Leslie's Adventures in India

The end of the road!

2011-07-22T03:43:00.001-07:00

Pictures: Dosa cooking on the griddle, some of our group on presentation day, remains of our indulgent "western" lunch, Erin on the beach in Chennai, and me with Thendral- our host mom from Thanjavur

Our course is officially over, hard to believe! The last 2 months, and especially the last week or so, have been a whirlwind of activity. Last weekend in Kerala was a calming reprieve from our projects, but it was nice to know how much progress we'd made and that our final papers and presentations would soon be complete. After 2 overnight trains in 3 days, I spent my last night in Thanjavur, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming transitions- to the chaotic city of Chennai, and then to St. Louis, and then Oregon. Our host mom in Thanjavur was sad to see us go, and we were sad to say farewell to her after her amazing hospitality and kindness. We said our goodbyes and took pictures with her before heading out for yet another overnight train.
My impressions of Chennai after being in India for 2 months are much different than upon my initial arrival- although things are chaotic and loud and still occasionally overwhelming, I feel more accustomed to the hustle and bustle, and I have a better understanding of the culture. I'm not as hesitant to venture out and explore, and I appreciate knowing how to navigate some of the busier streets and shops. A group of us endulged in a trip to the westernized mall on our first day back- I think some of us were craving some of the foods and comforts of home- and were excited to eat at Pizza Hut of all places. Other than that I'm trying to eat as much delicious Indian food as possible before I return to my usual diet.
Our final presentations were yesterday, and the preparation leading up to them was definitely tense- most of us were locked up in our hotel rooms writing, creating power points, and practicing speeches. I felt lucky that I wasn't presenting but helped my groupmate prepare. After hours of working on the paper and presentation slides we were both delirious and just hoped for the best the next day. The following morning most of the women in our group attempted to dress up in sarees (we all had creative approaches to draping them, none of which were correct), and headed to the ICTPH office. While waiting for presentations to start, I ventured to the cafeteria and was pulled aside by 3 female janitors- they insisted on fixing my saree. It was pretty comical having three strangers unravelling me and putting me back together again, kindly donating their safety pins to secure me in the endless fabric. We all laughed and had a good time.
The presentations went really well, although the audience was smaller and less intimidating than I was expecting. We were all prepared to be thrown challenging questions, but there were very few questions at all. At least were were prepared and the ICTPH staff attending seemed to be pleased with our proposals. ICTPH was kind enough to transport us to a nice resort on the beach of the Bay of Bengal for swimming and dinner. A few of us were adventurous and swam in the bay- the water was a perfect temperature and the waves were easy to swim through- I felt totally at peace.
Now I have 48 hours to say goodbye to India, process my time here, and spend time with my colleagues and friends who have made this experience pleasant, interesting, challenging and inspiring.

Kerala Pictures

2011-07-14T08:28:00.001-07:00

Kerala = Paradise

2011-07-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Kerala, listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful places in the world (according to some guidebooks)- I can certainly say it's on my top 10 list. But prior to arriving at such beauty, five other girls and I had a fun evening of riding the overnight train. Our host mom in Thanjavur, Thendral, was so kind and offered to make us dinner to go since we were leaving right at dinner time- she drove to meet us at the train station because she didn't want us to be late but insisted on bringing homemade dosas, curried vegetables, and coconut chutney (to die for). She even waited around with us and helped us find our seats- she's such a sweetheart! The train ride was alright, although sleeping was challenging- something about the stopping and going and swaying kept me awake. But we arrived on time at 6am and were picked up by our driver who took us around Kochi, a town on the Arabian sea. We visited a lovely cathedral, walked along the beachfront- there were numerous Chinese fishing nets, fishermen, and fish, accompanied by swarms of cats and crows eagerly awaiting scraps. Oddly there were also a lot of chicken feet strewn about the sidewalk... interesting. We were all pleasantly surprised at how clean the area was overall- it might have been thanks to the abundance of funny animal-shaped garbage bins which I found amusing. After realizing that most places don't open before 9am we went ahead and left for Alleppey (properly known as Allepuzha), where we ate breakfast, visited a home where people weave rugs out of coconut fibers (really incredible to watch) and finally went to meet up with our houseboat. I had no idea what to expect, but after our short trek on foot down a muddy path to the waterfront I was pleasantly surprised to see large, beautiful boats with comfortable looking decks and rooms enclosed by woven palm-frond roofs. Our boat was more than welcoming, with comfy chairs and benches at the front in the open-air (where we spent most of today) and cute rooms for all of us, and just us. There's a kitchen at the back where our hosts prepare incredible home-cooked meals- lots of fresh seafood and coconut included- and even electricity and running water in the rooms. Who could ask for more? The rest of our day has been nothing but relaxing, enjoying a delicious lunch complete with whole, pan-fried fish, multiple fresh curries, rice, and freshly made tapioca desert (much better than your average tapioca pudding). Tea time included bananas fried in coconut oil, definitely decadent. After spending most of the day sailing around the seemingly endless waters separated by thin patches of land from vast fields of rice paddies, we docked next to an idyllic view and were greeted by a man who had just caught fresh prawns- he held one that was still alive out towards us. We were adventurous and bought one, which our hosts graciously cooked for us with enticing spices. So much delicious food, I'm looking forward to walking around a bit tomorrow to burn some of it off.
While I've been relaxing and on vacation, I still think about why I'm here- it's hard to stop thinking about peoples' health and livelihood here and what would work to improve some of the dramatic health disparities. India itself has tremendous variations in health outcomes across the country- in some of the northern states life expectancy and infant mortality rates are problematic, but in Tamil Nadu and especially Kerala, these areas are not nearly as big of an issue. Kerala was recently noted as having better health outcomes than the rest of India, and often by a long shot. My fellow travelers and I have been wondering why this is. From a day of observations, it appears that Kochin and Allepey at least have fairly good infrastructure- quality roads, garbage collection, laws in place for wearing helmets (and people actually wearing them, not a common sight in other places we've been)... not to mention the sense that people demonstrate caring for their wellbeing through exercise (there were numerous people exercising along the beachfront) and even wearing seatbelts (another rarity elsewhere I've been). It makes me question how these ideas and attitudes came to be- were these the result of strategic governmental promotions, or more a reflection of an overall variance in culture? How much does the environment play into it, with more availability of fresh and healthy foods and beautiful places to exercise? It's tough to say, but interesting to consider. Meanwhile I will continue to soak up the luscious green scenery surrounding me, the sounds of lapping waves, and the smells of cooked fish and coconut- a true paradise.

Madurai Pictures

2011-07-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Madurai, history, and spiritual gifts

2011-07-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

Erin and Shawn and I embarked on a quick weekend journey to Madurai, a city considered to be the cultural center of Tamil Nadu state. We were adventurous and took the bus- no air conditioning, but the open windows did us well, and the price- about $1- was hard to beat. It was nice to see the scenery and not feel like so much of a tourist, at least for those few hours. Upon arrival in Madurai, however, we joined the many other foreigners coming to the city to visit the magnificent Meenakshi Amman Temple and the Gandhi museum. Both of these places were awe-inspiring- one for its architecture and spiritual history, and the other for its detailed accounts of India's tumultous past and the noble efforts of a humble man to establish unity and independence in the region.
The temple, actually composed of two attached temples, consists of architecture dating back to the 17th century. Fourteen gopurams, or towers, rise above the temple walls to illustrate various mythologies with their thousands of intricate, colorful figures. The tallest of the gopurams consists of 1,411 individual figures- one can only imagine how long it took to construct such a thing. The ceilings and walls are decorated with the myths of Meenakshi's life and eventual marriage to Shiva, as she was considered to be an avatar of Parvati, Shiva's wife. Meenakshi was said to have been born without conception, with fish-shaped eyes and 3 breasts, one of which was destined to fall off when she met her true love. This happened when she first encountered Shiva, and the two were married. Various statues and paintings throughout the temple illustrate their meeting and lives together.
It was amazing to see the temple come to life with so many visitors- a multitude of devoted Hindus, people celebrating weddings and births, and foreigners from all over. Many of the stone statues were carved from huge single stones and covered with chalk and ash markings, which people leave as blessings and prayers. Music rings throughout the imposing stone walls and even as an outsider I could not help but feel that I was in a very special place.
After getting a taste of the history and significance of the temple, we explored the city in all its chaos and noise, a welcome change from the rather quiet outskirts of Thanjavur. We had delicious meals, including mango ice cream, and visited a hilarious bar in the basement of a hotel- it was built to resemble the interior of a spaceship, complete with light-up consolses, a bizarre metal portal for a door, and futuristic seats. The musical selection included Tamil pop music, which we're now very familiar with, and some American pop music from the 1990s- a fun and eclectic mix to listen to as we journeyed into space.
In complete contrast, we visited the large Gandhi museum located close to our hotel. I had known very little about the history of India and about Gandhi himself, but the museum filled in the gaps in my knowledge. India has suffered great conflict and tumult both from internal and external forces, and especially the British. It was painful to read about the exploitations of the East India Company and the brutal attacks on anyone resisting British rule. Gandhi's role as a non-violent leader seemed crucial for India's spirit and autonomy- although it is unfortunate that his vision of a united India was not realized, as the division between India and Pakistan still occurred. Nevertheless, it was inspiring and heart-wrenching to read about Gandhi's passion and self-sacrifice in the name of his country and people. It is unfortunate that so few people have both the ability and the audacity to stand up for the wellbeing of people as a whole, rather than remaining under the oppressive will of the privileged. And it is more unfortunate that there are still those who willingly oppress and exploit those who lack the power to resist. Although I don't have the answers to ending such suffering, I am thankful for the inspiration and example that Gandhi and other remarkable people provide.
Back in Thanjavur, this week holds further progress on our implementation and evaluation plans- writing, researching, and our final field visits to be sure that our ideas are feasible and useful for ICTPH, and of course, in the best interest of the people who live here. I still struggle coming to terms with the idea that in such a short time we can provide something that is really useful, culturally-appropriate, and likely to succeed, but I am hopeful that with ICTPH's investment in the rural communities they work in, they will be able to tailor our interventions according to meet the needs of the people there.

2011-07-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Kodaikanal: Feels like home

2011-07-03T05:05:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a welcome break from after some intense work over the last month- a group of 9 of us students ventured to Kodaikanal, a town way up in the Palni Hills, part of the Western Ghats range in Tamil Nadu (west of Thanjavur). I wasn't sure what to expect, as I heard a variety of estimates of the weather ranging from high 90s to rainy and 60s... I packed a variety of clothes, and was thankful for the few long-sleeved items and rain jacket since a mild, chilly and damp terrain greeted us. We managed to catch a beautiful sunset as we approached the base of the hills, but missed out on the scenery as we swerved around incessant curves, climbing ever higher for nearly 2 hours- finally we saw lights going up and down the hillside and into the valley below. We stayed at the Dalethorpe guest house, where the very kind owner greeted us enthusiastically. We were all surprised at the chill and the damp in the air, and I was excited because it felt so much like Oregon! It was nice to be cold and make myself at home in the little cabin behind the guesthouse, fireplace included! We awoke the next day to a chilly and grayish morning, eating omelettes and limitless toast provided by our gracious host. Kodaikanal is known for it's tremendous trees, waterfalls, and other natural wonders, so we set off to explore with the guesthouse owner as our guide. We drove up the hills to a trailhead guarded by monkeys (luckily they weren't being scary) and leading down to a small waterfall. It was disheartening to see trash on the trail and even in the water, but I tried to let it slide so I could enjoy the experience- being in the woods, not being hot, and listening to flowing water made me perfectly content. I even discovered some recognizable plants- sourgrass (a.k.a. oxalis), stinging nettles, ferns... again, it made me nostalgic for Oregon. We continued downstream and saw several other small waterfalls, took pictures, and enjoyed the little bit of rain along the way. After that hike we continued to another trail further up the road. We traversed beneath tall and spindly eucalyptus trees and next to a rock wall protecting a pear orchard, and occasionally got glimpses of the lush green mountainsides beyond the trees. We approached a clearing and, despite the misty haze, we could see towering mountains all around us, abundant forests descending into a vibrant valley- it was incredible. We all grew silent and approached the edges of the cliff, wearily peering down the steep drop into the abyss. I got a little dizzy as I approached the edge, the sheer height was hard to comprehend. As I peered over I discovered a tiny waterfall deep in the valley and wished I'd brought a parachute so I could drop down and see it up close. As the clouds grew darker we headed back toward the car and proceeded to get completely drenched over the hour walk. It was nice to have a hot lunch, complete with a cafe au lait and pizza, to warm up after the rain. I explored the town a bit, discovering some fun craft and jewelry stores, and even a restaurant/hotel called the Astoria! Needless to say I was excited. It was strange to be in a more touristy area than Thanjavur- seeing white people was a strange phenomenon, and having tourist attractions like paddle boats and even "Fun Park" - complete with zorb ball (not sure what that is) and shooting sports (yikes)- made me confused about where I was.
The next day involved more hiking- returning to the amazing place on the cliffs, and then proceeding further to hike down to Dolphin's Nose- a rock outcrop overlooking the same valley but from a different angle. The trail was a tough one, with sharp declines, rocky terrain, and even a long stretch of "steps" composed of elaborate root systems. It was beautiful, though, and the views from the ridge, although scary at times, were amazing. After wearing ourselves out, we ate at a Punjabi restaurant (north Indian cuisine), where I was excited to have chana masala (spicy chickpea curry) with vegetable-stuffed Kulcha (delicious tandoori-oven-toasted flatbread). Needless to say, I ate to my heart's (or at least my stomach's) content. Lunch was followed by a stroll around Coaker's Walk, a brick pathway along the mountain ridge built in 1872- again, more amazing views of the mountains and valleys, along with a nice glimpse of the town from afar. Some of us explored the lakeside as well, which was beautiful despite the heavy traffic and numerous vendors surrounding it. I was so happy to get to see yet another diverse piece of India, and to experience cold and rain after a long month of relentless heat. And since I love food, I should also mention our excitement at discovering that Kodaikanal is known for their handmade chocolates, and also some fruits that are hard to find elsewhere such as avocado, starfruit, mangosteen, and pears- all to my taste buds' delight!
The trip home was just as stunning- coming down the mountain in the daytime was exhilarating, seeing the endless forest and dramatic plunges into deep valleys- I tried not to think about the narrow road and the often frightening driving conditions. We passed Rat's Tail falls- a very narrow and insanely tall waterfall that I would have missed if I hadn't been so excitedly eyeing the scenery. Truly some amazing places that I'm thankful to have the opportunity to see.

Water maintenance, strange places, and crunch time

2011-06-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a hodgepodge of exploration, some enjoyable retreats, and a heaping pile of work. It's crunch time for our initial research papers in which we discuss the background of our diseases, how they impact people in India, what resources are currently available, and what our proposed interventions are. It will be exciting to have a finished product in hand, but the pressure of producing a useful and well-researched product is palpable.

Part of the field research conducted by our gastrointestinal diseases team (and the CVD team since we happened to be along for the ride) was to visit the Ambulappatu water storage tank and witness the monthly cleaning. This was not quite as exciting as I had anticipated, but interesting nonetheless. The storage tank holds about 100,000 liters of water to be used by people in the small village, which is disbursed by pipes reaching to several public taps. We've learned that an incredible amount of contamination can occur between the tank and the taps, as cracks in the pipes are common- from natural wear and tear, or from animals/vehicles/people damaging them. This is unfortunate considering the high rates of open defecation by both people and animals, pollution from the roads, and bacteria from the sitting water in the rice paddies have easy access to the water that people drink. At the source, the water tank is emptied on a monthly basis and then refilled, and a bucket containing chlorine (just enough to kill the bacteria for a short while) is lowered into the fresh water and swished around. Once the G.I. team has access to water testing kits, samples of water at the source and at the taps will be taken to see where and what types of contamination are occurring. It will be interesting to find out!

Over the weekend I ventured out with some of the interns from ICTPH (the program I'm working with) and Mukesh, the son of the owner of the guesthouse where we stay- he was a helpful tour guide, taking us to the Thanjavur Palace- a rustic concrete building that was once home to Thanjavur Kings, up until the 19th century. It was complete with winding, steep staircases (one of which ascended into complete darkness), connecting multiple levels of open-air platforms with nice views of the surrounding town. After the palace we visited the museum and library next door to learn about the history of Thanjavur's kings and to see some of the oldest scriptures written on palm bark. An interesting day to say the least.

Yesterday our group was given a chance to present our project ideas to the president of IKP Trust (the umbrella organization for ICTPH) and all of the ICTPH staff. It was a little intimidating, but a great opportunity to get feedback from people who will be involved in the implementation of our projects, should they decide they're worthwhile. It was exciting to finally hear about what my colleagues have been learning about, since there is some segmentation between groups. After a barrage of questions and comments, we were lucky enough to be treated to a relaxing day at the Ideal River View Resort (it lives up to its name, sitting right on the bank of a lovely river), including some delicious food and several hours spent in and out of the enormous outdoor pool. It was the calm before the storm, however, as we are all engulfed in work for the next two days, anxious to finish the first piece of our work here.

(Delicious) Food for Thought

2011-06-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was amazing, there is no other way to put it. We went early to Karambayam village to meet with one of the community health workers- we wanted to see how women cook in the village as part of the research for our proposed interventions, as well as just out of personal curiosity. One of our instructors, Ravi, and one of the ICTPH workers from Thanjavur accompanied us to the woman's tiny, concrete hut with a woven palm frond roof. We crouched inside and were asked to sit on a blanket at the back of the house near the 4-ft.-high back door opening. We could see right away a cooking apparatus carved from earth- 2 circular openings with space on one side for wood to be inserted for making a fire, with holes to place the pots just above the flames. A similar stove apparatus made of stone was in the woman's house as well. We were excited to watch as she prepared rice and proceeded to cut vegetables on a hook-like blade branching off of a wooden plank- she chopped mangoes (part of which we were allowed to eat, so good!), tomatoes, onions, potatoes, eggplant, and "drumstick" (a long tube-like vegetable). At the front of the same plank to which the hook-blade was fastened was a metal, ridged, spade-shaped device- I was intrigued by it and happy to see it in action as the woman proceeded to take half of a palm coconut and rub the inside against the device, creating tiny grated pieces of coconut. She was able to grate every last bit of the coconut out of its shell- a very efficient tool. Next, the woman proceeded to crush cumin, fennel, and other spices with the grated coconut, onions, and garlic, using a 10-pound stone tool resembling a fat rolling pin. She rolled the tool over the spice mix across a flat stone surface, creating a finely crushed mixture that smelled incredible. Meanwhile fresh tamarind was soaking in a bowl of water- this water was later added to the curry for extra citrusy flavoring. All of these items were mixed together with the other vegetables, oil, and heaping teaspoons of salt (we were sure to observe how much for our research) in a metal pot over the second fire pit in the stove. As we waited for the food to cook, an elderly woman accidentally let two chickens into the house, creating an entertaining commotion as they flew/climbed through my hair to get out the backdoor. We tasted some of the crushed spices and I was pleased to hear and taste that none of them contained salt- the only salt included in the meal was the iodized salt itself- and thus we knew what to measure to see how much an average meal contains. We also asked the woman how much her family of 4 consumes in a week, and were a little shocked to find the amount to be exceptionally high. But this didn't distract us from the pleasure of sharing the incredible process and flavors of a truly fresh meal. Once the rice was finished, the woman placed it on a banana leaf and brought out steaming bowl of curry to accompany it- we just had to taste it! It was the most amazing curry I have ever consumed, especially the eggplants fresh from the garden!

After this wonderful experience we were invited to meet with the secretary for some of the Karambayam self help groups- women's groups that are organized around the desire to save money for small business ventures such as tea stalls (small shops). The concept is aimed at empowering women to learn about finances and take initiative to support themselves and their families through microfinance. In the Karambayam area, there are 35 groups of around 20 women who all contribute a small amount monthly to a savings account, and then their shares are matched with government loans for individual or collective business ventures, as well as small emergencies, transportation to events, or other incidentals. The secretary of the self help groups was happy to meet with us and give us some helpful feedback about how these groups might be willing to help us raise awareness about hypertnesion management through small dietary changes- it sounded very promising. After our meeting we were directed to the back of the house to see a woman cracking crabs by hand- she insisted that we hold them and take pictures. It was comical and fun to say the least.

At the end of the day we were able to meet with the village Panchayat President (a local government leader) in Ambulapatti (a village very close by) to briefly discuss our idea and ask for her support. She expressed support for our work and invited us back to visit again.

All in all, this was my favorite field visit- both educational and inspiring, and reminding me why I am here.
Next up: a trip to see how they clean the local water supply tanks! Interesting tales to follow.

Walking around Thanjavur

2011-06-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

To work and to play

2011-06-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

The weekend held a number of fun adventures and learning experiences. On Friday I was determined to explore the town of Thanjavur and find out more about the place I've been living. I ventured out on my own into the heart of town, which is busy and lively and full of... well everything! People, cows, vendors, garbage, cars, motorbikes, rickshaws, fruit, flowers... there's something for everyone here. I was continually amazed at the sheer numbers of people (although it's still notably far less chaotic than Chennai) and vendors in particular- if you want sarees, there are at least 10 stores in a block. Need jewelry? Just go to one of the 50ish vendors in a half mile radius. I visited numerous shops of all kinds just to get a feel for what was out there. I wandered around admiring the seemingly ancient architecture intermingled with newer homes and vending stalls. I stumbled upon a neighborhood with a cluster of tiny stalls for what appeared to be handicrafters, metalworkers, sawyers, and other manual laborers perfecting their talents- it was incredibly intriguing to watch and admire the use of hand-powered tools and other appliances we would rarely see in the U.S.
On the work side of things, our class learned about maternal and child health, looking at the tremendous improvements that have been made in India over time, especially in the region we are in- Tamil Nadu. Infant mortality has declined significantly, and the fairly recent government-run primary health clinics that we've been visiting have played a large role in that. Women can receive incentives for delivering their babies in a medical facility, and thus fewer women are delivering at home where there is increased danger to the mother and child. There is still a fairly common problem of children being undernourished, sometimes due to the mothers being malnourished and unable to breastfeed, and for other reasons as well. Tamil Nadu overall, however, has a lot to show for the health and wellbeing of mothers and children.
Our project is moving along smoothly- my group is digging deeper to find out what foods are locally available, what people are purchasing and cooking, and what modifications may be feasible to help improve the health of people with hypertension. Tomorrow we will do a fruit and vegetable inventory of Karambayam, looking at what trees are nearby, what is being sold at the small shops, and what people have in their homes. I'm looking forward to also visiting with one or two women as they prepare a meal to see how they measure ingredients (if they do), how much salt and oil goes into the food, etc. We'll also explore what venues, if any, exist for physical activity (other than the physical labor that many people engage in for work) to see if it's feasible for people to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. While I know that lifestyle changes can be a hard sell, the feedback we have received from the village residents we've spoken with implies a willingness to adapt their lifestyles if it means better health. If nothing else, making sure that people have the information about how to take care of themselves is worth the effort. People can and will continue to make their own choices, but at least our efforts here will have contributed something to the community, however small.

Matters of the heart

2011-06-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

This week has brought about some new insights into cardiovascular disease in southern India, specifically in Karambayam. The nuances of everyday life in a village are returning to me from my experiences in Botswana- I feel at home just getting to know people in the village, exploring small shops and even looking at garbage to get a sense of what impacts peoples' health in Karambayam. Although I know that life is far more complicated than several weeks of observation and interactions can illustrate, I am hopeful that I'll be able to contribute something useful to the people I'm working with. Yesterday's field visit was both fun and informative- we visited two households and several small shops. The first family we spoke with consisted of a husband and wife- the husband surprised us with his English-speaking abilities and the wife helped us understand how she dealt with her high blood pressure. It was really interesting to hear about her experiences interacting with the healthcare system- she travels to another town to see a doctor because she doesn't know enough about the clinics nearby; when she was diagnosed with hypertension she didn't receive any information about the condition or how she could deal with the condition except for taking the pills she was prescribed, which she claimed she didn't take regularly. She revealed that she did not know if eating differently or exercising would impact her health, but she said that if her doctor told her it would she would be willing to adjust her cooking accordingly. This story seemed to resonate with the other people we spoke to in the village- knowledge about how to manage cardiovascular risk factors by means other than medication was minimal, and willingness to adjust cooking practices for health purposes was strong. Through this information our team was able to get a better idea of what we might wish to do for our proposed intervention.

As we walked away from the first house, an elderly woman with few teeth approached us, unable to speak but making sounds and motions to indicate that she requested our company at her home. It was very sweet and we consented, taking a seat on the front stoop and greeting her middle-aged daughter who emerged from the house. The two of them were very friendly, and the older woman continuously patted my back- her daughter told me she thought I was pretty- it made my day. Sitting on the stoop having a casual conversation with complete strangers brought back so many fond memories of my experiences in Botswana- the way that life takes its own trajectory and time becomes a meaningless construct. We were able to speak with the women about their health experiences as well and received similar information to indicate that healthcare was being sought elsewhere, that doctors rarely recommended lifestyle changes but primarily prescribed medication with little explanation, and that people would be willing to make small changes to their diets for overall health.
Following this encounter, we visited a line of small shops along the main road where people can purchase a variety of foods, toys, school supplies, and tobacco. We spoke with a few of the shopkeepers and learned that the most commonly sold items were cigarettes, and that even children bought them (they were sure to change out of their school uniforms in an effort for people to not notice their ages). A variety of vegetables and grains were available, including tomatoes, garlic, onions, "drumstick" (a tube-shaped stalk with a hard outer shell and soft inside), eggplant, radishes, chillies, potatoes, okra, rice, pasta- considering the size of the shops, it was surprising to see such variety. I looked at some small packets for sale and bought one to investigate- I was told it was used in Chinese-Indian food and that it wasn't very popular- I was happy to hear it since this substance was straight-up MSG. Sold in a packet in crystals like salt, recommended for a variety of foods and said to "make food taste better." I recalled my migraine headaches and nausea resulting from food with large amounts of MSG in it- not an experience I would wish on anyone else.

There was a small bar down the road called a Tasmac- a small shop without chairs where only men can go to purchase hard liquor and beer (it is generally unacceptable for women to drink here). There were a handful of men hovering around it, and one of my instructors went to check out the scene. While there he witnessed a small boy purchasing and running off with bottles of beer, although when asked the bartender said he did not sell to children.

I tried to absorb everything from the day, but it was hard to let it all sink in- so many intricacies and complicated webs of issues surrounding health, it is hard to imagine how to even address a small part of it. And yet I am still hopeful.

Field visit 3: Karambayam

2011-06-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday yielded an interesting yet somewhat frustrating day in the field, in a small village known as Karambayam. As our groups further defines our projects, looking at determinants of disease and brainstorming potential ways to address them within the local context, we sought answers about what daily life is like in the villages we're visiting. This approach has inherent limitations, given that we're only here a short amount of time, our field visits are a few hours a day, and we have a very limited knowledge of the language, making communication challenging. We were fortunate enough to have a brief encounter with the SughaVazhvu guides- women living within Karambayam selected and trained to conduct household visits and assist people in accessing medical care. Although we had only a brief time to visit with them, we learned about some of the main concerns facing people in Karambayam (hypertension being one that my CVD team took note of), and how people view community health workers. It seems that these women are viewed positively and trusted within the community, improving the likelihood that people will get accurate information about their illnesses and seek help at the rural micro-health center. That being said, many key issues still exist in the community, such as high rates of tobacco and alcohol use (mostly among men) and limited physical activity, especially for women who are confined to home a lot of the time. There are overwhelming factors that contribute to heart disease, similar to those that exist in the U.S., but often more complicated by poverty and lack of knowledge about how behavior impacts health. It will definitely be challenging one specific area to focus on for our proposed intervention. Hopefully future field visits will provide more insight into how we can provide something useful and appropriate for the context.

Research aside, it was nice to be able to visit with people in the village- everyone was very welcoming and curious about us. I'm looking forward to meeting more people and spending more time in one of the villages, although we're not yet sure which area we want to focus on.

Luxury, poverty, and life in between

2011-06-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

The rest of our weekend in Pondicherry provided an interesting exposure to another part of Tamil Nadu district and life in India in general. Here are some observations, but keep in mind- these are just my thoughts- others may have different opinions.
Pondicherry is known for its history of French colonization, still evident by from its street names (Rue de St. Louis, for example) to the grandiose European-style architecture. Pondicherry is host to tourists from a wide variety of places- we encountered people from various places in India and surrounding countries, France, Germany, the U.K., and a few other Americans. Despite the outside influence, Pondicherry still appears to maintain cultural strength, demonstrated by the dress code (women wearing saris and salwar kamees), food, and lifestyle. It was conflicting to encounter extreme poverty mingled with ritzy tourist hotels and restaurants- the contrast was stark and disheartening. While walking down a side-street, we encountered a woman and her two small children washing their clothes and dishes in a filthy water drainage area- the water was literally brown and green- and this is how many people have to survive in India. Along the way to Pondicherry we witnessed people swimming and doing laundry in the same standing water that served as a garbage dump. It is mind boggling to think about how these conditions came about and how they might be improved.
As a sharp contrast, our group celebrated Shawn's birthday last night at a fancy rooftop restaurant near the beach. We had met a few other Americans earlier in the day who joined us for dinner- one was living in Chennai, working for a Leprosy clinic; another was doing her anthropology dissertation in a small village, working with children with disabilities, and the other was volunteering at the same organization for children with disabilities. It was interesting to gain some other perspectives about life in India as a foreigner and particularly working in such unique settings. The girl from Chennai shared her stories from the clinic, as well as her trip to a factory where clothing is made for Wal Mart- she was horrified at the working conditions, with women and young girls having to work long hours with minimal pay and only one short and regimented break. I couldn't help but think about the ultimate impact that we, as Americans, have on so many people just by participating in small routine procedures, like buying a shirt from Wal Mart. Not that I haven't thought of this before, but here it seems more real, actually seeing the people who ultimately bear the brunt of our consumerism.
Besides thoughts of leprosy and exploited workers, our dinner was pleasant and a nice way to end our last evening of vacation. The trip back to Thanjavur was intriguing- we took a back-roads route through several small villages, some bearing communist flags and numerous political signs, as well as tiny rural villages with numerous billboards for fancy jewelry shops. We passed fields of cows and goats, rice paddies, and some beautiful water-scapes complete with swimmers and a crocodile sunning itself. It was comforting to see the Big Temple as we arrived back in Thanjavur, to rest and process a rejuvenating and yet conflicting weekend.

Strangers in Pondicherry

2011-06-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

Nine of my classmates and I hired a van and driver to whisk us away to Puducherry, also known as Pondicherry, a formerly French-colonized town on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The trip took a good 5 hours, driving past seemingly endless stretches of open land- some rice paddies, some open fields, and some grazing land for cows, sheep, and goats- occasionally interrupted by bustling towns. We passed through several toll stations and then had to get a permit to enter Puducherry- I've heard that Puducherry does not tax alcohol and other "sinful" products and therefore is a popular destination for in'n'out shopping, so the government has instituted permit fees to enter the city. We went to the permit station, but unfortunately it was closed- unfortunately the only way to get a permit was to go back a good half an hour to get a permit. It was difficult to understand the driver and a few people got concerned about what we were doing, especially since it was dark, none of us knew our way around and we were going to a remote area. We turned onto a deserted road and someone mentioned that things were getting a little creepy- but as the driver realized he had missed a turn to go under the highway to the other side, he put the car in reverse and instead of a beep beep reverse sound, Jingle Bells started playing. It was hilarious, all of us singing Jingle Bells in the dark in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say, everything worked out and we made it, tired and hungry, to Ginger- an affordable but semi-luxurious motel with a restaurant, comfortable beds, and functioning showers. I slept like a rock.

Today we ventured into the busy town, admiring the French-influence architecture, bicycle rickshaws, and occasional beach views. Although the beach is a bit dirty, it was still thrilling to see and hear crashing waves. We all put our feet in the water and felt instantly cooled against the unforgiving summer sun.

After walking all over in search of a park we'd passed on our drive on the way to the beach, we finally gave up tried to explain to rickshaw drivers where we were trying to go. We got in and drove literally around the corner, only to see the park right there. This is turning out to be a very comical trip.

Lunch at Le Dupleix- built in the 1800s as the home for the French mayor, the building was impressive and the food was delightful. A welcome reprieve from the heat of the day, followed by some time sitting on the hot rocks at the beach. An ideal day to say the least, and it's not even over yet.

The Big Temple at Thanjavur, public health training, and a trip in the works

2011-06-08T05:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday several members of our group, as well as our two instructors, ventured to the Big Temple in the town we're staying in, Thanjavur. The Big Temple (also known as the Brihadeeswarar Temple) is an incredible series of constructions dating back to the year 1002, although many additions have taken place since then. The highest temple tower is a sight to behold- carved stone reaching 63 meters (189 feet) high, and illustrating 16 different stories through detailed carvings. Although we were told by our tour guide that the temple was built from a single stone, I've since done my research and seen otherwise. Regardless, this is one of the most amazing structures I have ever seen and remains a World Heritage Site for a reason! As we entered the temple grounds, we were beckoned by a man with an elephant to stand nearby as the elephant put his trunk over each of our heads- it was the funniest sensation feeling the hot and smelly air blowing over my head! After that entertaining experience, we were fortunate enough to enter the temple to see how the procedures within take place, where people are presented to Shiva and receive a blessing in return- it was truly a magical experience to be at the heart of something so grand. We also entered a smaller temple on the grounds which was devoted to Ganesha, which was also an interesting and unique experience. Strands of flowers were presented to us and we were marked with red ash to symbolize life, in contrast to the white ash we had received in the other temple that represented destruction of life (or destruction of the self). Visiting the temple was a peaceful and powerful experience.

The past 2 days we have been getting down to the nitty gritty of our coursework, learning to implement basic public health strategies in the field, to be able to identify what is "normal" health and what is not. We were trained in performing basic dental/oral examinations to check for any obvious issues with the mouth, jaw, gums, and teeth- it was pretty entertaining getting to practice on our classmates. Today we discussed GI health, specifically problems associated with diarrhea since that is one of the primary causes of death in the developing world. We practiced making oral rehydration solution (ORS) to use when dehydrated, and learned how to chlorinate water in order to purify it for drinking (although this was not complicated, it was interesting to taste the chlorinated water just to get an idea of what it's like and why some people are resistant to using it). In the future we will learn other practical skills related to the other illness areas we are studying- cardiovascular health, cancer, and maternal and child health.

As for tomorrow, several of us are planning a trip to Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry), a region of India formerly colonized by the French and therefore having different architecture and points of interest. Pictures and stories coming soon!

More village roads

2011-06-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

On the road to Sholapuram

2011-06-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Field Visit: Sholapuram, Vadakkur, and Andipatti

2011-06-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Pictures: Sugha Vazhvu Rural Micro Health Clinic at Andipatti; view from RMHC; peppers growing behind RMHC; inside the RMHC; inside the primary health clinic at Vadukkur; grass huts at Sholapuram; temple at Sholapuram

Today brought some helpful insights into some of the public health concerns facing rural India, as well as a chance to view some amazing scenery and meet interesting and friendly people. Our class group was divided into smaller subgroups which allowed us to visit multiple sites simultaneously and converse more easily with people. My group first visited Sholapuram, a very small and remote village about 40 minutes outside of Thanjavur. The village straddles a narrow, winding paved road, shaded by palm and Eucalyptus trees. To get there we passed by fields of rice paddies, small clusters of skinny trees and palms, numerous cows and water buffalo, and a few dried up dams. We passed through a couple of tiny villages as well, consisting of a few stores and tiny shops, people, free-roaming animals, and lines of bikes. Despite being so small, each village we passed was alive with activity.

There is no formal health facility in Sholapuram- the nearest primary health clinic (PHC, run by the government) is about 3km away- not too far. But we visited the village mostly to get a feel for how daily life is. We took a long stroll passed the primary and secondary school (combined into one), the one water tower that serves as the primary source for the village water, a fading temple, and an intersection which serves as the village bus stop. A truck sat nearby, selling betel leaves wrapped in palm-frond bundles- these are used to wrap areca nuts (referred to as betel nuts), and often tobacco, to be chewed for their stimulating effects.

We stopped to chat with some people running a small stand near the bus stop. We learned that most people in the area survived by performing agricultural work, primarily at rice paddies and growing groundnuts (peanuts), egglplant, lentils, and radishes. Even children begin helping with the work at the age of 10 or 11. Most people in the village grow food for themselves and sell whatever is leftover. There is one tiny grocery stall selling a few vegetables (brought in from Thanjavur) and packaged spices, a few cold drinks, snacks, tobacco and few household items. We spoke with a woman about when and why she would go to a clinic, and she said when she had a fever or other ailment. Preventative healthcare is still unfamiliar in these areas, and understandably given that there is not a clinic in the village itself, not to mention that even in more developed countries preventative care is a challenge. This is something we will consider when thinking about our recommendations for addressing cardiovascular health.

Next we went to the nearest primary health clinic (PHC), in Vadakkur. The clinic is a concrete building consisting of about 10 rooms, including a delivery room, and recovery room for after births and procedures, a procedure room, an injection room, a room for administering DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) for tuberculosis. As in many other developing countries, tuberculosis is a rampant problem and especially challenging to treat when medicines are either not administered or taken correctly, as it is easy to build resistance to them. DOTS helps to address this problem by having a nurse or physician present to witness patients taking their medication on a daily basis.

While at the clinic, one of our facilitators from ICTPH fainted, most likely from the heat- it was very unfortunate, although it did provide an opportunity for us to see the nurses in action. We discussed the services offered by the clinic which are diverse and free, but we also learned about the paper record-keeping system that does not account for patients having multiple visits- follow-up with patients is not common since no individual patient medical records are kept. This is one shortcoming that ICTPH is trying to address with their programs.

Our final stop was in Andipatti, a slightly larger village where the newest ICTPH rural micro-health center (RMHC) resides. The RMHC was a lovely facility overlooking a field of pepper and eggplant bushes, as well as numerous palms and mango trees. It was idyllic to say the least. Unfortunately we were unable to visit with the nurses working there, as there were patients there at the time, but it was nice to see the facility nonetheless. As we continue our field visits we will decide in our groups what village(s) we wish to focus our proposed interventions on.

I am trying to absorb as much information as possible, as there is so much to learn- about India's government, politics, public and private healthcare, cultures, history- it can be overwhelming, but so rewarding and interesting to be having this experience. I look forward to continuing this journey.

On the road in Chennai

2011-06-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

Alakudi

2011-06-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Today's events were interesting to say the lesat- our group ventured out to Alakudi, a village of about 3,000 people, for our first field visit. Despite the brutally hot weather, we explored the village, visiting the primary and secondary schools (third and second to last pictures here), and the ICDS (last picture featured here)- a childcare program that offers meals in hopes of curbing some of the malnourishment that is common in the village. Near the schools was the water tower which supplies most of the villages water and a public toilet that was supposed to serve the community but was never provided with functioning plumbing. Unfortunately there is no plumbing in the village, and open sewers line the dirt roads. We walked along an open defecation area, where farmworkers go where they please- it's understandable, given that there are no other options nearby.

We visited the ICTPH clinic- a small building with one exam room and a waiting area- and visited with a doctor there to get some ideas about what happens at the clinic, what key issues people in the village are facing, and how outreach works. We were fortunate enough to tag along on a home visit to see outreach really works- ICTPH visits families and records their basic information in android phones, and then creates maps of where patients are so that trends in health issues can be better understood. The family we visited were very welcoming, and a group of curious kids followed us throughout the village, speaking English and asking our names. I asked to take a picture of some of the girls with Erin, and an older woman saw me take the photograph and motioned for me to take her picture as well. A group of rambunctious boys jumped in front of her to have their picture taken as well, making for a silly picture.

Following our home visit, we trekked out to the outskirts of town, following the periphery of the rice paddies, to the PHC- a government primary health clinic. A doctor met with us and was kind enough to answer our questions, of which we had many. We tried to gain a better understanding of what role the government health center plays in the community, versus the role of private companies like ICTPH. We have a lot to learn!

Welcome to Thanjavur!

2011-06-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Our group left Chennai a few nights ago for the more rural and slower-paced Thanjavur, a welcome relief from the bustle and overstimulation of the big city. We took an overnight train, which had numerous small bunks separated by curtains- it was definitely an adventure. Unfortunately I was beginning to develop a cold and a man with a snore sounding like chainsaws kept me awake for most of the night, so by morning I felt a little worse for wear. Nonetheless, it was beautiful to see the fields of rice paddies as the sun was coming up and realize we were in a totally different world. The sand and brush combination reminded me so much of Botswana, except for the palm trees of course. We were graciously driven to our guest house, which sits on a dirt road between two busy streets and some open land with trees and brush, the occasional cow or dog, and a plethora of interesting (and very vocal) birds. Crows abound, and small green birds resembling parrots occasionally appear. Erin and I were pleased to find a comfy and brightly painted room with a luxurious flushing toilet and even a shower and air conditioning. Despite the somewhat regular power outages that Thanjavur experiences, I think life here will be pleasant.

My cold has kept me from exploring too much in the past 2 days, but I managed to go walking around the town this morning before most people awoke, and found it very interesting- a mix of small concrete and tin stalls selling sweets, vegetables, snacks, etc., mixed in with a few larger companies like banks and hospitals.

We had our first "real" class today, discussing quantitative and qualitative components of our work here, and getting an opportunity to speak with our local counterparts who head the subject areas we'll be covering (cancer, GI, maternal and child health, oral health, and heart health). It was exciting to start to get an idea about what is going on in the rural villages we'll be working with, what is working so far, and what areas need improvement as far as health services are concerned. Despite my congested and foggy head, the wheels are beginning to turn with ideas about what we'll be doing here and how we can hopefully offer something useful in the short time we're here. I am excited for the learning experiences ahead.

We also received our saris form ICTPH, which we will have tailored to fit us tomorrow. And tomorrow will be our first field visit to one of the 3 rural communities we'll be working with - Allakudi- I'm excited to see it!

Pictures are of: In and around the guesthouse, on the train, Thanjavur train station, rice paddies seen from the train

A trip to Mahabalipuram

2011-05-31T05:05:00.000-07:00

Today our group visited Mahabalipuram, a coastal town and ancient port town about 1.5 hours outside of Chennai on the Bay of Bengal. The town is known for its temples, caves and carvings in rock, dating back to the 7th century. The carvings illustrate events from the Mahabarata, one of two ancient Sanskrit epics from ancient India. Several of the temples/monuments in the pictures I took were actually carved from single rocks, an impressive feat given their size and detail. In invested in a goofy-looking hat to combat the heat and had a great time exploring the monuments, which were spread out among small stalls selling fruits, ice cream, art, and jewelry. It was nice to see people from a variety of different cultures and regions visiting the monuments, and us as Americans making up a very small proportion of the tourists. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves- this is an amazing place.

First day of class, Ravi's birthday, and some water troubles

2011-05-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

Today our group ventured to the business centre for the India Knowledge Park (IKP) business center on the other side of Chennai- it took us nearly an hour to get there, helping me to better understand just how vast the city is- to begin our training and orientation for the course. The building was modern and tastefully decorated, and the best part was a fantastic view of the city from the 10th floor. We gathered to celebrate one of our instructor's (Ravi's) birthday with chocolate cake and singing.
Zeena Johar from IKP introduced some basic information about ICTPH (IKP Centre for Technology in Public Health) which I found really interesting. The program assists with the functioning of rural health clinics in 3 villages which we will be visiting once we get settled in Thanjavur, and they use gps-enabled mobile phones to identify where people are in need of medical services in order to decide where to develop new clinics. Accessibility to adequate healthcare in rural areas is challenging, despite many peoples' ability to pay for services- there just aren't enough doctors or facilities to accommodate everyone. ICTPH helps with this by doing research and providing information to SughaVazhvu Healthcare, the program which runs the clinics.
After our training and yet another delicious lunch of masala dosas, we visited Cottage Industries- a store with a plethora of handmade goods, ranging from figurines of deities to textiles to marble tile art. It was exciting to see some of the various forms of artwork that characterize the region.
The only downside to the day was discovering that the water we've been drinking at our guesthouse, which came in large bottles and was thus assumed to be clean bottled water, was really from the hose outside. Normally this would not be a huge concern, but the water quality here is questionable, and we're all a little weary of getting sick. Hoping for the best over the next few days.
Tomorrow is a free day- we're planning a trip in the morning to Mahabalipuram, a city on the coast with many temples and buildings with unique rock-cut architecture. In the evening we'll leave for Thanjavur by sleeper train, I'm excited for the adventures ahead!

2011-05-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

Some of our facilitators and views of Chennai from the IKP Business Office

Our class :)

Ravi (our instructor)'s birthday cake

Day 1 in Chennai

2011-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

So my friends and I succesfully arrived in Chennai around midnight last night, exhausted but excited to finally make it. We taxied to our guesthouse which is nothing fancy, but amazingly has a shower. Mostly I was happy to finally have a bed to rest in!

I awoke to loud noises from either birds or monkeys (I was hoping for the former given my previous scary interactions with the latter). Our group ate at a nice restaurant where dosas are the specialty- thin, crispy rice paper wrapped around curry and served with various chutneys. I was in heaven. Fresh chai tea rounded out the meal and we were ready to hit the town.

We took a rickshaw to another part of town in search of local clothing and discovered a huge market in T. Nagar- bustling streets, hundreds of tiny and large shops for everything you could possibly need or want, and a beautiful temple. We ventured into a shop with thousands of sari fabrics and a decent variety of other women's clothing- I was excited to buy a few nice outfits for my stay here.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people, animals, smells, sights and sounds. This was how I had pictured India, but it is so different to see it up close. Horns are honking constantly, motor bikes and rickshaws zooming past bicyclists and the occasional bull-drawn cart. Smells of fried and spicy foods intermingle with sewage and garbage. The heat and humidity are overwhelming, but a slight breeze kept me sane.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of my time here has to offer, and to start our orientation tomorrow- we'll get a better feel for the coursework we'll be embarking on upon our arrival in Thanjavur in a few days.

2009-06-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Litchi fruit; coffee stand; coffee on the coals; Jonathan with Banana tree leaf attire; house in Jambiani with woven fence; Jambiani beach; fishermen; the dala dala that transported us to Jambiani; Jonathan and I looking shiny from the heat on our spice tour; fried fish at the market; an old wall in Stone Town; our henna tattoos; showing kids pictures at the pottery shop; break of sunlight on our flight out of Zanzibar; fresh whole nutmeg; spice market; sail/fishing boat; delicious fresh fruit and homemade jams for breakfast; men's hats; Jambiani beach; entrance to our hotel in Jambiani.

The last hurrah- Zanzibar!

2009-06-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the completion of my Peace Corps service, I embarked on an excursion to Zanzibar, Tanzania. My friend Jonathan joined me and we had an amazing trip!

We started off with a 7 hour busride to Johannesburg, South Africa, and a night spent with one of his friends there. It was nice to have someone local show us around Melville, a very nice and hip area of the city. We had a lovely place to stay and good food and company to start of the week's festivities. We flew from JoBurg to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania- a bustling city so full of life and excitement, especially compared to relatively quiet and modern Gaborone. We arrived at night and spent the night in a beachside hut a ferry ride across from the city center. Although it was nighttime, the effect of being near the ocean was no less magnificent or exciting, after being landlocked for so long. I awoke early and eagerly ventured out to see the Indian Ocean, so beautiful with the dramatic morning clouds and rays of sun breaking through. I ordered a fruit salad and was so impressed to get fresh passionfruit, oranges, bananas, and mango. The day was off to a good start. We took a ferry back to the city center and admired the colorful fishing boats adorning the shoreline. We waded through the chaos at the ferry harbor for the journey to Zanzibar, and eventually managed to get tickets without too much struggle. A few hours wait and we were on our 2 hour ferry to the island- so comfortable and even a movie showing! Pretty luxurious as far as ferries go. We arrived at Zanzibar and entered the flood of taxi drivers, tour guides, and merchants awaiting the influx of tourists. A friendly resident from the ferry helped us navigate to the main transport area where we found the dala dala (small covered truck with open sides and back) to take us across the island to Jambiani. We waited for about an hour for the vehicle to fill up, meanwhile watching the busy market surrounding us- dozens of small shops and stalls bursting with colorful fabrics, cheap Asian imports, home and car supplies, and the occasional walking salesman with baskets of peanuts, cashews, or fruit. It was fascinating to see so many people, the women adorned in traditional Muslim gowns and veils, and men wearing the small Muslim hats with intricate patterns. The vehicle was packed to the brim with people, but it was so fascinating just to be in a different place with so much going on around us that we hardly noticed any discomfort. We wound throughout the town making many stops to pick up more people with cement, wooden boards, baskets of fruits, huge bags of groceries. We eventually made it out of the city and into the surrounding lush grassy and palm-treed landscape. We passed through Jozani Forest, an amazing jungle known for housing large populations of red colobus monkeys (we did see one bouncing across a tree branch). Our journey took us 2 hours, but it could have taken all day and we would have been content just to watch the people and the incredible scenery. We passed through a tiny village called Paje and then turned onto a rough dirt and rock road that led us into the quaint village of Jambiani. We were dropped right in the heart of the village, next to a sign for Blue Oyster Hotel where we would be staying for the next 3 nights. As the dala dala pulled away to leave, Jonathan and I just looked at each other and nearly screamed with excitement and awe- what an incredible and interesting place! All the buildings surrounding us were constructed of coral/rock and surrounded by intricate hand-woven straw fences. Huge palm trees dotted the landscape, and we could just catch a sliver of pristine blue ocean in the distance. The hotel was beautiful, right on the white sand beach, with an upstairs restaurant overlooking the ocean. The food was cheap and delicious- a variety of fresh (and I mean caught that day) seafood, spiced rices, curries, and other Indian-influenced dishes (very common in Zanzibar). I enjoyed a pina colada at sunset and tried to convince myself that this beautiful place and all that we'd seen that day wasn't just a dream.

Our first full day in Jambiani was stormy- a thick, relentless rain beat down for the majority of the day, but I refused to let it keep me inside. I walked along the beach getting soaked, and encountered some very nice local guys training for football. It was interesting to talk to them about life in Jambiani and their ideas about Botswana- I even taught them a little Setswana while they taught me Swahili. In the late afternoon the rain stopped and we were able to sit peacefully outside just listening to the waves. The water was incredibly warm and swimmable even on a cloudy day. The pristine white sand against the clear blue of the water gave the whole scene a surreal and magical quality.

The next few days were spent relaxing, alternating between laying out reading in the sun, going for long swims in the perfect water, and walking along the beach. We walked into the village one day and visited a pottery shop run by local women- it was a very cute place, and a group of kids arrived to stare at us crazy foreigners, gregariously introducing themselves and asking for us to take pictures with them, and we did. They were so enthusiastic and friendly.

Jonathan and I both got henna tattoos done by local women on the beach- I got elaborate floral designs on both my hands and Jonathan got a band around his bicep. We ate well, slept well, and had an amazing, relaxing time.

We took a dala dala back to Stone Town and wound our way through the bustling city to our hotel, right in the heart of a busy neighborhood. It was a great place, surrounded by so much energy and activity. Our room was cozy and even had air conditioning, a blessing in the humid heat of the day. There was a rooftop restaurant with coffee, homemade breads, and a variety of fresh fruit for breakfast everyday- blissful. We wandered through Stone Town's narrow alleys, between huge stone buildings with intricately latticed wooden decks. There were surprises around every corner, street vendors lined up on all sides, bicycles and scooters whizzing past us in the beautiful maze that is Stone Town. There was huge vegetable and spice market, next to a food market boasting fresh breads and chapatis, fried street food (fresh chips/fries, samosas), spiced meat kebabs, and an assortment of fried and dried fish. The food was amazing and incredibly cheap, everything so flavorful from the abundance of spices available (a huge change from Setswana cuisine, which tends to be bland). We bought an assortment of spices- whole nutmeg, cloves, saffron, vanilla beans... all for less than a dollar. In the evening we ran into an Israeli man who we'd met in Jambiani, and he joined us for an excursion to another side of town near the coast for Chinese food. Stone Town has all sorts of restaurants, and it was tough to choose where to eat, but the Pagoda Restaurant was an excellent pick, with delicious dishes for amazing prices. We wandered through the city after dinner, and I was surprised at how safe it was to be able to walk after dark (definitely not the case most of the time in Botswana). There were tons of people out and about, kids playing in the streets, and families sitting out on the stoops watching the passersby. Our friend took us to a corner near our hotel where a man was serving hot coffee from huge kettles boiled over coals. The coffee was strong and primarily a custom for only men to drink, but they didn't seem to mind me joining the crowd. We perched ourselves on the sidewalk nearby and enjoyed our cheap and delicious coffee while watching the excitement of nightlife around us. A perfect end to a perfect day.

The following day we embarked on a spice tour, taking a vehicle into a jungle on the outskirts of town, where a guide showed us the varying types of fruits and spices found on the island. Some small boys followed our group around, making items out of banana leaves for us- they gave us little cones to hold our spices in, bracelets and rings, a necklace that resembled a frog, and Jonathan even got a woven tie! It was very entertaining. We saw plants such as nutmeg, vanilla beans, cloves, and peppercorns, and trees such as cinnamon, banana, litchi, durian fruit, papaya, and starfruit. We tasted the various types of fruit, including durian fruit which is rather repulsive- it has the smell of onions and garlic, the texture of avocado, and the flavor of onions and garlic mixed with sugar- a very odd and not enticing combination. But the other fruits we tried were amazing- several types of citrus, juicy and tart starfruit, and fresh litchis. After the tour we were escorted to a peaceful covered area where we sat on colorful mats and ate the traditional cuisine- spiced rice, fragrant vegetable curry, cooked spinach, and chapatis. I could have eaten for days, everything was so delicious.

The rest of our time in Stone Town was spent in similar fashion- wandering the streets, visiting the different shops and alternating between street food and cheap restaurants, and just observing the life around us. We were sad to leave, but this time took a flight which gave us an amazing view of the island and the surrounding coral reefs. The sun was breaking through the clouds in such a way that a surreal glow spread across a small section of ocean, creating a magical effect to end our amazing trip.

Our final night was spent in Dar es Salaam, at a dingy hotel that we were thankful to find (everywhere else was fully booked). We were right amidst a busy market, and in the evening we ventured to a small outdoor bar for some dinner. Only one person at the bar spoke any English, so communication was difficult but amusing nonetheless. A completely inebriated woman sat nearby and entertained us with her bursts of inspiration to dance, meanwhile knocking over her chair and nearly falling over herself. We returned to our stuffy room which housed a toilet that was merely a hole in the floor, no shower or bath, just a small water spout next to the toilet. It was interesting to say the least, and we were thankful to be there for only a short time. In the morning we flew to South Africa and said goodbye to our amazing adventures, still in awe of all that we'd seen and experienced.

And now I'm in LA, a world away, trying to adapt back to my strange culture. My adventures in Botswana and Africa are over for now, but hopefully to be continued in the not too distant future.

For pictures from the Zanzibar trip, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/JonathanBoland/Zanzibar?authkey=Gv1sRgCILQ7q2byuLItQE&feat=email#

Recent Pictures

2009-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last Days in Botswana

2009-06-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last week I hosted the new Peace Corps volunteers for Mochudi- Megan and Jonathan- who will be helping at Stepping Stones International and Molefi Senior Secondary school. It was great to have the opportunity to meet them, especially Megan since she'll be taking my place! It was fun having company and helped me to cope with the stress that I've had lately at the thought of leaving and all that entails. It has been very difficult to adjust to the idea of leaving, especially leaving behind all the wonderful and kind people I've met here. The kids that I've worked with for the past 2 years have become my family, and it breaks my heart to not know if or when I'll see them again. My boss and her family, who have taken me into their home so often, will be hard to part with as well. The random friends who I've met at the post office, the hardware store, and other places on my aimless weekend walks through town have helped to make my experiences here special and always interesting.
The kids at Stepping Stones surprised me with a going away party, complete with dancing, singing, and a plethora of handmade cards and pictures. I couldn't help but break down when giving them my final speech of best wishes- the whole day was extremely touching and made me feel very loved.
I visited my host family from training, who I hadn't seen in over a year, and it was wonderful to reconnect with the people who helped me so much in the beginning- in those shaky times when I wasn't sure if I'd make it through training. It was nice to show them pictures of the different activities that I'd done with the kids, and to let them know how they helped make my time in Botswana fruitful.
On Saturday I will leave Botswana for the last time, embarking on the next adventure- I would like to say I'm excited to go to Zanzibar, but there is still so much to do between now and then! For now I'll just appreciate the last few days in this place that has helped me grow and change, that has shown me so much beauty and love, despite being a world away from home.

A busy day with the British High Commission

2009-05-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

This week we had a visit from 16 volunteers from the British High Commission in Gaborone, and what a fun and busy day we had! The day started off with one group of volunteers and Stepping Stones Staff planting a variety of donated trees and shrubs around the grounds at the centre, while another helped lay bricks for a shelter for the security guard (an essential since the weather is starting to get particularly chilly). After the tough manual labor, staff were trained in basic first aid procedures and some computer skills. Once the kids arrived in the afternoon, the volunteers put them to work cooking a variety of different foods- cottage pie (ground beef covered in mashed potatoes and cheese), butternut squash soup, and cupcakes. Meanwhile other kids competed against each other in a quiz show. I found it really cute that one of the teams chose "Leslie" as their team name, while everyone else chose names like the Cheetahs or Elephants. All this excitement was followed by a group dance party, very entertaining to see everyone show off their moves (I've taken note and will try to be more adventurous next time I get a chance to dance). At the end of the day the High Commission donated t-shirts to all kids and staff and thanks were given all around. A busy and exciting day!

I'm gearing up to leave, just 2 weeks left in Botswana! I'm in a bit of denial about it, knowing how hard it will be to leave the kids and the many friends I've made her behind. Every day is filled with work and social tasks, making the time fly by faster than I want it to. Still, I'm looking forward to my next adventure, my travels in Tanzania and then back to the states!

Increase in HIV/AIDS Prevalence in Botswana

2009-05-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

This article is from Botswana Daily News... The results of the latest HIV/AIDS Prevalence study don't look good. Let's hope that with the increase of Peace Corps Volunteers coming into Botswana there will be some positive changes on the horizon.
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Survey indicates prevalence rate increase

By Tshegofatso Sentsho

GABORONE - The 2008 HIV/AIDS impact survey shows that the national prevalence rate has increased by 0.5 per cent.
The prevalence rate increased to 17.6 per cent from 17.1 per cent in 2004.
The preliminary results also indicate an overall increase in HIV prevalence for both males and females from 2004 BAIS.
Speaking at the release of the report in Gaborone yesterday, the chief demographer at the Central Statistics Office, Dr Peter-Ubomba-Jaswa said urban villages are the least infected while towns remain the most infected.
The survey also showed that the HIV/AIDS incidence rate was at 2.9 per cent, with males and females accounting for 2.3 and 3.5 per cent respectively. The incidence rate measures the degree of new HIV transmission.
On age groups, Dr Ubomba-Jaswa said HIV prevalence rate ranged from 2.2 per cent in babies up to 4 years old to 40.6 per cent in the 40 to 44 year age group. He added that prevalence rate increases sharply with age peaking at those between 30 to 45 years and gradually declining with age.
Comparing with the 2004 impact survey, Dr Ubomba-Jaswa said the peak was seen in the 25 to 39 age groups, but has since shifted to the 30 to 45 year age group. He added that this is the age group with the highest rate of new HIV infections. He noted that the 45 to 49 year age group has the highest HIV incidence rate of 7.3 per cent while the 15 to 19 age group has the lowest incidence rate of 0.7 per cent.
Dr Ubomba-Jaswa added that the estimated 17.9 per cent HIV prevalence rate in urban areas is slightly higher than the rural areas at 17.1 per cent. He, however, said when towns are singled out they have a much higher HIV prevalence rate (22.1) per cent than other urban areas. The two cities are estimated at 19.1 per cent while urban villages are at 16.6 per cent.
Dr Ubomba-Jaswa said HIV prevalence rate also deferred according to districts with Kweneng West recording the lowest rate at 10.3 per cent while Selebi-Phikwe recorded the highest as 26.5 per cent. He added that in some districts, the HIV incidence rate appears not to be consistent with the prevalence rate. He cited Kweneng West as having a low HIV prevalence rate but a relatively high HIV incidence rate of 3.5 per cent.
Dr Ubomba-Jaswa said Selebi-Phikwe continues to have one of the highest HIV prevalence and incidence rates in the country while the Chobe District has a high HIV prevalence rate but a low incidence rate. He said Mahalapye has the lowest HIV incidence rate of 0.9 per cent while Bobonong has the highest rate at 5.6 per cent.
On educational levels, Dr Ubomba-Jaswa said the preliminary results show that the prevalence rate decreases steadily as education level increases.
He said those with no education or non formal education have the highest HIV prevalence rates of 28.4 per cent and 28.6 per cent respectively whilst those with tertiary education have a low prevalence rate of 16.3 per cent.
He also said the HIV prevalence rate is highest among those who are widowed (39.6 per cent) and lowest in those who have never married (16.1 per cent). He added that the HIV incidence rates are highest among the widowed (4.7 per cent) and lowest among those who never married (3.2 per cent).
On prevention, he said 56 per cent of the country's population aged between 10 and 64 years has tested themselves for HIV/AIDS at least once. He added that in the 12 months preceding the survey, 34 per cent of the general population had tested for HIV/AIDS and were informed of the results.
On knowledge and behaviour, Dr Ubomba-Jaswa said among the 15-24 year age group, 43 per cent correctly identified ways of preventing HIV transmission.
He said with respect to attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS, 65 per cent said they would share a meal with a person living with HIV/AIDS, care for a family member suffering from AIDS, and would allow a HIV positive teacher to teach their children. He added that they said they would also buy vegetables from a HIV positive shopkeeper.
Dr Ubomba-Jaswa further said the impact survey shows that 16 per cent of males in the age group 30-49 is circumcised.
Contributing to the deliberations, the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) coordinator, Mr Batho Molomo, said his agency will launch the impact survey statistical report next month.
He said following the launch, they will convene a workshop in July to prepare for a policy report. He added that his organisation intends to work with four districts to conduct lower level district focused analysis to promote the utilisation of the report for informing decision making at that level.
The main objective of the 2008 impact survey, was to provide up to date information on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Botswana with respect to its prevalence, incidence as well as behavioural patterns and knowledge, care and support, attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS as well as socio-economic, demographic, household and living conditions associated with the disease.
He said in the 2008 survey, unlike the previous ones, blood samples were collected from willing respondents for the determination of HIV/AIDS prevalence and incidence.

Pictures from Camp in Maun

2009-05-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

Once again, I embarked on a camping adventure with the kids from my program, and some others from the community. We got to travel all the way to Maun, a large town in the northern part of Botswana, a whopping 10 hour busride away. The kids were thrilled to be able to see some very different scenery than that in the southern part of Botswana, including part of Moremi Game Reserve where we encountered hippos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many other exotic animals. Unfortunately I got heat stroke on the game drive and ended up throwing up... gross. But other than that I was happy to see Maun, since it will probably be my last time to see the amazing wildlife of Botswana before I return to the US. Just one more month before I finish Peace Corps, very strange to think about! Exciting and scary at the same time.

Talent show pictures

2009-04-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

These are just a small sample of the 31 groups who performed at the talent show... congratulations to everyone, there was an abundance of talent represented!

Ch-ch-changes

2009-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Things are in a constant state of transition lately, despite all of the things I've grown used to- the slow pace of things (except for my life, which seems to run at a fast pace most of the time), the unwanted attention I still get after 2 years of living in the same place (thanks to living in a village of over 40,000 people), the entertaining observations of livestock and farm animals roaming the streets... I've grown used to so much, but the people around me are changing constantly. Stepping Stones International has a lot of interest from volunteers- from the US, Canada, and other foreign countries- and I've met a lot of new people lately. This month I said goodbye to Meg, a Canadian volunteer I've worked with and befriended over the last 3 months, and I'm looking forward to meeting the new Canadian volunteer arriving in May. A group of about 20 high school kids from California arrived last week to help tutor our kids in different subjects- I was a little taken aback to see so many young white people at once! Not something I see regularly.
I'm looking forward to the next few months of helping organize and facilitate at a camp with orphans and other vulnerable children from my village, developing a drama group, and trying to put together a hip hop competition for youth to express themselves creatively. It will be a lot of work, but I want to do as much as I can before I leave.
Recently the kids from Stepping Stones had a talent show that I helped organize, it was a blast! There were 31 groups performing dances, songs, and drama, and all showed great enthusiasm. I was really impressed by the dance groups, who reminded me just how untalented I am in that department, and how much I want to learn from them. The talent show helped the kids to raise money for Stepping Stones International and to learn about financial management. It's part of a greater Income Generating Projects activity we're teaching the kids about to improve their skills for when they finish school, as there are often limited job opportunities in Botswana.
Despite all the work and fun I'm having here, I'm also looking forward to June, when I'll finish Peace Corps and take a trip to Zanzibar to celebrate the completion of a very productive and challenging 27 months in Botswana. It will be great to be home with friends and family this summer! I will do my best to make the most of the next few months, and embrace the excitement and challenges that lie ahead.

Check out the Teen Club blog!

2009-03-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

Botswana Baylor Teen Club has just created a blog to document different events and achievements at Teen Clubs held throughout Botswana, including the one I help run in Mochudi. Please take a look, and donate if you get a chance- this is a fabulous programme that has helped hundreds of HIV positive teens throughout Botswana. Thanks for your support!

botswanateenclub.wordpress.com

Pool Party!

2009-03-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

Every month I help run the Teen Club that is sponsored through Baylor Clinic- a fantastic pediatric AIDS program based in Gaborone. This last weekend I got to accompany the Mochudi Teen Club on a field trip to go swimming. Most kids rarely get a reprieve from the brutal Botswana summer heat, so this was quite a treat- for myself as well! Most of the kids knew how to at least float, but few knew how to swim. It was a great experience trying to teach kids to swim and how to let go and feel free in the water- definitely not an easy task, but a good time nonetheless.

Recent Pictures

2009-02-25T11:44:00.001-08:00

Fun on game day, staff and volunteers, and the kids with our new vehicle.

All about the kids!

2009-02-25T02:35:00.000-08:00

Knowing that I have just a few short monhs left in Botswana, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my experiences here and realizing just how much of an impact working with the kids in my program has had on my life. Before coming to Botswana I'd had very little experience working with youth, especially adolescents, and when taking into consideration the differences in cultural backgrounds between the kids and myself, I was intimidated by them and the idea of trying to do anything to help them lead better lives. The first time I met the original 30 kids involved with Stepping Stones, they were completely shy and reserved, making me all the more uncertain about what to say to them and how to act around them. But as time passed and I participated in activities with the kids, they began to open up. Even getting them to answer any questions or participate in activities in the beginning was a huge challenge, but slowly the kids became more bold, especially after I allowed them many opportunities to laugh at me. I used to go on trips to go horseback riding with them- always entertaining with hip hop and house music blasting through the combi as the kids danced and chatted away- and one day I just started trying to mimic their dance moves. There was an uproar of laughter which made my day. Ever since I started making a fool of myself the kids have realized that I'm not that much different than they are- I'm not sure I'll ever forget how to be a kid- and they're more comfortable letting me in to their infinitely complex and interesting lives.
I'm amazed at all the unique personalities in our program (and I've changed the names for confidentiality purposes)- there's Odirile, the class clown who happens to be utterly brilliant and loves inventing secret handshakes; there's Tumelo, the hyperactive boy who likes to pick fights with the others but loves reading Sesame Street books; there's Rapebana, the drama queen who loves to preach the word of Jesus; "Small Boy" as the kids call him, who is brilliant and meticulous in arts and crafts; and who could forget Fortune, one of my favorite guys, who has a funny habit of smiling and then trying to hide it and always is the first to say hi when I arrive. I'm continuously impressed at how many new things these kids are willing to try- for example, we just started a sewing program which I assumed would only be popular among the girls, but when we asked for volunteers almost all the boys seemed interested. Almost all the kids have learned horseback riding, jewelry making, many different types of art, and journal writing. They're eager to learn English, and so excited when I break out a book and read to them (I recently started Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I'm just as excited about).
Needless to say, long after I've returned to the states, I will remember all the names (which took me sooo long to learn) and faces of the now 60 kids I've worked with- it will break my heart to leave, but it will be great to keep in touch with them and see where their lives lead.

New faces, fun and frustrations

2009-02-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

Returning from vacation was a bit of a shocker- readjusting to life in Mochudi, being alone as opposed to constantly around others, and getting back to work. Several problems arose with the kids from my program over the holidays- a few girls found out they were pregnant and another was abused- it was difficult to see the pain that they were going through and feel almost completely helpless. My coworkers and I have been doing what we can to help ease the strain, but there's only so much that can be done.
On a lighter note, it has been really nice to be back with the kids and starting the new year out with some great activities and new inspiration. Two new volunteers from Canada arrived recently- one was here for 3 weeks, and another will be here until April. Their energy and activity ideas have been really helpful and inspirational. We had a sports week with the kids, teaching them Jujitsu techniques and even floor hockey (thanks to the generous contribution of hockey supplies from the Canadian guy). We've also been getting extra help the kids during study time, since many are entering their final years of school (Form 5) in which they'll be required to take a final comprehensive exam that will determine whether they'll be able to attend tertiary school. It's a really intense process and very stressful, but we'll try to help them all to pass. I'm relearning some of my math and grammar skills in the process :)
At the beginning of March I'll be attending my COS- Close of Service- meetings for Peace Corps. My whole group of 50-something volunteers will meet to make final plans for leaving Botswana- it's so hard to believe my time here is almost over! I grow ever more excited thinking about the future, but it's also terrifying to think about how different my life in US will seem after this experience. Being here has changed me in so many ways, I hope that the culture shock going back will not be too overwhelming. And of course figuring out what to do next... always a daunting task. For now I will do my best to soak up as many great moments and experiences in Botswana, with the many friends I've made and the kids who have inspired and challenged me since my arrival.

Pictures, finally!

2009-01-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Some sunsets, part of Victoria Falls, view from the plane, a lovely turtle, and elephants at the river

Exciting adventures!

2009-01-09T04:08:00.001-08:00

Here are some highlights from my recent travels- I was lucky enough to see some amazing places over my Christmas break, returning to Cape Town and getting to see the legendary Victoria Falls and Kasane, one of the most beautiful areas in Botswana.

Highlights of Cape Town: I could hardly contain my excitement arriving in Cape Town- I had already witnessed what a beautiful place it was, but the second time around was still breathtaking. Table Mountain looks completely surreal as the backdrop of a sprawling city and amazing beaches. I was surprised at how dry the areas below the mountain appeared this time around, especially since it’s the rainy season in Botswana, but the higher parts of the mountain were still a lovely green mixed with the rocky cliffs. Chandni and I met up with her cousin Jackie and her husband Jay and we drove together to the same backpacking place I’d stayed before. We went out for really nice appetizers and champagne at Wakame, a fancy restaurant/bar overlooking the ocean. Afterwards we walked along the pier to watch the sunset- amazing! We all awoke early to drive to the house in Camps Bay, one of the more upscale beachfront areas of Cape Town. The house was unbelievable: 8 bedrooms and bathrooms dispersed over 3 floors with huge windows looking out at the ocean and the 12 apostles (on the backside of Table Mountain)- the view was unbeatable. All the rooms were incredible, and the top floor had a huge deck and hot tub. We were too excited to leave the house for most of the first day.

Over the next several days we met with more of Chandni’s family and I started taking morning walks along the beach- I couldn’t resist the chance to walk in perfect weather with such breathtaking scenery! Chandni’s teenage cousin came along for some of the walks and we discovered a whole crew of rock dassies- creepy and strange groundhog-like creatures that lived in the cliffs along the beach. All of us spent time at the beach, drove down to Boulders Beach one day to see a huge gathering of African penguins, went to the top of Table Mountain by cable car and hiked around (you can see all of Cape Town and the surrounding bay areas and mountain ranges- it’s a little dizzying but unbeatable as far as views go)- there was no shortage of fun. We spent one day driving around Stellenbosch, one of the luscious wine-growing regions outside of the city. We visited Spier vineyard, where we indulged in an incredible gourmet African buffet with countless delectables to choose from. The food in Cape Town deserves mention - I didn’t have one meal that wasn’t amazing. All in all it was an incredible trip, and so much fun to get to be there with friends and Chandni’s family.

Livingstone/Victoria Falls/Kasane/Chobe National Park: It was so exciting to finally get to Livingstone in Zambia, home to part of Victoria Falls- a magnificent waterfall that spans part of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. As we hiked along the huge gorge to the waterfall we were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water in the spray from the falls- within minutes we were completely drenched! We rented raincoats for the rest of the walk which at least served to protect our cameras a bit. The waterfall is really a series of smaller falls cascading over a deep ravine that stretches as far as one can see- the gorge wraps around a corner when meeting the Zimbabwean border. At one point a bridge crosses another ravine, giving you a view of where the water continues into yet another parallel gorge. Rainbows could be seen on both sides of the bridge due to the spray- it was a beautiful sight.

After visiting the falls we shopped at an open-air market run by local vendors and artisans nearby. It was a little overwhelming to be confronted with the intense persuasion and sales pitches of each vendor, and bargaining with them was exhausting, but we all managed to find a few beautiful pieces of jewelry and art to take home.

We had an interesting encounter at the Zambezi Sun, a large resort not far from the falls where we attempted to have lunch. We had ordered a pizza to share and had started eating it when the umbrella over our table started to tilt- I grabbed onto in time to keep it from falling on us, only to realize the cause of the trouble- a monkey had jumped from the roof of the restaurant onto the umbrella, then onto our table to grab a piece of pizza. One of us swatted it away, but it boldly returned to the table and in the bustle knocked over a drink, gin and tonic and broken glass flying everywhere. What a mess! It was pretty ridiculous. I had always though monkeys were cute, but changed my mind after that incident.

After visiting Livingstone I returned to Kasane, the nearest town in Botswana, which is accessed by ferry across the Chobe River. Kasane borders the Chobe National Park, a huge expanse of luscious green hills and valleys surrounding the river. I went on a game drive through the park where I got to see wild dogs attacking a baby impala, hundreds of baboons, hippos, crocodiles, and countless species of birds and antelope. In the evening I went on a river cruise to see elephants and many other animals, as well as the Caprivi Strip, part of Namibia that borders much of northern Botswana. The long green grasses and setting sun were stunning to see, especially reflected in the river.

More Camp GLOW pictures

2008-12-14T02:51:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-14T02:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-14T00:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-05T03:44:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-18T01:10:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-25T00:46:00.000-07:00

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

New Center and Kids!

2008-09-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-12T02:52:00.000-07:00

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 :)

2008-07-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-06-26T02:13:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-26T01:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T05:20:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-15T02:54:00.000-07:00

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.

Website!!

2008-03-28T05:07:00.001-07:00

Stepping Stones International finally has a website! Check us out at www.steppingstonesintl.org to get a better idea of where I work and what we do.

Last call for walk donations!!

2008-03-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that my sponsored hike for Y-Care Botswana is coming up in just 2 months- I'm doing everything I can to prepare for it, working out every day and doing my best mentally prepare myself for 3 days of intense hiking. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far- I have raised about $600! My final goal is $1000, so I still need as much help as I can get, so if anyone else is willing to contribute please email me at leslie.duling@gmail.com for more info. It's for a very good cause- Y Care gives to charitable non-governmental organizations all throughout Botswana, supporting youth and cultural activities (they gave a bunch of money to Stepping Stones International, the organization I volunteer for, which works with orphans and vulnerable children). So please help me give back! Thanks for your support.

Pictures!

2008-03-18T07:07:00.002-07:00

So you all realize I'm a slacker when it comes to updating my blog, so I thought I'd finally post some pictures, random as they are, from the past few months.
From top left: Silly pictures from Peace Corps prom (a fun excuse made up by friends and I to get together and get dressed up for once); Crazy clouds near my house; A corn beetle on my door (huge beetles that seem to be everywhere now), two kids from my program horseback riding; the early morning sunrise from my front porch.

A little bit of hope

2008-02-29T00:16:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks I've been noticing some dramatic changes among the kids at Stepping Stones. When I first started my position there, hardly any of the 30 kids would speak to me, even when asked a question. And it's understandable when they have all been traumatized in one way or another- most of their parents have died from AIDS and even a few have been murdered. Since I'm working with adolescents (arguable one of the hardest times in a person's life anyway), I knew they were already facing a lot- it's hard to imagine losing one of both parents on top of adjusting to becoming an adult. Many of them, despite being under 18, were caring for their younger siblings; some were being abused at home; many were living in extreme poverty, sharing a one-room house with 11 other people; a few are HIV positive themselves... So I'm very pleased to see that the majority of the kids are really opening up and becoming more confident. Just in the last week I've had several kids ask me for help with their homework or college applications; some just come up to me to tell me about their day or ask about family problems they're having- I'm really starting to see that my stay here is meaningful, and feeling inspired to do everything I can to keep these kids from letting their lives go to waste. It is really challenging, but so rewarding to see them excited about school, being more confident and assertive, and interacting better with others. There are still a lot of needs to be addressed, but at least there has been some improvement.

A storm is brewing!

2008-02-18T02:55:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures from one of the many storms that came through Mochudi in the last few weeks

Valentine's Day and getting in shape

2008-02-18T02:15:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's day we decided to have a bit of a party with the kids at my program. I ended up baking about 150 heart-shaped sugar cookies, with the help of a few of the older kids in our program, and each kid got to decorate (and eat) a bunch. These kids aren't used to having many sweet things, let alone a treat of any sort, so the sugar was quite a shock. I've never seen these kids with so much energy and hyperactivity, it was pretty amusing.
My own Valentine's day was a nice treat. My boyfriend Jason came up to visit and we had, over the last few months, collected all the ingredients to make sushi. We had discovered an Asian food store in Gaborone where we were able to get the seaweed wraps and wasabi; my mom was gracious enough to send some vacuum-packed smoked salmon, and after a lot of searching I managed to find pickled ginger and cream cheese. Sushi is one of the foods I've missed the most since living in a land-locked country, so this was a very exciting occasion. Amazingly it was pretty tasty despite my extremely minimal experience with making sushi. It's surprising how exciting food becomes when your options are limited.
This weekend some other volunteers and I are celebrating "Peace Corps Prom". We definitely have to be creative with ways to have fun, so we're all getting dressed up (as much as is possible with the limited wardrobe and funds that we all have) and having a dance. It should be pretty entertaining, I'll be sure to post some photos after the event.
I've officially started training for my 3-day sponsored walk that's coming up in May. I've been walking a lot pretty much everyday and started running as well. Fortunately it has been relatively cool in the mornings and evenings so all this exercise isn't unbearable. I just want to say thanks to everyone who has helped me raise money so far, including the recent additions from aunt MJ, Brian, J and Tony, and Tim. I've raised about $600 so far, only $400 more to go! Please email me if you're interested in helping out, leslie.duling@gmail.com. Thanks!

Quick Update

2008-02-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot of time to write, but thought I would document some of the highlights of the last few weeks. Things have been going really well at work- we have several new people working with us which has made things run more smoothly at the centre. A member of the national rugby team is designing a sports program for the kids and comes to the centre once a week to get everyone in shape- the kids really enjoy it, and even my coworkers and I get involved. Some of the kids just started doing horseback riding- the older kids had done it before, but the younger kids had never gone. I got to go with them on their first trip and they had a fantastic time. None of the kids had ever ridden a horse before and they couldn't stop smiling. It was inspiring to see them so excited about something.
For those of you who don't know I'll be participating in a sponsored walk for Y Care Charitable Trust (check them out at www.ycare.org.bw)- the proceeds of which will go to non-governmental and community-based organizations throughout Botswana which do crucial work with, among other groups, disabled and disadvantaged youth. If you are interested in helping me reach my goal of raising $1000, please email me at leslie.duling@gmail.com. Donations of any amount would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much to those who have already offered to help out:
Mom and Dad, Betsy and James, Geoffrey and Liisa, Saret, and Brooke.
I'll be posting more pictures and stories soon!

The Okavango Delta and some new housemates

2008-01-13T22:20:00.000-08:00

After Christmas some other volunteers and I decided to venture up north to the Okavango Delta to go camping and visit some volunteers that live in that area. We rented a truck and started the long trek- it took us a few days to get to our final destination- and we passed the time by playing car games, it was a nice flashback to childhood. We passed through many villages which I had heard about but never seen- Nata, Maun, Gumare- and we managed to spot some elephants in the wild, I was so excited to finally see some after hearing so much about how many there are in Botswana. We stayed in Gumare with a volunteer and had some trouble sleeping- partly because there were 5 of us sleeping side by side, and partly because the insects were abundant, pestering us while we tried to sleep. The following day we travelled further north along the western side of the delta, arriving at the Okavango River where we took a ferry across to Shakawe. We then drove south to our final destination of Seronga, a small traditional village of mud huts and sandy roads. Some of the travel was difficult given the deep sand and gravel roads, so we were thankful to have 4-wheel-drive. We stayed with a friend of a volunteer and rather large group of other volunteers, most of us camping in the yard which bordered beautiful grassy wetlands. The sunset that night was amazing, so many shades of pink and purple over settling over the water. The following morning we awoke and proceeded to an “island” (supposedly when it rains more it really is an island, but it was hard to tell given the current level of water)- the driving was a real challenge and I was thankful to not be behind the wheel. We drove through deep white sand on windy paths, then arrived at a pond which we had to drive across- it was a little scary but we managed to get across without any trouble. We finally drove through a huge field of tall grass and arrived at our campsite, only to drive right into a huge whole that was hidden by the grass. With the help of an experienced driver we managed to get out of the hole with no damage to the truck, what a relief. We set up camp near a beautiful pond covered with lily pads and lotus flowers, surrounded by tall trees and grassland on the periphery. There were tons of amazing birds that I couldn’t identify, and we discovered lion tracks in the dirt where we were setting up our picnic area. All of us at some point heard strange grunting noises coming from the bushes and we were later told that it was most likely hippos- not the most reassuring thing to hear given how violent hippos can be, but we managed not to get too freaked out and went the whole trip without actually seeing any. We spent the few days sitting and talking around the fire, reading, taking naps, hiking around, swimming, playing volleyball in the pond, and riding a mokoro (like a canoe) around the pond. We spent New Years eve with some Afrikaners who were camping across the pond from us, it was interesting to meet some new people although they were a little crazy. They had roasted an entire goat on a spit for the whole day and I got my first taste of goat meat- it was actually pretty good. Some of the volunteers put on an entertaining skit of events from 2007, and we all toasted with champagne to ring in the new year under the stunningly star-filled sky. The trip back was long and tiring, but at least we managed to see more elephants, this time much closer- they were right on the side of the highway. It was amazing to see them up close, so giant and majestic. All in all it was a good start to the new year.
Now I’m back at work with our center reopening on Monday. It will be nice to see the kids once again and start a new year with new programs and staff members. I’ll be working on developing a peer education program aimed at training our kids to work in their schools to improve education regarding children’s rights and healthy relationships. It should be challenging and interesting. The highlight since I came back from vacation is that I’ve adopted 2 kittens, both black and white- their names are Batman (since he looks like he’s wearing a mask) and Mittens. It’s been really nice to have some companions to come home to.

Pics from my New Years trip

2008-01-12T04:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pics from my trip to the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. I wrote a whole story to go along with them, but I forgot to bring it with me to the internet cafe :) I will post it in a few days, but in the meantime enjoy the pictures!

The Okavango River, other volunteers and myself on the ferry across, sunset from our campsite

2007-12-26T10:32:00.001-08:00

Pictures from the kids performing at our Christmas party: Bonno reading poetry; The "Four Super Boys" performing, Keneilwe doing a very dramatic scene, and a bunch of the kids plus my coworker Tinny dancing

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

The holidays are here, but it still doesn't feel like it in Botswana. The heat is back in full force after 2 months of frequent rain and thunderstorms. Christmas is not a huge deal- there's some of the same hubbub at the stores, a ton of people traveling, but I really have to use my imagine to envision it being Christmas. I'm spending Christmas with a few friends, eating lots and trying to make it seem more festive.
Last week Stepping Stones International, the NGO that I'm working for, had our Christmas party with the kids. The kids pretty much organized the whole event, coming up with songs, dances, poetry, and even a drama to perform for their caregivers, my coworkers and I, and some members of the community. It was a great way to end the year with the kids, since our center will be closed until after New Years.
I'll soon be leaving to go up to the Okavango Delta for the first time- it's supposed to be the most beautiful part of the country, with some of the most diverse wildlife and a welcome watery diversion from the otherwise parched desert. I'll be visiting with other volunteers and camping out for the New Year, so it should be a great time.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I miss everyone back home and hope you're all doing well!

Holidays

2007-12-03T23:16:00.000-08:00

I spent most of Thanksgiving weekend waiting for buses and riding them- not how I had intended to spend it, but at least the times between busrides were enjoyable :) I went up to Mahalapye to visit my good friend Chandni and her parents who were still visiting- they were having a party with a bunch of Chandni's coworkers. Her mom cooked an amazing Indian feast and we all ended up dancing- some Setswana dancing, some Indian dancing, and some dancing I really couldn't associate with any culture. It was certainly a unique evening.
The following day I ventured out to Phikwe where I met up with at least 20 other volunteers for a real Thanksgiving feast. I arrived just in time to eat all my favorites- mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and a bunch of other comfort foods. It was so nice to meet up with so many other volunteers and get updates on their progress with their projects. Many people are struggling in their jobs- one of my friends had her counterpart (boss) die very suddenly and now her organization is nearly closing; another was strangled in her house. But overall most people are making some progress in their work- it's just a very challenging experience.
Things at work have been okay for me- things are slowing down a bit as the kids are on their holiday break from school- many are out of town visiting family. We're planning a big Christmas party next week, complete with a drama performance by the kids, prominent community members visiting, a big feast, and presents for the kids and their families. It should be really fun, I'll do my best to get pictures to post.
As Christmas approaches, I feel really sad to be so far from home, but I'm very thankful to be safe, have good friends here, and to be able to keep in touch with everyone.

Giant Moths, Diwali, and Learning to Teach

2007-11-16T02:42:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks have flown by- I’m still reeling at the shock of it being nearly halfway through November. What happened? Fortunately the increased speed of things has been for a good reason- I’m enjoying work (and feeling inspired), and having a great deal of fun with my friends. For Halloween, which nobody celebrates here except us crazy Peace Corps Volunteers, I ventured to a village called Bobonong to meet up with a bunch of my friends. We had a braai (the Setswana word for barbeque), dressed up in some hilarious costumes- the Hamburglar, Bam Bam, a sumo wrestler… and many more- and I’m sure the neighbors thought we were genuinely insane. But it was a great time. On the way back to Mochudi, our bus was stopped at a checkpoint- apparently the area around Bobonong has been known for hoof and mouth disease, thus people’s shoes are checked in hopes of not spreading contamination to other parts of the country- and as I stepped off of the bus I noticed a moth larger than my hand. It was beautiful- grayish in color with large eye-like circles on the wings, covered in a delicate layer of fur- but it still caught me off guard as I had never imagined a moth so huge. As I looked around I saw another one… and another one… and suddenly realized they were EVERYWHERE, nearly covering the ground. Most of them were dead, but some were still stirring. I looked out over the main road and saw another collection of them, most of them crushed by the passing cars. The whole scene seemed like an eerie experience out of a horror movie- I tried to imagine all of them in flight, but the thought was a little to creepy to entertain for long.

This last weekend my good friend Chandni’s parents came to town and invited me to meet up with them in Gabs to celebrate Diwali, an Indian festival of lights. We ate at one of the few Indian restaurants in the country, and I can’t even begin to describe the meal- we had several courses (too many to count) that had so many different and unique flavors and textures- it was some of the best food I’ve ever had. Compared to my usual attempts at cooking for one, eating an amazing meal with great company was a dream come true.

On the work end of things, I’ve been having a great time. I’m becoming more comfortable working with the kids, and I can tell they’re getting more comfortable with me as well. In the beginning none of them would talk to me (most of them are very shy, and especially so around foreign strangers), but now I feel like I’m really getting to know them better. I’m working with the younger kids daily to help them learn to read stories in English (most of them can read a little bit, but not well). I’ve also been doing more on the administrative side of things- learning to write proposals, helping with accounting, writing some of the content for our upcoming website- so I’ve been busy and learning a lot. All is well.

Adventures with Mom

2007-10-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit for about 10 days and it was great fun! I tried to introduce her to life in Botswana as best as I could- the crowded bus rides, the beautiful and newly green scenery that stretches on for miles, the kind and slightly slower-paced people, the cows, goats and donkeys that roam the city streets freely- so many different experiences to take in. We spent a lot of our time around Gaborone and Mochudi, going to the Gaborone game reserve (saw lots of monkeys!) and looking at arts and crafts- we found an amazing place called Oodi Weavers (in a small village called Oodi) where these old women spend hours everyday hand weaving wool tapestries and wall-hangings. They spin their own yarn from sheeps wool, then hand-dye it and then hand weave everything on large wooden looms. It takes them a month to weave a square meter! Most of the weavings display traditional village scenes, with rondavel houses (round huts), livestock, and daily activities that many of the Batswana partake in.
Dereje, one of my good friends, drove us around for the weekend and took us to Otse, Lobatse, and Pitsane, all villages in the southern part of the country. We stopped at the Otse Cheese Factory (the only cheese factory in the country), visited my boyfriend Jason's village, and eventually returned to Gaborone for a delicious Ethiopian meal cooked by one of Dereje's friends.
The next day a visit to my host family in Kumakwane was in order, so my mom got to meet my Motswana mom. My host mom was so excited to see me and meet mom. My host brother, Bofelo, already looked older and more mature despite it only being a few months since I've seen him. It was great to visit and have mom meet the family that helped me get through the very rough first few months in Botswana.
Mom got to meet the kids that I work with, spending time helping them to write letters to their US pen pals. It was a fun activity, and all the kids took it really seriously. It's very hard for most of them to write in English, so it was nice to have mom there to help out. We even got to meet Muriel Williams, the sister-in-law of the first president- she came to speak to the kids about what it was like to grow up during World War II and leading a life of volunteerism. She's English but has been living in Africa for the 38 years, the last 10 of which have been in Botswana.
Friday, on our way up north to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, we spent a night in Palapye with some other Peace Corps Volunteers, and then proceeded to Serowe, a large town known as the home of the first president, Seretse Khama. We stumbled upon an old, abandoned church surrounded by a few other derelict buildings, rocky cliffs and several different types of cacti. From on top of the rocks we got a terrific view of Serowe, and we had a blast taking pictures of our strange surroundings. Who knew abandoned buildings could be so exciting? We finally made it to the rhino sanctuary later in the day. This was my second time there, but it was still a lot of fun- we went on a guided drive for almost 2 hours and saw white and black rhinos, wildebeest, impala, kudu, springbok, zebras, and warthogs. I managed to arrange for mom to meet some of my good friends up north as well, and we had excellent Indian food made by my good friend Chandni.
All in all it was great to have mom here. It was hard when she left because it reminded me just how far from home I am, and how long it will be before I get to go back. But at least I have good friends here, I have a great job that keeps me busy, and I have some great memories of adventures with my mom.

Holiday fun and hard work

2007-10-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a holiday weekend- Botswana celebrated 41 years of independence on September 30th, and we got Monday and Tuesday off of work which was nice. I made a trip to some villages further south to visit some other Peace Corps Volunteer friends- went to a couple of birthday parties and ended up spending tons of time on buses and waiting for transportation. Just another reminder that things here definitely move at a different pace. I definitely miss the convenience of having a car, but at least time on the bus usually translates into reading time, assuming I manage to get a seat.
Work has been very busy this week, and I've been fighting a bad cold which doesn't help. Sarah, the volunteer who is staying with me, has been teaching the kids about marketing and they seem to be enjoying having her around. Hopefully I'll get to spend more time with the kids soon, but in the meantime I'm doing research and helping with administrative and organizational stuff that needs to be done. Stepping Stones International is going to be expanding soon to accommodate more kids, so that means a lot of planning and proposal writing for funding needs to happen. It's an exciting time, and time seems to be flying by. I can't believe it's already October and I'm going to be 26 in a few days!
My mom comes to visit next week and I can't wait! I'll try to get some great pictures when she's here and will post them in the near future.

Feeling the heat, training, and some guests

2007-09-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

It's now spring here and the shift in temperature has been dramatic- for almost every day in the last month I've been able to walk out my door before 8am in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals and be perfectly comfortable; by afternoon I'm hiding from the intense, dry heat. It's been quite a shock to my system, and it's only going to get worse- summer is fast-approaching and I'm awaiting the 100+ degree days. Good times!
The past few weeks have been filled with training, work, and a sprinkling of fun here and there. The last three weeks have been mostly consumed by counseling training which has been provided by my work- it’s good information, but it’s been very tiring to be in training even on Saturdays. This upcoming weekend is my first chance to really have some free time- it’s a holiday weekend since Sunday, September 30th is Botswana’s Independence Day. Botswana first became independent from the British protectorate in the 1960s, so it’s a fairly young country. Independence Day is a very proud occasion for the Batswana, and there are said to be a great deal of festivities taking place to mark the occasion.
Last week a volunteer from the US named Sarah arrived- she will be staying with me for the next 5 weeks while she helps teach the kids at our center how to come up with and run income generating projects. She has her degree in business marketing, and she has some great ideas for what the kids can work on. Fortunately she’s really nice and about my age as well, so the company is welcome! It’s interesting to get a non-Peace Corps perspective on things here- I feel a little bit bad because compared to America there is very little to do here for fun. It’s not safe to go out after dark (around 7pm), there’s nowhere to go even if it were safe (there aren’t really pubs or dance clubs or restaurants that aren’t pretty sketchy), and even during the day there is little to do besides socialize with the neighbors. I’ve grown pretty used to spending a lot of time alone, reading and writing and learning Setswana, but for an outsider it can be a little daunting. Hopefully Sarah will get a chance to travel around the country a bit to make things more interesting.
In addition to Sarah, I had a few Peace Corps friends visit me last weekend which was really fun. It’s always so nice to meet up with other volunteers and discuss differences and similarities in our experiences- I think we learn a lot from each other.
The kids I’m working with continue to be a source of energy and excitement- it’s so apparent that they take nothing for granted and that even the smallest gestures of kindness mean the world to them. We’ve been involving them in activities to help them learn job skills and I’m focusing on teaching them about creative writing- they put so much effort and thought into the activities, it’s really inspiring to work with them. I’m also trying to organize a group of kids to go to Camp GLOW- it’s a week-long camp in December to help guys and girls to develop as leaders, learn life skills and build self-esteem, and then to return to their villages and help to empower other youth to do the same. Hopefully things will work out so I get to go along as a group leader- it would be a great way to help work with youth to hopefully make some positive changes in the community.

Pictures from Kanye

2007-09-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

Monkeys at the motel, eating garbage

Me and friends at "the beautiful place"

Sunset over Kanye

Monkeys, Soccer, and a New Home

2007-09-09T02:57:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks were spent in Kanye, a bustling town in the southern part of the country. Kanye is beautiful, spread out over several large, rolling hills covered in greenish brush and red sand. I met up with about 20 other volunteers at a nice, quiet motel surrounded by trees and even a family of monkeys. We spent many days being trained in Setswana, organizational development, and other topics aimed at helping us be effective volunteers. The after-hours were spent watching movies, playing soccer (I hadn’t played in many years and it brought out my competitive side all over again, so fun!), and just catching up. It was great to see volunteers from all over the country and get different perspectives on life in other villages. It was strange to be around other Americans, but it was comforting to be with people I could better relate to, and it was great to see my friends from our initial training.
Coming back to Mochudi is a little hard since my good friend Manda, the other PCV in Mochudi, decided to leave Peace Corps early to go back to the U.S. She left earlier this week and unfortunately I didn’t get to see her before she left. The only upside to her departure is that she helped work out the details so I can move into her house- since I’ve had security issues at my own house, it’s really nice to come back to a place that is seemingly safer and also furnished- it feels much more like home.
The next few weeks will be busy with more training- I’m being trained to be a counselor to help with my work. I’m really excited to see the kids again since I’ve been away for so long- I’m anxious to get back to work!
In case anyone is interested in reading about Mochudi’s chief who recently died, here’s a link to an article from one of the main newspapers in Botswana: http://www.mmegi.bw/2007/August/Wednesday22/1.php

On Hiatus

2007-08-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to write a quick note to let friends/family know that I will be in Peace Corps training for the next 2 weeks, and I'm unsure of whether or not I'll have internet access during that time. Big news in Mochudi this week, Kgosi (chief) Linchwe II, one of the most renowned and well-regarded chiefs in the country, passed away yesterday. I'll try to include some history on him in an upcoming blog entry just to give an idea of the interesting life he led.
Other than that, things are going well overall. I'll post a more in-depth update soon.

Tarantula, New friends, and speaking French

2007-08-15T04:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend brought a surprise guest to my house- as I was cleaning the kitchen I discovered an enormous spider (which I later determined was most likely a tarantula) just hanging out on the floor. I screamed and bolted from the room like a little kid, and when I went back in hours later it was gone. I was hoping that would be the last of it, but later when I returned home it had resurfaced, this time right in front of the door to my hallway. I was so irrationally jumpy around it that I couldn’t summon up the courage to either kill or get rid of it otherwise. So I left the house again and when I returned it was once again gone. It hasn’t resurfaced since Saturday, so I’m hoping it found its way back outside after its few interactions with that crazy screaming person that is me.
It’s been difficult to adjust to being in such a different cultural environment, but I’ve been lucky enough to meet some very nice people who have helped to keep me from becoming a total hermit. My neighbor’s daughter, Shathani, is a very kind girl- she is a bit younger than me, but she’s been very nice to have tea with since we’re both learning a lot from each other. I’m learning a lot from her about what it’s like for youth in Botswana, and she’s learning about America from me. She may even teach me to be a better cook, which is quite exciting. I also randomly met a girl at the post office named Tebby- she is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Botswana and also lives on her own in Mochudi. She’s really friendly and intelligent- so there’s hope for me to have a social life here :)
This week I’ve noticed some definite differences in the kids at our center- some of the normally very shy and reserved kids have opened up a lot just in the short time that I’ve been working here. I was so excited to see everyone participating in activities such as a game where everyone in the group had to introduce themselves in French- we’re planning to teach the kids a bit about a different country/language each week to expose them to other cultures. These kids have so much potential, and after talking with many of them this week I’ve seen that it’s clear they’re excited to come to the center because there’s just not much else to do in the community for youth. It’s good to be reminded that our center is potentially keeping kids out of trouble and hopefully helping them develop themselves and eventually impact their community.

Some pictures from training

2007-08-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from my two months away from internet :)
Top Left: Huge boulders in Thamaga
Top Right: Dana and Chandni, two of my good friends from training
Bottom Left: My host sister and brother (looking very serious), Lone and Bofelo
Bottom Right: My host mother and her handwoven baskets (and her mother in the background)

Some Basics about Life in Botswana- Part 1: Food

2007-07-31T05:09:00.000-07:00

In case anyone is interested, I've decided to document a few things that I've noticed about Botswana (and subsequently grown used to over the last 3 months) in the next few blog entries. If anyone has anything in particular they want to hear about, just email me and I'll be sure to answer your questions! It's an interesting place to say the least!
Food: So traditional Setswana cuisine takes some getting used to, a little moreso for me coming from a vegetarian diet- a usual meal consists of chicken (usually boiled with salt and flavoring packets)- chicken breast is not popular here, people are very fond of the other parts and even eat the bones. The side dishes usually consist of phaleche (papa)- a thick porridge made from maize meal; samp- maize cooked until thick and lumpy and flavored with salt (also often combined with beans); beetroot salad (mostly just shredded beets); coleslaw; merogo (vegetables)- I've had many combinations of leafy greens sauteed with carrots, onions, and potatoes. Cattle are praised in this country, but beef is eaten mostly for special occasions because of it's cost. One delicacy that I rarely see here but has a reputation for being delicious is the mophane worm- it's a caterpillar that is usually deep fried until crispy. I actually ate one- it tasted fine, but I was a little freaked out by how much it still resembled a caterpillar- very interesting!
As far as drinks are concerned, tea is customary for guests- usually rooibos (red) tea is served (with tons of sugar for most Batswana I've met) and black tea is popular as well. Sadly for me, it's very hard to get real coffee- there is mostly instant coffee which is mixed with chicory and a filler substance- not to be consumed without lots of milk and sugar. Alcoholic drinks are extremely popular here- alcoholism is a huge problem but one that is not addressed or even recognized in most of the country. The most common drink is called Chibuku, or shake shake, which is sold at stands all over paper cartons- it's a beer made from sorghum that is unfiltered and very sour and bitter. Otherwise there is lots of beer and wine imported from South Africa, and a cream liqueur called Amarula, made from the marula fruit (similar to Irish cream or kahlua, with a slightly fruitier taste).

First week with the kids!

2007-07-21T03:03:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was our first day working full-time with the kids at the centre. It was exciting to finally get to know some of them better and to start doing activities with them. As people arrived, we started a volleyball match (with a nearly deflated volleyball and a “net” consisting of a wire cord attached to two poles) which was really fun- all but 2 kids wanted to play and it got pretty competitive. It amazes me that there is such a variety of kids- the young, very shy 12-year-olds, to the much more confident 18-year old guys, and all attitudes and ages in between. Some of the kids are very slow learners, while others obviously need to be challenged. Overall the group is very quiet, and it takes a long time to get them to open up for discussion, especially in a group setting. It’s going to take some time to help these kids become more confident and outgoing. But despite their shyness, it's obvious the kids are really excited to be at the centre and getting a chance to just be kids- something they rarely get to do at home.
Overall this week went well, with a few bumps along the way. Monday and Tuesday were holidays in Botswana, so I wasn’t working and most of my neighbors were away for the long weekend. I was woken up during the night by what sounded like someone trying to get into my house, and I saw someone pass by my window. I ended up calling the police who showed up very quickly, I was so relieved. I feel safe overall, but still haven't been sleeping too well since. At least I've gotten to know my neighbors much better and feel like I have options if there's an emergency.
I’ve managed to make some random friends- I'm being approached by people rather constantly because I stand out so much, but it's definitely a mix of nice people and people just looking for money or a way to America. It's exhausting just running errands sometimes because of the attention I get, but I'm learning how to deflect the negative attention as much as possible. I've made several friends in the past week just by networking with neighbors and coworkers. There are a lot of very kind people in Botswana.
I’m also learning how to cook- I’ve managed to make some really tasty Indian food, thanks to recipes from my friend Chandni (I was in training with her), and I now make my own tortillas, bread, and curries. It’s quite exciting that my culinary experiments are actually edible! Hopefully by the time I have visitors I'll be an expert chef :)

Khama Rhino Sanctuary

2007-07-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures from a few months ago when I went to Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe. I saw black rhinos, white rhinos, wildebeests, zebras, gemsbok (a type of antelope) and right at twilight managed to spy a few giraffes.

Pictures of Mochudi

2007-07-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Recent Picture of me

2007-07-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone was curious what I look like these days... not much different!

My new house!

2007-07-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Mochudi!

2007-07-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

After 2 months of Peace Corps training, I'm finally an official volunteer! I recently moved into my new home in Mochudi, Botswana, a large village northeast of Gaborone, the capital. It's been quite an adjustment going from living with a host family in a small village to living alone in a big house in a bustling town! I've managed to make some good friends already- Manda, another Peace Corps volunteer, and her fiancee Dereje live nearby and have been extremely helpful with the adjustment process; Tinny, a Motswana woman from my work is very nice and has been introducing me to the community (and inviting me over to watch her favorite tv show, WWE wrestling!).
I'm currently working for a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) called Stepping Stones International. This organization serves adolescents who are orphans or vulnerable children (living in poverty and often have family members who are suffering from HIV/AIDS or other illnesses). Currently there are a large number of orphans in Botswana, mostly due to HIV/AIDS. Many children have lost their parents and thus become the caregivers for their younger siblings, or live with grandparents or other relatives, often being subjected to difficult living conditions, neglect, and abuse. Mochudi has an astounding number of kids in need, so I'm very happy to be working for such a great organization.
Starting this Wednesday, our center will be open for after-school programs for the kids- ranging from leadership, study skills, and job skill training, to sports, volunteer events, and other activities to help these kids thrive.