The other day the District Health Management Team (the equivalent of a state health department) had a large all day training meeting. As I arrived that morning, there was a goat tied up to an old dead tree in the parking lot. He definitely had a resigned look on his face. I went inside and inquired for the reason our parking lot now had livestock in it. I was told that the goat was to be dinner for the meeting participants. The plan was to slaughter him (or her) in the field beside the building, skin him and then roast him for the dinner. By lunch time he was still alive, though looking more depressed than ever. I chose to leave before the preparations begin, because the slaughtering method is not exactly humane, and I have watched enough living creatures die to last me a lifetime.
Goat meat is eaten quite frequently here. It has a distinctive taste which some people love. It looks a lot like beef, with small bones in it. It may be an acquired taste, which I have not yet acquired. Plus I can't forget the look in their eyes. I am a city child.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Donkeys and poo
Botswana has donkeys. Lots and lots of donkeys. There are grey donkeys, brown donkeys, black donkeys and a few mottled ones. I am sure there are other colors as well. They wander freely about, munching on vegetation. The idea of a fenced yard is not to fence anything IN, but to fence things OUT. So good stout fences surround every house, with gates wide enough for vehicles. But the gates remain closed until specifically opened for a purpose. You can hear the donkeys early in the morning, and in the evening. During the day they mostly sleep, unless they are harnessed to a donkey cart. One of my pictures has to be the quintessential donkey cart. It may be a trailer like structure, it may be a wooden box on some sort of tires, but my favorite looks like the back portion of a pick-up truck.
Because they are not fenced, donkeys wander about on roads and highways. Motswana drivers automatically slow down when donkeys are sighted beside the road, because it is typical that they will wait until a large and noisy truck or bus appears and then decide to join their bretheren on the other side of the road. I have been a passenger on a major Sceini-cruiser type of bus, and seen donkeys lying in the middle of a busy highway, and they don’t move as the bus screams past. Why there are not legions of dead donkeys on the roads I do not know, but they are rare.
I am captivated by the baby donkeys - their hide is a long, baby fuzz. There is one in my neighborhood that is coal black - not a speck of white, and I want to take him home with me. Except by then he will be a grown up donkey, probably cranky, and transport will be an issue.
Needless to say, donkeys leave brown evidence of their presence. So do the cows and the goats. I shudder to say I can now identify which brown piles are from what sort of animal - ain’t the Peace Corps educational?
What I find interesting is the walking habits of Batswana in this environment. I am used to giving such piles a wide berth, wrinkling my nose as I go. But natives here stride straight ahead, and miraculously, they don’t walk in it. They may miss it by only millimeters, but miss it they do.
Because they are not fenced, donkeys wander about on roads and highways. Motswana drivers automatically slow down when donkeys are sighted beside the road, because it is typical that they will wait until a large and noisy truck or bus appears and then decide to join their bretheren on the other side of the road. I have been a passenger on a major Sceini-cruiser type of bus, and seen donkeys lying in the middle of a busy highway, and they don’t move as the bus screams past. Why there are not legions of dead donkeys on the roads I do not know, but they are rare.
I am captivated by the baby donkeys - their hide is a long, baby fuzz. There is one in my neighborhood that is coal black - not a speck of white, and I want to take him home with me. Except by then he will be a grown up donkey, probably cranky, and transport will be an issue.
Needless to say, donkeys leave brown evidence of their presence. So do the cows and the goats. I shudder to say I can now identify which brown piles are from what sort of animal - ain’t the Peace Corps educational?
What I find interesting is the walking habits of Batswana in this environment. I am used to giving such piles a wide berth, wrinkling my nose as I go. But natives here stride straight ahead, and miraculously, they don’t walk in it. They may miss it by only millimeters, but miss it they do.
The Joys of Public Transportation
Peace Corps volunteers are forbidden to drive while ‘on duty,’ so we take public transportation. In my village, there are two basic shops (fodder for another blog entry), so I must take a bus for an hour to Jwaneng if I want to find a supermarket. Yes, Jwaneng is where one of the major diamond mines is, but I haven’t yet figured out how to get a tour.
Anyway, on my original subject, public transportation in Botswana has some differences to that in the USA (fancy that). First, buses are about the same size as American buses. However, they have five seats across instead of four. The aisle is for sideways sidling only, and if you are carrying your groceries (a backpack stuffed and probably a tote bag in the other hand), you invariably thump people as you go by. But no one seems to take offense. Body contact is common and unremarkable on public transportation. You will share your narrow seat (think of airplanes as spacious) with people ‘of traditional build’ as they say. People will stand in the aisles, and to pass in the narrow space it takes, well, body contact. Full body contact, from shoulders to knees. Just part of the experience. If you have an aisle seat, it is not uncommon for someone with an ample posterior to have that posterior inches from your face, as they try to let someone past.
Buses are also a sales ground. At each major bus station, there are vendors selling cold water bottles, chips, food of various types, huge bags of oranges, and they will come onto the bus during the stop to sell their wares - yes, and go up and down the aisles as noted above.
On my trip to Maun for shadowing, we were on a bus when an older woman made her way to the front of the bus leaned down and said something to the driver. The driver slowed the bus, then turned onto the shoulder of the road. This is a highway where the common speed is 120 km per hour. The lady got off the bus, squatted down with her skirts modestly spread, and after a moment stood, rearranged her clothing, and then got back on the bus. About an hour later, another passenger came forward, and this time about 12 men got off, faced away from the bus, took their potty break, got back on, and off we went again. I had carefully rationed by water intake in preparation for this trip, but it seems others had not.
Another form of public transportation is the oft mentioned ‘combi’, a minibus used in the larger metro areas. For three pula, you can catch one on any number of routes and get about quite handily. Of course, body space is at a premium. I have ridden in them with a total of 14 people plus driver - two in the front with the driver (in the bucket seat), and four across in another three rows. Add in groceries, luggage, children, and body contact is again the order of the day. On a hot day, breathing is your task until you get to your destination. But everyone is cordial and cheerful, and will help you with packages, and pass your money to the driver and the change back. If space is really short, someone will take a child, not necessarily their own, onto their lap to make room.
Many people here use the public transport system. Cars and expensive, and most are owned by agencies or businesses. Getting a driver’s license, I am told, is a long process, so you meet just about everyone on the bus or the combi at some time or another.
Anyway, on my original subject, public transportation in Botswana has some differences to that in the USA (fancy that). First, buses are about the same size as American buses. However, they have five seats across instead of four. The aisle is for sideways sidling only, and if you are carrying your groceries (a backpack stuffed and probably a tote bag in the other hand), you invariably thump people as you go by. But no one seems to take offense. Body contact is common and unremarkable on public transportation. You will share your narrow seat (think of airplanes as spacious) with people ‘of traditional build’ as they say. People will stand in the aisles, and to pass in the narrow space it takes, well, body contact. Full body contact, from shoulders to knees. Just part of the experience. If you have an aisle seat, it is not uncommon for someone with an ample posterior to have that posterior inches from your face, as they try to let someone past.
Buses are also a sales ground. At each major bus station, there are vendors selling cold water bottles, chips, food of various types, huge bags of oranges, and they will come onto the bus during the stop to sell their wares - yes, and go up and down the aisles as noted above.
On my trip to Maun for shadowing, we were on a bus when an older woman made her way to the front of the bus leaned down and said something to the driver. The driver slowed the bus, then turned onto the shoulder of the road. This is a highway where the common speed is 120 km per hour. The lady got off the bus, squatted down with her skirts modestly spread, and after a moment stood, rearranged her clothing, and then got back on the bus. About an hour later, another passenger came forward, and this time about 12 men got off, faced away from the bus, took their potty break, got back on, and off we went again. I had carefully rationed by water intake in preparation for this trip, but it seems others had not.
Another form of public transportation is the oft mentioned ‘combi’, a minibus used in the larger metro areas. For three pula, you can catch one on any number of routes and get about quite handily. Of course, body space is at a premium. I have ridden in them with a total of 14 people plus driver - two in the front with the driver (in the bucket seat), and four across in another three rows. Add in groceries, luggage, children, and body contact is again the order of the day. On a hot day, breathing is your task until you get to your destination. But everyone is cordial and cheerful, and will help you with packages, and pass your money to the driver and the change back. If space is really short, someone will take a child, not necessarily their own, onto their lap to make room.
Many people here use the public transport system. Cars and expensive, and most are owned by agencies or businesses. Getting a driver’s license, I am told, is a long process, so you meet just about everyone on the bus or the combi at some time or another.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Africa update
OK, this isn't Charlie, it's her daughter, Karin. But Charlie sent me some pix she took in Botswana, and I thought I'd put a few on here so that anyone following her blog can see them. Some look like postcards, don't they? My mom is all kinds of talented!
Charlie has finished her training and is now an official Peace Corps volunteer. She is stationed in Mabustane, a village of about 2000 people. I'm not exactly sure how far "Mabs" (as my mom calls it) is from Gabarone (capital of Botswana, where she was training). She has her own house with electricity and plumbing, but no central heating. It is winter in Botswana, and one morning it was 56 degrees inside her house.
Here is how she describes her job:
Charlie has finished her training and is now an official Peace Corps volunteer. She is stationed in Mabustane, a village of about 2000 people. I'm not exactly sure how far "Mabs" (as my mom calls it) is from Gabarone (capital of Botswana, where she was training). She has her own house with electricity and plumbing, but no central heating. It is winter in Botswana, and one morning it was 56 degrees inside her house.
Here is how she describes her job:
"I am assigned to the District Health Management Team, which is the equivalent to the state health department for the district. So far I have been doing projects like setting up a purchsing system for supplies on Excel for them. They recently transferred the entire district health clinic system from the Department of Local Government to the Ministry of Health, and that stripped out all their administrative systems. The MOH has never had health clinics, health posts, and mobile health stops in its system so doesn't know quite how to handle it. In the meantime there are people getting service and we need supplies. So I am making stopgap systems until everything gets rolling.
I am also working a bit with the District AIDS coordinator, the person responsible for coordinating all the activity aimed at fighting AIDS."
The internet is very slow in Mabs, so she isn't able to access email or update her blog/FB pages as easily as she'd like to. I will keep pestering her to do so, as each day for her is an adventure, and I'm sure we'd all love to go with her!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Catching Up with Apologies
Actually, I have to apologise twice, because I wrote a wonderful blog entry for this and it never made it to the Internet. The Net is very slow here, one clicks on a link and then sits back, sips tea, sends a text message, and if you are lucky the link holds. Or, it may disappear and you begin over. It feels like the very early days of dail-up.
I must clarify Karin's post with the pictures. There are a couple in there that I took off the internet and then mistakenly included them when I sent the flash drive to Karin. She of course was not to know. But some are indeed mine.
During our training, we had a week where we went and shadowed a current volunteer. My assignment was in Maun, an excruciating bus ride to the north of Botswana, but a beautiful place once you get there. It is at the site of an inland delta - a river from Angola enters the northern border of Bots and them simply deltas out into nothing. I have no idea why. But it is a haven for wildlife and Bots has wisely made very large game preserves to allow them to continue to live naturally. Some even live outside the preserve - some of the giraffe pictures were taken as we were traveling to a remote health post outside of Maun. But we did take a Saturday, hire a jeep, and drive into the preserve. Wow, wow, wow. There is nothing like an elephant bursting out of the brush inches from your front bumper as he dashes to join his colleagues on the other side of the road. Thank goodness our guide/driver has excellent reflexes.
I am going to try to keep my posts short, but more frequent, in order to baby my internet connection.
I must clarify Karin's post with the pictures. There are a couple in there that I took off the internet and then mistakenly included them when I sent the flash drive to Karin. She of course was not to know. But some are indeed mine.
During our training, we had a week where we went and shadowed a current volunteer. My assignment was in Maun, an excruciating bus ride to the north of Botswana, but a beautiful place once you get there. It is at the site of an inland delta - a river from Angola enters the northern border of Bots and them simply deltas out into nothing. I have no idea why. But it is a haven for wildlife and Bots has wisely made very large game preserves to allow them to continue to live naturally. Some even live outside the preserve - some of the giraffe pictures were taken as we were traveling to a remote health post outside of Maun. But we did take a Saturday, hire a jeep, and drive into the preserve. Wow, wow, wow. There is nothing like an elephant bursting out of the brush inches from your front bumper as he dashes to join his colleagues on the other side of the road. Thank goodness our guide/driver has excellent reflexes.
I am going to try to keep my posts short, but more frequent, in order to baby my internet connection.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
On the ground in Botswana!
On March 31 I met the 38 other people I will be with in Botswana. They are a diverse and fascinating group. A few tidbits: One is a trained opera singer, one is an organic farmer from northern California, one is a large young black man from Kansas, one is 83 years old.
We had a one day session in Philadelphia on April 1, and then left the hotel at 2:30am (that is not a typo) to bus to JFK. We arrived at 7:30am, checked in, and finally took off at 11;15am. We then spent 15 hours on the airplane to Johannesbrg. That is cnough time to watch 3 movies, eat two meals, and spend substantial time in the aisles and galleys getting to know each other better. By the way, South African Airlines serves south african wine and it is excellent.
We did have one member who decided, at the airport, not to continue with us. I am sure it was a very difficult decision for him, and all of us wish him the very best, and perhaps to see him at another time for another adventure somewhere in the world.
We landed in Johannesburg at 8:30am on April 3. Immediately we were treated to an airport full of exotic fabrics, models of all sorts of wild animals, skins, and people of all sizes, ages, and colors. Then on for another one hour flight on a Dash 8 to Gaborone. The small airplane meant that most of our luggage did not arrive until the next day, so we did spend one day in the same clothes, jet lagged, and openly confused, but ready and willing to dive in.
Dive in we did - four hours of Setswana instruction, paperwork to complete, and two injections - Hep B and rabies. I now do not worry about meeting slathering dogs - ha!
When we arrived it was hot, but then a terrific thunderstorm came through and cooled us off for the evening. Today has been cool and cloudy, reminding my of Denver's weather.
This hotel has wifi in the lobby, with 6 chairs available for 39 people who want to email home. So we all try to be considerate of each other so everyone can let everyone at home know they are safe.
We spent quite a bit of time today talking about our homestay period. On Thursday, we will be taken to a village named Kanye and spend the next 9 weeks living with a family there while we continue our training. We will spend 4 hours per day on Setswana, and also learn about Botswana culture, HIV/AIDS and the joys of working in the Peace Corps - which I recommend so far!
The attitude here is upbeat even in the midst of jet lag, frustration at learning a difficult language, and adapting to new food, strange beds, and malaria medication on top of other immunizations. The seriousness of what we are about to do is dawning, but does not seem to daunt anyone.
I must close and let others have the internet. More from Kanye, when I can find an internet cafe.
We had a one day session in Philadelphia on April 1, and then left the hotel at 2:30am (that is not a typo) to bus to JFK. We arrived at 7:30am, checked in, and finally took off at 11;15am. We then spent 15 hours on the airplane to Johannesbrg. That is cnough time to watch 3 movies, eat two meals, and spend substantial time in the aisles and galleys getting to know each other better. By the way, South African Airlines serves south african wine and it is excellent.
We did have one member who decided, at the airport, not to continue with us. I am sure it was a very difficult decision for him, and all of us wish him the very best, and perhaps to see him at another time for another adventure somewhere in the world.
We landed in Johannesburg at 8:30am on April 3. Immediately we were treated to an airport full of exotic fabrics, models of all sorts of wild animals, skins, and people of all sizes, ages, and colors. Then on for another one hour flight on a Dash 8 to Gaborone. The small airplane meant that most of our luggage did not arrive until the next day, so we did spend one day in the same clothes, jet lagged, and openly confused, but ready and willing to dive in.
Dive in we did - four hours of Setswana instruction, paperwork to complete, and two injections - Hep B and rabies. I now do not worry about meeting slathering dogs - ha!
When we arrived it was hot, but then a terrific thunderstorm came through and cooled us off for the evening. Today has been cool and cloudy, reminding my of Denver's weather.
This hotel has wifi in the lobby, with 6 chairs available for 39 people who want to email home. So we all try to be considerate of each other so everyone can let everyone at home know they are safe.
We spent quite a bit of time today talking about our homestay period. On Thursday, we will be taken to a village named Kanye and spend the next 9 weeks living with a family there while we continue our training. We will spend 4 hours per day on Setswana, and also learn about Botswana culture, HIV/AIDS and the joys of working in the Peace Corps - which I recommend so far!
The attitude here is upbeat even in the midst of jet lag, frustration at learning a difficult language, and adapting to new food, strange beds, and malaria medication on top of other immunizations. The seriousness of what we are about to do is dawning, but does not seem to daunt anyone.
I must close and let others have the internet. More from Kanye, when I can find an internet cafe.
Friday, March 25, 2011
One more day
Tomorrow is my last full day in Colorado. 4am Sunday morning I leave for the airport, fly to North Carolina for a few days with my friends the Donaldsons (and have a sail), then on to Philly and Bots. All during these last few weeks I have been so aware of where I am and what a terrific place I live. The stores have incredible shelves of choices, the mountains in the morning with sun on fresh snow are just simply there to enjoy, it is easy to drive a few blocks and quickly pick up a forgotten item. It is so fulfilling to live in the moment - why can't I do that most of the time?
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