Bub in Bots!

The day, where Trenton came to visit me in my home in Africa, came and left! It was one of the most memorable weeks I'll keep in my heart. 

This crazy, hard-working man was finally able to get some days off to visit. The second he emailed his flight itinerary to me I was jumping with joy. We've always wanted him to see what it's like here: what I do, how I live, the people I have in my life at this moment. It was so great for him to meet my host family (all of them) and my Peace Corps family (some of them) that I share this experience with. My family gave him a name: Rethabile. It means 'We are happy.' It's really cool because it starts with an 'R' like my name which is Rotlhe, meaning 'all of us' or 'together.' So when you put our names together you'd say "Rotlhe, Rethabile" meaning "Together, we are happy." I think this is awesome and I'm definitely going to cherish them forever. 

Aside from meeting the lovely people in my life, he was also able to see my school (and meet some of my students), hike Kgale Hill, and even enjoy some luxuries in the capital, Gaborone. He even saw the President of Botswana, Mr. Ian Khama, himself, at my school! I'm certain he planned to make such an appearance for Trenton's visit! ;) I'm so grateful that he has seen this part of my life and had a glimpse of what my life has been like for the past two years. That's all I wanted. 

Although we didn't do much traveling around Botswana or Africa, everything felt right. We did, however, manage to plan a trip across the border into South Africa to Mosetlha Eco Lodge and Bush Camp. It was great. No electricity and the simplicity and beauty of nature. We saw some cool animals on our game drives and almost saw all of the Big 5! Dang fuzzy, wuzzy lion, where were you at? ;)

Dang, this week was short lived but I had a blast! 

For Trent: Thank you for working hard to come visit and meet me in different places. I appreciate it more than you know. I can only imagine what our future adventures will be like! I cannot wait for many more journeys with ya, Bub! Dying to travel and discover different parts of this world with you. 

Close Of Service Conference (COSC)

I can't believe I have only two and a half months left in Botswana! Time really did fly since boarding that plane in September of 2012!

The intake group I came with (Bots 13) recently had our last conference together. We discussed logistics about preparing to close service and what to expect after Peace Corps. We had sessions that included topics such as résumé writing, Looking Ahead, continuing our third goal, and so on. We bonded, played games, and some of us were forced to say goodbye to each other as it may have been our last time together with our sites being so far away and scattered all over the country.

Since we were put up at a nice, 4-star hotel, we were all excited for real baths/showers, comfy beds, and free toiletries! (At least I was excited for free stuff.) We were able to enjoy the luxury of heated rooms, delicious meals, and an evening game drive on one of the days. I realize what an impact each person I've come to get to know here has had on me. We will always share this Peace Corps experience with nobody but each other, as personal as it may be for each of us. When we go home, as much as we talk about, explain, and/or describe our experiences here to friends and family, nobody but my fellow volunteers could really begin to understand what I've been through. So I'm glad I have my Peace Corps family to forever be a part of me and will always value the friendships I made at this time in my life. I love you Bots 13 - we made it to the end!

2014 Guys Leading Our World Camp

GLOW Camp this year was amazing.

Fellow volunteers and I in the Southern district got together to plan a Guys Leading Our World Camp that focused on gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, fatherhood, and self esteem, to name a few. We tend to focus a lot on females and forget that boys should also be empowered. We thought this would be a great, fun way to do it and it was. Planning, like always, was extremely stressful. I was able to get funding from PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) and that was so exciting! It was the first proposal I've ever written and it was nice to see that approval email! I was able to secure about P40,000 in local currency, more than enough to make the camp happen! Because we were using a new online grant portal, things were a bit confusing and tricky. Sometimes the site was not even functioning. I hated it! Between getting robbed, getting the money 3 days before the camp, and not being able to use the money (everything I owned was in my wallet that was stolen, including debit cards) you can imagine what stress I was going through. Buying all the supplies and food for the entire weekend was going to be a big mathata (problem)! Fortunately, a very kind man that I am extremely grateful for let me buy what we needed without paying, pretty much letting me take an IOU. I was so, so shocked as he put his trust in me with no questions asked. (I still haven't paid yet but will soon!) There are good people in this world!

When the first day of camp finally came I was sure everyone was excited. The boys came with all their things and most of them brought enough stuff to look like they were ready to move out of their houses! So cute. haha Since this was a boys camp, we thought a football (soccer) theme would be fun and appropriate since most boys love and play football. We had shirts made in different colors according to teams. The volunteers and our counterparts were team leaders and we made up our own team cheers. We gave out yellow and red cards for bad behavior and green cards (I know this isn't in football) for good behavior. We had a poster of a field and kept the tallies on that so the boys could see their team's progress. The winning team ended up receiving a football for each person on the team. It was a great way to motivate them and we all know incentives are always fun. Our sessions were informative and in order to keep the boys' attention, we made it fun by incorporating the football theme into the lessons and played games with them. We even had a talent show on the last night and a drama by a local theater group in that village. Each volunteer attended a session titled "Moving Forward" with the boys from his/her school and we discussed the different ways the boys could take what they learned at the camp back into their respective communities. The boys came up with some great ideas! Capacity building and sustainability at its finest.

The camp was educational, fun, and successful. I am so glad that everything worked out despite all the headaches (literally). I definitely feel like my final camp before I end my service was a good way to wrap things up. I hope the boys take what they have learned and always remember the lessons we've taught them. I will miss them so much.

Watch a video montage of our camp that Kim, one of the volunteers, made. It makes me smile so much and I hope you find it enjoyable!

Thank You Days For Girls!

Many girls in Africa are truant in school and miss out on activities because of menstruation. Many of them are scared, not having been educated about puberty and what is happening with their bodies as they grow and change. Some of my students come to me and are scared, thinking they are sick and/or dying! Girls use leaves, newspaper, toilet paper...anything they can find to substitute for sanitary napkins. This is unhygienic and could cause more problems to their health.

Having a period is not something that is discussed in many cultures. This is especially true in my village. I find myself talking about puberty, sexuality, and wellness in many of the GLOW Canps I've participated in, in classes, and in my PACT Club and the questions I am asked are unbelievable. Girls have false beliefs and/or have no knowledge at all about these topics. Menstrual health is so important and I make sure to stress good hygiene in my lessons.

Days For Girls is an organization that helps girls all around the world to get an education and stop missing out on days because of having a period. They empower girls worldwide with healthy and safe alternatives for sustainable menstrual management. They empower days of education, health, safety, and dignity by distributing feminine hygiene kits to those in need.

When a fellow volunteer introduced me to this organization I thought it would be great for the girls at my school. I was able to get my kits and bring them to my village (what a process this was to lug them back to my house) to demonstrate to students and their parents how to use the items inside and how important it is to have good hygiene. I took advantage of our PTA meeting and sent letters home with students inviting their parents to come and learn about these kits and how they are  to be used. The parents seemed grateful and the students can now come to school without worry that they do not have protection. 

What a great organization! If you want to learn more about Days For Girls, you can do so at daysforgirls.org. Thanks again to all the volunteers in America who take their time making these wonderful, cute kits!