Some final items I have learned in Botswana:
Seeing animals in the wild is thrilling
Most Batswana do not travel outside the country. Some have not travelled outside their village but almost everyone wants to
Invitations to dinner at someone’s home do not occur here – it is not the tradition
Many parts of Botswana look westernized, but right under the surface, are truly African
Eating with your fingers in Botswana is common
Paper products are scarce and make America look wasteful, but it sure will be nice to have toilet paper in abundance
99% of Batswana cannot swim but love the water
The gossip network here both within the town and within the country is truly amazing. Perhaps like any village, when something happens, it becomes common knowledge very quickly. Additionally, news here travels across the country at the speed of light. Everybody knows somebody who is related to somebody, who knows somebody, who…
Batswana love football (soccer) and faithfully follow the National teams, the South African teams, and the English teams.
America is a “doing” culture. Botswana is a “being” culture
If you go to a birthday party here, there are actually two parts. The first is for “the little old ladies” with food served and the second is for everyone else and includes alcohol, dancing and lots of fun
You feel a lot colder when it is 38° both inside and outside your home at the same time
The world is truly getting smaller. You can get halfway around the world very quickly
In Botswana, form is much more important than function. Protocol dictates all
The tarred road was a great invention
A Frisbee attracts children of all ages and all cultures
Clean water makes all the difference in the quality of life. It means clean vegetables, clean fruits, and significant freedom from disease
In our office, we have a separate accounting book for each type of cookie but we have none for the laptop computers and in fact we lost track of one
Electronic communication has changed the connectivity of the world
Being a grandparent is a great experience whether you are American or Botswana
Physical fitness is not a craze here, as a matter of fact, it doesn’t exist here
Warthogs are truly ugly animals
Although it is a different game, you can actually play golf on a course where the fairways have grass that may be 1 foot high and the “greens” are actually “browns” made of oil and sand
Opening and closing meetings with a prayer feels quite nice
Any child’s smile can light up a room
Ending on high notes:
We finished two of our Peace Corps projects on very successful notes. Our youth group, Lifeline, had a final party at which we watched the DVD of “Hairspray,” munched on snacks, and discussed the issue of racial integration. We also played Bingo and awarded prizes to all the kids—it was a smashing success.
Our movie making project on the issue of teen pregnancy prevention had our final showing and awards ceremony on Saturday. Two hours after it was supposed to begin it had all the makings of a disaster. Despite numerous requests and reassurances of getting transport from one of the local nongovernmental organizations, the combi and driver failed to show up. Therefore 16 adolescents dressed in fancy clothes and high heels and I were left standing by the road. I decided that this event was too important to have the kids be disappointed because of no transport so I dug into my pocket and paid for public transport for everyone to the town of Otse, a town 20 Km away where the showing was to be held.
Eventually on the bus I found out there was no reason to hurry since the electricity went out in Otse earlier that morning. Without electricity, the projector would not work. The other organizers of the event and I started to put our heads together about what we could do for Plan B. It was then that we learned that the backpack with all the award certificates had left Otse and returned to Ramotswa. Several frantic calls later we managed to track down the car and the awards. As they were returning, the electric power came back on. Lo and behold the event came off, 2 ½ hours late but successful nonetheless. Welcome to Botswana!!
At the showing, there were 65 youth from the ten teams. Awards were presented for various aspects of cinematography, best actor and actress, best director and other team awards. The movies were remarkably good and copies are going to be circulated throughout the district for showing at schools and community events.
Best Peace Corps dialogue
As with most governmental agencies, the Peace Corps is a profoundly bureaucratic organization. There are countless forms, checklists, and paper and electronic reports necessary for any activity.
So, two elderly female Peace Corps volunteers (#’s 2 and 3) were visiting another older female at her house. They did not know each other well and particularly the sleeping habits of volunteer number 2. The hostess and number 3 arose the next morning at the normal time and waited for over an hour but number 2 did not come out of her room. They became apprehensive and quietly opened her door to find her lying virtually motionless on the bed. They hoped she was sleeping and decided to give her another 20 minutes before they awakened her. A half hour later without any stirring they decided to go in and found her in the exact same position and could not see any breath moments.
PCV number 3: Is she dead?
Hostess: Oh God No! It’s a weekend. Think of the paperwork.
FEDITSE (Finished in Setswana)
Amazing as it is to both Kopo and me, our Peace Corps service and our time in Botswana has come to an end. We will be leaving from the airport on Monday for a five-day trip to Istanbul to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary before returning to Denver on June 25th. It has been an amazing ride with considerable ups and downs, more exciting than any roller coaster.
It would be impossible to detail all of the events in these two years, but some of the highlights that are most memorable to us include:
Teaching 86 medical students the basics of Mental Health
Co-authoring a book “Power Parents” published here in Botswana both in English and Setswana. The book teaches parents how to talk to their children about sexuality and HIV
Mentoring and leading a group of 40 young adults and helping them with issues of self-esteem, self-confidence, public speaking, English skills, health and HIV issues, videography, photography, and leadership.
Kopo’s “Bee Girls” reading group--a dynamic fun, learning experience, culminating in essays that were sent to the author of “The Secret Life of Bees.” They had a personal interaction with the author complementing them on their work
Giving over 40 workshops, lectures, and presentations at various school, community, and professional organizations
Teaching the hospital staff of two different hospitals about mental health issues in medical practice
Serving as friends, colleagues, and mentors for the younger Peace Corps volunteers
Coining a new definition for the term “luxury living” in Botswana, which has come to mean living in a home which consistently and simultaneously has both electricity and running water
Surviving three house break-ins, two speeding tickets, and a road grader which knocked my office off its supports
Peace Corps has been a unique experience and one that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Peace Corps-the toughest job you will ever love.
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