Wrapping Up 2011

It feels strange and significant to say, “I’ve spent all of 2011 living in Africa.” It’s the same thing as saying, “I’ve spent a whole year living in Africa,” but the turning of a numerical year seems to mark it more clearly in my mind. It’s one of those things where I can look back [...]

Francistown’s 1st HIV/AIDS Civil-Society Organization Unification Forum

My first year in Botswana was spent soaking it all in. Working in Francistown, I’ve met and collaborated with people from different HIV/AIDS organizations who all have different perspectives on what the city needs the most. Throughout my time here I listened and observed, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was that I would do [...]

Peace Corps Botswana Amenities Survey

Peace Corps just asked us to complete a survey about the types of amenities we have at site. It dawned on me that this information might not be known to my family, friends, and other interested people back in the states, so I’ve presented the survey to you as I sent it to them (sans [...]

In which I’m an Honored Guest at the FTown Prison

It’s Month of Prayer time again – a time that begins a day after the the completion of Month of Ramadan and ends just before the Jewish High Holidays begin. During Month of Prayer, which is a nationally implemented event, Batswana organizations such as our District AIDS Office, the Botswana Defense Force (BDF), Botswana Meat [...]

The Botswana Worker’s Strike – Part 2 – Effects of the Long Strike

The strike was seemingly unending.  Since the first 10 days ended almost two months ago daily questions still float around the office: What’s going on with the strike today? Any progress? News? As the days passed the government publicly and repeatedly stated that money wasn’t available for a salary increase, but this didn’t seem to pacify [...]

The Botswana Worker’s Strike – Part 1 – The Build Up

On March 22, I sat working at my desk at Ntshe House when my coworker and I heard what we thought was a thunderstorm. As the rumblings became louder I realized what I heard was not thunder, but feet. I grabbed my camera and discovered this: Batswana government union members were publicly taking a stand [...]

In Which my PCV friend Saved a Girl From Drowning and got me a Free Impala Steak

I love how routine lazing about can turn into something extraordinary.  About a month ago, my friend Salewa visited Francistown from her village 20 minutes south. She came in for some usual grocery shopping, and met up with me and our friend Heather for an afternoon ice cream cone. Halfway through our dessert we ran [...]

AIDS Support Group Defies Adversity

This is the first of several articles I’ll be writing for the Botswana Guardian and Midweek Sun. Light poured into the one-car garage meeting room of the Francistown Network of Support Groups as Edward Moreki opened the heavy, vertically swinging door. “Today we are meeting to approve our new constitution,” said Moreki, chairman and founding member of [...]

The Real Purpose of In-Service Training

Through the many PCV blogs I’ve read I learned that the first three months of Peace Corps service (after training) are typically the hardest. More people early terminate during this time (or think they’re going to) and culture shock creeps up until the PCV looks down and has either spontaneously lost 15 lbs (most men), [...]

Ftown Abode

I never thought Peace Corps living could feel luxurious, but the house I was assigned to live in definitely challenges that notion. Compared to other African countries, Botswana is incredibly wealthy due to the successes of its well-run diamond industry. Still, in 1997 almost half of Batswana lived below the poverty line, and only a small [...]