Dumela rra. Ke bediwa Chase, weno o mang? (Hello sir, my name is chase, and you, what is your name?)
Ke Tumelo. (I'm Tumelo) O tswa kae? (Where are you from?)
Ke tswa America. Ke itumelela gogoitse. (I'm from America. It's nice to meet you)
Learning Setswana is one of the many benefits of my new gig at the Baylor Clinic. Actually, it's necessary. Many of the kids come from rural villages and don't speak any English. While I've only learned a few of the basics, it's made a pleasant difference in my interaction with the children. If anything, my attempt at speaking their language with them gives them a good laugh and the ice is already broken.
I've now been with the Baylor Clinic for a solid month, and I couldn't be happier. I'm in my element! While my primary foucs is to help develop the Teen Club program, Finn and I have enjoyed starting a morning play group. If an HIV positive child is healthy, he/she comes to the clinic once a month. They come from near and far, and arrive early in the morning. The clinic sees 30 children a day. When they arrive, they receive a number and wait to be called. At this appointment they will see the pediatrician, get blood taken, receive refills on their meds, and some see the psychologist. Needless to say, this takes the entire morning...with lots of time in between to wait. Lindsay, the psychologist (and our new favorite friend), started working at the clinic in July. She has a vision that no child sits in the waiting room, but rather they be playing or learning. Since the only thing that depresses me about the Baylor Clinic is walking through that waiting room, I've decided to make her vision become a reality. So Finn in bjorn, we head to the clinic for a few hours most mornings. For now, our "play" is a mixture of games and arts and crafts. However, the ultimate goal is to put a structure in place that combines these activities with some nutrition education. Most importantly, I'm on a mission to recruit more volunteers so we can establish some sustainability.
Mochudi Teen Club Member
Mochudi Teen Club Member
Francistown Teen Club Members
Morning Play Group at Baylor Clinic
2 comments:
That is really awesome Chase! Good luck!
Chase, that is great! I'd like to volunteer my family to volunteer...
Finn is looking great, such a cute kid. And all of those pool shots in November look like he's freezing his butt off. whew, tough little guy. you're in our thoughts.
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