Week 74: The Start of Term 1 and the Trials and Tribulations of Cheese Buying

This week marked the start of Term one for primary school students in Botswana. The school year is divided into three terms, beginning in January and ending in November. It is a gentle start to term as the students begin by cleaning out the dust that inevitable invades their classrooms, then are issued their books for the year and by the end of the first day the standard seven classes are in full swing however the standard ones are still battling the dust. As the leaders of the school the standard sevens will take exams at the end of the year which allow them to move onto junior school. Pass or fail the students will move up for three more years (form 1-3). However form 3 and a above a student will only proceed if they pass. If a student completes form 5 then they are eligible to proceed to university.

I enjoy cheese much more here then I did at home because it has become a precious commodity. The village I do my grocery shopping in did not carry cheese until six months after I arrived. I am now making up for lost time and I make a point of purchasing cheese if it is available. Inevitably the days that cheese is available I wait hours to get a combi home to put the cheese in the safety of my fridge. I used to worry about this but since I have yet to get sick I just assume this is how cheese buying days go. Which is why I was surprised and grateful when this week the combi was waiting when I finished doing my shopping and I was home within 30minutes of acquiring the cheese. I arrived home only to find that the electricity was out and I simply laughed to myself knowing that that should be expected on a cheese day.