(NAY-oh) gift
I hadn't intended to write so soon, but I have had an interesting weekend.
Saturday morning we went as a group to a program that someone at another placement had found out about. Like most programs here, this was an OVC program - that is, Orphans and Vulnerable Children. It was run by phenomenal, young staff, both paid and volunteer, and was just a Saturday morning program with mostly sports and games.
The children ranged from 2 to about 12. I was having an okay time at first, playing sports with some older kids, but then really enjoyed myself when I abandoned that and just hung out with the littlest ones, we were really too young for organized games anyway. I bonded with a very very cute little boy who sat on my lap. When they asked all of us Canadians to go up front and introduce ourselves, the little one followed me and shrieked at staff who tried to stop him. I couldve brought him home with me then and there...
What was striking to most of us, was watching 7 year olds fully take responsibility for 5 and 3 year olds. And seeing even a 4 year old carrying a baby on her hip. Also, some children were adequately dressed, while others had no shoes and were wearing pyjamas. I really had a great time.
Yessterday afternoon our volunteer coordinator here had a Brai for us - an African barbeque, and it was lovely. Our cook and her daughter were there, and the daughter is learning to do pedicures and manicures, but recently had all her nail polishes stolen. So we donated a bunch, and paid her for pedicures!
This morning we went to church in old Naledi. It was amazing...it was the most beautiful singing I've ever heard, maybe. The only instruments were a hand drum and a tambourine, and the singing was unbelievable and charismatic, and such beautiful harmonies, and surprisingly easy to sing along. If church was like that in Canada, I'd go for sure.
What finally really registered for me at church this morning though, was what it really is to be orphans here. These are things you can't really understand, no matter how much you read about it. As I watched a 4 year old leading in his 2 year old brother by the hand, I realized that orphans here aren't just sad children who've lost their parents...they are children with no adults at all to take care of them, who head households, and care for their own younger siblings. No one told those children to go to church, they just know it is a thing they have to do, and bring the younger ones with them.
I realized, at the same time, that children are capable of so much, but should never have the need to be.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Ga Ke Itse!
(Ha Kee T'see) I don't know!; a useful expression for english travellers
We have now completed our first week at our placements. Myself and three other girls are working at the Holy Cross Hospice.
The first two days were very interesting. We have been warned, as a group, that the pace here is much much slower than we're used to, and the work ethic is very different. Initially, we mostly sat around all day and did nothing. It also appeared to us at first that very little happened, and other people stood around. The pateints would come at 11, be fed breakfast, sit around, be fed lunch, sit around, then leave at 2, at which point we would really do nothing for the last 2 hours of the day.
On Wednesday the Hospice does home visits, which we were really looking forward to. However, there was a meeting all morning. And then we had to wait an hour until lunch. And then it was about 2 hours from lunch being served until the nurses were ready to leave. So instead of the 10-20 visits she said they normally do, we did 3. Regardless of that, this was the most intense hour and a half I've had in quite some time... The patients we saw lived in what can only be described as shacks. Some had AIDS some had cancer, and some had both. As the nurse changed dressing on a massive open wound on an incredibly thin patient who was lying on a dirty mattress with no sheets, we stood and watched, and I nearly passed out from the thick stale hot air.
Thursday was our real breakthrough day. We realized that first of all, the slow pace is perfect for patients receiving palliative care, and the hospice accomplishes a lot more than I'd thought. And secondly, when people aren't being what North Americans would call efficient, they aren't doing nothing, they are talking to each other, and enjoying the day. As we got to know the patients and staff better, we learned to enjoy the quiet and the slow pace, and take the opportunity to talk to people and learn their stories.
On thursday we also started knitting - my first time ever learning! - so we would have an activity to do with the patients. I have also started teaching the head nurse piano lessons. Also, a social worker came and told us "you have to communicate with them [the patients]. You have to speak their language" (some of the patients speak little english). And so that day we started to really increase our efforts at learning Setswana.
We now feel much more settled in, and are able to gradually figure out what gifts we have to contribute, and to enjoy our time there more, and learn from it.
Otherwise, the trip has all been enjoyable. As our group is split between two houses, we all go to the other house at night to have dinner together and do some group activities. There is a lot to learn from each other, and it's good to hear about other peoples placements.
This weekend we are going to play sports with the children from one placement saturday morning, and going to church sunday with our cook's daughter.
We have now completed our first week at our placements. Myself and three other girls are working at the Holy Cross Hospice.
The first two days were very interesting. We have been warned, as a group, that the pace here is much much slower than we're used to, and the work ethic is very different. Initially, we mostly sat around all day and did nothing. It also appeared to us at first that very little happened, and other people stood around. The pateints would come at 11, be fed breakfast, sit around, be fed lunch, sit around, then leave at 2, at which point we would really do nothing for the last 2 hours of the day.
On Wednesday the Hospice does home visits, which we were really looking forward to. However, there was a meeting all morning. And then we had to wait an hour until lunch. And then it was about 2 hours from lunch being served until the nurses were ready to leave. So instead of the 10-20 visits she said they normally do, we did 3. Regardless of that, this was the most intense hour and a half I've had in quite some time... The patients we saw lived in what can only be described as shacks. Some had AIDS some had cancer, and some had both. As the nurse changed dressing on a massive open wound on an incredibly thin patient who was lying on a dirty mattress with no sheets, we stood and watched, and I nearly passed out from the thick stale hot air.
Thursday was our real breakthrough day. We realized that first of all, the slow pace is perfect for patients receiving palliative care, and the hospice accomplishes a lot more than I'd thought. And secondly, when people aren't being what North Americans would call efficient, they aren't doing nothing, they are talking to each other, and enjoying the day. As we got to know the patients and staff better, we learned to enjoy the quiet and the slow pace, and take the opportunity to talk to people and learn their stories.
On thursday we also started knitting - my first time ever learning! - so we would have an activity to do with the patients. I have also started teaching the head nurse piano lessons. Also, a social worker came and told us "you have to communicate with them [the patients]. You have to speak their language" (some of the patients speak little english). And so that day we started to really increase our efforts at learning Setswana.
We now feel much more settled in, and are able to gradually figure out what gifts we have to contribute, and to enjoy our time there more, and learn from it.
Otherwise, the trip has all been enjoyable. As our group is split between two houses, we all go to the other house at night to have dinner together and do some group activities. There is a lot to learn from each other, and it's good to hear about other peoples placements.
This weekend we are going to play sports with the children from one placement saturday morning, and going to church sunday with our cook's daughter.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Pula
(POU-lah) 'rain'. sometimes means, 'thank you'; also name of the currency
We have just returned from our weekend retreat at the Mokolodi reserve. It is a short drive from the city, and is the countries first conservation, established either 10 or 15 years ago (I forget).
It was a wonderful, beautiful weekend. Our days were still busy and very scheduled, but they were full of outdoor activities, and a real change of pace from city life. It was also yet another good bonding activity for our group.
We slept in dormatories full of bunkbeds intended to house up to 60 children (yes children...very small bunkbeds.) We went on several Game Drives, where we saw elephants, ostriches, impala, kudu, warthogs, hyenas (caged), cheeatahs (caged), and giraffes. This is nothing like a zoo, and not even like "African lion safari". This is a 4.5 hectar conservation, and the animals really are wild. It was very very very cool. And for the record, very safe, as we were always in a vehicle, and always with extrememly knowledgeable and experienced rangers.
We spent two mornings rhino tracking. Rain made it difficult for their 'rhino guy' to track them, but finally at the very end of the second day, we left the truck in a single file line behind him and his rifle and went silently to the clearing where they were lying. He explained to us that they were aware of our presence, and simply didn't find us threatening. They wouldve been terrifying, were it not for the ranger. But they were magnificent.
We also had a talk from a reptile guy, and saw several of the most dangerous snakes in africa. I held two of the non dangerous ones.
Our coordinator was reading 28 stories of Aids in Africa, and a few people asked to borrow it from her, so I suggested we read it aloud at night, one story at a time. She read the first one around the campfire. The group finds them very powerful.
Also around the campfire we sang tried to sing some songs. The British guy volunteering their led us in American Pie, and I was the only one who could keep up with him with the lyrics. Dad, aren't you proud?
Then Mmapaseka sang us some beautiful Setswana songs, including a lullaby, in her MUCH more beautiful voice.
This week we are excited and anxious to start work placements.
We have just returned from our weekend retreat at the Mokolodi reserve. It is a short drive from the city, and is the countries first conservation, established either 10 or 15 years ago (I forget).
It was a wonderful, beautiful weekend. Our days were still busy and very scheduled, but they were full of outdoor activities, and a real change of pace from city life. It was also yet another good bonding activity for our group.
We slept in dormatories full of bunkbeds intended to house up to 60 children (yes children...very small bunkbeds.) We went on several Game Drives, where we saw elephants, ostriches, impala, kudu, warthogs, hyenas (caged), cheeatahs (caged), and giraffes. This is nothing like a zoo, and not even like "African lion safari". This is a 4.5 hectar conservation, and the animals really are wild. It was very very very cool. And for the record, very safe, as we were always in a vehicle, and always with extrememly knowledgeable and experienced rangers.
We spent two mornings rhino tracking. Rain made it difficult for their 'rhino guy' to track them, but finally at the very end of the second day, we left the truck in a single file line behind him and his rifle and went silently to the clearing where they were lying. He explained to us that they were aware of our presence, and simply didn't find us threatening. They wouldve been terrifying, were it not for the ranger. But they were magnificent.
We also had a talk from a reptile guy, and saw several of the most dangerous snakes in africa. I held two of the non dangerous ones.
Our coordinator was reading 28 stories of Aids in Africa, and a few people asked to borrow it from her, so I suggested we read it aloud at night, one story at a time. She read the first one around the campfire. The group finds them very powerful.
Also around the campfire we sang tried to sing some songs. The British guy volunteering their led us in American Pie, and I was the only one who could keep up with him with the lyrics. Dad, aren't you proud?
Then Mmapaseka sang us some beautiful Setswana songs, including a lullaby, in her MUCH more beautiful voice.
This week we are excited and anxious to start work placements.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Boitumela
Dumelang!
Its been a great week already. We're still in orientation, and have sessions, which are lecture and discussion, every day. Sometimes 4 or 5 in a day, which is quite a lot. In the midst of it, we've tried our best with some impromptu language lessons.
My 'ear for languages' is delighted to not only learn an African language (where pronunciation is NOTHING like spelling appears), but also to hear people speaking English with absolutely beautiful accents and voices.
Sessions have been amazing, from living with HIV, to gender, to history, to volunteer living, and presentations from various NGOs.
We are exhausted all the time because our days are extremely planned and scheduled and busy. We get to bed at 9 or 10 everynight, but find ourselves waking up at 6:30 before the alarm goes. Its certainly a nice change of pace.
Food has been very good. Botswana is more modern and westernized, for the most part, than people generally realize.
Everyone we've been in contact with have been very friendly and helpful. Today, our general guide, Olefile, gave us all Setswana names, which he roughly tried to match to our personalities or meanings of our english names.
Mine is Boitumela, which means happiness
Its been a great week already. We're still in orientation, and have sessions, which are lecture and discussion, every day. Sometimes 4 or 5 in a day, which is quite a lot. In the midst of it, we've tried our best with some impromptu language lessons.
My 'ear for languages' is delighted to not only learn an African language (where pronunciation is NOTHING like spelling appears), but also to hear people speaking English with absolutely beautiful accents and voices.
Sessions have been amazing, from living with HIV, to gender, to history, to volunteer living, and presentations from various NGOs.
We are exhausted all the time because our days are extremely planned and scheduled and busy. We get to bed at 9 or 10 everynight, but find ourselves waking up at 6:30 before the alarm goes. Its certainly a nice change of pace.
Food has been very good. Botswana is more modern and westernized, for the most part, than people generally realize.
Everyone we've been in contact with have been very friendly and helpful. Today, our general guide, Olefile, gave us all Setswana names, which he roughly tried to match to our personalities or meanings of our english names.
Mine is Boitumela, which means happiness
Flight and Arrival
The flight was ridiculously long.
8ish hours to frankfurt, about 14 hours in Frankfurt...the group just wandered around the city, and it was nice weather so it was alright...and another 11 hours to Johannesburg, and finally an hour to Gabarone.
Did our luggage arrive safely? Of course not. Half the groups luggage, altogether, was missing. Luckily we got it later that day, so no big problem
Everyone was absolutely exhausted from the flight, but also maybe in awe, upon finally arriving in a completely different continent.
The two houses our group is split between are both lovely. Ours, at skillshare, looks like a 'regular' house outside, but actually is comprised of regular rooms connected by a semi-covered courtyard.
The African sun is very hot.
This is all surreal.
8ish hours to frankfurt, about 14 hours in Frankfurt...the group just wandered around the city, and it was nice weather so it was alright...and another 11 hours to Johannesburg, and finally an hour to Gabarone.
Did our luggage arrive safely? Of course not. Half the groups luggage, altogether, was missing. Luckily we got it later that day, so no big problem
Everyone was absolutely exhausted from the flight, but also maybe in awe, upon finally arriving in a completely different continent.
The two houses our group is split between are both lovely. Ours, at skillshare, looks like a 'regular' house outside, but actually is comprised of regular rooms connected by a semi-covered courtyard.
The African sun is very hot.
This is all surreal.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Hours from Departure
I`ll regret this post later (too cheesy and personal). Oh well.
It is just over 12 hours from my flight, and I should be asleep, but family and friends know me better than that.
I`ve been writing the predeparture journal entries that should`ve been done days or weeks ago, and it`s given me a much-needed opportunity to reflect.
Things have been much too hectic, trying to get my life in order and get everything done for this trip, but now that everythings done (thats a lie. Its just too late now to worry about things that didnt get done) and everything has settled, I suddenly realize the significance of what I`m about to do.
This is something I have literally wanted to do since I was 14. My recent trip to Mississippi was one of the most rich and meaningful experiences of my life, and I expect no less from this one.
Even though all of the planning and preparation has added far too much stress and chaos to my life for the past few months, the experience is what will bring focus to my life and remind me of who I am and who I mean to be.
Look forward to writing for all of you from Gabarone.
It is just over 12 hours from my flight, and I should be asleep, but family and friends know me better than that.
I`ve been writing the predeparture journal entries that should`ve been done days or weeks ago, and it`s given me a much-needed opportunity to reflect.
Things have been much too hectic, trying to get my life in order and get everything done for this trip, but now that everythings done (thats a lie. Its just too late now to worry about things that didnt get done) and everything has settled, I suddenly realize the significance of what I`m about to do.
This is something I have literally wanted to do since I was 14. My recent trip to Mississippi was one of the most rich and meaningful experiences of my life, and I expect no less from this one.
Even though all of the planning and preparation has added far too much stress and chaos to my life for the past few months, the experience is what will bring focus to my life and remind me of who I am and who I mean to be.
Look forward to writing for all of you from Gabarone.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thank you
Hi family and friends.
This will hopefully be the first of many posts, following my upcoming trip to Botswana.
Right now I just want to say thank you all for your support. Particularly for your generous donations, and the interest you are showing now just by reading this. I have now payed for the trip in full, and am trying to get through all the pre-departure things like insurance and vaccinations...it's been hectic.
Being a lazy reader myself, I'm going to try to keep posts short, when possible, so that's all for now.
Thanks for reading!
This will hopefully be the first of many posts, following my upcoming trip to Botswana.
Right now I just want to say thank you all for your support. Particularly for your generous donations, and the interest you are showing now just by reading this. I have now payed for the trip in full, and am trying to get through all the pre-departure things like insurance and vaccinations...it's been hectic.
Being a lazy reader myself, I'm going to try to keep posts short, when possible, so that's all for now.
Thanks for reading!
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