Our last week on Botswana soil was a whirlwind of events and passed much too quickly. At BOFWA we completed the mural painting- only took 2 days, I was quite proud of our group. It was neat to see how busy and lively the centre became when word got out that we were painting. Many local youth and volunteers came by to help paint or to check out what was going on. We all found it difficult to leave on Thursday- our last day in Mochudi. Tears were shed and kind words exchanged- we were told that we were one of the first groups of international volunteers to spend time really getting to know the Batswana volunteers. I hope BOFWA- in particular the Mochudi branch continues to thrive and that they are able to find new and innovative ways to reach out to the local youth.

I realize I have many hopes for myself after this month in Botswana. I hope that I can take the knowledge this Guelph Global Learner experience has provided me with and put it into action at home- in one way or another. I also find myself hoping that I allow this experience and all that I have a learned take its full effect on who I am as a person and that I allow myself to change and grow because of this newly acquired knowledge.

I also found myself contemplating many things while sitting on the plane- let’s be honest what else is there to do on a 30 hour journey home but watch a movie or two, read a bit and THINK. Mainly I began wondering why I am fortunate enough to be born in this wonderful country we call Canada. Why have I been provided with such amazing opportunities to do things like travel to new places and meet new people? I cannot come up with answers to these questions but I can know that I mustn’t take these opportunities for granted nor can I forget how truly fortunate I am. I also know that I need to take the opportunities I am constantly being presented with and use them wisely and use them to impact/inspire/help others in whatever capacity and way possible. I must continue to be an active global citizen and I must share my experiences and knowledge with others who aren’t as fortunate as myself, or who are not provided with similar opportunities. I know that I have been provided with a great thing- the potential and ability to make a (positive) difference.

So what’s next? At this point I have some ideas but obviously nothing concrete quite yet. I think that I would really like to end up volunteering in an orphanage somewhere in the world at some point in the near future. Where did this idea stem from? Well my love for children, my academic and practical background and skills in child development and programming combined with my passion for volunteer travel all probably have something to do with it! We spent time in SOS children’s village in Gaborone last Sunday- two girls had their month long placement here. Our entire group went on Sunday to play football (aka soccer) with the kids and to spend some time with them. The few hours we spent there inspired me to want to spend time working with an NGO that provides services for orphans and vulnerable children. The village is literally that- a little community within the community with houses of children- each house has a “mom” (a local woman who acts as the children’s mother) and children who are either orphaned or from disadvantaged homes. SOS is doing a wonderful thing providing these children with a sense of community, a sense of family, and a chance at life. While we were in the village I had the impression that many of the children were developmentally delayed- for obvious reasons-being able to provide some of the kids with direct one-on-one attention was an experience like no other. One child- Peter- clung to me the whole time we were there, having to say goodbye after a few hours nearly broke my heart into a gazillion pieces. I’m not sure how the two girls who were there for the 3 weeks coped with leaving the children on their last day and I admire them for being able to do it.

The next challenges that await me will be trying to do this experience justice when sharing it with friends and family at home. I am going to try my absolute hardest but accept that some things will not nor can they be fully understood by those who have not experienced them. In saying that if any of you EVER EVER have the chance or the opportunity to travel and/or volunteer in an African country TAKE IT without any hesitation- you will thank yourself in the end!

One huge realization I have come to here- which I am sure you will hear me talk about upon my return to Canada- is the fact that many of us in the “Western” world tend to think of Africa as one country- when in fact is it a continent filled with many unique and quite diverse countries- all with different customs, languages, economies, etc. Back at home we are used to seeing the same images over and over of “Africa”- usually negative images about the amount of poverty, of starving children, and dying people. I am not trying to argue that extreme levels of poverty don’t exist in Africa- but we must be cautious as to how we label the continent. Botswana for instance has many educated people, a growing and healthy economy- one that is shared with the citizens and lots of food (as we are learning after eating big and starchy meals every day!). So next time you see an image of Africa on tv or in the newspaper take note of what African COUNTRY is being depicted.

I don’t think I realized how ignorant I have been to the HIV/AIDS pandemic until quite recently. A courageous and strong woman came to tell us her personal story of living with HIV and AIDs and the stigma she has experienced from family and friends after revealing her status. Simple things such as people not wanting to use the same bathtub as her or the same cutlery in fear of catching the virus. The virus cannot live outside the body and is transmitted mainly through blood and vaingal fluids or semen- so these are unfounded fears many people have. I suppose the low low prevalence rate of HIV in Canada has contributed to my ignorance of the pandemic- after all knowledge is power and ignorance hinders the acquistion of knowledge.

Today we had our first half day at our placement where we will be for the next three weeks. Myself and four other students are located in a village called Macchudi, which is about an hour commute outside the capital city (where we are all living). We are working at BOFWA, which stands for the Botswana Family Welfare Association. The clinic we are working at provides youth-friendly services to (quite obviously) youth in the community. Botswana youth are a major target group for the prevention of HIV since approximately 37% of the population infected by HIV are in the age range of 10-49. BOFWA provides such services as voluntary counselling and testing (or VCT- you will learn along with myself that acronyms are huge in the HIV/AIDS world), STI testing and treatment, contraception education, peer education and recreational activities (such as board games, pool, ping pong and basketball). All in all they provide the youth with sexually reproductive health (SRH)education.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of acquainting ourselves with the public transport system- very different from Canadian public transport! First of all we get on a combi (similar to a minibus-van type vehicle) and take this to the bus station, where we cross a long and crowded bridge then hop on a bus to Macchudi. From there we walk to the BOFWA centre. This commute coupled with work starting around 8 makes for a very early morning for the five of us (as I’m sure we will find out tomorrow when we start work!)

Today we had a meeting with the chief executive director and other board members of BOFWA here in the capital city to determine what it is we will be doing in the next three weeks. We were also able to see the voulantry counselling and testing centre at that location. The counsellor was showing us an HIV test- here they have rapid tests where one pricks their finger, and places blood on a stick- one line means they are negative and two means they are positive. While standing in the room a wave of butterflies appeared in my stomach- now I was not even getting an HIV test, nor am I worried about my status but I still got extremely nervous. After talking to the other students in the room they told me they felt the same types of anxieties- we can only imagine what it would actually be like for a young person to be taking this test- with the prevalence rate and chances of them being positive much higher than in Canada.

All of the projects we will be working on involve a tangible end product. The five main ones that we will be working on in the coming weeks are building a car shade for the parking lot (basically a huge umbrella like structure for the cars to park under to protect them from the hot Botswana sun), organizing the medical storage cupboard, coming up with a way to display Pledge 25 members, organizing a workshop in which we will present an SRH message in a creative and motivational way to a local high school. Finally the project I will be overseeing along with a local volunteer is painting of the wall in the games room with strong, easily internalized and influential SRH messages. All in all I am sure as you can see we have a lot to keep us busy and to accomplish in the next 17 work days!!

Oh Pledge 25- I should probably explain is a pledge that youth make to donate blood 3-4 times a year until at least the age of 25. This is coupled with a pledge to remain HIV negative (which of course you must be in order to donate blood) and to recruit other members of your community to join the pledge. They hope to have over 2000 youth join this pledge by the end of the year. We learned today that about 140 joined last month alone- so they are well on their way to accomplishing this goal.

I hope in the coming weeks that I can learn more about and immerse myself further into the wonderful culture of Botswana by getting to know the youth who use the services provided by BOFWA. I know that the people I have met and will meet, as well as the country itself, will have a long-lasting and emotional impact on myself (which I can already feel happening)…I only hope I can leave my mark (no matter what size it is) on the organization and/or the people I will be working with.

Hello! My name is Trista Richardson and I am a third year Child, Youth and Family major at the University of Guelph. My hope is to one day work with children as a speech-language pathologist or family therapist. Currently I enjoy spending my spare time tutoring at a local school and volunteering in my community. I truly believe in the “Me to We” Philosophy put forth by Free the Children. We can build a better life and world by reaching out to others on a local, national and global level. We have the ability to make a commitment to changing the world for the better in whatever way we can. I am lucky enough to have been brought up in a privileged environment here in Canada and I am looking to continue my move towards a “we” philosophy by volunteering in Botswana. I hope to become more globally responsible by working with a local NGO and I would like to learn first hand about issues affecting the Batswana. I have had a strong desire to get a taste of Africa for several years, and am excited that Botswana will be my destination.  I am looking forward to the unforgettable experiences I will have, the knowledge I will gain and the personal connections I will make. I hope to bring these experiences, this new knowledge and these new outlooks back home to spread awareness and inspire others to become global citizens.