Kesaobaka

You may remember my host brother Kesaobaka from posts I made during Pre-Service Training. Although I haven't mentioned him (or the rest of my homestay family) in recent months, I have stayed in contact with them and we share in each other's successes like any other family. After all, that household became my home away from home and the family nurtured me through some of the hardest times in Botswana - they truly became like family during my two months living with them. In particular, Kesaobaka and I created a lasting friendship. That is why I want to share in a huge success for him.

I am not sure if I shared this on my blog before or not, but while I was living with my host family, Kesaobaka was interviewing for a position with the police force in Kanye. He had passed all his interviews, taken some tests, and was waiting to hear back about a start date. He was really excited about being a police officer, especially because it meant he would have a good job and be a contributing member of the family. (In the interim, he contributed by cooking and cleaning and tending the lands and doing as much as he could to help the family. He is just an amazing man.) When I checked in about the job around the new year, he was still patiently waiting. So when we talked a few days ago, I was hardly surprised to learn that, after a year of relative silence, Kesaobaka was tired of waiting to hear from the police force about his placement. He had started the interview process with the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) and was asked to come to Gaborone, the capital city, for another interview, a test, and a physical.

Because Kesaobaka was in nearby Gaborone most of the week, we decided to meet for lunch so we could catch up in person and he could tell me all about the potential new job. We were supposed to meet yesterday but he was tied up with the BDF and couldn't make it. He promised to call me afterwards to update me. Around 8pm, my phone rang and it was him. He was so excited that I could barely understand him. After a few deep breaths, he announced that he had passed all of his interviews and tests and that he had earned a place in the Botswana Defense Force! They told him to get back to Kanye and pack up some things because he would be going to a six month training starting this Friday! (When they want you it seems they really don't waste any time!) In fact, he excelled so much that they pushed him up into this training class instead of waiting. I joined in his excitement, squealing and jumping around (which I know he was doing on the other end). This is a huge honor, one that far outweighs the one with the police force, and carries a lot of prestige. Kesaobaka did it! After a year of waiting, he has gotten something far greater than he ever imagined. (Sounds familiar to my situation, right? Like brother, like sister!) Needless to say, I am so very proud of him.

This is a proud day in the Ramathlaba family and I wanted each of you to be a part of it.