Our slightly longer than anticipated weekend in Maun is coming to an end. Immigration is just about sorted (after hours of waiting at the police station and immigration offices - blog post about that to come), a few errands for the school have been completed, lot's of lovely food has been eaten and slightly too much money has been spent on alcohol. It's been bloody brilliant!
We've met some weird and wonderful people, played a lot of pool and used an unhealthy amount of internet at Wimpey's but I'm really looking forward to getting back to the school!
The 2 new German volunteers are arriving tonight so we'll be driving back up tomorrow morning.
Will speak again in around a months time! I've a feeling it's going to go verrrry quick like the first month did!
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
BB4. Shower.
Vanilla scented candles burning and the most stars that you've ever seen above you're head...sounds like a pretty romantic shower, right?
mmmm maybe not.
The mood quickly nose dives when you turn the water on.....It's unbeliveeeeebly cold....and even then you're lucky that some water is actually coming out.
Your romantic shower date has quickly turned into a quick hello followed by a swift exit. To top things off you've got to dry yourself with a towel that's the size of a dwarfs hankychief and refuses to get wet.
Ok, apologies for sounding like a prat. I'm very grateful that previous volunteers built a shower right next to the house and actually...I'm starting to quite enjoy them...
mmmm maybe not.
The mood quickly nose dives when you turn the water on.....It's unbeliveeeeebly cold....and even then you're lucky that some water is actually coming out.
Your romantic shower date has quickly turned into a quick hello followed by a swift exit. To top things off you've got to dry yourself with a towel that's the size of a dwarfs hankychief and refuses to get wet.
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Ok, apologies for sounding like a prat. I'm very grateful that previous volunteers built a shower right next to the house and actually...I'm starting to quite enjoy them...
Sunday, 8 September 2013
BB3. Sunset.
BB2. Riding in the back of a truck.
Botswana Byte 1. Magwinya.
These are going to be mini posts about small things which really tickle my pickle in Botswana. Enjoy!
BB1. Magwinya (ma-guin-ya).
(Also known as fat cakes). These are Sugarless chewy doughnutty things sold at little road side stalls out of cool boxes. They are AMAZING and costing 50 thebe each (about 4p) I'm sure mannnny more will be consumed this year.
BB1. Magwinya (ma-guin-ya).
(Also known as fat cakes). These are Sugarless chewy doughnutty things sold at little road side stalls out of cool boxes. They are AMAZING and costing 50 thebe each (about 4p) I'm sure mannnny more will be consumed this year.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
A School Day
There are 3 classes in the school, Standard 5, Standard 6 and Standard 7, only the S7's take the leaving exam at the end of the year then new S5's arrive the following January.
We've just moved onto the summer timetable which means lesson start at 7.30am, and that's even after registration and assembly so it's an early start. There are then 4 lessons before break and 4 after each lasting 35minutes and finishing at around 12.45. It's then lunch until 3pm when the meeting starts followed by manual work until 5.30. Sports and swimming are slotted into the timetable on various days as well.
So what are we actually doing?
We're both teaching a subject to S5 (Jack maths and me science), this involves teaching one period each day with one double period a week. It doesn't seem that much but it can be pretty hard work when you're trying to teach the solar system to boys that are more interested in throwing things across the classroom and constantly wanting go to the toilet. When a lesson goes well though it feels amaaazing and keeps you in a good mood for the rest of the day.
After our lessons we've got free time in the morning to help out somewhere in the school or just chill out. We then have a group during manual work, so far this has involved going to collect firewood (this is really quite fun especially as we get to drive the Toyota cabstar), collecting river sand, bush clearing, painting the classrooms, fixing the lockers and a few other things. There are maybe 6 groups during manual and most jobs involve improving the school in some way. After manual we've free to chill out by ourselves...wait ..that never happens, it's usually time to try and entertain the boys through playing games, music, going to the computer lab, the TV tent and anything else that's remotely interesting.
After cooking our evening meal using our complex culinary skills, a favourite being chakalaka sauce and rice with corned beef if we're lucky, we're usually pretty knackered.
We've just moved onto the summer timetable which means lesson start at 7.30am, and that's even after registration and assembly so it's an early start. There are then 4 lessons before break and 4 after each lasting 35minutes and finishing at around 12.45. It's then lunch until 3pm when the meeting starts followed by manual work until 5.30. Sports and swimming are slotted into the timetable on various days as well.
So what are we actually doing?
We're both teaching a subject to S5 (Jack maths and me science), this involves teaching one period each day with one double period a week. It doesn't seem that much but it can be pretty hard work when you're trying to teach the solar system to boys that are more interested in throwing things across the classroom and constantly wanting go to the toilet. When a lesson goes well though it feels amaaazing and keeps you in a good mood for the rest of the day.
After our lessons we've got free time in the morning to help out somewhere in the school or just chill out. We then have a group during manual work, so far this has involved going to collect firewood (this is really quite fun especially as we get to drive the Toyota cabstar), collecting river sand, bush clearing, painting the classrooms, fixing the lockers and a few other things. There are maybe 6 groups during manual and most jobs involve improving the school in some way. After manual we've free to chill out by ourselves...wait ..that never happens, it's usually time to try and entertain the boys through playing games, music, going to the computer lab, the TV tent and anything else that's remotely interesting.
After cooking our evening meal using our complex culinary skills, a favourite being chakalaka sauce and rice with corned beef if we're lucky, we're usually pretty knackered.
Bana ba Metsi
The school we're at is called Bana ba metsi and is located near the village of Ngrange on the east side of the Okavango panhandle...in other words....the middle of nowhere. The nearest proper town is called Shakawe which is 50km down a dirt road and a ferry crossing away. The school is then 1km from the road down a slightly more bumpy dirt road and is surrounded by a perimeter fence. Being in the middle of nowhere makes it all the more special though (untill you run out of nice fresh food that is).
The school targets 'boys at risk' throughout Botswana. These boys come for a variety of reasons, through poverty, lack of positive role models, criminal behaviour......you get the picture. The age of the boys ranges from 12 to 19. The school then tries to teach them as many manual skills as possible and aims for them to pass their Primary School Leaving Certificate. Sounds like a pretty sweet plan...
Thursday, 5 September 2013
'Mister, mister, borrow me your ipod?'
If somebody gave me 1 pula every time one of the boys asked me this then I still wouldn't be a very rich man...I'd be getting close though.
It's already been a month! Soooooo much has happened and I still haven't written a blog post yet so brace yourselves, they're gonna come thick and fast. (hopefully)
We're currently in Maun eating unbelievably nice food and using internet that works (WOOO!) on our long weekend break, its amazing! (every month staff are entitled to a long weekend off and most come to Maun - it's only 6 hours away on a good day). Also, Peter (Bana ba metsi director) is letting us stay in his place for free which is a massive help.
Speak soon!
It's already been a month! Soooooo much has happened and I still haven't written a blog post yet so brace yourselves, they're gonna come thick and fast. (hopefully)
We're currently in Maun eating unbelievably nice food and using internet that works (WOOO!) on our long weekend break, its amazing! (every month staff are entitled to a long weekend off and most come to Maun - it's only 6 hours away on a good day). Also, Peter (Bana ba metsi director) is letting us stay in his place for free which is a massive help.
Speak soon!
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