Mistreatment of Natives: an all too familiar story

The Basarwa, or Bushmen, were the first people to inhabit Botswana. They enjoyed a separate sustainable lifestyle until the Kalahari Desert was declared a National Park and they were stripped of their lands and resettled in “civilization”. When they were “civilized””against their will, they did not understand or want to join the working culture so they live off unemployment government funds and ever since alcohol was introduced into their lives, severe alcoholism has put them in more severe poverty. This story breaks my heart, but it is not an isolated incident. Even in the United States, where we claim to be civilized and good and set a shining example for the rest of the world, our country has subjected Native Americans to the same plight and repeatedly mistreated them and stripped of their homelands.

Madume: The importance of Greetings!

Batswana people are extremely friendly, but formalities are very important and demonstrate your respect for the person you are talking to. You simply cannot approach someone and ask them a question without greeting them first. One of the Peace Corps Language and Cultural Facilitators (LCF’s) explained it to me like this: “Greetings are the passwords to enter a conversation.” After all, we cannot use a computer without entering the correct password to log-in first. And you cannot greet someone from far away. The physical act of shaking hands is so important here that you must get your entire body into it. First, you reach out your right hand and your left hand is placed under your right elbow to support and present your hand for shaking; then you bend your knees and bow your head (the higher status they are the lower the bow). If you are greeting a peer or an equal you will both bow the same amount (just a small bow of the head). Waving is not a polite way to greet your peer or an elder; it is only acceptable when you are addressing children or someone of a much lower status than yourself.

Status is important here, and it is very hierarchal. The person with the highest status in the country is naturally the President; the Setswana word for “President” is Tautona which literally translates to “Big Lion!” Each community has a Kgosi (Setswana word for chief) who is typically an elderly man and is greatly revered by all. Whenever the Kgosi enters a room, everyone stands and stays standing until the Kgosi directs them to be seated.

 In this culture, age is the number one factor in how high one’s status is. Perhaps this is partly due to the fact that surviving in a developing country where there are so many diseases and health issues, growing to a ripe old age is a feat in and of itself. Therefore after the Kgosi, the next highest status goes to all of the elders in the community (the older they are, the more we must show them our respect by bowing down lower as we shake their hand). The hierarchy continues down the line and children receive the least respect. It is also perfectly acceptable for anyone with higher status to beat a child who is misbehaving; this extends not only to that child’s parents and teachers, but also to any elders in the community who feel this child deserves a beating.

There are some exceptions to the age rule. Married women (who typically wear head scarves) automatically have a higher status than single women, even if the single woman is several years older than them. This is partly due to the traditional requirement of a dowry (Lebola in Setswana) payment that a man is expected to pay to his bride’s family. The typical Lebola brideprice is 8 cattle and 1 goat, which most people in this country are unable to afford. I know one man who has been unofficially engaged to a woman for 17 years and they have 2 children together, but he is unable to live with them until he saves up enough money to pay the Lebola to her parents. His parents are not even allowed to refer to the 2 kids as their grandchildren until a wedding has officially united them into one family. Some Batswana follow this tradition strictly, while others have adopted some western customs.

In summary, to greet people (go dumedisa batho) is a wonderful and necessary thing to do in Botswana. You always shake hands when greeting someone, and you demonstrate extra respect by bowing lower during the handshake. Respect and status is based on age; the older the better!

Fun Facts about Bots!

*I, Stacy Gray, am embarking on a 2 year + 3 month Peace Corps mission in Botswana, southern Africa! Here are a few fun facts to entice you to visit me &/or continue following along on my journey.

Disclaimer: The opinions and ideas expressed in the following blog entries are my own and do not represent those of the Peace Corps, US Government, or Botswana.

Fun Facts about Botswana:

Elephants: Botswana has more Elephants than any other country in the world!

Size: Botswana is one of the largest countries in Africa and is roughly the same size as Texas, which is also the same size as France.

Location: Botswana is located right above South Africa, and is also bordered by Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. (So if you come to visit me, you will be in a central location that is great for visiting Victoria Falls, Cape Town, and more!)

Logos: Colors include baby blue, white, and black. The National animal is the Zebra, which also happens to be the mascot of the national futbol (aka soccer) team.

People: People from Botswana are called “Batswana” and a single person from Botswana is a “motswana”. Batswana are comprised of people from many different tribes. There are too many to list here, but here are a few: Bakwena, Bakalanga, Basarwa, Bakhurutse, Baherero

Development: Botswana is one of the most developed of the developing countries in Africa, despite being hit hard by the AIDS epidemic. Much of its wealth comes from the many diamonds that continue to be found here.

HIV/AIDS: Botswana was the first African country to establish a national HIV/AIDS program. Masa (Setswana for “new dawn”) was established in 2002. At that time, Botswana had one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, with 27% of the men, women, and children infected with the virus.

Climate: Most of Botswana is desert (picture Arizona, or perhaps Southern Utah), and 80% of the country is covered in sand. It is one of the hottest African countries, but in July & August, the nights get extremely cold.

Tourism: Botswana has more national parks than most African countries.

The majority of national parks and safari destinations are in the very North of this country, which is where watering holes and green vegetation can be found. (Most of the country is sandy desert where only thorn bushes and cactus can survive.)

Game Reserves: Moremi, Central Kalahari, Khutse (Mar-Sept: 6am–6pm, Oct-Feb: 5:30am-7:30pm)

National Parks: Chobe, Nxai Pan, Makgadikgadi Pans, Kgalagadi Transfrontier, Kalahari, Okavango Delta, Salt Pans

Forest Reserves: Chobe Forest, Maikaelelo, Sibuyu, Kazuma, Kasane

Famous Film: “The Gods Must Be Crazy” was filmed here and is based on the culture of the Basarwa, also known as the bushmen of the Kalahari.

Language: Many languages are spoken here (yes, that includes the “clicking language” of the Basarwa bushmen), but the main one throughout the country is Setswana. It is a Bantu-type language (like Swahili, Chichewa, Somali-mai-mai, and many others), but it also has a guttural sound; when there is a “G” it is pronounced like an H with a Hebrew throat-clearing added in. And oftentimes one word can have different meanings based on how high or low of a tone you use when you pronounce the vowel. I really enjoy learning Setswana! I am learning quickly, but I struggle to understand when people speak fast. Most people speak some English, less so in the more rural areas, but all High Schools require their exams to be written in English.

Currency: Pula & Thebe. The Pula is to Botswana as the Dollar is to America; any amount over 5 pula is a paper note. Thebe are to Botswana as Pennies, Nickels, Dimes, and Quarters are to America. 100 thebe equal to 1 pula. The exchange rate is favorable when changing the US Dollars into Pula, as $1 USD equals 10.60 Pula (aka 10 pula and 60 Thebe). A fun fact is that in Setswana the word “pula” means “rain”, which are both highly valued and prayed for in a developing country full of desert and drought. You can literally “make it rain” by throwing pula paper bills into the air. The word for “money” in Setswana is “madi”, which can also mean “blood”. That fun fact is a bit darker.