More Camp GLOW pictures

At the High Court of Botswana in Lobatse; meeting with Unity Dow (top left in the picture), girls dancing at camp, my group of girls with my co-facilitator, us with our GLOW banner, fun around the campfire.

Pictures from GLOW and SSI Christmas Party

Stepping Stones kids with their Christmas presents, some other GLOW facilitators, kids having fun with the camera on Friday, and kids acting in the drama competition

Highlights (and a few low points) of Camp GLOW

After attending a few days of camp with the kids from Stepping Stones, I jetted off to Botswana College of Agriculture for Camp GLOW with youth from Baylor Teen Club. The camp consisted of 54 kids from 12 different villages/towns throughout Botswana. Here are some highlights from my journal for the week. (See pictures above)

Sunday: Today was the first morning of GLOW- and what an early morning it was! The sun was up by 5 and campers and facilitators all reluctantly got up at 5:45 for morning exercises. It was tough motivating my group to get up and moving, and I could tell they were stressed about interacting with other kids they didn’t know. Fortunately throughout the day things slowly improved- it was nice to see everyone making new friends by the end of the day.

It was sad to see one of my campers leave this morning- she had become very ill and had to go to the hospital. I hope that she’ll be okay. I’m sad that she’ll be missing this opportunity, I think the camp will be a great learning experience for everyone involved.

Monday: I led my first session today- I was pretty nervous but so excited to have Natefo, a nurse auxiliary from Baylor Clinic, as my co-facilitator- she’s great! Very enthusiastic and excellent with the girls. We presented a session on marriage and family, and it was really interesting to hear the girls’ different views on the topics. One of the main goals of the week is to get girls and guys to think clearly about the choices they have and to help them make healthy decisions. Hopefully we’ll be successful in this task.

Wednesday: Today the fatigue really set in for most of the campers and leaders- it makes sense, after having 4 days here full of activities and sessions. We still managed to cram in a bunch of activities, starting with the 5:45am wake up call, going room to room to get everyone out of bed for exercise.

The most notable of today’s sessions were the drama competition and an informal debate. The kids were divided into groups to portray different situations that commonly occur in Botswana such as infidelity leading to HIV infection, prostitution, stigma and discrimination because of HIV, etc. I was really impressed at everyone’s acting abilities- it’s amazing the dialogue and stories they were able to come up with with limited preparation. The debate activity was intense, with questions about whether or not marital rape exists (most said it does) and if all forms of sexual orientation should be legal in Botswana (the vast majority said no). Us Peace Corps Volunteers had to stick together with the few kids who were brave enough to argue for those who weren’t heterosexual. It was discouraging to see how many of the kids believed that homosexuality was wrong and awful, and yet had no good reasons to back up their beliefs. And all this after talking all morning about the importance of human rights. How disappointing! Botswana has a long way to go in terms of equality.

Friday: Today we had both a dance competition and a talent show. Boy, these kids can dance! And sing, and act… I’m thoroughly impressed. The most random of the “talents” was one of the boys who got up to preach to the audience about “taking the straight path to JESUS!” and that “those who drink alcohol are all going to HELL!!!” I was a bit taken aback, and then I looked around and realized all the other kids and Batswana facilitators were screaming “Halleluiah!” at the top of their lungs. I know for a fact that I’m not the only one there who enjoys the occasional glass of wine, so I found the scene a bit puzzling and disturbing. But this is not the first, nor will it be the last, time that Botswana has shocked me.

Saturday: Today we woke early as usual, got ready and boarded the buses for Lobatse. This was by far the nicest bus I’ve been on since being in Botswana- air conditioning, cushy seats with a reclining option, and fun house music that helped me zone out and perk up. I was amazed at how beautifully Kgale hill and its surrounding areas have become with the rain- the landscape is lush and a shockingly brilliant color of green. We arrived at Lobatse High Court and the home of Unity Dow- the famous author and first female high court judge of Botswana. She was kind enough to arrange for all of us to spend a day at her house and the court learning about human rights and different career/future options for the youth, as well as doing a mock trial. The kids started out in groups in the lovely house, each led by a couple of local professionals. Us facilitators got a chance to relax and read newspapers and magazines while drinking strong, real coffee (not the bitter powdered stuff I’ve been subsisting on at camp)- I was thrilled. The kids seemed to be engaged and interested in what was going on. We had a delicious catered lunch thanks again to Unity Dow and her husband Peter, the education coordinator for Mokolodi Nature Reserve. I’d met him last week at the Stepping Stones Camp but hadn’t realized he was married to Unity Dow.

Following the lunch was a mock trial in one of the actual courtrooms, with several of the kids dressed in full legal attire. It was a rather comical affair, most of the youth having had no experience even witnessing any sort of trial. Part of it could have been since the kids conducted the trial primarily in English- maybe things would have sounded less funny in a language they were more comfortable with.

In the evening we had our closing ceremonies. My favorite part of the evening was a praise circle- everyone, facilitators and campers alike, sat in a huge circle with our backs to the middle. Two groups at a time were asked to stand in the middle and to tap the backs of any people who they thought had certain positive qualities that were read aloud. It was so overwhelming to be tapped so many times, to realize that even in a week we made an impact on so many people in so many different ways. What a great way to end this very challenging and rewarding week.

Pictures from Camp

Just a few pictures from camp with the kids from my program- some goofy photos, some of the boys in their mock initiation ceremony (not taken by me, no girls allowed!) and some of the girls plaiting hair during a break. Although I was only able to spend a short time at the camp, it was great to be able to bond more with these wonderful, fun, lively kids, and the camp setting really made the experience more enjoyable (the showers were even working this time around!). We did activities such as drama, arts and crafts, advocacy training, goal setting activities, and the Journey of Life- a session in which everyone creates a timeline of their good and bad experiences in their life thus far- it's a very intense session, but it was great to get to know the kids better and to be able to support them in dealing with the hardships they've faced. Most of the kids at the camp were orphans, and several youth were HIV positive, so some very personal and difficult issues came out of the activity. Luckily all of the staff at the camp are trained in counseling and several are social workers, so the each child will be followed up with on an individual basis and assisted in getting any help they need. And luckily all the kids seem very supportive of each other- I think it's helpful to everyone to have friends around who have had similar experiences.
I'll be reporting on another camp I'll be attending for the next week or so, stay tuned for more pictures and stories! :)

Busy busy!

Here's a silly picture of the little furballs that now live with me (and yes, I am giving them away when they're old enough, I don't want to become a crazy cat lady afterall). But they sure are cute, and help keep me company.
Things have been very busy- planning for 2 camps with the kids from my program and the GLOW camp I mentioned previously. I'm also in the midst of writing a proposal for a drama/dance project that would allow the kids in my program the chance to learn performance art and then tour around the district advocating for positive change among youth in Botswana. Wish me luck!
Lately huge thunderstorms have been frequenting the area, bringing with them torrential downpour which has turned the dry, brown sand and shrubs into a luscious emerald green scene- a change I've long been waiting for. Unfortunately the combination of storms and the surge in power use by those with air conditioners has brought about frequent power outages for the rest of us- my power goes out at some point nearly every day. But I'm still thankful to have power at all!
Recently there have been some tragedies among my Peace Corps friends- my best friend's boyfriend died suddenly of a heart attack, and another friend of mine very suddenly lost her mother. Events like these remind me of how much I take for granted, and I'm so thankful that my loved ones are alive and well!
Speaking of being thankful, us Peace Corps volunteers will be celebrating Thanksgiving together- in the absence of family it will be nice to have some sense of community. And lots of delicious food! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home.
Things will be crazy busy over the next month, but I'll try to write when I can, hopefully before Christmas.

Summer heat and Camp GLOW

From the refreshing cool of Oregon back to the excruciating heat of Botswana... it hasn't been an easy transition back! But weather aside, things here are going well. I recently attended a facilitation training in Maun, a town in the northern part of Botswana which is the gateway to the Okavango Delta. I've been selected to accompany 3 HIV positive girls from a great program in Gaborone to Camp GLOW, a leadership camp that will take place in December. Adolescent girls and boys from all over the country will be at camp for a week, with activities addressing everything from relationships, self-esteem, and leadership to prevention of HIV addressing stigma related to being HIV positive. It should be a great experience to be a part of.
Work has been very busy, trying to get everything organized before we have our holiday break in December. I'm trying to figure out travel plans, as this may be the last chance I'll have to travel before I finish Peace Corps next May or June.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, I'll try to post some soon!

Pictures of New Kids, New Center

Some of the new kids at Stepping Stones; My new office; the main hall of the new center

New Center and Kids!

Last week we officially reopened Stepping Stones at our brand new, beautiful and huge center. We just added an additional 30 kids to our program, making the total close to 60. The new kids are really funny and cute, it's been nice to see some new faces! They seem to be enjoying the program- so many of them don't have anything to do after school otherwise, so it's a nice treat to play games, get help with homework, do art, etc. A lot of them are coming from difficult home situations- I recently found out that one kid has been repeatedly sexually abused by her brother who suffers from a mental illness; most of the kids in our program are living in poverty and caring for younger siblings; most are beaten at school (corporal punishment is acceptable here) and often at home as well. It makes me really sad to hear about the issues they deal with, but it's great to have the opportunity to help them grow and learn to be kids- giving them a chance to play and have fun with other kids their age, even if just for a few hours a day, is such a good reason for me to be here. Nothing can compare to the sense of fulfillment I get from seeing these kids smile and have fun.
In addition to working for Stepping Stones, I've started volunteering for Baylor Clinic- a fantastic clinic for HIV+ kids in Gaborone. They do monthly teen club meetings with activities such as sports, group talks, field trips, etc. Since kids come from villages all over to attend these teen club meetings, and since many are from Mochudi, I'm helping to start up a similar teen club in Mochudi. It amazes me to see how much being on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment has helped these kids to be healthy and maintain reasonably normal lives. Botswana is one of the only (or perhaps the only?) country in Africa that provides free ARVs for all citizens. Thanks to these drugs, the average life expectancy has increased dramatically. Of course, like any public health program, it's not perfect, and a lot of people still don't have access to the care they need, but it's a step in the right direction.
I'll post pictures of the new center and activities soon!

Sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Botswana

Sorry everyone for neglecting to write for so long. Over the past few weeks I've been reflecting on the differences between back home and Botswana (vast as they are) and realizing all that I've grown accustomed to after being here for over a year. So I thought I would summarize some of the things one might see, hear, smell, and taste if they were in my shoes for awhile...
I see women carrying everything imaginable balanced carefully on their heads; women sweeping their sand yards with handmade straw brooms; cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, chickens and sometimes horses roaming everywhere (even in the roads); emaciated dogs scavenging for food (and cowering in fear at people trying to beat them); bright blue sky with rarely a cloud in it; reddish sand covering the ground in every direction, divided by thick dry bushes and long white grass; shrubs with spikes resembling toothpicks growing in abundance (I'm careful to avoid running into them); bugs larger than I've ever witnessed- grasshoppers nearly as big as my hand, 'corn beetles' the size of a mini candy bar (with creepy thick exoskeletons); the one small river in Mochudi- a murky, greenish, slow-moving body of water with the occasional fish surfacing for food; white toyota vans going in all directions as public transport (they're called combis); old rickety buses spewing black exhaust; people flooding the streets of my large village at all hours, every day of the week; tiny kids without supervision running barefoot, chasing after hollowed out tires and tiny cars created from old wires; the "barber shops" that consist of a few strips of corrugated metal nailed to wooden poles in a shed-like structure, with electric clippers connected to a car battery.
I hear the customary greetings of "Dumela Mma" and "Dumela Rra" (hello ma'am and sir), the laughter of children playing; the braying of donkeys; cows, chickens, and all aforementioned wildlife calling out; the constant honking of combis looking for passengers; blasting traditional or hip hop music spewing from vehicles and oversized speakers in front of stores in town (always a good promotional tool); the early morning harmonic singing of funeral processions; religious music bellowing from the striped church tents; a distorted voice echoing through the village from the public announcement system (a government vehicle that circles throughout the village with a loudspeaker on top); "lekgoa"- the word for white person- being shouted at me at every opportunity.
I don't mean to sound negative, but some of the smells here can be rather offensive- being in close proximity with many people who rarely bathe or wash their clothes, and in the constant heat- body odor is one of the most predominant smells I'm exposed to, often overwhelmingly so; burning trash in the evenings; the occasional dead animal being burned along the side of the road; car and bus exhaust; but then there are the good smells- the frying of "fat cakes"- round balls of fried white cake flour, much like doughnuts but not sweet; fresh spinach and other veggies cooking; the occasional nice perfume that someone is wearing.
Though I often cook what would be considered normal back home (rice and beans, pizza, coconut curry), I do enjoy traditional cuisine now and then- salad made from shredded beets, butternut squash, phaleche or pop (maize meal cooked until thick enough to eat with your hands); madombi- large dumplings served with soup and vegetables; bean salad made from baked beans and chakalaka (a spicy tomato, pepper, and onion mix); and the occasional piece of chicken. And who can forget the traditional cup of rooibos tea, although the weather is too hot to drink it most of the year.
So that is just a piece of my life through the senses. It's amazing to think that all this has become normal to me, but it feels good to have adapted. I will post another update soon, looking forward to being back in Oregon in less than 2 months now!!!

Not sure what to name this post :)

The last few weeks have been fairly uneventful- busy with work but very few social events- just taking it easy, spending time in Mochudi and learning A LOT at work. We recently selected the 27 new participants for Stepping Stones- it was really difficult to choose who would be good for the program because we wanted to be able to help all of the applicants, but unfortunately we can only do so much. There were several kids with severe emotional trauma, history of physical and/or sexual abuse, problems with anger, and failure in school. It was really sad to read about these kids, but reassuring to know that we can help most of them. It will be interesting to see how the new kids adapt to the current participants and the program in general- we'll have over 50 kids in total!
I've been learning about proposal writing and program management, activity development, and methods for working with difficult kids. I'm gaining a lot of skills that will hopefully help me with future jobs and school. It's hard to believe I have less than a year left in Botswana, I'm just trying to figure out what my next step will be! There are so many options, hopefully I'll figure out which one will be the best for me.
Sorry to not have much exciting to report, but I'll be sure to post pictures/more exciting stories next time I travel!

The story to go with the pictures...

I had almost forgotten to write about my trip when suddenly it dawned on me, as much as pictures are worth a thousand words, I should probably still write something :)
So my trip started out with a 12-hour bus ride from Gaborone to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Nothing much to note about that trip- the scenery was not too different from what I'm used to in my part of Botswana- dry, bushy, sandy. Still beautiful, but a lot of the same. Windhoek was shockingly clean, modern, and almost European-looking, except for its very wide streets- I felt like I had left Africa. I stayed at a very fun and cheap backpacking place and met up with my friends Tony and Jay- I knew Tony from my time at Willamette and Jay, his wife, was the person who had inspired me to join Peace Corps in the first place after I heard her stories about doing Peace Corps in Namibia in the 1990s. I was really excited to see them, although it was once again really strange to have my old life convene with my new one- sometimes I feel like I'm living on a different planet or in a strange dream, but seeing people from home just makes my old life seem that much more real.
I was really sad to hear that the depressing legacy of apartheid lives on in Namibia and in South Africa, as many Namibian and South African blacks live in terrible conditions on the outskirts of the clean, beautiful towns and cities, while the white people live in relative luxury. There are still difficult race relations in both countries, and crime against whites in predominantly black areas is quite common. It was sad to me that after having dinner with Jay's host sister from her Peace Corps experience and one of her friends, both of whom were Namibian, we were unable to drive them home because it wasn't safe for white people to drive in that part of town at night. It definitely made me realize one thing I value about Botswana- that sense of segregation is rare, and not present at all in most areas.
After a peaceful night's sleep in Windhoek, my friends and I hit the road- we drove from Windhoek to the border of Namibia and South Africa- a drive that was beautiful in it's dry, desert appearance, different enough from what I'd seen in Botswana to keep me taking pictures from the car all day. The landscape reminded me a lot of the southwest in the US- amazing rocky outcrops and desert colors, mixed with dry white grass and odd cacti. We stayed at a cute lodge in a place near almost nothing else- just a small vineyard bordering the place with a beautiful reddish rock hillside in the background. The lodge was a perfect end to a fun day- playing cribbage, enjoying Namibian beer, and eating a delicious fire-cooked meal with traditional side dishes.
Crossing the Orange River in the morning, we entered South Africa and headed further south to greener, somewhat more mountainous terrain. We reached a beautiful river valley with winding mountain roads, I was so excited just to see a flowing body of water for the first time in so long! Vineyards lined the valley, and we passed through miles of orange orchards. Everything seemed too beautiful to be true. Near evening we reached Cape Town and I was blown away to see the impressive and majestic Table Mountain immediately behind the town- it was partially engulfed in thick fog, but still shockingly close and magnificent. The city itself was clean, extremely modern, and more like anywhere in America I'd been since being in Africa. Skyscrapers and fountains, parks and condo complexes- it as a lot to take in. Our backpacking place was a quirky old house with all hardwood floors, elegant staircases, a bar, free internet and delicious coffee, and satellite tv- talk about luxury! And very cheap, I was relieved to find out.
While in Cape Town I rediscovered the excitement of delicious restaurant food- seafood, smoothies, wraps and gourmet sandwiches, cappucino, nachos, etc. I ate until I could hardly eat anymore! But food was inexpensive and too delicious to pass up, after so many months of my own cooking (which isn't awful, but access to delicious things is limited in Mochudi) :)
We spent a day just walking all over town- to one of the harbors on the Atlantic Ocean, through the heart of downtown, to an open air market with tons of beautiful arts and crafts, through a botanical garden, and eventually the several hour hike up to the cable car station on Table Mountain. We walked through amazing neighborhoods that held what I would consider dream houses overlooking the city and ocean below, up through tall palm trees, and finally, we were there. Unfortunately a cloud hung over the top of the mountain, but we made it up to the top by cable car anyway, getting amazing views along the way.
The next day we ventured out to Robben Island, home of the prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years for his speaking out against apartheid. It was truly inspiring to hear about how he and other great leaders who were imprisoned there helped to educate the other prisoners and even the guards. Despite awful living conditions and discrimination, somehow these people managed to maintain their dignity and make the best of a horrible situation. We were given a tour of the prison by a former prisoner- a man who had been held for 15 years for being part of a protest against inequality in schools when he was in high school. It was horrible to think about being imprisoned and treated inhumanely for so long when so young and simply asking for basic human rights.
The lighter side of the island was that it was home to thousands of rabbits (they were everywhere!) and over 60,000 African penguins (although we only saw a few). And the view of Cape Town, with the crashing waves on the rocky shores in the forefront, was stunning.
The next day I reluctantly returned to Botswana, but I was thankful to have had such a great adventure, covering so much ground and experiencing so much in just a matter of days.

Namibia and Cape Town (just a few photos)

From top left: 2 views of Cape Town from the ferry to Robben Island; 2 pictures of views from one of the many beaches in Cape Town with Signal Point in the background; sunset on the Atlantic; Namibia, south of Windhoek; sunrise on a hillside near the Namibia/South African border; guineafowl and cat; beautiful river gorge in northern South Africa; one of the harbors at Cape Town

A fantastic trip!

I just returned from my extremely fun and exhilarating sojourn to Namibia and Cape Town- check out pictures at lesliebotswana.myphotoalbum.com (I will post some here as well soon).
Stories to follow later this week when I have time to write.

We're famous!

My friends and I were recently made famous by Botswana's best-selling newspaper, the Voice (it's quite amusing since the Voice is famous for articles on witchcraft and demonic possession, and other such enlightening themes), but hey, fame is fame. There's an online version of the article about the walk that I participated in, along with some funny photos of my friend Stacy. Check it out at http://www.thevoicebw.com/index.php/Features-News/Features.html

A sad event

Life, true to form, is full of ups and downs. The last few weeks have brought some unfortunate events, the worst of which was the death of a fellow Botswana Peace Corps Volunteer, Cathy Saltwick. I did not know Cathy well, but the few times I spent time with her gave me the impression of someone who was truly kind, genuine, and very dedicated to helping others. She had a great sense of humor and will be missed by all of us. My friends designed a memorial blog for her at http://cathysaltwickmemory.blogspot.com/ if anyone is interested in reading about her.
On a lighter note, I'm excited there will be a new volunteer in Mochudi! His name is Rex and he'll be working with the District Aids Coordinator. I'm also looking forward to a trip to Namibia and Cape Town coming up later this month.

Stories and pics from the big hike

Top to bottom: Some of the falls in Moremi Gorge; Stacy and I in a narrow cavern we had to literally crawl through; an example of some of the climbing we did; one of the rock walls of the gorge; more waterfalls; Moeng Dam; boulders along the trail; Hunter and Stacy at Moeng Dam; the baobab tree at the entry to Moremi Gorge; another waterfall.





















I survived! 3 days of intense trekking through mostly deep, dry sand and rocks, approximately 150 kilometers (about 90 miles), 9 or 10 hours of hiking each day (including some serious rock climbing on the final day). It was a fantastic journey, but obviously completely exhausting. Two other Peace Corps Volunteers, Hunter and Stacy, accompanied me on the journey, as well as about 12 Batswana from different parts of the country. We had a small but energetic team which made all the difference when it came to keeping spirits up. We started from some church ruins in Old Palapye, the area that Palapye used to occupy in the 1800s before the resources were exhausted and moving was necessary. Day one- hiking from Old Palapye to Malaka, a very small village where the leader of our hike was from. There was very little impressive scenery on the first day, and it happened to be the longest of the three days as well (10 hours of hiking) so I have to say I got a little discouraged. Fortunately we had a nice meal and warm water to soak our feet in waiting for us at the campsite. I fell asleep very early and slept more soundly than ever. Day two- We ventured out to see an old reservoir and the Moeng Dam, a very small pool of water, but at the time seeing any water at all was exciting. The area surrounding the dam and the small streams nearby was relatively green and lush- I saw the first ferns I've seen in Botswana and got overly excited. It's amazing how a little green can brighten my spirits and remind me of home. The rest of the day was spent pushing ahead full force through more dry sand, tall grass, and brush, followed by a long and painful descent to the entry of Moremi Gorge. Everything ached, I was exhausted and on the verge of giving up- but finally we arrived at our camp under a fantastic Baobab tree that was glistening in the evening sun. We had come to a public campsite and, amazingly, there were showers and flushing toilets! Even though the shower was freezing, it felt great to get off the several layers of sweat and sand that covered me for the past 2 days. In the morning we ventured into the Moremi/Manonnye Gorge (Manonnye means vulture in Setswana)- this was by far the most beautiful and impressive part of the hike. A baboon barked at us from the top of the gorge and it echoed across the impressive rock walls. We climbed and struggled up and then down and up again until we could see one of the falls below- a very narrow but tall waterfall trickling down into a dark pool. We went on to see 2 other waterfalls, which, considering we're in Botswana and one of the driest places in Africa, was phenomenal. The rest of the day was spent climbing back to the base of the gorge and hiking through many hours more of sand and rocks, going through a small village and finally arriving back at the church ruins where we'd camped the first night. I was so excited to make it with minimal injuries, only one blister, and a beautiful porcupine quill I'd found for a souvenir. A giant thank you to everyone who helped me raise money for the hike, it was such a great and challenging experience!!

Earth Day, Camp, and Preparing for the walk

Pictures from the top: Girls at camp in their traditional attire; me with two of the girls from my program; campers with a hip hop artist; Beauty learning how to make beaded jewelry; my "wedding".

The last month has been jam-packed with activities and my blog has suffered a long dry spell, but hopefully someone out there is still reading it! I helped organize an Earth Day celebration for the kids in my program since Barclays Bank graciously donated a bunch of trees and plants to put in at our new center. Kids and staff from Stepping Stones International came together with Barclays staff to plant the new additions to the center, and then followed up with a Mochudi community clean up. It was great to introduce the idea of Earth Day to the community- most people here had never heard of it before.

I jumped right from planning Earth Day into helping pull together Camp Motlhodi- a camp run by the staff at my program as well as some leaders from other non-governmental organizations in the area for adolescent orphans and vulnerable children. We hosted the camp for the kids from my program as well as some other orphans from local schools, making a total of 40 participants. The focus of the camp was to emphasize of recognizing cultural traditions and values while appreciating the need to define personal identity, boundaries, rights and responsibilities in the modern age. This was the first time our organization had created a camp of its own, but overall it was a huge success- everyone seemed to have a great time and learn a lot during the week. The camp was held at Mokolodi Nature Reserve out in the hills outside of Gaborone, creating a peaceful, natural setting for the camp. Some of the key activities included a game drive, nature walks, arts and crafts, sports, life skills training, the Journey of Life (an activity aimed at helping kids come to terms with losses they’ve experienced in their lives and recognize the positive experiences they’ve had), drama presentations, and mock-traditional initiation ceremonies (introducing boys and girls to the importance of recognizing their culture, history, and traditions). There was even a mock traditional wedding to demonstrate how traditional ceremonies take place- quite comically I was persuaded by my coworkers to be the bride. I thought I would be wearing a traditional Setswana dress, but instead I was given a very 80s-eque lacy, poofy white wedding gown and a plastic gold tiara (hence the ridiculous pictures seen here). It was entertaining nonetheless- a very fun experience because the whole group was involved in some way and a fabulous dinner party commenced afterward. The camp concluded with a graduation ceremony, including a speech from the chief of the entire district. The camp was by far the most fun experience I’ve had at work since being in Botswana.

I’m now looking forward to my sponsored walk/hike which is coming up on the 17^th of May- hopefully I’ll survive! It should be a great challenge. Wish me luck!

Friends! And a mysterious bug bite

I was lucky enough to have some of my good friends from Oregon, Geoffrey and Liisa, visit me last week. They arrived from India exhausted and ready for some down time- something I was looking forward to as well. We spent the week exploring Mochudi, going grocery shopping (they hadn't seen a real grocery store in months), hiking in the hills and visiting Gaborone. It was surreal to have friends from home here, but so nice to be reminded of my former life.
Unfortunately just before they arrived, I started feeling ill- I had dizzy spells, a neck and headache, and felt weak. I couldn't figure out what was going on, but I had a bug bite on my leg that had formerly been just a bump, and was suddenly swelling, turning red, and scabbing over. I had it checked out, and sure enough, something poisonous had bitten me while I'd been hiking. Even after taking medication it proceeded to turn purple and swell more. I'm hoping that by the end of this week it will be completely better. It definitely woke me up to the fact that I'm not in Oregon anymore- poison ivy and nettle stings have been replaced by spiders the size of my hands and poisonous flies. I'm just thankful to have avoided any more serious illness so far!
Enjoy some pictures of Mochudi from the hills and a cool random shot of Geoffrey- he was waving his arms in the air and the camera just happened to take the shot at a very artsy moment.