Peaceful Pathway☮

Today has been such a great day! Which is pretty odd..considering it’s a Monday.   Let me fill you in a bit on what’s been going on in Gobojango this past week: My counterpart is still on leave, which makes me sad, because I usually just sit in the consulting room with him during the day and talk and joke. But it’s given me an opportunity to actually accomplish some work in the clinic.   I scheduled a series of health talks to begin today (which they did) and also arranged an aerobics class (to begin tomorrow). I’ve met with the Village Development Committee, the Social & Community Development Officer, and Primary school and have begun to make arrangements with them to focus on some goals to accomplish during my two years here.   Near-sightedly thinking, I am hoping to build shade for the Primary School’s new recreational park, and in the future, I would love to begin the arrangements of applying for funding for a new Library in Gobojango. This would not only help the out

You can kiss your family & friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time, you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world, but a world lives in you. -Frederick Buechner There have been a few times since I’ve arrived that I wish more than anything I could be back home with my family, sitting on my comfortable bed in my wonderfully-smelling house with Geoffrey playing games in the room next to me, my mom watching Ellen downstairs, and my dad cooking a delicious dinner.   This moment is out shadowing all of those times. The shooting in Colorado only makes it more real how far away I really am.   I’ve spent the majority of the day pondering the episode in my mind, and it hasn’t really hit me until now that it really happened.   I can’t stop thinking about my poor cousins, what they’ve seen, the unfortunate families who have suffered losses, the pain everyone must be feeling, and all of the ha

I’m discovering that oftentimes the smallest things make the biggest impact on this whole experience.   It’s a process of learning to cherish those minute details that I probably would have overlooked before, and overlooking the big details that probably would have bothered me before.   As I walked to work, I was surprised to find Gobojango bustling with more people than usual (normally there are 1800 people here.   Today there were about 1850 people haha).   I later discovered the reason was that there are to be two weddings in Gobas this weekend.   An entire herd (?) of cattle had been rounded up in the local kraal to be offered both as lobola (dowry paid by the groom to the bride’s family) or to be slaughtered for the ceremonies.   An old woman wearing a toothless smile approached me, grabbed my hand, and walked with me half way to the clinic, passionately telling me this grand story in Setswana that I could hardly understand.   Once at the clinic, I sat down in the waitin

This past weekend I went to Palapye for our regional meeting.   It was a blast being able to be surrounded by like-minded individuals once again.   After discussing our probable projects, we drank, cooked, danced, and sang for the whole night and felt normal once again.   It was wonderful! All of these things paled in comparison to my astonishment at the travel system here in Botswana.   Let me begin by saying that this transportation thing is something that is still very new to me and I’m learning to navigate the system, even three months in.   Secondly, I’ve learned that nothing is set in stone.   For example, I have asked at least 10 people what times the bus picks up from Gobojango to Bobonong and I have gotten at least 10 definitive answers. And with reason! The times that I’ve attempted to travel to Bobs, the bus never shows up on time (if at all!) and I’ve ended up settling for the next easiest option: hitchhiking. Now before I go on, let me interject here and inform you

Hello again! So here’s a quick update about the goings-on in Gobas: the IDCC opening was a great success.   Yesterday I spent the day in my neighboring village of Semolale with the doctor, Doctor Mashini, learning the process of how an official ARV day   is supposed to run.   He taught me the ins and outs of the system and recommended I teach everyone in Gobojango.   After transferring some patients from Semolale to Gobojango, learning to schedule appointments, and to take vital signs, the doctor then invited me to his house for a late lunch.   There, I met the doctor’s lovely wife and ate probably one of the most delicious meals I’ve had since I’ve arrived in Botswana.   Since Mr. and Mrs. Mashini are from DRC, they grow plants from their home country and cook with them.   I helped myself to seconds and even tried spring bock meat (which wasn’t necessarily my favorite).   Once I returned to the Gobas Health Post, I proceeded to find a corner stuffed with posters that everyone

I apologize it has been so long since my last post, many things have been happening and the network has been down this whole time so I haven’t been able to update! Let me start off by saying that I am safe and sound in Gobojango (Gobas) and I’m in my comfortable, beautiful home.   Slowly I am learning the individuals that live here, though the names are quite difficult to remember.   Whenever someone says, “Dumela Kitso!” (Hello Kitso), I simply respond, “Dumela tsala yame!” (Hello my friend!).   It seems to help in getting me out of an awkward situation.   I’ve mapped my community and continue to add onto the map as I venture out more and more into the cattle posts and farms surrounding my village. Next, my work at the clinic has begun.   My tasks change daily as the needs of the clinic change as well. For example, yesterday I assisted the lay counselor with conducting rapid HIV tests all morning while today I’m in an office counting pills.   Luckily for me, the clinic gets ex