Hello! It’s been such a whirlwind transitioning to a new place. I’ve been learning and growing each day since I’ve been in Gaborone. It’s been a mild winter; The contrast between warm, sunny days and cool mornings and nights. My evenings are spent soaking up some vitamin D. My free time on the weekends has been mine to explore!
I walk a quick 5-minute walk to the office. I’ve been working with researchers in the sexual and reproductive health group in the Botswana Harvard Partnership at the Princess Marina Hospital in the capital. Each week I spend time doing various tasks supporting the group’s research efforts that surround STIs like HIV and syphilis, pregnancy, women’s agency, and birth outcomes. Today, I helped out by assisting with in-person interviews of women who recently gave birth and their male partners! We’re trying to get a better understanding of how male partners perceive their role in research regarding women taking PrEP for HIV. We went to the women’s clinic and interviewed three couples. It was interesting hearing the different languages used to conduct the interviews (including Tswana and English), demonstrating the cultural mix within the population here in Gaborone.
I checked in with the group after the interviews and took care of some other tasks. Luckily it was a light day so I could go home on time. I went to the local café in the area, called Daily Grind. I sipped on coffee while working on my main research project. The Daily Grind is a place that is very popular among professionals in the city; I’ve become a regular customer and it’s been a nice place to work outside of the office. I walked home and chatted with a few friends via facetime across the time change. I sat out by the pool to soak up some sun and read a summer book.
Samson (a cab driver who works closely with the group) drove me to Bull and Bush, one of the popular sports bars in the city. It was lively for a Tuesday night. I was there for a filling meal and to see a game in the European Championship soccer tournament. I’m a fan of soccer so it’s nice to live and socialize within communities that have a real appreciation for the sport. I had dinner with a small group of people whom I met since I’ve been here, a mix of locals and expats. That’s the thing about traveling alone, it really forces you to put yourself out there and meet new people. This was a group of people who I came to consistently spend time with in the city. I had beef seswaa, a local dish of seasoned and pounded beef, with morogo greens and pap (maize meal). I’ve really enjoyed the flavorful food that I’ve had during my time here.
After the game was over, I headed home to settle in for the night. I had to be up early the next day and looked forward to the rest of the week. I’ll be going into the lab at the hospital to do some time and motion observations on the RPR syphilis testing. It will be a nice change of pace from the type of work I’m currently doing. And this weekend, I’m planning on going to Cape Town! It will be nice to take the long weekend ahead and take a moment to travel. I met a couple of medical students from the US who are doing rotations here in Gaborone who are also traveling there so we planned a few outings together! I’m looking forward to checking out the natural wonders like Table Mountain, wine country, and learning about the vast cultural history of the Cape!
