Update

Usually I try to have an overall theme to every entry, but sometimes that’s not possible.  Here are a few random updates from this week.

- Every Thursday, the students are divided into three groups, called “Houses,” for an assembly.  The House I belong to is Sechele (say-chel-ay).

At assembly each week, one class must give a presentation on the “Weekly Theme.”  My counterpart (the senior teacher of guidance) and I work together to create the themes and provide material to all the classes – topics such as time management, alcohol abuse, and study techniques.  It used to be that the presenting class would have one student stand in front and read off a paper about the theme.  It was very boring.

A teacher came up to me at the beginning of this term and asked, “How can my class present this topic in a new way?”  So I suggested they do a drama.  On that Thursday morning, all the kids swarmed to the front, completely engaged in the drama and laughing the whole time.  It was amazing to see these students transform from glazed-over eyes to active participants, and nothing beats the sound of laughter at a normally sober school.

Since then, every class has done a drama for assembly, and all the students are much more interested.  Even better, today the main characters were all played by Form 3 boys.  These were 16-year-old boys, the oldest and coolest in the school, putting on a play to warn their classmates about the dangers of smoking.  For me, it was a great moment.

- My village is growing!  There is a new complex in town that has a general store, a hair salon, a book store, and a restaurant.  The restaurant is owned by a fellow teacher and friend of mine.  I ate there on Tuesday and it was really nice.  Absolutely crazy to think that Lentsweletau has a restaurant now though!

- Currently my village is without water, so yesterday after lunch they canceled study time and let the students go home.  As I was walking, a group of boys was walking behind me.  Generally I love my students, but as with all kids, some are just jerks.  Plus these boys are all taller than me and that makes me nervous.  So I let them pass me.  However, one of the biggest boys went over to a little girl (maybe 7 or 8 years old), towered over her, and stole a handful of her snacks out of the bag she was carrying.

I got really upset when I saw that, and started to chastise the boy.  What makes it difficult to be a disciplinarian here though, is that the kids laugh at me.  Because of my white skin, because of my accent, out of embarrassment, out of disrespect… I don’t know.  It’s very, very frustrating however.  I realize now I should have made him give the snacks back and then taken his name, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.  I want to be these kids’ friend, but sometimes the bullying and lack of respect is just appalling.  Obviously, this is something that happens everywhere, not just in Botswana.

- My last update of the week is the work I am doing with an HIV support group called Pula Matlho (pooh-luh mah-tloh), which means “open your eyes”.  They have a nice building with a kitchen, bathrooms, and even a sewing room, all donated by Al-Muslimah, the women’s Muslim group in Botswana.  Unfortunately, they are not using the building.  I’m working with the group to get funding in order to open up a preschool.  The idea is to have it open to all children, but to provide free tuition to orphans and vulnerable children.  They also plan to start a garden in order to provide income.  I’ve never written grant proposals before, so wish us luck!

- Shameless Plea for Attention:  I have a phone, and two numbers you can reach me on: +267-72-627-867 and +267-73-649-223.  

In other news, please leave me comments if there’s anything you’d like to know about the culture or my life here!  After this Sunday, I’ll need a new topic for my “Sunday Series” (I am really cool) and I want to make sure it’s interesting.