“Welcome to Botswana”
19 novembre 2009 | Fiona, Intern, Women Against Rape, Maun, Botswana“Welcome to Botswana”
As I stepped off the plane and onto African soil, those were the first words I heard. Despite being half-asleep and unsure of what time of day I thought it was, I was comforted by those words. To me they signify a sense of wholeness, of pride, and most importantly of hospitableness. I have flown my fair share of times and I have never heard someone (other than the flight attendant who announces were landing) welcome me to their country.
Orientation week began and I met the 8 other Canadians who will be working in Botswana as well. WUSC had many activities planned and it was all go with no time to even think about jet lag. The feeling of being welcome was a common thread throughout the orientation with every presenter delivering a cheery “Welcome to Botswana” before beginning the discussion. We were able to learn so many fascinating things about Botswana and gain an understanding of the history of the country and the current state of important issues. Each of the interns would be working in a different environment and the orientation was designed to give all of us further insight into our sector, as well as providing us with practical knowledge like how to take a combi and where to buy airtime for our phones.
I came to Botswana with virtually no expectations as I have never been to Africa and had no idea what to expect. My initial thoughts were that it was not THAT hot, Gaberone was wayyy bigger and more built up than I expected, and there was a noticeable lack of two-story buildings. It got hotter, Gabs seemed smaller as I got to know it, and I came to understand why most buildings are one-story! All Batswana are entitled to a plot of land and almost all build their own houses. Due to this, buildings tend to be only one-story, made from cement blocks and plaster for the structure and corrugated tin for the roof. I was amazed at this as we just went through paying thousands for someone else to help build our house in Canada and most Canadians would never consider building their own home!
The orientations went by very quickly, but it was a much needed transition time between home and working alone in Maun, which is about 10 hours north of Gaberone. Throughout the week I heard lots about Maun, but the most common phrase was “Oh, it’s hot up there!” As the week came to an end and we all started to travel to our placements I became very apprehensive about being so far away from Gaberone and on my own. Luckily, the first words I heard when I arrived at the WoMen Against Rape office were “Welcome to Maun, welcome to Botswana” and all my nerves went away.