Well, it is late on Sunday afternoon and I just came out of the pool where I spent a relaxing hour floating around sipping the drink that Jetske prepared for me. Now before you jump to the conclusion that I have been lazing around all weekend think again!!!! I actually went into the office early this morning to work and did not get home until 3 pm so there ;-

As we lead up to the Board Retreat later on this week in Kasane and then the Annual General Meeting November 15 and 16 I am on overdrive. In fact I am right back into old habits of going to bed to sleep for a couple of hours and than getting up and working during the wee hours of the morning. There is so much to be done that if I actually stop to think about it, I will feel totally overwhelmed. But luckily Oscar and Lawrence, my knight in shining armour have come through for me once again. On Friday, Nono (Nothando) was hired to help pull the AGM together. She is amazing and I thank my lucky stars for her. She is a consultant and specializes in organizing events and communications so she not only understands when I ask for something specific but she can also make it happen, which I can’t yet! The media and protocol system is very different here and although I know exactly what I want I am clueless as to how to make it happen. Nono (don’t you love her name..wish it was mine) does!

Also on Friday, Oscar and I did a little road trip to Mochudi, a large village about 45 minutes drive north of Gaborone to visit the District Aids Coordination office.

I loved this village and while we were there we met some interesting American Peace Core volunteers…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday morning I headed out bright and early to be picked up by Tabuche to be dropped off downtown at Main Mall for the launch of the UNFPA 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. My new friend Neo is a survivor and was part of the program which included a hiphop singer, poetry, testimonials, drama productions. The theme of the day was eye opening because the statistics are that two out of every three women in Botswana have experienced GBV – that is mind boggling.

Following this event I was off to meet Stephanie, another ODA WUSC volunteer who is also on leave from the Federal Government – Dept of Health. We had a lovely lunch together at Riverwalk Mall than I went off to grocery shop before Tabuche picked me up again. The whirlwind continued as I came home and immediately began to prepare dessert for our Peter’s Place weekly Saturday evening gathering. Peter, himself prepared our main meal, I made an apple crisp and we finished off toasting marshmallows soaked in a cream liquor over a fire off of the verandah.  Yummy!!

So after a social day it was okay to head off to the office this morning knowing that I would try to be home in time to jump in the pool for a swim and a float on the inflatable. Now it is time to head inside to fix my supper and prepare for the insanely busy week ahead of me. Please be patient if I am not posting often over the next two weeks but there is no rest for the wicked!