International

So my time in Botswana is coming to an end, with only a couple of weeks left! The past month has been so busy and I only have a short time on the internet! On February 27th Stepping Stones, in collaboration with the U.S Embassy and YOHO (Youth Health Organisation) put on a big Hip-Hop show in Gaberone to celebrate the launch of MYAA (Month of Youth Against AIDS). On Friday we had the dress rehearsal, which was a packed house full of so much energy! I was running the backstage, which was pretty difficult with 11 different performers, 2 MCs, and 11 dance groups, plus some Stepping Stones kids who were running the smoke machine, mics, and set-changes! It was SO MUCH FUN though, and the night went off without any problems. The next night, the actual performance, one of the headliner artists, Kast, was over half an hour late, and it was impossible to start without him since all the artists do a collaboration song at the beginning. Finally he showed up, and the whole night went off without and problems! 

The next day I went to Lobatse for a week, Natasha, the Peer Education Program Coordinator, and I were training another organization, Humana People to People (HPP) in peer education training. We worked off of a training manual developed by Stepping Stones to train these trainers, who will then go into to school in North East and Good Hope to train the peer educators.

On Friday I hitch-hiked home to Mochudi, said hi to my family and played with the baby Banyana for a few hours and then went to bed!

Saturday morning Rachel and I and 5 girls from SSI left early in the morning for Khama Rhino Sanctuary, in Serowe. Once there we met up with Rachel and Monika, 2 WUSC volunteers placed at SOS Children’s Village in Francistown, for the Gender Empowerment Retreat we had organized. The retreat was a huge success! The girls participated in 4 workshops we developed: Self-esteem, Gender and Healthy Relationship, Safer Sex and HIV and AIDS Myth-busting, and Goal setting. We also got to enjoy a 2-hour game drive through the park, go swimming in the pool, have a campfire, and listen to Nametso, one of SSI’s mentors share her story about teenage pregnancy and the challenges one faces in such a situation. After an initial shyness the girls all became great friends and some stigmas surround the orphans at SOS Children’s Villages were broken down. For all of the girls involved it is rare for them to leave their home village, so we were very happy that we received some WUSC Sector Funds to allow for this project to take place!

On Sunday Rachel and I returned home, and worked Monday and Tuesday at SSI and then Wednesday headed to Gansi, Botswana with the rest of the WUSC interns for our scheduled Learning Days. We stayed at a place called Trailblazers, outside of town in the bush, in traditional thatched huts.

Thursday we spent all day in D’kaar, which is a small village near Gansi learning about the Kuru Family of Organisations and how they work with the indigenous peoples (San people) of Botswana. It was a very interesting day! That evening we returned to Trailblazers and were able to enjoy some traditional San dancing after dinner!

Now after a very busy few weeks I am happy to be back in Mochudi for the remainder of my time here, enjoying the relaxed pace of life and spending as much time as possible with the kids at SSI.

Go Siame!

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