Sunday morning couldn’t have come earlier. This was my final day in Botswana. My final day in Africa. The end.
It was an early morning drive back to Gabarone. I spent the afternoon at the southern African director of WUSC’s house. I took a shower and cleaned off all of the sand and dirt that I have grown accustom to. Cleaned and fed, the long flights home began: Gabarone to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to London, London to Toronto.
It feels as if I am leaving an entire life behind.
I know that their isn’t a single person back home that will truly understand my experience, but I take solace the fact that I know there will be many people that can appreciate where I am coming from. Botswana has given me the opportunity to look into different parts of myself. It has given me the chance to see my life in a different light and context than ever before.
Quoting one of my favourite musicals: 87 days. 2,088 hours. But most importantly 125,280 minutes. Some minutes better than others, but each one an important piece that has shaped my summer and who I am today. Not quite a year, but more experiences that I could have expected, more lessons that I could have learned, just more. I do not truly appreciate if I have changed, if at all, and if so how, but I know that I wouldn’t have traded these past experiences for anything.
A small part of my heart will always stay in Botswana.
It isn’t about being ‘incomplete’. It is more about spreading my roots, reaching out to other countries, to other cultures to other people.
There is no time that I can remember recently being so close to tears.
There is no time that so little has made sense in my life.
No time that I have had so many questions and never had the answers.
No time I have felt so out of control.
No time like this.
No time.
Home is a bright light at the end of the tunnel; a hopeful and happy place that I have missed and cherished while away. I am looking forward to being back to returning to my home, to my family, to my friends, to the life that I have spent so long working on. This is me. This is who I am and I will make the changes that I need to accommodate for the new me and all of my lessons and experiences of the summer.
No tears.
No regrets.
Only fond memories.
Only new opportunities.
The end of a chapter.
The start of another.
Thank-you.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Blog #58 – San Dance Festival
My time in Maun is finished. It is an odd feeling to have left Maun and instead of heading home, I am here in Gabarone. Gabs is the capital here in Bots, and that definitely has brought about a huge difference between the rural northern village of Maun and this very developed and amenity-based city.
It is as if my trip and Student Without Borders experience is coming full circle. After finishing my field course, I began here in Gabs with my training and in-country orientation. I would be spending my final Thursday back in the WUSC office going through some post-program debriefing and speaking with two other SWB students about their experiences.
The day went by quickly and it was really enjoyable to sit down with some of the local Batswana WUSC staff and the other students to talk about our experience and thoughts on the program, our placements, the people, the culture and the country. What I found most interesting were the similarities and agreements that we had on the unique cultural experiences and observations. Even though we were all placed in different parts of the country, doing very different work, all of us students had experienced similar interactions and relations with the local people.
However, regardless of our agreements, what was most shocking to me was how unique my experience seemed to be. I was the only one that had stayed with a local family (which is apparently quite rare), while the others had stayed in homes by themselves or with other ex-pat volunteers. It also seems that I was one of the few people that have developed some close friendships with the local people outside of my work. Most people enjoyed and were friends with those in their placement, but rarely knew or interacted with people outside of that experience in a meaningful way. It makes me treasure the friendships of Kenny, Alex, Hauona, Warren, Fred, Virginia, Vincent, and Marie all the more. This difference in experience, which may seem minimal, has actually had a profound impact on my interpretation and understanding of Botswana and its people. I have grown really close to my family and friends. It is nice to know that I have made some lasting relationships and if we ever come close to each other’s home (or countries) in the future, we will certainly be making contact!
There were going to be two vehicles and eleven WUSC affiliates attending the Kuru Dance Festival (of the San) in Ghanzi, Botswana. After all of the day’s activities, we purchased groceries and packed for the trip. It was going to be a seven to eight hour drive from Gabs to Ghanzi and an early start tomorrow morning.
At the crack of dawn we got up and loaded our bags into the car. I would be returning directly from Ghanzi to the Gabs airport to start my journey home, but before I got my mind to thinking about that I had the next two days of an amazingly unique cultural experience.
We arrived to Ghanzi just after lunchtime and spent the afternoon meeting Kevin, a long-term WUSC volunteer working with San Arts & Crafts, who showed us his office and explained the work they did. His organization is a member of the Kuru family, which I will talk a little bit more about later, and purchase cultural craft items from many different local San communities and provide wholesale services to the rest of the country and beyond. All of the funds and monies raised go to support the work of Kuru and the improvement of San culture and livelihood.
After picking up Kevin we settled in Ghanzi Trailblazers, a traditional accommodation in the rural bush outside of Ghanzi. I was SO STOKED! Some of my friends had stayed here back in early June and I was really excited to go here. The accommodations are traditional grass huts – made purely of grass and sticks, seriously!
We unpacked and settled in to our places. Next, we jumped into Kevin’s truck and he took us out to a local quarry. One of the prominent businessmen of Ghanzi owned a brick quarry that he used to extract stone and make bricks. He had hit water one day and the quarry had flooded making a very large and rare swimming pool! This was the first time that I had the opportunity to swim since Namibia and there was no way that I was going to be passing that up! The water was definitely cold, but it felt so good to be able to jump off the quarry edges into the refreshing pool – even though it was laced with interesting creatures including dung beetles! After swimming for a little bit and cooling my blood right down we headed back to Trailblazers and packed into our vehicles to go the Festival of the San.
The Festival of the San has been organized and held by the Kuru organization for over a decade. Kuru is a development trust NGO that works to promote and preserve the San culture – an amazingly difficult challenge. ‘San’ actually translates to mean ‘people’, and I still laugh whenever I catch myself saying the San people! The San, which have also been referred to as the Bushmen (due to living in the bush of southern Africa), are one of the oldest indigenous groups on our planet – second oldest if I remember correctly. They are our ancestors and have lived and hunted in the deserts and bush of southern Africa for a very long time. A people of no specific country, with tribes in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and a few other places, they have been at the unfortunate receiving end of government policies and practices that haven’t always been beneficial. They were moved out of their natural homes due to the development of national game reserves. HIV and AIDS have brutally ravaged their population. They are widely misunderstood and poorly respected indigenous people. They represent our past and heritage, yet their future survival is bleaker than you could imagine. Enough talk about that though – you can ask and engage me in a chat about it anytime once I am back :)
The Festival of the San is an annual event that takes place in mid-August during the weekend of the full moon. It is held in a small town called D’kar, just thirty kilometers northwest of Ghanzi. The actual site is a game park and it is quite rural, remote and unpopulated. This year close to 50 different groups traveled from as far as Namibia and South Africa to participate in the festival. No buses, no trains, no planes. These people walked, what must have been weeks, to come to D’kar – simply amazing. This year’s theme was “Proud to be a San” and showcased dances and games from all of the different tribes that came in.
The first night of the festival was as picturesque as it could have been. From what I heard there would be close to a thousand San present and another thousand visitors. Those numbers shocked me, but luckily it never seemed like there was that many people there. The set-up was surprising quite Roman; there was a large firepit in the centre of a sloped circular stadium seating arrangement. Instead of being carved out of stone, the seats were made out of packed sand, wooden logs and corrugated aluminum. The dancing began once it was dark and the San would come in and out of the presentation circle dancing in front and around the fire. Don’t get the picture of them as savages or wild bushmen – they are far from it.
All of the dancing is done to rhythmic clapping and harmonized singing – while I never had a single idea what they were singing about, it was unbelievably moving. The traditional dress includes various undergarments, aprons and beadwork all made out of animal or plant products found in the bush. The women are traditionally topless, but some had added covers, and the men really only wore a pair of animal skin underwear – which was astounding considering it was still quite cold at night. During this first evening there really wasn’t any young children dancing – which was sad because they are my favourite – but that might have been accounted for due to the late hours that they were dancing. It wasn’t particularly easy to see in the sole light of the fire, but it was quite captivating to just sit and watch these people perform.
I sat there for many hours completely enthralled with what I was witnessing and mesmerized by the sheer amazement of what was happening – a culture that goes back tens of thousands of years, of a people that had walked across the Kalahari desert to dance and reunite with other San groups, speaking a language few knew and a culture that was quickly dying in the face of modern development. It was right here, not more than twenty feet from where I sat. Easily in a few decades, this could all be gone, unless something is done to help these people. They are one quite commonly referred to and mentioned over my time in Botswana, but people that are rarely seen or considered important – they are not the focus or worry of the common person. Sadly.
Saturday was quite similar to Friday night, except today is was broad daylight. We got up relatively early and headed back out into the D’kar bush. I couldn’t have been more excited when we arrived as they were just starting for the day and the first group of performers was entering the stage. The first three groups were all children’s groups and it is not only amazing to see them dance because of their skills, but you can see on their faces their enjoyment and attitude toward dancing, their pride in their culture. These kids are the future; they are the only hope for these people. Their success will make or break the fate of the San.
Following the children was a very LONG and formal introduction and speak by the Botswana Minister of Agriculture and something something. Normally I would have remembered, but I was blown away by the situation. There were several government officials that were present all dressed in suits and ties, who standing next to the nearly naked San people just reeked of corporate politics and business. They all sat in high-backed padded chairs in front of the stage, a place of comfort and hierarchical power next to the squatting San in the dust and sand. I couldn’t believe the way that they talked so dispassionately about the cultural preservation and wellbeing of these people. The way that they plugged current government programs and initiatives and the very long prayer that followed which seemed just out of place. It was a perfect reminder of the divide in class and ‘importance’ that is so prevalently sought-after and then reinforced, just like today. That is all sad talk though and there was so much good and happiness in the day!
We sat and walked for nearly four hours straight all kinds of different dances and presentations by the San people. Regardless of the amount of time here, my skin stills burns with that amount of direct sunlight, but it was totally worth it. For one of my final lunches in Bots I was glad to be able to get the traditional meal – papa and seswaa followed by some fresh, sweet and greasy mogunas! I picked up a few different cultural craft items that were on display from different artists and then headed back for some more dancing in the afternoon. Some of the interesting observations that I made throughout the time about the dancing include:
-the role of women varied quite prominently between different tribes sometimes strictly dancing, but most commonly the ones who set the rhythm and sang while being danced to
-the number of women hugely outnumbered the men, with some groups having only a single San man
-the age demographics were quite skewed and almost bimodal, with a much larger proportion of older San and quite young children, but nearly no people of reproductive age (the result of HIV ravaging these communities)
-the different tribes interacted quite nicely, with other tribes’ members often jumping in to join in different dances
-sometimes the women and men also wore traditional undergarments with ‘developed’ underwear (bras, briefs, etc.) It seemed that the crowd would react quite loudly to the women who showed their nipples and breasts, which would often come out with some of the dancing and shaking movements of their presenations.
-the San idea of body image seemed much healthily than anything back home, or even here, but was definitely in the critical spotlight as ‘underdeveloped’ or ‘primitive’ by many of the people watching (as was observed through their verbal reactions to different situations)
-there is a huge value for family. The host of the festival, a relatively local elder San women just radiated with pride and love for her tribe, sisters and grandchildren that performed a dance.
-I will cherish and appreciate this experience and all of the observations and
Once the afternoon’s activities had mainly finished we headed back to Trailblazers to spend the rest of the time relaxing by the fireside drinking and snacking. We had some interesting discussions with the other WUSC people about the weekend’s events, their summer experiences and all things foreign aid and politics related. We had our meal prepared at the campsite and spent the night keeping warm by the fire. As people slowly drifted off to bed, saying their final farewells – for we had many different people departing at different time – I crawled into my sleeping bag and quickly tucked all of the edges and open parts under my body. It was a cold night, but I was filled with the warmth of satisfaction reserved only for the rarest of occasions.
It is as if my trip and Student Without Borders experience is coming full circle. After finishing my field course, I began here in Gabs with my training and in-country orientation. I would be spending my final Thursday back in the WUSC office going through some post-program debriefing and speaking with two other SWB students about their experiences.
The day went by quickly and it was really enjoyable to sit down with some of the local Batswana WUSC staff and the other students to talk about our experience and thoughts on the program, our placements, the people, the culture and the country. What I found most interesting were the similarities and agreements that we had on the unique cultural experiences and observations. Even though we were all placed in different parts of the country, doing very different work, all of us students had experienced similar interactions and relations with the local people.
However, regardless of our agreements, what was most shocking to me was how unique my experience seemed to be. I was the only one that had stayed with a local family (which is apparently quite rare), while the others had stayed in homes by themselves or with other ex-pat volunteers. It also seems that I was one of the few people that have developed some close friendships with the local people outside of my work. Most people enjoyed and were friends with those in their placement, but rarely knew or interacted with people outside of that experience in a meaningful way. It makes me treasure the friendships of Kenny, Alex, Hauona, Warren, Fred, Virginia, Vincent, and Marie all the more. This difference in experience, which may seem minimal, has actually had a profound impact on my interpretation and understanding of Botswana and its people. I have grown really close to my family and friends. It is nice to know that I have made some lasting relationships and if we ever come close to each other’s home (or countries) in the future, we will certainly be making contact!
There were going to be two vehicles and eleven WUSC affiliates attending the Kuru Dance Festival (of the San) in Ghanzi, Botswana. After all of the day’s activities, we purchased groceries and packed for the trip. It was going to be a seven to eight hour drive from Gabs to Ghanzi and an early start tomorrow morning.
At the crack of dawn we got up and loaded our bags into the car. I would be returning directly from Ghanzi to the Gabs airport to start my journey home, but before I got my mind to thinking about that I had the next two days of an amazingly unique cultural experience.
We arrived to Ghanzi just after lunchtime and spent the afternoon meeting Kevin, a long-term WUSC volunteer working with San Arts & Crafts, who showed us his office and explained the work they did. His organization is a member of the Kuru family, which I will talk a little bit more about later, and purchase cultural craft items from many different local San communities and provide wholesale services to the rest of the country and beyond. All of the funds and monies raised go to support the work of Kuru and the improvement of San culture and livelihood.
After picking up Kevin we settled in Ghanzi Trailblazers, a traditional accommodation in the rural bush outside of Ghanzi. I was SO STOKED! Some of my friends had stayed here back in early June and I was really excited to go here. The accommodations are traditional grass huts – made purely of grass and sticks, seriously!
We unpacked and settled in to our places. Next, we jumped into Kevin’s truck and he took us out to a local quarry. One of the prominent businessmen of Ghanzi owned a brick quarry that he used to extract stone and make bricks. He had hit water one day and the quarry had flooded making a very large and rare swimming pool! This was the first time that I had the opportunity to swim since Namibia and there was no way that I was going to be passing that up! The water was definitely cold, but it felt so good to be able to jump off the quarry edges into the refreshing pool – even though it was laced with interesting creatures including dung beetles! After swimming for a little bit and cooling my blood right down we headed back to Trailblazers and packed into our vehicles to go the Festival of the San.
The Festival of the San has been organized and held by the Kuru organization for over a decade. Kuru is a development trust NGO that works to promote and preserve the San culture – an amazingly difficult challenge. ‘San’ actually translates to mean ‘people’, and I still laugh whenever I catch myself saying the San people! The San, which have also been referred to as the Bushmen (due to living in the bush of southern Africa), are one of the oldest indigenous groups on our planet – second oldest if I remember correctly. They are our ancestors and have lived and hunted in the deserts and bush of southern Africa for a very long time. A people of no specific country, with tribes in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and a few other places, they have been at the unfortunate receiving end of government policies and practices that haven’t always been beneficial. They were moved out of their natural homes due to the development of national game reserves. HIV and AIDS have brutally ravaged their population. They are widely misunderstood and poorly respected indigenous people. They represent our past and heritage, yet their future survival is bleaker than you could imagine. Enough talk about that though – you can ask and engage me in a chat about it anytime once I am back :)
The Festival of the San is an annual event that takes place in mid-August during the weekend of the full moon. It is held in a small town called D’kar, just thirty kilometers northwest of Ghanzi. The actual site is a game park and it is quite rural, remote and unpopulated. This year close to 50 different groups traveled from as far as Namibia and South Africa to participate in the festival. No buses, no trains, no planes. These people walked, what must have been weeks, to come to D’kar – simply amazing. This year’s theme was “Proud to be a San” and showcased dances and games from all of the different tribes that came in.
The first night of the festival was as picturesque as it could have been. From what I heard there would be close to a thousand San present and another thousand visitors. Those numbers shocked me, but luckily it never seemed like there was that many people there. The set-up was surprising quite Roman; there was a large firepit in the centre of a sloped circular stadium seating arrangement. Instead of being carved out of stone, the seats were made out of packed sand, wooden logs and corrugated aluminum. The dancing began once it was dark and the San would come in and out of the presentation circle dancing in front and around the fire. Don’t get the picture of them as savages or wild bushmen – they are far from it.
All of the dancing is done to rhythmic clapping and harmonized singing – while I never had a single idea what they were singing about, it was unbelievably moving. The traditional dress includes various undergarments, aprons and beadwork all made out of animal or plant products found in the bush. The women are traditionally topless, but some had added covers, and the men really only wore a pair of animal skin underwear – which was astounding considering it was still quite cold at night. During this first evening there really wasn’t any young children dancing – which was sad because they are my favourite – but that might have been accounted for due to the late hours that they were dancing. It wasn’t particularly easy to see in the sole light of the fire, but it was quite captivating to just sit and watch these people perform.
I sat there for many hours completely enthralled with what I was witnessing and mesmerized by the sheer amazement of what was happening – a culture that goes back tens of thousands of years, of a people that had walked across the Kalahari desert to dance and reunite with other San groups, speaking a language few knew and a culture that was quickly dying in the face of modern development. It was right here, not more than twenty feet from where I sat. Easily in a few decades, this could all be gone, unless something is done to help these people. They are one quite commonly referred to and mentioned over my time in Botswana, but people that are rarely seen or considered important – they are not the focus or worry of the common person. Sadly.
Saturday was quite similar to Friday night, except today is was broad daylight. We got up relatively early and headed back out into the D’kar bush. I couldn’t have been more excited when we arrived as they were just starting for the day and the first group of performers was entering the stage. The first three groups were all children’s groups and it is not only amazing to see them dance because of their skills, but you can see on their faces their enjoyment and attitude toward dancing, their pride in their culture. These kids are the future; they are the only hope for these people. Their success will make or break the fate of the San.
Following the children was a very LONG and formal introduction and speak by the Botswana Minister of Agriculture and something something. Normally I would have remembered, but I was blown away by the situation. There were several government officials that were present all dressed in suits and ties, who standing next to the nearly naked San people just reeked of corporate politics and business. They all sat in high-backed padded chairs in front of the stage, a place of comfort and hierarchical power next to the squatting San in the dust and sand. I couldn’t believe the way that they talked so dispassionately about the cultural preservation and wellbeing of these people. The way that they plugged current government programs and initiatives and the very long prayer that followed which seemed just out of place. It was a perfect reminder of the divide in class and ‘importance’ that is so prevalently sought-after and then reinforced, just like today. That is all sad talk though and there was so much good and happiness in the day!
We sat and walked for nearly four hours straight all kinds of different dances and presentations by the San people. Regardless of the amount of time here, my skin stills burns with that amount of direct sunlight, but it was totally worth it. For one of my final lunches in Bots I was glad to be able to get the traditional meal – papa and seswaa followed by some fresh, sweet and greasy mogunas! I picked up a few different cultural craft items that were on display from different artists and then headed back for some more dancing in the afternoon. Some of the interesting observations that I made throughout the time about the dancing include:
-the role of women varied quite prominently between different tribes sometimes strictly dancing, but most commonly the ones who set the rhythm and sang while being danced to
-the number of women hugely outnumbered the men, with some groups having only a single San man
-the age demographics were quite skewed and almost bimodal, with a much larger proportion of older San and quite young children, but nearly no people of reproductive age (the result of HIV ravaging these communities)
-the different tribes interacted quite nicely, with other tribes’ members often jumping in to join in different dances
-sometimes the women and men also wore traditional undergarments with ‘developed’ underwear (bras, briefs, etc.) It seemed that the crowd would react quite loudly to the women who showed their nipples and breasts, which would often come out with some of the dancing and shaking movements of their presenations.
-the San idea of body image seemed much healthily than anything back home, or even here, but was definitely in the critical spotlight as ‘underdeveloped’ or ‘primitive’ by many of the people watching (as was observed through their verbal reactions to different situations)
-there is a huge value for family. The host of the festival, a relatively local elder San women just radiated with pride and love for her tribe, sisters and grandchildren that performed a dance.
-I will cherish and appreciate this experience and all of the observations and
Once the afternoon’s activities had mainly finished we headed back to Trailblazers to spend the rest of the time relaxing by the fireside drinking and snacking. We had some interesting discussions with the other WUSC people about the weekend’s events, their summer experiences and all things foreign aid and politics related. We had our meal prepared at the campsite and spent the night keeping warm by the fire. As people slowly drifted off to bed, saying their final farewells – for we had many different people departing at different time – I crawled into my sleeping bag and quickly tucked all of the edges and open parts under my body. It was a cold night, but I was filled with the warmth of satisfaction reserved only for the rarest of occasions.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Blog #57 – Farewell to Maun
My last few days in Maun have passed in a flurry. While I have somehow naively thought that the rest of life here in Maun would slow down to allow me to say farewell, I was quite wrong. The pace even seemed to quicken – more and more I caught myself saying goodbye to people and places and I knew that it would be for the last time. There were no big parties, no big hoopla, all I wanted to was to make sure that I said goodbye to those individuals that I have gotten to know and that have had such an impact on me.
This final day in Maun I spent wrapping up my final work at the office. I made the round around town and said farewell to those people that I knew I most likely wouldn’t see again. However, I knew that I would be back again. Southern Africa has been amazing and there are so many places within it that I haven’t seen. While I originally thought that I wouldn’t be able to live here given all of the differences, as I get to the threshold of my visit, I find that the bottom of my stomach feels heavy and
I seem to be on the threshold of heavy emotion. Maun, of all places, within this region of the world, has taken a piece of my heart.
The only way that I can really say goodbye is to think of all of the things that I will miss about Maun and about my time here:
The Donkeys: grazing everywhere and controlling traffic inadvertently, Maun – the donkey capital of the world!
The weather: even though it is winter here, it feels more like my summer back home, expect with zero humidity and constant sunshine.
The local people: I have met some amazing local people and gained a lot of knowledge and perspective on life. I cannot thank them enough for that and as I have told them all they are welcome at my place in Canada if they ever decide to brave the cold!
My placement: all of the people working with BPCT and at dog camp. They have been a lot of fun and I have witnessed things n the wild that I would never have imagined. Lesley has been unbelievable to work with and I wish everyone the best of luck with all of their projects
The children: it was so much fun working with all of the children in the classroom and on the football field. This was definitely one of the highlights of my time here and I will cherish all of there laughter, their jokes, their smiles, but most importantly the vast amount of hope that they bring to this country
The women from Namibian with their picturesque outfits and headdresses, I can’t believe you wear those every day and in the heat to!
Combis and Taxi and driving in general – it can’t get much more crazy and dangerous to be a pedestrian than here in Maun.
The food: as crazy as it may sound, I have really enjoyed the local food. While almost all the food here is imported, they do an amazing job preparing and making delicious meals. The local seswaa, pap, goat, kudu steaks, impala leg have all been quite the experience! Shout out to some of my favourite restaurants: Raw, French Connection, the Pigmygoose, Buck & Hunter, Bon Arrive, Sports Bar and Audi Camp.
The basket women’s co-op in Matlapana: you women do some amazing work and I am glad to have had the opportunity to purchase a few things. I appreciate all your hard work and hope that your future plans for development go well!
The Bush & Delta: There is nowhere in the world like this – the Delta is such an amazing place with so much to learn about and see. I never would have expected to see all of the animals that I did, and the amazing scenery.
Weekend Picnics at Maun Game Park – enough said.
The Expatriates: The community of over three thousand expatriates here have been amazing warm and welcoming community. Thank you for all of the stories, all of the company and all of the wonderful nights!
The Bomo: One of my favourite places to hang out in Maun – the huge firepit restaurant and bar at Maun Lodge. I will miss hanging out with Vincent and all of his singing. I will miss talking with the Chief. I will miss all of the conversation we had about policy and international aid around that fire. I will miss the warmth that the fire brought each of the rather chilly winter nights. I will miss them all.
All of the local women who work all day with a baby tied onto their back by a blanket. Props to the unbelievable strength and stamina you working mothers display.
Trekkers: There is only one nightclub in Maun and I will remember it fondly. It is definitely not an international attraction, but it is also like nothing else I have ever experienced. Thanks to all of the people that we had all of our dances, competitions and drinks with! There were definitely some highlights of the trip here!
Cattle & Goat: I will miss the way that cattle and goat roam freeing around all of Maun and act very much as if they own the place. I will miss the way that people raise their animals in such a free and open manner and the trust that they have for one another. I will miss the taste of such tasty locally cooked meat, haha!
Manual Transmission: there have been many an experience on manual transmission and I cherish those near and dear to my experience here. There wouldn’t have been a more memorable way to learn how to drive than here in the given circumstances.
My Host family: I could not have asked for a better pairing. My family has been absolutely amazing and will be one of the things that I miss the most. For all thhe sleeping queens, rat-a-tat-cat and tampouline jumping! Thanks to all of girls, Lala, Andrew, Sharon, Antiba, Phillipa and Camelo – you have made me feel welcome and a part of Maun. My experience would not have been nearly as exciting without your help.
I cannot thank everyone and everything enough. I know that some of you will already come and visit me in Canada. For the rest of you I will be back.
I am off to Gabs for some post-placement work with WUSC and then this weekend I am going to the Festival of the San People in Ghanzi and D’kar – should be unbelievable – then I travel home on the 17th and finally set feet on Canadian soil on the afternoon of the 18th!
Good-bye Maun! Good luck and see you soon.
This final day in Maun I spent wrapping up my final work at the office. I made the round around town and said farewell to those people that I knew I most likely wouldn’t see again. However, I knew that I would be back again. Southern Africa has been amazing and there are so many places within it that I haven’t seen. While I originally thought that I wouldn’t be able to live here given all of the differences, as I get to the threshold of my visit, I find that the bottom of my stomach feels heavy and
I seem to be on the threshold of heavy emotion. Maun, of all places, within this region of the world, has taken a piece of my heart.
The only way that I can really say goodbye is to think of all of the things that I will miss about Maun and about my time here:
The Donkeys: grazing everywhere and controlling traffic inadvertently, Maun – the donkey capital of the world!
The weather: even though it is winter here, it feels more like my summer back home, expect with zero humidity and constant sunshine.
The local people: I have met some amazing local people and gained a lot of knowledge and perspective on life. I cannot thank them enough for that and as I have told them all they are welcome at my place in Canada if they ever decide to brave the cold!
My placement: all of the people working with BPCT and at dog camp. They have been a lot of fun and I have witnessed things n the wild that I would never have imagined. Lesley has been unbelievable to work with and I wish everyone the best of luck with all of their projects
The children: it was so much fun working with all of the children in the classroom and on the football field. This was definitely one of the highlights of my time here and I will cherish all of there laughter, their jokes, their smiles, but most importantly the vast amount of hope that they bring to this country
The women from Namibian with their picturesque outfits and headdresses, I can’t believe you wear those every day and in the heat to!
Combis and Taxi and driving in general – it can’t get much more crazy and dangerous to be a pedestrian than here in Maun.
The food: as crazy as it may sound, I have really enjoyed the local food. While almost all the food here is imported, they do an amazing job preparing and making delicious meals. The local seswaa, pap, goat, kudu steaks, impala leg have all been quite the experience! Shout out to some of my favourite restaurants: Raw, French Connection, the Pigmygoose, Buck & Hunter, Bon Arrive, Sports Bar and Audi Camp.
The basket women’s co-op in Matlapana: you women do some amazing work and I am glad to have had the opportunity to purchase a few things. I appreciate all your hard work and hope that your future plans for development go well!
The Bush & Delta: There is nowhere in the world like this – the Delta is such an amazing place with so much to learn about and see. I never would have expected to see all of the animals that I did, and the amazing scenery.
Weekend Picnics at Maun Game Park – enough said.
The Expatriates: The community of over three thousand expatriates here have been amazing warm and welcoming community. Thank you for all of the stories, all of the company and all of the wonderful nights!
The Bomo: One of my favourite places to hang out in Maun – the huge firepit restaurant and bar at Maun Lodge. I will miss hanging out with Vincent and all of his singing. I will miss talking with the Chief. I will miss all of the conversation we had about policy and international aid around that fire. I will miss the warmth that the fire brought each of the rather chilly winter nights. I will miss them all.
All of the local women who work all day with a baby tied onto their back by a blanket. Props to the unbelievable strength and stamina you working mothers display.
Trekkers: There is only one nightclub in Maun and I will remember it fondly. It is definitely not an international attraction, but it is also like nothing else I have ever experienced. Thanks to all of the people that we had all of our dances, competitions and drinks with! There were definitely some highlights of the trip here!
Cattle & Goat: I will miss the way that cattle and goat roam freeing around all of Maun and act very much as if they own the place. I will miss the way that people raise their animals in such a free and open manner and the trust that they have for one another. I will miss the taste of such tasty locally cooked meat, haha!
Manual Transmission: there have been many an experience on manual transmission and I cherish those near and dear to my experience here. There wouldn’t have been a more memorable way to learn how to drive than here in the given circumstances.
My Host family: I could not have asked for a better pairing. My family has been absolutely amazing and will be one of the things that I miss the most. For all thhe sleeping queens, rat-a-tat-cat and tampouline jumping! Thanks to all of girls, Lala, Andrew, Sharon, Antiba, Phillipa and Camelo – you have made me feel welcome and a part of Maun. My experience would not have been nearly as exciting without your help.
I cannot thank everyone and everything enough. I know that some of you will already come and visit me in Canada. For the rest of you I will be back.
I am off to Gabs for some post-placement work with WUSC and then this weekend I am going to the Festival of the San People in Ghanzi and D’kar – should be unbelievable – then I travel home on the 17th and finally set feet on Canadian soil on the afternoon of the 18th!
Good-bye Maun! Good luck and see you soon.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Blog #47 – Wrap-up Wednesday
Regardless of last night’s festivities, Wednesday still had an early start. Today I drafted a few different newsletter updates for the different organizations and people that are integral to supporting and allowing this program to run. There was lots of edits, but in the end they both looked and sounded really good.
The other exciting task I had for the day was designing shirts for the program. One area that we wanted to improve in the program was the visibility of the volunteers, etc, etc. We wanted to help brand them with BPCT, to make them stand out help, but also to pass on an important message. They looked pretty sweet, and I do hope that I end up getting one…though I don’t know when I would be back for one!
This was also the last day that work was going to be done on the Conservation Centre/Campsite. Today they were putting the final touches onto everything and also painting a massive mural on the back wall. I managed to make it out in the afternoon to help a little bit with the final projects as things we wrapped up. Tomorrow we were all leaving for Namibia and therefore we didn’t have much other opportunity to get stuff done.
Mickey, the headmaster at Matswane, held a Braii for us – at the Conservation Centre/Campsite that night. It was a really nice celebration of all of the work that has went into the program and how much further forward it has been brought in the past weeks given all of this extra help.
We had a nice big fire, wine to drink and plenty of food to eat – and we spend a long time just sitting around chatting. It is definitely comparable to campfires back home, but a little more intense. It basically starts as soon as it is getting dark. The fire is started and everyone just chills. After the fire has created some really nice embers they shovel them out and create a little cooking area out of bricks and a metal frame. The meat gets slowly cooked over the embers, infused with the entire aroma of the fire. The whole time people are just drinking and conversing, waiting for the meat!
Once the meat is finished people start lining up – and they each take a few pieces, which they then to do whatever they want with – eat it straight, make a sandwich, or a salad, it doesn’t really matter, but it honestly tastes so good. There were potato salad and other delicious dishes to the spread, and everyone just kept eating until they couldn’t anymore…and there was still lots to eat! Luckily that day was also one of Lesley’s son’s birthday – so she had baked some cakes and we managed to put down some of that too before calling it quits!
Since this was the last night that the students would get to spend in Maun – they would be off to Namibia and then back to go into the bush for a few days before the end of their time here – we decided to spend one last night at Trekkers. Wednesday wasn’t the biggest night at Trekkers so we didn’t have any problem getting there or getting in. The club was relatively empty and we enjoyed the entire dance floor to ourselves. We ran into a few of the local people that we had met, and we had brought out some of the locals that we worked with so we had a pretty strong contingent, haha.
I don’t ever know how these things get started, but we ended up having a dance off with basically everyone in the club – or for you Ukrainians it was much more like a Milanka (spelling?!). It was definitely the highlight of the night as we saw some really interesting local dancing flavour and even though we weren’t particularly amazing – the locals loved all of our North American signature moves. The club closed down by midnight and everyone headed home for some rest before the big day of travel ahead of us. Tomorrow I was going to Namibia and I couldn’t wait!
The other exciting task I had for the day was designing shirts for the program. One area that we wanted to improve in the program was the visibility of the volunteers, etc, etc. We wanted to help brand them with BPCT, to make them stand out help, but also to pass on an important message. They looked pretty sweet, and I do hope that I end up getting one…though I don’t know when I would be back for one!
This was also the last day that work was going to be done on the Conservation Centre/Campsite. Today they were putting the final touches onto everything and also painting a massive mural on the back wall. I managed to make it out in the afternoon to help a little bit with the final projects as things we wrapped up. Tomorrow we were all leaving for Namibia and therefore we didn’t have much other opportunity to get stuff done.
Mickey, the headmaster at Matswane, held a Braii for us – at the Conservation Centre/Campsite that night. It was a really nice celebration of all of the work that has went into the program and how much further forward it has been brought in the past weeks given all of this extra help.
We had a nice big fire, wine to drink and plenty of food to eat – and we spend a long time just sitting around chatting. It is definitely comparable to campfires back home, but a little more intense. It basically starts as soon as it is getting dark. The fire is started and everyone just chills. After the fire has created some really nice embers they shovel them out and create a little cooking area out of bricks and a metal frame. The meat gets slowly cooked over the embers, infused with the entire aroma of the fire. The whole time people are just drinking and conversing, waiting for the meat!
Once the meat is finished people start lining up – and they each take a few pieces, which they then to do whatever they want with – eat it straight, make a sandwich, or a salad, it doesn’t really matter, but it honestly tastes so good. There were potato salad and other delicious dishes to the spread, and everyone just kept eating until they couldn’t anymore…and there was still lots to eat! Luckily that day was also one of Lesley’s son’s birthday – so she had baked some cakes and we managed to put down some of that too before calling it quits!
Since this was the last night that the students would get to spend in Maun – they would be off to Namibia and then back to go into the bush for a few days before the end of their time here – we decided to spend one last night at Trekkers. Wednesday wasn’t the biggest night at Trekkers so we didn’t have any problem getting there or getting in. The club was relatively empty and we enjoyed the entire dance floor to ourselves. We ran into a few of the local people that we had met, and we had brought out some of the locals that we worked with so we had a pretty strong contingent, haha.
I don’t ever know how these things get started, but we ended up having a dance off with basically everyone in the club – or for you Ukrainians it was much more like a Milanka (spelling?!). It was definitely the highlight of the night as we saw some really interesting local dancing flavour and even though we weren’t particularly amazing – the locals loved all of our North American signature moves. The club closed down by midnight and everyone headed home for some rest before the big day of travel ahead of us. Tomorrow I was going to Namibia and I couldn’t wait!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Blog #46 – Media, Police & Beer Pong
Tuesday was a different story. I spent the morning around town and in the office. I was arranging and making sure that the media who had visited and got footage from the camp had everything they needed to get it to press. I was, as would call, a free-lance writer. I actually wrote the article for the local newspaper. I brought it in on a flash drive to the sports journalist and gave it to him telling him that this is what we were thinking and was something he could work off of. I was interested to see what would happen with that. After dealing with the print media, I headed to the TV station to see how things were coming. Calvin was a little frantic trying to put everything together – there were a few shots that he wanted, but wasn’t able to get. I got a load of still pictures to him and provided him wit ha bunch of literature that would hopefully help him get it finished.
The best part about the morning was running into an angel. That’s right, an angel! She carried this beautiful red shiny bucket! And inside were the treats of the devil – pure temptation itself…. Nah, I am just kidding. It was this sweet old ma who baked these home made samosas! At first I just bought one and I ate it right away, it was probably the most delicious thing I had eaten all summer! Then as she was about to leave I bought another two to go. I couldn’t help but eat one of them now though. Then one of my friends that was with me said they were too spicy for her, so I ate hers too. All in all, I didn’t even eat lunch I was so full of samosa.
The next excitement of the day was when we were at French Connection, a little café, for a drink. I was having my usual Iced Mint Tea, when a special constable (police) officer came into the restaurant. He looked all business and I was really excited to see what was going to happen! He had a local man with him that ointed directly at our table. I was like, “oh shit! Run! There is no way that I am going to a Botswana prison!” However, I am not that gutsy, so I just sat there – taking solace in the fact that to my knowledge I hadn’t broken the law.
Turns out I was safe. The Motswana was after Maura – the cinematographer – who had apparently filmed him yesterday in the marketplace without his consent. He had given Maura a really big stink of it the day before and was apparently quite rude about it. Maura showed him the filming permit that they had from the Botswana Government explaining that they had the right to shot in any public spaces, she also told him that they wouldn’t use that footage if it bothered him. In the end she just packed up and left – leaving the shot behind as the guy wouldn’t quit.
Apparently he wasn’t satisfied, so he had went to the police and got them to come and “summon” them to the police station. How he found them in French Connection of all places in Maun is ridiculous to me. Ashley, the director got involved and spoke with the officer. In the end the officer told them that they should come to the police station to make a statement. They weren’t under arrest or anything, so it was really odd. We didn’t have the vehicle at the time so we headed back to the office to wait for it there. In the mean time though, we somehow decided that it wasn’t necessary for them to go to the police. They weren’t under arrest, nothing had been filed, this was all unofficial, so why would they go? They also had shooting set-up for a little bit later that they didn’t want to miss as it was during sunset when the lighting was needed to be just right. We were also set to go to Lesley’s for dinner tonight and it was getting late.
That’s when the police rolled up in their car to the office and knocked on the door. I was like, “they found you! How did they find you?!” There was no way that they knew they were with BPCT and have never been to the office before – we had even just moved into the office last month! I was amazed at the effectiveness of the police, or perhaps diligence. However from the moment that I answered the door I could tell that the constable did not want to be there. The Motswana was still with him and immediately started demanding that we all come to the police station now. First off, I had nothing to do with this, so I was staying out. After debating for twenty minutes, Ashley decided to come with the officer to the Police Station out of respect of the request. He did threaten her to say, “they were not under arrest NOW, but if they didn’t come that would be problematic for the future!” haha, whoa!
The best part of this was that the police vehicles here are similar to those at home. There are two seats in the front – but then the back of the vehicle is where the criminals go. That is exactly where Maura and Ashely went. Kate and I were left in the office and we were pissing ourselves laughing as they climbed up into the caged cell on the pack of the police pick-up. We joked that this would be the last time we ever saw there alive – not really a joking matter, but you had to be there – it was so picturesque!
Kate and I chilled at the office for the next three hours while we waited for them to return. They never came. We decided to close up and see where they had gone so we drove to the police station. They were sitting in the main office of the station facing the man who was obviously the constable in-charge. They were talking back and forth and looked drained and exhausted. The Motswana was still going strong with really energetic gestures and talking quite emphatically. I have no idea what he was saying those – as they were talking in Setswana. After the next ten minutes, the constable in charge turned to us and said “please, just go”. The Motswana was not pleased one bit at his decision! He started putting up a fight, but the officer stopped him. He said that he had already caused them so much grief, he should be happy that they are not charging him for all of the time wasted, that he was out of line and had no right to do what he did. That was the last we ever saw or heard from that man.
We made it to Lesley’s two hours late for dinner, but it was a really nice evening. She had prepared Kudu steaks – which were quite meaty and delicious! We also had Painted Wolf Wine – which is an award winning Swiss wine that is the private label for the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust. The vineyard donates money for each bottle to this organization that Lesley runs and that I am volunteering with, so that is super cool! We spent the night recounting our recent adventures and chatting about all things under the moon.
The night was getting late, but I had arranged for one of my friends to pick us up – her name was Kat. However, there was a little bit of a miscommunication. Kat, had come from a braii to pick us up and take us back there…not home :) I was totally cool with that – as I had never been to a braii, but the others were a little bit unimpressed. A braii sort of originates from South Africa – or so we were told – and is basically like a big bbq roasting party. There is a fire that the meat gets cooked over and everyone drinks and has a merry good time! There is a very distinct smell to a braii, the mix of cooked meat, and fire, which is really warm and inviting.
We ended up playing a drinking game called Beer Pong – which I am sure the university students are familiar with. The only reason I am bothering to include it was because it escalated quite quickly into a battle of the continents: Africa vs. North America. It was a very intense battle and we played the best of three rounds. We split the first two rounds and everyone was watching as we played this final round. I am SO proud to say that I represented Canada well and we destroyed them in the final round! It was all I good fun and the night was really enjoyable – and totally unexpected, haha, but all the good things in life are :)
The best part about the morning was running into an angel. That’s right, an angel! She carried this beautiful red shiny bucket! And inside were the treats of the devil – pure temptation itself…. Nah, I am just kidding. It was this sweet old ma who baked these home made samosas! At first I just bought one and I ate it right away, it was probably the most delicious thing I had eaten all summer! Then as she was about to leave I bought another two to go. I couldn’t help but eat one of them now though. Then one of my friends that was with me said they were too spicy for her, so I ate hers too. All in all, I didn’t even eat lunch I was so full of samosa.
The next excitement of the day was when we were at French Connection, a little café, for a drink. I was having my usual Iced Mint Tea, when a special constable (police) officer came into the restaurant. He looked all business and I was really excited to see what was going to happen! He had a local man with him that ointed directly at our table. I was like, “oh shit! Run! There is no way that I am going to a Botswana prison!” However, I am not that gutsy, so I just sat there – taking solace in the fact that to my knowledge I hadn’t broken the law.
Turns out I was safe. The Motswana was after Maura – the cinematographer – who had apparently filmed him yesterday in the marketplace without his consent. He had given Maura a really big stink of it the day before and was apparently quite rude about it. Maura showed him the filming permit that they had from the Botswana Government explaining that they had the right to shot in any public spaces, she also told him that they wouldn’t use that footage if it bothered him. In the end she just packed up and left – leaving the shot behind as the guy wouldn’t quit.
Apparently he wasn’t satisfied, so he had went to the police and got them to come and “summon” them to the police station. How he found them in French Connection of all places in Maun is ridiculous to me. Ashley, the director got involved and spoke with the officer. In the end the officer told them that they should come to the police station to make a statement. They weren’t under arrest or anything, so it was really odd. We didn’t have the vehicle at the time so we headed back to the office to wait for it there. In the mean time though, we somehow decided that it wasn’t necessary for them to go to the police. They weren’t under arrest, nothing had been filed, this was all unofficial, so why would they go? They also had shooting set-up for a little bit later that they didn’t want to miss as it was during sunset when the lighting was needed to be just right. We were also set to go to Lesley’s for dinner tonight and it was getting late.
That’s when the police rolled up in their car to the office and knocked on the door. I was like, “they found you! How did they find you?!” There was no way that they knew they were with BPCT and have never been to the office before – we had even just moved into the office last month! I was amazed at the effectiveness of the police, or perhaps diligence. However from the moment that I answered the door I could tell that the constable did not want to be there. The Motswana was still with him and immediately started demanding that we all come to the police station now. First off, I had nothing to do with this, so I was staying out. After debating for twenty minutes, Ashley decided to come with the officer to the Police Station out of respect of the request. He did threaten her to say, “they were not under arrest NOW, but if they didn’t come that would be problematic for the future!” haha, whoa!
The best part of this was that the police vehicles here are similar to those at home. There are two seats in the front – but then the back of the vehicle is where the criminals go. That is exactly where Maura and Ashely went. Kate and I were left in the office and we were pissing ourselves laughing as they climbed up into the caged cell on the pack of the police pick-up. We joked that this would be the last time we ever saw there alive – not really a joking matter, but you had to be there – it was so picturesque!
Kate and I chilled at the office for the next three hours while we waited for them to return. They never came. We decided to close up and see where they had gone so we drove to the police station. They were sitting in the main office of the station facing the man who was obviously the constable in-charge. They were talking back and forth and looked drained and exhausted. The Motswana was still going strong with really energetic gestures and talking quite emphatically. I have no idea what he was saying those – as they were talking in Setswana. After the next ten minutes, the constable in charge turned to us and said “please, just go”. The Motswana was not pleased one bit at his decision! He started putting up a fight, but the officer stopped him. He said that he had already caused them so much grief, he should be happy that they are not charging him for all of the time wasted, that he was out of line and had no right to do what he did. That was the last we ever saw or heard from that man.
We made it to Lesley’s two hours late for dinner, but it was a really nice evening. She had prepared Kudu steaks – which were quite meaty and delicious! We also had Painted Wolf Wine – which is an award winning Swiss wine that is the private label for the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust. The vineyard donates money for each bottle to this organization that Lesley runs and that I am volunteering with, so that is super cool! We spent the night recounting our recent adventures and chatting about all things under the moon.
The night was getting late, but I had arranged for one of my friends to pick us up – her name was Kat. However, there was a little bit of a miscommunication. Kat, had come from a braii to pick us up and take us back there…not home :) I was totally cool with that – as I had never been to a braii, but the others were a little bit unimpressed. A braii sort of originates from South Africa – or so we were told – and is basically like a big bbq roasting party. There is a fire that the meat gets cooked over and everyone drinks and has a merry good time! There is a very distinct smell to a braii, the mix of cooked meat, and fire, which is really warm and inviting.
We ended up playing a drinking game called Beer Pong – which I am sure the university students are familiar with. The only reason I am bothering to include it was because it escalated quite quickly into a battle of the continents: Africa vs. North America. It was a very intense battle and we played the best of three rounds. We split the first two rounds and everyone was watching as we played this final round. I am SO proud to say that I represented Canada well and we destroyed them in the final round! It was all I good fun and the night was really enjoyable – and totally unexpected, haha, but all the good things in life are :)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Blog #45 – C4C: The Aftermath
Monday morning. It was back to a regular workweek. No more football, no more games, no more children. I have to admit that I was a little put out. However, the nice thing was that I was starting my day at Matswane Primary continuing the work on the conservation centre/camp site. Today we worked on building a fire pit, so some of the girl actually learned how to brick lay from Polo, a local that was supervising and directing us. He was a jack of all trades – welding, construction, bricklayer, you name it.
My job today was a little lack luster. I was the only one that could reach the high centre peak of the ceiling with any ease. So I spent my day on the ladder – definitely would not pass safety standards back home, haha. But it was a lot of work and my shoulders killed by the end of the morning. I had packed the Indian food from last night for lunch, so that was delicious – and yes I shared with everyone else. I felt for them as they just had sandwiches :)
We continued working into the afternoon the main chunks of the building where pretty much done and the next two days would be spent making it look like a more welcoming and functional space.
I spent the end of the day back in the office working out details for a trip to Namibia for the weekend. All of the documentarians and the USC volunteers would be coming – thirteen people in total – and there was promise for a good time. I managed to find accommodation for all of us for ten dollars CND a person per night – pretty wicked! I also had a combi (mini-bus) hired, which we would drive there and back for just $200 for the weekend – plus the cost of petrol obviously, pretty sweet! Everyone was wiped from the full day of work outside so there wasn’t any excitement in the evening as everyone crashed pretty early.
My job today was a little lack luster. I was the only one that could reach the high centre peak of the ceiling with any ease. So I spent my day on the ladder – definitely would not pass safety standards back home, haha. But it was a lot of work and my shoulders killed by the end of the morning. I had packed the Indian food from last night for lunch, so that was delicious – and yes I shared with everyone else. I felt for them as they just had sandwiches :)
We continued working into the afternoon the main chunks of the building where pretty much done and the next two days would be spent making it look like a more welcoming and functional space.
I spent the end of the day back in the office working out details for a trip to Namibia for the weekend. All of the documentarians and the USC volunteers would be coming – thirteen people in total – and there was promise for a good time. I managed to find accommodation for all of us for ten dollars CND a person per night – pretty wicked! I also had a combi (mini-bus) hired, which we would drive there and back for just $200 for the weekend – plus the cost of petrol obviously, pretty sweet! Everyone was wiped from the full day of work outside so there wasn’t any excitement in the evening as everyone crashed pretty early.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Blog #44 – Recuperation, MAWS & My Paws
I spent Saturday in full recover mode. I have a wonderful sleep-in and got up feeling very full of sleep (you know that really comfortable feeling having slept too much and now all you want to do is just lounge around?). We had cinnamon French toast for breakfast – delicious but what I would do for some maple syrop. They eat their French Toast here with ketchup, or tomato sauce?! Crazy, eh?
I spent the late morning and early afternoon doing some baking – therapeutic and delicious! I spent the afternoon reading and catching up on emails and work fomr the week. It was a really nice day with nothing to major, or too exciting, just good old fashion down time.
Sunday was back at it though! We had to get up early and drive out to a program called the Domestic Dog Disease Control Program. It is a partnership between the organization I work for and MAWS – the Maun Animal Welfare Society. The program is offered completely free and is a vaccination and spade/neutering program for the domestic dog and cat population. The goal of this program is to track, but also reduce the spread of disease from domestic to wild animals.
We got to the clinic just past eight in the morning. We walked into the room, right into the middle of a veternarian cutting out the uterus of a small dog. It was really shocking, but also very cool. The facilities were basic, simple, yet clean and the people working their were efficient. Everyone worked on a volunteer basis and the supplies needed were purchased by donations. The program worked generally by having the MAWS people travel out into the villages or areas of Maun to collect dogs and cats. They would bring them back to the clinic and then perform the surgeries and vaccinations. All of it was done free of charge and rather quickly. All the owner’s had to do was agree to the treatment.
We spent the morning talking with the vet and learning about how the program began and has grown. It really is a neat project – and all of the people involved do this on top of the rest of their lives, families and full time jobs. They have performed worked with thousands and thousands of animals and it is crazy to think what the situation would be like without their work. The domestic animal population control is a problem here in Maun. There are so many animals, and owners will just neglect or kick out their animals if they don’t have the time of the money. There is a really big difference here compared to back home. People don’t love their pets as much, they don’t really even see them as pets. They definitely do not put nearly as much effort into raising them as back home – and they never dress them up!
After the MAWS clinic wrapped up, we headed over to Matswane Primary School. This was the site that the construction of a Conservation Classroom/Campsite would begin. The USC students were involved and pumped as this was a major focus of their trip. I was also lucky enough to get to volunteer and help out. Partly because I had the time and partly because the tire blew on the landrover, and we weren’t going anywhere quickly ;)
There was already a basic foundation of cement and metal beams from which the centre would be constructed and we spent the day sanding, cleaning and welding together. Considering that it is winter-time here, it is hard to believe how hot it gets during the day. When I was working in the sun, in the middle of the afternoon it must have easily been close to thirty-five degrees. I cannot imagine what the summertime must be like here!
It was really fun to get some physical labour in and to break a sweat. After all of the curriculum, classroom and teaching – I really enjoyed the opportunity to work on something physical, something that would be visible and would last for many decades. Mickey Vieges, the headmaster as the school, is an absolutely amazing guy. He spent the whole day with us working and chatting about the plans for the space. He bought us flats of soda and beer. One of the tips I got from a local was to drink the beer when you are really thirsty. It is so low in percentage that you won’t get drunk or anything, but it is VERY refreshing. How right he was! By the end of the day, we managed to get some primer coats of paint up and everyone was really impressed with the progress we made – especially Mickey!
I headed home for dinner. Camello had prepared an Indian feast! Complete with homemade naan and everything! It was a delicious meal and I was really happy with the day; I had learned a lot, gotten my hands dirty and now was just socializing with my family at night. Life is good.
I spent the late morning and early afternoon doing some baking – therapeutic and delicious! I spent the afternoon reading and catching up on emails and work fomr the week. It was a really nice day with nothing to major, or too exciting, just good old fashion down time.
Sunday was back at it though! We had to get up early and drive out to a program called the Domestic Dog Disease Control Program. It is a partnership between the organization I work for and MAWS – the Maun Animal Welfare Society. The program is offered completely free and is a vaccination and spade/neutering program for the domestic dog and cat population. The goal of this program is to track, but also reduce the spread of disease from domestic to wild animals.
We got to the clinic just past eight in the morning. We walked into the room, right into the middle of a veternarian cutting out the uterus of a small dog. It was really shocking, but also very cool. The facilities were basic, simple, yet clean and the people working their were efficient. Everyone worked on a volunteer basis and the supplies needed were purchased by donations. The program worked generally by having the MAWS people travel out into the villages or areas of Maun to collect dogs and cats. They would bring them back to the clinic and then perform the surgeries and vaccinations. All of it was done free of charge and rather quickly. All the owner’s had to do was agree to the treatment.
We spent the morning talking with the vet and learning about how the program began and has grown. It really is a neat project – and all of the people involved do this on top of the rest of their lives, families and full time jobs. They have performed worked with thousands and thousands of animals and it is crazy to think what the situation would be like without their work. The domestic animal population control is a problem here in Maun. There are so many animals, and owners will just neglect or kick out their animals if they don’t have the time of the money. There is a really big difference here compared to back home. People don’t love their pets as much, they don’t really even see them as pets. They definitely do not put nearly as much effort into raising them as back home – and they never dress them up!
After the MAWS clinic wrapped up, we headed over to Matswane Primary School. This was the site that the construction of a Conservation Classroom/Campsite would begin. The USC students were involved and pumped as this was a major focus of their trip. I was also lucky enough to get to volunteer and help out. Partly because I had the time and partly because the tire blew on the landrover, and we weren’t going anywhere quickly ;)
There was already a basic foundation of cement and metal beams from which the centre would be constructed and we spent the day sanding, cleaning and welding together. Considering that it is winter-time here, it is hard to believe how hot it gets during the day. When I was working in the sun, in the middle of the afternoon it must have easily been close to thirty-five degrees. I cannot imagine what the summertime must be like here!
It was really fun to get some physical labour in and to break a sweat. After all of the curriculum, classroom and teaching – I really enjoyed the opportunity to work on something physical, something that would be visible and would last for many decades. Mickey Vieges, the headmaster as the school, is an absolutely amazing guy. He spent the whole day with us working and chatting about the plans for the space. He bought us flats of soda and beer. One of the tips I got from a local was to drink the beer when you are really thirsty. It is so low in percentage that you won’t get drunk or anything, but it is VERY refreshing. How right he was! By the end of the day, we managed to get some primer coats of paint up and everyone was really impressed with the progress we made – especially Mickey!
I headed home for dinner. Camello had prepared an Indian feast! Complete with homemade naan and everything! It was a delicious meal and I was really happy with the day; I had learned a lot, gotten my hands dirty and now was just socializing with my family at night. Life is good.
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