IFYE Program Newsletter

I have left the village of Hebron and the comfort of the Phetlhu family, and am now in the village of Ranaka. I had no idea just how nice it was in Hebron. My home in Ranaka has no running water, no bathrooms, and of course, no electricity. We collect water from an outdoor spigot, and our toilet is very similar to an outhouse. Bathing is very interesting, but I won't go into details.

I will write a bit about the 4-B program. This program is under the charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, and specifically the Office of Crop Production and Forestry. There are six agricultural regions in Botswana. I will stay with two families in each region and cover all six agricultural regions. There are a varying number of districts. As far as administration goes, the regions function similar to states and the districts function similar to counties.

Each region has a 4-B office that is in conjunction with the Office of Crop Production and Forestry. Every district also has an office, as do many of the villages. The person who monitors the 4-B program is usually the Agricultural Demonstrator or Extension Agent. Most 4-B leaders are teachers, so the 4-B clubs exist mainly in schools.

The 4-B program in Botswana places a major emphasis on agriculture. They are trying to involve youth in more rural areas, and also youth that are not in school. You can be a 4-B member from ages 10-29, but most members are school age. So far, I have met with a group of 4-B leaders and one 4-B club. Their clubs have absolutely no money. They are lucky to have more than the equivalent of $2.50.

Other than money, the main problem that the leaders and members face is animals eating their crops. In Botswana, there are few pastures and animals just roam freely. A lack of good fencing leads to many losing their would-be exhibits.

As for cultural experiences, I have already had quite a few. I attended part of a funeral with my last host family. With my current family, I have gone to a church service at the Full Gospel Church of God. Let me tell you, it was full of gospel! There was so much singing! I tried to capture a little of the singing on a hand-held recorder. The service lasted three and one-half hours! I also had the opportunity to attend a traditional wedding. Weddings here take two days. It was quite an experiencewith lots of singing, dancing and FOOD! It seemed as though they fed the entire village on three separate occasions.

The people of the village even asked me to judge a beauty contest. Most everyone here is caught up in the spirit of having Miss Universe be from Botswana. The thought of being a judge made me a little uncomfortable (I had never even been to a beauty contest before), so I was able to weasel my way into doing all the calculating and averaging instead of the actual judging.

My current family is small – a mother with two children in the house ages 14 and three. They all sleep in one bed in order for me to have my own room.

Our diet consists mainly of rice or sorghum – a corn-based cream of wheat-like substance--with a combination of vegetables (usually cabbage or spinach). We drink mainly tea.

Their extended family is very large and people are always coming over to visit.

I don't think that many of the people here have ever seen contact lenses. I had a problem with one of my contacts one evening and had to take it out. After I put the contact back in my eye, I found about sixteen pairs of eyes staring at me. They had never seen them before. For the next couple of days, I had to take out my contacts for anyone who came over. They still have me take them out for new company.

They are also excited about my hand-held recorder, mini maglite flashlight, and the indiglo on my watch. They absolutely cannot believe the Polaroid camera that I brought. Personally, I am much more amused by the donkey carts that frequent the paths they call roads, the homemade fences, and the animals that roam to their liking. Also, the Batswana (meaning citizens of Botswana) seem to be very pleased about seeing my white skin (although it is getting a little browner). I have had a couple of marriage proposals and almost everyone greets me enthusiastically.

Soon, I will be moving from the southern region to the western region. The two villages I will be staying in are Lokhwabe and Kang. Both are located between the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Gemsbuk National Park. I home I will have the opportunity to visit the parks and see some of the wildlife we see only in zoos.

Beth