I'm back! After one week in Mozambique, three days in Swaziland's Ezulwini Valley, one very crazy white water rafting trip, two days in Durban, four days in Cape Town and several dreadfully long combi rides, I've arrived safe and sound in Ottawa, already late for my summer classes.
My holiday jaunt through the region was a great way to finish off my time in Southern Africa. Thanks to all those who kept in touch while I was away and to those who read my sporadic and often novel-esque blog posts. My semester in Botswana was truly unforgettable! But real life is calling and the books are waiting. So this is goodbye and thanks!
I'll post pics from my recent travels in the next few days.
Sala sentle! (Go well)
Sarah
Monday, May 5, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Ultimate Update
I apologize to anyone who reads the following novel of a blog post. It was written over the course of several weeks, a few sentences jotted down her and there when I got a few spare moments. So it probably doesn’t make much sense.... sorry! Added subtitles for clarity...
Hello everyone,
Life in Botswana is going wonderfully. I cannot believe that I only have two short weeks left in this country, five on this continent. It's stressing Ellan and I out and we're already thinking of ways to come back. We haven't quite figured it out, but we'll be back sooner or later, that's for sure.
EASTER
There has been a lot going on since my last post. Most notably, we skipped out on work and took a long Easter holiday. Ellan's parent's came to visit and after a few days in Gabs to meet our friends and our city, we took them up North to Kasane, a very small town on the Chobe River and at the entrance of the Chobe National Park.
We hopped on the Botswana-Zambia bus Thursday night, a twelve-hour trip to Kasane. It was hot and sleepless but we got there in one piece early the next day. It was a lovely bus ride (in terms of scenery) but slow (we had to stop often to let elephants and other animals cross the road) and bumpy (Botswana has a pothole problem). We stayed at Thebe River Camping Lodge just a few minutes from the national park. We slept in pre-set tents, Jenny, Ellan and I in one and Mr and Mrs Dickieson in the other. It was great! Such a perfect place to stay. The campground had a bar/ restaurant, shared but very clean bathrooms and a swimming pool. It was right on the river so there were lots of birds to see. We were so close to the river that the loud grunting of hippos kept us up at night . One night it sounded like they were right outside our tent. You may be thinking "aww, cute hippos," but after hearing many stories of close-encounters with these vegetarian but very defensive animals, we were a bit frightened.
After recovering from our long bus ride, we hit up the town and the bar at the camp site, meeting lots of travellers from around the world. The next morning we headed out on the mid-morning game drive with out guide Opi. He was really good and taught us a lot. We ended up being the only ones on the drive so he was prepared to cater to our interest. We were in the park for 10 minutes and from the back of the truck Jenny says to herself "I'd love to see a lion. That's the only on of the Big Five I've yet to see." Without a moment's notice, Opi slams on the breaks, hauls the truck into reverse and speeds away in the other direction. He said "hold on." We sped through the uneven terrain for about half an hour. We'd see blurrs of elephants and impalas, but he kept reassuring us that we'd go slower on the way back but for now we had to race in a “westerly direction” through the huge park.
We turned towards the Chobe River. There were hundred of huge vultures sitting in front of us. This coupled with the disgusting stench in the air pointed something interesting ahead. Opi crept a few meters further and in unison our jaws dropped. For almost an hour we watch vultures and crocodiles snack at an elephant carcass. The elephant had died of natural causes and its body had already been ripped open by crocodiles and lions. It was such an amazing sight to see, a national geographic moment. We even saw a massive crocodile climb all the way inside the carcass. It was ridiculous. We knew that the lion had to be near, and soon enough a huge lioness came out of a bush a few meters away to scare off the vultures and crocodiles who were munching away at its afternoon snack. We later saw another lioness and two cubs from the same family. What a sight.
Even more eager than the day before, the next day we went on a sunrise game drive with Opi. We woke up at 5am and set out on what turned out to be yet another amazing adventure. We saw so many birds and followed leopard tracks. I learned a lot and don’t think I could ever get tired of seeing these majestic animals. Although, there are so so so so many elephants in Chobe National Park, over 60 000 in fact, that after a while we started to not notice them, much like puddles in Vancouver or Canadian flags in Ottawa.
That evening we went on a sundowner cruise on the Chobe River. We saw so many hippos and it just such a pleasant way to finish off our time in Kasane. Hippos are such funny looking animals and really quite entertaining to watch.
On Monday we got a combi to the Botswana-Zambia Kazungula border on the Chobe and crossed the river on a pontoon. The Zambian side of the border was sketch, to say the least. I won’t go into detail, but ask me to tell you the story some other time.
Upon arriving in Livingston we headed straight to our lodge, dropped our bags, stuffed all of our important items in Ziploc bags and headed off to the mighty Victoria Falls, stopping at a hotel for lunch. We could see the Falls’ mist and hear its rumbling and thunder from miles away. We entered the park’s gates and within two minutes we were absolutely soaked from the mist. I cannot describe the Falls in words; you will all have to go see them yourself. I do understand why they’re one of the Seven Wonders of the World though. Even pictures can’t do the Falls justice. At a width of 1.7 kilometers and a hight of 108 meters, Vic Falls form the largest sheet of falling water in the world. After seeing the Falls face-on we walked across the bridge to the Zimbabwe border for yet another incredible view.
The next day I was supposed to bus back to Gabs so that I could get to work on Wednesday morning, but ended up missing the bus. There’s no such thing as schedules or routes, just word of mouth. So instead, I headed out to Mukuni Village and learned a bit about their way of life. It’s the central village of the smallest tribe in Zambia. The tribe’s governed by a Chief, a Queen and a Prime Minister. While the Chief represents the tribe within the federal government (because it would of course be inappropriate to send a woman to parliament, said our guide), the Queen holds more power, according to the village people. She assigns, revokes and controls land and cattle and can oust the Chief at anytime. The Prime Minister would be equivalent to our Provincial Premiers. Another interesting fact: the Mukuni people practice polygamy, with most men having several wives and multiple children, all who live within the same quarters. This, according to our guide, a member of the village, is for both economic and social reasons, such as status and cultural tradition. We’ve talked a lot about polygamy in my Gender and Development courses, but actually visiting a polygamist community and speaking to its people definitely gave me more to think about. In fact, the discussion often comes up in Gabs as many people try to justify the rampant “multiple partners” phenomenon by saying that it’s routed in a tradition of polygamy, practiced in villages long ago. This argument only goes so far though, is often put forward by men “caught in the act” and certainly doesn’t stand up to the fact that multiple partnership is a HUGE contributor to the HIV / AIDS epidemic in Botswana.
On our way home from the village we passed a sign that read “Gorge Swing.” We had heard about it before and although we didn’t really understand the concept, we heard that it was more thrilling that the Vic Falls bungee jump. We said to ourselves “why not?” and headed up to the top of the cliff that looked down into the Falls’ massive gorge. It was HIGH. We paid (locked in), got strapped into our gear and then watched the girls who were in line ahead of us walk backwards off this cliff.................. Thoughts that followed involved a lot of cursing and “this is what we’re getting ourselves into?” When I read the word “Swing” I imagined images of the playground swings, baby swings, and the like. Last time I checked riding a swing didn’t involve falling 90 meters to what feels like your death. Jenny and I were next. We were going in tandem and were told this would produce the faster and longest free fall. Legs shaking uncontrolably, we slowly backed up to the edge so that only the tips of our toes were on the ground. With the count of three we fell backwards and into a 4-second free fall followed by a lightning-speed swing across the gorge for an amazing view. It was AWESOME... so fun and exhilarating. Ellan went next. She was all alone and had to walk right off the cliff. We were on such an adrenaline high afterwards that sprinting down the street after our shuttle to the sunset cruise we were late for felt like a breeze. The cruise was lovely and we actually ran into the WUSC-Malawi interns on the boat, which was super random!
Getting home from Livingston was quite the adventure, of course. We caught a combi across the border before sunrise, stood in line at the border for what felt like an eternity, witnessed a brutal wild dog fight and caught up to the Zambia-Botswana bus on the other side of the border. The bus was full, but determined to get home, we offered to pay half-price if he’d let us sit in the aisle (there were several people sitting in the aisle on our way to Kasane from Gabs). He agreed, and what followed was a very bumpy ride back to Gabs, 14-hours.......All part of the experience, right?
Check out the Easter photo album. If you’ve already discovered it, well, I posted a few more goodies in there.
NAMIBIA – April 12-17
Once Jenny was done her placement up in Maun, she trekked back to Gabs and then we headed off to Namibia with Jocelyn (another intern) and her two daughters, Danny and Jasmin. WE COMBIED 30+ HOURS IN 5 DAYS. We left Gabs on Friday morning, combiing all the way to Windhoek, the capital of Nambia, a 13-hour journey. It was cramped, it was hot, but do-able and an experience. We checked into a hostel once we got there, walked around the city and got some dinner. Windhoek confused me. It’s a cosmopolitan Germany-meets-Namibia city. It’s clean, organized and orderly streets were a world away from our beloved Gaborone. The next day we headed North on yet another combi journey to Swakopmund, a coastal town on the Atlantic Ocean.
Now, I thought Windhoek confused me. Swakopmund is impossible to rationalize. Picture this: grey barren desert. Then all of a sudden HUGE, smooth and orange sand dunes pop our of no where. Then, just past the dunes lies a vicious and freezing ocean. It was an incredible sight and absolutely lovely. Even more, the it felt like we were trapped in a European movie set the whole time... cafés, galleries, gift shops, bakeries.... it was odd and VERY German!
Jenny and I woke up early on Sunday morning and headed out to the dunes for a day of SANDBOARDING!!!!! I remember writing a “To do before I die” list for some silly CAPP exercise in Grade 10. Very close to the top was written “Board on a dune.” Well, not did I do it, but I did it in the Sandboarding capital of the world. It was SUPER fun and very similar to snow boarding except that you use your edges much less and it is quite a bit slower.... and of course it was VERY sandy! (I am still picking sand out of my braids). The dunes are AMAZING and BREATH-TAKING and it was definitely something else to be in the middle of nowhere surrounded by these huge dunes. Unfortunately each 20 to 30-second run was followed by a 15-minute HIKE (and I mean HIKE... snowboard boots and all) up the dune. It was sweaty, sandy, tiring but so satisfying. And they even had a jump set up for those who had some boarding experience. It was a wonderful day.
We spent one more day on the Coast, exploring the quaint town, eating copious amounts of fresh seafood and chasing the Atlantic waves (much too cold to actually swim in them). We then combiied back to Windhoek where Jenny and I caught an evening flight to Johannesburg, leaving the other ladies who were going to head up North before they had to head back to Canada. We got up early the next morning and caught yet another combi to Gaborone, an 8-hour trip.
Namibia, well, the parts of it that we saw, was beautiful. I would love to go back and explore more of it. But it also really made me appreciate Gabs and all its awkwardness and character. Life in Windhoek would have been much too easy and familiar, I think. I found myself missing Gabs as we explored the region and was always glad to be heading back to our “ghetto” G-West.
I posted pics from our jaunt to Namibia, so take a look.
SAYING GOODBYE TO GABS – written on April 23rd in Maputo, Mozambique
After our return from Namibia, I had three days left at SADC. Unfortunately, the rest of the team was traveling so they were busy but lonely days in the office. I cannot believe that my time in the Gender Unit and in Gaborone has come to an end. To be honest, I’m not ready to leave. Even Ellan is staying! She just graduated and has found another 3-month contract with a local NGO. Although it certainly wasn’t love at first sight, Gabs really did grow on us! I feel like I’ve learned how to live and function in Gabs and it feels like home. It feels like I’m leaving a lot behind in Gabs, wonderful people and a lot of unanswered questions. Indeed, I came looking for answers to many development-related questions but am leaving with even more and very few concrete answers, but I guess that’s the whole point...ID is a complex process characterized by a multitude of differing theories, practices and perspectives!
Leaving Gabs wasn’t easy that’s for sure. And I feel like I’m going to going back there after our travels. But now that’s I’ve left, I’m looking forward to heading back to Canada to reflect on the whole experience and to see you all, of course!!!!
On Sunday morning Jenny and I boarded our Intercape bus to JoBurg, waving goodbye to Gabs. After a 10-hour wait in the FREEZING and VERY SKETCHY Johannesburg Park City Station, we hopped on a 12-hour overnight bus to Maputo, Mozambique. Ask me to tell you the Visa story sometime....
Mozambique’s lovely so far.... will write more later. Jenny’s on her way back to Canada and I’m getting ready to head to the Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland tomorrow (guess what mode of transport....that’s right, a COMBI!) where I’ll meet Ellan and tow of her workmates. Then we’re off to South Africa (not sure where yet!). We’ll finish up in Cape Town. I’ll be back in Ottawa on May 3rd, back to reality!
Miss y’all! Also added pics to Gaborone album.
See you SOON!
Later.
Hello everyone,
Life in Botswana is going wonderfully. I cannot believe that I only have two short weeks left in this country, five on this continent. It's stressing Ellan and I out and we're already thinking of ways to come back. We haven't quite figured it out, but we'll be back sooner or later, that's for sure.
EASTER
There has been a lot going on since my last post. Most notably, we skipped out on work and took a long Easter holiday. Ellan's parent's came to visit and after a few days in Gabs to meet our friends and our city, we took them up North to Kasane, a very small town on the Chobe River and at the entrance of the Chobe National Park.
We hopped on the Botswana-Zambia bus Thursday night, a twelve-hour trip to Kasane. It was hot and sleepless but we got there in one piece early the next day. It was a lovely bus ride (in terms of scenery) but slow (we had to stop often to let elephants and other animals cross the road) and bumpy (Botswana has a pothole problem). We stayed at Thebe River Camping Lodge just a few minutes from the national park. We slept in pre-set tents, Jenny, Ellan and I in one and Mr and Mrs Dickieson in the other. It was great! Such a perfect place to stay. The campground had a bar/ restaurant, shared but very clean bathrooms and a swimming pool. It was right on the river so there were lots of birds to see. We were so close to the river that the loud grunting of hippos kept us up at night . One night it sounded like they were right outside our tent. You may be thinking "aww, cute hippos," but after hearing many stories of close-encounters with these vegetarian but very defensive animals, we were a bit frightened.
After recovering from our long bus ride, we hit up the town and the bar at the camp site, meeting lots of travellers from around the world. The next morning we headed out on the mid-morning game drive with out guide Opi. He was really good and taught us a lot. We ended up being the only ones on the drive so he was prepared to cater to our interest. We were in the park for 10 minutes and from the back of the truck Jenny says to herself "I'd love to see a lion. That's the only on of the Big Five I've yet to see." Without a moment's notice, Opi slams on the breaks, hauls the truck into reverse and speeds away in the other direction. He said "hold on." We sped through the uneven terrain for about half an hour. We'd see blurrs of elephants and impalas, but he kept reassuring us that we'd go slower on the way back but for now we had to race in a “westerly direction” through the huge park.
We turned towards the Chobe River. There were hundred of huge vultures sitting in front of us. This coupled with the disgusting stench in the air pointed something interesting ahead. Opi crept a few meters further and in unison our jaws dropped. For almost an hour we watch vultures and crocodiles snack at an elephant carcass. The elephant had died of natural causes and its body had already been ripped open by crocodiles and lions. It was such an amazing sight to see, a national geographic moment. We even saw a massive crocodile climb all the way inside the carcass. It was ridiculous. We knew that the lion had to be near, and soon enough a huge lioness came out of a bush a few meters away to scare off the vultures and crocodiles who were munching away at its afternoon snack. We later saw another lioness and two cubs from the same family. What a sight.
Even more eager than the day before, the next day we went on a sunrise game drive with Opi. We woke up at 5am and set out on what turned out to be yet another amazing adventure. We saw so many birds and followed leopard tracks. I learned a lot and don’t think I could ever get tired of seeing these majestic animals. Although, there are so so so so many elephants in Chobe National Park, over 60 000 in fact, that after a while we started to not notice them, much like puddles in Vancouver or Canadian flags in Ottawa.
That evening we went on a sundowner cruise on the Chobe River. We saw so many hippos and it just such a pleasant way to finish off our time in Kasane. Hippos are such funny looking animals and really quite entertaining to watch.
On Monday we got a combi to the Botswana-Zambia Kazungula border on the Chobe and crossed the river on a pontoon. The Zambian side of the border was sketch, to say the least. I won’t go into detail, but ask me to tell you the story some other time.
Upon arriving in Livingston we headed straight to our lodge, dropped our bags, stuffed all of our important items in Ziploc bags and headed off to the mighty Victoria Falls, stopping at a hotel for lunch. We could see the Falls’ mist and hear its rumbling and thunder from miles away. We entered the park’s gates and within two minutes we were absolutely soaked from the mist. I cannot describe the Falls in words; you will all have to go see them yourself. I do understand why they’re one of the Seven Wonders of the World though. Even pictures can’t do the Falls justice. At a width of 1.7 kilometers and a hight of 108 meters, Vic Falls form the largest sheet of falling water in the world. After seeing the Falls face-on we walked across the bridge to the Zimbabwe border for yet another incredible view.
The next day I was supposed to bus back to Gabs so that I could get to work on Wednesday morning, but ended up missing the bus. There’s no such thing as schedules or routes, just word of mouth. So instead, I headed out to Mukuni Village and learned a bit about their way of life. It’s the central village of the smallest tribe in Zambia. The tribe’s governed by a Chief, a Queen and a Prime Minister. While the Chief represents the tribe within the federal government (because it would of course be inappropriate to send a woman to parliament, said our guide), the Queen holds more power, according to the village people. She assigns, revokes and controls land and cattle and can oust the Chief at anytime. The Prime Minister would be equivalent to our Provincial Premiers. Another interesting fact: the Mukuni people practice polygamy, with most men having several wives and multiple children, all who live within the same quarters. This, according to our guide, a member of the village, is for both economic and social reasons, such as status and cultural tradition. We’ve talked a lot about polygamy in my Gender and Development courses, but actually visiting a polygamist community and speaking to its people definitely gave me more to think about. In fact, the discussion often comes up in Gabs as many people try to justify the rampant “multiple partners” phenomenon by saying that it’s routed in a tradition of polygamy, practiced in villages long ago. This argument only goes so far though, is often put forward by men “caught in the act” and certainly doesn’t stand up to the fact that multiple partnership is a HUGE contributor to the HIV / AIDS epidemic in Botswana.
On our way home from the village we passed a sign that read “Gorge Swing.” We had heard about it before and although we didn’t really understand the concept, we heard that it was more thrilling that the Vic Falls bungee jump. We said to ourselves “why not?” and headed up to the top of the cliff that looked down into the Falls’ massive gorge. It was HIGH. We paid (locked in), got strapped into our gear and then watched the girls who were in line ahead of us walk backwards off this cliff.................. Thoughts that followed involved a lot of cursing and “this is what we’re getting ourselves into?” When I read the word “Swing” I imagined images of the playground swings, baby swings, and the like. Last time I checked riding a swing didn’t involve falling 90 meters to what feels like your death. Jenny and I were next. We were going in tandem and were told this would produce the faster and longest free fall. Legs shaking uncontrolably, we slowly backed up to the edge so that only the tips of our toes were on the ground. With the count of three we fell backwards and into a 4-second free fall followed by a lightning-speed swing across the gorge for an amazing view. It was AWESOME... so fun and exhilarating. Ellan went next. She was all alone and had to walk right off the cliff. We were on such an adrenaline high afterwards that sprinting down the street after our shuttle to the sunset cruise we were late for felt like a breeze. The cruise was lovely and we actually ran into the WUSC-Malawi interns on the boat, which was super random!
Getting home from Livingston was quite the adventure, of course. We caught a combi across the border before sunrise, stood in line at the border for what felt like an eternity, witnessed a brutal wild dog fight and caught up to the Zambia-Botswana bus on the other side of the border. The bus was full, but determined to get home, we offered to pay half-price if he’d let us sit in the aisle (there were several people sitting in the aisle on our way to Kasane from Gabs). He agreed, and what followed was a very bumpy ride back to Gabs, 14-hours.......All part of the experience, right?
Check out the Easter photo album. If you’ve already discovered it, well, I posted a few more goodies in there.
NAMIBIA – April 12-17
Once Jenny was done her placement up in Maun, she trekked back to Gabs and then we headed off to Namibia with Jocelyn (another intern) and her two daughters, Danny and Jasmin. WE COMBIED 30+ HOURS IN 5 DAYS. We left Gabs on Friday morning, combiing all the way to Windhoek, the capital of Nambia, a 13-hour journey. It was cramped, it was hot, but do-able and an experience. We checked into a hostel once we got there, walked around the city and got some dinner. Windhoek confused me. It’s a cosmopolitan Germany-meets-Namibia city. It’s clean, organized and orderly streets were a world away from our beloved Gaborone. The next day we headed North on yet another combi journey to Swakopmund, a coastal town on the Atlantic Ocean.
Now, I thought Windhoek confused me. Swakopmund is impossible to rationalize. Picture this: grey barren desert. Then all of a sudden HUGE, smooth and orange sand dunes pop our of no where. Then, just past the dunes lies a vicious and freezing ocean. It was an incredible sight and absolutely lovely. Even more, the it felt like we were trapped in a European movie set the whole time... cafés, galleries, gift shops, bakeries.... it was odd and VERY German!
Jenny and I woke up early on Sunday morning and headed out to the dunes for a day of SANDBOARDING!!!!! I remember writing a “To do before I die” list for some silly CAPP exercise in Grade 10. Very close to the top was written “Board on a dune.” Well, not did I do it, but I did it in the Sandboarding capital of the world. It was SUPER fun and very similar to snow boarding except that you use your edges much less and it is quite a bit slower.... and of course it was VERY sandy! (I am still picking sand out of my braids). The dunes are AMAZING and BREATH-TAKING and it was definitely something else to be in the middle of nowhere surrounded by these huge dunes. Unfortunately each 20 to 30-second run was followed by a 15-minute HIKE (and I mean HIKE... snowboard boots and all) up the dune. It was sweaty, sandy, tiring but so satisfying. And they even had a jump set up for those who had some boarding experience. It was a wonderful day.
We spent one more day on the Coast, exploring the quaint town, eating copious amounts of fresh seafood and chasing the Atlantic waves (much too cold to actually swim in them). We then combiied back to Windhoek where Jenny and I caught an evening flight to Johannesburg, leaving the other ladies who were going to head up North before they had to head back to Canada. We got up early the next morning and caught yet another combi to Gaborone, an 8-hour trip.
Namibia, well, the parts of it that we saw, was beautiful. I would love to go back and explore more of it. But it also really made me appreciate Gabs and all its awkwardness and character. Life in Windhoek would have been much too easy and familiar, I think. I found myself missing Gabs as we explored the region and was always glad to be heading back to our “ghetto” G-West.
I posted pics from our jaunt to Namibia, so take a look.
SAYING GOODBYE TO GABS – written on April 23rd in Maputo, Mozambique
After our return from Namibia, I had three days left at SADC. Unfortunately, the rest of the team was traveling so they were busy but lonely days in the office. I cannot believe that my time in the Gender Unit and in Gaborone has come to an end. To be honest, I’m not ready to leave. Even Ellan is staying! She just graduated and has found another 3-month contract with a local NGO. Although it certainly wasn’t love at first sight, Gabs really did grow on us! I feel like I’ve learned how to live and function in Gabs and it feels like home. It feels like I’m leaving a lot behind in Gabs, wonderful people and a lot of unanswered questions. Indeed, I came looking for answers to many development-related questions but am leaving with even more and very few concrete answers, but I guess that’s the whole point...ID is a complex process characterized by a multitude of differing theories, practices and perspectives!
Leaving Gabs wasn’t easy that’s for sure. And I feel like I’m going to going back there after our travels. But now that’s I’ve left, I’m looking forward to heading back to Canada to reflect on the whole experience and to see you all, of course!!!!
On Sunday morning Jenny and I boarded our Intercape bus to JoBurg, waving goodbye to Gabs. After a 10-hour wait in the FREEZING and VERY SKETCHY Johannesburg Park City Station, we hopped on a 12-hour overnight bus to Maputo, Mozambique. Ask me to tell you the Visa story sometime....
Mozambique’s lovely so far.... will write more later. Jenny’s on her way back to Canada and I’m getting ready to head to the Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland tomorrow (guess what mode of transport....that’s right, a COMBI!) where I’ll meet Ellan and tow of her workmates. Then we’re off to South Africa (not sure where yet!). We’ll finish up in Cape Town. I’ll be back in Ottawa on May 3rd, back to reality!
Miss y’all! Also added pics to Gaborone album.
See you SOON!
Later.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Emang Basadi!
Written on March 14th
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NICOLA AND TED!!!!!
March 7th, International Women's Day celebration at SADC. Fait accompli, merci.
I have never been so happy to see IWD come and go. The week started off well. All of us at the Gender Unit were so excited for Friday, but sure enough, detail by detail, things started to fall apart. When we thought that nothing else could possibly go wrong, fate threw us yet another obstacle! The banner-making machine breaks. The tent we ordered is too small. The donor decides to place more restrictions on their funds. All of the UN agencies in Botswana decide they want to attend. The Diplomatic Women's Association wants their speech written for them. The Executive Secretary cannot attend. The T-shirts are MIA. The entertainer cancels... In retrospect all of these details seem so superficial and irrelevant, but let me tell you, at the time it felt as though my life fully depended on 500 stupid t-shirts and diplomat-worthy raffle prizes. Because International Women's Day is all about t-shirts, raffle prizes and Indian food, right? Needless to say, by the end of the event I was entirely disillusioned. Thoughts that ran through my head included:
"why does everyone need to complain about their t-shirt? It's not as though they paid for it!"
"do diplomats even wear t-shirts?"
"why is a CIDA-funded Canadian NGO paying for a SADC event that is supposedly a regional priority?"
"if one more person asks me to explain the raffle to them... I may just shoot them."
"IWD is about WOMEN. NOT RAFFLE PRIZES. So everyone sit down, chill out and deal with the fact that you are not getting a gift certificate."
"Why are there more men than women at the head table?"
"Why are the Chinese embassy guests the only ones enjoying themselves? They didn't even get t-shirts and they have no idea what's going on. And no one likes their dumplings (except me... reminds me of home)!"
"Why did the Director of Ceremonies just tell a gender-ignorant joke? And why is everyone laughing?"
"Is running after Hotel and Airline managers Development work?"
"What if we gave the money budgeted for an open bar to a women's NGO? Or at least use it to buy some pens or a working mouse for the office?"
"I hate protocol. I hate diplomacy. I hate office politics."
“I can’t remember the last time I left the office or ate something other than instant coffee.”
..... Oh the muse of an intern!
But don't let me paint the wrong picture. IWD at SADC was an absolute SUCCESS and seems to have been received really well by the Secretariat’s staff!! We worked our butts off and things ran quite smoothly. And we had fun! We invited the media and they even showed up. And I think most people saw the bigger picture: Women, often triple-burdened, are the economic backbone of Southern Africa; Men and women must work together in the development process; International and national development mechanisms must invest in women and girls... funding is a gendered process; Let us celebrate the progress made so far while recognizing the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done.
After two months of planning the day played out something like this:
-speech, speech, speech, speech, speech, speech, poem, speech, speech, raffle prizes, prayer, food, drink, entertainment, drink, dance, dance, dance, dance...........
It’s funny because no matter how informal or formal a get-together here in Bots is, you know that at the very least there will always be four key ingredients involved:
1. prayer
2. LOTS of FOOD (very big deal here in Botswana. And by food I mean MEAT..... lots of MEAT)
3. Alcohol (actually a problem in Gabs. Alcoholism isn’t really recognized although extremely excessive drinking is very relevant and contributes to a lot of the social and economic difficulties.)
4. DANCING (the Batswana have got the moves, let me tell you)
And if you are responsible for the not providing all four ingredients you will hear about it.
Perhaps the highlight of IWD at SADC was the Attorney General’s speech. She’s the first female AG of Botswana and previously headed the Gender Unit at SADC. Her speech was genuine and refreshing, which is quite an accomplishment seen as how we wrote all of the statements for our VIPs. She was sincere and commanded the crowd, drawing applause and agreement from the locals, foreigners, men and women alike. In a culture that really values hierarchy, it’s quite obvious that her power and influence haven’t gone to her head!
It certainly feels quite odd crossing IWD off of my to-do list. It really reminds me of how quickly my time at SADC is going by. Just over one month left... and still so much work to do. My database, which was supposed to be my official task here at SADC has been pushed aside by IWD and other activities. Now I'm wondering whether it will even get finished by the time I leave....
Ellan was out of town this weekend as she travelled to a tournament with the high school rugby team she’s coaching. It was weird not having her around. Apart from out 7:30-4:30 jobs, we haven’t been apart since we met two months ago. This girl’s such a great rugby player though and wow, to take 30 teenage boys to a tournament, she must be crazy too!
Saturday was the official International Women’s Day. So I headed out to Kanye, a beautiful hill-top village about 2 hours outside of Gabs for the Department of Women’s Affairs’ event. It was a quaint but very enthusiastic celebration. Only upon arriving did I realize that the whole event was in Setswana. I did a lot of smiling, nodding and clapping, catching a few words along the way.... “basadi!” (“women”). But it was still worth-while and involved a lot of dancing and drama, which was lots of fun!
Saturday afternoon I hung out with our usual friends. The rest of the weekend pretty much just involved cooking and braaing... surprise! I kept joking that I was spending too much time in the kitchen on International Women’s Day weekend. But the fact of the matter is that if I want to eat something other than beef or beans, I must cook it myself! And just cooking for one is non-existent in this country. If there are four people over when I start to prepare a meal, I cook for eight. There are always people coming and going. There’s no such thing as an invitation or a private home here in Bots. You come, I feed you. Period. This makes for good times and means that I’m meeting new people almost everyday!
We had a big dinner on Saturday night and then headed out to play some pool, then to the local police mess, the only place you can safely sit outside at night (I wanted to see the stars. They are so clear here). Then we ended up at Lizard Lounge for some dancing, an inevitable end to an evening in Gabs.
Sunday evening was our official goodbye to Sam, our housemate who is moving to Canada. What did we do? Yes, you’ve guessed it... we braaied! Surprise, surprise. It was a feast! We ate heart, steak, pancreas, tripe, sausage and small intestine! The pancreas tasted like the small intestine, which I’ve had a few times since my arrival. We started with the heart, which was braaied by itself first, a Zimbabwean farewell ceremony. So this weekend turned out to be a culinary experience for me! And I also ate sugar cane for the first time on Saturday... it’s hard work but delicious... and my teeth still hurt!
Tuesday we left for our Gender Unit retreat in Beerkestrol, just outside of Rustenburg, South Africa (in between Pretoria and Johannesburg). Our humble unit of 5, accompanied by the long-term Canadian Intern’s baby and our Programme Officer’s 10-year old daughter, stayed at Mziki Safari Lodge in the middle of nowhere. It was truly a bush lodge and I loved it. It was so quiet and peaceful and exotic birds and lots of wild life would just roam around the lodge’s property. It was in the middle of a very large nature reserve but unfortunately thunder and lightening kept us from exploring most of it.
I’ve been told that there’s no such thing as a journey in Southern Africa, only adventures. Now I can relate. After leaving three hours late (have you ever heard of Africa Time?.. how about Botswana Time?) we headed off in our hired combi. Crossing the border was relatively easy and quite exciting, to be completely honest. A few hours into our drive we realized that both our group and our hired driver forgot the map and directions back in Gabs. Ooops. I won’t go into detail, but the next seven hours were quite memorable, to say the least.
Lesson number one: While your Diplomatic Passport may make you feel special, it does not function as a flashlight, a map, pepper spray or a dictionary. Not as cool as you thought, hey?
We drove on long, unlit dirt roads in the middle of nowhere for what felt like an eternity. The only landmarks in sight were signs that read “high fatality zone,” “lock your doors,” and “stopping is dangerous.” I hate to generalize, but I’m told that this is typical South Africa. We had no idea where we were. It was quite the adventure.
But we finally arrived in one piece. The week involved a lot of “strategic planning,” as we called it, and team-building activities. I expected scavenger hunts and trivia games. But the team-building times were more like group counselling sessions. It was something else. It certainly would never fly in a Canadian governmental unit, but here in Southern Africa people are a lot more open to share their personal lives and always want to know about yours.
Although we were in meetings most of the time, it was so great to enjoy the peace and quiet of the reserve. But now it’s time to head back to the city. Real life awaits us... well, as real as it gets in Botswana. Some days it all feels like a dream.
Life in Botswana is going really well and I’m having a blast. I’m learning so much and am really looking forward to Easter break. We’re heading up to Kasane, Victoria Falls and Livingston with Ellan’s parent’s who are arriving in a few days. Can't wait!!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NICOLA AND TED!!!!!
March 7th, International Women's Day celebration at SADC. Fait accompli, merci.
I have never been so happy to see IWD come and go. The week started off well. All of us at the Gender Unit were so excited for Friday, but sure enough, detail by detail, things started to fall apart. When we thought that nothing else could possibly go wrong, fate threw us yet another obstacle! The banner-making machine breaks. The tent we ordered is too small. The donor decides to place more restrictions on their funds. All of the UN agencies in Botswana decide they want to attend. The Diplomatic Women's Association wants their speech written for them. The Executive Secretary cannot attend. The T-shirts are MIA. The entertainer cancels... In retrospect all of these details seem so superficial and irrelevant, but let me tell you, at the time it felt as though my life fully depended on 500 stupid t-shirts and diplomat-worthy raffle prizes. Because International Women's Day is all about t-shirts, raffle prizes and Indian food, right? Needless to say, by the end of the event I was entirely disillusioned. Thoughts that ran through my head included:
"why does everyone need to complain about their t-shirt? It's not as though they paid for it!"
"do diplomats even wear t-shirts?"
"why is a CIDA-funded Canadian NGO paying for a SADC event that is supposedly a regional priority?"
"if one more person asks me to explain the raffle to them... I may just shoot them."
"IWD is about WOMEN. NOT RAFFLE PRIZES. So everyone sit down, chill out and deal with the fact that you are not getting a gift certificate."
"Why are there more men than women at the head table?"
"Why are the Chinese embassy guests the only ones enjoying themselves? They didn't even get t-shirts and they have no idea what's going on. And no one likes their dumplings (except me... reminds me of home)!"
"Why did the Director of Ceremonies just tell a gender-ignorant joke? And why is everyone laughing?"
"Is running after Hotel and Airline managers Development work?"
"What if we gave the money budgeted for an open bar to a women's NGO? Or at least use it to buy some pens or a working mouse for the office?"
"I hate protocol. I hate diplomacy. I hate office politics."
“I can’t remember the last time I left the office or ate something other than instant coffee.”
..... Oh the muse of an intern!
But don't let me paint the wrong picture. IWD at SADC was an absolute SUCCESS and seems to have been received really well by the Secretariat’s staff!! We worked our butts off and things ran quite smoothly. And we had fun! We invited the media and they even showed up. And I think most people saw the bigger picture: Women, often triple-burdened, are the economic backbone of Southern Africa; Men and women must work together in the development process; International and national development mechanisms must invest in women and girls... funding is a gendered process; Let us celebrate the progress made so far while recognizing the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done.
After two months of planning the day played out something like this:
-speech, speech, speech, speech, speech, speech, poem, speech, speech, raffle prizes, prayer, food, drink, entertainment, drink, dance, dance, dance, dance...........
It’s funny because no matter how informal or formal a get-together here in Bots is, you know that at the very least there will always be four key ingredients involved:
1. prayer
2. LOTS of FOOD (very big deal here in Botswana. And by food I mean MEAT..... lots of MEAT)
3. Alcohol (actually a problem in Gabs. Alcoholism isn’t really recognized although extremely excessive drinking is very relevant and contributes to a lot of the social and economic difficulties.)
4. DANCING (the Batswana have got the moves, let me tell you)
And if you are responsible for the not providing all four ingredients you will hear about it.
Perhaps the highlight of IWD at SADC was the Attorney General’s speech. She’s the first female AG of Botswana and previously headed the Gender Unit at SADC. Her speech was genuine and refreshing, which is quite an accomplishment seen as how we wrote all of the statements for our VIPs. She was sincere and commanded the crowd, drawing applause and agreement from the locals, foreigners, men and women alike. In a culture that really values hierarchy, it’s quite obvious that her power and influence haven’t gone to her head!
It certainly feels quite odd crossing IWD off of my to-do list. It really reminds me of how quickly my time at SADC is going by. Just over one month left... and still so much work to do. My database, which was supposed to be my official task here at SADC has been pushed aside by IWD and other activities. Now I'm wondering whether it will even get finished by the time I leave....
Ellan was out of town this weekend as she travelled to a tournament with the high school rugby team she’s coaching. It was weird not having her around. Apart from out 7:30-4:30 jobs, we haven’t been apart since we met two months ago. This girl’s such a great rugby player though and wow, to take 30 teenage boys to a tournament, she must be crazy too!
Saturday was the official International Women’s Day. So I headed out to Kanye, a beautiful hill-top village about 2 hours outside of Gabs for the Department of Women’s Affairs’ event. It was a quaint but very enthusiastic celebration. Only upon arriving did I realize that the whole event was in Setswana. I did a lot of smiling, nodding and clapping, catching a few words along the way.... “basadi!” (“women”). But it was still worth-while and involved a lot of dancing and drama, which was lots of fun!
Saturday afternoon I hung out with our usual friends. The rest of the weekend pretty much just involved cooking and braaing... surprise! I kept joking that I was spending too much time in the kitchen on International Women’s Day weekend. But the fact of the matter is that if I want to eat something other than beef or beans, I must cook it myself! And just cooking for one is non-existent in this country. If there are four people over when I start to prepare a meal, I cook for eight. There are always people coming and going. There’s no such thing as an invitation or a private home here in Bots. You come, I feed you. Period. This makes for good times and means that I’m meeting new people almost everyday!
We had a big dinner on Saturday night and then headed out to play some pool, then to the local police mess, the only place you can safely sit outside at night (I wanted to see the stars. They are so clear here). Then we ended up at Lizard Lounge for some dancing, an inevitable end to an evening in Gabs.
Sunday evening was our official goodbye to Sam, our housemate who is moving to Canada. What did we do? Yes, you’ve guessed it... we braaied! Surprise, surprise. It was a feast! We ate heart, steak, pancreas, tripe, sausage and small intestine! The pancreas tasted like the small intestine, which I’ve had a few times since my arrival. We started with the heart, which was braaied by itself first, a Zimbabwean farewell ceremony. So this weekend turned out to be a culinary experience for me! And I also ate sugar cane for the first time on Saturday... it’s hard work but delicious... and my teeth still hurt!
Tuesday we left for our Gender Unit retreat in Beerkestrol, just outside of Rustenburg, South Africa (in between Pretoria and Johannesburg). Our humble unit of 5, accompanied by the long-term Canadian Intern’s baby and our Programme Officer’s 10-year old daughter, stayed at Mziki Safari Lodge in the middle of nowhere. It was truly a bush lodge and I loved it. It was so quiet and peaceful and exotic birds and lots of wild life would just roam around the lodge’s property. It was in the middle of a very large nature reserve but unfortunately thunder and lightening kept us from exploring most of it.
I’ve been told that there’s no such thing as a journey in Southern Africa, only adventures. Now I can relate. After leaving three hours late (have you ever heard of Africa Time?.. how about Botswana Time?) we headed off in our hired combi. Crossing the border was relatively easy and quite exciting, to be completely honest. A few hours into our drive we realized that both our group and our hired driver forgot the map and directions back in Gabs. Ooops. I won’t go into detail, but the next seven hours were quite memorable, to say the least.
Lesson number one: While your Diplomatic Passport may make you feel special, it does not function as a flashlight, a map, pepper spray or a dictionary. Not as cool as you thought, hey?
We drove on long, unlit dirt roads in the middle of nowhere for what felt like an eternity. The only landmarks in sight were signs that read “high fatality zone,” “lock your doors,” and “stopping is dangerous.” I hate to generalize, but I’m told that this is typical South Africa. We had no idea where we were. It was quite the adventure.
But we finally arrived in one piece. The week involved a lot of “strategic planning,” as we called it, and team-building activities. I expected scavenger hunts and trivia games. But the team-building times were more like group counselling sessions. It was something else. It certainly would never fly in a Canadian governmental unit, but here in Southern Africa people are a lot more open to share their personal lives and always want to know about yours.
Although we were in meetings most of the time, it was so great to enjoy the peace and quiet of the reserve. But now it’s time to head back to the city. Real life awaits us... well, as real as it gets in Botswana. Some days it all feels like a dream.
Life in Botswana is going really well and I’m having a blast. I’m learning so much and am really looking forward to Easter break. We’re heading up to Kasane, Victoria Falls and Livingston with Ellan’s parent’s who are arriving in a few days. Can't wait!!!!!!
Added some new pictures to my photo album.
Missing you all,
Sarah
Thursday, February 28, 2008
And then we met Gabs
eWritten on Sunday, February 24th
First thing first : HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!
So I don't think we were meant to leave Gabs this weekend. After our trip to Swaziland was cancelled because of a "broken plane", we decided to head out to the middle of the Kalahari to Kang to visit our friend Wairimo. But on Friday we got word from her that she had to come into the city for a funeral (we weren't surprised.. most people attend a funeral or two a week here). So, determined not to be bummed out for the second time, we decided to make the most of the weekend.
It's started with a "Learning Day" on Thursday. WUSC excused us from work and we had a day full of scheduled seminars and discussions with experts on different issues. Our first stop was a second trip to the Department of Social Services. We discussed the relationship between NGOs and government machineries and Botswana's attempt to implement a Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism. As is the case in many "Third World" cities (although Gabs can hardly fit into that category), there is a lot of competition between civil society groups. They fight over funding, land, resources, popularity, niches, and target groups. And although most NGOs mean well, there are definitely cases of abuse, mismanagement, corruption and all-together phoniness. Nevertheless, it's a common understanding here in Botswana that the burden of HIV / AIDS would be much heavier without the presence of so many helping hands.
Our next stop was at Emang Basadi ("Stand Up Women"), one of the most influential and respected women's advocacy NGOs in Botswana. They are an advocacy NGO that also provides free legal services to women. Oddly enough, we met with their only male employee. He heads up the Political Education Programme which seeks to advocate and facilitate an increase in women in decision-making positions, both public and private. Emang Basadi is also part of the "Protocol Alliance," a group of Southern African NGOs that are pretty much the loudest voice for the passing of the SADC Gender Protocol and against the political stalling/watering down that has happened over the course of the past year and a half. The Protocol, spear-headed by the Gender Unit, basically outlines key and basic standards of living, human rights and empowerment initiatives for women. We're talking basics, folks. Education, marital recognition, domestic abuse. This stuff shouldn't be progressive or controversial. Nevertheless, one of the most brutal lessons I've learned here at SADC is that all it takes is 14 men, the SADC Heads of State, to block a widely supported protocol on Gender. Consultations are currently underway and Heads of State will meet again in August. While there is hope that it will pass, it doesn't include any kind of enforcement mechanism. The Protocol is certainly much-needed and a step in the right direction, especially since a protocol is the most binding document in SADC, but let's hope that it functions as more than a framed wall decoration once it comes into effect.
Then we headed to the Ministry of Education to meet with Melissa, an HIV / AIDS Education Specialist who is also a long-term WUSC intern. We talked about stigma, myths and reflected on our experiences so far. We encounter the epidemic everyday, both at and outside work. It's everywhere. One of the most powerful things I’ve seen here in Gabs is big red billboard sign that reads “YOU ALL HAVE AIDS.” It’s true; the whole country suffers from it somehow.
Next we met with a Director from Women's Affairs. She provided a lot of insight into the history of Gender policy development in Botswana. She talked about Unity Dow's Citizenship Case, which pretty much provided momentum for other legal recognition of women's rights. Unity Dow, a Motswana, successfully challenged the legitimacy of the Citizenship Act which denied Botswana citizenship to her children on the basis that her husband was an American. Men used to hold full marital power in Botswana; women were legal minors. This meant that all rights over land, children and any other kind of capital went to the husband. So in the case of a divorce or the death of the husband, women were left with nothing.
We finished the day with a meeting with Fortune and Chillie, the Aids and Gender Sector Specialists at WUSC. They wanted to hear about our placements. One thing that I’ve really observed is the importance of social hierarchy here in Bots, especially in the workplace. Everyone works really hard to maintain this order in conversations, task-assignments, even language. It’s interesting, just took a while to get used to.
Overall, it was a good and informative day. Then we headed to the University of Botswana where Ellan and our friend Jeph had Rugby practice. Jeph plays on the Men’s Varsity team and Ellan, being the rugby star that she is, somehow got in with the Women’s team and has taken to practicing with them. It’s Intervarsity Week at UB. All the athletes from Swaziland and Lesotho have arrived in Gabs for their “Botswalo” championships...... but it’s really just an excuse for a week-long party. Jeph and a few of his friends are running a stand all week where they sell beverages and braai. So we hung around there Thursday night and then headed out to do some dancing, a must in Gabs. We got home in time for me to shower and head to work and for the rest of the group to head to bed. But fortunately, our trip cancellation meant that we could get in an afternoon nap before we headed back out to UB Friday night, then out for some dancing again. Arriving back at UB Saturday morning, we helped set up the stand, took a nap and then went home to catch some much-needed sleep.
On Sunday Kathy, the WUSC Regional Director, took the three of us to Mokolodi. It turned out to be a wonderful afternoon. We rode on top of the WUSC vehicle, almost falling off several times because of the rough terrain, and were so very determined to spot a giraffe. After two and a half hours we decided to head home, turned around and VOILÀ! A HUGE male giraffe but a few meters from the truck. He was beautiful and just didn’t seem to mind us being there. We watched him eat away at a tree (with thorns!) for almost half an hour.
And now we’re set for another week of work. We’re ridiculously busy in the Gender Unit as International Women’s Day is fast approaching. But now that we’ve got really good friends and know our way around the city, we certainly aren’t too distracted by our 7:30-4:30 tasks. We always have something to do and someone to do it with. Just chatting with locals we’ve learned a lot about the culture and history of Botswana. If nothing else, most Motswana wil a) ask me to marry them or to marry one of their children, and b) tell me the diamond story. You see, Botswana gained independence from Britain in 1966. The Brits left what they thought was a barren desert country with no economic potential. Then a year later, in 1967, the Batswana struck diamonds! (At this point the storyteller usually has a huge grin on his/her face... the “nana nana booboo-type smile) The country’s relatively quick development, from roads to schools to ARVs, has pretty much been fuelled and funded solely by this precious resource. I am always hearing people say “Thank God for the diamonds.”
The majority of our good friends here in Gabs are Zimbabwean. This isn’t surprising as there has been massive immigration from Zim to Bots and authorities estimate that there are more than 100 000 Zimbabweans live in the country illegally, most of whom are concentrated in Gabs. We see the effects of this everyday. The problem of “abandoned bodies and babies” is spoken about regularly here and there is definitely a lot of racism towards Zims. Many times we’ve been with friends and have heard racist remarks thrown at them. We stand there in shock only to be patted on the back by our Zimbabwean friends who tell us “it’s normal.” We tell them it shouldn’t be normal... they roll their eyes. Myths circulate about the Zims being responsible for spreading HIV and police officers sit on the curb and watch the crowds go by, hoping to pick out an illegal Zimbabwean by their apparently distinct facial features.
Needless to say, we’ve had lots of interesting conversations about the political situation in Zimbabwe. A friend explained it to me this way: “In Zim the player is also the referee... and he moves the goal posts so that he always makes the shot.” The Presidential election is on March 29th. When I asked a Zimbabwean acquaintance how the country will ever fight for change, he responded with : “the only ammunition we have left are our prayers.” Hope in a hopeless situation, I guess.
Alright, I hope I haven’t bored you all to death.
This all to say that things are going super well down here. I just realized that it’s reading break in Canada... half-way through a semester! Wow. Why does time have to move so quickly?
Keep in touch.
Will write soon.
Sarah J
Ps – I posted more pictures in the “Gaborone” photo album
First thing first : HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!
So I don't think we were meant to leave Gabs this weekend. After our trip to Swaziland was cancelled because of a "broken plane", we decided to head out to the middle of the Kalahari to Kang to visit our friend Wairimo. But on Friday we got word from her that she had to come into the city for a funeral (we weren't surprised.. most people attend a funeral or two a week here). So, determined not to be bummed out for the second time, we decided to make the most of the weekend.
It's started with a "Learning Day" on Thursday. WUSC excused us from work and we had a day full of scheduled seminars and discussions with experts on different issues. Our first stop was a second trip to the Department of Social Services. We discussed the relationship between NGOs and government machineries and Botswana's attempt to implement a Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism. As is the case in many "Third World" cities (although Gabs can hardly fit into that category), there is a lot of competition between civil society groups. They fight over funding, land, resources, popularity, niches, and target groups. And although most NGOs mean well, there are definitely cases of abuse, mismanagement, corruption and all-together phoniness. Nevertheless, it's a common understanding here in Botswana that the burden of HIV / AIDS would be much heavier without the presence of so many helping hands.
Our next stop was at Emang Basadi ("Stand Up Women"), one of the most influential and respected women's advocacy NGOs in Botswana. They are an advocacy NGO that also provides free legal services to women. Oddly enough, we met with their only male employee. He heads up the Political Education Programme which seeks to advocate and facilitate an increase in women in decision-making positions, both public and private. Emang Basadi is also part of the "Protocol Alliance," a group of Southern African NGOs that are pretty much the loudest voice for the passing of the SADC Gender Protocol and against the political stalling/watering down that has happened over the course of the past year and a half. The Protocol, spear-headed by the Gender Unit, basically outlines key and basic standards of living, human rights and empowerment initiatives for women. We're talking basics, folks. Education, marital recognition, domestic abuse. This stuff shouldn't be progressive or controversial. Nevertheless, one of the most brutal lessons I've learned here at SADC is that all it takes is 14 men, the SADC Heads of State, to block a widely supported protocol on Gender. Consultations are currently underway and Heads of State will meet again in August. While there is hope that it will pass, it doesn't include any kind of enforcement mechanism. The Protocol is certainly much-needed and a step in the right direction, especially since a protocol is the most binding document in SADC, but let's hope that it functions as more than a framed wall decoration once it comes into effect.
Then we headed to the Ministry of Education to meet with Melissa, an HIV / AIDS Education Specialist who is also a long-term WUSC intern. We talked about stigma, myths and reflected on our experiences so far. We encounter the epidemic everyday, both at and outside work. It's everywhere. One of the most powerful things I’ve seen here in Gabs is big red billboard sign that reads “YOU ALL HAVE AIDS.” It’s true; the whole country suffers from it somehow.
Next we met with a Director from Women's Affairs. She provided a lot of insight into the history of Gender policy development in Botswana. She talked about Unity Dow's Citizenship Case, which pretty much provided momentum for other legal recognition of women's rights. Unity Dow, a Motswana, successfully challenged the legitimacy of the Citizenship Act which denied Botswana citizenship to her children on the basis that her husband was an American. Men used to hold full marital power in Botswana; women were legal minors. This meant that all rights over land, children and any other kind of capital went to the husband. So in the case of a divorce or the death of the husband, women were left with nothing.
We finished the day with a meeting with Fortune and Chillie, the Aids and Gender Sector Specialists at WUSC. They wanted to hear about our placements. One thing that I’ve really observed is the importance of social hierarchy here in Bots, especially in the workplace. Everyone works really hard to maintain this order in conversations, task-assignments, even language. It’s interesting, just took a while to get used to.
Overall, it was a good and informative day. Then we headed to the University of Botswana where Ellan and our friend Jeph had Rugby practice. Jeph plays on the Men’s Varsity team and Ellan, being the rugby star that she is, somehow got in with the Women’s team and has taken to practicing with them. It’s Intervarsity Week at UB. All the athletes from Swaziland and Lesotho have arrived in Gabs for their “Botswalo” championships...... but it’s really just an excuse for a week-long party. Jeph and a few of his friends are running a stand all week where they sell beverages and braai. So we hung around there Thursday night and then headed out to do some dancing, a must in Gabs. We got home in time for me to shower and head to work and for the rest of the group to head to bed. But fortunately, our trip cancellation meant that we could get in an afternoon nap before we headed back out to UB Friday night, then out for some dancing again. Arriving back at UB Saturday morning, we helped set up the stand, took a nap and then went home to catch some much-needed sleep.
On Sunday Kathy, the WUSC Regional Director, took the three of us to Mokolodi. It turned out to be a wonderful afternoon. We rode on top of the WUSC vehicle, almost falling off several times because of the rough terrain, and were so very determined to spot a giraffe. After two and a half hours we decided to head home, turned around and VOILÀ! A HUGE male giraffe but a few meters from the truck. He was beautiful and just didn’t seem to mind us being there. We watched him eat away at a tree (with thorns!) for almost half an hour.
And now we’re set for another week of work. We’re ridiculously busy in the Gender Unit as International Women’s Day is fast approaching. But now that we’ve got really good friends and know our way around the city, we certainly aren’t too distracted by our 7:30-4:30 tasks. We always have something to do and someone to do it with. Just chatting with locals we’ve learned a lot about the culture and history of Botswana. If nothing else, most Motswana wil a) ask me to marry them or to marry one of their children, and b) tell me the diamond story. You see, Botswana gained independence from Britain in 1966. The Brits left what they thought was a barren desert country with no economic potential. Then a year later, in 1967, the Batswana struck diamonds! (At this point the storyteller usually has a huge grin on his/her face... the “nana nana booboo-type smile) The country’s relatively quick development, from roads to schools to ARVs, has pretty much been fuelled and funded solely by this precious resource. I am always hearing people say “Thank God for the diamonds.”
The majority of our good friends here in Gabs are Zimbabwean. This isn’t surprising as there has been massive immigration from Zim to Bots and authorities estimate that there are more than 100 000 Zimbabweans live in the country illegally, most of whom are concentrated in Gabs. We see the effects of this everyday. The problem of “abandoned bodies and babies” is spoken about regularly here and there is definitely a lot of racism towards Zims. Many times we’ve been with friends and have heard racist remarks thrown at them. We stand there in shock only to be patted on the back by our Zimbabwean friends who tell us “it’s normal.” We tell them it shouldn’t be normal... they roll their eyes. Myths circulate about the Zims being responsible for spreading HIV and police officers sit on the curb and watch the crowds go by, hoping to pick out an illegal Zimbabwean by their apparently distinct facial features.
Needless to say, we’ve had lots of interesting conversations about the political situation in Zimbabwe. A friend explained it to me this way: “In Zim the player is also the referee... and he moves the goal posts so that he always makes the shot.” The Presidential election is on March 29th. When I asked a Zimbabwean acquaintance how the country will ever fight for change, he responded with : “the only ammunition we have left are our prayers.” Hope in a hopeless situation, I guess.
Alright, I hope I haven’t bored you all to death.
This all to say that things are going super well down here. I just realized that it’s reading break in Canada... half-way through a semester! Wow. Why does time have to move so quickly?
Keep in touch.
Will write soon.
Sarah J
Ps – I posted more pictures in the “Gaborone” photo album
Friday, February 22, 2008
Get ready for IWD!
I obviously failed at pasting the IWD Events link to my last post. Ooops. So here it is:
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/search.asp?page=1&country=37
Notables:
-Vancouver : Rally/March.
-Ottawa: IWD Breakfast & "Roll Up Your Sleeves"
If you get involved, we'll exchange pictures - make it a truly global celebration of women who shaped progress!
Sarah :)
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/search.asp?page=1&country=37
Notables:
-Vancouver : Rally/March.
-Ottawa: IWD Breakfast & "Roll Up Your Sleeves"
If you get involved, we'll exchange pictures - make it a truly global celebration of women who shaped progress!
Sarah :)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Happy Valentines Day!
I've just realized that two weeks have passed since I last wrote. Oh no. Where has time gone? We have been so busy that even finding time to head to an internet cafe is proving to be quite difficult. But today it is just too hot, unbearably hot, infact. So, I've sought refuge in a cafe and will attempt to give a few updates on what's been going on in Gabs.
We moved into our permanent residence on the 28th of January. Now we're in flats in the West of Gaborone, not-so-endearingly called "G-West." Yes, its ghetto-esque name suites its style, but this only adds flare, I suppose. One of the highlights of our time in this neighbourhood came the day we moved in and Sam, one of our housemates, introduced us to the world of street brai. It's joyous and all-too delicious. It's quite simple. You buy a slab of beef from the butcher and then you cook it on a communal fire pit in the middle of a sandy area. It's a great way to meet people and is pretty much a daily social event here. Yumm! Beef is a big deal here in Botswana. No beef, no love. When we invite locals over, we must have meat in the house. If not, they may even leave. Needless to say, my tofu-filled diet is not conducive to living in Bots. Who knows, maybe I'll be a full-fledge carnivore by the time I return.
After a few days of tiring cleaning days, we settle into our new flat. Ellan and I are sharing a room, but luckilly it's on the second floor, so we can sleep with the windows open. It's HOT here in Bots! We haven't seen rain for several weeks and the days are sunny and breezeless. Riding combis is stickier than ever but we've learned lots of tricks for dealing with the heat. We always carry an umbrella to shelter ourselves from the sun and we've found a pool close by. The batswana are very impressed by our confidence in the pool; most of them do not know how to swim and have never seen the ocean. Many of them have not seen a river or a lake either. As you can imagine, when we show them the map of Canada, they are quite impressed by all of the blue.
Another memorable moment was last weekend's African Jazz Festival. It was fabulous and just hours of dancing to great up-beat music. The best part was seeing "Freshly Ground," a South African band that was just superb! You should all buy the CD. They are HUGE down here and I'm sure they'll be hitting the North American scene in a big way in no time.
Work is going well but we are very busy in the Gender Unit at SADC. I am learning A LOT and am nervously counting the days till the end of my contract; I have a lot to do in very little time. But I'm determined to get it all done. We are also working on preparations for SADC's International Women's Day event planned for March 7th. This year's theme is "Shaping Progress" and so we've planned to have a SADC employee from each member state speak about a women from their home country that has shaped progress in terms of women's rights and empowerment. It think it will be very interesting! I encourage you all to take part in International Women's Day. Here's a link to events taking place in Canada:
So after a month in this city, we're getting a little tired of Gabs. So we've planned several trips and have lot to look forward to. We intended to go to the Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland next weekend, but our flight from JoBurg to Manzini got cancelled :( We were quite bummed seen as how we had already requested the day off work, but have decided to postpone our Swazi adventure and head out to Kang in the Kalahari next weekend instead. We'll be visiting our friend Wairimo who works with the San (Botswana's aboriginal people, commonly but mistakenly called "Bushmen"). I'm really looking forward to learning about the San people and getting a taste for Village life.
So we pretty much have something planned for every weekend until our contracts finish. We're going to go camping in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, head up to Maun and Vic Falls for Easter week, go to Swaziland at the beginning of April..... evidently, there's lots to look forward to.
On the 14th we had a huge WUSC dinner as Paul, the executive director, was in town. What a way to spend V-day, hey? It was delicious though and really good to visit with the long-term interns and some alumni.
Some food for thought: While HIV and AIDS are part of life here, we are quickly realizing that so is stigma. We cannot even understand how the virus frames society here. If you are not infected, then you are surely affected by the number- one killer in the country. But stigma only worsens the situation and makes many peoples' lives even more difficult. We have encountered this sad reality in schools where children will not sit beside a classmate because he or she (or his or her parent) has the virus. Ellan, who is working in home-based care, recently visited a family who had moved their mother out of the house and into a carboard box outside because a) they believed that she could somehow infect the rest of the family simply by living in their quarters, and b) they wanted to hide her from their community for fear of being stigmatized. One consequence of stigma that we hear a lot about has to do with prenatal clinics and testing clinics. In Botswana, anyone can be tested for STIs at anytime for free. Moreover, pregnant women who carry the virus get free access to pre and post-natal treatment and specialized clinics that designed just to dramatically lower the chance of mother-to-child transmission. Oh, and anyone with HIV can get free ARVs. This is a one-of-the-kind and revolutionary health care system within the Southern African region. Nevertheless, stigma is causing this system to be ineffective as simply being seen entering one of these clinics, formula-feeding rather than breastfeeding, or taking ARVs, can cause someone to be socially outcasted. It certainly is an enigmatic situation, a vicious cycle, perhaps.
Ok, that's it for now, friends! Everything is going wonderfully out here and while I miss you all, I worry about how quickly my time here is flying by.
I promise to write again before we leave next weekend.
Kagiso ("peace" in Setswana),
Sarah
We moved into our permanent residence on the 28th of January. Now we're in flats in the West of Gaborone, not-so-endearingly called "G-West." Yes, its ghetto-esque name suites its style, but this only adds flare, I suppose. One of the highlights of our time in this neighbourhood came the day we moved in and Sam, one of our housemates, introduced us to the world of street brai. It's joyous and all-too delicious. It's quite simple. You buy a slab of beef from the butcher and then you cook it on a communal fire pit in the middle of a sandy area. It's a great way to meet people and is pretty much a daily social event here. Yumm! Beef is a big deal here in Botswana. No beef, no love. When we invite locals over, we must have meat in the house. If not, they may even leave. Needless to say, my tofu-filled diet is not conducive to living in Bots. Who knows, maybe I'll be a full-fledge carnivore by the time I return.
After a few days of tiring cleaning days, we settle into our new flat. Ellan and I are sharing a room, but luckilly it's on the second floor, so we can sleep with the windows open. It's HOT here in Bots! We haven't seen rain for several weeks and the days are sunny and breezeless. Riding combis is stickier than ever but we've learned lots of tricks for dealing with the heat. We always carry an umbrella to shelter ourselves from the sun and we've found a pool close by. The batswana are very impressed by our confidence in the pool; most of them do not know how to swim and have never seen the ocean. Many of them have not seen a river or a lake either. As you can imagine, when we show them the map of Canada, they are quite impressed by all of the blue.
Another memorable moment was last weekend's African Jazz Festival. It was fabulous and just hours of dancing to great up-beat music. The best part was seeing "Freshly Ground," a South African band that was just superb! You should all buy the CD. They are HUGE down here and I'm sure they'll be hitting the North American scene in a big way in no time.
Work is going well but we are very busy in the Gender Unit at SADC. I am learning A LOT and am nervously counting the days till the end of my contract; I have a lot to do in very little time. But I'm determined to get it all done. We are also working on preparations for SADC's International Women's Day event planned for March 7th. This year's theme is "Shaping Progress" and so we've planned to have a SADC employee from each member state speak about a women from their home country that has shaped progress in terms of women's rights and empowerment. It think it will be very interesting! I encourage you all to take part in International Women's Day. Here's a link to events taking place in Canada:
So after a month in this city, we're getting a little tired of Gabs. So we've planned several trips and have lot to look forward to. We intended to go to the Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland next weekend, but our flight from JoBurg to Manzini got cancelled :( We were quite bummed seen as how we had already requested the day off work, but have decided to postpone our Swazi adventure and head out to Kang in the Kalahari next weekend instead. We'll be visiting our friend Wairimo who works with the San (Botswana's aboriginal people, commonly but mistakenly called "Bushmen"). I'm really looking forward to learning about the San people and getting a taste for Village life.
So we pretty much have something planned for every weekend until our contracts finish. We're going to go camping in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, head up to Maun and Vic Falls for Easter week, go to Swaziland at the beginning of April..... evidently, there's lots to look forward to.
On the 14th we had a huge WUSC dinner as Paul, the executive director, was in town. What a way to spend V-day, hey? It was delicious though and really good to visit with the long-term interns and some alumni.
Some food for thought: While HIV and AIDS are part of life here, we are quickly realizing that so is stigma. We cannot even understand how the virus frames society here. If you are not infected, then you are surely affected by the number- one killer in the country. But stigma only worsens the situation and makes many peoples' lives even more difficult. We have encountered this sad reality in schools where children will not sit beside a classmate because he or she (or his or her parent) has the virus. Ellan, who is working in home-based care, recently visited a family who had moved their mother out of the house and into a carboard box outside because a) they believed that she could somehow infect the rest of the family simply by living in their quarters, and b) they wanted to hide her from their community for fear of being stigmatized. One consequence of stigma that we hear a lot about has to do with prenatal clinics and testing clinics. In Botswana, anyone can be tested for STIs at anytime for free. Moreover, pregnant women who carry the virus get free access to pre and post-natal treatment and specialized clinics that designed just to dramatically lower the chance of mother-to-child transmission. Oh, and anyone with HIV can get free ARVs. This is a one-of-the-kind and revolutionary health care system within the Southern African region. Nevertheless, stigma is causing this system to be ineffective as simply being seen entering one of these clinics, formula-feeding rather than breastfeeding, or taking ARVs, can cause someone to be socially outcasted. It certainly is an enigmatic situation, a vicious cycle, perhaps.
Ok, that's it for now, friends! Everything is going wonderfully out here and while I miss you all, I worry about how quickly my time here is flying by.
I promise to write again before we leave next weekend.
Kagiso ("peace" in Setswana),
Sarah
Monday, January 28, 2008
Combis and Cow Heads
Greetings from Linga Longa, a local watering hole that has WIRELESS INTERNET!
Botswana is truly the wettest land-locked desert. It’s been raining for almost a week. Now, being a Vancouverite, I thought a few summer rainspells would be child’s play... but that has not been the case. When it rains in Gaborone the city transforms into one large, rushing river. The infrastructure was not developed for the rain. Anyways, it makes for an interesting trek to work. Oddly enough, "pula," a cheer and also the currency, means "rain" and "thebe," their cent, means "raindrop." This is because rain, like money, was such a delicacy. My friends here tell me that I should be thankful that I’ve gotten a week break from the normal summer sun and that I’ll regret my whining about the rain once temperatures soar back up... I think they are right! I’m hoping that the rain is gone for good now though as we got a whole day of sun today.
This morning Ellan and I went to a women’s group breakfast with Wairimu, a lady who’s staying in our compound. She’s Kenyan and is working in the Kalahari with the San people. Most of the ladies at the breakfast were Kenyan and there was a lot of discussion and debate about the recent post-election strife in Nairobi. It was super interesting to hear the points of view of women with a personal stake in the political future of the country... rather than regurgitated and exaggerated information from CNN and the likes.
Then we headed to the Son of the Soil cultural festival in Toelkweng. It was definitely the highlight of my time here so far. There was traditional dancing, singing, food and dress. The best part of it all was that it wasn’t at all geared towards tourists, just a genuine community event to celebrate a culture and history that is disappearing and being forgotten amidst the fast cosmopolitan development in Gaborone. To be honest, I felt a little bit like an intruder... I will post some pics from the event, so check them out!
The dancing at Son and Soil was AMAZING. I don’t quite know how to describe it because I’ve never seen anything like it. It was so animated and just incredible. Every dance told a story. Intense expression seeped from the dancers’ eyes, fingers and toes! It was also just nice to visit with people and ask them a multitude of questions about what they were wearing, eating or singing. The Bastwana are very open to all of our questions and are always happy to share their lives with us.
We’re getting ready for another week at our placements. It’s taken a while to get settled in and figure out what I’m supposed to be doing and how I’m supposed to act. But at least I’m busy as I’ve been assigned a bunch of projects. Getting to and from work is definitely adventurous though. I leave home around 6:00am and take two combis to work, stopping along the way to pick up a few pieces of fruit from some lady vendors on the side of the street.
Imagine cattle being corralled into an old rickety sauna-on-wheels then piled one on top of the other. This is what taking a combi is like. They are old vans and Gaborone’s public transport, although there are no schedules, rules of safety measures involved. Walking through the bus depot, a massive concrete slab packed with taxis and combis, is also quite an experience. Let’s just say that being a woman – a white woman – makes it all that more exciting ... and nerve-wracking. Not to mention the theft and danger of being surrounded by unpredictable and crazy combi drivers. I’ve already caught several people, from children to old ladies dressed like a nun, taking a peek into the outside pockets of my backpack. Unfortunately for them, there’s never anything in there. I am tempted to leave them a note though. Most of the time I just turn around and politely tell them that I’m sorry but there’s nothing in there and to try again next time.
Don’t let me paint a picture of a criminal culture though. The bus depot is just a hot-bed for those who reach a level of desperation that I certainly cannot understand. It is crazy, crowded and overwhelming though. But I love it. It’s exciting and feels like some sort of intense cultural immersion... just combi-ing to and from work every day. And I’m getting used to it and know how to clutch my backpack like a child on my front and say “next stop, please” in Setswana.... even though my wimpy announcement, an absolute massacre of the language, is usually followed by chuckles from my fellow passengers. At least I’m entertaining!
That’s it for now, friends! Keep in touch.
Sarah
Botswana is truly the wettest land-locked desert. It’s been raining for almost a week. Now, being a Vancouverite, I thought a few summer rainspells would be child’s play... but that has not been the case. When it rains in Gaborone the city transforms into one large, rushing river. The infrastructure was not developed for the rain. Anyways, it makes for an interesting trek to work. Oddly enough, "pula," a cheer and also the currency, means "rain" and "thebe," their cent, means "raindrop." This is because rain, like money, was such a delicacy. My friends here tell me that I should be thankful that I’ve gotten a week break from the normal summer sun and that I’ll regret my whining about the rain once temperatures soar back up... I think they are right! I’m hoping that the rain is gone for good now though as we got a whole day of sun today.
This morning Ellan and I went to a women’s group breakfast with Wairimu, a lady who’s staying in our compound. She’s Kenyan and is working in the Kalahari with the San people. Most of the ladies at the breakfast were Kenyan and there was a lot of discussion and debate about the recent post-election strife in Nairobi. It was super interesting to hear the points of view of women with a personal stake in the political future of the country... rather than regurgitated and exaggerated information from CNN and the likes.
Then we headed to the Son of the Soil cultural festival in Toelkweng. It was definitely the highlight of my time here so far. There was traditional dancing, singing, food and dress. The best part of it all was that it wasn’t at all geared towards tourists, just a genuine community event to celebrate a culture and history that is disappearing and being forgotten amidst the fast cosmopolitan development in Gaborone. To be honest, I felt a little bit like an intruder... I will post some pics from the event, so check them out!
The dancing at Son and Soil was AMAZING. I don’t quite know how to describe it because I’ve never seen anything like it. It was so animated and just incredible. Every dance told a story. Intense expression seeped from the dancers’ eyes, fingers and toes! It was also just nice to visit with people and ask them a multitude of questions about what they were wearing, eating or singing. The Bastwana are very open to all of our questions and are always happy to share their lives with us.
We’re getting ready for another week at our placements. It’s taken a while to get settled in and figure out what I’m supposed to be doing and how I’m supposed to act. But at least I’m busy as I’ve been assigned a bunch of projects. Getting to and from work is definitely adventurous though. I leave home around 6:00am and take two combis to work, stopping along the way to pick up a few pieces of fruit from some lady vendors on the side of the street.
Imagine cattle being corralled into an old rickety sauna-on-wheels then piled one on top of the other. This is what taking a combi is like. They are old vans and Gaborone’s public transport, although there are no schedules, rules of safety measures involved. Walking through the bus depot, a massive concrete slab packed with taxis and combis, is also quite an experience. Let’s just say that being a woman – a white woman – makes it all that more exciting ... and nerve-wracking. Not to mention the theft and danger of being surrounded by unpredictable and crazy combi drivers. I’ve already caught several people, from children to old ladies dressed like a nun, taking a peek into the outside pockets of my backpack. Unfortunately for them, there’s never anything in there. I am tempted to leave them a note though. Most of the time I just turn around and politely tell them that I’m sorry but there’s nothing in there and to try again next time.
Don’t let me paint a picture of a criminal culture though. The bus depot is just a hot-bed for those who reach a level of desperation that I certainly cannot understand. It is crazy, crowded and overwhelming though. But I love it. It’s exciting and feels like some sort of intense cultural immersion... just combi-ing to and from work every day. And I’m getting used to it and know how to clutch my backpack like a child on my front and say “next stop, please” in Setswana.... even though my wimpy announcement, an absolute massacre of the language, is usually followed by chuckles from my fellow passengers. At least I’m entertaining!
That’s it for now, friends! Keep in touch.
Sarah
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Pictures
Posted a link to my photo album at the top right corner of this blog. ----->
Unfortunately Gaborone is not the best place for photography. It is illegal to take a picture of a government building, statue, employee, or uniform personnel in Botswana. Gaborone, being the capital, the Central Business District and SADC headquarters means that you pretty much have to hide inside a garbage can before you can take a picture.... that is as long as the garbage can isn't government-issued, of course.
So once we start venturing outside of the city, we'll get a chance to exercise our duty as foreigners to take an excessive amount of pictures!
Unfortunately Gaborone is not the best place for photography. It is illegal to take a picture of a government building, statue, employee, or uniform personnel in Botswana. Gaborone, being the capital, the Central Business District and SADC headquarters means that you pretty much have to hide inside a garbage can before you can take a picture.... that is as long as the garbage can isn't government-issued, of course.
So once we start venturing outside of the city, we'll get a chance to exercise our duty as foreigners to take an excessive amount of pictures!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
So much to say
Dumelang! (Hello everyone),
Wow, it's been almost a week and I have learned SO MUCH. We just finished our orientation week with WUSC. We met with experts in Social Services, HIV/Aids, Youth, Bostwana's history, culture and economy and have literally completed what feels like an intensive crash-course in everything Botswana. My notebook is full or stars and exclamation marks and the margins are crowded with "read more about this" or "google this". Perhaps the most interesting discussion I had was this Fortune, a WUSC employee, who grew up in Zimbabwe. He has such an incredible career in International Development; it just blew me away. Perhaps what he is most proud of is his work with the rural tribal community he is originally from. Until recently, they practiced ritual cleaning, a "dangerous sexual behaviour" in which widows would be forced to engage in unprotected sexual relations with the brother or cousin of their late husband as a way of cleansing and maintaining the important family dynamics. This instance is a good example of where "culture" comes into question. This practice was allowing HIV to spread rampantly through the community.
On this note, I have been termed the "gender girl" within WUSC Botswana; every issue that we study or session we attend takes a turn towards "gender" just for me. It's quite funny how you can build a reputation so quickly when no one around knows you well. Nevertheless, gender relations, coupled with the HIV epidemic reign as ever-present and unavoidable issues within daily life here. Don't you worry, you'll be hearing much more about this; I promise.
Ok, so on a more touristic note, we went to Mokolodi Nature Reserve on Thursday. I don't know if I've ever felt (and looked like) such a giddy tourist before. Take the excitement you felt the first time you stood under the Eiffel tower and multiply it by one thousand. We were metres from four African elephants and saw worthogs and impallas and zebras. We even caught a glimpse of a giraffe (AMAZING) hidden in the bush. I will post a few pictures once time and my computer battery allow.
I start work on Monday at SADC and after my meeting with them on Wednesday I'm super psyched. I know I am going to learn SO MUCH just being in a gender advocacy/policy/mainstreaming/coordination environment. Also, since SADC is a regional intergovernmental organization, I'm looking forward to also learning about the gender and development issues that are unique to all 14 member states.
Enough said for now. Keep in touch and let me know how things are back in the Great White North.
It ranges between 35-37 degrees here mixed with random, short and very intense rainfalls. Everyone carries and unbrella to protect themselves from both the very hot sun and the unfamiliar rain.
Pula! (A farewell cheer...and also the currency)
Wow, it's been almost a week and I have learned SO MUCH. We just finished our orientation week with WUSC. We met with experts in Social Services, HIV/Aids, Youth, Bostwana's history, culture and economy and have literally completed what feels like an intensive crash-course in everything Botswana. My notebook is full or stars and exclamation marks and the margins are crowded with "read more about this" or "google this". Perhaps the most interesting discussion I had was this Fortune, a WUSC employee, who grew up in Zimbabwe. He has such an incredible career in International Development; it just blew me away. Perhaps what he is most proud of is his work with the rural tribal community he is originally from. Until recently, they practiced ritual cleaning, a "dangerous sexual behaviour" in which widows would be forced to engage in unprotected sexual relations with the brother or cousin of their late husband as a way of cleansing and maintaining the important family dynamics. This instance is a good example of where "culture" comes into question. This practice was allowing HIV to spread rampantly through the community.
On this note, I have been termed the "gender girl" within WUSC Botswana; every issue that we study or session we attend takes a turn towards "gender" just for me. It's quite funny how you can build a reputation so quickly when no one around knows you well. Nevertheless, gender relations, coupled with the HIV epidemic reign as ever-present and unavoidable issues within daily life here. Don't you worry, you'll be hearing much more about this; I promise.
Ok, so on a more touristic note, we went to Mokolodi Nature Reserve on Thursday. I don't know if I've ever felt (and looked like) such a giddy tourist before. Take the excitement you felt the first time you stood under the Eiffel tower and multiply it by one thousand. We were metres from four African elephants and saw worthogs and impallas and zebras. We even caught a glimpse of a giraffe (AMAZING) hidden in the bush. I will post a few pictures once time and my computer battery allow.
I start work on Monday at SADC and after my meeting with them on Wednesday I'm super psyched. I know I am going to learn SO MUCH just being in a gender advocacy/policy/mainstreaming/coordination environment. Also, since SADC is a regional intergovernmental organization, I'm looking forward to also learning about the gender and development issues that are unique to all 14 member states.
Enough said for now. Keep in touch and let me know how things are back in the Great White North.
It ranges between 35-37 degrees here mixed with random, short and very intense rainfalls. Everyone carries and unbrella to protect themselves from both the very hot sun and the unfamiliar rain.
Pula! (A farewell cheer...and also the currency)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Safe and sound
Hello everyone,
It's been a long trip, but I've arrived in one piece... just without my luggage which somehow didn't make it on my flight from Botswana. But I'm told that there is still hope that it's coming on a later flight as I was not the only one who was in this situation. Oh well, no big deal. I'm just happy to be here and have my feet firmly placed on the ground, rather than squitched between airplane seats!
I got picked up at the airport and have met all the WUSC staff members; they are all very kind and helpful!
Anways, I've got lots to do and a roommate to meet.
Keep in touch!
Sarah
It's been a long trip, but I've arrived in one piece... just without my luggage which somehow didn't make it on my flight from Botswana. But I'm told that there is still hope that it's coming on a later flight as I was not the only one who was in this situation. Oh well, no big deal. I'm just happy to be here and have my feet firmly placed on the ground, rather than squitched between airplane seats!
I got picked up at the airport and have met all the WUSC staff members; they are all very kind and helpful!
Anways, I've got lots to do and a roommate to meet.
Keep in touch!
Sarah
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