My time in Gabs comes to an end….
Posted by Kathryn on May 26th, 2008
This will definitely be a short one….I promise you this!
I am approaching my last week in Gabs and my last few days commuting to BOFWA in Mochudi…funny enough…we finally received the poster paints that we have been counting on for the last couple weeks…however…I refuse to fret;) We started painting the wall of the hall with our ‘tree of Sexual Reproductive Health’ 
It didn’t look too bad actually by the time we left….
However, i am especially excited to get our wall of messages going…they are messages that are anywhere from generally inspirational to HIV based to youth-focused based…anyways, all in all..i was happy to see t h ose paints…and definitely plan on doing some more painting when I get home:) I’m done with science…on to art….;) hahah
So I have definitely been trying to take in all the things that I have learned to love about being in Gabs…whether it invloves our crazy daily commute…ALWAYS filled with surprises…or our adventures in Mochudi….or the things said to us by locals…(often jaw-dropping)…but all in all…something that I won’t forget….and most importantly….the smell of campfire…always the smell of campfire….
The part that I am having the hardest time with..was definitely made clear this weekend…we visited the S.O.S childrens orphanage village. We played soccer with some of the 100′s of youth there…not as many came out as we hoped…as the older ones seemed much more hesistant…but all in all..a great turnout..and I met some wonderful youth:) Some names I remember…Tayco and Sarah. Prob around 14 years old or so. Anyways…definitely hard to get through to them…but I think I did eventually…
The part that still does not settle well with me…the fact that I had to leave. How often has that happened to them I wonder. How often? Proabably…or most likely…much too often.
That is also how I am viewing my placement right now…
There is much to do. The people I work with. the people that seemed to be hard to break and hard to obtain their trust…now trust me. These same people are now excited to see me when I get there every sleepy morning…They have told me about their lives and their dreams…something that may seem far at hand to them some days…and yet…they still trusted me with it.
And then…away I go.
i was laughing when i was writing in my journal after I wrote this but think I should share it…
“I definitely have commitment issues”
Hahah, I do.
I find it very hard to not give of myself fully…when it is needed. And especially, when I am dedicated to the work and believe in it.
So I think I leave it off like that..because that is where I am right now. Questionning some major things in my life..and realizing yet another flaw of myself…my comittment issues;) hahahah
I will be travelling to see the northern part of Botswana with 4 friends, and will get close to the border of Zimbabwe and possibly travel into Zambia for a day…to see Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park and the Delta of course! So hoping to be back in the homeland on the 12th…
After writing what I jsut wrote up there, I definitely wasnt up to writing about travelling…as I have seriously been doubting that…thinking that my time could be better spent here….but anyways, thought I should inform you wonderful people:)
But yes…i will be coming home:) (for those of you that were doubting it) and am excited to see you….
I have so much more to say…and if given the chance…will say as much of it as I can…
Take care…
your kat
Remembered something!
We also went to the craziest Braii last Friday..invited by one of the UB students on campus. A Braii is an african bbq…and it was one of those pictures that I wont forget…
We showed up to an outdoor bar with the name of the bar painted or written on the side of the rocky hill that it was built one…just red rock…and all the people that came could just go into the bar to buy their meat, about 2 dollars for a half of a chicken…and one dollar for a can of St.Louis…home to Botswana of course:) You pretty much take your meat that was thrown on a paper plate (if youre lucky and didnt get the piece of cardboard) and bring it to one of the 3 gigantic grills. After that, you eat with (hands only of course) with some papa (type of cornmeal that looks deceivingly like mashed potatoes) and enjoy your St. Louis on the side.
After that…some good ol traditional music mixed with some Beyonce, and we were dancing in the sand…:)
To be totally honest…me and Kristie arent feeling too hot today…as I cannot tell you how much my ‘kitchen hygiene’ has had to be stored far far back in my mind…and that seems to be having a toll on some of us now:(
anyways…it was prob the most ‘real’ night here that ive had so far and needed to include that:)
O sharpo!!!
Where do I start? There are two ways I would like to respond to this line, “I’m done with science…on to art…;)”
a)You must have gotten bit by some exotic insect that is messing with your mind.
OR
b)Some would say science is art
Anyways, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way it’s good to hear that you’re still have a great time and soaking in the Botswana experience. What you wrote got me thinking, and listen if you have commitment issues I don’t know how this is ever gonna work between us! haha Seriously though it did get me thinking for quite a bit actually.
I think I was trying to look for something reassuring to say, or perhaps an answer to your questions that you struggle with internally. But those aren’t my questions to answer and I can’t answer them for you. Having said that I will also say this: without questions we’d go nowhere in life, and questions and doubt are not always a sign of things going wrong. Furthermore, a rather comforting quote I came along at some point in my life (one that really stimulated my thoughts, emotions, and life) is this: “The road is long, and in the end the journey is the destination.”
Can’t wait to hear more from you.
Your’s truly,
Karl
P.s Bring back some of that campfire smell so that we can perhaps get a taste of the experience you had.
Ummm I forget to add on a sidenote, or perhaps as another P.s at the end of my last message:
If none of what I wrote made any sense or had any impact, then it’ll be alright as long you had a good laugh while reading it
:S One more little tidbit I also forgot…..what does O Sharpo mean?
Karl, youre fantastic:)
and yes…i know..life needs questionning and it’s something that I’ve been saying to a lot of the volunteers here…The Batswana and the Zimbabwean. They seem to question things less than we do…which also makes me see a different side of questionning. They find peace in things with more ease than we do. And at the same time, can be taken advantage of more easily…
or are we just that much m ore stubborn?
anyways, im going off on another tangent that could lead to something extremely long…So ill spare that for the lovely people that get to hear me out when i get back….(excited!?!?!) heh heh
O Sharpo is what the cool kids say…;)
Meaning, Be cool, see you around, type of thing..hahah, Setswana can apparantly be translated into a million meanings for one word…so its def a fun language:)
first off i like to say how funny its is that you start off your messages with this one gonna be short… cuz it never is … i mean how can an experience like this ever have a short story….don’t kid us we know its never gonna be short and sweet … just “LONG AND SWEET!
Anyways girl.. just make sure that these last weeks are when you keep your eyes and heart open… cuz this littlest things can pass you by.
This whole experience is such and amazing thing i still can’t believe your over there right now. and yet you’ll be home in two weeks… and yet you have done SOOOOOOO much for everyone over there… goes to show you all you need to do and lend a helping hand.
so now that i have finished speaking as if i were creating a song…i will go and leave you in peace lol
love you girl.. all the best… and remember open you eyes and heart!
Flo
thanks my flo:)