First Congregational UCC - Platteville

Dumelang,

So, WHAT HAPPENED??

Peace Corps as an organization has changed over the years. The safety and security of volunteers is a subject for hot debate in the offices of higher up’s in Washington D.C. Peace Corps headquarters. A new director came to Botswana along with my group of volunteers (Bots 6) last year. So, in part, my leaving is the result of this broader context, an office that is rather paranoid and disconnected from their volunteers, and a director who had her reputation on the line because she had been accused of being too “soft.”

With that in mind, I am going to give an outline of what happened, although I will refrain from divulging every personal detail. I assume you welcome the discretion, but if you do want to know more, feel free to ask. I am not embarrassed by the circumstances which led to my resignation.

The decision by my director was based on three different incidents:

1. I dated the Peace Corps doctor (the doctor who took care of us as Peace Corps volunteers). He was part-time, our relationship was brief, and, I did not realize at the time, against policy. I was reprimanded and he was asked to resign (which he did, gladly, having two other jobs and not being thrilled with the work). I wrote a letter of apology to my fellow volunteers and was put on probation through June this year (meaning that Peace Corps was “keeping an eye on me.”)

2. There was a “safety and security incident” (I was physically assaulted) at a neighboring village to my site at the end of March. The safety and security officer from Peace Corps visited the offender, was reassured that the incident would not be repeated, and a report was sent to the Washington office detailing the incident and the response. The official response from Peace Corps Washington suggested that I return home for my safety. Peggy (the director) and Thuso (the safety and security officer) and I (concerned for my own safety for obvious reasons) disagreed with the official response from Washington and Peggy allowed me to continue my service.

3. I had a mid-service medical appointment the day before I left for my visit home, at the end of June. At the appointment, I turned in a receipt showing antibiotics I had purchased in Ghanzi. (Volunteers are expected to report all illnesses and treatment so that the medical office can update medical files accordingly). I was told I could receive reimbursement for the antibiotics. I left the receipt with the nurse who gave it to the administrator. The nurse had noticed that there were two pregnancy tests listed on the same receipt. I assured her I was not asking for reimbursement for those tests and, rather sheepishly, realizing what she might think, assured her the tests were not purchased for me. They were purchased for my village (Kole health post does not carry pregnancy tests, as I learned after the young couple asked me for advice about their “situation”). The administrator who received the receipt was uncertain about the amount he was supposed to reimburse, since the nurse didn’t explain that I was only being reimbursed for the antibiotics. He brought the receipt to Peggy, concerned that the pregnancy tests were for me. She decided, in my absence, that this was yet another potential safety concern.

When I got back from Rachel’s wedding, I was called in for a meeting and, without a chance to explain about the pregnancy tests (my conversation with the nurse was apparently not enough), was told that I had engaged in too many risky behaviors as a volunteer and could either resign or be administratively separated.

According to my friend and fellow volunteer, “Peace Corps blows big balls.” (I apologize for the crudeness. It was a welcome description at the time, and I still appreciate her sentiment). I was angry and hurt by the news, incredulous, and, maybe the worst part of it, felt terribly misunderstood.

However, I experienced a surge of support from my Batswana friends on my way out. The Batswana Peace Corps staff shook their heads in amazement and (three of them shared with me) total disagreement. Everyone who I called and told expressed dismay. They were unbelievably sensitive, anticipating my feelings of being a disappointment, of not wanting to let them down, etc. They, unprompted, sent me text messages or called me to say, and I quote:

“You were loved from the beginning and will always be loved.” (driver in Charleshill)

“I’m so sorry, gal! I know how much you loved this place!” (teacher in Kole)

“It’s not supposed to be this way, but keep your head up!” (nurse in Kole)

“It isn’t fair, but everything happens for a reason.” (old language teacher)

“Go tla siame!” It will be okay (District Officer at Charleshill)

“There are so many ways. O tla boa!” You’ll come back. (Peace Corps driver)

This is just a sampling. They were truly amazing. Fellow Peace Corps volunteers in my group were also supportive. Brian made me one last meal and heated one last round of pots of water for a hot bath at his house and he wouldn’t let me do the dishes. I didn’t get to see Monica, but we cried over the phone together. Cassie and I are still in denial, I think. I stopped by my friend Andrea’s to find Lauren had traveled four hours to be there to say goodbye. (I was giving Andrea my cat). They assured me that I was a “superstar” and expressed great concern about, “Who will speak at our COS? No one else speaks Setswana!”

With their help, I started focusing on the positive part of coming home. Although I am frustrated to leave on someone else’s terms, and I do wish I could have spent more time working in Kole, I have had several reasons to believe in that cliché phrase, “Everything happens for a reason.”

I got home just in time to apply for UW-Madison as a special student in order to finish up my pre-requisites for nursing school. I had random encounters with everyone I would have wanted to say goodbye to on my way out of Botswana, including getting to see, hug, and tickle, one last time, my now 4 year old host brother in Moshupa. I had bought presents from Wisconsin for my closest friends, which turned into heart felt going away presents.

Reflections

I have told you, in sporadic tid bits, about Botswana. You know that there are beautiful skies. You know that there are poisonous snakes. You know that the cuisine is not terribly varied, and also that every guest will receive a plate of food. You know that water is scarce and so the people worship it, even in their language (pula!).

At the risk of repeating myself, I am going to tell you about Botswana again, as if someone has asked me to summarize my experience of it. (No one has asked; humor me). ;)

Geography

Botswana is a sub-Saharan African country that is roughly the size of Texas. The southeastern part of the country has an extensive rainy season that fills dry beds until they are rushing, white water rivers. There is varied topography which creates expansive views of valleys and rolling hills, dotted with rock outcroppings that glow pink in the sunset. (Picture the Lion King). In the northeast, there are savanna grasslands. The northwest is comprised of the great Okavango Delta, an impressive network of rivers, wetlands, and forest that nurtures thousands of bird species and other wildlife. The Kalahari Desert expands over the central and southwestern regions, covering about two thirds of the country. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, countless antelope (gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest, dik-dik, impala, kudu, etc.), elephants, water buffalo, rhinoceros, ostrich, warthogs, hyenas, and wild dogs roam the wilderness, of which there is plenty because there are less than 2 million people living in Botswana.

People

In the southeast are the Tswana tribes. The majority of Tswana people live in South Africa, but the arbitrary border between Botswana and South Africa left a sizable amount of Tswana people near Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. They are the country’s dominant tribe. Their language, Setswana, is one of two official languages. The other is English. There are countless other tribes and sub-cultures. The Bamambagushu (sp?) (river people) live in the Okavango, quietly navigating the waters in dugout mokoro boats. The Bakalanga (known for their pride and their high level of education) inhabit the northeast and weave baskets from the grasses that grow in their savanna. The Basarwa, or bushmen, are a fascinating tribe of tiny people with light skin, high cheekbones, and very round buttocks (where energy is stored in times of famine and upon which children can sit while the traditionally nomadic tribe roams across the Kalahari). It was legal until the 1970’s to hunt Basarwa, because they were so different from other tribes in Botswana, it seemed they were not human. They are the subject of an exasperating amount of anthropological study, and still are the most oppressed group of people in sub-saharan Africa. The Bakgalagadi are the people of the Kalahari. Staunch traditionalists, they adhere to strict rules of the kgotla tradition which punishes thievery and rewards honesty. As with all human societies, there is stratification amongst the tribes. From my observations in the western part of the country, the hierarchy is roughly: Batswana (the father east, the better), Bakgalagadi, Baherrero (from Namibia), Basarwa. The Bakalanga think of themselves as above it all, but are really a peripheral group.

History

Botswana, once known as Bechuanaland, asked from protection from Britain during the Boer Wars in the mid 1800’s. Boers, Dutch immigrants who claimed their new African home as their God given right and enslaved people to work on their farms, had already conquered much of South Africa and were pushing north into Botswana. After becoming a protectorate of Britian, however, the Boers were thwarted and the Batswana enjoyed continued peace. In 1964, Britain informed them of their independence, which is still celebrated, with much enthusiasm, during the last weekend in September.

Politics

Botswana is called a democratic republic. In practice, however, it is a socialist state. The government provides jobs to almost 50% of the population. Education is free. Health care is free. Food is available to those who need it. Orphans are cared for by government offices in the rare case of a child who is not taken in by extended family. Batswana elect members of parliament, from which a new president is chosen every four years by the current president. There is a bi-partisan system, although the opposition party is barely represented in parliament (2 members out of 14, if I remember correctly).

Education System

Influenced by the British, there is a Western style of education. Primary school (standards 1 – 7), junior secondary school (Forms 1,2, and 3), and senior secondary school (Forms 4 and 5) reflect elementary, middle, and high schools in the U.S. Children start at the age of 7, with several exceptions, especially in the rural areas, where 14 year olds can be found in Standard 2, having spent their childhood looking after the livestock at their family’s cattle post. There is one university in Botswana, the University of Botswana or UB. Since the government recognizes its limitations in higher education, it pays for those pursuing higher education to take courses abroad, in the U.S., the U.K., or Australia, if the course which the individual wishes to pursue is not offered at UB.

Cultural Notes

Elders are highly respected. Respect is shown to elders by young people by proper greetings (clasped hands, a slight bow), by speaking quietly, and by following orders without question or complaint. Obedience is so ingrained in youth that a classroom full of students might sit for a day at school with no teacher to supervise them and no harm would be done.

Greetings are important, as are the hand shakes that accompany the greeting. When money or a gift is exchanged, the giver hands it to the receiver with his/her right hand, palm open, while the left hand rests on the right forearm or holds the right arm below the elbow (as in when greeting). The person receiving does so with both hands, palms up and open (especially if he/she is younger than the giver).

Hospitality is guaranteed. However, people are not necessarily warm and outgoing to guests. Batswana are reserved. Besides, it is widely understood that hospitality, especially to anyone remotely related (which everyone seems to be in Botswana, however distantly), is a must. So, there is no need to overcome the fear that a guest might have that he/she is intruding, which would be the case in the U.S. Hospitality includes food and a comfortable bed with plenty of blankets in the wintertime.

HIV/AIDS

We Westerners like statistics. Luckily, Botswana is a place with enough infrastructure to satisfy this strange craving. In 2005, 35% of pregnant women in Botswana were HIV positive. Seventeen percent of the sexually active population (defined as ages 15-49) were positive. Remember that pregnant women are a higher risk group, since they have obviously been engaged in unprotected sex, hence the higher prevalence rate in that population. The numbers are not finalized for 2007 (the National Coordinating AIDS Agency has promised to report accurate statistics every two years), but it is expected that they will be lower. The peak of the epidemic is over (we hope) since education campaigns, ARV medication, and increased medical staff have been implemented since 2003. There are cultural expectations which are barriers to the slowing of the epidemic. Women don’t want to use condoms because they want to get pregnant in order to prove their fertility/marriageability and to gain the rights of womanhood (respect as an elder of the community). Men are encouraged to have multiple sexual partnerships in order to appear manly. Multiple, concurrent partnerships by both men and women are common and accepted. There are words in Setswana for “my mistress”, “my little mistress” (not very serious), “my big mistress” (has been going on for some time), my “part-time mistress” (she stays far away), etc., etc. The language has recently developed corresponding names for the male “small houses” (affairs).

HIV/AIDS work as a Peace Corps Volunteer

I am optimistic that the rate of HIV infections in Botswana will continue to decrease. The government, in its typically socially responsible fashion, is spending resources to ensure it, and the country is receiving unbelievable support from outside donors. In order for the money to be sustainably spent (and not just thrown at the problem, as some critics say is happening), education, especially for youth, is key. Peace Corps volunteers are devoting much of their time and energy to exactly that. Changing future sexual behaviors of the upcoming generation in Botswana will allow them to remain HIV negative, and to live full, productive lives.

Closure

I welcome any questions you have about Botswana or my time there. This is my last mass email about Botswana! I hope you have enjoyed. :-)

Love,

Leah/Thapelo