“There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.”

Even among employees and organizations that are qualified, passionate, and maintain strong values, apathy and atrophy tend to set in from time-to-time. It is a disheartening truth that impacts the quality and amount of work that is able to be done. Sometimes, when these infect a single (but key) person, the ripple effect can be great. These negative attributes, then, can lead to an under-utilization of motivated human resources or a withdrawal of those resources altogether. This is the reality I have been facing.

I have spent the last few months as a stunted version of myself. I have felt somewhat ineffectual in carrying out significant meaningful work within my primary assignment and have struggled to find a way to make a contribution within the confines outlined to me. Simply, I didn't have the freedom to create the change I wanted - and have become accustomed to - and I saw myself falling into professional doldrums.

That is not to say I have been stagnant. Besides my work for Peace Corps (as a Volunteer Leader), I have, in fact, been working on a couple large scale projects that stand to be extremely influential in the future. These include a Life Skills Toolkit and an IECD Resource Pack, both to be published and adopted by the Government of Botswana to strengthen its current National Strategies. Unfortunately, despite my dedication to these efforts, my work was constantly being put on hold in favor of, what seemed to be, waiting around for others to get motivated and involved enough to sign off on my (finished) work. This has caused me great frustration. I hold myself to a certain standard of giving back and helping others and have dedicated myself to that. Not being able to achieve to my full potential is a difficult pill to swallow, especially when you want it so badly.

Something had to be done. And now.

So I had a few conversations - conversations with colleagues that led to conversations with my superiors at Peace Corps that culminated in some very staunch heart-to-hearts with my counterparts and supervisors at my primary assignment. While the conversations were difficult, I am optimistic that positive change is on the way. Why am I so optimistic? Because I am no longer directly tethered to others within my agency so what happens next is up to me.

I am now taking over and managing a number of fairly high profile national projects and have been granted independence to build capacity of implementing partners across the country. This means I can go out in a technical capacity and work directly with the providers in the field to help them integrate and actualize programming, as well as strengthen systems and organizational capacity in order to improve service delivery. Working directly with the implementing partners is a resource and valuable experience both for me and for the organizations I now have the authority to work with. And the quality and level of my involvement is mine alone to determine, with the support of my counterpart, her supervisor, and the agency as a whole. Hallelujah! I am finally free to start making an impact  in a much more meaningful way again! Good news all around!

Another PAC Meeting

The quarterly meeting for Peace Corps Botswana's Project Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting was held yesterday. Leaders from the Government Ministries, the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA), Peace Corps staff, and other relevant stakeholders came together to discuss our post's program and build on previous meetings. This meeting is invaluable for sharing information and improve both relations with these parties and the quality of our service to the country. Simply being a representative is an honor. This meeting, however, my Country Director asked me to step up and present to the group.

My task was to present examples and best practices of volunteer activities across the different sectors (Local Government Capacity Building, Community Health Team, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Life Skills). This meant scanning the work done by 134 PCVs and isolating projects that would be of interest, both because of their direct relevance to the PAC members and to demonstrate alternative types of projects volunteers participate in that have a significant impact on their communities. (I have to state that this was no easy task because PCVs in Botswana are doing some very good work!) I then created a presentation to accompany my discussion and prepared for what I assumed would include an onslaught of questions by the PAC members. This was going to be a very big meeting for me - presenting and honoring the work of my fellow volunteers to such high level officials within Botswana. If I'm being honest, this means I fretted about it.

I needn't have worried, however. My presentation went smoothly, the PAC members were extremely impressed with PCV activities around the country, and Peace Corps staff were happy with how I portrayed our work. In fact, they were so pleased with it that they sent my presentation back to Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington DC to show the type and quality of activities going on at our post! It was a proud day for me. I was proud of myself for a successful presentation in the face of these bigwigs and proud of my colleagues and friends for all of the great things they are doing. It was an honor and a privilege to share their work with PAC.

Finishing Up: Gabane Community Home-Based Care

Yesterday was a truly epic day. It was a day when I got to witness the end-game of my work at Gabane Community Home-Based Care (GCHBC). And, what makes it even more memorable and exciting, is that I got to do it in the form of an amazing event, alongside all the people who were part of those efforts from the community at large. My heart will be overflowing with joy, pride, and gratitude when I think about this day for the rest of my life. What was supposed to be a small event became something so much more.

A few days ago, the coordinator from GCHBC called to let me know there was going to be an event to hand over and unveil a brand new playground at the center. This had been a last-minute project that I pursued, mere weeks before I finished my time in Gabane and went for home leave. Although PCVs are encouraged not to start anything new at the end of their service, I believe that when opportunities present themselves it is important to grab them, so we made the effort. Getting the playground would offer a safe place for the children to hang out and have fun, as our previous one was dilapidated and in great need of repair. Two days before I left, I received word that our proposal was accepted and representatives from a local bank branch would be sponsoring the playground. Over the past two months, this effort came to fruition. And yesterday, I got to see the labor of love and watch the children's eyes light up when they saw their new play area.

I was so overwhelmed with love when I arrived at the center. I had been gone for two months and hadn't seen my Botswana family in as long. Hugs were the first thing on the agenda. But, not long after our familial embraces, I was sneaking around the event tents, media, and special guests, towards the new playground. I couldn't wait until the unveiling. I had to see it now!

When I saw the new playground, I could hardly believe my eyes! The new playground has swings, a climbing wall, teeter-totters, a bridge, slides, and an in-ground trampoline! And it was all new! And beautiful! I nearly burst into tears imagining the kids seeing it - how was I going to react when that time actually came?! I mean, who actually has an in-ground trampoline at their preschool center? It seemed impossible. This was just too magnificent to behold.

I went to run over to the ladies to gush about the playground but was intercepted by the donor, who I immediately hugged. She laughed and laughed because my excitement and my gratitude was so palpable. I hadn't seen the plans for the playground before I left so it was a complete surprise to me. It exceeded all of my hopes and expectations. I knew the children's reaction would be even more amazing.

Finally, after a few words with the donor, I went in search of the ladies from the center. As I rounded the corner of the event tent, I saw it. There, parked in front of me, was the combi we had written a proposal for many months prior! SURPRISE!

No one knew it was coming. FNB Foundation, who we were awarded the combi through, had talked to the bank branch weeks before and asked to surprise us with the combi at the handing over ceremony. And surprised we were! I honestly couldn't believe my eyes! Everyone must have been waiting for my reaction because, as I squealed with joy and shock, I turned around to see all the staff and donors laughing and smiling. IT WAS HERE!!! THE COMBI WAS HERE!!! And it, too, was beautiful!!! Goodbye old combi! Goodbye spending 47% of our funds on vehicle repairs! HELLLLOOOOOO riding in personalized style! WE HAVE A BRAND NEW COMBI! The combi was the last out-standing award I was waiting for to complete my time at Gabane Community Home-Based Care. I needn't wait any longer!

And all of this happened BEFORE the actual event and handing over ceremony!

The event was well attended. Our Kgosi and Minister of Parliament were there, as were the heads of the donor agencies and our entire board. The community came out in hordes. Every major village organization was represented - the clinic, health post, support group, school heads, and the other NGO in the village. Everyone who had been a part of my service in Gabane was there. And, over and above, the media came out to photograph and televise the event. It was truly spectacular. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be in attendance. The represented everyone that was part of time in Gabane.

On a very personal note, during his speech, the board chairperson made a very special "thank you" address to me for my efforts with the center. His words were kind beyond compare. He then asked me to stand. Everyone applauded me and the children came rushing over and hugged me. I was overwhelmed to the point that tears welled up in my eyes. To me, the only reason I was able to achieve so much was because I had a great team alongside me. They worked so hard and absorbed all I had to share with them. It was a joint effort. But I was so grateful for the acknowledgement and pleased they spoke so highly of me. I, of course, think the world of him and the ladies at the center.

As an added surprise, the donors also presented fleece blankets and small mattresses for each and every child in the center (54 of them!!!). The children clung to these blankets (which were a great gift, especially with how cold it was yesterday), even as they saw the playground for the first time. It was adorable watching them try to run to the playground and jump on the trampoline and climb the ramp with their blankets in tow. But they were just too excited to part with anything. Precious.

(Side note: When I went into the classroom to greet the children before the event started, they came running over shouting "Kamogelo! Kamogelo" and all wanted to do our "secret handshake". It warmed my heart that they still remembered everything because it was so special to me. And, I know you're likely thinking "But, Tija, it's only been two months, how could they forget?" Well, humans are incredibly resilient. Now apply that to 3-year-old orphans. I left them and was worried they would have blocked it all out in the name of self preservation. I am happy to report that they haven't. Smiles all around!)

After the event, I took some time to walk around the center and check out a number of projects we had done during my service, including the garden. Nearly a year later, the garden is thriving. The center feeds only from there now and it is still producing enough for income generation. It was amazing to see the plants flourishing. I was proud that the staff at the center were keeping up with it and, if anything, had improved the already gorgeous garden. It also a relief to see that nutrition is now taking a front stage in the efforts of the center's work towards helping the children and the home-based care patients.

The same goes for the new fruit tree orchard. This was a slower effort, but potentially more sustainable in the long-term. We grew these from tiny saplings that had been donated by a local greenhouse. There are now nearly twenty fruit trees - papaya, mango, and orange - that accompany our bustling garden. Small buds are beginning to flower on the trees, as the first signs that fruit will come. This is a joyous sight. And, if I may get sentimental for a moment, these trees are representative of our joint efforts at the center. They started out small and we weren't sure what would come of them. But then they were planted and nourished and strong roots began to take hold - a foundation for growth. Now they are strong and the potential limitless. How wonderful to witness.

As I walked into the office after witnessing the event, our awards, and the progress made in the fields around the center, the coordinator impressed me yet another time. She pulled out a new financial report they had made, unassisted, in preparation for an upcoming audit. The report was beautiful. They had learned everything I had shown them and were able to do it all on their own. There were QuickBooks reports and breakdowns and everything was substantiated with perfectly organized ledgers and more. I knew they could do it but it took my breath away to see the end result.

Lastly, the ladies announced that they refurbished a proposal I had written months ago and submitted it to a local foundation. They are meeting with a foundation representative next week about being awarded sponsorship for the next three years. If this happens, the center stands to receive upwards of P1.2 million to support its programs. That would give them the resources to grow the preschool, implement the Kids Club, and expand its reach to help even more people. I am so proud of the ladies for taking the initiative to pursue this opportunity. They are stronger than ever and ready to push forward to a new level. I am blessed to have been a part of their journey to now.

In the words of the coordinator, "All that's left to do is sing and dance and celebrate!"

PC/Botswana Project Advisory Committee

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer opens up many doors for unique experiences. This takes shape in the work we do, the people we stand to meet, and the places we get to see. Every day can be an adventure if you are open to it. I have been fortunate to seize many such opportunities. I am delighted to say that, in my third year, they continue to present themselves to me.

On 29 July 2013, my Country Director called to invite me to be a member of Peace Corps Botswana's Project Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC is new to our post but has already made a significant impact on the work we do in Botswana. Essentially, PAC is comprised of Peace Corps Botswana's key project stakeholders, who are among the highest level officials in the country (having representatives from the heads of key Ministries and the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA)) and acts as the voice that helps Peace Corps ensure that it develops credible, realistic, and responsive projects and training programs. Additionally, the PAC provides input and guidance to Peace Corps and helps to ensure stakeholder coordination and serves as an advisory body to the post's Program and Training Teams. My role on PAC, my CD explained, would be to represent the 102 volunteers currently serving in country and to shed light on what is happening on the ground. This offer was an honor and an opportunity I jumped at.

As I expected, my first PAC meeting was well attended and impressive. The stakeholders were outspoken, energetic, and eager to discuss the issues before the committee. Included in the topics were: the new project frameworks, preliminary results and a sampling of volunteer activities, administrative matters pertinent to the Ministries, site development, the incoming group of trainees, and projections for the upcoming year.

I was most taken by the collaboration between these groups and their passionate and keen interest in furthering and supporting the Peace Corps projects. This working group felt productive and I believe a great stepping stone towards enhancing the work we do around the country. It is no secret that I feel strongly about the potential of Peace Corps Botswana to make a real impact. PAC is a move in the right direction to get everyone on board and working together to ensure that our post can achieve a higher level of functionality and have a profound effect on the communities we reach. I am grateful to be a part of it as we move forward.

In The Field: Single Teen Mothers Workshop Series

Last week, PCI was asked to go to a small settlement called Olifants Drift to conduct a workshop for single teen mothers. The workshop was in response to the high rates of teen pregnancies, including a 12-year-old "falling pregnant" and a 14-year-old who had recently murdered her infant baby. In settlement communities like this one, where opportunities are few, this is a fairly common occurrence.

When PCI asked me to attend and help facilitate the workshop, I was overwhelmed and excited for the invitation. It would be my first official activity since starting with them and it would be my first workshop addressing this topic. We planned to discuss challenges of rural living and then train the teen moms on long-term planning (and the value of education), critical thinking, healthy relationships, risk reduction, and women's empowerment.

Seventeen single teenage mothers were in attendance. Their giggles and coy eye glances gave away the fact that they were nervous to be there. Introductions told me that the average age of the girls was eighteen and their highest schooling was the American equivalent of seventh grade. Most were mothers of more than one child.

As they warmed up to us (myself and the two other staff facilitators from PCI), they told us of their struggles - about being tricked into sex, about their perception of gender roles, about poor rainfall leading to few crops and less food, about the men who promised to marry them and feed them and care for them before running to the next girl, about the difficulties getting to villages with schools to continue their education, and about a mine coming into a nearby village (potentially creating even more problems). In between stories, they made jokes to cut the tension of the subject. They were coping the best they knew how.

After some time, the team of facilitators began working through the challenges one by one. Our team, made up of the Education and Gender Advisors, were a dynamic duo and the girls were soaking up the information. They were engaged in role playing and dialogue, utilizing PCI's GROW Model, which is geared at empowering them and helping them see their own value and strength.

One of the activities the facilitators had the girls do was to tell the room the one thing in their life they wished they could have. Saying it aloud was a form of personal commitment but also a way for their small community of teen moms to help each other achieve it. Almost all of the girls wanted to go back and finish school. Together they discussed the realities of that dream and how to make it happen. The girls seemed to be getting the information and were excited about the potential for the futures.

The two hours each way in the car through almost impassable earthen roads and the ten hour workshop seemed extremely valuable. If we could only reach a few of those girls, it would be worth it.

On our way out of the village, we watched as some of the girls rushed home to be with their children while others made their way to the local shebeen for a drink and to see what "their men" were up to. Behavior change takes time.

The one-day workshop will not be enough on its own. But at least someone had started the ball rolling - someone had taken the time to show they care about them and believe in them and want them to live better and more fulfilled lives. That was PCI, that was me, and that was the community who called to bring us there. In time maybe they will see it too. It requires a commitment from those girls and the support of the community. PCI has committed to doing more of these workshops to drive home the information and to empower these girls. I cannot wait to see it happen.

My New Roles: Third Year Begins

My last few weeks have been jam-packed as I moved into my new apartment in Gaborone, said goodbye to a dear friend, mourned a loss, settled in, and officially began working at my third year assignments. Needless to say, there has been a lot of adjustment - something that I have gotten used to in my time abroad. Through it all, I maintain that the best things in life are seized out of moments like this - when there is an air of uncertainty coupled with a sense of adventure and an open mind. Change, vulnerability, adjustment, and opportunity are the lifeblood of a Peace Corps Volunteer.

So far, the adjustments to my new assignments - as a Volunteer Leader for Peace Corps and a Technical Advisor for PCI - have been positive. The orientations went smoothly, I have remained very excited about the work, I already feel a deep sense of purpose, and the teams I will be assisting are among the best I have known.

With PCI, I will be working with a very diverse and multicultural group of people, hailing from the far corners of the globe. Their experience is just as varied, which offers me ample opportunity to learn and grow. Similarly, the components of the $16.7 million project that PCI has me working on are just as multifarious, ranging from behavior change to economic empowerment to orphan care to integrated early childhood education and finally to women's empowerment. These facets are intertwined, thereby offering me a chance to work alongside specialists and implementing partners in all areas of the project.

While the opportunities for professional growth and exposure to various topics are plenty, there is also much more clarity in my exact role with PCI. I will be advising particularly on the integrated early childhood education (IECD) component and helping mainstream gender (which the project incorporates into all areas). My exact deliverables go as follows:

• Draft and finalize an Adolescent Life Skills Toolkit. This toolkit will be adopted as part of Botswana's National Strategy for life skills education. In this vein, I will also develop a training plan to introduce this toolkit to partners, stakeholders, and government. 
• Finalize an IECD Resource Pack and develop a training plan to launch it. This includes researching and writing resource modules and rolling out trainings on the resource pack to PCI partners and stakeholders.
• Provide technical assistance to setting up an "IECD Model Site" at a village outside the capital to demonstrate best practices. This is from concept to national expansion.
• Plan and organize an IECD Forum to be attended by Botswana Government, USAID, and other key national and international agencies.
• Assist with monitoring and evaluation and reporting of the implementation of the IECD project component according to USAID's indicators. This includes conducting field monitoring activities and compiling M&E reports.

This role has me pushing myself to a higher level. It will be both challenging and immensely rewarding. And, if I am able to satisfactorily pull it all off within my one year's time, be an exceptional feat! Regardless, I am thrilled about the learning opportunity and what I stand to gain from it all. I mean, how many people can say they published two nationally-adopted manuals and created a model site from scratch?! I hope to be among those who can...

My role with Peace Corps is every bit as elaborate and will have me keeping extra busy - and, yes, it may actually feel like having two full-time jobs. It spans an array of duties, including providing technical assistance and information to volunteers, assisting staff with site development and conflict mediation, giving feedback on post and volunteer assignments, and so on.

To date, I have been being a mentor to the incoming group of Peace Corps Trainees who will be coming in two short weeks. This means hosting conference calls to discuss various topics (home stay, safety and security, packing, etc) and responding to countless emails as they prepare to come to Botswana. It has been fun getting to know them prior to arrival and makes me even more excited to meet them and participate in their upcoming training. I have also started helping with site development for the incoming group - attending community meetings to assess buy-in of the village, meeting with potential host agencies, and talking with Peace Corps staff about sites. My involvement has been minimal so far but even getting a taste of what's to come has been compelling. All in all, I think the role as a PCVL will offer extremely valuable insight into the oversight and running of a field office.

That is my third year, in brief. Or at least how it looks today. 

My professional career to date has been varied. I have found the utmost satisfaction doing hands-on capacity building, as with the grassroots development work of my last two years. It will be interesting to see how this new path will feel. Will it be rewarding? Will I like this hybrid office-field assignment? Does it feel different working in an office setting now that I see the direct results in the field? Will this change the course of my future? I will keep you all apprised of my evolution and my impression of the work. I can say that I am most confident and excited about what lays before me. And I am certain that it will be a rewarding, challenging, and eye-opening year.

Special Home Leave

Going home was everything I had hoped it would be and more (with only very few of my "worries" coming to fruition - yay!). It was a time to reconnect with family and friends and to share about my experiences over the last two years and about this culture and people that I love so much. I was overwhelmed at times - by the sheer magnitude of "stuff" in America and by the outpouring of love - but felt so connected and welcomed. And, honestly, it was amazing to have hot water come out of the faucet every time and to be able to simultaneously do laundry, wash dishes, and sit outside on the porch (i.e. not do everything by hand). Oh technology!

I could launch into a hundred stories about turning thirty, going to Art Fest, drinking coffee with my mama, windy beaches and eating too many tacos, long conversations over wine, naked bike riders (Solstice Festival), or nights out with friends. But pictures really do say it all so I am just going to share a sampling of my favorites from my five weeks spent across New York, Washington, and California. It really was an amazing time.

Thank you to everyone that was a part of my home leave in between my two years of service and my extension year. I cherish every moment that I got to spend with you and am sincerely grateful to have you in my life. Each person pictured here, each little note or text message I received, and so many more are what makes my life so special. Thank you.

Getting a Head Start: Third Year Assignments

Third year assignments typically start after a PCV finishes their work at site and reaches their original COS date. For many extendees (myself included), this also means they usually take their month-long "special home leave" before starting their new assignment. This allows for significant closure to be reached in their projects before beginning something new (and sometimes wholly different).

As I have mentioned before, I will have two assignments when I start my third year: one with Project Concern International (PCI) as a Technical Advisor for their Tsela Kgopo OVC and Gender Project and the other with Peace Corps as a Volunteer Leader. I will officially begin my new assignments on July 1st. But, as you likely could infer from my ramblings over the past two years, I have never been one for "going with the grain", so to speak. My natural instinct is to gather all the information available and dive head-first into whatever lies before me. This has served me well in the past so it is no surprise that I would do the same again here in Botswana with my third year assignments.

PCVL Head Start

Two weeks ago, my Country Director called and asked me if I would be willing to help plan and host a "Take Your Kid To Work Day" at the Peace Corps office. My role would be to come up with the agenda and activities, coordinate volunteers, and facilitate the day. A chance to play with adorable little kids all day and call it "work"?! Of course I agreed!

In collaboration with the office's Executive Assistant, I planned the agenda for the day. We decided to make it like a real work day for the kids (aged 3- to 10-years-old). They would get "official" nametags with the Peace Corps insignia and the title "Junior Staff" presented at a mock staff meeting in the morning, where they would also take their Oath of Service alongside their parents and other staff. They would go on to receive "medical clearance", complete with watching their heartbeat on a monitor, then go through "security check", which meant learning about basic safety then learning how to use an air horn and put out a real fire with a fire extinguisher! The rest of the day required them to be "Program Support" for the different sectors their parents worked in. Activities included shredding paper (big fun for a little kid!), stamping envelopes, and making friendship bracelets and doing crafts (to help come up with fun activities for PCVs to do with kids in their villages, of course!).

Besides being such a fun day playing with all the kids, it allowed me to see the staff from a more humanist perspective. Yes, we are all a family here - staff and PCVs - but it becomes a more powerful connection when you open up and see these more intimate moments. Knowing that I'm going to be working so closely with them in the upcoming year, I feel this was the perfect opportunity to share something deeper and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity. Also, have I mentioned that I like playing with adorable kids? Because their energy and excitement over it all really makes it worthwhile. Totally.

PCI Head Start

Last week, after submitting my updated resume, one of the staff from PCI called and asked if I would be willing to attend a meeting put on by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). The meeting was being called to review and revise a toolkit for HIV prevention and treatment for adolescents - a facilitator's guide for trainers, a manual for teachers, and three separate workbook for adolescents (ages ranging between 10-years-old and 19-years-old). Essentially, there is a pre-existing toolkit that has been being used in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other Southern African nations, and they are hoping to implement something similar in Botswana. To do this, they asked a group of experts to assemble and adapt the current documents to something usable here.

The room was literally full of the best minds Botswana has to offer and some of the highest government officials. They ranged from the heads of NACA (Botswana's National AIDS Coordinating Agency), the Ministries of Education and Health, and Baylor Children's Clinic to directors of some of the key national and international NGOs dealing with adolescent health issues in the country. I felt like a very small face in this specialized crowd and wondered why I had been invited to join this meeting. I resolved to try my best to contribute and to learn as much as I could during the meeting, in the hopes of being a valuable resource in the future.

By the end of our first reading of the documents, the representatives in my group were providing me with accolades for my insights and all that I had to offer in terms of contextualizing the document for Batswana youth and for organizational structure and ease of use. It seems that my work on the ground and in the villages has provided me with keen insights often overlooked at this higher level that were extremely useful in revising the toolkit. To the point that the project head from UNESCO asked me if I would be willing to continue my revisions after the meeting because they wanted to get it finalized and begin implementation by June of this year.

All of this gave me confidence in myself and in the skills and knowledge I have developed during my time here. I was overjoyed to be in this company and to be able to contribute meaningfully to the project. I was proud of myself and grateful that PCI felt I was a worthy representative for their organization.

So here I am, with less than a month left in my two year contract, preparing and actually starting some activities for my future extension assignments. I am so content with where things are going and full of excitement about the work ahead of me. I think this is really going to be something great!

A Message From My Extension Organization

i've met my match