Current Projects

So my whole last month has basically been full of workshops, trainings, and meetings. Nothing too interesting on that front to post, but in other news I have been working to start some really cool projects in my village/NGO.

My most exciting project is one I am doing with community leaders and youth. We are hoping to set up some kind of recreation center for the youth in one of the wards in my village. This will be a 2 year project, if not longer. We are at the beginning stages, but its something I, as well as the community leaders are pretty passionate about. We held a meeting last week with youth from the ward to discuss the need for the project and what types of services they would like to see offered. It was a good start and we will be holding regular meetings with the youth as the project continues.

Next, I have been asked by my NGO to assist in creating a monitoring and evaluation framework for the organization and to strengthen their current reporting tools. It’s a big project but I am really excited about it. I work in the capital, Gaborone or “Gabs”, once a week now since that’s where the main office is located.

The other project I am doing is actually teaching a class. I teach kids at a school in Gabs about service learning. The class is great because the aim is to teach priveleged kids in Botswana the importance of giving back. It is particularly important here as volunteerism does not exist here in the same way as in the States. Here there is often an expectation of a stipend or salary when you work as a volunteer. This often puts a particular burden on NGOs and community based organizations which cannot always afford to pay staff. It is a project that was started a couple years back by another PCV and has continued since. The class infuses classroom learning with field trips and community service projects to connect the students to the issues that their communities face.

In addition to all of this I also have plans to facilitate several STEPS films with my counterpart from my NGO. STEPS films are a set of documentaries filmed throughout Southern Africa that address issues ranging from HIV/AIDS, gender issues, orphans and vulnerable children, stigma and discrimination and much more. The aim is that the films help facilitate discussions among adults and youth on these various topics which are often not openly talked about. I actually facilitated my first film about the importance of education with my counterpart last week. It went pretty well for my first time and I am excited for the next one this coming Wednesday.

There are some other smaller projects I am working on and some I am hoping to start working on next month…but more on that next time.

My House

So it occurred to me recently that I have never posted a picture of my house…so here it is. Hopefully more pictures soon!

It’s a government house so all the houses around me are pretty much identical. I have 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom attached to my back porch. Its really a great set-up, but I could still use some more decorations, so keep sending me photos!

The Molepolole Running Club...Open to All Ages

So I have unintentionally started a kids running group. I decided the other day to start running around the block near my house, so I got all ready, went outside, and was welcomed by half the kids on my block. This is more common than not, to walk outside and find 10 kids watching my every move.

Anyways, I explained to them that I was going for a run and they all decided they wanted to come with. So here I am with a group of children ranging from age 2 to 12 following me like a pack around the block. Turns out they are great motivators since everytime we found ourselves back at my house they said …”again, more gyming!”. Apparently “gyming” and “running” are synonymous here.

I also had a great excuse to take breaks since the 2 year old running with us could never keep up so if we all got to far ahead she would start crying. So every now and then I would stop, for the sake of the 2 year old of course.

I was telling someone at home about this recently and they said “That would never happen in the states”. Parents wouldn’t just let their kids run around near dark all over the block. Interestingly enough, I am pretty sure most parents here didn’t even know where their kids were. Kids seem to have a lot of leeway in Botswana. As long as they are home for dinner and a bath at some point, they spend the rest of the day all over the neighborhood playing with other kids.

I have always been really impressed by kids here. They are content playing in trees or with small toys they find in the dirt. Not that they really know anything different. They are entirely capable of entertaining themselves without the help of Nintendo or TV or other mass produced products that defined my childhood. Another volunteer here recently said in a conversation when discussing this same topic, “My kids are gonna hate me, all they are gonna get from me to play with is a stick and a rock!”

Hanging out with the kids on my block has become something I really look forward to after work everyday and with this new running club, my 2012 resolution to stay in shape will become a reality!