During our orientation, Olefile strongly emphasized on greeting people with Dumella! Then I didn’t know that the word was not just a greeting. It is a part of the culture, a greeting, a sign of respect, a symbol of belonging; it is a reason to start a conversation with a stranger…it is The Word.
I understood the importance of it when I started using the word at the Tshiamo Interim Care Home.
Granny (cleaner at the Interim Care Home), got mad at one of the new volunteers when she did not come and say Dummella to her right away. Granny held my hand and said to the volunteer, “the lekgowa says dummella to me every time she sees me, you are Batswana. Come here right now and say Dummella. She gave me a hug and walked away angry.” I <3 Granny, she has her way of showing love.

Nkoko (Granny in Setswana), was furious about me throwing away her plastic dish in the recycle bag (by mistake). I was told that she had decided to hit me with her mop stick when she sees me and make me buy her a new dish. I enter the CAB compound, where I cross the Care Home office to walk towards the CAB office. As I am walking, with my usual big smile I scream DUMELLA to make myself heard by the Care Home staff. Nkoko comes out of the kitchen and gives me a very very angry look. I looked at her and said “Dummella Nkoko! ” And you should have seen the smile on her face. She comes to me and says “Akh my baby, why did you throw this dish out. This was my dish my baby.” I say “Ke kopa ma etswareno”, and she said “its okay my baby, but I was very angry in the morning because … Akeri why did you throw it out? But it’s okay”.

Malumi (Uncle in Setswana) has a big smile on his face every morning and every time when I greet him. He doesn’t talk at all, he just listens. He doesn’t reply to anyone or anything you say or ask. But the only time he does care to respond back is when I say Dummella Malumi! … and his reply is a thumps up. He cannot speak because he has throat cancer.

On the combie, after you find yourself a place to squeeze in, the person next to you says Dummella Mma…if you respond…the conversation has begun. Dumella is followed by Le Kae (How are you?), followed by what do you do? Where are you from? And sometimes even “Can I have your number?” or “Can I take you out for coffee”, or “Marry me!”

Dummella works its magic everywhere.

So I decided to just take pictures…like they say: pictures speak a thousand words. So I tried to capture the happiness behind the patients’ smiles or the pain in their tears; the heat of the sun in the bare feet of children playing on the streets; the satisfying taste of the yummy fat cakes; the staring eyes at the lekgowa (light skinned); the spread of HIV or AIDS; the lack of focus on diseases other than HIV or AIDS; the patience that takes to braid hair for hours upon hours; patients’ hope to recover from cancer, their confusion about the cause of cancer or them wondering “Why me?”; CAB executive directors’ determination to never give up; the slow pace in workplaces; the 160km/hr driving cars in the 100km/hr roads.

I tried to capture these moments but I failed. I failed to capture them in the camera, but I succeeded to engrave them in my heart and save them permanently in my memory. But if I have to put them in words then I guess all I can say is Botswana is a beautiful country. I am in love with the people, culture, and food. The people of Botswana are really kind, friendly, warm and welcoming. I am lucky to have coworkers like Kelly, Dimpho and Sharon. But keep in mind words and pictures cannot explain my experiences… I guess you just have to live it to know and understand it