The least I can do for ST

Before we all left for the summer, I made a video for the Beyond Borders group, just talking about our hopes and fears for the summer. I remember saying I was most afraid of “just started on projects, getting the hang of it, and then I would have to leave.” Well, that’s precisely what I’m feeling right now.

In the month of June, I managed to finish doing the survey study. I spent 2 Fridays just going up to people on the street with questionnaires, along with help from Emmanuel and Sharon. Surprisingly people were much more cooperative than I thought. I had a sample size of 40 – 20 working professionals, 20 university students with a 50/50 male female ratio. It’s not the most extensive survey, but it’s all I could manage in the amount of time I have here from designing questionnaire, to collecting the data, to putting the report and presentation together. The result from the survey study is what I have expected. Very few people know about ST and a lot of people don’t understand why they should recycle. I can’t emphasize enough how important I think it is for ST for reach out to the community, be more visible and do more education. I talked to them about starting a blog and have them write about programs/events that ST takes part in, or general news in the environmental field relating to this area. We also talked about inviting faculty members and senior students from University of Botswana to guest post. I hope to get that started before I leave. I was really hoping to help revamp the website and add a new resource section, but due to challenges relating to our web hosts, I was unable to do so. I’m confident the student coming next term will be able to follow up on this though.

The workshop and cleanup event I was working on together with Matt went really well as well. On Wednesday Emmanuel and I made our way to Stepping Stones, bringing along with us the recycling bins that ST is donating to them, labelled glass, plastics, tins and paper. This time we primarily talked about why they should recycle and what happens to things after they get recycled. We also talked briefly about the kind of jobs that are available in the environmental field. The kids seem interested and Stepping Stones wants ST to go back and do more presentations in the future. These kids already have to take care of an organic garden and make necklaces from paper beads to sell. Our visit and presentation only reinforces the idea and hopefully sparks their interest in considering a career working with the environment.

Then Saturday was the cleanup day, which was also a big success. We met at Stepping Stones, and more than 70 kids showed up that morning. We were split into 4 teams, each responsible for one area to clean. The kids were super diligent in picking the litter and were separating the recyclables into different garbage bags. We met back at Stepping Stones at 11am where the kids were served lunch. WUSC was kind enough to support us by giving us funds to buy food for this event so we decided to have a braai (aka BBQ)! I heard everyone had a good time eating and playing soccer. Unfortunately I couldn’t be there for the lunch because one of the kids in my group got a really deep cut by broken glass so we had to take him to the clinic for stitches. Poor kid, no tears, not a single word. I liked him a lot too... when he was shown affection, he would have this shy smile on his face. I was sad that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to him. But all in all, I’m very proud of the workshop and cleanup event we put together. We have received nothing but positive feedback from people about the collaboration between ST and Stepping Stones. Hopefully this will continue and they will be able to do even more in the future!

I’ve only written about work twice on this blog but it’s already time for me to start writing handover notes and end of term report. The Y Care walk is coming up this weekend and I have less than 2 weeks left at work and in Botswana. It’s so easy to start doubting I’ve not done enough and did not utilize my time here well enough. But maybe that’s okay too. I came expecting to learn more than to contribute. I reminded myself this summer was not going to about me and what I have accomplished. Rather, I came to be humbled and to experience first hand the frustrations. I did what I could. Was there room for improvement and things I wish I did? Of course - and that will be for next time, hopefully. I miss home lots and cannot wait to be back in the comfort zone with family and friends again....

workshop at Stepping Stones

cleaning up the community

very proud of the event

In the middle of it all

Everyday is a test, everyday is a new lesson. A little overwhelmed indeed. Dealing has taken up all my energy and time. Bad, bad idea – because doing is only half the experience, reflecting is the other half. I haven’t written for so long - feeling very out of shape now.

Living…

I moved out from Oratile’s house 2 weeks ago. We were the first batch of volunteers in Gaborone that had the chance to live with a host family, and for that, I’m forever grateful. How else could we have integrated into the culture so quickly and made friends in a foreign land? I definitely miss our Milo and Pick n’ Pay fries moments.

I now live with Maryam and Spojmai, also volunteers from Canada. I must admit I underestimated the power of having like-minded caring people by my side. They laugh with me, cook with me, see through me, break me down, yell at me when I’m unreasonable, hug me when I’m weak, teach me important lessons, and push me to become the person I want to be. We didn’t always get along, but everyday we are here for each other, everyday we love each other for who we are. Being here with them is one of the best things that could’ve happened to me. Sometimes I wonder how I came to be so lucky in life.

We also met some volunteers who were here and I cannot say their contributions have always been positive. Sometimes I couldn’t understand why they were here in the first place. But Maryam insisted that we shall not judge. We are here for the people, be it the Batswana or whomever. Maybe people need to find their worth, maybe people want to feel a sense of belonging, maybe people need to feel appreciated. Everyone has a story behind them.

We have not been sick at all. On the contrary, all of us have been eating and gaining weight like crazy. Perhaps it’s one of our many coping mechanisms. The harassing is still very annoying and upsetting – on my way home, at NGO events, oh and by a cop. Although it is a little better now that I don’t need to take the kombi anymore. No more “Emahoo Stoppel” (that’s how we stop the mini-buses) and cracking people up.

gotta love having an older sister like Oratile (and the brother-in-law Nico)


cooking & eating have become our way to cope, stay sane and wind down

Working…

Work is fine, making progress, slowly. I’ve setup a framework for an activity calendar, now waiting for the other environmental officers to fill in their parts. I have drafted a new volunteer description for next term, now waiting for our director to approve it. I want to print educational material, now waiting on cheques for donor funds that were approved since March. Notice a pattern here? It’s a lot of waiting. You wait this week, you wait one more week, and then you wait some more.

You see, NGOs here rely 100% on donors - nationally, regionally or internationally. Spojmai wrote in one of her emails back home, “Working with an NGO here in Africa is making me doubt the saying ‘Money is not everything.’” When an organization is completely dependent on someone else, of course money is everything, of course you have to wait forever, of course results matter more than understanding (via Kristina’s blog).

This is why I really want to support Y Care. I don’t think my previous post about the Y Care walk did the organization justice. Yes, Y Care is still a charity fund, it’s still using a handout approach, but at least it’s mobilizing local resources. Plus, I see a lot of potential in them helping to train young leaders, build capacity, foster collaboration, and transform NGOs into self-sustainable organizations. Other than diamonds and HIV/AIDs, a lot more can happen in Botswana. I was at a "Journey of Life" workshop with Holy Cross Hospice last Saturday. These kids have big dreams. People in this country need to believe in themselves more.

Ending on a more positive note, I had my midterm review meeting with the WUSC coordinator and our director, both of them seemed very happy with the progress and contributions I’ve made. It’s always nice to get some reassurance and validation, especially at a time when I’m doubting a lot – in my ability, in my approach, in my contribution. I don't want to do the work for the people, I want to do it with them.

kids at "Journey of Life" workshop; sharing dreams and being taught what it takes to reach their dreams

OK, about work this time

I have been at work for almost 2 weeks now. So it's time to talk a little more about what I do and the real reason why I'm here for the summer. The organization I'm working for is called Somarelang Tikologo (Translation: Somarelang = conservation, Tikologo = environment). Its mission is to educate and encourage people in Botswana to protect their environment hence improving the quality of life. It is a member-based NGO, with an approach to empower local communities to take ownership and responsibility managing their waste and resources.

Our office is located within an Eco Community Park at the centre of Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. The eco-park is the first of its kind in the country, integrating urban planning principles on uses of public open space and showcasing our various green initiatives under one roof. We have an organic garden, an eco-café, the country’s only recycling drop-off centre, and a Green Shop, where we sell locally made products from recycled material.

ST has been an important player working to transform Gaborone into a greener city. They fought for the plastic bag legislation, run the city’s only recycling centre, hold waste management workshops with community members in villages, build eco-schools, and just had their first annual fashion show.

Main "buildings" of the Eco-Park: Green Shop & Eco-Cafe

Children's playground and our office at the back

I was originally assigned to work with the PR and fundraising department. However, having been here for 2 weeks, I found myself getting involved in all areas, especially with developing educational material and a better communication strategy. I finalized my work plan last week and here are some of my key objectives:

1. Conduct a survey study to understand people’s awareness of ST ‘s programs and attitude towards environmental protection
2. Develop an online communication strategy to ensure ST is leveraging the web effectively to reach a greater audience
3. Work with Matt and other ST officers to deliver a junior version of workshop to kids at Stepping Stones International
4. Assist with planning community outreach (+ fundraising) events including a photo exhibition, a cycling competition, family clean up days, eco-film field trip for high school students
5. Look to see if ST may benefit from using a wiki

If anyone has worked in any of the above areas, please contact me. I would love to learn from your experience and leverage resources I have back home to help ST grow.

I am only here for a short period of time. Whatever I do, I always try to keep in mind that the most important thing is to build capacity and transfer skills. At times it’s hard when I just want to take the easy way out and implement my own ideas. So everyday before I start my day, I say to myself: listen, understand, and collaborate.

More on: Botswana. Somarelang Tikologo

Making of Botswana (data extracted from Gapminder)

Click on the "play" button






Taking a closer look...

1966 - 1992: #1 fastest growth rate in the world. "Thank God for the Diamonds..."

1992 - 2007: 2nd highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world. "1 in 3 adults are HIV positive..."

Now what?

View more presentations from Ruby Ku.

Fighting climate change for the sake of the poor? read more

We hear about climate change all the time - but how much do we really know when it doesn't affect us on a daily basis? Watch this video.

Botswana is a water-stressed landlocked country. The development of the country is heavily dependent on its natural resources.

Working with Somarelang Tikologo this summer:

View more presentations from Ruby Ku.

To be continued...in summer 2009.

Sources:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/botswana_30386.html
http://www.cfr.org/publication/15108/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4318777.stm
http://allafrica.com/stories/200902200012.html
http://www.plusnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=83054
http://www.cfr.org/publication/15108/
http://discovermagazine.com/
http://fex.ennonline.net/29/effectsofhiv.aspx

Botswana, Environment, Awareness

I really want to learn how to articulate my thoughts better - especially when people ask me what I'm doing this summer. I find that I'm either too brief with my answer that people won't remember what I said, or I give way too much background information that people reply me with an "Oh...that's cool." I guess it's like when someone asks you how your weekend was, they aren't really expecting anything other than "It was great! Yours?" It throws them off when you answer something else.

Since I haven't officially announced the placement I have been matched with, I thought it'd be good to practice right here on my blog what and how I want to tell people. So here we go.

Next time someone asks me what I'll be doing this summer, I want them to know 3 things:

1. I am going to Botswana, which is the country sitting right above South Africa.
2. I am working with an NGO that promotes environmental protection.
3. I will be assisting with all fundraising and PR activities with a goal to raise more public awareness. 

I hope that is brief enough, yet provide the right amount for information to prompt people to ask further questions. Afterall, I want it to turn into a larger conversation where I might be able to get insights from them or just to get to people interested in what I'm doing.

I assume this person I'm talking to will now ask, "Oh wow, how long will you be going for?" So I want them to walk away knowing 3 more things: 

1. I'm doing this through a program called Beyond Borders, which is a year-long program that requires us to take courses during the year before going onto this volunteer placement in the summer for 3 months. 
2. This NGO is running a lot of cool projects, such as an Eco-School, an Eco-Park, and they have the country's only recycling center! Protecting natural resources is crucial for the country's growth and development. 
3. If you're interested, I can give you the link of my blog where I will be posting about the work I will be doing with this organization and all the stories from this summer. 

To summarize, I have 3 things I want people to remember about my coming summer:
Botswana, Environment, Awareness 

And if they're really cool people and I connect with them, then there are 3 more things I want them to know:
Beyond Borders, cool projects, my blog.

If I can keep these 6 points in my head, then I can make sure I give a fairly consistent message every time.

I would love to hear any feedback on how I can further improve. I'm not very good at this, but I'm learning.

Oh, and I promise the next few posts will have more pictures and other fun stuff. I was told that people don't like reading long wordy posts.