Reflections on Botswana..
Posted by Larissa Duma on May 4th, 2010
‘Go Siame!’ Filled my last day of work with the Bostwana Predator Conservation Trust, as I took a good part of the day saying goodbye and cleaning up my workspace.
The final day began with a lovely assembly at the school where I was volunteering, whereby I was called upon and given a gift as thanks from the staff and students of the school. It was really sweet of them to thank me for being there.. and undeniably I was so filled with emotions of sorrow about leaving that I had a hard time responding with even a thank you, as I feared crying on the stage.
I had a great few months in Bostwana and was sad to be going. The time I spent there flew away and before I knew it I was on my way out… Upon recieving the position I decided to book a return ticket a few weeks later than my actual work end date, so that I could travel a bit before I had to leave. Therefore after spending my last weekend in town I was on the road to explore a little bit more of Southern Africa before returning home.
I ended up in Namibia for about a week and then South Africa for about a week, spending a bit of time in Cape Town and in Joberg (just before I left). Travels were great but it was really hard leaving my friends and host family back in Botswana.. knowing that I was soooo close away to them but decidedly made myself far from them. I think that maybe next time I would rather book a ticket to leave directly after a placement, because the friendships and connections I made made it difficult for me to travel afterwards when I knew I could still be near them spending time with them.
On my long flight home, with an over 6 hour layover in the Heathrow airport in London, I realized one thing that drew me into loving where I had been that can be summarized in one simple word.. Consumerism, or better yet, the lack there of! (So I guess it is more easily summarized in 4 words ‘the lack of consumerism’). Heathrow Airport seemed like a breeding ground for the wealthy consumer, filled with gadgets and trinkets and specialty foods and etc. etc… everything your heart could want! Well at least for being in an airport!
I never realized how much consumerism didn’t exist where I was until I arrived to London.. or at least not to the same extent. I mean people obviously consumed in Botswana, however most of it was for necessity not for pleasure.
Finally I arrived back in Canada.. to the lovely snow and cold that sparadically showed up coincidentally the day I arrived.. thankfully only delaying my landing by about 30 minutes or so! Already having faced a bit of the new reality I was going to be living in at least for a week or so (until my next job takes me off to a far more remote location than Botswana) I quickly found comfort in living a chill low key life of unpacking and packing again, visiting friends and family and of course, catching up on days of lost sleep.
Overall I had an amazing time in Botswana and long to go back.. and am sure I will be going back one day! Unfortunately the work was not as rewarding as it could have been, but the reality of development work is that it works in stages, and unfortunately you can’t always be there at the most exciting time to see huge leaps forward made.
Life was peaceful and tranquil in Maun, something I hadn’t had since I began university. Maybe this is what drew me into the village, without me even noticing, or maybe it was the friendly people and smiling faces.. whatever it was, I know that Botswana and the Tswana people (and the Zim people I also met there) will forever hold a fond place in my memories..
