A Sense of Purpose

A new friend of mine teaches at one of the International Schools in Gaborone. She told me that one of her colleagues was going on maternity leave and that I could apply for the position. I met with the Head of School and learned that it was a 3 month position for Standard 4 (equivalent of 4th grade). I explained that both my qualifications and experience are for secondary education and wasn't sure if the job would be a good fit. He then invited me to come and shadow the class for a day. After my observation, I was very excited and wanted the job. A few days later, I called the Head of School to tell him I was interested and wanted to know the next steps. I left this message with the receptionist. After relaying my message to him, the receptionist called back to tell me the job was mine. To make a long story short, I didn't get the job. The receptionist made a mistake. Apparently a former teacher of the school returned to the area and she will be covering the maternity leave. Makes perfect sense, as she is much more qualified and familiar with the school. But how embarrassing / disappointing!!!

Coincidentally, the very next day I had an appointment with Ed, a Peace Corps volunteer. He is working at the Botswana-Baylor Clinic, the largest university-based program worldwide dedicated to improving the health and lives of HIV-positive children. Because of this clinic, which opened in 2003, fewer children are being hospitilized because of HIV/AIDS realted illnesses and even fewer are dying. The number of adolescents in Botswana under the clinc's care is increasing rapidly - primarily a result of children who were born with HIV are surviving into their teenage years. As a result, the Botswana-Baylor Clinic has already spearheaded a number of medical and psychosocial interventions for its teen patients, including a comprehensive Adolescent Clinic and Teen Club. Ed runs the Teen Club. Since he started working here in May, the club has increased at a rate of 20% a month. There are now almost 100 teen participants. Therefore, my meeting with him came at the perfect time. He needs help!

The mission of the Teen Club is "to provide a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment for HIV-positive adolescents to build positive relationships, increase their self-esteem, and reinforce positive habits that will ensure a healthy transition into adulthood." So far, the Club Meetings have been mostly recreational. Ed has a vision to implement a life-skills component and this is where I come in...while so many "life-skill" programs exist, there are not any that are catered to HIV positive teens. So my task is to create a curriculum that fits their need. I will also help Ed run the current Teen Club in Gabs while also starting others in satellite locations.

This opportunity is perfect for so many reasons including:
#1. I finally have a window into the Botswana culture. So far, we've experienced the "expat" life and have found it difficult to truly experience the Botswana culture.
#2. I get to learn Setswana (the local language)
#3. While I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have spent Finn's first 10 and 1/2 months with him all day, every day, we both need some independence!
#4. The opportunity gives me a purpose, something I feel has been missing, and also a chance to give back.