Gantsi Craft

It is the beginning of my second week at work and I think it is about time to try and explain what I will be doing. I am working for a non-governmental organization called Gantsi Craft. Gantsi Craft works towards community development of San communities by enabling income generation through craft production.  There are approximately 800 craft producers in 16 settlements that produce a variety of crafts made out of natural resources (ostrich eggshells, leather etc). Gantsi Craft partners with the producers and provides them with many of the materials (for free) and then also buys the finished craft products back from them to sell in their retail shop as well to sell wholesale through their sister organization, San Arts and Crafts (the organization that Sarah works for).  This allows the producers a way of earning an income that is sustainable and that is sensitive to their unique culture which they are trying to preserve in the extreme social-political context in which they live. The organization works directly with the communities and producers, conducting craft workshops, but also providing workshops on major issues of concern in the settlements such as TB and HIV/AIDS.

Essentially, what I will be doing is gathering information on the different natural resources available in each of the settlements so that I can make recommendations as to what types of crafts should be produced at which settlements. This will allow for both the producer’s production methods and the organization as a whole to become more efficient and sustainable. Currently, a large barrier is that the San have lost control of much of the land they used to have and thus resource rights have become very complicated. So, one of my projects over the next few months is to travel to the various settlements (I am leaving on Sunday for a week for my first settlement visit) and speak with producers (through a translator) to gather as much information as I can regarding the types of resources available (seeds, shells, skins, rocks) and what types of crafts can be made with them. I will also try to gather information on the producers themselves regarding their age, gender, and employment status in order for Gantsi Craft to better understand how to effectively cater their workshops to the producer groups. One area of concern that I have noticed so far is that almost all of the producers are currently women.  Gantsi Craft would like to figure out a way to get men more involved in the craft production process. For example, perhaps they could provide more opportunities for leather creation in some of the settlements.

Gantsi Craft Office and Retail Shop

This is my office and my coworker Elda. She is the shop manager.

Gantsi Craft Retail Shop selling San products

Another project I am currently working on together with Sarah is creating a Standard File of every single craft product available through both Gantsi Craft and San Arts and Crafts. Currently, no such document exists and as I have seen in this past week, the process for creating one is incredibly frustrating. There is a lot of missing information and I feel like we are asking questions that no one has an answer to. But, we have slowly been making progress and are now at a point where we can sit down with our boss (she is currently the coordinator of both Gantsi Craft and San Arts and Crafts) and discuss ways forward for creating the document. One thing I have learned this week is that patience is definitely a virtue and sometimes you just have to sit back and let things go at their own pace (even if it is much slower than I am used to).

 Hard at work at San Arts and Crafts

In the meantime, I have just been trying to understand exactly what it is that Gantsi Craft does through reading various documents and reports from the last few years. I have also been trying to become familiar with the product lines which actually pretty fun, especially because most of the products are jewellery. As you can see, Sarah and I got a little sidetracked one afternoon, and decided to try a lot of it on.

 

All of my coworkers and the staff at San Arts and Crafts (where I spent most of last week because I was working on the Standard File) are incredibly nice. Yesterday afternoon, the field coordinator, Namaswe, came back from the field with a new shipment of necklaces and dancing rattles. The dancing rattles are really amazing. They are made out of a whole bunch of cocoons filled with seeds and then they are tied together. They are then tied around your legs and are used to make rattling sounds during traditional dances. Of course, we had to try them on and see how they worked. I am very excited to see them actually used in traditional dances by the San.



So that has been my experience with work so far. I still have so much to learn about the organization and the San producers. I am really excited to leave for the field on Sunday to see how the organization works outside of an office environment and to gain a better understanding of the craft production process. Despite the sometimes seemingly slow days (again, things just run at a different pace here) I know I have a lot of to learn and I really think it’s going to be an interesting 7 months ahead of me!



Microwaved Goat Meat

Sarah and I have made some local friends here who have been really helpful and stop by often to check up on us and see how things are going. On Friday, they stopped in unexpectedly to see if we wanted to hangout. At first we were going to have people over at our place for braai (which is a barbeque) but plans quickly changed (as they always seem to do here) and we were soon off to the local sports bar, called “Sports Bar Ghanzi.” Bars are much different in Ghanzi from what I gathered -  the main difference is that you can bring in your own drinks (alcohol and non-alcoholic) and drink them without having to actually buy anything at the bar itself. They also sell alcohol like beer and whatnot by the case and it is often cheaper than the “bottle store” (liquor store). After a while at the sports bar, we went to a friend’s house. Since coming to Ghanzi, everyone has asked me “do you like goat meat?”...and I always replied that I have never tried goat meat. Well, that changed on Friday. Our friend’s, Polano (in the blue tank top), father had just had a goat slaughtered and she was very excited to share the meat with us. So they brought the meat and mixed in a whole bunch of spices and she was going to barbeque it. However, plans changed (again) and they decided microwaving would be quicker so that way we could go to the club in Ghanzi. Now, the idea of microwaving any meat is a little sketchy to me...and this being my first time eating goat meat I was definitely a little sceptical. But I decided that this whole experience is all about adventure and I might as well just eat it. To tell you the truth, the meat was actually pretty good (and I didn’t get food poisoning J) and I would definitely try it again (although preferably not microwaved).

A while later, we made our way to the club in Ghanzi. The rest of the night was full of dancing and meeting new people. The forwardness of the men here never ceases to amaze me but I am definitely getting better at brushing it off. I now feel like I have officially been introduced to the night life in Ghanzi and look forward to more adventures like Friday.  This coming Friday is Independence Day here so it is a public holiday and I have the day off of work. I don’t know what the exact plans are yet but everyone is getting very excited for the various celebrations and I’m sure it’ll be another exciting weekend!

An Average Day in Ghanzi

The sand!!! No matter how many times I sweep my house (that's my house and my floor), the sand never goes away. It is everywhere and makes it almost impossible to keep dress clothes clean. I am amazed everyday how women wear fancy heels to work when I'm still learning how to get it out of my sandals.

The animals. Everyday, there are various animals on the street. They are usually eating at the very minimal amount of grass in the area. I was walking home from work yesterday and saw these goats running down the road. The smallest one was the cutest goat I have ever seen and really wanted to take him home as a pet.

The other creatures. As I already explained in a previous post, I had a small spider freak out the other day (this was the spider that was the cause of all the screaming..it was about the size of my palm!). Well, it turns out there are plenty of spiders in my house, along with other bugs (a lot of them I have no idea what they are). We also discovered that we have lizards. We saw this one last night while we were having a few drinks in the yard. One of the people we were with wanted to kill it, but (as creepy as I think they are) Sarah and I convinced them to leave it alone and he eventually ran away.

The food. This is a typical Botswana meal. We went to a small restaurant beside San Arts and Crafts (the sister organization to Gantsi Craft) and asked for a food plate. They pile it full of the food of the day. This was coleslaw, chicken, beef stew, rice, spinach, carrots and pap (powdered maize). They always give HUGE portions here but it was delicious. I am excited to learn how to cook the traditional foods for myself.

Until then...Sarah and I cook meals like this. Nothing too exciting about pasta, I know. But a coworker has promised to teach us how to cook once she gets settled into her new home.

The people. These women are so beautiful. They are women from the Herero tribe and everyday they are dressed in their traditional clothing. The long dresses are always in bright colours (blue, orange, green, yellow) with matching hats. Not all the people dress traditionally however. Many people wear the exact same things as in North America (they even have casual Friday's at work).

The entertainment. I live just down the street (about 100m) from the prison in Ghanzi, so I see it everyday on my walk to work. On Saturday and Sunday morning, the prisoners play soccer in the field behind my house (I discovered this on Sunday morning when I was trying to sleep in.) Every other night, there are a bunch of guys practicing and playing soccer in the field before dark. They are actually really good and I enjoy watching them after work.

And of course, the beautiful sunsets. The sunset in Ghanzi is different every night and I don't think I will ever get sick of watching it. I would love to take a picture of the stars here too (they are amazing) but pictures don't do them justice.

Trip to Maun

The last few days have been very interesting. On Friday, I had my first huge freak out due to a GIANT spider in my bathroom. I was prepared to squish it when it started running away so quickly I started screaming. Sarah, who thought I was being attacked, rushed over and we spent the next twenty minutes trying to figure out the best way to kill the spider which was now on the ceiling. I’m sure you can just imagine me in a towel in the bathtub holding a broom and Sarah ready with a bottle of raid and a book. Since then, I have found many spiders in my house and I know they are not poisonous and probably won’t even bite me...but they are just so creepy. Last night, I caved and put up my bug net (which I originally bought to prevent malaria..but Ghanzi is not a malaria region) so hopefully that’ll keep the spiders away from my bed.

Yesterday we went with some co-workers to Maun for the day. They were going to do some business there and Sarah and I thought it might be fun to explore. We left at 5 am and I was able to watch my first sunrise in Botswana. It was so different than anything I have seen before. The sky was a dusty pink and orange and then out of nowhere the blood red sun (that I saw before during sunset) began to rise into the sky. You can watch it as it rises because it is not bright yet and it rises so quickly (in less than 10 minutes it is high into the sky). Along the way, again we had to stop for many animals to cross the highway. We also saw a dead horse and donkey on the side of the road. Someone must have hit them, but they were long gone and the vultures had taken claim to them.

After doing some shopping (Maun has much more selection than Ghanzi) and having lunch, Sarah and I decided to go to the Old Bridge. We heard about the bridge from a friend and thought it would be a nice place to spend the afternoon. We were also hoping to find some shade because it is soooo hot here.  Because we had no idea where to go, we asked a taxi to take us to the “Old Bridge.” Luckily, he knew what we were talking about and brought us there for P30 (which is about 4.50 CAN..and it was about a 15 minute drive). 

The Old Bridge was beautiful. Apparently there are crocodiles and hippos in the water, but we didn’t see any. There were lots people fishing and many of them managed to catch quite a few. Sarah and I found a good spot in the shade and were prepared to just relax for the afternoon. However, within a few minutes, we had some guys coming over to us asking us where we are from and inviting us to their lodge. We politely declined and eventually they left. Throughout the day, this type of encounter continued. I think everyone is just trying to be very nice and welcoming, but you also have to be cautious about people’s intentions (the same as you would in Canada). I had my first marriage proposal as well. Two older men walked by and pointed at us, as we were talking to some guys our own age. The one man said that he wanted white wives (yes, plural) and he wanted to take us home. A few minutes later, they came back and wanted pictures with us. He said “I’m going to marry one of you.” I told him I have a boyfriend and he said that was fine, he was okay polygamy. He also said he would just visit me when the boyfriend isn’t there. It doesn’t matter how much you say no or say you have a boyfriend...he really didn’t care. Definitely a strange experience.

We left Maun around 5 pm and started the drive back to Ghanzi. It gets dark here around 6:30 pm and the drive was a little scary because of all the cattle on the road. When we got closer to Ghanzi, there was a foot and mouth checkpoint. Everyone had to get out of the car and soak their shoes into a solution (meant to kill any bacteria). Ghanzi is the beef capital of Botswana so the preventative measures make sense. Along the way, we stopped for a bathroom break and somehow I got an impromptu dance lesson in the middle of the desert (and for anyone who knows me well, you understand how unusual this is). We arrived home at about 9 pm and called it a day (only after killing two more spiders.)

Today, the power is out all day. Apparently a notice went out, but we didn’t hear about. One more day of relaxation before I begin work tomorrow. The prisoners play soccer every Sunday on the field behind my house so I am just sitting on my bed watching them play. I think I am slowly getting used to things here...but I’m sure there is still going to be many more surprises.

My New Home

I am now getting settled into my new home in Ghanzi. It is much different from Gabs but equally as intriguing. The drive from Gabarone to Ghanzi was long but luckily I was able to get in some sleep along the way. We had to stop multiple times along the way to let donkeys, horses, cattle, goats and even ostriches cross the highway.

Ghanzi is a small town, but not what people made it out be. There are two grocery stores where I am able to buy everything I need. There are also a variety of different shops where people are able to buy clothing and household supplies. Many of the shops are Chinese run which is very interesting to me. There are also two banks and a hotel (that from what I have gathered so far, is the main place in town for entertainment). Despite all this, the feeling of the town is much different.

When we first drove into Ghanzi, we drove by small squatter settlements with houses haphazardly made out of cardboard boxes and scrap sheets. One, the woman from WUSC who brought us to Ghanzi and helped get us settled in, informed us that most of the dwellings are occupied by San people. There are also many street kids here, most of which are also San. These kids are all in bare feet and torn clothes, some as young as 4. They hang around the grocery store and persistently ask for money. We have been told not to give them any money because most of them use it to go buy glue to sniff. They also ask for bread but this too is difficult because after you give it to them once they will expect it every time they see you.  I was also informed that there are programs here in place to provide support for the kids, but many of them still just go to the streets.

There are also many different languages being spoken here because people come from many different tribes (so even if I am able to learn basic Setswana...I will always experience some sort of language barrier). The clothing that people wear is such a mix of traditional and modern. There are some women dressed in completely traditional Herero attire, with big dresses and hats (they are beautiful, but I have no idea how they can manage all the layers in the heat here). At the same time, there are women in jeans and tank tops. To work, people do dress more formally – women are often in a skirt and blazer, and men in a suit (minus the jacket in most cases due to the heat.)

My house is very simple, but quite nice. The landlord made a big effort to make things comfortable and supplied Sarah and me with basic furnishings. We live right beside each other which is also comforting. When we first drove up to the house, I was hesitant because it is about 200 metres from the prison in Ghanzi. However, we were assured that it is very secure and One told us that one of the biggest criminal offences in the area is cattle theft (which I found confusing because animals seem to just wander freely through town, but apparently they are marked so that the farmer can identify which is his). Yesterday, there was often a goat or two roaming in the front yard.  Today, we had a man come and set up the electricity. He started talking to us and asked us where our partners were. Sarah and I replied back in Canada. He then went on to say that if it was his girlfriend, he would have been sure to impregnate her before she left so she wouldn’t be able to full around when she’s gone (we just kind of laughed..unsure about how to respond). Everyone seems to be very interested in your relationship status here and is very expressive about their opinions on these matters.

I also met with my co-workers at Ghanzi Craft this morning and it sounds like I have a busy 7 months ahead of me. I will be doing a lot of travelling to various San settlements to collect resource data. This data will then be compiled and assessed to identify which settlements should focus on which products/resources to ensure the greatest sustainability. I will also help with health workshops in the settlements. I really don’t know too much about what exactly this all means, but I start work officially on Monday so I’ll know more then.

Sala sentle!

What a week...

So, this is the first chance I have had to blog since I left one week ago.  It has been an absolutely amazing week so far, completely full of surprises and nothing like I could have ever imagined. While it is absolutely impossible to explain everything that has happened in the last couple days, I am going to do my best.

My flight was from Toronto to London to Johannesburg, and finally after 32 hours of travelling, Sarah and I made it to Gabarone (with all of our luggage!). In London, we had about 5 hours to kill and we decided to do Downtown London in 20 minutes. We took the “tube” from the airport to Piccadilly Square and went to go see the sights. We had a blast, and it definitely beat sitting at the airport.

Arriving in Gabarone, I had no idea what to expect. The adventure of a lifetime was about to begin and I was open for anything. Mmapaseka, WUSC’s Assistant Program Manager (who is absolutely amazing and has shown us around all week) picked up Sarah and I at the airport. Another Students Without Borders volunteer, Teneille, was also picked up (she was actually on our 11 hour flight from London to Joburg but we didn’t know) and we went to the WUSC guest house, where we have all been staying for the week for orientation. Teneille will be staying at the guest house for her 3 month placement because she is working in Gabarone. The WUSC house is really nice and very secure, as you can see by the electric fence (it’s comforting knowing it is there, however the need for it is slightly concerning).  We also know that our alarm system works because we have set it off twice so far accidentally and had to deal with explaining who we are to security.

On the first day, we all went for lunch with the WUSC staff where we ate a traditional meal in a school cafeteria (the serves the community as well). I’d have to say the most interesting food was Bogobe, which is kind of like a porridge (only mushier) made from sorghum and sugar and it is eaten (traditionally everyday) soft in the morning and left out and eaten harder for lunch and dinner. It has absolutely zero nutritional value but it fills you up and is actually really good. The WUSC staff are all amazing, incredibly helpful and welcoming. We have had orientation at the office on Saturday, Monday and tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day.

The second day, we went to the Immigration Office to file for our extension certificates. To get passport pictures taken, there were just people waiting outside the gates with a Polaroid and a white towel to hold behind your head. It seemed so strange to me, but honestly much less hassle than getting them taken in Canada. In the office, Sarah and I had a six year old boy ask if he could take a picture with us (because we were white) and was very excited when we said yes. Having white skin definitely makes you different here – whatever people think it means - higher status, wealthy, exotic looking, or just interesting...it attracts attention immediately. The Immigration Officer also asked me “where are your babies?” and after finding out none of us were married made a comment to Mmapeseka that maybe one of us should marry him. An interesting experience for sure.

We also met a group of Irish people who all work in accounting firms here and have been living here for a while. Gabs (the more common name for Gabarone) is actually quite small and somehow everyone knows everyone (especially ex-pats and foreigners). They invited us out for drinks and dinner and I was introduced to the social life in Gabs. Magically, your drink is never empty and if you order pretty much any hard liqueur it is automatically a double (and even that is understating it).  We went for dinner at an amazing Indian place called Ashoka Palace and again, the drinks were still flowing. After that...everyone drove home. I honestly think the hugest shock to me so far has been the drinking and driving here. EVERYONE does it (even many of the taxi drivers) and it is seen as pretty normal. They also drive on the right side of the car on the left side of the road (complete opposite).

Speaking of transportation, one afternoon of orientation was spent learning how to take public transit. Between special taxis, route taxis, combis, and busses...the system seems so complicated (but apparently you figure it out quickly). Two girls from the University of Botswana showed us around the city. The most overwhelming thing was probably the bus rank. It is kind of like a chaotic market with a mixture of vendors, all sorts of vehicles and lots of people. While walking through to find our combi, we had many people yelling at us (to get our attention), and many guys saying things like “oh, white girl, so beautiful.”  The girls assured us they are honestly just trying to be nice and generally interested in us because we very clearly stand out...not to mug us or anything (never the less, it is a lot of attention to have at once).

The girls also took us to Gaborone’s main shopping malls, Game City and River Walk. It is a very confusing city to me. It is incredibly modern in so many ways (so much so that I often find myself forgetting I am so far away). The mall has everything you could possibly need and more. All the stores are very similar to ones we have in Canada. There are stores identical to Shoppers Drug Mart (only these ones have way more stuff) and Bed Bath and Beyond. There is also plenty of restaurants everywhere and just so much selection. Honestly being in the mall, I felt like I was in Toronto.  That is, until a little toddler in his mother’s arms looked at us and said we were Chinese. His mother laughed and translated, and said that he doesn’t know the difference. On the way back we took a taxi all by ourselves back to house (well kind of..we didn’t exactly know the address...but we made it back to general area and walked from there).

 Adding to my confusion was my experiences on Sunday. The Irish people we met (honestly the most helpful people) invited us to go watch a rugby match at someone’s house. It turns out, a Peace Corp volunteer was house-sitting for a very high up American woman who is the coordinator of the Centre of Disease Control in Botswana and we were going to her mansion (probably one of the nicest houses I have ever seen in my entire life). We watched rugby, drank (starting at 8am), and enjoyed the pool in 35 degree heat. While I had a blast, it was certainly not the way I had envisioned spending my third day in Botswana. While some of the city is incredibly modern (Botswana is a middle income country), there are many low income to impoverished areas as well. The foreign volunteers and workers almost create their own mini sub-culture here, completely removed from the locals.  The challenge to balance both worlds seems to be difficult for many of the volunteers I have talked to. Throughout the day, I met many Peace Corps volunteers, some American Marines, more Irish people, South Africans and so many more foreigners. At some point in the afternoon there were probably about 40 people there, and only one was Batswana (however, she was married to an Irish guy). It is so surreal to me, but I can also see how it is very easy to fall into that lifestyle and spend every moment of free time like that because it is familiar and everyone is so helpful, trying to make sure you are comfortable in a city that is completely new.  At the same time, I want to throw myself into everything there is to know about this culture. I think that will be much easier to do in Ghanzi, which is much more rural and traditional.

Monday morning we had Setswana language lessons which I was definitely ready for (I hate not being able to understand a single word that is being said around me). A lady came in to the WUSC Office (on “Botswana time” – which means you can show up really any time you want to despite the time agreed upon....5 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour late and no one is too concerned) to teach us and she was fantastic! I learned that greetings are extremely important here (you greet everyone) and there are many things you have to do to show respect (don’t make direct eye contact when an elder is talking to you, always give and receive things with both hands, and when you shake hands your left hand has to touch your right arm). I now know how to say hello, goodbye, ask people how they slept, and how they woke up (translated that sounds funny...but it’s really a more polite way of asking how you slept), tell them where I am from, and what I am doing here (not exactly...I know how to say... “I am working here.”) The language is so different than anything I have ever heard and it is amazing. I am so excited to learn more. My favourite phrases from the day were:

Ga go na mathata – no problem (very similar to Ha ku na mathata..but that is Swahili)

Ao! Mathata ke eng? – Oh no! What is the problem? (in response to someone who has just told you they are feeling ill)

Dumela mma, o tsogile jang? – Good day maam, how did you wake up?

After the language lesson, we went for lunch at Nando’s in Game City (Swiss Chalet with a twist).  When driving back from lunch we saw a baboon along the road and also a herd of cattle stopping traffic.

Mmapaseka, Teneille, Sarah and I then went to the Mmokolodi Game Reserve to see the reptile park and go on a game drive. The reserve is 4000 hectares and while there are giraffes, elephants, hippos and jaguars we did not see any of these. We did see impalas, various antelope, an ostrich and a warthog, along with many different types of birds and reptiles. Our tour guide, Kenny, was incredible. He was one of the most knowledgeable, humble, and experienced person I have ever met. He told us everything anyone could ever know about each animal and more. For example, he explained that the tree below is very poisonous. If the sap were too get into someone’s eye, it would make them blind and if it was burnt for fire wood the smoke would choke you to death. He also talked about Botswana in general and offered to visit Sarah and I when he goes up to Ghanzi next month.

We stopped to watch the sunset just before the tour was over. The sun was blood red and so beautiful. When they said we were going to stop, it was still pretty high in the sky and in Canada it would take about 40 minutes to set. Here, it set in less than 5 minutes (you could see it moving) and it was unbelievably beautiful. Kenny told us that the sunsets in Ghanzi are incredible and completely different every night, so I’m very excited for that.

So that has been my experience so far. I finish orientation tomorrow and then I am off to Ghanzi. I’d have to say that my last five days in Botswana, more specifically Gabs, seem like a blur. It is nothing at all what I expected and yet I couldn’t imagine it being any more unbelievable. I have heard many mixed reactions when I tell people (both locals and foreigners) I am going to Ghanzi and the majority of people have reacted....well....with pity (or they have no idea where it is, and after I explain it...it is shock/pity). Many of them roll their eyes and say “Good Luck.” I feel like many people do not know why you would ever want to leave Gabs. Everything you could possibly need is here - shopping, restaurants, drinkable water, electricity, bustling night life etc. Their reaction I think has made me ever more eager to go there and experience it for myself. I am also anxious to meet my co-workers and start working with Gantsi Craft.  But all in all, this week has been amazing and I’m sure Sarah and I will be back to Gabs soon!