The Future

 This year, Peace Corps was invited to tour the very exclusive and secretive Orapa diamond mine. We felt special :)

...And the big news: We received our site placement for Ramotswa! We will move to our new jobs and our new house on October 15th. Owen will be working for the Ramotswa clinic and Becky will be working for the District Health Office. We are so thankful to be located so close to our friends in Old Naledi and in Kumakwane, and we look forward to connecting with our new community. 

Top 5 Highlights of our Shadowing Week in Tutume

1.     We met a fantastic couple that we jive with. They hold an insightful approach to development, and have the shared goal of building relationships and living well in Botswana.

2.     We had real exposure to the clinic and to the District Health Management Office (as frustrating and slow as they might be).

3.     We weighed babies from a tree and handed out government rations at a mobile stop, for people in remote lands without clinic access.

4.     We grew an appreciation for “Kalanga land”- it’s a beautifully bubbly language: “Dumelani bana bangu!”

5.     We relaxed in a natural setting that was too remote to be covered in trash- a place shaded by beautiful Mopane trees. We hiked a dry river bed, found rock paintings, and hiked out into “the lands.”

Maramane Family Party

Our dear host mother, Matlhogonolo, just came out of mourning for her late husband this weekend, so we were privy to a joyous family celebration. The family drank a 55 gallon drum of homemade “bojalwa” (traditional beer), Owen helped slaughter a goat (by the light of cell phones), and Becky made “magwinya” (fat cakes) over the fire.

This week, we were up in “Kalanga land” in northeast Botswana, job shadowing two current Peace Corps clinic and District Health Management workers. Thank you, Dan and Leah, for giving us great insight into service- and spoiling us tremendously! Pictures are coming soon…

Perma-Gardening and Cattle-Posting

This is Oteng, our boss on the Clinic and Health Team and the drought-resistant gardening expert.

Double-Digging the garden plots, preparing to add ash and manure.  This project helped bring food-security to a local clinic.

Owen's birthday meal with JoJo, Erin, Chris, and Erika. Erin made us a delicious meal, and we enjoyed fresh papaya off the tree as dessert.

Us out at the Lands.  This is our host-mother's farm where she plants her crops.

Owen with Tshephang at the Lands.

Matlogonolo and Becky checking out the cattle post.

Owen helping place the meat in baggies.  It was ready for the freezer after a couple days on the floor in the kitchen!