1.                  WHAT TO PACK: Pretty much anything you need is available in Gaborone, but perhaps not as common outside of the city. There is no need to stock up on toiletries or cosmetics or even medications, unless there is something very specific that you need or want. A wide range of shopping, including clothing, exists in Gaborone. My advice is to bring just the basics and anything you really need from home, it is inevitable that you will shop here!

 

2.                  BRING YOUR CELL PHONE: If you have a cell phone that is either tri-band or quad-band it will likely work here. I brought mine, got it unlocked in London (UK) en route and all I had to do is by a SIM card for $2.50cdn and I was good to go. I recommend unlocking in Europe en route if possible, or having it done here. I think things like that are more expensive in Canada, and the quality not as good. You will need a phone here, so unless you bring one, be prepared to by one.

 

3.                  WORK IS BUSY: Working hours will generally be between 7:30 – 4:30 or 8 – 5. The same hours as all other businesses and government offices. There is a mandatory paid hour-long lunch, when many offices are closed. Depending upon your position, there may be weekend activities you will be expected to attend occasion. There are many places one can travel for a weekend get-away.

 

4.                  ACCOMODATION IS WAITING: You will be living with other volunteers, most likely from Canada. The houses or flats are in secure complexes (electric fence & a guard) in good neighbourhoods. WUSC Gaborone arranges things so that people live in shared houses. Your roommates will likely be working at different organizations. Rent is paid directly to the WUSC office, and includes bills. My rent works out to just over $200cdn per month. WUSC Gaborone takes care of most of the things you need: i.e. dishes, fans, sheets, towels, buckets etc. so no need to carry it with you.

 

5.                  PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFO: The public transportation (kombis – mini vans that travel particular routes and squeeze in as many people as possible) travel from pretty much anywhere in Gaborone to anywhere else. Kombis cost about 50cents per trip. Walking to work may also be an option, but check with co-workers regarding your safety.

 

6.                  BRING A LAPTOP: There is very limited computer access (particularly internet) time/space at many workplaces, and the Internet cafes are very slow and expensive. However, there are many places that offer free wireless — cafes and restaurants — so if you have a laptop, bringing it is a GREAT idea. For your security it is also beneficial to have a backpack to carry your laptop in that does not scream out “there is a laptop in here!”

 

7.                  BE CAREFUL, BUT ENJOY YOURSELF: On the note of security. Muggings, thefts, rapes and break-ins are more common here than I had expected. We all know about the crime in South Africa but Botswana feels much safer. It is best to be prepared and sensible, but not to be overly cautious to the point it disrupts your stay here. Just be particularly careful at night, in quiet areas, and to not put your valuables on display. That being said, I’ve found Botswana a very friendly and comfortable place. And our accommodation is extremely safe.

 

8.                  TIME IS RELATIVE: Remember that things move at a different pace in
Botswana. If you are only here for a few months, come prepared to set goals that are small and achievable, or you may end up frustrated. Remember that a big part of what you are bringing is your presence, your ideas and your time.

 

9.                  CLOTHING: Clothing for the ladies. To avoid hassle and unwanted attention it is often better to wear skirts than pants, although pants are perfectly culturally acceptable. Skirts are comfortable and also cooler, and it gets hot if you are here in the African summer. If you are here during the winter, remember that Botswana can be quite cold and bring appropriate clothing. At work most people dress smart, but nice T-shirts are fine. Sleeveless tops may not be work-appropriate but are fine elsewhere. Even in the warmest season it’s best to bring layers – it rains on occasion and the air really cools off, and the nights can be quite chilly.

 

10.              ASK QUESTIONS: The director of WUSC Gaborone is a very well informed and efficient lady. If you have any urgent questions before leaving Canada for Botswana, I suggest asking her. If nothing else, she will forward your questions on the appropriate person.

 

Enjoy your time in Botswana! My time is up in a month, and I will greatly miss it here….

Things required : 24 staff members

•     3 Canadian volunteer
•     2 female volunteer facilitators
•     5 volunteer cooks
•     1 camp director
•     1 seven-tonne truck
•     tents, mattresses, a flip chart
•     an extreme excess of food, particularly meat
•     anti-venom
•     enthusiasm, willingness to learn, adapt and grow
•     4 cameras

As with many things I’ve experienced here, the trip began late. We all arrived to work at 7:30am, planning to depart at 9ish. However, the truck we had hired to drive us all to the Khutse Game Reserve did not arrive until dark. In typical Batswana style, there were very few complaints and people waited the 12 hours with patience – taking naps, snacking, reading the paper.

Upon the truck’s arrival we loaded everything we had – tents, mattresses, food, bags, blankets, more food, water tanks, stove etc – on the truck and then piled ourselves on top of it all. There were about 30 people in the truck and the other few men travelled in a smaller vehicle.

The smaller vehicle was necessary (we were informed) to take us on night toilet trips, as a lioness with cubs is said to often grace the area with her presence.

This was a very interesting, albeit a risky, journey to the game reserve. We were all piled above the tope of the 7 tonne truck. The driver was speedy. The roads were bad. We had to cuddle very close together to stay warm as we were exposed to the elements, and had to protect ourselves from the wind and dust. The first 200km were pretty much paved. But after that we travelled on sand: Kalahari sand.

We arrived to the camp at about 1am. The smaller vehicle had arrived earlier and set up a few tents. We camped at the main gate of the game reserve, as it was too dangerous to travel any further. The majority of the ladies slept in the back of the truck, while some of us opted for tents.

We got up before 6 and relocated to what was to be our camp for the next few nights. Unfortunately we did not travel too far from the gate, to the camp we were originally supposed to go to. I heard this was because we did not have enough water tanks, so we had to stay where there was a tap for water. It was disappointing; however, the two cold showers and flush toilets were pleasant, and our safety was pretty much ensured.

What followed were several days of building mission statements, departmental goals, objectives for the Hospice and so on. Of course, regular breaking into songs praising the lord etc occurred, with everyone on their feet and dancing. I’ve learned this happens regularly at all meetings, workshops, etc. Although sometimes it is fairly awkward for me on a personal level, workshops at home are certainly going to feel a little stuffy and extremely quiet when I return home.

The primary focus was on team building. The Hospice has had a history of high staff turnover, and bad relationship between both individuals and departments. However, the director, a brilliant and strong woman, has made a commitment to the Hospice and a conscious decision to work to improve staff relations.

One ongoing activity was participation in a simulated wedding. We were divided into three groups, by department, and each group had a role to play. The social department was the family of the groom, the nursing department was the family of the bride, and the admin personnel were other key community members. Weddings are a lengthy process in
Botswana. Each morning at 6am a particular role-play took place, indicating key moments in a very traditional wedding. Myself I was married to a cousin of the groom! Role-plays and skits are a Big hit here, even at 6am in the middle of the desert.

The Kalahari was stunning. We had some exceptionally cold days and saw only a few animals due to the loudness of our truck. It stormed every night, and our tent rocked back and forth as the rain pounded down. However, the weather warmed up the last two days and us white folk were sunburnt, much to the amusement of our coworkers, on our trip back to
Gaborone. That truck felt like a giant frying pan to me!

As beautiful as the scenery was, it was also harsh. Dangerous scorpions, snakes and spiders call the area home. Simple tasks such as washing dishes take a lot of effort. This contributed to the team-building atmosphere. For many of the ladies at my workplace, this was one of or the very first camping trip they’ve ever been on.

On that note, I say ladies because there are only a few men at our workplace. I think there are 5 plus the camp director, who is from SOS Children’s Village. I feel so fortunate to be getting to know so many strong, gutsy and charming African women. But I also worry about the future: the overwhelming HIV/AIDS crisis and increase of strains of HIV that are ARV resistant – the clearly defined gender roles and complete lack of monogamy, and the prevalence of violence to women, rape and domestic violence.        

The ride home was equally as uncomfortable as the ride to the Khutse Game Reserve and we worked the rest of the week. Everyone was tired but the work environment was cheerful, cooperative and productive. I have a lot of work to do before I complete my placement at Christmas and I feel it’s important that whatever I do I have to work to maintain this kind of cooperative attitude. There is nothing more challenging then trying to do emotionally challenging, difficult work, in a hostile, uncooperative workplace.

What a job, what a learning experience, what incredible people.

I have been in Gaborone for three and a half weeks. I now know how to navigate my way on foot around the city, how to use a kombi and where to get everything I need. I have also spent a whole week in a workshop completely in Setswana and am helping to plan a six day staff “retreat,” to take place in the middle of the Kalahari desert. And this is on top of my assistant social work position at Holy Cross.

The weather has been great (although a little chilly), our house is lovely and fully equipped, I have met lots of interesting people, and one thing I have to say to any students coming to Botswana – things are much more organized here than they appear to be at home! It has been eventful, and a wonderful experience so far.

A Workday: 

6:00am Alarm rings.

6:15am Quickly eat some yogurt, fruit, bread, cheese – and a coffee.

6:40am Leave for work with my roommate, Robyn, who is also working at Holy Cross. We have taken to walking the 50 minutes to work, in an effort to burn off some of the excess of meat (a staple) that we consume here; also because it is an enjoyable way to start the day.

Our walk is dusty and takes us through quiet residential streets, along busy motorways and past numerous flowering bougainvilleas and jacarandas. We say good morning to school children in uniform, elderly ladies out for a morning stroll and gentlemen en route to work. All the while we have to be careful to keep our toes off the road, and we continuously dodge traffic and excessively speedy kombis.

7:30am Arrive to work refreshed.

Now we hang around for a bit, trying to figure out what to do with the day, which stretches long in front of us. People are already chatting about our first tea break at 10:15. I cornered my supervisor in an attempt to get him to sign my placement-objectives sheet so I can submit it to WUSC, but he isn’t ready to do that as of yet. We have a short meeting to set a time for an official meeting to be held later on in the day.

For the rest of the time until tea I work on administrative work, review some client files and begin to make a list of all the schools that the various orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) attend.

10:00am My WUSC support person calls me to set a time to call me later in the day to discuss my placement experience so far.

10:15 Tea Break: including warm, homemade bread today!!

10:30 Ask my supervisor if he will sign my objectives sheet which is now complete – again, he isn’t ready.

Then, off to visit a client at home – home visits happen quite regularly, and are a very interesting way to both see the community within which we work, and also to meet clients in his/her own territory. We set up a time for the family we are working with to come into the hospice when their children are home from school. This is an abuse case, involving children whose single mother passed away last year.

12:25pm Upon returning to the hospice we have a meeting regarding the shortage of computers and other resources in the center.

1:00-2:00pm Lunch

Including: thick sorghum porridge with beans (very tasty), beef stew, beets, cabbage and creamed spinach.

We eat with the HIV/AIDS patients with whose children I primarily work with in the social work department. This is a great way to build relationships across cultures and through the prevalent language barrier.

2:00-3:00pm I meet with my supervisor and we finally go over my placement objectives sheet, he agrees to sign it and I fax it immediately to WUSC Gaborone.

3:00pm My scheduled call from my WUSC support person doesn’t happen so I continue to go through every OVC file we have, write down names of schools and what child goes to what school, and then locate all of their registration numbers. I am going to make a database by school when I next get access to a computer at work.

4:10 Brainstorm to find another project to fill my week before the intense home-visits begin. We have to register 120 new OVCs before the end of November!

4:30 Knock-off work and head home.

We take a kombi home because it’s hot and the day was long. I stop en route to pick up a few groceries, an updated movie listings sheet from the cinema and pop into the internet café to briefly check my email.

6:10pm Arrive home. One roommate is at the gym next door and the other is not home from her French class yet, so I have a shower and start cooking some supper.

7:30pm For the rest of the evening I chat to my roommates and then go upstairs to read a few chapters in my book, “A Place of Reeds,” and at 11ish I get ready for bed.

11:20 Just as I am about to turn off my light I spot a huge spider, on my wall, just above my pillow. This is the first spider I’ve seen in Gaborone. He is a normal spider, not a poisonous or super-hairy one – but still, he is just a little too big and a little to close to my pillow for me to anticipate a good night of sleep. I go to the kitchen, come back upstairs with the broom and think about what to do. I don’t want to kill him. He’s big enough to have a name, hrmm.

11:40 I hear my roommate’s friend leaving… I corner him and show him my dilemma. He cannot kill spiders either. So we convince him to trap the spider in a bucket (he’s too big for a cup) and take him out the front door.

12:50 Finish discussing the evenings events with my roommate and head to bed.

6:00am Alarm Rings.

6:40am A little tired, I leave the house, walk to work, and prepare for another day.

As time goes on I will try to post more about my work. I have only really spent about six days in the office so far, so in another couple of weeks I will have much more to add. Thanks!