"Welcome to Botswana", is the greeting that faces us as we walk into Sersetse Khama International Airport in Gaborone. The date is 8th October 2006. My travel companions are two workmates from my ministry. One of our hosts hugs us and welcomes us to Botswana. After greetings we are driven to our respective lodging places. My host takes me out for a meal at Nando's. With the issue of hunger sorted out, it's now time to head to Brackenden Lodge where I'll spend my first night. We are here for a study visit under UNESCO on HIV & AIDS. Before I sleep, I make final touches to our country paper presentation in readiness for the next day's meeting. Slightly after midnight my body is screaming for rest, the hot shower is so refreshing and the bed is so enticing. The trip to Gaborone has been hectic. A two hour flight from Lusaka to Johannesburg followed by a three hour stop-over at Johannesburg International Airport (now called Oliver Tambo International Airport!) ending with a forty minutes flight to Gaborone is what gets us to Botswana. Yes Botswana with English and Setswana as official languages and a population of 1.8 million is going to be our home for the next six days.
Next morning, after breakfast my host is on hand to take me to Botswana Training Authority (BOTA). At BOTA I meet some colleagues there and my workmates. The CEO of BOTA welcomes us and gives us his opening remarks. Some BOTA staff make presentations and talk about their activities. We also make our presentation. Presentations are followed by a rich time of discussions. No sooner than we realise, it's lunch time. Our host leads us to a shopping mall where we buy some Tswana meals. Tasty and nutritious! We sample some beef prepared Tswana style. After having our fill, we return to the BOTA offices for the afternoon's activities. In the afternoon, we are taken to the education ministry. I'm impressed with the organised building and clean offices. We have a meeting with presentations on HIV & AIDS from officials from Ministry of Education.
In the evening we attend an HIV & AIDS meeting at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC). The GICC is a beautiful building that has few equals in Southern Africa! The meeting is organised as a panel where key companies such as Debswana and public officials are interviewed by Botswana TV. The audience is allowed to ask questions and make comments. The meeting is spiced by entertainment from Mexie, a local female musician supported by vigorous dancing men. I assume they must need a lot of food to recover their vigorous energetic antics! In the evening I spend time with some Zambian couple. We have a wonderful time of fellowship. But our bodies are weary and we must retire to bed.
On Tuesday morning, our programme involves visiting two institutions: Gaborone Academy of Education (GAE) and Mega-size College. GAE advocates use of abstinence as a means of fighting HIV & AIDS. It also undertakes value based lessons using the Bible as a foundation. At Megasize we learn of the challenges faced in integrating HIV & AIDS among the bushmen commonly called "Ba Sarawa". In the afternoon we drive down south of Botswana to visit Tswelelepelo Brigade Centre. This college is being used as a pilot of HIV & AIDS unit standards curriculum. We watch plays on HIV & AIDS. After having some tea we bid farewell and head back to Gaborone.
Next morning, I rise up early. By 05 00, the vehicle is waiting at the gate to take us to Sersetse Khama International Airport. Our destination is Francistown Airport. The flight takes about 45 minutes. In Francistown we get on a hired vehicle. The team comprises four Zambians and three Batswana. If you are interested in gender balancing the team has three women and four men. Not bad by SADC standards! Ha ha ha! After having some breakfast at a restaurant we are firmly set for Zwenshambe Brigade Centre. On the way we see 'villages' that are well constructed. These villages have electricity and internet services. Not much to miss from being in urban centres!
The day's programme includes presentations by Zwenshambe Brigade Centre and the Zambian delegation, some drama performances and a time for discussion. We learn that Zwenshambe is a good model in Botswana in terms of working with the community and the churches in addressing HIV & AIDS issues. Zwenshambe is a rural training institution. After a delicious lunch, we are ready to visit some communities which the college is working with. Our first stop is at a home that was built by the college for the orphans. Next we visit a home where a man who has some paralysis in the arms is staying. The man has been abandoned by the wife. What a shame! We sing a hymn and a prayer is offered. After that we are ready to get back to Francistown. We leave very impressed with the activities of Zwenshambe. We get to Francistown Airport in time for the flight back to Gaborone. I get to my hosts home in time for some supper. I get a scan for blood circulation and see some blood clots. I'm advised to drink sufficient water daily and take green tea. Later my new host arrives to take me to my new home for the next two days. After catching up on some news it is time to give my weary body well deserved rest after a hot bath.
On Thursday, the study visit is coming to a close. We have a meeting with an HIV & AIDS Steering Committee at Brackenden Lodge. The Steering Committee comprises government officials, staff from training institutions and churches from Botswana. The programme is made up of presentations and discussions on HIV & AIDS interventions in Botswana and Zambia. After the meeting participants are busy exchanging contact details in order to cement networking. The core working group wraps up the study visit and draws up the way forward. The afternoon programme is dedicated for last minute shopping at the majestic Game City Shopping Mall. It is really shopping at high speed! Getting this and that for loved ones back home. By 17 30 the shopping must cease, though the desire and willingness to shop is still there. This is because we have to rush for dinner at River Walk Shopping Mall. The dinner programme stretches for a couple of hours. We sample various Asian dishes mostly Indian and Thai. After dinner we get back to our homes to get much needed rest. It is our last night in 'Gabs'* and in Botswana for that matter. The night is spent chatting and packing. On the last day, we say our final goodbyes and are driven to the airport on our trip to Lusaka via Johannesburg. As we are flying out of Botswana I leave with some impressions of this land of diamonds.
Firstly, it is evident that Botswana, which turned 40 years old in 2006, has a booming economy. This is evident from the impressive infrastructure especially in Gaborone. The diamonds industry plus other industries have fuelled economic growth. The strong currency (Pula) at an exchange rate of about 6 Pula to 1 US dollar continues to show resilience.
Secondly, Botswana has made great strides in reversing the adverse effects of AIDS in previous years. These strides are at national and community level.
Thirdly, the rural community in Botswana is well developed. We noted well constructed houses in villages with electricity and computers in colleges. The Batswana villages could be among the most well developed in Africa.
Finally, let's pray that the gospel may be proclaimed and received by many of the Batswana. In some instances strong cultural practices are in conflict with the gospel. Botswana is a land that has received the gospel since David Livingstone set foot on its soil more than 100 years ago.
Gabriel S. Konayuma
gkonayuma@gmail.com
7 January 2007
Next morning, after breakfast my host is on hand to take me to Botswana Training Authority (BOTA). At BOTA I meet some colleagues there and my workmates. The CEO of BOTA welcomes us and gives us his opening remarks. Some BOTA staff make presentations and talk about their activities. We also make our presentation. Presentations are followed by a rich time of discussions. No sooner than we realise, it's lunch time. Our host leads us to a shopping mall where we buy some Tswana meals. Tasty and nutritious! We sample some beef prepared Tswana style. After having our fill, we return to the BOTA offices for the afternoon's activities. In the afternoon, we are taken to the education ministry. I'm impressed with the organised building and clean offices. We have a meeting with presentations on HIV & AIDS from officials from Ministry of Education.
In the evening we attend an HIV & AIDS meeting at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC). The GICC is a beautiful building that has few equals in Southern Africa! The meeting is organised as a panel where key companies such as Debswana and public officials are interviewed by Botswana TV. The audience is allowed to ask questions and make comments. The meeting is spiced by entertainment from Mexie, a local female musician supported by vigorous dancing men. I assume they must need a lot of food to recover their vigorous energetic antics! In the evening I spend time with some Zambian couple. We have a wonderful time of fellowship. But our bodies are weary and we must retire to bed.
On Tuesday morning, our programme involves visiting two institutions: Gaborone Academy of Education (GAE) and Mega-size College. GAE advocates use of abstinence as a means of fighting HIV & AIDS. It also undertakes value based lessons using the Bible as a foundation. At Megasize we learn of the challenges faced in integrating HIV & AIDS among the bushmen commonly called "Ba Sarawa". In the afternoon we drive down south of Botswana to visit Tswelelepelo Brigade Centre. This college is being used as a pilot of HIV & AIDS unit standards curriculum. We watch plays on HIV & AIDS. After having some tea we bid farewell and head back to Gaborone.
Next morning, I rise up early. By 05 00, the vehicle is waiting at the gate to take us to Sersetse Khama International Airport. Our destination is Francistown Airport. The flight takes about 45 minutes. In Francistown we get on a hired vehicle. The team comprises four Zambians and three Batswana. If you are interested in gender balancing the team has three women and four men. Not bad by SADC standards! Ha ha ha! After having some breakfast at a restaurant we are firmly set for Zwenshambe Brigade Centre. On the way we see 'villages' that are well constructed. These villages have electricity and internet services. Not much to miss from being in urban centres!
The day's programme includes presentations by Zwenshambe Brigade Centre and the Zambian delegation, some drama performances and a time for discussion. We learn that Zwenshambe is a good model in Botswana in terms of working with the community and the churches in addressing HIV & AIDS issues. Zwenshambe is a rural training institution. After a delicious lunch, we are ready to visit some communities which the college is working with. Our first stop is at a home that was built by the college for the orphans. Next we visit a home where a man who has some paralysis in the arms is staying. The man has been abandoned by the wife. What a shame! We sing a hymn and a prayer is offered. After that we are ready to get back to Francistown. We leave very impressed with the activities of Zwenshambe. We get to Francistown Airport in time for the flight back to Gaborone. I get to my hosts home in time for some supper. I get a scan for blood circulation and see some blood clots. I'm advised to drink sufficient water daily and take green tea. Later my new host arrives to take me to my new home for the next two days. After catching up on some news it is time to give my weary body well deserved rest after a hot bath.
On Thursday, the study visit is coming to a close. We have a meeting with an HIV & AIDS Steering Committee at Brackenden Lodge. The Steering Committee comprises government officials, staff from training institutions and churches from Botswana. The programme is made up of presentations and discussions on HIV & AIDS interventions in Botswana and Zambia. After the meeting participants are busy exchanging contact details in order to cement networking. The core working group wraps up the study visit and draws up the way forward. The afternoon programme is dedicated for last minute shopping at the majestic Game City Shopping Mall. It is really shopping at high speed! Getting this and that for loved ones back home. By 17 30 the shopping must cease, though the desire and willingness to shop is still there. This is because we have to rush for dinner at River Walk Shopping Mall. The dinner programme stretches for a couple of hours. We sample various Asian dishes mostly Indian and Thai. After dinner we get back to our homes to get much needed rest. It is our last night in 'Gabs'* and in Botswana for that matter. The night is spent chatting and packing. On the last day, we say our final goodbyes and are driven to the airport on our trip to Lusaka via Johannesburg. As we are flying out of Botswana I leave with some impressions of this land of diamonds.
Firstly, it is evident that Botswana, which turned 40 years old in 2006, has a booming economy. This is evident from the impressive infrastructure especially in Gaborone. The diamonds industry plus other industries have fuelled economic growth. The strong currency (Pula) at an exchange rate of about 6 Pula to 1 US dollar continues to show resilience.
Secondly, Botswana has made great strides in reversing the adverse effects of AIDS in previous years. These strides are at national and community level.
Thirdly, the rural community in Botswana is well developed. We noted well constructed houses in villages with electricity and computers in colleges. The Batswana villages could be among the most well developed in Africa.
Finally, let's pray that the gospel may be proclaimed and received by many of the Batswana. In some instances strong cultural practices are in conflict with the gospel. Botswana is a land that has received the gospel since David Livingstone set foot on its soil more than 100 years ago.
Gabriel S. Konayuma
gkonayuma@gmail.com
7 January 2007
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