“Your view of other cultures and that they are poor says more about you than the place you’re trying to help.”  -Lemn Sissay

 

Been missing me?  Sorry it’s been so long since I have written.  I’ve been so busy settling in, adjusting, and absorbing my surroundings.  Things are pretty good here.  While the difficult days are frequent at this stage, I really am happy to be where I am.  The clinic staff are all great, and while of course at the moment I have the discomfort of being the awkward white person who doesn’t know nine-tenths of what people are saying, I am confident about my role, both at the clinic and in the village, and am so thankful and humbled about my surroundings.

 

Maitengwe is indeed an intense place.  Once a month ‘new’ mothers (new meaning given birth in the last two years) come in and have their babies weighed, to make sure they are gaining weight.  We also keep bio’s on the moms.  I was perusing the list today and noticed the ages of the mothers:  16… 19…. 14…. 21… 48….51…. 57….  Um, what?  “Where are all the mothers aged 25-45?” my inquiring mind naturally asked (though already sort of knowing the answer):  The nurse kind of chuckles as if it should be 100% obvious:  “They’re late.” [i.e. they’re dead].  So what you find now is a bunch of young mothers (often victims of rape, or being married off – i.e. being sold – to old men) and grandmothers who are taking care of their dead daughter’s orphans.  We had a 12 year old give birth the other day, and let me just say it’s highly unlikely that she wanted the pregnancy.  The oldest people (which in Africa is like 50+... hell the life expectancy here is well under 40, so don’t be offended when I speak of ‘old people’… it’s all relative!) have largely avoided HIV, save the occasionally grandpa having an affair and bringing HIV home to granny.  However, the elderly are the ones faced with an increasing burden as their sons and daughters are passing, leaving them to care for many children – not to mention themselves!  Being old is hard enough, especially here.  This is a very cursory explanation; it’s far more complex than I make it sound or understand.

 

Our lay counselor was ‘arguing’ with me the other day how HIV was not a problem in Maitengwe.  And I said, “You do realize that most people in this village have HIV, right?”  Her response:  “Not most… maybe just 50%.”  When I told her the prevalence rate of the US, and how this region in Bots is among the highest in the world, she refused to believe and has asked me to print statistics to prove it.  This is from the person who does our testing!  She thinks, with support from other staff, that TB and cancer are bigger problems - despite that TB is the number one cause of death for people with HIV (in other words, they’d probably be able to survive it if it weren’t for the HIV.  Thus, they are really dying of HIV and not TB).  I asked how many people in Maitengwe have cancer, and she said maybe three dozen, compared to the 4,000 or so with HIV.  But cancer is a bigger problem, she claims, because at least with HIV you can take drugs and live for 15+ years, but with cancer you’re doomed to die.  She clearly does not believe in utilitarianism haha.  But I see a lot of resignation here with regards to HIV and I guess I can understand it.  There are signs everywhere, and radio messages, and posters, and, and, and… so I guess if my country had been trying, at least publicly, SO HARD for over a decade to combat HIV but we were still struggling at reducing prevalence OR we could just take drugs and live with it, then I guess I’d probably be resigned and just take the drugs and do the best I can do being HIV positive ya know?  So I guess in their minds it isn’t a big problem because they can live with HIV.  The problem is that I don’t think they have fully grasped the magnitude of transmission.  Plus, a lot of men don’t get tested and therefore don’t take the drugs… so…

 

Meanwhile, I was flipping through our books for the last yr (our clinic does an exceptional job of recording, for the resources that we have) and June was a ‘good month’ because only 4/15 new pregnant mothers were positive.  The good news is most positive pregnant women are signing up for PMTCT services, and in the last year we only had a handful of babies being born HIV-positive.  Now we can only hope they are able to stay HIV-negative until they become coherent enough to make their own sexual choices.  The hope is in the youth; really, they are the only shot left – my heart races when I think of what this place may be like in 20 yrs.

 

It’s come to my attention that I never really fully explained what I am doing here in Botswana, so let me take this opportunity to explain what I am doing, at least in theory.  I will be assisting with the implementation of Botswana’s PMTCT (prevention of mother-to-child-transmission) program.  Started in 2004, it was the first program of its kind in Africa.  Technically, Botswana had been providing free PMTCT services since 1999 but not on the scale nor with the vigor that the 2004 program offered.  A very cursory explanation of the routine is that women begin taking ART around 6 months into their pregnancy (it is not commonly known that HIV is most commonly passed from mother to child during the actual labor and/or post-labor process, not through gestation, so it is safe to wait until the 6 month point.  It’s amazing how much of the body is separated from blood).  Then during labor they are given some other ARVs and the babies are put on them as well for usually 12 weeks or so.  The mothers are encouraged to exclusively breastfeed (meaning absolutely no bottles) or to exclusively use bottles.  This may sound odd, as breast milk is a method of HIV transmission; however, assuming that there are no open sores, the mouth is not a vector of transmission, hence why oral sex does not transmit HIV.  So a baby swallowing HIV-positive breast milk will not give the baby HIV unless the baby has open sores.  Bottle-feeding a baby typically causes sores in a baby’s mouth, as the nipples are not quite as suitable for the mouth as the mother’s.  God makes things better than we do, eh?  Thus, if the mother is not exclusively breastfeeding she is likely to pass on the virus by way of the open sores caused by the bottles.  ‘Why not just do exclusive bottle feeding with formula,’ you might ask?  Well we do for HIV-positive women in America (mostly).  The problem in Africa is that formula is very expensive, and therefore unattainable for the general population – not to mention that it’s best if refrigerated.  Moreover, our clinic has been out of formula for several months – so the women who initially chose to bottle-feed their children are now forced to breastfeed their kids, due to the absence of formula.  This is hugely problematic.   Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding is the most culturally-appropriate method and is what’s promoted here in Botswana.  My ‘job’ if you want to call it that is to help assist with the uptake and adherence to this program.  More generally, I am here to build capacity in the community.  Maitengwe already has a PMTCT counselor (most clinics here do) and I am not here to take the job of a Batswana – that isn’t sustainable.  The development perspective of the Peace Corps, with which I agree, is to build the capacity of the community – not to come in, do this and that, and then leave; that isn’t helping the community in the long run.  We need to be doing things that can be continued when we exit.  Thus, my role is to examine the situation as-is, tweak it as necessary, and enable/empower the clinic staff as well as other community members to move things to the next step.  Development doesn’t work if there isn’t a sense of ownership for the community.  “You cannot develop people; people must develop themselves” is a paraphrase of the famous quote by former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere.  I agree with him.

 

Secondarily, I will be working with the orphan community in Maitengwe.  As previously mentioned, there is a whole generation of people missing in this country and so there are a lot of orphaned children.  Unfortunately the older people in this country are slow to accept change, but the youth are still quite moldable and so my job is to help empower the youth to make good decisions as they grow up (Sometimes I think development is just a new form of colonization… but that’s neither here nor there).  You can’t exactly tell a 7 year old girl that she needs to use a condom, but you can teach a 7 year old girl how to stand up for herself, how to say no to boys, how to respect herself as a person, how to value education over being offered gifts by older men, and hope that those lessons will translate into her sexual life when the time comes (which unfortunately for girls it comes all-too young here).

 

However a lot of my work with the children is indirect.  I am helping the umbrella organization, Maitengwe Home Based Care, secure funding for their development by drafting proposals, submitting requests for funding, inviting donors to come visit, etc.  THE GLOBAL FUND, one of the world’s top organizations combating HIV/AIDS recently pulled out of Botswana (for political reasons) and since then MHBC has been suffering financially. (And if any you at any time feel compelled to contribute, we can have a discussion about that, as it’s a complex issue.)  I have to say, so far I am pretty impressed with MHBC.  The money seems to be going where it needs to be going, the staff are incredibly dedicated (most are volunteer), and the organization is genuinely willing to do all it can to be self-sufficient, and I am assisting with that process – seeking to help them establish income-generating activities so as not to rely on external donors.  But it’s difficult, as their burden is greater than their capacity.  I am in communication with the American Embassy, trying to get them to build a kitchen so we can more efficiently cook for the orphans.  Those of you who come to visit will no doubt be incredibly moved by the Project Manager and her commitment to the organization and the children it supports.  She is seriously the Mother Teresa of this village LOL.  And she calls me ‘son’ & gives me free oranges :)

 

Speaking of orphans, I have a confession to make.  *Big breath* For the first time in my adult life, I am having paternal feelings.  Did you fall out of your chair?  I know, sometimes I do too.  I was working out one day when I randomly heard a soft tap on my window.  I looked down to see this small boy, maybe 3 years old, dirty and wearing nothing but shorts.  He was as cute as can be, as they often are, and we had played for some time and he went on about his way.  I didn’t think too much of it, as it happens all the time here.  Then the other week, a girl - about 10 or so - came in to have her baby brother weighed (she is essentially the mother as they are an orphaned family of 5) and brought with her the boy that had tapped on my window.  I see so many kids that, although I recognized him, at first I was wondering from where - but then when he smiled I remembered him as the one underneath my window.  I talked to the girl for some time, weighed the baby, etc.  The eldest girl is too thin, perhaps a victim of what likely killed her parents, but she is obviously strong - too strong for someone her age, and too young to be as ‘old’ as she has to be. 

 

Anyway, while she and the nurses communicated about the baby’s health, I played with the 3 yr-old-window-tapping boy.  This one, among all the other kids I have met, has something about him.  Most of the kids here under 5 are scared of me (for many of them I am the first white person they have ever seen).  Not this one, man, he is a pistol.  But I think what is most captivating about him is that he is sad.  For having such energy, and the best smile in Maitengwe, behind his big eyes you can see that he is suffering – and the worst part is that I think he knows it.  So I walked them to my house, gave them sweets, got their names, and sent them on their way.  I walked back to the clinic and the nurses said, “Kagiso, we have never seen you so in to a child!”  I sighed and said, “That’s my son.”  They laughed at me, as they do a lot, but I reiterated: “I am serious, that one is my son.  I feel it in my bones!”  We all laughed it off, but I wondered why this one got inside of me.  I am supposed to be the Tinman, free of all that mushy emotional stuff! Throughout my times in Africa, I have of course come across hundreds of charming and endearing kids – they’ve made me laugh and cry (privately, of course…) but at the end of the day that’s all it was.

 

Days went by and I did not see the children, until the other day I had one of the nurses take me to where they stay.  They have a ‘guardian’ and those are big quotation marks.  I wont comment any further at the moment.  His brothers and sisters are all wonderful too, and I feel so much for this family, but there’s something about this one in particular.  I stayed for a short time and met the other siblings and began to leave as he ran after me and said, ndo shaka yenda (I want to go) and he wrapped his arms around my leg, and I found my steps being accompanied by the weight of the 3 yr-old-window-tapping boy.  The nurse said, “Kagiso, I think he knows he is your son too.”  LOL.

 

Then today (sorry LAST story!) we had a morning meeting as usual and then were awaiting the mass arrival of the patients when a nurse said “Kagiso, turn around” and sure enough there was the 3-yr-old-window-tapping boy – sad as can be – a few feet behind me.  Rather than walking to the orphan center, he walked to the clinic.  He wrapped his arms around my legs and sighed.  Bless him lol.  I asked him if he was sad (In Kalanga, by the way – I am proud) and he said yes… I asked why but I didn’t understand the answer.  I picked him up and took him to my house for hot tea (mornings are still BITTER here) then took him to the school.  I went to the orphan center to have lunch with the kids and played with them afterwards.  I was seated Indian style, kids going crazy all around me of course, and you-know-who pushed his way through the crowd, sat on my lap, took my right arm and wrapped it around him, did the same with the left arm, and began hitting any kid who tried to get my attention, haha.  The teacher said, “He doesn’t want to share his father.”  That’s when the coldness kicked in and I said, “Ok byeeeeee!”  LOL.  I went back to work for the afternoon, but sure enough, at the end of the day – he showed up again.  So I took him back to my house and we snacked and danced (pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262019&l=ba27b&id=6213504) and off he ran back home (barefoot as always) and with a bag of potatoes for the rest of family.

 

I guess while I can write proposals, raise funds, and give talks, at the end of the day it’s in the small ways that I may make a difference – right?  Eesh, was that romantic optimism?  What’s happening to me...

 

Meanwhile, I can die a happy man!  An older woman said she wants to have a baby with me so that it will have my nose.  FINALLY – my nose isn’t the source of laughter and criticism!  Haha.

 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.  Hope all is well at home.

New Address

Kagiso Pule
Maitengwe Clinic
Box 37
Maitengwe, Botswana

Pretty elaborate, eh? Here's to having no street names in Bots. Make sure to use my Setswana name as no one in the village knows my American name.  I may get my own box later but for now just use the clinic’s.  And be sure to write my Setswana name because no one is my village knows my American name.  Gosh, it’s like I’ve left my identity behind!  LOL jk.

Again, just write 'educational materials' or something like that on the box. There is a post office in my village but expect for things to take a lot longer to make their way up north.

Try this site for calling cards, apparently it’s less than 2c / minute: 3utelecom.com and reference the code for Peace Corps 360-945-1384.  I am not really sure what this means, but someone in our group offered this to us so I imagine there is some discounted rate because of the PC.

Finally, I have posted a link on the right under "Botswana Links" that gives a list of things that are always helpful to send, as well as a list of things I will never need you to send. Check it out!

(The link is also here: http://filebox.vt.edu/users/bkeener/List.doc)

I’m Transferring to Peace Corps Zimbabwe!

Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,
And in this judgement there is no partiality.
So arm in arms, with arms, we'll fight this little struggle,
'Cause that's the only way we can overcome our little trouble
~Bob Marley, "Zimbabwe"

Ok, not really; Peace Corps does not go to Zimbabwe. But I have been fortunate enough to be placed in my number one choice of the available sites for this year. My site is about two hours northwest of Francistown (Botswana’s second largest city) and is the very last stop before entering Zimbabwe... I’m kinda far out so I might as well be in Zimbabwe. The place is called Maitengwe (Ma-ee-tang-gway). A link to a large Botswana map is here: http://www.botswanarealestate.biz/general_map.jpg. Depending on your browser, you may have to click on the bottom right of the map to enlarge it to full size before being able to see my village.

As many of you may know and many of you may not, the situation in Zimbabwe is beyond crisis proportions. It is arguably the worst political situation in sub-Saharan Africa, and undoubtedly the worst in southern Africa. President Mugabe has held on to power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1977, making him the longest ruling leader in Africa. Many years ago he helped Zimbabwe become “the breadbasket” of southern Africa, and Zimbabwe was a jewel of prosperity while neighboring Botswana was rampant with poverty. Batswana will tell you that they used to cross the border to buy goods in Zimbabwe.

Today the tables have turned completely. Mugabe has held on to power, at the cost of his own country - silencing political opponents, kicking out all foreign expats and journalists, and ruining the economy. Inflation is OFFICIALLY at 365,000% - which I am sure has to be the highest in world history. The economy has gotten so bad that most places are not even accepting the currency, as it is less than worthless. Bills are printed with expiration dates 6 months from the printing date... seriously. Their dollar used to be worth more than ours and now notes are being printed in denominations of 250million yet are still worth less than one US dollar.

The public health situation is no better. Life expectancy is the lowest in the world, at around 35 years. Over 3,000 people are dying EVERY DAY from HIV/AIDS. Can you even wrap your head around what 3,000 bodies a day looks like? That’s a 9/11 every day, and just from HIV/AIDS. That doesn’t even factor in other health-related deaths. Thus, there has been a mass exodus from Zimbabwe into neighboring countries – hence why many Batswana have Zimbabwean helpers, as we do here at our house.

The situation is likely to improve, though unlikely until it hits complete rock bottom. An election a few months ago suggested the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was the victor. However, the election resulted in a run-off to take place on 27 June, just days after my arrival to the region. Some are predicting the transition to be peaceful while others are a little more weary. Radio news in Botswana stated that a shipment of machetes was intercepted on its way to Zimbabwe (coming from China, shocker…), but I have not been able to confirm this on the internet.

Anyway, part of this has been written prior to my going to visit my site and part of it is being written while here. I am visiting for a few days, securing my accommodation and taking care of other business. Because I am technically working through the government, The Government of Botswana provides our housing, in part as a ‘thank you’ for our service; so in general the quality is high and theoretically the house is to be furnished. However, since things tend to not get done in advance here, I arrived late Tuesday night to a 100% empty house… ‘electricity’ but no light bulbs (upon getting light bulbs, only some of them are wired correctly), a stove with no gas tank (upon getting the gas tank, only one of the cookers works), no bed (upon getting a mattress I had no sheets or pillows). Haha, now THIS is Peace Corps! That being said, once all this mess works out I will be living pretty well. My house is significantly smaller than most of my colleagues’ but with electricity and a gas stove I’d say I am going to be just fine. But no shower or bath, so it’s hot bucket showers for me for two years!... which I have to say, I kind of enjoy. There is something almost therapeutic about having to scrub yourself from a bucket, it’s much more deliberate and therefore meaningful.

Things that excite me about my new site:

- More north = more temperate. Thus, winters are warmer, summers are cooler (though ‘cooler’ summers will still undoubtedly be 100F+ everyday from Dec-Feb)

- More north = more HIV. While the average prevalence in Botswana is in the 30% range, the northeastern parts of the country are suffering more – due in part by the number of intersecting borders and greater poverty, but also due to the presence of a different ethnic group, the Kalanga, who have different practices and cultural norms. According to our last survey, HIV/AIDS prevalence in Maitengwe was just under 45%. I believe it – for the first time in Botswana, it has been visible to me. Many people are noticeably sick. The clinic was slammed at 7:30 this morning and didn’t settle until late. There is a lot of education to be done here. I am so excited, humbled, and privileged to be working in the region with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world. I am literally at Ground Zero for HIV/AIDS on the whole planet. I know that sounds awfully dramatic, but it’s awfully true! I am going to learn so much more than I’ll ever be able to give, but just being part of the exchange is exhilarating for me.

- An absolute GEM of a human, my colleague and dear friend, has been placed in Francistown and I am so happy that she is ‘close’ to me. She is an incredible influence - highly intelligent and inspirational - and I will be so happy to introduce to her any of you who come to visit me. She is so positive and will no doubt help me through the difficulties of the next two years. I look forward to continue learning from her.

- Just a short walk from my house there is a river, which separates Botswana from Zimbabwe. It’s dry at the moment but the rainy season begins around November. It’s going to be purrrty.

- While I will be based in the clinic, there are many other opportunities to get a well-rounded experience. There is a home-based care center across the street from my house and an orphan care center directly behind my house. I hear the kids singing and playing every morning. J

- I am the first lekgoa (white person) to work at Maitengwe Clinic, so there is a lot of interest in my presence – and I don’t have to worry about following in the footsteps of or cleaning up the bad reputation of a former lekgoa.

- My counterpart (kind of like my supervisor), Mma Vivane (Vi-vawn-nay) is such a hoot! She is a sweet old lady who has welcomed me from the start. The rest of the clinic staff are equally kind. A few arrived at my door the morning of my arrival with brooms and mops and together we went to town on this dirty dormant house.

- My village is GORGEOUS. Wow, the north is so different. Most people live in the stereotypical round, traditional ‘mud hut’ housing, making the village seem very “African” (whatever that means). While there are apparently 7,000+ people here, you would never know it as it is very spread out and quiet. I’ll be buying a bike for sure. There is only one paved road that runs through the village, and that is simply because it is a transit route from Francistown to Harare, the Zimbabwean capital. The rest of the paths are dirt and the bush is thick. It’s winter now, but I can tell when the rains come and turn this place green, and the river fills up it is going to be absolutely STUNNING here. I am so pleased.

- The Zimbabwean influence! While my thesis was partially on Botswana, it also dealt with the HIV epidemic in Angola, a country heavily affected by decades of conflict. Angola has been able to keep its epidemic quite low, largely due to good HIV/AIDS programming for Angola’s forced migrants. I became fascinated with HIV/AIDS education with respect to refugee and immigrant populations, and so I am hoping to do some secondary projects with the presumably large Zimbabwean community in my village. Plus Zimbabwe has a fascinating history and so far the people from Zimbabwe whom I have met have been incredible humans. I look forward to being able to learn from them.

I am so fortunate to be living in this region at an exciting time in history. Mugabe is certainly Africa’s most notorious dictator and there may soon be a transition that will surely affect the whole region. If done peacefully, many Zimbabweans are expected to repatriate (millions, yes MILLIONS, are living in South Africa and quite a few in Botswana as well, though I don’t know the exact number). If we are not as lucky, there may be another mass exodus into the neighboring countries (which to some extent is already occurring, as several new “refugee camps” are popping up in Botswana, one of which is in Maitengwe. We can see temporary settlements beginning to form behind our clinic, and every day we are seeing an increasing number of Zimbabweans coming in with various health problems. I have to put “refugee camps” in quotes because Zimbabweans have not yet been granted refugee status under international law, but for all intents-and-purposes they are refugees). The exodus will obviously be hardest felt in border towns such as mine, and this will certainly continue to shape the HIV/AIDS landscape of the region. It is an important time to be here.

Things that I am not as excited about:

- I will have to learn a whole new language, again. Apparently the Kalanga are quite proud of their different heritage, and so I have been told they tend to promote their language, Ikalanga / Kalanga, over Setswana, the national language. While I’m not too far into Setswana, it’s still kind of frustrating to start over again. Not to mention that I was told today the only written text is the Bible because Ikalanga is not a written language. Great.

- I live on the clinic compound with a few other members of staff. This is good in that is much safer, as the compound is surrounded by a fence with barbed wire and there is a guard at night. It also means my walk to work is less than 1 minute. However, it removes me from the community – and the Maitengwe Clinic is a very busy one so night and day there is drama going past my house heading towards the clinic for care.

- I am pretty remote. Groceries, other than small things, are about 45 minutes away; internet is about two hours away. My nearest colleague is also two hours away, which in and of itself is no problem. But most of my colleagues are placed in villages that people pass through on their way to other villages and/or tourist destinations. Me, I am the last stop on the way to a country that we are not allowed to visit because it is currently too unstable. Therefore, no one will randomly just ‘stop by’ in passing. If my colleagues want to see me, they will have to make a deliberate effort to do so… something we don’t have much time to do. That’s why people in my area are jokingly referred to as being part of Peace Corps Zimbabwe... because we’re basically part of another country. You should see the ride to my village - I laughed the whole way. It’s just a road… thick bush on both sides… for 20 minutes… then there I am LOL. So, the next two years will be a big trial in loneliness. While I’ve spent a lot of time overseas, I’ve never been alone in this sense of the word and for this duration. I am welcoming the challenge as an opportunity for growth, though it sure is a daunting one.


By the time you are reading this, I will have returned to Molepolole for my final two weeks of training before I ship off until 2010. I’ll post my address when I have it finalized – after which I would love to receive some letters from those of you who have not already done so. For whatever reason, letters mean much more than email. I want to know what’s going on with you all. I know my ability to respond isn’t always high, but I promise I always read every word and just being updated is a pleasure.

Sleeping happily these days…

Tomorrow is the - or at least 'a' - big day!

"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out."

Hey everyone. Please excuse my loooong delay from writing, it's occurred as a result of a number of factors. Firstly, there just hasn't been much going on! My life right now is very calculated - training has its benefits but in general it's just machinery through which I have to work my way. Tomorrow we all have our big ceremony to announce where in Botswana we will be placed for two years. I had my interview this week... my supervisor seems incredibly receptive about our desires and preferences so hopefully I will be pleased. At the end of the day, my placement will matter a lot less than my perception of it, but there are a few spots I am really itching to be a part of. Then on Tuesday we have the pleasure of going to visit our site for a week or so, and then we come back to wrap up about two more weeks of training. I'll be very much ready to go to site - I'd be ready if it was tomorrow - but I am trying to reap what I can out of everyday at the moment, especially since I know I will miss some of my fellow colleagues once we disperse.

This week I haven't gotten much sleep at all, I am sure in part due to tomorrow's big news. I feel a little bit lonely... just a little bit, don't worry! I think the ironic part is that my loneliness is juxtaposed with an extreme eagerness to get to site and be alone. I am indeed an enigma at times.

I hear gas is high in America... you know what that means? It's even higher in the rest of the world. Hate to burst your bubble. The prices of taxis and buses went up a lot here as well. But it's something we'll all have to work through together I guess.

Anyway, no more words for now - I'll try to post Monday before I leave for my site.

Thanks Scott for the periodic phone calls... hope the cycling is going well! Rick, your gift box is being used daily, and each time with many thanks to and thoughts of you. Dana and Ginnie, sorry our calls got cut off - service has been bad. Try again soon? Jess and Becky, I'm in the process of formulating a nice response to you both.

Karin, where are you?

Love you all.

Mail & Things

"Life's too short to take all of this"
Not true! And what's more -
Life's too short to mind,
So just keep on
With the Sweet Up & Down
~D.Matthews

I am not having much time to write at the moment, so more will come later - including responses to my many emails! Thanks.

As for mail to Botswana, the USPS has a flat-rate envelope and some flat-rate boxes. There are two flat-rate boxes that hold the same volume (but are different shapes) that are $37 and a larger box that is $49. I am not sure how much the flat-rate envelope is. But you can stuff as much as possible into the boxes for the same price, hence flat rate. They take a few weeks to get here.

*IMPORTANT* on the customs form, LIE. Do not write what's really in the box... it becomes more likely to be opened by sticky fingers along the way and some things I am supposed to pay taxes on. So just write 'educational materials' or 'documents'. This will keep people out.

Again the address (until late June) is:

Brent Keener
US PEACE CORPS
Private Bag 00243
Gaborone, Botswana

"Trav'lin All Alone..."

This world is like a mirror –
Reflect on what you do
And if you face it smiling
It will smile right back to you
~Culture

Such a great lyric! Life is good my way. One of the books I am currently reading is very powerful, A New Earth. I avoided the book for some time as it’s an awfully trendy read right now (part of Oprah’s book club, hence its popularity), but I surrendered after it was recommended by a friend whose opinion I hold in the highest regard. I am glad I took his advice. Yes, you could say it’s a bit of a ‘self-help’ book --- and those of you who were with me in Ghana (Round I) recall my affinity for self-help books while in Africa! Ha! But for a year or so I’ve been kind of feeling like my personal development has plateaued some, and this book is really adjusting my perceptions to my social environment as well as my thoughts. I must admit though it’s making me a bit of a recluse. I’ve noticed a lot of people in the group have formed close-knit pairs or trios and while I think I am still the only one who can name every person and training staff member, I don’t seem to be forming a close attachment. This is kind of unnatural for me and I guess if I think about it too much I may take it personally, but at the same time I am enjoying the solitude and am reminding myself that in less than two months I will be the only lekgoa (white person) in town, and so my deep connections need to be with Batswana anyway. I do love my cohort though - very true and powerful individuals.

Anyway, I wish I could explain the book but I fear I would do it no justice. But I would say if you’re feeling a bit stuck - personally/mentally/emotionally/spiritually – if you find yourself incessantly trying and failing to make changes in your attitudes, if you constantly feel like a slave to your own thoughts, find yourself falling into the same traps (often the ones you set for yourself), or if you wish you could eradicate negativity from your mental radar then I suggest you pick it up. The author’s writing style and examples are slightly elementary for my taste, but I think it is because he is not a native English speaker. The material, however, is pure and is really assisting me towards the personal development that I have been seeking – made easier by my new environment which is in itself so influential and inspiring. A part of me wishes I could share with you some of my new thoughts and feelings, but at this point I find it quite personal. Some one-on-one talks with margaritas could potentially pull it out of me, but I don’t see my blog as an equally conducive environment. Maybe another time.

Priscillah is gone. She was to stay until May’s end but Mama stumbled upon a new girl this past weekend and so Priscilla left early. She knocked on my door on Sunday to say “I am leaving”. I thought she meant for the day so I was just like “Cool, see ya later buddy” but nope she left for good… talk about a quick goodbye. So we have a new girl, Imelda. She must be about 18 or so and is fresh off the boat; she just arrived in Botswana last Wednesday. She is awfully shy, as I guess I would be too if I was an 18 year old maid for a relatively rich family in a new country. There are hierarchies within hierarchies, aren’t there? Life is so fascinating and our experience of it is just the tip of the iceberg’s tip.

Wednesday I leave for a place called Piliqwe to shadow someone who currently serves here. Her name is Ashlee, she works in an HIV/AIDS treatment clinic and has been here for one year. So I will have the pleasure of learning from her from Wednesday – Sunday. It will be so nice to get away from the monotony of training and to see a different part of the country.

As you approach summer, think of me as I prepare to bear the cold. By the looks of April, we are expecting a colder winter than normal.

Jamin – Good luck in Rwanda! Send me an email with all of your pre-thoughts. I’m so eager to know how you’re reconciling your upcoming departure with your current anxiety.

Holly – kick some butt these past few weeks. Congrats on officially being the smartest and the prettiest Keener.

Heidi – Don’t worry, you’re the richest… and if you play it right, that lasts a lot longer than brains or beauty!

Jessica & Becky – Do you even read this? LOL. I need an update on your lives STAT.

Ginnie - Hang in there... application process is so so frustrating but you'll make it through. Consider it part of the training for being patient and accepting ;)

Mauricio – If you didn’t send me one yet, I need an update on that last message you sent me!

Dana – Africa just isn’t the same without you. I’ll see/smell/hear something and whip around as if to find you behind me so I can share it with you, but alas no you. But you’re here with me in another way and that will continue.

Karin & Sara – You’ve got mail.

Stephen – Where’s my first CD at Gayngsta? I’m glad you’ve had such a productive semester and I hope summer gives you what you deserve.

Scott – When you cyclin’ buddy? Care to cycle your way to Molepolole?

K.Hubb – Every day there is some song to which I want to text you the lyrics, but int’l texts are so bloody expensive. But if it’s the thought that counts then your inbox is eternally bombarded with copious texts of cheesy lyrics.

Caroline – Pick VT for reasons that are self-explanatory, or I could write you a massive email convincing you. Also need an update on that last message you sent me!

Zach – Z... sorry that the minor delay in our voices kind of limits the scope of our conversations, but hearing you as much as I do is bound to have me going through withdrawal should it subside. It’s the best way to start my mornings. Check your email boy.

Who else reads this god-long thing?

Somebody tell Raven I miss and love him and good God will someone order a nice bourbon in my honor?

Some Pictures

Our compound, my section (the window on the left is my room - the door opens to a living area and then there is a bathroom with running water). Then a picture of our kitchen and then of my nieces, Gosego and Retilwe.

The sunsets here are the best in the world so I will be sure to take pictures of that soon, and there are copious amounts of stars at night. If you think Montana has a big sky, wait til you see Botswana!

More News

I will be writing entries on my home computer and uploading several at a time when I have the chance to get to the internet, so be sure to scroll down each time you come to my blog to make sure you have read the previous entry, because the newest ones appear at the top. Some will be backlogged so you may find that two or three from previous days have been uploaded at one time.

Things are pretty good here. Batswana are significantly more reserved than Ghanaians, which is both nice but at the same time kind of unwelcoming. They are not unfriendly at all, but they are not really outgoing either. I don’t think I have had one person over the age of 12 actually walk up to me with the excitement you see in the rest of Africa. So it is much different than what I have experienced. This can work to your benefit, though, when you are walking somewhere and don’t want to be stopped by every person you pass (especially since my walk to work is just under one hour, and I have to be there at 7:30am). It definitely gives you some room to breathe.

Nights and mornings are more difficult than the days. The family goes to bed around 8, so I spend a lot of time alone in my room at night – which normally would be great, but I think until I am adjusted I find that I am tempted to feel lonely and misplaced. The rest of the people in my cohort live pretty far from me so I am kind of isolated. Upon waking I am greeted with the BRUTAL cold of southern Africa (God, they weren’t lying about how cold it gets here!) and waking up at 5am in the cold and dark, alone, and trying to bathe and make breakfast is certainly an unpleasant task! I will definitely be requesting a site in the north, where winters are significantly more mild. The problem is that there is a lot of competition to be up north, as this is home to all of the famous African wildlife. But anyway, once my day continues I do just fine… especially when it’s time to come home and play with my nieces, who unknowingly remind me to take the time to stop and breathe. Children have a way, don’t they?

I am becoming really close with Priscilla, but unfortunately she is leaving soon. Batswana are pretty dismissive of Zimbabweans and I think this has contributed to her departure. She is pregnant, and has told my family that she is going back to Zimbabwe to have the baby, though this is not true: she has actually decided to go to South Africa where she thinks she will be able to make more money. I will miss her. Every late afternoon I bring my iPod and speakers into the kitchen and we play Zimbabwean music – a lot of Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi – and we dance and laugh and she teaches me to cook. I’m always fascinated at how close you can get to someone in such a short period of time, if the environment is right (Z). Mama doesn’t like how much I help in the kitchen, I think especially since I am helping ‘The Zimbabwean’ but I need to learn and Priscilla’s English is so pleasant and she has great stories of life in Zimbabwe before things fell apart, as they often do.

It may be another week or so until I can use the internet, but I don’t think much will change in the next few weeks anyway. For now just training, training, training. What’s new with you and America?

Safely in Botswana

Week One? Really? It feels like significantly longer, but not at all in a bad way. I’ll skip the details of our journey and the first few days in Gaborone (the capital city of Botswana, pronounced Hab-ore-own-ay) because it’s mostly inconsequential. This is going to be a long one and it’s just about today.

I’m writing this on Wednesday, April 23 but I am not sure when I will have the opportunity to upload it. Today I met my new family for the next 3 months. I am staying in a city called Molepolole (Mo-lay-po-lo-lay). What an exciting ceremony! The families range in demography, as does their level of English and the accommodations that they are graciously providing us. I think I got the cream of the crop in all regards, yay for me. I was met by my Batswana Mother (people from Botswana are called Batswana, not Botswanans… but a singular person is known as a Motswana). THANK GOD she was an English teacher in her younger years so she was one of the few who spoke decent English. And oh she is the cutest little African lady! When our names were called she gave me the biggest hug, grabbed my hand, walked me to our table and said, “You are my son, Kagiso Pule.” (Kah-hee-so Poo-lay) which translates to “The peace that comes after the rain.” It doesn’t rain often in most of Africa, but when it rains it pours. So after a hard African rain, there is such a loud silence in the air. I’m not gonna lie, I think I have the coolest name of anyone in the group J Is it an apt one for me?

After our lunch she drove, yes – drove, me back to my new home in her 1996 Toyota Camry, with leather seats. God bless Africa. The family is quite well off in African terms. The compound (it’s gated) consists of three very small houses, with electricity and running water in the relevant rooms. My room opens directly to the outside and is quite large; I have a double bed, a chest-of-drawers, and an armoire and one outlet for electricity as well as an overhead light… INCREDIBLY luxurious accommodations in African terms. In fact, it is Agnes’ room but she moved all of her things out and into another room so that I could have her room. How sweet is that? I’ll try to post photos soon.

Agnes is a grandmother of three children, two girls one boy, all of whom are grown. The two daughters are at university in South Africa so I will meet them at a later time. The son, Karabo, stays here and he is incredibly welcoming. He is missing about one-third of his skull, which has left a bad scar; I am not sure what happened but I imagine it will come up at some point. He is 31 but as a result of the injury his disposition is obviously not up to speed with his years. Agnes has two granddaughters and one grandson who are staying here right now. The girls, Retilwe (6) and Gosego (4) – precious gems of life! But Gosego is only here because school is on vacation. She will go back to live with her father and attend school in a few weeks. I can already tell that I will miss her energy. The grandson is Keletso, probably just slightly younger than I, and is very soft-spoken but I’m working on him! We bonded over the Rap on my iPod… typical (thanks K for the Akon). And of course my African father, who now that I think about it I have no idea what is name is, but he is an incredibly warm man too. We also have two dogs, a Rottweiler mix named Jack (our bodyguard) and an emaciated Jack Russell puppy named Snoop Dog. In general, people are not nice to animals. They are more for protection than for pets. The yard has a guava tree, an orange tree, and a pomegranate tree, as well as a small vegetable garden. The good life!

Finally, the family has a maid named Priscilla, a refugee from Zimbabwe. There are TONS of Zimbabweans in Botswana as the situation is obviously pretty bad there. In general, host countries do not like refugees (people are the same everywhere you go, eh?) and there is a lot visible hostility towards Zimbabweans here, but Priscilla seems to be treated pretty well. That being said, she does sleep in a storage closet…

She does the wash and prepares dinner. People in Botswana do not really have family dinners, or if they do they just congregate around the TV or radio. I was in my room doing things expecting to meet everyone for dinner soon when Priscilla knocked on my door with a tray of food and water. I playfully scolded her for bringing it to me and told her next time I would pick it up myself. So I had dinner alone in my room. I would have invited her to join me but asking a women into your room is extremely inappropriate (more for her than for me) and likely would have gotten her into trouble since she is viewed as a lower class than the family and especially me. Sad times. But after my meal I carried my tray and dishes back to the main house where Priscilla was washing up, which I probably wasn’t supposed to do. I thanked Priscilla in Shona (her Zimbabwean language), which shocked her – since even the family doesn’t know how to say ‘thank you’ in Shona. A little kindness really can go a long way - she was so touched. She is pregnant by her husband, who oddly lives a few blocks away and not with her. Things like this are common in Africa - Mama & Papa sleep in two separate houses on the compound as well. Culture. Anyway, Priscilla and I talked for a good while, which was so enjoyable for me because her English is excellent and it is clear that she doesn’t get enough social interaction. African women work so so hard: the last to go to bed and the first to wake up.

But the family is so incredible it makes me swell with delight. I was instantly referred to as son / brother / uncle, etc. The little girls calling me uncle is the best feeling in the world (hint hint HJK & HMK!). Within 5 minutes of arriving it was, “Uncle, let’s go play toss”. At the ceremony, some of my unfortunate colleagues were going home with people who spoke no English, and some of their families seemed so aloof and uninterested. I think everyone was envious of my match! Now I have the best American family and the best African family! Maybe Jesus doesn’t hate me after all. We all ended the night holding hands in a prayer (minus Priscilla, of course), which they seem to do every evening.

Other than that things are pretty good, except that nights/mornings are FREEZING and it’s not even winter yet. I will suffer through winter, I am sure of this. Additionally, the language is SO hard to learn. They have several sounds that we don’t have in our alphabet, including the infamous ‘click’ sound of southern Africa… I know you all are jealous that you can’t speak in clicks! Additionally every ‘R’ is rolled so a lot of the whiteys are having trouble with that. Tomorrow I start the real training – language classes 2-3 times a day as well as technical trainings on what I will be doing starting June when I move to my new sight. Training is Monday – Saturday, 8:00-4:30… exhausting, I know. However I do have high-speed internet in Molepolole so do expect to see me on, especially on weekends!

If you sent me an email, I got it, I’ll respond to it at home, and upload the response the next time I am in the café (this saves money as internet cafes are not cheap). Things are great for now, but keep me in your thoughts as the first few months are always the most difficult.

Oh, and boo to Hillary Clinton… a random Motswana informed me of the news this morning. He and I were both disappointed. Love you all.