HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO BRENT & BOTSWANA

This is my life; it’s not what it was before
And these are my dreams that I’ve never lived before
Somebody shake me ‘cause I, I must be sleeping
~Aaron Lewis




Ok, so maybe our relationship isn’t quite one of romantic love, but it has definitely come to be my home which became very clear on my return from holiday. South Africa -> Mozambique -> Swaziland was perfect! We spent the first night with my good South African friend who lives in Johannesburg. We originally met in England, when we were both pursuing the same course for our Master’s. I had actually last seen her in DC when she was there for a conference. So now seeing her on her home turf, in South Africa, meant that we had now seen on each other on three different continents! We laughed at how blessed we both are. She’s a gem of a human and I’m always happy to see her.

Whenever I arrive in a new place, I like to give off an err as if I know what I am doing in order to avoid releasing victimizing energy. So when I got off the bus in Johannesburg - which by the way is known for its crime; I think it leads the word in violent crimes per year. I was bombarded by men asking where I was going and if I needed a taxi. Knowing very well that a lot of these men aren’t even taxi drivers, I just said “Don’t worry, I stay just there” as I pointed to the neighborhood in front of me. The men paused, a few laughed and one said, “You don’t stay there.” I insisted, “I DO.” He laughed, “They’ll kill you over there! That’s Hillborough!” Whoops! Hillborough is one of the worst neighborhood in Jo’Burg, making it one of the worst in the world. So I said “Ooops, Ok, I don’t live there… but I also don’t need a taxi!” Haha. Thankfully my friend was waiting for us with her car, in the opposite direction of Hillborough, of course. So we met her and made our way out to Sandton, a very wealthy suburb. On the way I rolled down my window hoping for some fresh air, which freaked the heck out of my friend. “OH MY GOD, ROLL UP YOUR WINDOW!” she screamed, “This is Jo’Burg!” We just don’t have to worry about these things in Botswana.

Anyway, so we spent two days in Jo’Burg which was SUCH a blast. Most of the rich suburbs are quite new and the architecture is very modern – it reminded me so much of southern California – so many mansions that would put those in Hollywood to shame. Seriously. The suburbs of Jo’Burg were a whole other world, as is the case in many cities, particularly those in the developing world. So I was able to enjoy cocktails and sushi (yes, SUSHI! It wasn’t amazing, but it was enough to make me tear up lol), and all just a stone throw’s away from those suffering from chronic poverty. And that’s the other thing South Africa is known for – one of the greatest disparities of wealth. But I liked Jo’Burg - even the poor centre in which I admittedly didn’t spend much time had a nice energy to it. I like cities that offer diversity, and Jo’Burg has some of Africa’s richest and poorest. I’d like to go again and spend more time. Our second night we were to catch an overnight bus into Mozambique, before which we went to a concert where I met a famous South African soap star who I manage to catch on Botswana TV from time to time. That was exciting. Then we hit the bus and made our way to Mozambique.

Talk about heaven! Maputo, the capital, was such a lovely city. Despite Mozambique having a brutal war 15-or-so years back, you would never get that vibe. Maputo felt so safe, and there was a lightness in the air. It’s situated on many hills adjacent to a bay, and the architecture – though old and dilapidating – has that Mediterranean charm as a result of their Portuguese colonization. We didn’t spend much time there before we had to trek 9+ hours to Tofo, a beachside village. The place is largely immune to tourists, but is well known in the surfer community so other than hardcore surfers and a few vacationing South Africans we were alone. In fact many days we were literally the only ones on the beach, as the surfers tend to go out very early morning and late afternoon. It was complete heaven – the air temperature was perfect, the water was perfect, our room (i.e. straw hut) backed up to the ocean so the waves were the last thing I would hear before I fell asleep and the first thing in the morning. Now that’s relaxing!







I spent the week eating nothing but fresh fish and fresh fruit, as these things are in abundance. I had never had calamari straight from the sea before – wow, I didn’t know what I was missing! And things were so cheap:

Fresh cashew nuts: $2 per kg
Coconut: 50c
Prawns (Shrimp): $3 per kg
Calamari: $3 for whole squid
Passion fruit: 50c for 3 or 4
Accommodation: $6 a night
Local rum: $1.50 for a bottle

I managed to make friends with some local old ladies, as I always do, who agreed to cook us local food for $2 a meal (which I know was still more than the local price, but I couldn’t complain. The agreement was mutually beneficial). So some days we brought her our own seafood and other days she provided. The Mozambicans sure know good food! The sauces they made to accompany the fish and rice was stellar. Typically speaking, African food is nothing to write home about. But Mozambican food is, and that’s why I am writing home about it 

So we spent a good week there, doing less than nothing. We then took a 12+ hour journey to Swaziland, where we were meeting 3 other friends who were on their way to Mozambique. We rented a car and were able to enjoy all of Swaziland in two days. It’s very very small lol. But I was really stunned by the beauty of the place. It looks like Switzerland or Scotland – particularly during the first day as it was very misty – dramatic, green mountains, winding roads. People there seem to be doing quite well. I don’t recall seeing any shantytowns or overtly-poor looking people. And they were so friendly, far more so than the Batswana and even the South Africans, who I guess have much more cultural baggage than the Swazis. Anyway, it was a nice 2 day journey after which we drove 12+ hours back into Botswana.

So I’ve just been getting myself back in the groove. The new cohort has arrived in the country, marking my 50% point. It feels like a year – not an exceptionally fast or slow one; just a year. But I am consistently told that the second year transpires significantly faster than the first. We’ll see. The next few months will certainly be busy, so I don’t doubt it.

In three weeks one of the new guys will come and shadow me for 5 days. Following that, I’ll spend a week in mid-May assisting with the training of the new guys in Molepolole. It will be nice to have some fresh energy here. I’ll also pop in and see my host family – I’m not sure if they are hosting a another person this year.

My son is well. I walked by his house upon my return and he saw me and dropped his toys (i.e. stones) and came runnin’ for me. He came to my house and we had lunch, then I sent him on his way which of course made him cry. Bless him.

Things are busy at the clinic. We’ve reached 100 clients (that is 100 positive women who are currently pregnant and enrolled in the program. Of course there are for more pregnant and positive women than this). Additionally, I have been trying to incorporate negative women into our program (what’s that saying? – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment?), but it’s hard to make time for them and some co-workers are resistant to doing things outside of their mandate. Job descriptions here are taken literally, too literally, so that people feel almost as if they are not allowed to go above and beyond the call of duty. It can be frustrating.