Tales from Gaborone (Days 1 & 2)

Dumela!

So, it’s day three in Botswana, and I am having a great time. It seems like we have been here forever, I have so much to write…I don’t know where to start! I guess I will start with the plane ride…

From Athens to the University of Botswana, the travel time was 30 hours. We were on the plane from Atlanta to South Africa for over 16 hours straight! (We stopped in Dakar for fuel and a fun security check.) We have very little problems with the flight, though we were a bit late getting into South Africa. A few of us also had some missing luggage, me included. We had to go pick up our bags the next day, luckily nothing was missing. We arrived at the University of Botswana at 9pm, we had a late dinner and then all of us passed out. It was exhausting.

One of the first things that everyone noticed in Botswana was the language barrier. When we stepped on the plane from South Africa to Botswana, Setswana was the main language spoken. Everything had to be translated into English. Before we left for Botswana everyone was under the impression that English would be the main language used. While everyone knows English, there is a noticeable language barrier. We most always have people with us who speak Setswana, so it’s not so bad, just surprising.

One the first full day in Gaborone, we had a brief orientation that discussed security issues and introduced us to the University, and then we spent the rest of the day getting to know the area. We went to one of the local malls, and got a few needed supplies and to walk around a bit. The city seems to be build around the malls, with the centre of the city being “The Mall”. We have a mall within walking distance of the University, and it was a few restaurants and some coffee shops. It’s called Riverwalk, and I have a feeling we will make this our local hangout (We went there today, not Monday…). Monday night we all got together and just got to know each other a little better, it was good times.

On Tuesday we had a more interesting day. The first stop in the morning was the SOS Children’s Village, a local orphanage. We learned how the orphanage is operated, and then we went inside to play with the preschool children. The orphanage is set up in an interesting manner. There are about 16 houses at the orphanage, with several children living in one house with a house mother and often an assistant. The idea is that each child has a family within the orphanage to give them as normal life as possible. The house mothers are local women who have raised their own children. The older children go to the local schools and the preschool age children attend a school within the SOS compound.

The children were so cute. We were having such a great time with them that we actually stayed longer than we were supposed to, and postponed are other morning activity to the afternoon. The Children’s Village is one of the organizations we can work for, and I am really considering it. The only bad thing is, is that HIV and AIDS is not really talked about. The only mention of HIV or AIDS was when the question was asked how many children in the orphanage are suffering from the illness. We were told that 18 of the 180 children have the disease. I also have a feeling that if I work with these adorable children, that I will grow too attached, but we will just have to wait and see.

Tuesday afternoon we went to a local village to see a more rural community. This community, Thamaga, owned a pottery workshop and store. We were able to go into the workshop and see how the pottery was made. All the workers were very nice, and the pottery is fantastic! I bought a few pieces to take home, cross your fingers that it gets home ok! The villages surrounding Gaborone are a mix of modern and primitive. There are a lot of smaller more traditional looking buildings, but there are also a lot of modern structures. It was interesting to see.

Tuesday evening was pretty quiet. We finally figured out how to get onto the library computers without a hassle, but at that point I was so tired I could hardly think straight. I ended up going back to my room and passed out before ten p.m.! The jet leg hasn't been too bad, but it does have it's moments. Today I am doing much better, but it will still take a few more days to get completly used to the time difference and to recover from the hellish flight.

I am getting tired of writing, but I will put a few talking points to remind me what to write about for my next entry…and it will also give you something to look forward too! Here they are:

- Dichotomy between the rich and the poor.

- Food.

- Housing.

- Computer and Library problems/adventures.

- The women’s centre.

- HIV/AIDS

- Me tripping and falling on my bum.

- Anything else I can't think of right now!!!


Peace and Love,
Megan