Dumela!

Dumela is the typical greeting you give in Setswana (the language people in Botswana speak) morning, noon and night. I had SUCH a great time there. The people were great, I felt safe (and at times, safer there then I do here!), there was so much to see and do. I wasnt exactly roughing it because I stayed at the Gaborone Sun, which is one of the nicest hotels in Gabs but I loved every second and would definitely go back in a flash.

The first day I arrived, I was taken into the field to do a family analysis for a family that was potentially getting a new house from Habitat. We drove about 2 hours out of the city and passed many streets filled with goats and donkeys! This was taken from the car at lightning speed (the guy driving was literally going 160kph!)

Goats on a main street:



Donkeys & Man driving donkey cart:





The woman we visited has 23 dependants and makes her income selling baskets. Here are some pics from her house. Warning! Heartbreaking images below...

Her house was originally made of mud but could not withstand the flooding that occurs in the flat area around her house. The government (which has really made excellent strides in aiding the "destitute") issued her this tent.



The inside of her tent:





Outside view:




Her Old House:





I'm happy to say that the family was awarded a house and thanks to a partnership with a local NGO, should have their house within the year!

I also had a chance to see a completed Habitat for Humanity house. Here are some pics of that. The woman who lives there keeps an amazing garden and still uses her old house as a storage area.









One of the HFH offices in Botswana


HFH Office in Gaborone (Gabs for short)


And finally some pics of the hotel room. MAYJAH thanks to HFH Botswana for taking care of me especially Julia and Kabelo!





And on my way to the airport, some images that never get old...






On my flight back, I spotted a Peace Corps volunteer. I thought to myself, I would definitely love volunteering here. Everyone in Botswana just does their own thing. You could compare it to a little South Africa (the SA border is only about a 4 hours drive away) but without the racial tension, greed and corruption.

I also scooped up a really neat necklace made from the beans of a tree that only grows in Botswana and a little elephant- so I never forget my trip.