Saturday, July 4, 2009

Monipeloli

This morning we had our counseling class gave a presentation on whether being gay or lesbian was a choice? I explained the Kinsey scale and how some people fell somewhere on the scale. I also presented some political views from both Botswana and the United States. Gay or lesbian acts are illegal in Botswana and can be punished with prison time. I explained to the class how homosexuality is still a debating topic in our country however we have come a long way with equal rights. I was not surprised with the presentations of the other students in our counseling class. Many of them were opinionated and they stated homosexual stereotypes as facts, Jen and I felt it was not our place to correct them because this might be a cultural difference. We felt the only way to educate them without being disrespectful was during our presentations so I tried my best to describe something I was quite familiar with, the laws of attraction. I explained how you can’t choose who you are attracted to but being homosexual is a choice because you can choose to act on the person you might be attracted to whether they be male or female.

A few of the presentations were very open and honest and they looked at all possibilities including research and studies that have been done on the topic of homosexuality. I was tempted to ask questions to those who said homosexuality might be cause out of frustration of the opposite sex or because they wanted to be different from everyone else. I like how one girl did pick up on how homosexuality used to be in the DSM as a mental disorder however it was taken out after more studies were done exempting the possibility.

In the afternoon Vicki had promised to take us to Montepeloli which is a village about 60 kilometers from Gabs. It ended up taking us about an hour and twenty minutes to get there. We saw some very interesting scenery on our journey though. There were random goats, cows and donkeys crossing the road at free will. There were children walking up and down the side dirt roads bare foot. It was sad passing hundreds and hundreds of people trying to make a living on the side of the road by selling individual pieces of candy. Many of their homes were one room huts with straw roofs. As we came closer to the Lifeline center at Montepeloli we passed hundreds of school kids just getting at out of school and walking down the road venturing home. As we came closer to where we thought was going to the Montepeloli Lifeline center the paved road turned into dirt and the car ride became very bumpy from there.

When we pulled up we realized that we were visiting a private school which had a Lifeline Center in it. As we waited for Vicki’s friend to come I asked to use the restroom and they gave me a disgruntled look and I didn’t know why until I realized they do not have running water so until they received water my urine would have to sit in the toilet and mellow. We waited a few minutes until two women walked in with huge smiles and open arms speaking Setswana. One of them was the principal who started the school five years ago. She took us into a classroom a few rooms down and we sate in a small eight by eight corner, this was their “Lifeline Center”. Her and Vicki began talking and catching up on what’s new. She then told Vicki that she had taken in three kids from the school because they needed guidance. The three children all coming from different families were dealing with their parents going through a divorce and she took them in so they did not get caught up in the custody battle. She finds that this is the best way for the parents to agree without manipulating the child. The forth child she took in was a twelve year old orphan whose twin sister just passed away from Aids. When the two were born one was born HIV positive and the other HIV negative. She discussed with us that the child has not shown much emotion over her sister’s death and she was going to let her grieve on her own until she feels the time is right. She also mentioned how many of the children that are born with HIV at the school get frustrated and upset. They act this way because since the day they are born they have to take ARV’s to slow down the HIV process the frustration comes in because they wonder why they have this virus, “we didn’t ask for this, we didn’t do anything wrong”. Good question children. Jen and I looked at each other in disbelief but reality quickly hit us when the girl walked in to meet us with her chin held high and a beaming smile. They have to teach these kids to not grieve over their loved ones otherwise they would be grieving rather than enjoying their own life. I understand this concept but it’s hard to say goodbye to a loved one in passing especially when all you have in your life is a twin sister. The principal, I forgot her name but I will find out before I leave, runs the school with over 230 children, eight teachers, limited funds, clothing, food and teachers. She also takes four orphans home with her every night to take care for on top of her own three biological children not to mention she is a single parent that recently went through a divorce, talk about strength. This woman enjoys every moment she has with these kids and enjoys life to the fullest while providing more than any one else can imagine.

The children came in and played their African instruments for us which I was able to get a video of.


They were amazing and full of spirit I felt blessed to be sitting in their presence at that very moment.

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