GRATITUDE

Overflowing Heart

My heart filled and overflowed with emotions, as I stood in the circle with the staff and their voices sang, harmoniously, beautifully and in such unison, the words, thank you Camille, thank you Camille, over and over again. I felt enveloped in such warmth as they expressed their appreciation in song for the gifts that I had brought.  Peggy, the executive director and I had found a way to divide these items so that everyone, staff and volunteers were receive some small token including a stylus type pen, a Humber bag (courtesy of the Human Rights and Diversity Committee, thanks Nancy), USB flash drive, socks, etc.  Their genuine appreciation of these small items was a pleasure to behold and their expression of gratitude was overwhelming.

I have to say thanks to Dentist Paul Sclodnick who donated toothbrushes and toothpaste to the shelter, and also to Pharmacist Ian Stewart for his generous donation of topical supplies for the shelter.  These items were all gratefully accepted on behalf of shelter residents.

Daily Routines

The work day starts at 8:00 am with the staff some sitting, some standing in a circle.  They start with prayers, and then hymn singing, followed by announcements. The day ends at 4:30 pm.  Everyone speaks in a mixture of English and Setswana, usually moving easily between the two languages with an obvious preference for Setswana.  While I cannot understand the language, I can somehow follow and capture the nuances of conversations.    I enjoy sitting at lunch time and listening to people speak, the sounds of their words cascading in an unfamiliar rhythm, yet comforting. I am an outsider, yet I have never felt as such.  Often times, I will hear someone remind others to speak in English, but I actually enjoy hearing them speak in Setswana. 

Communal Living

 I am still taken aback at their communal eating practices. I remain surprise at how easily and naturally someone will sit down next to a person who is eating and take their spoon and begin to share in the meal or see three staff members each with their own spoon sharing from the same lunch container. I am told to not share is to be seen as a bad person.  Even more surprising for me one day, was hearing one staff member expressed disappointment that he was left to eat alone after a fellow staff member took only a few bites and had to return to the office.  I cannot partake in the communal eating practices.  My North American values are deeply entrenched within me. I can’t see myself eating a piece of food (e.g. chicken) that some else was previously chewing on.

This has left me reflecting and I find myself marvelling at how we North American have become so individualistic that our plates when filled with food become something to be protected and it seen as such boundary violation, and utterly crass, to put your fork in another’s plate.  So little of what we have is seen as ours as communal. The people here have little but my sense is that they are willing to share the little they do have.

I saw this communal way of living also replicated in how the houses were arranged when I visited the villages. The homes consisted of circular huts, built with reeds or mud, had grass roofs and were usually surrounded by a pole or reed fence. Communal eating spaces are organized in the center. 

The paradox that remains for me is how is it that in a people who are so kind with each other, who demand that each must acknowledge the other, how is it there is such a high level of Intimate partner violence.  

STARTING THE MANDATE

ARRIVAL IN MAUN

I finally arrived in Maun on Wednesday July 2nd and was met at the airport with a warm embrace and the moving words, welcome home, by Peggy the Executive Director of Women Against Rape (WAR).

MEETING THE STAFF

The next morning I immediately started a typical work day at 8:00 am ending at 4:30 p.m.  The day began with staff and volunteers introducing themselves, by talking about what their names meant to them, what they intend to give for the next two days, and how they wanted to be remembered.  It was an interesting warm up with lots of laughter that set a great tone to the day.  There are three other Canadian volunteers here, two students on three months placements and a woman who is on a long term contract.  Additionally, during the course of the day about four or five American teenage males came to finish up some painting they were doing around the building.  As you can gather, or I concluded by mid-morning, this organization relies heavily on volunteer assistance.

STARTING THE MANDATE

To successfully accomplish my mandate I want to get a feel of the organization from the inside out rather than the outside in. I plan on interviewing the staff and become familiar with their policies and procedures. My first day was quite busy, I spent time in discussion with the senior counsellor, getting a background on the work they do, and on the organization.  In the afternoon we drove to the Safe house where I had my first one on one interview with a staff.  I was at first surprised, but pleasantly so, at how easily and comfortable she engaged in the process, how open she was with me about the challenges, struggles and frustration of her job.  Our discussion made me that much more aware of the universality of the basic Rogerian counselling skills of genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard.
When we returned to the office, I was asked to sign up for the next day planned pot-luck.  Since my cupboards were barren I headed to the grocery store where the prices constantly leave me doing a mental conversion.  While prices appear astronomical, I paid 35 pula for a whole chicken (about 4 dollars); by our standard prices are quite reasonable.

AWARENESS

I am starting to realize something about Botswana, you can come here enjoy yourself, in complete comfort and not see any poverty.  There is an illusion, a bubble which is difficult to explain.  A sharp discrepancy that exist that you just don’t see because of all the safari companies and all the private planes awaiting their owners for their safari adventures.
Botswana is supposedly one of the most unequal countries in the world based on income.  This inconsistency was brought sharply to my attention today when the young man who is assigned as my driver mentioned how he earns 500 pula per month from the government as he is on a training program, but his rent is 550. Each month he starts out at a financial deficit, but he finds ways to earn extra money, such as being my driver, selling breakfast to the staff, running a dance troupe.  Had I not engaged him in conversation I would not have known this, instead I would have seen a young man who owns a vehicle, goes to work and seems engaged in a lot of entrepreneurial activities.  I would have missed his struggles. I don’t want to in in any way to diminish his entrepreneurial spirit but I am becoming aware of how much of a bubble I live in while I am here.

I live in a gated compound, with electrified fences ( to keep out petty thieves I am told who may be after food), security and full maid service.  The pictures that I have taken present a life that is pretty pleasant, because that I has been my experience.  But that is not all there is to Botswana or Maun and I certainly intend to go below the surface, but forgive me if I present life as idyllic,  as I write this, I’ve only been in Maun three days and a week in Botswana.

 The Gateway to the Okavango Delta

Maun is considered a village with a population of 50,000 people. It is located just below the Okavango Delta in close proximity to the Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park. As a result of these two game rich areas there are opportunities to see the “Big 5″ (lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards and buffaloes) tourists may spend a night or two in Maun before leaving for their safari or mokoro trip.

The government of Botswana has focused on low volume, high cost tourism policy to provide sustainable development, protect the wildlife, and create employment opportunities for the local population. This however has made it prohibitive for the average Botswana to go on these safaris as cost can range upward from $400-per night.
While tourism has brought economic growth to Maun and the Ngamiland region, the area has the second highest poverty rate in Botswana. The poverty and disparities are hidden and one has to travel to the surrounding villages to see the real problems.
So my goal this week along with working on my mandate is to visit one of the surrounding villages to go beyond the bubble that I now inhabit.

Gaborone

Arriving in Gaborone

I lost track of how many days ago now since I left home and departed for Botswana.  It seems that the days have run seamlessly one into another as I take in this country as easy and naturally as I breathe. Yet I can’t claim to know Botswana, it’s people, nor its history. But what I feel is an ease, naturalness, un-strangeness, even as I am a stranger in a strange land.  The people of Botswana appear to look at others without judgement or malice.  A smile is met with a quick smile in return.  We are a gulf apart, in culture and language, yet I feel a knowing ease with them.  As though I am seen as a person, not quickly glanced over, undifferentiated from the furniture, from which I sit. 

The two days spent in Gaborone were packed and yet fun filled.  Another Canadian volunteer and I were given an orientation, by the WUSC staff on the processes of our mandate, the superintendent of police provided information on safety, and a lecturer from the university gave us a back ground of Botswana.   The superintendent took a look at me and said, he thought he was looking at a sister, my skin colouring similar to his was like that of the people who live in a town called Kanye.  I decided that I had found my people. 

The land is open with low buildings, it feels free, uncluttered and somewhat reminds me of parts of the Caribbean.  What I have seen so far of this country is well developed, including the roads and the malls.  This is amongst the reason that Aid agencies are planning on pulling out is that Botswana had the highest average economic growth rate in the world economy.  

The Challenges

The challenges so far have proven to be none challenges.  One of my concerns coming here was about food and getting used to a different diet.  I have not had to adjust, not that I am not willing to try a local diet. It is just not available around me instead, I have eaten Chinese food, Nando's, and chicken and ribs while watching the soccer match under the stars.

My first night I did come face to face with the largest spider that I had ever seen. It was not a fun experience, but I found the courage to smash it, yet even as I write that my stomach turns.

When we arrived I could not find one of my suitcases, the one that had all of my clothing, apparently someone had mistaken taken it home, but thankfully they returned it the next day. 

We, four volunteers from Canada each with a different mandate and different length of time here, spent time at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve after I missed my flight to Maun. I was struck by the vastness of this land existing in the midst of the city where animals roam freely. Mostly, I was fascinated by the giraffe.  It is a majestic animal, stately, graceful and peaceful. I felt that if I could just sit and stare at it for hours wishing that I could imbue the spirit that emanated from it. So far it has been a wonderful introduction to Botswana.