14 Aug 2017

Niki Shah, aged 23 says when she arrived in Botswana from Virginia in the United States of America as a Peace Corp volunteer, she had a fear that she would be left out due to cultural differences.

However, she said as the events of her stay unfolded, the warm gesture she received from Batswana captivated her and thawed away all her fears and eventually she settled well among the communities she stayed with.

Shah said she was mostly fascinated by the cultural spirit of exchanging greetings, saying such made her feel the peace around.

“I was totally absorbed by the way people here exchange greetings with me through a handshake and a smile despite that I considered myself a stranger among them,” she said.

She said such an experience made her feel the sense of being cared for as well as the sense of belonging with locals.

Additionally, she said such form of greetings created a strong bond between her and her host families in Francistown as well as at Molepolole where she was first based and such also created strong cooperation between her and her local workmates.

Other traditional practises that left Shah with jaws dropping affectionately is the different traditional dance tactics, choirs, poetry and other arts practised.

She said she got overwhelmed when she realised that such practises were not only meant for entertainment but for survival purposes.

“Traditional arts are a marvel to watch and it is also amazing to see how the youngsters uphold such arts as a way to improve their standard of living,” she said.

Shah said besides the orientation they received upon arrival at Molepolole, where they were introduced to the basics of local cultural practises and several other aspects, credit goes to her host families.

She said Sebeso family at Molepolole gave her a local name Thomo, and when she moved to Francistown, she had another host family and she uses their surname Philip hence her local names are Thomo Philip.

“These two families carried me through several cultural practises such as traditional dishes, norms, and others. Though I could not grasp them all at once, the little knowledge I got and learned daily helped me adjust and settle in well,” she said.

She said some of the traditional dishes she had tried and fond of includes dikgobe, thopi, kabu and morogo wa dinawa.

“Most of the traditional meals here are eaten with bare hands.I felt much comfortable with it because it mirrored my own cultural practise at home,” she said.

Shah said has been here since August last year, and her two year contract ends next year in October.

Currently, she serves at the District AIDS Coordination office in Francistown. Her daily duties entail liaising with relevant stakeholders and also taking part in several community building activities.

Meanwhile, District AIDS coordinator (DAC) in Francistown, Elizabeth Wright noted that they have two female Peace Corps volunteers under their office.

She said the other one is engaged at Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) adding that their input is noteworthy.

Wright also said though the two had been based according to their preferences, they could also be assigned to work closely with PACT and other related clubs at schools so as to sensitise students about risky practises.

Moreover, she said they could also be engaged on helping the communities with different empowerment initiatives.

Wright noted the volunteers went through an orientation before being given to the host families who further introduce and teach them other cultural aspects. BOPA