Now-now

I just saw another volunteer post this comment to her blog:

"Living in Botswana you have a different sense of time. For instance, if someone says we are leaving “soon”, that means we are leaving in the next 3 hours. If we are leaving “now”, it means at least a 45-minute wait. If we are leaving “now now” we are leaving in the next 10 minutes, and you better be in the vehicle because they will leave without you. This whole “now now” business drives me crazy. I want to shout “But now means now!” I hate people saying we should meet at 2, and then not showing up until 2:45"

Reading this made me laugh, and reflect on how many times I've been frustrated with the difference between the cultures in how we view time. Everything runs a little slower here, but as a chronically late person even in the US, I have come to enjoy knowing that no matter how late I am here, someone else will be even later than me. It is NOT fun to attend meetings at 8am only to have them begin at 9am, or 10am (or 11am... or later) -- but this far in I know what to expect and I am no longer surprised. I also love saying the phrase "now-now", which used to mean just "now" in the US, but here in Bots you need extra emphasis to show you really mean NOW!

 

Here's a shout out to someone if they are reading...

Congratulations to my mom’s friend Forrest at Klahowya on his graduation, and happy belated 21st birthday!  Way to go Forrest!

Handing Over a House

This past weekend I attended a very moving ceremony in a village about 45 km from mine. In this village called Maboane there was a Peace Corps Volunteer, Jeanne Davey, for 2 years - in fact, she ended service and left her village today. The ceremony taking place was a "Handing Over of a House" event -- and it was, quite literally, opening the doors and handing over a newly constructed house to a local family. The building of this home began with Jeanne. She wrote a grant to pull in funding from the US and from community members for construction, and from start to finish the project took about 1 year.

This whole event was extremely touching for all attending. Not only was this house created for a very impoverished family -- a blind grandmother, 3 daughters, and at least 15 grandchildren (some orphaned) that actually had no shelter and were sleeping and living outdoors -- it was pushed thru to completion by community members working together despite many difficult circumstances. And so, this was truly a wonderful story about a community here in Botswana.

Seeing this was also a big deal for me personally, from a Peace Corps Volunteer perspective. I'd met Jeanne only recently, and at that time she told me about trying to raise money to hopefully complete a house before leaving. The next time I saw her she informed me, still shocked herself, that the money was raised and the house was built (and the building only began in early April!). She invited me to the ceremony and I knew I couldn't miss it. To everyone this is a community success story, but to me, it is also a Peace Corps success story. It really is remarkable that Jeanne got this going after seeing the basic need of a local family (which by the way is still heartbreaking to think about), and more importantly, was able to come thru for them. I'm so happy to have met Jeanne, to have seen what she accomplished, and to have been able to celebrate in her community with her. It was one of those days where I felt pride being part of Peace Corps, because despite what I may be feeling about my own service and accomplishments, there are Volunteers around the globe struggling to get things done but still doing amazing things. These successes often feel like my own in some way, and so it is great to see and share those moments with other Volunteers.

Congrats again, Jeanne, if you're reading! And thanks for all the inspiration you've given me.

Here's some photos from the event!

Jeanne speaking at the ceremony, thanking all the contributing community partners.

Community members gathered around the house for the ribbon cutting part of the ceremony.

Tents set up on the compound next to the house, where everyone was seated for the speeches

One area where the family 19+ members used to sleep outside

Another structure used for shelter by the family

The family's new home!

Jeanne and one of the family members in front of the new house

Also, our Country Director sent us a link to the US Embassy in Botswana Facebook page (who knew they had a Facebook page??) highlighting Jeanne's project -- there are more photos there as well -- this is the webpage:  US Embassy, Gaborone

Memorial Day

Just posting an article about veterans currently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in Botswana (a Huffington Post piece, written by another volunteer). Some things I found interesting were the similarities and differences between serving in Peace Corps and the military, as noted by the veterans during interviews.

The Few, The Proud: Military Veterans in the Peace Corps

Phakela le Bosigo (Morning and Night)

Just adding some sunrise and sunset photos from my village - I thought they were too nice not to share...

Sunrise - the view from inside my compound looking out.

Almost sunset - this is walking on the road towards my house.

Baithaopi ba dira eng? (What are volunteers doing?)

I can hardly believe I haven't written an update in 2 months already! The time is really passing here. I've been meaning to write something about what volunteers do in Botswana, so I think I'll start there...

First, let me list the 3 goals of Peace Corps:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

This is very broad, which is why what Peace Corps Volunteers do in one country is not necessarily what they would do in another - the program is designed around each countries' needs. The Peace Corps-Botswana program is a good example of this. Volunteers first entered the country in 1966 (shortly after independence) and continued coming until 1997, at which time Peace Corps withdrew based on Botswana's economic success. At the request of the president, the program re-opened in 2003 and volunteers began to serve with the specific focus in HIV/AIDS. This is the goal of Peace Corps in Botswana to-date, though volunteers serve in different roles, e.g.:

1. Life-Skills Volunteers - these volunteers are placed in schools
2. Community Capacity Building Volunteers - these volunteers are placed with a clinic or a social work office
3. District-Level Volunteers - these volunteers are placed with a District AIDS Coordinating Office (DAC Volunteers) or a District Health Management Team (DHMT Volunteers).

For those that don't know, I've been placed with the DHMT for my sub-district, Kweneng West. This office currently oversees 25 rural health facilities (clinics and health posts) and reports directly to the Ministry of Health every month. This is called my "primary assignment" and it is where I spend 3-4 full days working each week.

So you probably want to know what I really do? As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, my role is not to do a 'job' (i.e. I am not fulfilling a position a host-country national could have); rather the intent is to assist with work and train where possible. For the DHMT as a whole I try to improve organization and management, and I assist individual members with using the computers, improving presentations, writing reports, compiling monthly data from the facilities, etc. - whatever I feel I can help with.

To be honest, this is not the role I expected to have - I don't think any volunteer imagined working in a government office when they signed up for Peace Corps! But I have a good opportunity here -- a greater opportunity to learn than to teach, really, because 11 months into service I still feel like I'm trying to figure out the way things work! And I cannot fix the systemic problems I see but simply focus on the small-scale help I think I can offer.


In case you're interested...

Here is more about what volunteers do globally -
What do volunteers do - Peace Corps website

And here is more about volunteering in Botswana -
PC Botswana Program
PC Botswana WIKI

Ngwana wa Obama (Child of Obama)

In many foreign countries Americans are not always well received, but in Botswana it’s different. People here generally have a very positive view of Americans, which is great news for us! One little detail that’s helped us out has been good ol’ Barack being President. Since he has roots in Africa, many Africans claim him as their own, or at least display a great deal of fondness towards him. I saw this in Kenya (intensely so, as this was his father’s country of origin) and have experienced this several times in Botswana. Just today I was given a lift in my village by a man who asked where I was from. When I replied, “The U.S.”, he said to me “Ohhh. Ngwana wa Obama" with an approving nod and smile. Then we carried on with small talk and I answered a few questions he had about the U.S.

Many people in Botswana know a ton about America, especially in urban areas. It’s common to hear about people having studied at a university (for instance, many high ranking government officials) and lived or traveled there. But even in smaller places, bits of American culture permeate the everyday lives of people: American shows will show up on late night television; American news is often on the radio; and American music artists are constantly being played (I can hear American R&B and rap music every day on the radio…and the family I live on the compound with LOVE to blast Dolly Parton from their cars). 

It’s in the smaller areas, however, where misconceptions of the U.S. can thrive (many are quite hilarious). There is little known or understood about its’ diversity and complexity, or the fact that not everyone has as much money as Jay-Z, etc. Sometimes I find myself frustrated, falling into thinking, “Why don’t they GET me?”  But really, how could they? They cannot possibly understand where I come from - they are processing the information they are given. And while most people in America think Africa is a country and not a continent and/or can't name 1 country in the continent, at least people in a tiny village called Letlhakeng will name our President. So it’s our opportunity as Peace Corps volunteers to fill in the gaps in knowledge about our country as best we can… and I guess what I’m saying is… thanks Obama for the conversation starter!

ALSO, I tried to find some information on US-Botswana relations... all I could easily find was a tiny bit on Wikipedia:  US-Botswana information

And there is this piece about our Ambassador to Botswana, written by a Peace Corps Volunteer who had the opportunity to shadow one of her trips in-country:  Huffington Post - Michelle Gavin

Lastly, some Peace Corps-Botswana info:  US Embassy- Peace Corps

Dikwalo (Letters)

Do YOU like writing letters? Do you like ME?

If you answered YES to either of the questions above, you should send me a letter! Really, just a letter! I have everything I need in Botswana, but I love to hear from people back home.

Here is my address:

Diana Arper, PCV
District Health Management Team, RAC
Private Bag 003
Letlhakeng, Botswana

This is where it all comes ... it's the happiest place in town.

I love getting a parcel notification. See how happy it makes me!

By the way, my sister sent treats for my dog Bert in her last package. I needed to post some pictures for her to see how much he enjoyed them.

Here's what happened...

Sniff sniff...

Still sniffing...

Got it.

So happy. Thanks Alicia!

Tokolosi

Despite the wide practice of Christianity in Botswana, traditional practices are common throughout the country. In more rural areas of the country, like my sub-district, you don’t have to look too far or listen too long before seeing or hearing something about traditional healers. People will often consult a traditional healer regarding illness before attending the health facility, or consult both a doctor and a traditional healer at the same time. There is hardly anything secretive about this either – health promotion teams in my sub-district sometimes host workshops for traditional healers to enhance their understanding of health issues and encourage them to send people to clinics for medical help.

Aside from seeking help for health purposes, people of Botswana will go to traditional doctors to improve life circumstances… basically, they want “good luck”. But not everyone is looking to better their own life; some will see witch doctors to place a curse on someone they have a grievance with. Although I don’t know the full extent of all that can result from being cursed, one consequence I’ve come to know A LOT about is… the Tokolosi. I've become fascinated with this creature and bring it up at random. I've been told that if I keep asking about Tokolosi and writing its’ name it will bring me bad luck... I think I’ll take my chances.

So here's the deal - people have different ideas of what a Tokolosi looks like. Some have told me it is elf-like (think Dobbie from Harry Potter). Some have said it is part animal, part human. In any case, they agree it is a small creature that brings bad luck to a person until they consult a traditional healer or witch doctor to make it go away.

Here's what I believe to be an incredibly accurate sketch of a Tokolosi taking into account all things I've heard. I've been criticized because my creature is wearing pants, but I don't see why it can't have a bit of common decency in photos.

I’ve heard a variety of stories from people in my office about these little guys. Here are some examples:

• One man in a local town was thought to have been possessed by a Tokolosi. He had frequent outbursts in public and spoke in many languages.

•  After one local man’s father passed away, a Tokolosi appeared to him saying she belonged to his late father. The father had seen a witch doctor to become wealthy, and received a lifetime Tokolosi who made him have sex with it in return for financial gain.

• A local woman's sister was being troubled during sleep, right before she woke. She felt as if someone or something was strangling her while she slept and believed it could be a Tokolosi.

The tales go on and on and I giggle at all of them. People ask, since I don't believe, what my logical explanation is. I reply that there may be medical explanations… and also, that Africans just really love stories.

And actually, it would be great if the Tokolosi were real. This would explain all the problems I've been having in Botswana with breaking my headphones...

The Compound

My parents encouraged me to post more pictures of my compound .. so here they are. 

You can thank my parents for them!

This is the walk up to my gated compound. This is the left half where the main, large gateway is.

This is a photo of my main walkway. The main house is on the left, second house on the right, and my house is in the back (the edge of my house is just to the left of the car in the background).

A view of the front of the main house.

The front of the second house.

View from that car right next to my house.

Here's my house again!

Garage attached to the main house (left), my house (center), traditional round-house (right).

This is what's behind the houses - there's a shed and near the large tree (left) is a chicken coop with no chickens at the moment... actually there's geese there.

Here's the geese (ha). I have no idea why the family on my compound keeps them!

From the back of the compound, by the random geese.

 

Setswana house -- this is the traditional round house. It's used for storage, and it's where the housekeepers sleep.

The family has a lot of trucks... how American of them.

 Behind my house, another storage shed...may have been a garage at some point?

The sun sets right behind my compound.

Lwapeng (Home)

This is dedicated to all my oh-so-patient friends and family who have been waiting for me to post these photos (especially Traci!). And a shout out to my mom's class at Klahowya High School... if you've been reading I hope you enjoy!

Here's a little background:

I live on a family compound, meaning there are a few other homes on the plot owned and occupied by the same family. The "compound" style of living is common in Botswana and many volunteers end up being placed in this situation. In the beginning, it's a bit bizarre to imagine living 2 years in such close proximity to others, but there are benefits to having people closeby - it provides respite from loneliness we feel from time to time; it's extremely safe; and it's an easy opportunity to have cross-culture experiences (what we're all here for!).

Here is my little pink house! You can see how close I live to the family on my compound -- the building to the right is the main house. It's just 10 ft away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living room, view from the entrance to my home. The sink in the back corner is essentially my kitchen sink since there isn't one in my actual kitchen (very strange setup).

Living room, view from the entrance to my kitchen. The doorway in the background opens to my bedroom. Main entrance to the house is to the right.

Living room, view from the back by the "kitchen sink".

Living room, view from the entrance to my bedroom. The door in the background opens to the kitchen.

 

 

 

Kitchen. Cabinets and fridge.

 

 

Kitchen. Gas stove and gas tank.

Bathroom. I even have a shower! -- it's just to the right, the blue colored object is my shower curtain. The bathroom is connected to the kitchen.... again, very strange setup.

 

 

 

Entrance to my bedroom. Closet straight ahead....

My opened closet. I fit everything I brought with me here into this - I just shove it in there or on top!

My house has way too much furniture for its' size...this chair hardly fits in my bedroom. I feel like yelling the line from Knocked Up... "There are 5 different kinds of chairs in this hotel room!"

My mock aerial view, standing on the unnecessary chair in my bedroom. Admittedly, I can't blame just the chair - the mosquito netting over my bed also takes up quite a bit of space.

If you pull away the mosquito netting, you'll find a very big bed for a small girl. Yay!

R.I.P. El Mestizo

Dear Mestizos,

I just heard the news today all the way across the world and in a different time zone, months out from living in Seattle. But the news of your closing still shook me to my core. How did this happen? Where do the people of First Hill go to find reprieve during their work days and to enjoy delicious Mexican dishes?

I remember the first time I noticed you -- you replaced that sketchy pizza place whose name I never remember. You were like a beacon of light and we thought, for a while, that First Hill might be "up and coming". It wasn't. But nonetheless, you remained for a long time and I enjoyed so many memories in the restaurant. I remember May 5, 2010 camping out for hours after work and listening to the deafening sounds of the mariachi band playing whilst I ate my carne asada burrito laden with guacomole. Many times I've dreamed of that food here in Botswana, dreamed of having it again one day when I come home to visit. And now with this news my dream dies.

¡Descanse en paz, El Mestizo!

Holidays

Being away from home during the holidays can be difficult so it's a huge blessing to be able to gather with fellow volunteers to celebrate in familiar ways. Now having more time and knowledge of Botswana, friends and I adeptly traveled all over the country, sometimes enduring long, hot bus rides to visit each other. I've gained so many great memories in just the past 6 weeks or so celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah, and New Years. Here's where I spent the occasions...

Thanksgiving in Shakawe, on the Okovango Delta

We were accommodated by a person with a farm in Shakawe. This is the cabin we stayed in.

This was the view from that farm, right on the water!

We were also right next to a Crocodile Farm with a catchy name.

Our group of Americans and 1 Canadian hosted a big Thanksgiving dinner for locals at the Croc Farm.

Everyone waiting patiently to eat the food we'd cooked all day.

Happily dining together!

Thanksgiving plate before...

And AFTER.

We had to get a funny photo right before we left...

Christmas in Mochudi
 

We got photos with Santa in Gaborone on our way to Mochudi

We spent several days just playing games, watching movies, and visiting.

Our hosts were very sweet and hung up "stockings" for everyone coming.

We even had a little Charlie Brown tree! We forgot about the voltage difference and accidentally plugged this in -- it didn't light up after that :0(

My volunteer friend Britt near the table where dinner settings were being prepared

Here's our Christmas feast!

The group shot (and a great group I must say!)

Later we enjoyed lighting sparklers and a few enjoyed cigars. 
And one managed to enjoy both at the same time.

Some sort of 'Saved by the Bell' moment I captured after sparklers all went out - 
"Gooooo CHRISTMAS!"

Stay tuned for my New Year's photos!