On another note, today marks 6 months in Botswana! The time is going by fast, but I still have 20 months to go.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Down Time
Just a fun moment in the life of a Peace Corps volunteer. What started out as cereal boxes and bottle caps turned into “Scrabble: Peace Corps Botswana Style”:
On another note, today marks 6 months in Botswana! The time is going by fast, but I still have 20 months to go.
On another note, today marks 6 months in Botswana! The time is going by fast, but I still have 20 months to go.
Monday, February 27, 2012
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 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.
Friday, February 24, 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Holidays in Botswana
The winter holidays in Botswana are both the same and different from the holiday season in the US. Although widely celebrated here, Christmas almost came and went unnoticed. Something somewhat refreshing for a Jewish girl! Though in reality, my family typically comes together for the Christmas holiday so it’s a day I always look forward to. I even got a surprise text message from my nieces informing me that Santa Clause had just passed through Botswana. How cool is that!
But back to Christmas in Botswana. While there are fake trees and Christmas themed stuff in stores, there is no Christmas music playing for months on end, no houses with decorations, and not a lot of talk about Santa Clause. Either way its still a big holiday here, since much of the population is Christian and most people clear out and head back to their home villages to celebrate with their families. For me, this meant an empty street for two weeks!
My Christmas was definitely different, but fun. I met up with friends for a low key lunch and then we all went on a hunt for french fries, which we found…only to be the klutz that I am and knock mine on the ground. While the 5 second rule typically applies to most Peace Corps volunteers, on this occasion I could not bring myself to follow it. Eating french fries off a parking lot frequented by not only cars, but goats and chickens does not lead to an appetizing snack. Thankfully I have good friends who are willing to share.
Hanukkah was good. I have missed many Jewish holidays since being here, but not this one. Some friends and I used a makeshift menorah to celebrate and made sweet potato latkes. I have never been a fan of latkes before, but sweet potato latkes are awesome!. If you hadn’t had them before, you are missing out.
New Years was a bit more exciting than Christmas. I spent the day at a volunteer couple’s house with some friends, eating good food, browsing facebook, and playing with sparklers. How someone found sparklers in Botswana is beyond me, but they definitely eased us into 2012.
ll in all its been a nice holiday season and I am excited to be back at work!
But back to Christmas in Botswana. While there are fake trees and Christmas themed stuff in stores, there is no Christmas music playing for months on end, no houses with decorations, and not a lot of talk about Santa Clause. Either way its still a big holiday here, since much of the population is Christian and most people clear out and head back to their home villages to celebrate with their families. For me, this meant an empty street for two weeks!
My Christmas was definitely different, but fun. I met up with friends for a low key lunch and then we all went on a hunt for french fries, which we found…only to be the klutz that I am and knock mine on the ground. While the 5 second rule typically applies to most Peace Corps volunteers, on this occasion I could not bring myself to follow it. Eating french fries off a parking lot frequented by not only cars, but goats and chickens does not lead to an appetizing snack. Thankfully I have good friends who are willing to share.
Hanukkah was good. I have missed many Jewish holidays since being here, but not this one. Some friends and I used a makeshift menorah to celebrate and made sweet potato latkes. I have never been a fan of latkes before, but sweet potato latkes are awesome!. If you hadn’t had them before, you are missing out.
New Years was a bit more exciting than Christmas. I spent the day at a volunteer couple’s house with some friends, eating good food, browsing facebook, and playing with sparklers. How someone found sparklers in Botswana is beyond me, but they definitely eased us into 2012.
ll in all its been a nice holiday season and I am excited to be back at work!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
New Mailing Address
Happy New Year everyone! I will be posting some new things soon, but wanted to let you all know that I have a new mailing address. After a spending 2 1/2 hours traveling around the capital city trying to find a package, I have decided to take an easier route. So in the future please send my mail to the following address:
Danielle "Neo" Tuft (PCV)
c/o DAC Office
P/bag 0048
Molepolole, Botswana
Danielle "Neo" Tuft (PCV)
c/o DAC Office
P/bag 0048
Molepolole, Botswana
Thursday, December 22, 2011
My Life in Botswana
- Bathing (pronounced “bath-ing” not “bathe-ing”, seriously, if not pronounced exactly like this people have no idea what you are talking about) is now something that only occurs a few times a week and consists of me kneeling in my bathtub and pouring water over myself from a bucket aka a “bucket bath”. Although I am lucky to have a bathtub, I have decided that baths are gross, especially when you are covered in dirt and sand, and thus bucket baths are my preferred method of bathing.
- Cleanliness is overrated. That goes for everything from clothes to the floors in my house. Each article of clothing I own is worn approximately 2 or 3 times before it is washed. You would understand if washing meant spending hours over a bucket scrubbing each piece of clothing by hand, inevitably ending up with blisters on your knuckles.
- Internet is a luxury that can only be obtained during the day and thus when all of you are sleeping. I am lucky to have internet at my office…well I have it every other 2 minutes as it switches between on and off. Though for the most part I am able to check basic things like email, although sending email is a different story.
- There is no real need to be timely. I used to be late to everything as my friends in high school can attest. I then made the effort to change that in college, which I would like to say I succeeded in. Now, as if part of a joke, I must return to my old ways. Not because it is acceptable to be late here, although on some level it is, but more because nothing here ever starts when it is supposed to. This is called “African time”, something known and referred to here even by Batswana. So now I know that if someone says something starts at noon, they really mean 3pm.
- I may need to reevaluate my consumption of meat (just kidding – a good Texan girl like me?) The killing of animals, reptiles, and insects is something I have determined I will witness on a regular basis here. So far I have seen the slaughtering of 3 cows (seriously saw the entire process from living to dead and hanging on a hook), the torture and death of a lizard, and the beating of a chicken, not to mention the dozens of insects that have unfortunately died due to my hands and big can of doom.
- Cleanliness is overrated. That goes for everything from clothes to the floors in my house. Each article of clothing I own is worn approximately 2 or 3 times before it is washed. You would understand if washing meant spending hours over a bucket scrubbing each piece of clothing by hand, inevitably ending up with blisters on your knuckles.
- Internet is a luxury that can only be obtained during the day and thus when all of you are sleeping. I am lucky to have internet at my office…well I have it every other 2 minutes as it switches between on and off. Though for the most part I am able to check basic things like email, although sending email is a different story.
- There is no real need to be timely. I used to be late to everything as my friends in high school can attest. I then made the effort to change that in college, which I would like to say I succeeded in. Now, as if part of a joke, I must return to my old ways. Not because it is acceptable to be late here, although on some level it is, but more because nothing here ever starts when it is supposed to. This is called “African time”, something known and referred to here even by Batswana. So now I know that if someone says something starts at noon, they really mean 3pm.
- I may need to reevaluate my consumption of meat (just kidding – a good Texan girl like me?) The killing of animals, reptiles, and insects is something I have determined I will witness on a regular basis here. So far I have seen the slaughtering of 3 cows (seriously saw the entire process from living to dead and hanging on a hook), the torture and death of a lizard, and the beating of a chicken, not to mention the dozens of insects that have unfortunately died due to my hands and big can of doom.
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