Unfortunate Realities.

Dumela!

I have officially been in Gabz for a week now, but it wasn’t until this weekend I truly felt like I was in Africa. Friday we spent the day being immersed in Botswana’s culture in many different ways. We ate traditional cuisine, my favorite was stampa, consisting of dried maize kernels and local spices! Also, the magwenya (fat cake) is one of the best pastries I have ever had and is usually my mid-day sweet treat. After the meal, we were surprised by local dancers who performed for us and then gave us dancing lessons. After the dancing lessons, we played lots of games. My favorite game we played was called suna baby. The game was sort of like dodgeball but with only one plastic bag filled with about a pound of sand. One team is standing in the middle of the court between the opposing team's throwers trying to dodge the ball. If you get hit, even if it rolls, you are out. The strategy is to run to the opposite side of the person throwing (or to hide behind tall people), but because the game is so fast you just run around and hope for the best. It was so interesting to see the way locals use all resources to play games (lots involve dirt/sand), as they don’t have access to toys or equipment. With that being said, the sand ball hurt when it hit you!

After a day full of cultural immersion, we were sent back to the hotel to rest up for Saturday's big activity, the Amazing Race. The race was meant to teach us how to use the public transportation system and the combi and to familiarize ourselves with the clinics and city. Staff was dispersed all around the city with clues, and the group to finish first would get a free dinner at their restaurant of choice. However, unfortunately, the day turned around about 30 minutes into the race which was supposed to take a minimum of 5 hours. Before I start, I want everyone to know I am ok! I am safe, healthy, and beyond happy to be here. I won’t go into too much detail, but my friend got mugged while we were waiting for a combi to the next spot. It was aggressive, violent, and fast. A man took the bag and was out of sight within 30 seconds. Everyone else in the group was loading onto the combi, but I saw the whole ordeal happen. We immediately went to the police station (and then another one) where we both gave our statements.

The director of our trip is one of the most amazing people I have ever met, and I aspire to be like her. She supported us through the entire process and helped so much. She then brought the two of us out to lunch to decompress after all that stress and talk it out. I noticed that the police force was very proactive, sending out pretty much the entire force to find the bag and the man. I asked her if that was common; unfortunately, it is not. We were told that they only cared because we were foreigners. When I thought about it, if I were to get a bag taken from me in the US, the police would not be as proactive (they literally sent out the entire force). While we all appreciate how helpful they were, it is sad that locals do not get the same care we received and people who steal rarely face the consequences. Another sad reality is that people need to steal to survive.

Being white and American, I stand out here. Everywhere I go I am stared at, photographed, and videotaped. But like at home, I have certain privileges because of being white. The police were so helpful because of it, when at a restaurant the staff frequently checks to make sure we’re good because of it, and people are always willing to help. I was ignorant of the fact that white privilege is global and constant.

Today was my first day in the clinic, and it was so interesting. People were assuming that because I am white and from America, I was in the clinic as a doctor. A doctor whose job was to observe how bad the healthcare system is. When in reality, the American healthcare system can learn a thing or two from Botswana. We traveled by taxi, as we all agreed to wait on entering a combi for a bit, and spent half the day at the clinic. We were able to walk around and observe all the services offered, including TB/HIV care and counseling, pre/postnatal care, dental care, emergency services, and a working lab (one of only two in the region), sit in on doctor consultations, and learn how records are kept without access to computers. My favorite part of the day was watching the babies being weighed, as they are placed in a basket and hung from a scale on the ceiling. It was truly one of the funniest and cutest things I have seen. I also learned that I am way more queasy than I thought when I saw a finger dangling by who knows what from a hand and seeing a fractured leg (literally in half). Learning how queasy I am made me thankful I switched from medicine to public health!

After the clinic, we headed to our first class: Health Care Issues in Botswana. Although the class was three hours long, it was so interesting and cemented my passion for instilling equal access to healthcare globally. Another unfortunate reality is how hard it is for people to access quality health services and care. In America, even with more medical advancements and technology, people have the same struggle to seek doctors and care. I think this program and being able to learn the ins and outs of Botswana’s healthcare system are the stepping stones I need to continue my education and launch my dream career of creating equal access to care.

I will be at the clinic three times a week so I'm excited to see what comes with the different local sites we visit. I probably could go without seeing a severed finger though! Also, in the next few weeks, I have some exciting independent travel adventures I am SO excited about! I have plans to go on a safari and camp at Chobe national park, go bungee jumping at Victoria Falls (sorry Mom, I have to!!), and go to the coast of Namibia. We also have program trips to local villages and more game drives. I thought seeing a wild monkey was the coolest thing ever, but being able to see wild elephants, giraffes, lions, and more is pretty exciting.

I’m looking forward to what Botswana has in store for me in the future, however, I hope for no more police encounters. Thank you so much for reading! I miss everyone like crazy and can’t wait to update you next!

Xoxo,

Abbie

Headed to the clinic!

Traditional dancing!

Obviously have to call Molls everyday