Settling in for the long haul

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 . . .

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 . . .

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!

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

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

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

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 . . .