Week 30: Back to the Village Life

Cultural sensitivity vs. being a doormat, this is something that I struggle with. I feel like I am a guest in someone else’s culture and never wish to be offensive, however, I have come to the conclusion that some things are not cultural they are rude. Even if the intent was not meant to be rude, it matters how I perceive the comment.

Talking about people’s weight is common here. At times the comments are meant as compliments where as in other cases they are snide remarks. My favorite compliment was from a friend of mine:

“Did you notice you are gaining weight?”

“No, I don’t think that’s true, my cloths fit the same”

“My eyes don’t lie you are gaining weight. Be careful or your family will think you are not missing them.”

In case there was any doubt, don’t worry family and friends, I miss you terribly regardless of my fluctuating body size. On the flip side I am also told:

“Lesego, you are gaining weight!”

“Ah, in my culture that is not nice to say”

“But what should I say, so you know you need to loose weight”

This is meant as just a fact, however, I do not hear it that way and thus I have started to put my foot down and been more adamant that yes I am in your culture but I still have my own culture.

On the flip side coming back to the village it was great to see how much I was missed =)

Week 29: From Gabs to Jo-Burg to Maputo to Tofo (and back)

We have arrived! And it is amazing! Tofo is a small beach town on the coast of Mozambique and it is complete with fresh coconuts, pineapples, cashews, and other such tropical delights. This is a world away from Botswana with its mostly desert like climate and land locked borders. However Mozambique also highlights the strides that Botswana has made in development.

Botswana has a population of just over 2million, which greatly effects what the government can do for its people. As a result shantytowns are not seen around Botswana and in most instances people are quite spread out. Driving from Gaborone to Johannesburg (the first leg of the trip) is a short 5-6 hour ride that involves beautiful countryside and the potential to see members of the big five. On our trip we saw zebras and elephants! Then entering the outskirts of Jo-burg there is immediately a different feel, according to our taxi driver there are about 5 million people in the city its self with the population of Soweto (South West townships) almost doubling the population. Although I have not been able to verify these numbers, what is important is that in this urban center there are more people then all of Botswana in fact at least three times as many people. We only had a brief layover in Jo-burg but it was time enough to eat dinner and for me to feel at home in a city. My favorite fact to share with people in my village is that I am from a city that has more people then their entire country (hoping this may help explain some of my seemingly odd behaviors, like wanting some personal space).

Highlights of Mozambique include practicing at an incredibly beautiful yoga studio, eating fresh avocadoes (all day every day), and meeting some incredible people who illustrated that there are many different ways to live your life. My favorite being this amazing South African woman I met before a yoga class who has had an extensive career working for the UN and other International aid organizations but is now focusing on her writing and moved to Tofo to do this. One day we went on a snorkeling trip with the hopes of seeing whale sharks, which are common in the area, unfortunately we did not see any but all was not lost since I had a lengthy conversation about HIV in South Africa with the South African man sitting next to me on the boat. You can take the Peace Corps Volunteer out of the village, but no matter where they are, they are still a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Week 28: All Night Busses and Early Morning Border Crossings

The week began with decadence at one of the fanciest hotels in Botswana as Peace Corps Botswana celebrated 10 years of being back in Country. Peace Corps was in Botswana from the late 1960s to 1997 and then left since Botswana was doing so well as far as development. However then HIV struck and Festus Mogae the then President asked Peace Corps to return to Botswana to focus on HIV and in 2003 Peace Corps Volunteers were back in country. Fun fact, the government of Botswana gives the Peace Corps more money than any other of the countries that the Peace Corps serves in, with some countries not providing any money at all.

After the all-volunteer conference, I was off to Mozambique with a few other PCV friends to enjoy the ocean and a bit of a respite from village life. In order to get to the tropical paradise there were numerous buses and multiple border crossings, my favorite being the crossing from South Africa to Mozambique, which happened at 6am after an all night bus ride.  There was a gentle mist and slight fog, which in my sleepy state promised adventure.

Week 27: Finding Meaning in My Work

I feel like I am finally settling down and finding meaning in my work. I am the self-designated librarian at my school. There are fourteen classes who each have an assigned library time. With the standard one students we sing the alphabet, do our numbers, colors, shapes, and other fun things like that. Although they understand approximately ten percent of what I say, their smiles and enthusiasm are priceless and motivating to me. With the older grades I have them read to me in English, which can be like pulling teeth, but in my mind I am helping the students unlock a larger world and I love it. Who knows that they are thinking, but it is probably not quite the enlightenment that I have in mind. However, I think we are capable of creating our own reality and that is the reality I have created for myself and since it does not appear to be harming anyone I will continue to believe that.

Just when I feel like I am getting comfortable something throws me for a loop like the electricity going out, I wipe out while doing yoga (I did not realize that was possible, but now I have the bruises to show that it is), or my shoe breaks in the middle of the day at work. Life in Moshana is a constant roller coaster, but as of now I am enjoying the ride.

Week 26: Day in the Life

Wake up at 6am empty my pee bucket, I couldn’t decide if this was too much information and in the absence of a second opinion, I opted to include this since it is a regular part of my life here that I do not even give a second thought to, but was very strange for me when I arrived the pit latrine is not to be used after dark. I then fill up my water storage containers. Make metogo (a soft porridge made of sorghum meal), bath, read a bit of Pema Chodron on meditation, and walk to school. Make my rounds of hellos. Remind a teacher it is her library time, she does not appear. Remind other teachers of ongoing projects. I then do a bit of typing for the guidance and counseling department, of which I am a part of. Then go to the kgotla for a men’s sector meeting/presentation on multiple concurrent partners, safe sex practices, and safe male circumcision. Before attending the meeting I make my rounds of hellos at the police office and the agricultural office. Get a chair from the ag office and a friend who will hopefully translate for me. Arrive late to the meeting; my friend puts our chairs up front. My friend disappears, they talk about me in Setswana, but unfortunately all I catch is my name. Walk back to school in the torrential downpour because I have a class coming to the library, I have the students read to me one at a time in English. Lastly I have a meeting with my supervisor and counterpart at the school.

Go home for lunch its just after 2:30 at this point. Heat up some dikobe from the other day (beans and samp) and watch the first episode of Orange is the New Black. My landlady stops by informing me that the water will be off for the next couple of days. Walk around the community, run into friends here and there, am told I am fat, am told I am fit, am told I am a good African woman, everyone has a different opinion. Hear that one of my friends is going to go back to school I am very happy for her and another friend has enrolled in driving school, yay! Visit a neighbor to chat and encourage the kids to stay in school.

Back at home, I read, “Why America Slept” take pictures of the sunset and journal. Then settle into some lovely acai tea that was sent in a care package (thanks Ellen its delicious!) popcorn and another episode of Orange is the New Black, I guess I am hooked. Interrupted by my favorite neighbors who need help with their homework.

Every day is different, but this was my Thursday.

Week 25: Learning to Dance

I have finally discovered why I cannot dance.  Three weeks ago my friends little girl was barely walking then this week I return to Moshana and she is not only walking but dancing. As she toddles back and forth between the couch and the chair she is encouraged to do a victory dance each time. Now these dances are not like my dances but complete with rhythm and a beat provided by her mother. At how ever many months, I can safely say that she has already surpassed my dancing abilities, however, I am at peace with this since I now know why.

Week 24: Training Week Two

I am ready to go home. By home I mean my two room house in Moshana sans amenities. It has been nice living the high life, but it has turned into a strange vortex of in between.

Unfortunately apathy is a universal emotion. For every hard working and dedicated employee there are also apathetic ones. This week the apathetic public employees I encountered out shinned the hard working and dedicated ones. This is not related to country or culture but I believe a reality everywhere.

Training was beneficial and I am ready to bring the new tools and resources I have learned about back to Moshana.