So it’s been an exciting few weeks in my life as a PCV.
First, for the past several months I have facilitated a youth group for out of school youth (youth who have either dropped out of school or failed and have been unable to continue mainstream education). This group, named the Lekgwhapeng Youth Group, consists of 7 young women who approached me wishing to do health outreach in their ward (neighborhood). They came up with the idea to hold an alcohol and drug awareness march and after many months of planning, we successfully held a march and series of presentations (speakers, dramas, traditional dance) for 250 community members.
Next, in honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), I held a carnival and community art contest in Molepolole with the support of my NGO and its amazing staff. We received at least 50 drawings and poems from students and community members under the theme of “Men and Women standing up against Gender Based Violence” and the carnival was a fun filled day with face painting, sports, dramas, and a community mural project all related to combating gender based violence. In addition, working with the local community museum, we created an exhibit to educate the community on GBV and highlight the current status of women's rights in Botswana, while also displaying all of the community art submissions to encourage community action in combating GBV in Molepolole.
