From its independence in 1964 until 1982, Botswana was part of a larger university system with its neighbors Lesotho and eSwatini. Motho Le Motho Kgomo in Setswana (One Man, One Beast), was the slogan for a six year campaign led by former President Seretse Khama to raise money to construct the University of Botswana campus in Gaborone. All Batswana were asked to contribute what they were able, be it in the form of cash, cattle or agricultural products. This statue near the library honors the contributions by Batswana that made the campus possible. This week has been spent settling in at UB. I am now officially auditing a course on the Demography of Botswana, taught by my Advisor Dr. Ntshebe, and have an office on campus. My 50 or so classmates (who look about as old as my own Stillwater students) don't seem to be fazed by the gray haired white woman in class. Surprise, surprise, they like to sneak their mobile phones underneath their desks just like U.S. students do. Dr. Ntshebe and I meet Tuesday mornings to discuss my Inquiry Project. She is helping me narrow the scope, clarify goals and methods and identify relevant literature. She has suggested I present to the Population Studies Department for feedback and advice, so that may happen soon. She is crafting a letter that I will ultimately take to the Ministry of Education to request formal permission to visit public schools to observe and talk with teachers and learners. In Botswana, an arid country experiencing the impacts of climate change, rain is so precious that the currency is named Pula, meaning rain or blessing. Saturday was rainy. According to guide Andy, our city tour was therefore blessed. We explored cultural sites including the Three Dikgosi Monument, Parliament Building, Tlokweng and Old Naledi. Old Naledi began as a squatter settlement for laborers who built Gaborone and remains one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. The Three Dikgosi, or Three Chiefs Monument, honors the three Batswana tribal chiefs who travelled to the UK in 1895 to petition Queen Victoria to maintain its Bechuanaland Protectorate (essentially a colony), so as not to allow Botswana to fall under the control of apartheid South Africa. A situation where neither option would be freely chosen, but which ultimately paved the path for independence. Intrigued by the announcement above on the Gaborone Public Library Facebook page, today I spent an hour with Tebatso, learning about the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) he founded, the Banabakgwale Association. One component of my Inquiry Project is to identify ways that Botswana’s government, educational system and NGOs are “harnessing the demographic dividend”, specifically as it relates to initiatives to empower youth to contribute to sustainable development. I'll share more about Banabakgwale next week after joining in on Friday's seminar at the library.
1 Comment
Gretchen
2/23/2019 02:42:04 pm
Hard to hear they are so desperate for rain. We’ve got lots of frozen pula here!
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About MeA 9th grade AP Human Geography and Global Studies teacher at Stillwater Area High School in Stillwater, Minnesota, USA, living and learning in Gaborone, Botswana from January to June 2019 as a Fulbright Teacher. Archives
June 2019
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