Making a difference

As to whether or not I am making a difference, I think the honest answer is "I think so, at least on some days." I was working with a bright young man today editing a document, and showing him how to do some things in Word and Excel.  After I showed him, he did it himself and teased me saying "Look! A transfer of skills!" Those are Peace Corps buzz words, but it was in fact true.

The closest example of where I work is Denver Health.  My office is the administrative head for 4 health clinics and 5 health posts.  Those clinics and health posts provide direct care to people here, and they are the only health resource available.  So while I don't work with patients directly, I help the people who make sure there is staff and supplies, to provide the care. 

I am taking a lot of responsibility for the data collection and analysis for our system.  Those data we not only send to national in Gabs, but review to see if we need to add or subtract services to meet the health care needs of our people.  Lots of sexually transmitted diseases?  Let's plan some talks with local leaders and public education about it.  A sudden rush of cases of little kids with diarrhea (which can be life threateneing) - let's staff up to provide care and also figure out what bug is going around so we can stop it.  It is just good basic public health - not glamorous, but people can progress when they are sick.  AIDS/HIV is a major part of the mix, but not all of it.  And most days are different from each other, so I just pitch in to help with whatever needs done.

Fuggedabout that nonsense about "not in my job description!"  That is also a model for everyone else.

My little house

I took some pictures of my house in Mabs.  It is a 2-bedroom, 1-bath.  I have electricity and indoor plumbing, as well as a metal roof--all of which translates into pretty swanky digs.  Many have thatched roofs.  Still others have no indoor plumbing (there is a well in the front yard), or electricity, or both. 

Below is 1) looking at my house from the yard, 2) my dining room, 3) my living room, and 4) looking from my house to my street.

My house is very sweet.  See for yourself!

Care Packages--part 2

It is currently the dead of Summer here, so while you may be crouching around the fireplace and putting on your wooly mittens, we are sweating and sweltering here.  Definitely not something I'm used to as the Christmas season approaches.  Yes, Botswana does celebrate Christmas--it is about 70% Christian.

So many of you have sent me lovely little goodie packages from the States, and THANK YOU!  Many others have contacted me or my daughter, wanting to join in.  I am touched by the gestures, so below is an updated list (UPDATES IN CAPS) of needs (some wants) for life in Botswana. 
It is such a treat to get boxes from home. The post office people always want to know what was in them. A man in my office came in the other day and hungrily fingered my Excel book (which I use a LOT), and I told him he could consult it at any time. But he can't have it until I go home!

1.         Paperback books. We in the Peace Corps trade them, reread them, and hug them to our chests. STILL A GOOD IDEA. I READ A LOT HERE, AND HAVING BOOKS I HAVEN'T READ ON THE SHELF IS LIKE HAVING MONEY IN THE BANK.

2.         Puzzles, games, crosswords, logic problems, and the like. No television in Peace Corps digs. YES INDEED, THESE TOO.  I HAVE SOME CROSSWORD BOOKS LEFT TO ME BY A PREVIOUS VOLUNTEER, BUT I AM ALMOST TO THE END OF THEM.

3.         Needlepoint, knitting, or crochet projects. I like crafts.  Knitting needles were a casualty of my weight restrictions in luggage.  MY NEIGHBOR VALERIE SENT ME SOME NEEDLES AND SOME YARN.  BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET MORE!

4.         DVD movies. I do have my laptop, and brought some with me, but they will only repeat so many times.  STILL NEEDED.  I HAVE RECEIVED SOME, BUT ALWAYS ENJOY THEM.  ALSO ENJOY LOOKING AT AMERICAN SCENES, AND KNOWING I WON'T ALWAYS BE LIVING IN BOTS.

5.         Electrical assistance. This country has 240 DC current. My American appliances ask for 110 AC. My single converter (as opposed to an adaptor, which simply makes the plugs fit), is doing very heavy duty.  If it gives up the ghost, I have a problem.  A COMPANY CALLED WALK ABOUT TRAVEL HAS SOME OF THESE ON THE WEB THAT LOOK LIKE THEY WOULD DO THE TRICK. MY CURRENT ADAPTER IS STILL HOLDING OUT, BUT I USE IT EVERY DAY, OFTEN FOR HOURS.  IF THEY OFFER THE SOUTH AFRICAN PLUGS, INCLUDE THEM, PLEASE.

6.         Packets of spices. Mexican, Italian, Greek/Mediterranean, American comfort food helpers. You can go to a store that sells them In bulk and buy a baggieful, or just a small can.  A CAN OF BASIL WOULD BE WONDERFUL.  OTHERWISE I SEEM TO BE FINDING STUFF HERE.  I BROGHT A BUNCH, AND MY COOKING IS GEETING MUCH MORE SIMPLE.

7.         Seasoned rice vinegar. I FOUND SOME HERE, BUT IT IS NOT THE SAME. BUT NOT A VITAL INGREDIENT.

8.         Regular old Folger's coffee - coarse ground if you can find it. I brought a small French press, but have yet to find a Bots coffee I like.  OH, COFFEE.   THE KIDS HERE LIKE TO GET STARBUCKS BUT I STILL LIKE PLAIN FOLGERS.  I AM DRINKING TEA THESE DAYS A LOT.

9.         A non electric knife sharpener.   STILL NEED THIS.

10.       A bag of real black beans. VALERIE JUST SENT ME ONE OF THESE. I CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE SOUP! IT'S A FAIRLY GOOD SIZE BAG, SO SHOULD LAST A GOOD WHILE.

11.      Real molasses.  There is none to be found in Bots. I FOUND SOME OF THIS IN NAMIBIA. IT SHOULD LAST UNTIL I COME HOME.

12.      Jelly/jam, especially raspberry or peach flavor.   MORE, PLEASE!  I'M ON THE LAST JAR THAT KARIN SENT NOW.

13.       Toiletries - for me, the one I don't want to run out of is stuff to make my hair behave. I love the Alterna product called Hemp Styling and Nutritive creme gel.  I also would appreciate really good skin moisturizers  it is incredibly dry here.   ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE--ESPECIALLY IN THE DRY, HOT SUMMER WEATHER.

14.       A star chart for the southern hemisphere. You would not believe the night sky here.

WOULD STILL LIKE TO HAVE. I RECOGNIZE THE SOUTHERN CROSS, THE BELT OF ORIAN (IN JUNE AND JULY) BUT THE OTHERS ARE ALL STRANGE.

15.       Tools. An adjustable wrench, a small hammer,  a small flashlight with a couple of sets of batteries. I did bring my Leatherman, but it can't do everything. YUP, STILL NEED. I AM GETTING QUITE INVENTIVE, BUT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A GOOD TOOL.

16.       A Sunday paper. VALERIE SENT ME A FEW SECTIONS OF THE DENVER PAPER. I ALWAYS LIKE TO READ AMERICAN NEWS.

17.       Yoga pants, or anything made out of stretchy jersey for comfy evenings and weekends. MOLLA SENT SOME OF THESE. I THINK I'M OK HERE.

18.       AA and AAA batteries - rechargeable if possible. I have a charger, but they deplete quickly. SPENT 50 PULA ON THE WEEKEND FOR SOME NON-RECHARGEABLE ONES, BECAUSE I USE THEM IN MY FLASHLIGHT, MY TOOTHBRUSH, AND OTHER MISCELLANY.

19.       If you want to get really exotic (and again I repeat no need to feel an obligation), one of those golf umbrellas with flaps that give way in the wind. Umbrellas are the sun shade of choice during hot

weather, and it can also be windy. At times I have felt like Mary poppins, about to fly away clinging to my umbrella. I HAVE AN UMBRELLA HERE, BUT IT STILL TAKES ME AWAY IN THE WIND. BUT THESE ARE PROBABLY EXPENSIVE.

20.       News from home - Political gossip, major happenings, current fads, anything that you think someone would find interesting. ALWAYS GOOD.

Holidays in Bots

It is finally, finally raining here - at least for a little while at a time.  The clouds help to keep it cooler, yay yay.

About 25 of us went to a place called Phikwe last weekend for Thanksgiving.  We were at the house of the main guy for Voice of America here in Bots.  Very swanky - swimming pool, hot showers, a great kitchen complete with dishwasher and washer and dryer.  I made the stuffing and everyone brought favorite Thanksgiving dishes.  There are turkeys here, I found.  We all ate until we could no longer walk, with great memories triggered by food.  We store our taste memories in a different place, I learned.  I also learned that I am glad I am in my village.  It was humid there, and hot.  Not a good combo for me.  Also one of the women had someone pry up her metal roof and then break through her ceiling to steal things.  But I feel very safe in Mabutsane, even if it is puckery dry here!

The people from Bots 9, who are one year ahead of us, tell me that after the first Christmas, things begin to speed up, everyone feels more comfortable, and that the final months go very fast.  They are all talking about end of service and what they will do after they go home.

Things do feel more comfortable here, also because I am making my house more and more 'mine' Pictures of friends and family would help that, for those reading this blog!

News from the HOTlands

Oh, my it's hot. hot. Hot. HOT. Yesterday the electricity went out (hence no electric fan working), and during the afternoon my travel clock told me it was 98 degrees (F) inside my house. The dishes in my cupboard are warm to the touch. The shampoo from the bottle on the bathtub felt warm on my hand last night. Water drinking by the gallon.

Thanks goodness for refrigeration, that stays cool even without power, at least for a while. I keep bottles of water in both the fridge and the freezer. I take the frozen ones with me during the day to have a cool drink as it melts. And this is only November - gee I can't wait for December and January. People assure me that it rains during the summer months. Much like Colorado, it is common for big thunderheads to build during the day and rain in the afternoon. We shall see just how cooling that is.

This past week I went twice to Tsonyane, a small village (population: 721)  that the District Aids Coordinator has chosen for the kick-off World AIDS Day commemoration. In Botswana, there is an expected use of official cars for all official transportation. Even with cars in the parking lot, some will moan that there is no transport available to go to Khakhea, for example, that is a 30 minute drive from Mabs.

Part of the issue, I am sure, is that there is no gasoline (called petrol, here, a la British) availbe except in Jwaneng, 120 km down the road.  And the rural roads can be tough on vehicles. What the use of the official vehiclemeans, however, is that everyone must be 'collected' from their residence or office, a stop made for petrol, and only then can the trip commence. Tsonyane is the farthest from Mabs it is possible to go and still be in the district. We traveled an hour to Jwaneng, did the obligatory fuel stop, and then 20 more minutes down the Kanye road until we turned off onto a sand road. Our driver cheerfully barreled along, around blind curves and past donkey carts, children, and livestock. It is at times like this I simply have to give my fates to God, and we made it fine.

The meeting in Tsonyane was at the kgotla. pronounced coat-la. (Gs are gutteral in Setswana, like the French R.)  kgotla is the traditional meeting place for every Botswana community.  Commonly, it is a cement slab, one full wall and three walls about 2 feet high, and a thatched or metal roof over it. Lots of space for breezes to blow through, but protected from the rain. The 'kgosi', or the village leader, sits along the full wall, along with senior men of the community. There is a special kind of chair, made from branches and a twine mesh for a seat, that only men can occupy. In front of the kgosi is a depressed area, suitable for building a fire.

The protocol on entering the khotla is to approach the kgosi to shake hands (and placing the palm of your left hand under your right forearm, as a sign of respect), and then carefully skirt around the fire area (one never gets in between the kgosi and the fire) and shake hands with the elders. You end up shaking hands with everyone, going around the room. At the kgotla, women may not wear slacks, only skirts. Sitting with crossed legs is frowned upon (although there were a couple of young women at the meeting who did so). If all the chairs for the regular folks are taken, women sit on the floor.

But the entire concept of a community center, if you will, where teaching, meeting, debating local issues, making complaints, etc. is a very healthy one, I think. So we were at the kgotla to talk about AIDS/HIV and World AIDS Day, and to encourage them to form a Village multi-sectoral AIDS Committee, or VMSAC for short. Several days later, we went back, and we had a committee with people from the the health post, nurse and lay counselor, the PTA, the business community, The Home Based Care program, the Choir, the Crime prevention program, the netball team, two football teams (soccer), traditional healers, the Ministers Fraternal group, and something called Men's Sector. So even though the trips there were a bit scary, it was a worthwhile. Now they have a structure to begin to talk about AIDS, and the avoidance thereof. We will go back again, in addition to the World AIDS Day activities, to work with the committee on things they can do to educate their community, and with a committee this size, there are not a great number of people left!.

On the trips to Tsonyane, just outside Mabs we were treated with the sight of a major ostrich standing beside the road (taller than any person except basketball players) and across the road, an ostrich family - two females and several babies. We also saw baboons munching away and not really caring about the cars whizzing by. So there is a little wildlife reasonably close by to me.

The other thing I learned is how to carry a baby Motswana style. Mom bends over at the waist, and lifts baby onto her back, usually using baby's arms. Baby is quite placid and stays where placed. then Mom grabs blanket or towel and wraps around baby and ties the top edge on her front above the breasts, and the bottom edge, holding baby's bottom, around her waist. Then she stands up and voila, a Botswana baby carrier. Babies ride quite happily in this, not appearing to feel claustrophobic. The head, by the way, is usually outside so baby can see and breathe.

Toto, we ain't in Denver anymore....

On further research, there are about 3.3 people for every goat in Africa, while there are 100 people for every goat in America. No wonder so few of us eat them. For a village like Mabutsane, in the USA there would be about 20 goats, undoubtedly on a farm somewhere. Here in Botswana, there would be about 600,000 goats (Bots is about .2% of the African population). or close to 600 for this village alone.  

Last night three donkeys got into the neighbor's yard, and decided to congregate by the fence just outside my bedroom window. Then they decided to express their desires and concerns with the community. When a donkey brays, first it sounds like an asthmatic wheeze, and you swear someone or something cannot breathe. Then the exhale is a honking sort of sound, in varying pitches. Then a cow wondered into the land just across my little street, and since the neighbors were making so much noise, the cow decided to join in. It is too warm to sleep with the windows closed, so I was treated to a concert of sorts throughout the night time hours.

Yesterday I went to Jwaneng on the bus to do some banking. On the return trip, the bus was packed, and I was one of the ones standing. A tall substantial man stood up, turned to face everyone on the bus, and began speaking (in Setswana) in ministerial tones. At first I thought he was trying to convert the bus of people.

Then, he began holding up various sizes of containers, and I realized he was selling some sort of snake oil. He continued on, in great volume, for about 1/2 hour. I heard him use the English words of 'fibroids and growths', 'brain tumors', 'low blood pressure', 'depression',and saw him motioning like he was applying it to his face and arms as a skin lotion. The busdriver and the conductor did not seem to mind, they carried on. I don't think he made any sales, though, unless he was hawking in the aisles after I got off in Mabs.

Wildlife

I am going to Namibia next week!  I am told it is beautiful there - green and lush. I hope that does not also mean mosquitos. 

Saw an ostritch today from the bus to Jwaneng. The only time I have seen one is in the Weildlife area west of town. But this guy was to the east. Boy they are a funny looking bird. but they can move when a large bus starts honking at them! The wildlife area to the west, by the way, is mostly populated with antelope-like animals - springbok and gemsbok they are called here. But someone also said there are cheetah in there, which makes sense since springbok make a nice cheetah dinner. I hope a can take a tour in there to see whats there.