Below is a summary of the work that the officers and directors of Setso Project, Inc. (also registered as Setso Society in Botswana) did on their trip to Botswana in June 2009. Rebecca Lowry, President, led Wendy Lewis (Treasurer) and Tom Cleveland (Secretary) to visit partners and other local entities doing social and economic development work in Botswana’s villages.

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Saturday, 13 June: After driving for 6 hours from Johannesburg, we arrived in Otse about 3:30pm and Tom and Wendy met Ms. Wame Mhaphi, Development Coordinator for Setso. Becca and Wendy set up the audio visual system (quite complex with 7 different pieces) which we had lugged from the USA in order to put on movie nights for young people in Otse. We promptly blew a fuse in the amplifier because the 250 volt system in Botswana is more powerful than the 110 volts in the USA where this equipment was bought. Cooked dinner for her family and mother, brother, sister and kids till 8pm. Tom, Wendy and Becca spent the first night at the only establishment in Otse, Barantani Lodge, sleeping a solid 14 hours. The sun goes down like a rocket at sunset, leaving long nights.

Sunday, 14 June: Checked out of the Barantani Lodge (toilet leaked). Went into Gaborone for lunch and bought food for the family with whom Becca had stayed in 2001 when on her semester abroad from Smith College (and the family of Setso, the 14 year old girl for which the Setso Project is named). 10 kg potatoes, 10kg of rice, 10kg oranges, 5kg apples etc. is always appreciated as it is hard to carry on a bus, “Combi” from the city of Gaborone to Gabane (about 20 kilometers away). Drove to Gabane late in the afternoon. We had brought presents for the family and presented all of them to Setso’s grandmother - who is old enough not to speak any English. But here she regally sat in the family’s yard, wrapped in a blanket against the cool (winter) night air. Family and friends came and went, introducing and entertaining the visitors. We ate a basic dinner with the family (tough dried corn cooked on a wood fire in the adjacent cook house) and drove back to Gaborone - a tired team.

Monday, 15 June: Up early and went out to get a replacement fuse for the AV equipment that we had blown on Saturday night. Holly Electronics turned out to be a real find as the owner, Peter Holly, knew a lot about our likely equipment needs and offered to help us if we brought everything to him. Then, we had an 11 o’clock meeting with Billy Kgosikwena (advisor to Setso and director of the Center for the Study of HIV/AIDS at the University of Botswana) and Wame at the University of Botswana where the Center is housed. Becca, Billy and Wame strategized about consultations planned with kids and teachers at two schools in Gabane and Otse, which they planned to visit. Becca and Billy are planning a study on the efficacy of using social networks to disseminate information about HIV prevention. Setso lunch at Riverwalk Mall with our whole team and then back to Otse with Wame. After dropping her off, we went to visit Billy and his family in Gaborone to exchange gifts till 8pm or so. Billy and Lilly have a beautiful family of 4 with one on the way. We received a beautiful table cloth as a reminder of our trip to Africa.

Then back to hotel in Gaborone.

Tuesday, 16 June: Took all AV equipment back to Holly Electronics, bought a transformer and extension cords and made the equipment work. Hooray! Becca dropped Wendy and Tom at Mokolodi Game Reserve where we rented a "chalet" 20 minutes down a long and bumpy road. We went on a game drive in late afternoon while Becca and Billy interviewed researchers that might be interested in helping with the HIV/AIDS study. Becca joined us for a home cooked meal of macaroni and spicy pilchards by a fire under the cloudy African sky.

Wednesday, 17 June: We dropped Becca at Billy's office. They had meetings set up in Gaberone and Gabane with teachers, kids and officials from the Ministry of Health to further the plans for implementing a randomized control study on peer networking and AIDS transmission. Wendy and Tom went back to Otse to help Wame set up the computer we had brought her and to teach her the basics. First, we bought her some food (big stuff like 10kg potatoes, oranges, rice etc) at Game City Plaza after getting totally lost on our first voyage alone without Becca or Wame. Picked up Becca at 4:15 pm and bought Nando's chicken for dinner with a bottle of wine back at the Mokolodi chalet. Unfortunately, we had to put up with Americans on safari (up at 4am!) next door but life could be worse!

Thursday, 18 June: Met with John Aves, Environmental Director at Mokolodi. He offered to work with Setso in getting Otse kids out to their center for 2-3 day all expenses paid excursions. Setso would have to pay for the transportation there and run the logistics of sign ups, chaperones and permissions but the rest could be funded by his center.

Then, we met with the Kgothatso Orphan Care Center in Gabane where Setso had funded the purchase of some of their furniture and cooking equipment. Each week day, Kgothatso takes care of 38 kids till 2pm and basically helps extended families care for AIDS orphans. Run by the Lutheran Church, this center is well managed and incredibly lively, as you could imagine with 38 kiddos!

Next, we met with Dr. Ryan Phelps, at Baylor Children’s Clinical Center of Excellence in Gaborone where Setso is raising money in honor of Grandma Lowry to provide transportation of kids to the clinic so that they can receive anti-retroviral (ARV) medicines. Monthly visits are critical for compliance and maintenance of health. “Dr. Ryan” confirmed that this is one of those small but critical services that their funding does not cover and they are very thankful for the help. Baylor specializes in pediatric HIV/AIDS in Swaziland, Rumania, Liberia, Congo and Botswana.

After lunch, we drove back to Wame’s house in Otse to do a small crafts workshop on how to make beaded jewelry and scrimshaw bone objects. Wame had invited a group of women and men, some who had participated in workshops at the Otse Home Based Care Center earlier in the year, and about 40 people showed up. We donated al the tools and materials that we had brought from the USA and people seemed to enjoy the exercise of making personal adornments. It is a big step from this to starting a business and making money at it, particularly in a small town like Otse, which is 30 miles distant from Gaborone where more tourists might gather.

Later, at 6:30 pm, we started our first movie night. We set up the AV equipment outside (it was cool at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit) and projected the film onto the side of the new Setso Project office. About 50 kids and adults watched the cartoons and films until late at night and the effort was deemed a success. The kids did not like our first pick (“Mad Hot Ballroom”, about school kids in New York City learning ballroom dancing) but really liked other action-oriented films. Most people in the village do not have TV and there is no movie theatre. Wame and her partner, Emmanuel, will be in charge of running the equipment and we expect that they will have regular shows at a larger indoor community center in the middle of town. Stayed in Otse that night at the Barantani Lodge – toilet still leaked.

Here is something each of you can do to help out Setso Project. Please send any DVDs you think would be of interest to a diverse group to:
Wame Mhaphi
PO Box 87
Otse, Botswana
Africa

By taking the DVD out of its box and putting into a padded envelope (include the picture by removing from the plastic) it costs only________ airmail and and extra couple of DVDs a month will be a great help to the “Cine Night” project moving forward.

Friday, 19 June: Wame had set up meetings in Otse to introduce us to the established social service and governmental structure in Otse. First, we visited the social workers at the South East District Council. This is a government funded team delivering direct social work services to children and families in need. We asked for their help in managing the tutoring program that we want to set up for primary school students at risk of falling behind in their studies. The new head of the group was very interested and promised to help identify students as well as to identify teachers who might be able to help as tutors (we later wrote a letter introducing Wame and Setso Society formally to their Ramotswa headquarters).

Then we visited with the Village Development Council, the local elected officials that run various economic and social development programs in Otse. Again, our visit was primarily introductory and we may be able to coordinate with them on projects. They are trying to set up an orange orchard and vegetable garden on town lands as well as a brick making business. They would need funding to buy the raw materials such as river sand and concrete.

Next, we paid a visit to Mr. Tste, the young traditional chieftain of the village. He formally welcomed Setso (and Wame and Billy) and gave us every indication that he is a good friend to have.

Lastly, we visited with Otse Home Based Care, where Becca worked several years ago. Home Based Care is one of a hundred similar organizations, which sprang up independently as the AIDS epidemic began to grow in the 1990’s. Their primary purpose is to care for home-bound sick, many of whom have AIDS. While supported by the Botswana government, they are private non-profits and have to develop their own funding. Otse Home Based Care is in the hands of some very capable women, __________, and is now well funded from the USA President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and it was great to see the immediate impact that this aid had made in Otse. At a critical time, prior to this funding coming into existence (we can thank President GW Bush for this!), Setso contributed money to help them set up a sewing training project as well as purchasing basic medical supplies such as adult diapers for AIDS patients. Again, this organization has matured wonderfully in the last 2 years and does not need continuing support from Setso. However, a good working relationship with them (which we have!) may be helpful in the future.

Late that afternoon, we met with a retired teacher from Zimbabwe living in Otse. He gave us general advice on how to work with tutors and how to structure the tutoring program for primary school students. He may be helpful in identifying teachers available to tutor kids also.

We left just as Wame and Emmanuelle were setting up the AV system - kids were arriving at their house/compound for the expected evenings entertainment. Unfortunately, they blew a fuse and had to run the movies without sound – which still held a reasonable crowd.

Saturday, 20 June: Bought more fuses for the AV system in the morning and then went back to Otse to help Emmanuel better understand the AV equipment to avoid more fuses blowing in the future (he now seems to have things under control). Wame got a lesson on her computer system as well as some help setting up her office. We toured the Dula Sentle Orphan Care facility which closed down abruptly 2 years ago after the Belgian director was kicked out of the country. It was a sobering example of a well meaning and well funded project which fell apart because of lack of communication with other local social service organizations and bad management. Fortunately, an American group is taking over and expects to open up the facility in the next 6 months. We had a wrap up meeting with Wame and Emmanuel, drew an elaborate schematic of how the AV system worked, labeled the 14 different connections needed and helped them pack it into traveling containers.

Sunday, 21 June: We met with Ms. Roberta McAvoy, a social worker and occupational therapist from the Flying Mission, an Anglican Church funded group which put doctors and nurses into outlying villages to deliver healthcare. Roberta has also worked with Otse Home Based Care and knows all the players in Otse well, including Wame, to whom she gives high marks. Roberta donated a desk and a bookcase for Wame’s home office and said that she will keep in touch with her in the near future. We delivered the furniture and said goodbye to Wame and Emmanuel.

Then, we started off on the long drive to Johannesburg at about 1 pm. Got to a hotel near the Johannesburg airport at 7 pm and noticed the differences – people were louder, traffic faster, food everywhere and many more white faces. We were back in the first world, already far away from Otse and the world of our many new friends.