So this series fell by the way side.

I’ve been a combination of busy and lazy so I haven’t updated in a long time.

Here goes the longest update ever!

October and November were quite busy as the end of our districts financial quarter was coming to an end. Not only that but the activities that were scheduled for this time period in our evidence based plans (a list of activities ran by the District AIDS coordinators office to help lower the incidence of HIV cases)  were either coming along nicely or not happening at all.

I spent these months working closely with the Women’s Sector on their program planning. They were able to successfully organize the following events:

• Fitness walk
• Door-to-door campaign for new committee introductions
• First General Meeting
• Launch for 16 Day of Activism against Gender Based Violence & In Her Shoes activity

It has been really great watching the new members take accountability for their roles in the group.

I also accomplished a milestone for myself which was reaching the mid service point! Of course it wouldn’t be Peace Corps if we didn’t have to attend a training or workshop. The second to last week of November my cohort and I journeyed down to Gaborone for 3 days of training and mid service medical appointments.

The training was OK. Our country director gave one of the best presentations in the 17 months that I’ve been in Botswana about the current state of the fight against HIV in the country. I know I really don’t write much about “the issues that plague this country” or the “meaningful development work” that I am doing everyday. And it’s because I am no longer interested in talking about it.

I’ve been working in HIV health education off and on since 2007. Almost 10 years. I’ve awakened to new interests since living in Botswana. As of late I have been really interested in technology development, learning to code and about ways to become involved in ethical fashion & women economic empowerment. I’m giving myself until the end of derive (10 months) to be able to create a web application and also a full fledged membership site from scratch. Since December 10th I’ve averaged about 7 hours of coding practice per day. #Challengedaccepted

When do I sleep you ask? I don’t!

I think with my research science background and new coding skills I’ll be able to create something innovative and life changing. The work Erica Kochi and Christopher Fabian are doing at UNICEF Innovation is very inspiring to me!

Currently I have one main project I am working on at site. It’s called “Project W.E.” a women economic empowerment curriculum that will run for 8 weeks teaching financial and business management skills to those interested in entrepreneurial endeavors. I hope to launch it on February 22nd. Right now finishing the curriculum and the workbooks are in the works. In addition to this there are tasks needed to be completed with the Peace Corps newsletter and the Technology for Development committee. Oh! There is another project I am starting with my counterpart but I’ll fill you in on this if it actually comes to fruition. I also have about 5-6 secondary projects in different phases. It’s been a really difficult but interesting experience trying to get work done at my site. Mainly because there really isn’t a great need for a PCV.

I’m forgetting everything. I also helped a teacher in my town apply for the Fulbright Teachers Award in the U.S. She’s moving along in the process which is great. We’ll find out more next month. I am very proud of her for accepting my challenge to apply 🙂

December my site is pretty much a ghost town. My program manager came by on the 16th for the second round of site visits. It went well but I thought it was early considering they just did the first round in March. I was also informed by my counterpart that the president may make an unannounced visit between December 26th and January 5th. Ummmm OK. I actually met the president back in October so I’m not really phased by it.

Christmas came and went. I spent it with some PCVs in my shopping village. I’ve decided that from now on (2016), no matter where I am working in the world, Thanksgiving and Christmas will always be spent in Connecticut. No exceptions!

2016 will be an exciting year! Apart from getting my career path/next moves in order, it will be nice to close out my Peace Corps experience and see my mother in October.

~~~

Lastly, I thought it would be great to close out the year by adding a PCV blog roll to this post. Just to give folks a chance to read volunteer stories from around the world. I was going to write the country for each volunteer, but then I thought you should just check out all of them hehe.

*These links were posted by permission from bloggers that answered my call/comment on Facebook.

**These bloggers are sharing their own unique stories and they do not necessarily represent the views of www.travelingnatural.com.

Enjoy!

Peace Corps Blogs to check out:

1. Evan and Rachel, currently in South Korea but plan on joining Peace Corps :www.evanandrachel.com
2. Angela Sabblah Sabblahsblog.weebly.com
3. Allister Stanton served in Rwanda: welcometothevillage.tumblr.com
4. JC Erin: https://www.thequixoticaltraveler.wordpress.com
5. Craig Chavis Jr.: https://www.thegopreneur.com
6. Stephanie Liu : postcardsfromethiopia.wordpress.com
7. Bethany Dixon, Future Volunteer: https://journeytothecentrepc.blogspot.com/
8. Ashley Lee Lee B: Kosovodreamer.blogspot.com
9. Molly Heit: https://workingthesoil.wordpress.com
10. Jaime Torres: https://jmepcvnamibia42.blogspot.com/
11. Kelly Christianson: kellypcv27.blogspot.com
12. Miyaunna Cleveland: https://introsuitcase.blogspot.com/ 
13. Carly Jacque: www.thebeninvariant.com!
14. Ali Crain: alicrain.wordpress.com
15. Lynda Mae Wilson: www.goingspecific.wordpress.com
16. Taylor Valencia: Thaidup.wordpress.com
17. Taiwo Adesina: Travelgiveworklove.wordpress.com
18. Leah Stoffel: https://solongleah.blogspot.com/
19. Mary Megan Irons: travelswithmegan.wordpress.com
20. Vashalice Olivia Howard: https://thevalorousvagabondpeacecorps.wordpress.com/
21. Dorothy Wang: dorodreams.blogspot.com
22. Kelsey Ann: www.sabeoh.tumblr.com
23. Virginia Pacsun: www.journeyinthethirdworld.blogspot.com
24. Madelyn O’Hara: MyLifeInParaguay.Wordpress.Com
25. Emi Aga: https://wanderingbeyondsunland.wordpress.com/
26. Renee Smith:  Livelifetr3mendously.WordPress.com

 

Lastly here is a photo of me with President Khama and the U.S. Ambassador Earl Miller:

Happy New Year!

See you next year 🙂