was more blatant than ever in contrast to the city life of Gabs. I came back excited and recharged with all these new ideas from other volunteers and partner organizations- anything seemed possible- and super motivated to do all of these really awesome projects and then I was smacked with the reality of the pace of progress in Botswana. I was only in the village 2 days after IST because then we had a holiday weekend and I went traveling to the west side. But those two days were filled with frustrations as it seemed like everything I had been working on was sitting dead in the water during my absence and I was hitting road block after road block trying to get things moving again. But I think the disappointment was only magnified because I was in a different mindset and consequently was seeing everything through a different lens and not my Botswana-adapted one. Once I got readjusted and reacquainted with the local attitude, things seem to be “cruising” right along.

Independence Day

So as I said, the last weekend of September was Botswana’s Independence Day which meant a nice long weekend and since I was off travel restriction, I of course headed out to explore this country (because after all, I’ve been here 6 months already and time’s a-tickin’ so I gotta get moving if I’m going so fulfill all of my African travel and adventure aspirations). I headed out to Ghanzi, which if you look at a map is about directly opposite Semolale, to visit some fellow volunteers. Whoever, coined that phrase about the journey being the adventure rather than the destination, must have been traveling in Africa because that couldn’t have been more true during these next few days! My journey began on Friday as I was able to hitch a ride out of Semolale with one of the nurses who owns a car (since it’s month end all of the government employees get paid and head in to the towns to cash checks, buy groceries, etc. and most of them drink away a large portion of their paycheck as well) so I managed to reach Phikwe rather effortlessly. The 2 volunteers who stay there were both celebrating birthdays so several other volunteers came in to town to join the celebration. The next morning I caught an early bus out of phikwe to continue on my journey west which was easier now that I was out of my little nook of the country and in a hub along the main drag. But being a holiday weekend, takes the public transportation experience to a whole new level as everyone is going places (most government workers are placed away from their home villages and travel back during holidays and breaks and since most Batswana don’t own cars, that leaves A LOT of people dependent on the buses). The next leg of my journey was to Francistown where I then caught a bus west toward Maun. Now a days, it’s getting rather hot here as summer is upon us. The average temperature has been about 100-105 degrees each day. So picture this heat in a jam packed bus (and remember my luck with seat mates) and people are afraid to open the windows for fear of the “flu” so basically your in a 7 hour sauna with the smell of fried food, funky bus odor and sweaty people. But it was something liberating about just traveling alone again. Often times being in Peace Corps can be stifling as you have a group of adults (and I’m the second youngest) who are used to being self-sufficient and independent and now we have all of these peace corps affixed restrictions and find ourselves sometimes floundering to take care of our most basic needs. Anyhow, I was only able to make it to Maun before dark so luckily we have a great volunteer network and I had no problem finding a place to stay and to top it off, I got to see a little of Maun. This is the gateway to the Okavango Delta region and where all the top-end safari companies are based. It’s quite a paradoxical village as the super ritzy lodges and tourists meet with the local village population. But the environment is a little more green and lush and you can find a river and some marsh land which was a sight for my drought-sore eyes. Walking along the river edge as the sun was setting was very satisfying for my soul—and I even got to see my first wild giraffes! The next day, my journey continued to Ghanzi. By this time I was ready to be there already but as luck would have it, the bus I caught out of Maun that morning only have about 100k in it and we found ourselves broken down in the middle of nowhere, and I mean NO WHERE. So of course there was a flurry of activity and discussion (all in Setswana) but after some time, I was able to get some of my money back and I resolved myself to hitchhiking the rest of the way there (about another 200k). I’ve gotten pretty good at hitchhiking by now, but the odds are slightly against you when you’re standing with about 60 other people also hoping to hitch a ride with the one vehicle that passes every 15 or 20 minutes. After about an hour I got a lift with a group of tourists which turned out to be quite a luxurious mode of travel by comparison (I had a back seat all to myself with leather seats and AC). I felt like a total sell out/ had a moral conflict about taking this ride when these people obviously stopped to pick me up but wouldn’t offer a ride to any of the Batswana who were waiting with me, but what’s a girl to do when she’s stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the desert and traveling alone- so I took the lift and decided that I could mull this over in my conscience once I was safely to Ghanzi.

Ghanzi was great! It’s small in population given its western location (something like 80% of the population lives along one corridor in the East) but has many resources. Like I said, Ghanzi is on the outskirts of the Kalahari and is skirted by several San (Basarwa bushmen) communities. When I arrived, we took a long hike to the outside of the village where there is a quarry that started filling in with water and is now a swimming hole. So we took a very refreshing dip and waiting for the others to meet up with us for a braii. It was like an all-american BBQ (almost) then we headed back into town for “Jazz” night at the local bar and then met up with some other friends at a lodge for some drinks in a low key atmosphere before calling it a night. The next day I got to explore to town of Ghanzi including the San art and craft shop. Then we hiked out to a nearby game reserve where we had lunch and enjoyed the serenity of being the only people there observing the wildlife gather at the watering hole in the salt pan. We saw some Eland and kudu and all kinds of birds- even Zazu. After a very peaceful afternoon, we hiked back home and experimented making a fantastic curry for dinner and unwound for the night. The next day was Independence Day which meant an official village celebration at the kgotla (customary court). Everyone was gathered there and performances were given by local schools’ traditional dance groups, choirs, drama groups and other entertainers. By mid-day it was time for me to begin my journey back east. The 2:00 bus never showed so once again I was hitching (along with about 20 others at the hitching post) so we went a way down and away from the crowd and got lucky as a lot of trucks come through Ghanzi on their routes from Namibia, South African or southern Botswana (Gabs) and are usually happy to have some company, which he got a lot of with 5 of us in the cab! After spending the night in Maun, it was a marathon traveling day all the way back to home sweet Semolale and I was never more happy to jump off that bus by my little corner shop and be HOME at last!

Back in the Groove

After a very exciting, fun and diverse month of September, I am happy to be back and staying put for a while. Now that I’m here, it feels like I never left. Like I said things are moving right along.

The primary schools have been finishing their preparation for “Students Teach Parents HIV/AIDS Day”. Gobojango and Mabolwe are having this event for the first time whereas Semolale is following up last year’s event with a focus on HIV/AIDS Related Illnesses (opportunistic infections and AIDS defining illnesses) so we arranged for the clinic staff to do some education sessions at the school to help the students and teachers prepare. Unfortunantly, the DMSAC funding has been held up in processing so we have had to postpone the events until the money comes through, but most of the preparations are complete and the children are ready for the big day, whenever it comes.

The Youth Group did a small performance at the Independence Day celebration. They have been preparing their paper work for registering as a society and laying the ground rules, establishing committees, and deciding how to conduct business, etc. giving the group a little more focus and formal structure. The Community Center is coming along with new windows and burglar bars and electric wiring being installed and the recreation equipment to be ordered after the renovations have been completed. We are planning a clean-up day and I am trying to find donations from local hardware stores for paint so that we can maybe decorate the building with murals and fresh, colorful paint. We are also moving forward with our plans to create a community based peer-education group. We are planning for a catchment wide meeting in 2 weeks to discuss the different aspects of the HIV/AIDS situation and how to best approach the issue and combat the continuous rise in statistics and encourage behavior change and healthier lifestyles within these communities.

After running around like a crazy person to compile and fax our applications last week, the GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Club has been accepted to participate in this year’s GLOW camp. We will be sending a delegation including a local leader, myself, and 3 student representatives to Gabarone for a week in December. We will have the opportunity to meet with and share ideas with other GLOW groups from around the country, attend sessions addressing topics pertinent to adolescents, participate in teambuilding and bonding activities and learning how to run, develop, and motivate our GLOW clubs once returning to have a greater effect on our communities overall. We are very excited about this opportunity since only a very few delegations are selected each year. The local leader and I will be heading to Maun, where the WAR (Women Against Rape) headquarters is located, in 2 weekends to join with the planning committee for the camp.

Some loose ends: At the clinic we are beginning to make preparations for the Run 4 Life 10k race. We are also starting an exercise and nutrition program that will meet for 1 hour 3 days a week after work. They are all really excited to get started and it will help discipline me in my own routine. World AIDS Day is December 1st and preparations have begun for a big event to take place in Phikwe combining the efforts of S/Phikwe district and Bobirwa sub-district. We will be meeting again this week to continue planning and discussion.

Aside from the business, I’ve been hanging out with my parents. My father is now being treated for TB so he can’t go to the cattle post which means he is around more these days. And my mom has been busier than ever making her breads and other goodies to sell at the shop and I enjoy helping her whenever I can. It’s always fun to be the shop keeper when she has to run somewhere fast, people are never expecting to see me when they pop their head inside and they think it’s hysterical to hear me try to conduct business in my awful Setswana.

I’ve been reading a great book by Kerovac ,The Dharma Bums, which has made me a little homesick for the life and the people I left back in the States since those passions and ideas of life and spirituality are not shared by people here in Botswana- at least not by anybody I’ve found so far. I am also reading another book alongside Kerovac’s that’s written by one of his lovers Joyce Johnson entitled Minor Characters that tells the story of the role women played in the Beat Generation and the influence the time had on women and women had on the time. Both books, I highly recommend.

So that’s the news for now. I feel like I might be boring you all with the tedious details of my projects, but I find it more difficult to write now that everything doesn’t seen quite so new and exciting. So let me know if there’s anything you’re curious about that I’m neglecting to touch on. Also I’m hoping at the start of next school year (January) to start a pen pal program per request of my school head. So any of you teachers, substitute teachers, student teachers, etc. let me know if you’re interested in doing a correspondence between your class and students from Botswana. Besides Semolale, I also have primary schools in Mabolwe and Gobojango so that’s potentially around 1,000 students which creates a lot of possible opportunities so please throw any ideas my way and maybe we can make them happen!

Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the nice change to Autumn. I’m hoping to be getting some good Halloween pictures coming this way soon! As always . . . miss you all, with peace and love ~Jaclyn

The final words for now . . .

2008-09-22T05:18:00.000-04:00

Week of Sept 1st

This was a week of conflicting emotions. I looked forward to reuniting with the other volunteers at IST (In service training) and the nice vacation from the stresses and responsibilities of organizing and leading activities around the community. In addition, it will be nice to have some social life, speak English, and share our experiences with other people that can relate to the same joys and challenges and just relax and take a breather and reflect. At the same time, I am really feeling at home in Semolale and very happy and I know that I will miss everyone while I’m gone for 2 weeks. I also feel like a lot of projects are just taking root and starting to sprout a bit. I feel like they are still vulnerable and could wither away in these 2 weeks if not nurtured properly and then I will be starting at square one when I return. It was also crazy stressful trying to wrap up loose ends, try to be sure everything goes smoothly in my absence and also prepare myself to leave.
I feel like we made a lot of forward progress this week with the youth center. The youth department is finally backing us up and helping us speed up the process a bit. I also met with the VDC (Village Development Committee) who is our partner in the project. We took measurements for all the new windows and doors, and me and a few of the guys busted out all of the old windows one afternoon, so I’m hoping to have all new windows when I return! We also met to discuss starting a HIV/AIDS peer educator program which was an idea brought to me from a guy in Semolale who thought the youth would be a good place to start this project and help it take off in the community. The idea is to have a community meeting with representative s from the kgotla, school, police, clinic, VDC, shopkeepers, bar owners and include young, old, men and women to assess the contributing factors to the untamed spread of HIV in our village in particular. The nurses will then educate and train a group of interested individuals to be the peer educators within the community so that people who are intimidated by the going to the clinic or talking with young, mostly women nurses will feel comfortable discussing and therefore more receptive to correct information regarding the transmission of HIV and the behaviors that encourage it. Then this group will be responsible for coming up with creative activities and events to reach all people with this information at the local bars, schools, homes, and other places where local people congregate. I am excited about working with them to develop this because it is locally initiated and would empower the villagers to educate each other which should help the program’s sustainability after I leave.
The other things I spent a lot of time coordinating before I left was the primary schools’ “Kids Teach Parents: HIV/AIDS Days”. Since September is Botswana’s HIV/AIDS Awareness month, they want the events to be shortly after I return so I had to make sure each of them were on task and felt capable of doing the rest of the preparations while I’m gone. I teamed up the Family Health Educator from each village with the Health committee at each school to plan the day. The idea is that each grade will be given a topic to cover and then they come up with a creative presentation to encompass that topic. The parents will then go from class to class learning different aspects of transmission, prevention, testing, treatment, behavior change, etc. from their children. It had a very powerful impact last year in Semolale so we are hoping for the same this year in all 3 of the villages.
The last day in town was pure craziness but I was really touched that so many of the youth and my neighbors came by to “check” me since I was leaving. It made me feel like I will actually be missed these next 2 weeks.

IST (Sept. 6th- 17th)

Wow! This week was so much fun! Kanye is actually quite beautiful. It’s set in the hills and is a bit greener and lusher than the other places I’ve seen here. There are great views off the ridge and a nice reservoir that we ran to in the afternoons. It was really great to see everyone together again and hear about everyone’s experiences at their sites. It was also really helpful to share similar challenges that we were all encountering and also to hear about different things that people have done and found to be successful to help generate ideas for us to take back to our own sites. We had a great time hanging out and strengthening relationships within our group also. We had a lot of valuable training on funding opportunities and partners to team up with on initiatives throughout the country. And of course, a lot of Setswana lessons, which I really need. I think a balance between structured and unstructured learning. We also had a lot of fun hanging out, catching up, and simply being “American” without any cultural or language barriers. We even had a few birthday celebrations which livened things up a bit! We had a day off and a group of us went on a hike to the gorge. It was great to be out climbing around on the rocks and hiking through the bush. And we even saw monkeys! All in all, a great 10 days and a much needed break but I will be happy to get back to Semolale and see everyone and go forward with all of these fresh ideas!

Gabs (Sept. 18th- 22nd)

Well this little side trip took an interesting turn in events about midway through. I was in Gabs meeting with the Department of Home Affairs to register the youth group as a society in Botswana. I also met with a potential funder for youth activities and projects. He wants to plan a benefit gala here in the city and invite the ministers of parliament and corporate executives to the dinner and have the kids perform drama and traditional dance. We are hoping for some time during he holiday season, so I’ll keep you all posted. Then just as I was about to return home, I felt death come over me and despite my stubbornness I actually did go to see the doc. It still has not been decided exactly what it was. People call it “African Sickness” but all the clinical symptoms matched with malaria so they kept me in the city a few extra days to treat and monitor me. But now, I am feeling much improved and anxious to FINALLY get home!

Well, that’s about all for now. Sorry this is so much at once, but I hope you all feel in the loop once again. Hope you are enjoying the nice change of seasons on that side of the globe. Miss you all greatly! Keep smiling! Love, Jac

A much belated update . . .

2008-09-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

Dumelang Distala (Hello Friends)
I am so sorry for the lag in recent communication. I was expecting to have internet access during my 2 week training session and was hoping to update everything then, but no such luck. However I am now in Gabs until either Sunday or Monday so I will be able to access the internet up until then for any of you who wish to respond via e-mail, I should be able to receive it. Oh, and I have finally gotten a few pictures up via facebook so you can check them out and I’m hoping to get more loaded before I leave.

Week 8 (August 11th-17th)

So I believe I last left off when I was about to leave for International Youth Day. This was a great event! Myself and 2 representatives from the youth group went from semolale along with about a dozen total to represent our Bobirwa subdistrict in Mahalapye. There was probably a total of 300 youth participating in the events. The day started off with a “walk”. We were split into groups and given different starting points from around the village. We were donned with t-shirts and banners and started singing, dancing and chanting through the streets until we all met at the village center. There we were met by a marching band and together we continued the trek to the community hall where the day’s events were going to take place. It was a little reminiscent of a second line celebration in New Orleans! The theme for the day was “Youth & Climate: Time for Change”. There were speeches from different government officials stressing to the youth the importance of them taking responsibility of both their personal environment (people they associate with and activities they engage in)as well as their global environment (environmental consciousness and global awareness) through behavior change and positive leadership. There was also entertainment from traditional song and dance groups, choirs, drama groups, and some of Botswana’s pop artists. Overall, I think the kids took a lot away from the day and I felt very privileged to have the opportunity to share it with them.
On Friday, I met with the village kgosi (chief) and elders (only men) at the kgotla to learn a bit more about the history of Semolale and some of the traditional aspects of the culture. (I passed this info on to all of you in that e-mail attachment) This was a very enjoyable experience! I had to bring my friend from the clinic along to translate for me, but it worked out well. These men were full of wisdom, experience and great stories! This was a very valuable and interesting experience for me and I hope to continue having these chats so that I can learn more about this particular culture and also so that I open myself up to another group within the village and one that is especially hard to reach especially as a young woman in a very patriarchal society.
I kept myself busy the rest of the week with dance parties for the youth, a birthday party, sports, and the usual. The weather is finally starting to warm up, which means it’s “football” season. And surprisingly, Semolale has 5 teams and the neighboring villages also have several teams apiece which means most Saturdays or Sundays a match is going on. The games are a lot of fun, just like any sporting event in the states. Everyone in the area comes out to the game; there’s some tailgating, carrying on, etc. Most times, I almost forget that I’m in a place so far and completely different from home. But then there are some moments when I am abruptly reminded of the reality that I am in Botswana. One of those instances happened this weekend when we were all playing volleyball in the school yard. One moment playing and joking around with my friends, the next minute they all take off running across the yard to chase the goats out and I find myself alone at the net with no teammates and no opponent. In Maryland, we have fire drills; I think here they have goat drills. Everyone knows exactly which tactics to use. There’s the running with arms waving/ flapping ferociously, the high pitched whistle, the rock throwing, or any other creative combination of erratic movements.
I also got to meet my neighbor’s daughters since school is out for the month of August. Here the kids go to school for 3 month trimesters with a one month break between each. Little did I know, this would be the beginning of a very enjoyable and exhausting relationship. It took me back to the days of when Val and Shell were younger. The 3 girls are ages 8-12 and they come over every night to watch movies, makes art projects, bakes treats, paint their nails, play games, practice their math and spelling . . . it’s great having people around all the time and they are very well behaved unlike a lot of the kids here who just want money or food. However, after a few weeks of constant company, I was in serious need of a moment to myself.

Week 9 (August 18th-24th)

So the week started off slow, just carrying on with projects. Traditional dancing, planning the PMTCT workshop, playing with the kids, more chats with the old men in the village. The weekend got a bit interesting though. First of all, I had fresh fish in Botswana! I didn’t think it was possible but 2 of my friends from the clinic bought me one and helped me prepare it and it was delicious. Apparently there is a short window of time when they can be found in a reservoir in Phikwe and some guy from our village had just brought back a bunch of them.
I saw signs going up around the village advertising a “music festival” on Friday night. Of course I was excited and spent all of Friday trying to convince friends of mine to go and make arrangements to get there. It was all Botswana artists, but I’ve never known a music festival that wasn’t a good time. It was supposed to start at 8, but knowing that we’re in Botswana, we didn’t go until after 9 yet still we had to wait until after 1 AM before the first performers went on, and they were horrible! After the bars closed, the place finally started to fill up, but this also meant it was full of drunk people and having a white girl show up at such a local event was apparently very exciting and since all the guys were liquored up they were feeling pretty confident in themselves and their dance moves which means A LOT of unwanted attention. There was one descent group called Shamba that came on around 4 AM and was a modern twist on the traditional song and dance routines. By about 6 AM, the festival was finally winding down, we were finally able to find a ride home, and the sun was rising. Overall not a bad experience but I will no longer generalize the term “music festival” without considering the cultural context. But now that I know what to expect I think I could enjoy the whole experience a bit better in the future I guess what they say about expectations is true and that you shouldn’t have any, even if you don’t realize that you have any.
Despite suffering from sleep deprivation, I managed to attend a wedding the next day in my village. The weddings here are very impressive. They are beautiful with the whole wedding party having several different outfits throughout the ceremony and reception. The dancing is also great and lots of fun! The best party is—it’s totally acceptable to be a wedding crasher because they don’t give out formal invitations here, it’s just assumed that the entire village is invited. Besides enjoying myself at the wedding, I was also trying to help one of my youth take notes on what preparations need to be made for the wedding reception because she is hoping to start her own business providing the tents, tables, chairs, music, decoration, etc. for weddings and other special events (which here, is most often funerals sadly enough).

Week 10 (August 25th- 31st)

In contrast to last week, this one was crazy busy and fun from start to finish! First of all it’s really getting hot here now and those mosquitoes are also starting to come out from hiding- I can’t wait to see December! I guess I will finally have a summer birthday! I’m definatley enjoying the warmer days, it puts me in a more upbeat and happy mood, plus more people are out and about so I meet more of the villagers and people are more apt to mingle outside and be more active so the whole village feels more alive! Also, my favorite parts of the days are the mornings when the air is still a little brisk and I can sit outside on my veranda and sip my morning tea in the remaining quiet, peaceful moments of the morning before the “work” day begins. And of course there’s nothing like walking home in the evenings just as the air starts to cool – people are all more willing to engage in conversations or linger outside their homes or around the fires watching the sunset, chatting about the day, and enjoying the fading moments of daylight. It’s just like summer nights at home when neighbors gather after dinner just to unwind and enjoy the longer days. Plus, I’m learning to find beauty in things that I didn’t see at first. So I love sunsets, and at first I was really disappointed because there’s no water or nice scenery to watch the sun set upon and hardly any clouds to create a really dramatic sky (it didn’t help that Tim was bragging about his breathtaking scenery in the South Pacific!), but there is something to be said for this gorgeous orange-pink fire ball that sets without fail every evening and is in perfect view from my yard as I hang out with the kids (playing dodge ball or monkey in the middle or frisbee) or chatting with my parents before it’s dark and everyone retreats to their homes for supper. Sorry I got a little carried away, but you all know how much I love nature and how my environmental surroundings really effect my mood and experiences- and here I’ll take it any way I can get it!
The week was very busy preparing for our Male Involvement in PMTCT Workshop. Despite my fears and the seeming unorganized chaos that ensued on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday came and everything went smoothly and successfully. (I have included the summary write up in that report also, so I won’t repeat all the details here) But needless to say, I felt great relief and was very proud of our clinic staff for pulling through all the setbacks, lack of cooperation from other partners on the project and the bureaucratic hurdles and host a fun, enjoyable and effective event!
The youth group has been really stepping it up and has self initiated daily meetings in the afternoons to do activities and a smaller group of us meet one morning a week as a sort of “executive committee” to discuss the business side of things and make decisions and plan for future growth and progress. Even though we are taking (in my opinion) decent strides in developing the youth group, we decided it was time to be a little more aggressive with the governmental powers if we ever want to see our grant money come through. So we drafted letters to Dept. officials and met to discuss things with them and I think we got the ball rolling. Quotations are being sent to purchase equipment and measurements are being taken to replace the windows in the community hall so I’m hopeful that there may be visible progress by the time I return from training!
This weekend was one of the best days here so far. I didn’t even leave my compound aside from my morning jog, but I had so much fun and the Nndodole compound was quite the popular place for everyone else in the village to be so there was no need to leave. We played games out in the yard all day and then I helped my mom and Itseng bake biscuits for close to 6 hours outside in the brick oven in our yard! It was awesome, plus a great social opportunity and I really felt like part of the family.
This was a tough week for me because Val is heading off to college and I won’t be able to help her through that freshman year which can be difficult and challenging in so many ways (mostly the staying out of trouble, haha). But I’m super excited for her and I know she will have an amazing experience and flourish in her new environment! By the time I come back, she will have a new “home” and group of friends and have a “family” just like I found in the Bury.

Hello Again!

2008-08-22T08:11:00.000-04:00

Hello All! “Africa time” has been double-time since I last wrote. I’ve been super busy in and around Semolale—and LOVING it! That makes this very difficult for me right now as I have so much to share, but have neglected my recording for the past few weeks, so I will consult my journal and try to recount my many experiences and leave you all with an up-to-date picture of Semolale and me!
Week 5 (July 19th-27th)
It was a holiday weekend here in Botswana, which meant no work until Wednesday. I enjoyed a nice relaxing weekend. Wednesday was rough after the extended break but I was able to reorganize and map out the way forward for a lot of my projects/ activities. This week really turned a new page in my relationships within the community. I feel like that “barrier” has come down (I didn’t even know it was there until now that it isn’t) and I am no longer this mysterious white girl that everyone is intimidated by. Instead now I am just another villager in Semolale- I don’t know what that would be called—a Semolalian?? My life after “work” hours is now jam packed with activities and different people in the community- it’s fantastic! Of course there is the trade off- I haven’t been able to practice guitar, study Setswana, read books, go running, practice my yoga and tai chi, write letters/ e-mails/ blogs, or those other personal goals that I would like to achieve during my Peace Corps experience. But I can do those things anywhere, and with time, I’ll find a balance between being “Gorata” and being “Jaclyn” and I will be able to obtain the full Peace Corps experience with both cultural experience and personal growth.
Last time I wrote about when the youth came to my house and how it was the perfect example of those small “success” moments that you experience doing this kind of work. Well this week was full of those! I’ve had some of my most meaningful interactions this week. I’ll briefly touch on a few. One evening I had the pleasure of reliving my childhood as I played a version of volleyball with the small kids on my compound using an old, deflated soccer ball and the fence as the “net”. It reminded me of those summer nights on Fieldgreen Road playing dodge ball- when you’re allowed to stay out and play with your friends just a little longer than normal- there’s no street lights here to make us go inside! We also threw the Frisbee around a bit and they loved it! Those kids are great—seeing their excitement and hearing them laugh makes my day!
I was also able to build closer friendships with people from the clinic. I went to one of the nurse’s house with another girl from the clinic to bake a cake together (they think cinnamon is some kind of magical spice!). It was great to just hang out and chat with friends— there was no awkwardness, it was just like I was hanging out with my friends or roommates back home which was a great feeling- and the cake was delicious too! We ever planned for a “girls’ weekend” to go to town for a shopping day and then treat ourselves to a nice dinner out at a restaurant- so that should be fun! The next night I went to another nurse’s house for her niece’s 21st birthday braai which was also a lot of fun. I have discovered that these kinds of occasions are the best was to experience the “real” culture of Botswana. Not the old traditional culture, not the conservative, beurocratic, professional culture, but the modern-day family and social life. Seeing how everyone interacts with each other when they are comfortable and relaxed- you see everyone’s true colors! The music, dancing, food, drink, joking, and conversation around the fire all paints a picture that no amount of words ever could.
Some of the youth have been coming by to learn guitar, teach me chess, and just hang out for a bit at my house which is nice because I’ve been able to get to know some of them on an individual basis and this has also changed the atmosphere of our youth meetings because we are no longer strangers trying to figure each other out, so everyone is more open and interactive, which in turns means our meetings have turned more creative and fun!
I’ve also been spending some of my free time trying to turn my house into home. I’m trying to get creative to come up with ways to decorate and bring some color and Jaclyn-ness to the house but it is very difficult with the extremely limited resources so I’ve resorted to the few pictures that I brought with me (it would be great if you all throw a few in with any letters you send), magazine clippings, and some fun creations with my watercolors. Basically my house will be decorated like a kindergarten classroom- but that’s cool!
Week 6 (July 28th- August 3rd)
This week was rather productive for meetings and such so a lot of projects are taking that next step forward. I think I mentioned in my last entry that my District AIDS Coordinator wants me to plan “Students Teach Parents: HIV/AIDS Day” at all three local primary schools! I’m not that concerned about Semolale because they had this event last year and I have already started working with them, but the other two villages, I hadn’t even been to the schools yet. But this week I was able to go to both Mabolwe and Gobojango to introduce myself to the head teachers (principals) and pitch the idea to them for this activity. Luckily they both thought it was a good idea so I then met with the guidance teacher in Mabolwe and the Health Committee in Gobojango. They are going to brief the rest of the staff and be my go-to people on the ground for this project since I don’t live in either of these villages.
Our meeting finally happened with representatives from the different villages’ health staff to plan a workshop to address male involvement in the PMTCT program. It is difficult for me to plan some of these things because I don’t know how the “system” works here yet. But since I am following another PCV they expect me to pick up where she left off. However, they forget that when she first arrived, she wasn’t doing projects and didn’t know how to do all these things. Not to mention that Peace Corps recommends not starting any projects until after IST (In Service Training- which is 3 months after going to site). Because I don’t know what the heck I’m doing and in the spirit of sustainability, I’m encouraging the clinic staff to take the leadership role in planning this event. Once I see how to go about this whole process, I will feel more comfortable proposing my ideas and suggesting alternative events. Botswana is known for having these “workshops”. Every week at least someone is gone from the clinic for a workshop, which is the same for all government offices. These events are generally ineffective but they continue to conduct them in the same way which is boring and results in absolutely nothing. So it’s a loss of manpower in all these offices that must send representatives, it’s a waste of money to put all of these government officials up in lodges and cater meals and run these functions, and they don’t think outside the box to introduce any new ways of thinking about or doing things to break down the barriers that are preventing change and forward progress. Nobody ever has a new idea so they continue to do the same things, hence the millions or billions of dollars being pumped into this country and tons of resources being mobilized, yet a steady HIV infection rate continues with no significant progress. So that’s a small soap box but it does offer a glimpse at why this “task” is so much harder than it appears to the outside eye because there are so many contributing factors to the HIV/AIDS issue and the inability to overcome it. But hopefully I will be able to help guide people to different, more creative and more effective approaches to tackle these issues.
On the flip side, the youth are showing lots of promise and I have already seen them grow and strengthen. The youth group is now meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They have been working on creating an educational drama to address issues like HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, gender roles, etc. They hope to eventually perform the drama in Semolale and neighboring villages to provide education, entertainment, and raise a bit of money for the continuation of the club. They have also started to organize traditional sing and dance- this is my favorite! I have to get private lessons at my house after the meeting because I wasn’t born with this innate ability that they all seem to possess. It kind of reminds me of my cheerleading days haha. I can see how step squads in African American communities back home are directly derived from the traditional dances from their African ancestors. We also play sports on Saturday mornings- right now we are playing volleyball, netball (a combination of rugby and basketball) and Frisbee. And they come to my house on Friday nights to hang out, play games (charades was very interesting!), and watch movies. Every week more and more people show up both to the meetings and the social events and I am getting to know more of them on a personal basis so it’s like hanging out with friends- except they seem much younger (like high school) even though most of them are my age or a little older. The best part is, they are beginning to take initiative and becoming accountable. If I can’t make it to a meeting, they still meet and someone steps up as the leader, they are self-directing their drama and dance sessions and interest continues to grow—we have new people show up at every meeting! I’m ecstatic! I am going with two of them to represent Semolale Youth at the International Youth Day event in Mahalapye this week. I am helping another girl get grant money and sponsorships to start her own business selling these embroidered cloths. She hopes to teach some of the other youth and employ them also which is great—they are constantly surprising me!
I had a great night with my mom (The one that doesn’t speak English but is the sweetest lady ever!) I taught her to make oatmeal raisin cookies. She makes “biscuits” (cookies) to sell as well as the oranges from our yard to make some extra money for the family. So now she wants to start selling the oatmeal raisin ones. We also bring out my flash cards and she helps me with my Setswana and I help her with her English. It always amazes me how few words are needed to understand each other and enjoy each other’s presence. My oldest brother was in town for the first time and my dad came back from the cattle post and my other brother who stays in the neighboring village, Gobojango, was around a lot so all the Ndodoles were home (usually it’s just me and my mom). And my sister-in-law, who lives next door and works at the clinic with me, had her baby so there’s a new Ndodole!
Week 7 (August 4- 10th)
I was miserably sick last weekend, but starting to feel better and regain some energy by Monday afternoon so I was able to keep my appointment with the G.L.O.W. club in Gobojango. Another pleasant surprise! I was introduced to over 20 girls who were all extremely intelligent, motivated, positive people who were extremely open and accepting and enthusiastic about me being there and the club taking off. We are going to plan a “carnival” with different booths with games, crafts, skits to educate their peers on HIV/AIDS. There is also a weeklong camp in December that we are hoping to be able to send representatives to. So I’m very excited to start working with this group. Unfortunately all the schools are going on break until September so we will have to wait until then to pick up and move forward.
I had successful meetings with the PTA in Mabolwe and we finalized our plans for the Male PMTCT workshop in Semolale. I started to prepare some of my reports for Peace Corps that I will need to take to IST (In Service Training) in September. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again and hear about all the other volunteers’ experiences since training. We will be together for 10 days, continuing our language learning, technical training, and sharing our experiences and discussing our challenges- and of course relaxing and enjoying the company of everyone!
I had a nice relaxing weekend: hanging out with the youth, making some progress with the guitar, planning some traveling that I hope to do, enjoying a nice walk, reading/ writing some letters, and preparing for my trip to Mahalapye for the Youth Day.
Hope all of you are well and enjoying the last of summer vacations and get-togethers. We are starting to come out of winter and move toward our hot, wet summer season so I’m trying to enjoy the “phefo” (windy) August before the brutal weather sets in. Hope to hear from you all soon!
Miss you all
With Love and Peace

Mailing Advice

2008-07-20T05:22:00.000-04:00

I am sending this out just because I have already been asked by a few and know I will get it more as the holidays come up. So here is some mailing advice for the next 2 years that I have received from current volunteers. The U.S. postal service has an international flat rate box ($30?) to send up to 20 lbs which from all volunteers' experiences seems to be the best. They also have an $11 flat rate envelope if you want to send smaller things. (They supply the box so be sure you pick it up first so you know what dimensions you are working with!) I have seen packages arrive where parents have sent things in their own boxes and the postage has been up to $100 and some of them are small packages or envelopes that are like $40 so be careful; and stick to those flat rate deals bc they seem best. Anything that needs to get here by express or extra security can be sent by DHL. Now that I have received my first packages, I can say that they arrived in about a week and a half- not bad! Also, I had no problem receiving them fully intact. So it seems like the mail system works pretty well- even all the way out here to Semolale. Also, for all of you who might be a little confused about regular postage rates, a standard letter requires a $0.94 international stamp. These I have also received here in Semolale, and it seems like they take just about 1 week to arrive. I am sending this to you all and you can give suggestions/ forward this as you get inquires from other family members or friends.

Care Package suggestions:
pens & office supplies & craft supplies
photos- updated ones of you all and events i'm missing :(
seeds for a veggie garden and wild flowers that can grow in arid climates
crossword puzzle books, magazines (travel, homes, nature, environmental issues)
earl gray tea bags and green tea bags
granola and cereal bars
noxema face wipes (those things the girls use on their face. i am covered in a layer of dust everyday)
recipes- some of my faves like banana bread, chicken dishes, salads, and anything that can be made from scratch like cookies, breads, etc.
hot cocoa and cappuccino mixes- winter is upon us!
spices (italian and ones for meat) and marinade packets (like the grill mate ones) and taco seasoning
cereals- you know what i like: granola, life, frosted mini wheats, total w/ cranberries and they have a honey cluster one now, oatmeal squares, honey clusters, honey bunches of oats, special K with yogart and berries, honey nut chex, etc.
tuna- white in water
craisins
trail mix/ chex mixes/ nuts
***PAM***, they do not have anything like this and i refuse to use oil! so please, please, please
brownie mix, blueberry pancake mix (just add water)
ziploc baggies and the Ziploc/ gladware storage containers
fat free fig newtons/ animal crackers
batteries (AA rechargeable and the long life camera ones- lithium or titanium)
shout wipes/ clorax pen/ mini sewing kit
fat free caramel dip- we have lots of apples here!
country time pink lemonade mix
gum
parm cheese/ sun dried tomatoes
hemp
chap stick
hand sanitizers/ cocoa butter
burned DVDs or CDs (maybe some keller williams, rusted root, dave, john butler trio, and any newly discovered music that you think I would enjoy) I need to find a way to get Ravens games taped to DVD and sent next season so if someone could start some research that would be awesome! I’m thinking maybe Tivo can do this, but I’m not sure.
board games/ card games
calenders with pictures of landscapes/ seascapes or national parks, etc. they can be out of date ones on clearance -i really just want the pictures to decorate the house

True Story

2008-07-20T05:16:00.000-04:00

Despite how great things are going here, there are still those “grumpy-Botswana” moments when I’m just not digging it. So I thought I would tell you a little story about one of those moments just to paint a more realistic picture. . . (now you have to take into account that this is supposed to be entertaining so I have to build it up- I’m not really as bitter as I sound. By try to imagine me telling you this story- acting it out and all- and then you’ll appreciate it as I intended—I think)
So it’s Sunday and I’m heading into Silibe- Phikwe to use the internet and buy some groceries. Now I had been planning on this all week, so I wake up at 6:30 to be sure that I am all ready and waiting on the side of the road in time for the “8 o’clock” bus that will take me into Bobonong where I will then need to catch another bus to take me into Phikwe. The day is cold and windy and not one of the 340 days of sunshine that Botswana boasts of and as expected, I am waiting alongside the road until about 8:30 or quarter of 9. The bus finally arrives and luckily I am able to get a seat along the back bench with a mom and her 4 children- who I guess had never seen a “lakoa” (white person) before and had super-glued their eyelids open so that they stare me down for the entire trip- I swear I don’t think they blinked even once! Now I’m pretty used to this, but sometimes you just want to blend in with the crowd and go unnoticed- and this was one of those times. Now I think everyone on the bus, with the exception of me, was on their way to their various church services in Bobonong. This means that I was also treated to a lovely Church-on-radio program at full volume (the churches are those with the radical, scare-the-devil-out-of-you kind of sermons) and in Setswana to top it off. So I spent my morning being screamed at for an hour in a language that I don’t understand, but it is probably telling me that I’m going to hell. Great.
So now we arrive in Bobonong and I think I’m in luck because I spot the bus that goes to Phikwe already in the parking lot. So I hop on and luck is still on my side because the bus is half empty so I score a seat once again- and a window seat at that! That’s about where my luck runs out . . . turns out that since the bus is only half full, we must wait for it to fill before we can depart. Ok, still cool, I always come prepared with a book these days because I’m always waiting somewhere on someone, so I pull it out and settle in. This is when things start getting fun. A mom and her cute little baby enter the bus and take the seat in front of me. Followed a few moments later by another mom and baby who take the seat behind me, and then as if they had just seen the most terrifying thing (maybe me- who knows), the two babies start screaming simultaneously at the top of their lungs. So the infant choir practice had been going strong for about 15-20 minutes by now and you can tell the tension is just rising and rising. Now some guy (kinda old and a little creepy and smells like he bathed in cologne but forgot to brush his teeth) sits down next to me and puts his arm around me and starts all the usual “Hello Mommy. Where are you from? How is Botswana? How long have you been here? What are you doing in Botswana? Are you married?” Well, YES! That has become my answer to that question- it isn’t very effective in deterring them since small houses (a lover on the side) are quite the norm around here, but it gives me a little leverage to ward them off with. I am finally able to rid myself of that guy’s company when I am graced with another seat partner. Now I must preface this by saying that the seats on Botswana transportation are “economy-sized” at best. Two people of my size could probably be comfortable (not by American standards of a personal bubble, but still a little room to breathe). Now, for a culture that goes to great lengths to be “fat” (it’s a good thing here) and curvy and is constantly telling me that I need to eat more so that I can have a nice womanly figure, Why on Earth do they make the seats this size?!?! For reason beyond my comprehension, they do. And I have the great gift of attracting all 300+ pounders as seat mates- and today was no exception! So this whale of a woman wedges herself in next to me, despite the fact that there are still about 15 empty seats. By now, I’ve been sitting in the parking lot for going on an hour and the sun is beginning to turn the bus into a greenhouse and the bus driver is still nowhere in sight. And then, the icing on the cake—the babies (who were still going strong) end with a grand finale of projectile vomiting this curdy, white, sour porridge (a local staple) all over! Now if it was sour porridge to begin with, you can imagine how it smells the second time around! And Batswana have a fear of open windows in vehicles because “the flu” might come in . . .
It’s about now that I’m thinking to myself all I really wanted to do today was wake up, walk out of my house and hop into my Jeep, turn my music way up and roll the windows down and take to the open road for a 1-hour straight shot to Phikwe, do what I want to do and get home to Semolale before dark or worrying about missing the last bus and relax. But then I think to myself---- Life wouldn’t be nearly as exciting that way!
So instead, I pull out my ipod and put on some Bob Dylan, turn it all the way up until it drowns out all the chaos around me, and slip away to a world where everything is just right. So learn from me, there’s no sense fighting something you can’t change; you’ll only wind up with a headache and in a bad mood.
Now here’s a little food for thought. Once my mind was at peace once again, I reflected. Why is it that we the get all bent out of shape over time and schedules and all the things we have to do, as if they won’t get done if these things aren’t adhered to? In my experience, if you really want to see something happen, it will. Maybe not exactly when you want it to, but it gets done nonetheless. And sometimes those detours along the way will lead you to an unexpected adventure. So chill out and relax and let life run its course!
And yes, I did get everything done that day that I wanted to (including the last blog post that you all have probably seen by now) and in addition, my timing was just right to meet a friend for lunch in town and I ran into a friend from the clinic and we traveled home to Semolale together. So as usual, a great day!
Week 4 (July 13th-18th)
This week flew by! So much so that I didn’t even get to spend any time adding to this blog. So I will try to touch briefly on the highlights. Mostly this week was a weather mess. Cold, Wind, Rain, Sun- and sometimes even in the same day. It was like those weird summer days when you can just feel something strange in the air- only it lasted all week! Most of the week seems unremarkable. Many intended meetings fell through, which I almost expect to happen at this point. But some good things did materialize. I was able to meet with the DAC to discuss the planning of a “Students Teach Parents: HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”. This was initiated last year by the volunteer who was here in Semolale and was a huge success! So the school requested that it be organized again this year. When I took this to the DAC to try to secure funding for it, she said that she wants to see me organize an event at each primary school in the catchment area! So between now and the end of September I must organize and execute 3 of these events both here and in the neighboring 2 villages. But I am glad to have support and enthusiasm behind it, which should make my life easier- we’ll see!
I spent much of this week just organizing the next steps for many of these activities and projects. Making the necessary phone calls, trying to set up meetings, following up with groups, etc. I have enjoyed working with some of the clinic staff to improve their typing and computer skills. I have also spent some afternoons tutoring our Family Welfare Educator in Math. She is preparing to take the Cambridge test, which is the equivalent of the GED (high school diploma). I guess those years as a kid “playing school” is paying off because I really enjoy being able to teach others—and it looks like I might be conducting some lessons at the primary school in English , Health, and Cross-Culture (Social Studies).
Then there is today! Which has been without a doubt, my best day here! This morning was a little warmer than the rest of the week and good vibes were in the air to start off the morning. When I got to the clinic I found that I had finally received my first piece of mail from Vanuatu! Which is nothing short of a slight miracle! (Once I got home, I found out that I actually got 2 pieces of mail and one was a full letter!- which alone made it the best day ever!) So I was all smiles and excitement as I make my way across the village to meet with the youth group. The Department of Youth and Culture came today to meet with the youth to discuss the next phase of the youth center. This brought a mixture of good and bad news. Good news is they showed up! And so did a large majority of the youth! Things were looking good. Bad news—they told the youth that they had to cut the amount of the original grant by half! So now, they would only be receiving P15,000 (roughly $2,500). So we had to redo the budget, reducing it to the bare minimum. They also got a lecture about getting motivated and taking initiative and becoming leaders within the community, which needed to be done (and I’m glad I didn’t have to do it), but probably a little disheartening to the youth given the circumstances. Either way, things were at least moving forward. I tried to revive their hopes a little by offering words of support and encouragement, as well as, congratulating them for getting this far in the whole process- which I know wasn’t easy. Botswana is notorious for its “red tape” and making you jump through the bureaucratic hoops to get anything accomplished. In that spirit, I invited them all to my house this evening to celebrate! After lunch, I was busy preparing for the evening- baking, cooking, and cleaning. They all came around 7, along with the social worker and some friends from the clinic. We had a great time! I taught them the card game “spoons” which as you all know can get a little out of hand- they loved it! They taught me a game called “Chris 8”. Some of us attempted to play the guitar- haha. I think everyone really enjoyed themselves- I know I did! I hadn’t laughed that hard in a long while!
Well that’s the excitement for this week. Sala Sentle!
Kagiso, Lorato le Boitumelo ~Gorata
P.S. I did get to try some new recipes, but I have not had a chance to type them up. So I’ll try to get those posted for you all the next time!

Home Sweet Semolale

2008-07-13T08:12:00.000-04:00

My life has been very eventful since I last wrote. . .
My last week in Molepolole was very hectic! We had a lot of loose ends to tie up before we finished training and headed out to our villages. We were all excitedly planning for our new homes and anxious to get there and get settled. We had a day in Gabs to take care of Peace Corps business at the office before they turn us loose. We also got the opportunity to go shopping for a few things that we will need at our homes. This adventure turned into a Botswana-style “Supermarket Sweep”! Some of us, myself included, will not have access to many places, shops, groceries, etc. once we get to site, so it was a mad rush to get all the essentials (pots, pans, mop/ broom, utensils, dishes, sheets, groceries, etc.) that we would need to get by for the first 3 months- during this time we are encouraged to spend as much time as possible in our village and can only travel during the day to surrounding villages in the immediate area for necessities. Amongst all of this bustle, I was trying to enjoy the company of my host family for the last few days. We had quite an adventure making banana bread (we had to trek to the neighbors to borrow an oven late at night and then started a small kitchen fire!) but they enjoyed it nonetheless. Before departing, I created an American cookbook for them including some of the recipes I had cooked for them during my stay.
Wednesday, June 18th was the big day! We gathered at the local secondary school to be sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers. This was quite an event! It was reminiscent of a graduation with all of our host families in attendance, our language and culture teachers, Peace Corps staff, the U.S. Ambassador and Botswana’s former president Mugare. Many of the volunteers were dressed by their families in traditional wear for the occasion. We of course celebrated with one last gathering at the Lodge before we all departed for our sites the following morning.
It took a bit of effort for me to finally arrive in Semolale. Transport will definitely be an issue throughout the next 2 years- luckily, I can pay for public transport if I choose and am therefore not totally dependent on others if I need to get somewhere. During this journey, I was able to stay a night in Gabarone and was able to indulge myself at the westernized Riverwalk where there are several restaurants- including an Italian café where I was able to enjoy a brownie sundae and Bailey’s coffee! I figured, I might as well enjoy it because I will not be having that luxury for quite some time!
Week 1 (June 22nd -29th)
My first week in Semolale was consumed with trying to get myself settled both in my home and at the clinic and the community. I feel like a toddler, clumsily exploring my environment--the world seems so big and full of discoveries. I have found that routine tasks take up much more of my time here because I have to think about how to do even the simplest of things like laundry, washing, bathing etc.- all things I take for granted back home. But here, due to my limited resources and the inevitable water outage I must get more creative. Every day I figure out a better way of doing something so it will soon be second nature.
My place is already beginning to feel more like home! I was finally able to get my other bag from storage; it felt like Christmas! So I am now surrounded by great books that I am eager to read, my art supplies & guitar, my own music . . .
At the clinic, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the end of the week. I was introduced to so many new people that I know will play a key role in my next 2 years here. I explored the village—despite its small size, I still find new people and places each time and I have begun traveling on different footpaths each time I go out to see what I find. I was brought up to date about some of the projects the last volunteer was involved in, as well as, brainstormed a slew of my own . . . but now, where to begin???? That’s the best way to sum up my first week—excitement about so many opportunities but this overwhelming HOW? So I figured that it’s early in the game and I have 2 years here, so no hurry; I’ll move with the African time or else I’ll probably get quite discouraged. I keep telling everyone that being with Tim for so long has basically adapted me to the Botswanan sense of time so it doesn’t bother me much. Apparently, the last volunteer got quite frustrated with the slow-paced lifestyle. So patience is a virtue I must possess! I’ve just spent my time talking to all kinds of people within the village and the neighboring ones to make myself known to them. That and basically trying to be a sponge and an active observer to soak up different facts, opinions, issues of importance, how things work here, areas others mention as opportunities for improvement, etc. so I can get the whole picture.
Some of the things I will be trying to get involved with include: planning a workshop for PMTCT mothers to teach proper formula mixing, bottle cleaning, infant feeding & nutrition. This will hopefully lead to the creation of a Peer Mother Support Group so that a group of women can be educated on additional topics such as exclusive breastfeeding, proper nutrition, safe food preparation and storage, immunizations, the importance of 6 week and 18 month HIV testing for babies, child development indicators, common childhood illnesses, & family planning and contraception. These women would then be partnered with new moms during the prenatal period to educate and support the new mom during and after her pregnancy. Also, hopefully increasing male involvement in the PMTCT program and encourage positive male role models within the community. I was thinking possibly a Father/ Child Sports Day or Tournament of some kind to get Dads involved with their children. Here especially, Fathers are often absent in a child’s life or have a very impersonal relationship with them. This means that the young boys of this next generation will probably grow up to do the same. There is the Youth Group who I am working with and trying to start activities with them- we are starting this weekend with an Ultimate Frisbee game- this should be interesting. I’ll try to make you proud ReRy! If we ever get to the point where we have a tournament I expect all of Flash and Buzz to be there- I supported you all of those years! The group is hoping to start some kind of drama or traditional dance group. They have lots of ideas but need some motivation to make things come together so I’ll keep you posted. There is the GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Club at the Secondary School in the neighboring village Gobojango. It encourages leadership and creates a safe and comfortable environment for these adolescents to ask questions, express fears, and set goals for the future. We hope to plan events for the students (it’s a boarding school) including an HIV/AIDS Carnival—we are meeting this weekend to discuss and plan for this. In Semolale, there is a Primary School where a Reading Room (like a library) has been created by the last volunteer, and I am hoping to use it to encourage development of reading, composition, and speaking skills, as well as, interactive teaching methods. The hope is for improved written and spoken English. I am also hoping to start a cultural exchange program with Sara’s school where the classes will learn about aspects of each other’s culture through a pen-pal program. I have a chuck load of other ideas but this is just a sampling of a few things I’m currently getting involved in.
My first weekend was great! I enjoyed having my own kitchen again and cooked and baked all kinds of goodies—I’ve included a link to some recipes that I’ve tried and I will hopefully continue to add to it as I keep experimenting in the kitchen so you all can try some Setswana cuisine and some Jaclyn-creations. I met up with 2 volunteers is the neighboring village (one is from last year’s group and had her brother and boyfriend visiting) and we had a braai, which is basically a cookout. We went out to the bush to a dried river bed and cooked out over the open fire. We had freshly slaughtered beef from one of the volunteer’s family- it was very “meaty” but edible. It was quite peaceful- just us and some goats, donkeys, and monkeys. It was actually quite pretty with green trees, sand (no water), and wildlife. I was able to gain valuable insight into life in Botswana, Peace Corps, and what to expect in this coming year from the perspective of another volunteer who is living in essentially the same shoes.
Week 2 (June 30th- July 6th)
This week went by extremely fast—thanks partially to a national holiday (No, not 4th of July!) but July 1st. So I had a nice relaxing day off to catch up around the house after the weekend. I composed some e-mail responses (now that the laptop has arrived), read some books (I am planning all kinds of African adventures so come join me!), and picked up the guitar for a bit. I’m experimenting and learning more and more about my guitar each time I pick it up—including the fact that it’s very out of tune and I have no idea how to tune it! Haha Maybe someday soon I will actually be able to play a song- don’t hold your breath though!
I starting to investigate the PMTCT infant testing situation and found that many children have not been tested, especially at the 18 month point. After the introduction on the DBS (Dried Blood Spot) test that can be done on infants at 6 weeks, many mothers do not bring them back for the 18 month test but due to the window period and the possibility that a mom will breastfeed the infant, means this second test is essential. So I have compiled lists of all the babies that need testing and hope to work alongside the health teams from each village to get the testing up to date and get any positive children access to the appropriate resources to increase their health and quality of life.
I attended a meeting at the kgotla (the place of the village chief) where the Minister of Parliament addressed the villagers. It was all in Setswana, so I didn’t understand much of it, but it did introduce me to some of the customs and formalities of the traditional culture. This also allows an opportunity for the villages to express their concerns to the government officials in hopes of improvement. Of much concern was the situation in Zimbabwe. Also, the shortage of water in the village, poor cell phone reception, road conditions, and education.
The 4th of July was rather uneventful here. I did sport my red, white and blue all day and told everyone that it was American Independence Day. Maybe next year, once I’m a little more settled (and maybe my sisters will be here!), I will have a braai at my house with traditional American food and games—maybe even some sparklers! Although I’m not sure that the postal service would let a shipment of them through; I’ll have to look into it.
After spending the entire weekend in Semolale, I have learned that a social life does not really exist, outside of the one bar across the street from my house. Alcoholism is a HUGE problem here. There is no concept of social drinking so you either swear off all alcohol or you’re know as a village drunk. The end of the month is especially bad because this is when everyone gets their checks- and many times will spend the thing in its entirety. You will see children without shoes and proper clothes that cannot afford school fees and families going hungry towards the end of the month, but the parents always manage to find the money to get drunk. And of course this only exponentially increases the spread of HIV/AIDS and other risky behaviors- like drunk driving. I wouldn’t want to be quoted on this, but I do believe that after HIV/AIDS, motor vehicles crashes is the second leading killer of Batswana. The risk increases greatly after dark due to drunk driving, animals in the road, and poor road conditions. Well, that’s just a brief glimpse at the issue.
I spent my weekend . . . running to the neighboring village, Mabolwe. There are Run for Life events hosted annually in different villages to promote healthy lifestyles, behavior change, and zero-transmission lifestyles. They include a 10K race, health education speakers, and voluntary HIV testing. I am hoping to host one in my village. I decided to start training so that I, myself, can actually run 10K. I also found a great path to go walking on. It heads to the outskirts of the village and soon you find yourself surrounded by expansive views of savannah and small rocky hills against the horizon. It kind of gives you the same feeling as hiking back home, but only it’s on flat ground. I also played with the kids that live on my compound since they seemed to be the only people interested in doing anything entertaining. Then I chilled with my family outside around the fire for a while in the evening.
Week 3 (July 7th- July 13th)
On Monday I went to Francistown, the second largest city in Botswana. It’s about 3-4 hours North West of my village. We had to refer a patient to the hospital there. The child is experiencing seizures, but must also suffer from some developmental issues seems how she is 4 years old and cannot feed herself, walk or talk and has a totally flat affect. The way that the doctor talked to the patient’s mother and the clinic worker was so belittling. I found myself trying to advocate for this patient even though I barely knew the circumstances of the situation, but for some reason the doctor seemed to listen better when I spoke to him. I must admit, this made me actually miss “real” nursing. I think I’m going to help another volunteer study for the MCATs just so that I don’t forget everything I learned in nursing school.
Francistown is a rather bustling city in comparison to everywhere else in Botswana. Even Gabarone (the capitol) does not seem busy because it is spread out. Francistown has a more concentrated city center so all of the major establishments are within walking distance. There is also a livelier street scene with venders along the sidewalks giving it an air comparable to the open air markets that are typical here in Africa and other parts of the world. Of course with this also comes increased crime like muggings and petty theft in the malls and marketplaces- so you must be more cautious of your surroundings than in little ‘ol Semolale.
This week was very productive as far as meetings actually taking place with different groups to discuss previously mentioned proposed community activities. I am beginning to feel more comfortable and confident in my role here and being able to act more independently on projects.
Winter is setting in here! The past few days have been quite chilly. The weather is similar to our Fall. It is quite cold in the mornings and night requiring varying degrees of winter apparel- including scarf and gloves at times! Most afternoons, it will warm up and sometimes even be “hot” by midday. The wind is picking up and whipping through the village and my house. But unlike home, I do not hear the rustling of the trees, instead we have little dusty wind tunnels that will start up and kick dirt everywhere- including the house which means that sweeping has become my new favorite pastime! But the weather is nice to curl up with a cup of hot tea and one of the many books that I now have, so I am enjoying it while I can because before I know it, the 10 months of summer and its excruciating heat will be upon me.
None of the activities I thought I would be doing this weekend wound up happening, but that’s okay. Instead, I had several impromptu gatherings that were rather nice. I guess by hanging around the house even on uneventful weekends, you get nice surprises like these! I wish that I had some board games or something for entertaining the small ones that visit, or even the older ones! All I have is a deck of cards, so I taught them to play “Go Fish”. Then the little kids that stay next door came over and we had a little tea party- it started with 2 and soon the whole family was here! It was great to have a lot of commotion in the house and little guys running around. Plus you know how I love to entertain so I thoroughly enjoyed having guests. I had mom and her 5 kids aging from 3 to 20 all enjoying their tea and scones (another baking experiment) and biscuits. This also gave me a good opportunity to practice my Setswana given that only the eldest son could really understand English. My Setswana is basically on the same level as the 3 year old’s, haha! I was just re-cleaning the house after everyone left when the mother’s sister came knocking on my door. So with good Batswana manners, I invited her in for some lunch and of course, tea. Once again this put my Setswana to the test, but I learned that she wants to become active with the youth group and she told me all of the sports she plays and how she likes to do drama and singing and dancing- so hopefully her enthusiasm is genuine and can get the youth group motivated. She has also promised to teach me how to do the traditional dances here—complete with the traditional outfits (as you all will see in the pictures) haha At least the girls’ costumes are a little more modest than the guys’!
Tomorrow I will wake up early and try to get an early start so that I can travel into town and hopefully use the internet and buy some groceries. So with any luck, you will all be reading this by tomorrow evening! And I will be back in Semolale ready for the upcoming week . . .

Semolale Lady

2008-06-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

Wow! So where to begin? Sorry that it has been so long since I last wrote, but things have been busy here which is good because it means training is almost over and I am about to head out to my village and dive into the good stuff! So the last time I wrote I think I mentioned that we where going on a fieldtrip for a "cross-cultural surprise"- this was awesome! A fun day of traditional dancing, cultural skits, authentic costumes, and a truly Botswanan lunch! I have a bunch of pictures and I am planning on sending the first batch home to get uploaded once traning is over- so hopefully in the next few weeks they will be on here. Also once I get to my site I will have a laptop (no internet) but I will be able to write up posts as things happen and hopefully pictures too and simply post them when I get to internet service.
After that, it was pretty much just building anticipation for our site assignments, which we received on May 30th. It was a very exciting day, to say the least. We all met at the local lodge and had a big ceremony where we were called up one at a time and matched our names with a place on the map. So I was number 55 out of 56 to get called up, and my village placement is Semolale. This is a small village in the triangluar part of Botswana where Zimbabwae, South Africa, and Botswana all meet on the East side. Basically my village is the last place on the road before Zimbabwae. (I just heard today, that the current ruler in Zim has announced that he will go to war before he relinquishes power. I am not the person who stays up to date on political happenings, but this president has been in rule for a long time but the country has started to fall apart and he has been voted out of office but he is refusing to leave. so many Zims are fleeing the country and setting up refugee camps here in Botswana, including my village and some of the surrounding ones. That's a brief explanation of the situation, as I understand it for now. But basically just keep me in your thoughts, especially if things escalate as it gets closer to the end of this president's rule and what actions he takes in response to this- hopefully not war!) LAst week, I spent several days in my village and the surrouding areas. My village has about 800 people. It is very small. It has a clinic, primary school, kgotla (traditional government place), a social work office, "library", 2 bars, 2 tack shops (which sell small candies and soap, etc.), and a few churches. That is basically it. There is a tar road, which means that a bus comes through at various times but most of the transportation is donkey carts. I am about 30K from Bobonong, which is a fairly larger village and where our sub-district offices are located (including the District Aids Coordinator and District Health Team- DAC & DHT). This is also where I can go for essential groceries and services. Silibe-Phikwe is the next closest town (2 1/2 hrs. by bus) and this is very Westernized with almost all amenities- shops, bank, restaurants (including a great Italian one where I can go to treat myself when I can't eat cabbage or phaleche or beans on more time!), etc.- this is where I will have to go for internet access. My sub-district is the Bobirwa Sub-district. The people here speak a dialect of Setswana called Sebirwa, which means I have a lot of studying to do and I must try to conquer another language! With that said, being a small village means that most people cannot speak or understand English and literacy is low so learning a new language that cannot easily be written down by those who know it should prove challenging- but essential. I am so very jealous of Tim's ability and interest in new language acquisition because that would be very helpful to me right now, but I'll plug away at it and get really good at charades in the meantime!
The best part about where my town is located is called Tulli Block Game Reserve. This is about 20K in the opposite direction (right on the boarder). There are nice lodges, campgrounds, game drives, and safaris here- so this will be my nature sanctuary for the next 2 years! Plus I hear there are great animals like lions, elephants, etc. so come visit I've got a great little place to put you all up in!
My house is a small, independent building on a family compound. I have a cute little porch, bathroom with running water (cold), flushing toliet, and bathtub, my bedroom, which is decently sized and will be quite cozy once I get it set up with some curtains, bedding complete with mosquito net, and maybe a rug- cement floors get VERY cold!, a living room with 2 couches and 2 chairs and a coffee table, and a large kitchen with fridge, stove/ oven and lots of room for dinner parties- with a little Jaclyn touch it will feel like home in no time! Oh and the best part is the orange trees that grow behind my house so I can go hide out in the green with a book and go to my zen place. There is a larger house on the property where my "mom" lives (my "dad" stays at the lands outside of town with the crops and cattle). There is also another woman and her 4 children who live on the compound and the children are always running around and putting a smile on my face! They are all very nice and treat me like family. Even though I have most "amenities", the first night the water went out (I learned it does this often sometimes for a few days sometimes for a few weeks, so I must store buckets of water in my house), the electricty also went out, my gas cylinder that runs the stove was empty (and the water comes out white so I can't drink it without boiling it first), and I had no pots, bedding, etc. and my mom and all the neighbors (it was a collective effort since they each knew about 3 words in English along with me trying to speak Setswana to a population who speaks Sebirwa) got me all set up with sheets, pots, dishes, candles, buckets of water-- and it was Home Sweet Home! I think I have the perfect placement- My small village where you know everyone and they know me and you never know what will come up, but access to amenities if I need them or want them. I feel totally safe in my village and home. We have dogs on my compound and like I said everyone knows me already (I kind of stick out) and I am following a well-loved volunteer who just left a few weeks ago after finishing her 2 years of service.
My village has a lot going on and also alot of opportunities for growth. I am very excited to get settled in there and learn more about the people and what issues they would like to see attention given too and to become an active part of the community. Technically, I will be working through the Semolale clinic and the PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) program. My clinic is very slow paced and even though it serves 2 other neighboring villages, they only have about 5 babies born each month and there is no PMTCT counselor. Still I am hoping to work with this program and get into the community, both myself and encourage the other health personnel from the clinic, in order to increase the effectiveness of these programs and increse health education in the community in hopes of preventing future health issues. I am also excited to work with the woman who runs the clinic garden. I'm anxious to dig around in the dirt and learn new skills and look for ways for this project to grow to its full potential and get more of the community involved. Her garden is gorgeous! It has beautiful trees with orange blossoms and perfect little rows of greens, veggies, and herbs. The best part is that I know I will have access to these great foods in my diet- unlike those volunteers placed in the desert. The other thing that I am very excited about is the Youth Group. There is a group of 15 very motivated young people (aged 16-29) who have formed and wrote a proposal and was recently granted funding through the government to open a youth center. The hope is to provide life/job skills, create income- generating projects, mentoring, education, and positive forms of recreation for the out-of-school youth who are mostly not financially self-sufficient or productive within the community and have a lot of free time to engage in risky behaviors, which is contirbuting to the spread of HIV through this younger generation. There is a lot more to talk about, but I feel confident that this is not the last time I will tell you about this group, so I will keep you posted once I get out there and really dig in. I know when I left some people were asking about possible care packages or things that could be sent to help out in my village. Obviously, I do not have a great grasp on everything at this point but while I was visiting, I already started brainstorming. One need that I already identified within the community is computer skill training. Right now I believe the only computers are in the clinic (only 1 out of the 3 work) but nobody likes using them because they complaing that they do not know how to type fast enough and they do not know how all the applications work. The youth group is going to use their funding to purchase 2 computers for their facility also in hopes of training the youth in typing and other skills useful for employment. Currently, they ask me to type things for them because I can do it faster; however, this is not a very sustainable concept because I will be leaving in 2 years- and I was not sent here to be a typist. So I was thinking that if anybody has any old tutorial CD-Roms (I'm thinking way back to the Apple computer days at St. Joe's where we learned the basic- basics) but something to teach typing techniques and navigation through computer applications like Word and Excel. Or even books. You all know that I am not the most computer oriented person so me being a "techie" is a funny concept, but that's how they see me. So for now, I have made them cardboard "keyboards" to take home and practice locating the keys and familiarize themselves with it. But I am hoping to do a more official kind of training for the clinic workers and the children but I am looking for suggestions or materials to help- so please help me out! Along those lines, I was also thinking of things that could be useful to help start up the youth center, which the budget does not allow for like office supplies (paper, pens, staplers, hole punches, paper clips, markers, etc.), old books, DVDs, magazines, computer games & programs (they are buying a TV so they can do movie nights, etc. since the only night time entertainment here is the bars. They are also hoping to have a book loan area), board games, cards, balls- soccer, football, frisbee . . . I do not want these items to be a "give out" because we are trying hard to disassociate Americans from money. I think most of these things could be one-time gift type things that will really be needed in the beginning and not a continous cost that would cause dependence. I am also thinking of ways for the to "earn" anything that you all do send over; such as, have them start an income generating project and earn "x" amount of profits to show that they are motivated and that they will have continual fnding for their project and for their success, donate some things to the center. Another issue is to get the youth involved and active in the community. Another incentive I was thinking about was encouraging "service hours" like we all had to do in the states and once they have collectively volunteered "x" number or hours, I would donate some new things to the center. This was they will be having a positive impact on the community and the resources used for this youth center will be enhanced as they are shared to others and have a positive impact on the community as a whole. So this is just some things that have been running through my head. My mind was racing the whole time I was up there with just ideas and excitement for the possibilities for the next 2 years! Okay, well with that, I am going to go. I have written way too much, but I know that I had a lot of catching up to do and many of you were anxious to here all the details of my new home for the next 2 years- so here it is! You will get a much better picture as time goes on, but this is a start.
This will be my last week in Molepolole. I will miss my family dearly. They have been wonderful to me and I truly appreciate everything they have done for me my opening up their home to me and allowing me to share in their lives these past 2 months. We has a Host Family Thank-You party yesterday. We entertained them with skits and words of appreciation along with a true American meal. I was of course on the cooking committee and we prepared salad, spaghetti with meat sauce & garlic bread, sweet and sour chicken stir fry, slaw, and apple crumble. It was a great success! My neices came in from Gabs for the weekend which was great. They are all planning on visiting me in Semolale and a possible camping trip to Tulli Block. We will have our Swearing In Ceremony on Wednesday before we depart for our sites on Thrusday. Then I will be an official Peace Corps Volunteer!
Okay, the internet cafe is about to close so I must go. Stay well and Keep in touch! Miss you all very much! Kagiso le Lorato
~Gorata Makwati/ soon to be Ndodole

2008-06-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

This is just a note that Peace Corp required that I add:

The content and views expressed on this blog are not reflective of or endorsed by the United States Peace Corps.

The Nitty Gritty of Life in Botswana

2008-05-17T08:22:00.002-04:00

Hello, Hello Everyone!

I got out of class early in the day yesterday so I used this opportunity to check my e-mail and was delighted to find that I had so many! So thank you all for the love, believe me it is appreciated more than you know! For those few moments, Botswana doesn't feel like it's 8,000 + miles away and I'm right back in the loop. I love hearing about everyone's summer plans and must say that I'm a little jealous that I'll be missing out on the beach, seafood, concerts and all those wonderful things that make up a Baltimore summer (I won't be missing that humidity though!). Yesterday I was able to walk through my village and take in a lot more of my surroundings since my mind wasn't consumed with Setswana or where I need to be next for training (always a fun guessing game!) or getting home before dark. I got to enjoy the wonderful African sun and meander through the village while the community was at the peak of activity. I met so many people along the path that I got to stop and converse with (trying my best to get out a few sentences in Setswana before reverting back to English). The kids were all getting out of school and were full of excitement and energy as they headed to the football (soccer) field and surrounded me with 20 smiling faces asking questions and giggling and being kids- it was great! I think that walk put a smile on my face for the rest of the day and made me really excited to get to my own village and make those connections within my community.

So I've noticed some common questions in my e-mails so I thought I'd address some of them here:

First of all, you all must know how picky of an eater I am because you are all very concerned about my food situation here. Some of the typical foods that you will find in Botswana are maize and maizy meal which looks like mashed potatoes but don't be confused because it will not taste like them; or much of anything actually, sorghum porridge, beans, cabbage, tomato, carrots, eggs, chicken (we have a bunch running around the yard and my mother informed me that she would like to slaughter a chicken (koko) for me before I leave- hopefully I won't have to help), meat (this can mean anything really goat, sheep, beef parts that I have not seen before, etc.), rice, potatoes, beets, pumpkin (this is my favorite; it tastes like sweet potatoes). My family is super accommodating and have altered my dinner based on observations so this has been great because I am able to eat things I like and not worry about offending them. Some things I like to change into a "teachable moment" it's like that nursing thing never really leaves. For example, the prepare a lot of foods in oil here and they cook veggies until they are very soft. I tell them that in America I do not cook with that much oil because it isn't "good for my heart" (I don't know if they really understand cholesterol) and I also told them that I like my vegetables crispy or raw and"then they retain more nutrients". They also boil a lot of eggs but they do not cook them all the way like we do so I got to talk about e.coli in eggs and chicken and how it can make me sick, etc. So now they boil or steam most of my food or give me some raw veggies, which is great. They also serve huge portions here. Most dinners will consist of meat, potatoes, rice with a veggie sauce (they call it soup and it's made from seasoning packets that contain a lot of Msg), some cooked cabbage and maize meal all heaped up on the plate. Dishes are generally rather bland unless they have those spice packets or salt on them. Everyone cleans their plates too! I told them that in America I do not eat that much, that usually we have meat or fish and salad or steamed veggies and one rice/pasta/potato dish. I joke with my mom that she is trying to make me fat- she thinks I'm funny; although she did call me fat the first day I was here, but I think it's seen as a good thing from the older people because it means that you can afford to eat well. So now they give me smaller portions so I can try some of everything and not feel bad about wasting food. As far as what's available in the stores, I think I will be able to do fairly well once I'm on my own. I'm really excited to start cooking for myself. Most of the large villages have a descent supply of fruits and veggies and unlike Ghana, they love meat in this culture and also have milk. Some things they don't have: of course seafood doesn't exist in a land-locked country so you know being a Baltimore girl- I'm gonna miss that the most and the Old Bay! Cereal and granola bars are few or non-existent. And my deep love for Italian food: They do have garlic but I have not found the other delicious essentials like pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and parm cheese- whatever shall I do?! Christmas without Italian food! Oh NO! haha well, that's kind of extensive in the food department but since there was so much concern I wanted to let you all know that I am not starving in Africa.

Food is a large part of the culture here and since I've tried touched on that, let me know try to paint a picture of the landscape that surrounds me. I can only speak so far of the south east corner since that's where Gabarone, Molepolole, and Mahalapye are all located. The earth is mostly sandy dirt with small shrubs and tall grasses. When you are traveling outside of the villages you can look out over the savannah and take in the vastness of this space. The sky is huge! And some amazing sunsets can be seen going down along the horizon with the low- lying trees against the colorful backdrop. This is my favorite part of the day as I take my evening jog. The sky is also fantastic at night. There is hardly any light pollution in comparison to the states so even outside of your own door you can look up and see some of the most bright and brilliant stars and the Milky Way is beautiful! I can't wait to get out on some camping trips to really take it in. I have been told that there's great camping in the game reserves and rhino sanctuaries where you can also go on game drives and see all the wonderful animals that inhabit this part of the globe. In Molepolole, the only "wildlife" I see is donkeys and goats and occasional cattle along the road. I also really want to get to the northern part of the country, the Delta region, and see some water and greeness to make my heart content. Being in a land-locked country is going to be a challenge for a girl who loves the beach more than anything and taking her kayak out anywhere she finds water and climbing mountains that have trees on them, but I'm going to enjoy the beauty of this country while I can before I return to my water and trees.

Mail. Oh mail . . . this is a big to- do here. About one day a week, our PC staff comes from Gabs with letters and packages that have arrived from home and there's all kinds of excitement like Christmas morning! I am still waiting for my first piece of mail. I have learned that the Botswana- Vanuatu mail transit leaves much to be desired. My mom and sisters have all received letters from Tim saying that he is doing well living with his Mom, Dad, and 3 brothers. They love that he plays the guitar and sings for them- I wouldn't expect anything less! He assures us that he really is in Peace Corps and that it's not all a tropical paradise . . . he has to fight off the bugs and humidity when he can't escape to the beach haha. But really this is the best I can do for an update as my letter is still "en route" so I will wait patiently. I think in general, "waiting patiently" is going to become a favorite past time of mine here in Botswana! Meanwhile people please send pictures and stories about life and all the fun summer events that will be coming up. I have a whole empty album that needs to get filled! I have found that picture uploading takes a really long time so I think I will wait until I have more and send them home on a CD so hopefully someone (please val, shell, mom) can put them up here on this website. I promise they will come!

That's about it for now. . . I'm about half way through training at this point and all is well. Tomorrow I am going to an International AIDS Memorial Candlelight Service in a neighboring town and then it's another week of training. More to come later. Keep sending the messages, I love it! Take care of yourselves!

Lorato le kagiso (peace and love),
Jac

Life in Moleps

2008-05-08T09:15:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone!

I apologize for the rather brief, uninteresting update but a lot has happened in the past 2 weeks and I'm not quite able to bring it all together in a comprehensive way yet. But since I have the rare opportunity to use the internet I want to take advantage and bring you up to date.

The past few weeks have been very full and interesting. I am now in my second week of my homestay. I am living with the Makwati family in Moleplole. My Setswana name is Gorata (to love). My Setswana is coming along at a very slow pace- but I have 2 years (If I don't give up first). So a typical day of training starts with a morning of Langauge with my teacher and 3 other trainees. Then by afternoon we meet with the rest of the CCB's (Community Capacity Building) to learn about the Batswana culture, how to immerse ourselves in our community, statistics and facts out HIV/ AIDS in Botswana, and a bit of reality input from current volunteers.

The days are usually very long and tiring, but interesting as we figure out how to adapt to our new environment, create relationships with our Peace Corps family, and try to get a grasps on what the next 2 years will be like.

My family includes my mother, 2 sisters (28 and 22) and a brother (18?). There are also 2 nieces (14 and 11) who visit from Gabarone and a younger boy(11) who stays at the house sometimes. My house is a living room, small kitchen and 2 bedrooms. I have a very spacious room and am quite comfortable with my double bed. My house has electricity but no running water- so I have still had the opportunity to perfect the art of a "bucket bath", use the outhouse before it gets dark, hand wash my laundry, and boil my drinking water. I am fortunant that my family gives me plenty of personal time and independence, at the same time, making me feel comfortable and at home. Usually I try to take a jog right after training and then bathe before the sun sets and it gets cold. It's winter now so it's still 70s or 80s duringt he day but around 35-40 degrees by night. The sun also sets by around 6 or 6:30 so the days are rather short. I try to help my family make dinner (or treat them to an American meal) and then settle around the TV in the living room for supper, tea (a huge tradition!), Setswana news on TV, and a variety of American and Botswana and South African/ British music videos, sit-coms, soaps, etc. Sometimes I can interest my family in playing cards or helping me with my Setswana lessons. If not, I usually get overwhelmed with the TV by about 8 and head tro my room to read, journal, do Peace Corps homework, and write letters. I am actually reading a great book right now that I recommend to all of you for a really great perspective on the AIDS pandemic from all angles and part of why I am here doing this kind of work. It's called "28 stories of AIDS in Africa" by Stephanie Nolan (I think).

Molepolole is a large village with grocery stores, internet cafe, etc. On the weekends we get to explore the town and meet up with volunteers who are staying in different wards within Moleps. I have had the opportunity to go to a wedding. Everyone is invited- just show up! It's very westernized with white gown and tux, wedding party, food, dance, and drink (a little later). I have some pics that I will try to get up soon. They have the wedding celebration in the Bride's hometown one weekend and than at the Groom's family's house the next weekend. It was very fun!

Right now, I am in a town called Mahalapye shadowing a current volunteer. I will be here until Sunday. We live with and go to work with a volunteer to get a better feel for the next 2 years of service once we get to site. My host has organized a soccer tournament for teams of women over the age of 30 along with an HIV testing event which is happening tomorrow. So I will be helping with that event this weekend and a lot of other volunteers and trainees will be coming into town to help as well, so it should be a fun weekend!

We were able to spend Monday and Yesterday in Gabarone, which is a very westernized city. Botswana is much more developed than Ghana (my only source for comparison) and this is especially apparent in Gabs. It's almost alittle surreal sometimes until I remind my fact that I'm not here for infrastructure development but instead to educate and counter this spread of HIV/ AIDS and try to curb its negative effects on the advancements Botswana has been able to make in the past to get it where it is today.

Like I said, it's not terribly detailed but a brief summary is better than nothing so this is what I have to share so far . . . please continue to send e-mails and letters (I haven't gotten any yet) I want to hear about everything going on back home! Stay well!

Love and Peace,
Gorata

A mother's perspective

2008-04-21T16:30:00.003-04:00

As a mother it is hard to drive your daughter to Philly and drop her off knowing that you may not see her for over 2 years. You just want to hold her, but you know you have to let her go and live her dream. Jaclyn has talked about doing this since she was in high school. It makes me proud to see her fulfilling her dreams and so willing to share herself with others, to make things better in this world.

As her sisters and me were driving back down 95, the car was very quiet for the first half hour, then we starting talking about it's not going to be that different. Jaclyn was always off traveling somewhere, whether it would be college, Australia, Italy, Costa Rica, road trip across the USA or spending months in New Orleans helping in the lower 9th ward. She was never home very long. Jaclyn has always had a hunger for new adventures, travel and a desire to help where she is most needed. (Believe me it was not at home cleaning her room.) So when we got home, we decided to see what clothes and shoes she left behind, because Jaclyn always had the cutest clothes and shoes. They were quickly divided up. (sorry Jaclyn, they would be out of style when you got back anyway.) I had the chore of cleaning her room of the mess she left behind, some things never change.

As we got back into our hectic lives, we wonder what Jaclyn is doing and how she is making out, but mostly we go on living our lives and dreams too. With all the new communications options it will be easier to keep in touch. (Look at me I figured out how to post on a Blog site.) I know it brightened my day when I received the e-mail that invited me to blog. I was amazed at her blog site, because Jaclyn was not very techy type person. I guess it is pretty easy, huh?

Well I will keep you updated with my insights as Jaclyn is off in Botswana. Jaclyn there are many wishes and prayers going out to you from co-workers, clients, friends and family. Comet was in your room last night crying, silly dog. Look forward to hearing from you and following your journey.

I love you sweetie,

Mom

Botswana At Last!

2008-04-20T16:15:00.000-04:00

Dumela rra. Le tsogile jang? (Good evening. How are all of you?)

Hey everyone! Well, I have made it through the first portion of my journey. I (and all my luggage) have arrived safely in Botswana! So I guess you could say I am now “home”, since this will be my home for the next 2+ years. My group consists of 59 (2 dropped out at the last minute) volunteers. We are a very diverse group with people from all age groups and many awesome life experiences. Everyone is great and so interesting, it’s just been hard to get to know so many people- but I guess I have another 2 years! The most stressful part of the trip is over- our 16 hour flight from NY to South Africa. We were greeted by some of our in-country staff, Heather, Pinny, and Kumo. They got us all squared away with luggage and converting our money to Rand. Johannesburg was very westernized so it hasn’t really sunk in that I am here. We stayed in a very nice hotel and a group of us all hung out at the bar to relax after the taxing flight. Since we were so close to the airport, there were a lot of other international travelers and we met some guys who were from Australia and they were excited to hear about our upcoming Peace Corps experience. Today we made the next leg of our journey on land from Johannesburg to Gabarone, Botswana. The drive was pretty cool because we were able to take in a lot of the scenery. The land is mostly flat and prairie-like. There are several hill, but they are not forested like back home so they look very odd. There were a lot of small tress and cacti and shrubs growing with some areas being greener than others. Most of the homes and stores seemed to look like those in Costa Rica, which are slightly nicer than the ones in Ghana. We went through immigration and walked across the boarder into Botswana- we have finally arrived! We were greeted at our hotel in Gabarone (the capital of Botswana) by many of the Peace Corps staff and volunteers who are currently serving. We had a quick orientation and then got to meet and ask questions to the current volunteers who were all so friendly and helpful with clearing up some of our uncertainties. We also enjoyed a nice dinner at the hotel with all of the other volunteers and staff. I think tomorrow we are going to get cell phones so I will soon have a new contact number for all of you. From home, you can by calling cards and call my international phone without me using any minutes. Other than that, it is about $1/ minute for me to call any of you. Also, as far as contact goes, we have been told that there are about 3 internet cafés in Molepolole, which is the town I will be in for the next 3 months of training. With that said, our allowance is not enough that we can afford to use it everyday, but I am hoping to be in contact at least once a week. Tomorrow our training begins with language and culture lessons- and a lot of immunizations (up to 6) and apparently I’m first since I am the first in the alphabet so I guess I will have something nice to wake up to tomorrow haha. We will also be introduced to the custom of have tea twice daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Finally, tomorrow night is our fancy dinner with the US Embassy representatives. I’m sure there will be a lot more exciting things happening in the upcoming days so I will try to keep you posted. For now, I am having a great time enjoying the company of everyone and am excited to finally be here. So for now, I send my love to all of you. Please keep in touch and I will write again soon! Robala sentle (Goodnight)!