So I already ruined part of this
blog post by putting on Facebook how the girls’ soccer team I am coaching did
at the sub-zonal sports contest, but I am going ahead with this anyway.
For those of you who missed all
of that news, I coached our girls’ soccer team this year at school. At the contest our team got 3rd
out of 5, and one girl was picked for the regional team. Not too shabby for the first year of a girls’
team! Unfortunately the two teams they
beat were the other two Peace Corps volunteer schools in the sub-zone. Sorry Corey and Mia!
Now for the other boring parts
(the results). I only say this is the
boring part because I always think random stories are better than
statistics. Boys Football: Team took 1st place and qualified for the
next level, great job boys! Boys Volleyball: 3rd place
(out of 3 teams). This one slightly
disgusted me. I don’t care that they
lost, but the coach took some of the boys’ football players after they were
done, and swapped them into the volleyball team. Boys that came to play volleyball did not
even get to play while some of those kids got to do two sports. I was asked if I wanted to swap in some
Netball girls into the girls’ soccer team and I told them no since I wanted
those kids who came to play soccer (and practiced for weeks) to have the chance
to play. Girls Volleyball: They were the only team. Seriously.
Netball: Ladies sport, kinda
like basketball but with no dribbling, you can only move the ball by
passing. The girls rocked this one
taking 1st place!
Story time! I am going to split story time into 4
sections: accommodation, transport, bathing and interactions with the kids.
Accommodation: You ever sleep in a classroom for 3 days with a few
other teachers and about 30 students? It
is a strange thing to say the least. And
like every kid ever did on field trips, they NEVER wanted to sleep. Between that and the three desks with a
sleeping bag on top that was my bed I am stunned I actually slept at all. Most of the kids were in groups of 3 or 4 so
they could share the blankets (it is winter time here after all). The girls’ room was more crowded so we
actually had two of the female teachers crashing with us in the boys room as
well, which was funny since them and the one male teacher who is dating someone
all shared an area the size of a twin bed.
Transport: First of all it was expected at any time during the day
on Monday. Of course I should have known
it would not arrive till 6pm. We loaded
64 kids, 1 cook, 1 PTA member, and 6 teachers into the cab and back of a giant
truck (basically almost like a semi, but the back is not enclosed). Along with this all the luggage came
too. It was packed back there (luckily I
got myself one of the 4 cab spots). The
kids treated the community to songs as they left Kaudwane and arrived in
Khudumelapye (as well as on the return journey too). I was able to ride in this truck many a time
that week as due to only one field for two days the girls played at
Metsibothloko (Mia’s village and the closest to Khudumelapye).
Bathing: All of the kids bathed outdoors. In the wide open. In the cold.
That must have sucked. I actually
only bathed once during the 3 day contest (although I did wash my face and head
each day). The teachers had set up in
the girls’ room a “privacy area” with a metal wash tub. Basically it was bookcases pushed together to
make a fake wall. It did its job, but me
being taller than all the rest much more of me was visible than all of them. Hence the one day only. Luckily the teachers did not know I only took
1 full bath. They thought I was weird
enough for not bathing twice a day. I am
sorry, but in the winter time there is no way you are getting me to bathe twice
a day. That is just ridiculous!
Interactions: I had two moments with the kids that really stick
out. One of them was when I spent the
evening with about 15 boys. They somehow
got bit by the learning bug (seriously, what kid tries to learn while on a
field trip?) It started with a book they
found on HIV and that led to questions about opportunistic infections like
TB. After that we moved into riddle
contests. These kids are clever! I could not think up anything to stump
them. And they got me a few times. I thought about doing some American specific
ones (like what has 4 eyes but can’t see) but I didn’t think that would be
fair.
The other moment was when I was
trying to take a few pictures of some of the kids. They saw the camera. As I am sure almost any PCV in Botswana will
tell you, as soon as one kid sees your camera, they ALL know you have it. And the ALL want pictures taken, MANY
PICTURES. Head over to the pictures page to see some of them! As someone who is a fan of candid shots, it
is really hard to get those once they see the camera for the first time.
Now for a quick general
update. Term 2 is winding down. Towards the end of the month I kick off
basically one month away from my site.
It all starts with a meeting to help plan a Life Skills PCV retreat with
the Min of Ed. Following that is the
next Youth Forum (this time looking to be in Salajwe which is the closest
village in all Botswana to my site).
After a few more days is vacation in Durban with some others from my
group. Then I come back with just half a
week before the actual retreat with the Min of Ed. Oh, and somewhere in there is PSDN
training. PSDN is the Peer Support and
Diversity Network which I was accepted to along with 2 others from Bots
11. Busy month coming up (but most if
not all should be fun) and it kicks off in just a few weeks. Because of that, not quite sure when the next
blog post will be, or what it will be about, but I am planning to do at least
one more before Durban.
And with that, hope everyone is
doing well. Happy belated birthday to
Katie, Kaylynn, and Dad! And happy early
birthday to Kesselring!
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