Students Without Borders » Meg Stickl

Time flies!!

Meg Stickl — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:18:25 +0000

I am amazed at how fast time flies! I feel like I have finally adjusted to life in Mochudi! I am finally getting used to taking the combi to work each day, starting to tune out all the cat calls that I still get, have mastered “Dumela” and Im used to my various jobs at work!
I have started teaching my sewing lessons this week and I am so happy with how they are going! There are 12 excited faces each class who are so hungry to learn as much as they can!
I wrote my first proposal to a major bank asking for continued support for our Job Skills program! I am pleased it went well! At the end of March some of the kids in the Income Generating group are putting on a talent show competition, so I am involved with all the prep work for that! It will be lots of work but hopefully go well!
The big project I am working on “Finding the Leader within” is going slow but well. I am working on adding interactive activities for the adolescet component to discuss issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, gender roles, sexuality, HIV/AIDS and communication. I am looking forward to seeing it progress from paper to facilitating sessions while I am still here!
The other day when I was coming back from Gabs for the weekend there was a woman holding 2 chickens in front of me…who was “starting her own business” and also a delusional man who began preaching in Setswana, then switched back and forth to english…it was quite comical and I had to hide behind my book for a while to try to compose myself, since he didnt; stop for 20 mins while the bus was filling up!
I have also been helping staff and kids with computor skills! Wow I really have taken so much for granted here! I found an Amelia Bedelia book and got a few of the girls to practice reading it to me! Now it is our inside joke!! Also, I taught the kids the hand clapping game “Stella Ella Olla”…it took a few tries but now they are all singing along with me as well!!! The kids are great! They are always making me laugh and smile!! I am so happy with my placement

Made it to Stepping Stones International-Mochudi

Meg Stickl — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:19:08 +0000

Hi Everyone!
I finally made it to Mochudi in Botswana!! Work at Stepping Stones International is going really well! There are 60 kids who attend the after school program. Most of the kids speak English and understand it, but at times I need a translater for those who only speak Setswana. The main greeting here is “Dumela!” and I have finally mastered it!
I have been busy doing the following:
– completed an inventory of all the major equipment in the centre -planned the after-school program for the first week: organized self-concept theme activities, dodge ball, ice breakers, capture the flag, floor hockey, American football.
-planned lessons for sewing, and art which I will be doing soon.
-played sports and cleaned with the kids -tutored the children in their studies

I am living with an older woman and a maid. I pay rent each month and I am responsible to make my own meals from time to time. I also have tried many traditional foods including: maize, papatta, fat cakes, porridge with sour milk, intestines and kidneys! They eat TONS of beef and chicken here and it is so fresh. The water is completely safe to drink here. At first I was very hesitant especially since I had brought my own water filtering system. Where I am staying, they boil the waster first and then put it in the fridge, so I have been drinking that.

I get to work via a combi ( a mini bus that can be filled with up to 15 people at once!) It costs 2.70 pula to take the combi…about 45 cents Canadian!!

I went hiking last weekend up a mountain in Mochudi. I was able to see the entire village! It is the rainy season so everything is very green here!
It is very common for the electricity to go out for a few hours every few weeks. I am very happy I brought my head lamp!

Thats all for now!
Peace out…MeG

Getting ready for Botswana (Stepping Stones International)

Meg Stickl — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:08:57 +0000

I am a third year student in the Social Sciences faculty studying Psychology at the University of Ottawa. I have worked with youth in the past as a swimming instructor, camp counselor and Sunday School teacher.
In 2006, I volunteered in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the region. I tore down and rebuilt houses and also interacted with the local communities. I am going to a developing country to do a placement because I love to learn about other cultures. I want to impact the lives of those I meet and I know through this experience they will impact and change me as well. I will be working with Stepping Stones International, an NGO that works with orphaned youth aged 12-18. I will be the program assistant and I will be helping to run after- school programs such as horse back riding, karate, and sports for the youth. Also I will be involved in running workshops about continuing in further education, self-esteem, anger management, etc. I hope to get to know the youth personally while I am there. I hope to help the youth and families in tangible ways. I would love to see more youth join the program and decide to continue through school and go to university. I am excited to arrive in the village where I will be working. I am looking forward to meeting my host family who I will be spending a lot of time with. I expect it will be hard to see a country that is taken over by HIV/AIDS and it will challenge me. I am looking forward to this amazing experience and I know that I will be changed forever.

Thanks, Meg