Dumella Kula (Hello White Person)

In addition to the QPID (Queen’s Project on International Development) blog I decided to start one of my own mostly as a way to communicate with family and friends, to share my adventures and more personal thoughts while away. As wifi is non-existent here and the connection in the crowded library is slow to the point of insanity, one of the challenges to overcome so far is the quest for Internet. And so I am going to start by apologizing to all of you for the lack of personal messages and future sporadic updates. You are in my thoughts and I send you my love.

For those of you who don’t know already, I will be in Botswana for the next three months. I am going through QPID which is a student run NGO at Queen’s University. Our partner organization is Ditshwanelo (translating to ‘Human Rights’) which is the local organization we are partnered with and that Lyndsay and myself will be working for. Our specific project focuses on land rights involving illegal transfer of land titles in the Chobe district adversely affecting the marginalized, and as we are quickly learning entangled in a web of complex social, economic, and cultural issues.

I feel so blessed to be on this trip traveling with such an incredible group of people. Thinking about anyone of them just makes me smile. The way Faisal makes sound effects and gestures to narrate his thoughts. The look Thomas gets when something really exciting is happening, a smile that stretches ear to ear and sort of bouncing his upper body up and down. The way I can laugh and plan crazy adventures with Isabelle. And of course Lyndsay who I am lucky enough to spend the next three months with together in Kasane, and comforted by the fact she is such amazing support. The overall extremely positive outlook of the group is so great. Super easy going and enthusiastically willing to jump into the back of a truck (our preferred mode of transportation) and take on a new experience. We are all wanting to embrace as much of the culture as possible and experience the country not perceived as just another tourist or “American who knows nothing” according to one insult while at the bus rank. Eager to eat palagee with our hands and belt out with full confidence the few Setswana phrases we know. Such as Thomas on the plane patting his empty food container and with assurance saying “O tsogile jang” (how are you) rather then “Di jotse di monate” (the food was very good) And Faisal in the grocery store replying “Kabo ki” (How much) to a man holding a baby instead of “Dumella” (Hello). Right now I am just so overwhelmed by the amount that has already happened in such a short time. As a result not compiled in any cohesive manner and not written as eloquently as I would have liked, here are some short highlights of my adventures…