I spent spent my first weekend in D'kar last weekend. I know I've lived here almost a month, but I hadn't yet been able to spend an entire seven days in a row here because of work and personal commitments in Maun and Gaborone.
I don't know what I expected. My initial thought was that I would be bored stiff. What was I possibly going to do in the middle of the desert for an entire weekend? But upon further reflection, I thought that I would take advantage of being alone and clean, do laundry, maybe bake, go for a long run, etc. I told myself, it won't be so bad. And you know what? It wasn't even though I didn't do anything of things I mentioned above.
Friday evening came along and wouldn't you know it, there was a house warming party at a coworkers place. I went over around 7 p.m. to see if I could help with any preparations. I was put in charge of meat marinade, which I never do in Maun because Blair, Sharon or anyone one of my friends have such excellent recipes. So I did what any good chef does: I tried to replicate their recipes. It turns out I never got to taste my meat as we ran out, but from what I've heard, it was a hit. Not sure how much it had to do with my marinade or if it had more to do with the free meat!
I met a lot of great people, danced up a storm in the rain and helped Laura chase away children who were trying to crash the party. It's a sad sight to see kids no older than 10 crashing a party in the middle of the night. We tried to chase them away but they kept coming back. Eventually, they started throwing rocks at us. The thing that bothered me was that Laura, myself and Peace Corps volunteer Molly were the only ones who seemed bothered that children were crashing our adult party. I'm sure this happens all the time, but it doesn't make it right. By the end of the night people were quite drunk, a few fights broke out and eventually people were asked to leave. This is not the type of behaviour children should be witnessing. Children replicate what they see and what they see in D'kar is adults drinking, fighting and partying, exactly the type of behaviour they tell kids not to engage in. So, kids are supposed to follow the mantra "Do as I say, not as I do?"
The following day, I had grand plans of working, cleaning and laundry. I wound up sleeping and reading all day. I woke up early, made some coffee and started reading The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. I'm officially hooked. By noon, I was almost done the book. I passed out from noon to about 3 p.m. and continued reading, not even taking time to shower. By 7 p.m., I had made a Greek salad and was off to Laura and Anna's for a yummy dinner of spinach-stuffed pastry, gemsquash and my salad.
Another party was underway that evening at the primary school, more specifically at a teacher's residence. It was labeled a back-to-school party and people were supposed to wear their school uniforms. I went to a public school in Canada so I never had to wear a uniform, but low and behold, I showed up at that party looking like my teenage self. The temperature has been dropping steadily in D'kar the past few days. The rain has brought cold winds and for the first time since I got here, long pants and a sweater are a must. On Saturday evening, the rain came and with it more cold, damp weather. I put on my jeans, pumas and a hoodie. When I looked in the mirror, I realized that I looked a lot like my teenage self, except my jeans were a lot tighter than in grade 9.
Quick side bar: In Canada and I think in North America, if people were asked to dress up in school uniforms for a party, I am willing to wager that 95 percent of the girls would show up in a "naughty" catholic school girl outfit, complete with skirt hiked up to leave nothing to the imagination, bare midriff and intense cleavage. The sexualisation of young women in North America is overwhelming and everywhere. In D'kar, I was shocked that no one played the "half naked" card. Girls wore gym uniforms, long pants and button-down shirts (that were actually buttoned!) and ties. There wasn't much flesh and I was pleasantly surprised.
The party was a lot like the one the previous night, except this time, no one was kicking out the kids. I wonder what they thought watching their teachers get hammered? D'kar is a tiny community and many of the people holding down jobs are not from here. Take my office for example: there's one American, a Canadian, a Dutch woman and two locals. Kids see that most jobs are given to outsiders so what hope do they have for their future?
I went home after little less than an hour at the party. A terribly drunk man spilled about three drinks on me while telling me he loved me. It really was like high school!!!!
I was ready to be productive on Sunday. I really was. But mother nature had other plans. A big storm hit D'kar Saturday night cutting off the power from about 4 a.m. I could not work as all my files were on my dead laptop, I could not wash because there was no water and I could not cook because I don't have a gas stove. So I went to Anna's and read. I finished my book and started the second in the trilogy. I made some food since she thankfully has gas and read some more. It was so relaxing. The power came back around 8 p.m. But the weekend was already over. I survived. Not only did I survive but I managed to enjoy myself.
Don't know when I'll spend another weekend here. I'll be in Maun for a funeral next weekend and Gaborone for doctor's appointment the following but I now know that I am perfectly equipped to stay in little D'kar all by myself.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
An Unexpected Loss
It's been a rough 24 hours. One of my parents nearest and dearest friends, the woman who introduced them, passed away from cancer. It was quick and sudden, but thankfully she was surrounded by the love and support of her family. Jill was a funny, caring, quirky and lovely person who like me, had one of the worst laughs in the world. When I was young, she used to tell me to listen to her because she was the reason I was around since she helped hook up my parents. A mother of two boys older than me, she also told me that I was the daughter she never had.
I haven't seen Jill in quite a few years. She lives in Victoria and me in Ottawa, but I have never stopped talking about her. People in Botswana know who Jill and her husband Jack are. I'm not kidding. People who know me, know I'm a talker so when I get going on something that I'm passionate about, it's hard to shut me up. Usually, I'm babbling about hockey, but sometimes, a select few loved ones are mentioned and Jill was one of those people.
A few hours after receiving news of Jill's passing, I received word that two people I knew drowned after their mokoro was overturned by a hippo in Maun. Apparently, three people made it to shore but the fourth person did not know how to swim and struggled to stay afloat. His friend returned to the water to save him but in a tragic twist of fate, they both drowned.
I am a strong swimmer. I always have been. Swimming has always been a part of my life. I don't even remember learning how to swim. I simply remember that swimming has always been a part of my life. It is not the case for most people in Botswana, or in Africa for that matter. In Botswana, which is landlocked, most people never have an opportunity to learn. There are rivers but they are riddled with crocodiles and hippos. And as such, there are many drownings in and around the Okavango district.
At my old house, a few friends and I began giving swimming lessons to local kids and teens from an orphanage. Many were scared to even touch the water with their toes during the first lesson, but eventually, most of them overcame their fear and began to enjoy the water. They jumped and splashed and it was hard to get them to listen to our lessons as all they wanted to do was play. The purpose of the lessons was twofold. We wanted to give these underprivileged kids the chance to cool off during the blistering summer days, but we also wanted to teach them about water safety and hopefully avoid more tragedies like the recent drownings.
We continually remind the kids that water is dangerous and that they have to be careful. We taught them to float and hold their breath. None of these kids can be called swimmers today, but hopefully with a bit of practice, they will have enough skills to make it to shore.
In memory of Jill, Omgee and Buddha. Live life to the fullest. Don't be afraid to take risks. And make the most of it.
I haven't seen Jill in quite a few years. She lives in Victoria and me in Ottawa, but I have never stopped talking about her. People in Botswana know who Jill and her husband Jack are. I'm not kidding. People who know me, know I'm a talker so when I get going on something that I'm passionate about, it's hard to shut me up. Usually, I'm babbling about hockey, but sometimes, a select few loved ones are mentioned and Jill was one of those people.
A few hours after receiving news of Jill's passing, I received word that two people I knew drowned after their mokoro was overturned by a hippo in Maun. Apparently, three people made it to shore but the fourth person did not know how to swim and struggled to stay afloat. His friend returned to the water to save him but in a tragic twist of fate, they both drowned.
I am a strong swimmer. I always have been. Swimming has always been a part of my life. I don't even remember learning how to swim. I simply remember that swimming has always been a part of my life. It is not the case for most people in Botswana, or in Africa for that matter. In Botswana, which is landlocked, most people never have an opportunity to learn. There are rivers but they are riddled with crocodiles and hippos. And as such, there are many drownings in and around the Okavango district.
At my old house, a few friends and I began giving swimming lessons to local kids and teens from an orphanage. Many were scared to even touch the water with their toes during the first lesson, but eventually, most of them overcame their fear and began to enjoy the water. They jumped and splashed and it was hard to get them to listen to our lessons as all they wanted to do was play. The purpose of the lessons was twofold. We wanted to give these underprivileged kids the chance to cool off during the blistering summer days, but we also wanted to teach them about water safety and hopefully avoid more tragedies like the recent drownings.
We continually remind the kids that water is dangerous and that they have to be careful. We taught them to float and hold their breath. None of these kids can be called swimmers today, but hopefully with a bit of practice, they will have enough skills to make it to shore.
In memory of Jill, Omgee and Buddha. Live life to the fullest. Don't be afraid to take risks. And make the most of it.
D'Kar
In mid-February, I left Maun and headed to the settlement of D'Kar about 300 km away. I knew this was going to happen. I knew I'd have to leave the relative comfort of Maun and head out to the bush. I won't lie. I was apprehensive. I've had it pretty easy in Maun. Sure, I didn't have any water my last two and a half weeks in town, but I had friends who thankfully let me shower at their place. I also always had access to a grocery store, ATM, restaurants and an abundance of friends; all things I would be lacking in D'Kar.
Despite my reservations, I arrived in D'Kar with a positive attitude and ready to immerse myself in work and the town. To be honest, I was a little happy to be out of Maun because I'd had the worst week ever the previous week. My first day went well. I arrived around noon after an uneventful bus ride from Maun. Laura, my new boss at Letloa Health, picked me up on the side of the road and took me to my new house. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. I've got a good sized kitchen, a big room and decent facilities. I even have water most of the time. And sometimes it's hot! Like boiling!!!! Its like heaven!
I'm working at Letloa Trust, one of the trusts that make up the Kuru Family of Organizations. The main goal of Kuru is to build the capacity of the San (they are also called Bushmen or Basarwa). There has been a lot of confusion and conflict about the fate of the San in Botswana. The San were traditionally hunters who switched to agriculture as the result of government mandated modernization schemes between 1950 and 1990. In the mid-90s, the San were forced off their ancestral land by the government who then utilized the land for tourism. The San were forced to give up their traditional livelihood and move to settlements. The relocation of the San has been a great debate in Botswana with support from some and disdain from others.. Kuru aims to empower the San and teach others about tolerance and acceptance of the San.
The goal of Kuru is to develop a network of modern and professional development organizations with competent and responsible San leadership, facilitating a development process with marginalized communities to independently make informed decisions and to implement their own viable response to their situation.
I'm working with the Community Health Program which aims to prevent and treat TB. Although TB is curable, it is a lengthy treatment process and with many people living in isolated communities with no access to health care, it is a major killer in this part of the country. There is only a 59 percent cure rate in Ghanzi District where I work.
Letloa aims to raise that number to 75 percent in the next year. The first step is to bring the treatment to the affected communities. Through Community TB Care (CTBC), people in isolated settlements are gaining access to much needed health care. Not only are do they have access to health care in their communities, but they are receiving it in their local language.
There has long been a linguistic barrier between the health care workers and the communities they serve as many doctors speak English or Setswana. The San speak numerous traditional languages. The most commonly spoken language in D'kar in Naro. If, for example, a San from D'kar makes it to the hospital in Ghanzi, there is a strong possibility that they will not be able to communicate with the nurse or doctor. Since it already takes a lot of effort and time to make it to the hospital, many won't even bother since they are not receiving satisfactory treatment. Can you imagine walking into a hospital in Canada and you can't understand a single person working there? I know it happens to new immigrants and the older generation of immigrants, but in general, most us can leave the hospital with an understanding of what is wrong with us and how to deal with it. This is not the case for the San.
In partnership with local nurses and clinics, CTBC promoters ensure that TB patients receive and take their drugs daily. There are many patients who default on their treatment because they cannot make it to the nearest clinic to take their tablets. CTBC promoters bring the medicine to the patient in their homes. It is still a difficult task as many patients are not settled and move to farms or other settlements without telling the CTBC promoters. But it's a start.
The CTBC promoters do so much more than simply hand out tablets. They provide health talks to patients, family members and the community about TB symptoms and prevention, healthy living, the negative effects of alcohol while taking TB treatment and the link between HIV and TB to name a few. They test people for TB and encourage patients to test for HIV.
Community TB Care is working. Like any program, it has its challenges. We lack transportation to make it to the extremely rural settlements every month, there are still TB tablet shortages in the district as well as bottle and glove shortages to take samples. However, the program is growing and continues to improve. I am proud to be a part of its growth.
I used to fear coming to D'kar. I used to think this city girl couldn't handle herself in the bush. But I've surprised myself. Not only am I adapting, I think I'm thriving. I don't even dread the lonely nights as I've become accustomed to my nightly routine of running, showering (if there's water), cooking, working and reading. It's not even that repetitive to me. It might be a new found maturity (I recently turned 29), but I think it has more to do with accepting my situation and going for it.
Despite my reservations, I arrived in D'Kar with a positive attitude and ready to immerse myself in work and the town. To be honest, I was a little happy to be out of Maun because I'd had the worst week ever the previous week. My first day went well. I arrived around noon after an uneventful bus ride from Maun. Laura, my new boss at Letloa Health, picked me up on the side of the road and took me to my new house. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. I've got a good sized kitchen, a big room and decent facilities. I even have water most of the time. And sometimes it's hot! Like boiling!!!! Its like heaven!
I'm working at Letloa Trust, one of the trusts that make up the Kuru Family of Organizations. The main goal of Kuru is to build the capacity of the San (they are also called Bushmen or Basarwa). There has been a lot of confusion and conflict about the fate of the San in Botswana. The San were traditionally hunters who switched to agriculture as the result of government mandated modernization schemes between 1950 and 1990. In the mid-90s, the San were forced off their ancestral land by the government who then utilized the land for tourism. The San were forced to give up their traditional livelihood and move to settlements. The relocation of the San has been a great debate in Botswana with support from some and disdain from others.. Kuru aims to empower the San and teach others about tolerance and acceptance of the San.
The goal of Kuru is to develop a network of modern and professional development organizations with competent and responsible San leadership, facilitating a development process with marginalized communities to independently make informed decisions and to implement their own viable response to their situation.
I'm working with the Community Health Program which aims to prevent and treat TB. Although TB is curable, it is a lengthy treatment process and with many people living in isolated communities with no access to health care, it is a major killer in this part of the country. There is only a 59 percent cure rate in Ghanzi District where I work.
Letloa aims to raise that number to 75 percent in the next year. The first step is to bring the treatment to the affected communities. Through Community TB Care (CTBC), people in isolated settlements are gaining access to much needed health care. Not only are do they have access to health care in their communities, but they are receiving it in their local language.
There has long been a linguistic barrier between the health care workers and the communities they serve as many doctors speak English or Setswana. The San speak numerous traditional languages. The most commonly spoken language in D'kar in Naro. If, for example, a San from D'kar makes it to the hospital in Ghanzi, there is a strong possibility that they will not be able to communicate with the nurse or doctor. Since it already takes a lot of effort and time to make it to the hospital, many won't even bother since they are not receiving satisfactory treatment. Can you imagine walking into a hospital in Canada and you can't understand a single person working there? I know it happens to new immigrants and the older generation of immigrants, but in general, most us can leave the hospital with an understanding of what is wrong with us and how to deal with it. This is not the case for the San.
In partnership with local nurses and clinics, CTBC promoters ensure that TB patients receive and take their drugs daily. There are many patients who default on their treatment because they cannot make it to the nearest clinic to take their tablets. CTBC promoters bring the medicine to the patient in their homes. It is still a difficult task as many patients are not settled and move to farms or other settlements without telling the CTBC promoters. But it's a start.
The CTBC promoters do so much more than simply hand out tablets. They provide health talks to patients, family members and the community about TB symptoms and prevention, healthy living, the negative effects of alcohol while taking TB treatment and the link between HIV and TB to name a few. They test people for TB and encourage patients to test for HIV.
Community TB Care is working. Like any program, it has its challenges. We lack transportation to make it to the extremely rural settlements every month, there are still TB tablet shortages in the district as well as bottle and glove shortages to take samples. However, the program is growing and continues to improve. I am proud to be a part of its growth.
I used to fear coming to D'kar. I used to think this city girl couldn't handle herself in the bush. But I've surprised myself. Not only am I adapting, I think I'm thriving. I don't even dread the lonely nights as I've become accustomed to my nightly routine of running, showering (if there's water), cooking, working and reading. It's not even that repetitive to me. It might be a new found maturity (I recently turned 29), but I think it has more to do with accepting my situation and going for it.
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