1 Fellow Report: 3-Month

Fellow Report: 3-Month

This report focuses on the specifics of your fellowship experience thus far. The following questions are meant to help you evaluate your first three months at your fellowship post.

Deadlines for this report are as follows:

If you began your fellowship in Your report is due June September 30 July October 31 August November 30 September December 31

Organization: Maru-a-Pula City, Country: Gaborone, Botswana

Your Work

1. What is your job title?

Junior History Teacher

2. What are your primary responsibilities? Please list your job duties as you would on a résumé.

 Plan 11 weekly lessons for 83 students across 3 classes  Teach 11 weekly lessons for 83 students across 3 classes  Aid in teaching one lesson of Financial Literacy and Comprehension  Lead one service program after school that meets weekly as well as help with another 3 service, enrichment, or physical activities  Complete boarding house duty on a fortnightly basis  Other duties as assigned

3. Did you receive any sort of orientation, handover or “onboarding” when you started your fellowship? By whom?

There was very little in terms of formal orientation. We did receive a 2-hour session overviewing different teaching methods and practices. Other than this meeting, I did meet with the deputy principal and the Head of Department to receive my materials.

A formal, extensive orientation would have been helpful considering we were rather unprepared for our first classes (especially since we were coming into the middle of a school term).

4. Describe a representative day at work.

The day usually begins at 6:55am with a short staff meeting followed by form class (homeroom) for registration and morning announcements. The school day then begins with lessons from periods 1-6 (7:25am-12:45pm). We do not teach every period and there are breaks after periods 2 and 4. After lunch, we begin our extracurricular activities called SPEs (Service, Physicals, and Enrichment). I have SPEs 3/5 days of the week. After SPEs (ending time varies based on which SPEs you do), I usually begin planning lessons, answering emails, and doing other administrative work. Dinner is at 6:00pm.

5. Please describe in greater detail 1-2 specific projects you have undertaken or accomplishments you have made so far.

For one of my service activities, Maru-a-Pula Refugee Advocates, I organized and led a group of 8 students to Botswana’s only refugee camp, Dukwi. While there, we distributed solar lights that we had purchased for the schoolchildren in Dukwi, took a tour of the camp, and taught a “Lifeskills” session on Children’s Rights and the Importance of a Library. Since the trip, MaP RAds is beginning to brainstorm how to continue our relationship with Dukwi. We have begun fundraising to have some of their students come visit us in MaP.

I have begun offering a new enrichment program for certain students who are interested in speaking French in a conversational setting. We watch movies, discuss different aspects of our lives and the world, and read in French. We meet once a week.

6. On average, how many hours per week do you work?

Between teaching, lesson planning, leading service and physical activities, and boarding house duty, I would say that I average around 50-60 hours a week of work.

7. What is your office environment like? Please comment on the size and structure of the office(s) where you do most of your work.

The History office itself is rather small and only has space for my HOD and myself. However, since this is a school, we also have a staff room that is spacious. I alternate between doing my work in the staff room and my history office.

8. To whom do you report? (Please specify name & title of all applicable persons.)

Generally I report to the Deputy Principal of Maru-a-Pula. However, depending on the task that I am doing, I may report to different people who are in charge of those activities.

9. Do you receive adequate direction/support to perform your job? How often do you check in with your supervisor?

In terms of teaching, I am generally left alone to do my work and organize my lessons the way I want. The Head of the Department and another history teacher do provide help and assistance when I ask and often pass on resources for me to use. This set up is nice once you are acclimated to the school but is quite difficult at the very beginning.

10. What opportunities for travel has your work included so far? Do you anticipate work-related opportunities to travel in the future? How does your organization handle the arrangements/costs/plans for your work-related travel?

Depending on which SPEs you sign up for, you will have opportunities to travel to different areas of Botswana. I went to Dukwi, which is about 5 hours away, with MaP RAds and I travel to a nearby village weekly with another service program here, Gasiko Teaching. I know that sports competitions do necessitate travel, so if you coach one of these activities you will get some travel as well.

Most of our travel, however, is reserved for our term breaks. By the end of our fellowship, we will have had 3 terms breaks which allots us plenty of time to travel around the country and the region.

11. I feel adequately prepared for my position’s professional responsibilities.

a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Neutral d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree

Please briefly explain your response.

While a more extensive orientation would have been incredibly helpful, after adjusting to teaching and the structure of MaP, I feel comfortable in my role. With that being said, as a new teacher I am

constantly finding ways to improve the craft and only time would provide me with the skills and knowledge to excel at this position.

12. Have you met with your supervisor to discuss your work plan assignment? If not, please explain why.

Yes

13. Please look back at your online VITALS form to review the goals you set for yourself before orientation. Are you working towards these goals? Have you met any of them? Please explain.

I am generally working to meet the goals I set for myself. My first two goals, to become a better teacher and to build self-reliance, are definitely still very active. I do consistently find new and better ways to teach, asking for feedback from my students, observing fellow teachers, and attempting new types of lessons and activities. In terms of self-reliance, I have begun practicing better habits that will help me adjust physically and mentally. Also, by simply no longer being in college, tasks and skills such as budgeting, time-management and scheduling, work/life balance, navigating a workplace, and learning the intricacies of buying a car have become regular occurrences in my life.

My third goal, to make long-lasting friends while in Botswana, is less of a priority for me (at least at the moment). There is a feeling of instability and temporariness here that has made making very deep friendships hard. Differing personalities, interests, and ideas has also made connecting with others, even those closest to me, hard. I am not resigning myself to not making long-lasting friendships but it is definitely not as urgent of a goal as before.

14. Please indicate 3-5 goals you have for the rest of your fellowship year (these can be personal or professional). Your professional goals should align with your work plan (see end of report). a. I would love to get MaP RAds to strengthen its relationship with Dukwi by having Dukwi students come to MaP as well as having another Dukwi trip b. I hope to begin an English Enrichment program here for students struggling in English as a Second Language c. I want to gain confidence in myself and be able to project this confidence in my interactions with others. This personal goal stems from the fact that I have sometimes felt overlooked or not taken seriously from others. d. I want to continue building interactive and interesting lessons for my students

Your Arrival in Africa

15. How did you travel to your host country? Please be specific in terms of what airline(s) you flew, what cities you flew to/from, how much your plane tickets cost, and how you found/purchased your tickets. For example: “I purchased my ticket from the Cape to Cairo travel agency based in Washington, DC. I flew on British Airways from JFK to London, London to Johannesburg, and Johannesburg to Maputo. I have also booked a return flight for next June to return through the same cities. The round trip ticket cost $2,277.”

I purchased my tickets from Ethiopian Airlines. I left from D.C and flew to Addis Ababa. I was supposed to go straight from Addis Ababa to Gaborone but due to delays was moved to Addis to Joburg to Gaborone via SA Airlines. The trip in total cost $965. I have not bought a return ticket yet.

16. Please describe your visa arrangements. Please provide as much detail as possible to assist future Fellows in the visa application process. a) What kind of visa/work permit do you have? b) How did you obtain it? c) Did you receive your visa/permit before heading to Africa or after arriving? d) What costs were associated with obtaining it? e) Did you pay these costs or were they covered by your organization? f) Any suggestions to help future Fellows navigate this process?

I have a volunteer’s permit. We all worked through Maru-a-Pula once we arrived to get this permit. We entered Botswana on a guest visa valid for 90 days. The only cost we incurred was $50 to get the data page of our passport certified (but that was refunded to us by MaP).

I recommend getting your certified copy of the data page before you arrive. Also, they have specific size requirements for your passport photos. You can cut your photos to make it fit once here but you may also just want to get your photo taken here.

17. What vaccinations were you required to obtain prior to your departure? How much did your vaccinations cost?

I took pills for Typhoid and got a Yellow Fever vaccine. The latter is not required for Botswana but is helpful when traveling to places where Yellow Fever is prevalent as you will not be let back into Bots without the Yellow Fever vaccine yellow card.

18. Comment on your arrival and first week in Africa. Any improvements that could streamline the assimilation process for future Fellows?

My first week here in Botswana was rather easy and relaxed. Other than minor inconveniences such as not having access to my phone, Maru-a-Pula did a great job accommodating us and getting us settled into our spaces. As mentioned earlier, a formal orientation for our job duties would have helped immensely. But, in terms of acclimating to the city, life here was pretty easy from the get-go. I would recommend unlocking your phone prior to coming here. Also, there was no need to exchange money at the airport since MaP gave you some local currency once you arrive.

19. PiAf’s Pre-departure Orientation was sufficient in preparing me to transition into my fellowship.

a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Neutral d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree

Please briefly explain your response.

I enjoyed orientation because it allowed me to meet the other Fellows and immediately make connections with the people that will help me throughout the year. Most of the sessions had at least one key takeaway that was helpful. I will say that there were times that I started feeling a little stressed due to all of the information presented so I would have liked some sort of streamlined, simple to-do list. Perhaps an individual or group session to help us draft said to-do list would have alleviated some of the worry.

As a recent college graduate, the advice about not conflating “post-college” blues with “being in a foreign country” blues was particularly salient and helpful.

20. Is there anything in particular that PiAf could cover at orientation that would have better prepared you for your fellowship post? Please specify.

More time/information about teaching. I understand you have very little time so this may be impossible but perhaps restructuring the teaching session so that you focus on one or two topics. This could allow you to cover those topics more efficiently as opposed to trying to cover too many topics at once.

Your Housing & Local Transportation

21. Is housing provided by and/or paid for by your organization?

Yes, we live at Maru-a-Pula and do not have to pay for our housing

22. Please describe your living arrangements. Include the following details: a. Are you living in a house, apartment, guest room, etc.? b. Are you living alone or with roommates? c. How did you find your housing?

I am living in a house on campus. The house has two rooms, one for me and one for another Fellow. This housing was provided by Maru-a-Pula.

23. How do you typically travel between your home and your work? How much does your daily transportation cost and how long is your commute?

I am able to walk to work since I live at Maru-a-Pula

24. Is your local transportation adequate? Please briefly describe your options and their related costs.

We purchased a car and are making monthly payments on it from our monthly stipends. Gas is the major expense with this car though we have had to send it for a tune-up once. Other than a car, we can take a taxi which costs 30 pula which is less than $3. Combis are also an option and operate like busses. They are very cheap though I have not taken one yet.

Your Daily Life

25. Do you live and work in safe areas?

Maru-a-Pula is a gated school with 24/7 security. I have not felt unsafe while here. Furthermore, Gaborone is generally a safe city as long as you follow commonsense practices (not walking alone at night, not carrying too many valuables, etc.).

26. What has been your experience with crime so far?

I have not experienced any crime thus far.

27. Describe the crime and general security situation within your city/town. Could you recommend specific areas future Fellows might consider for safe housing? What about areas that should be avoided?

Generally Gaborone is safe. Certain areas can be slightly problematic at night, however. The only place that comes to mind is the shopping center by Maru-a-Pula. It is fine during the day but can become unsafe at night.

In terms of living conditions, I have found that homes/apartments with gates and guards are best. Maru-a- Pula, where I live, is safe and well-protected.

28. Comment on the local languages, your proficiency in them (if any), and your subsequent ability to get by.

The local language here is Setswana. I am not proficient other than casual greetings. The vast majority of people in Botswana are also fluent in English so getting by has not been an issue. All teaching is done in English at Maru-a-Pula.

29. Comment on appropriate clothing for work and outside of work.

Clothing for work is rather standard and not too strict. Looking presentable in long pants and a nice shirt is perfectly fine. For younger teachers, it is helpful to look more professional than necessary at first to make sure students see you as their teacher. There is no clothing restriction in Gaborone.

30. How have you been spending your free time? What kinds of opportunities are available for socializing in your city/town?

Free time is largely spent dining out with friends and going to events around Gabs. There are quite a few different activities during the week such as Zumba and Frisbee which combine fitness and entertainment. There is a visual arts center that also has a café and that oftentimes has open mic nights or gallery displays which are great to bring friends to.

31. I feel adequately prepared for my personal/social life.______

a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Neutral d)Disagree e) Strongly disagree

Please briefly explain your response. The social scene here is quite small which helps newcomers get to know people but does make things feel slightly suffocating at times. All in all, however, I have felt great with the social life here and have enjoyed meeting new people both at work and around Gabs. It just takes a couple of months to finally feel situated and at home.

Your Reflections

32. Any frustration with living arrangements or with work? Any frustrations outside of work?

The main frustration with work would just be tendency for many teachers to complain about their students constantly. Venting at certain points is understandable but there is a culture of complaining with some teachers at Maru-a-Pula. That being said, that is a minor concern and work is mostly excellent. Living arrangements are good. Living at work does make finding a work/life balance difficult at times. Also, being so proximally close to the 3 other MaP fellows all the time does become challenging especially when personalities clash. We are finding our own spaces and are also learning how to distance ourselves from the annoyance so that does help. Generally, however, things are going very well.

33. Has there been anything that you have needed but have not been able to locate or acquire?

No, Gabs is well stocked and has just about everything you need.

34. How did you deal/are you dealing with “culture shock”?

Having been to Burundi, Africa before, “culture shock” was very minimal for me. Gabs is different for sure and there is a slightly different pace of life, culture, and atmosphere here, but the difference did not amount to culture shock. It is a rather nice place to live, even if it can feel a little slow and quiet at times.

35. What about your experience thus far has been the most…

Surprising?:

How worldly everyone here is and how in touch they are with what is happening in the world.

Pleasant?:

How open people are here (generally speaking) and just how diverse everyone is. It’s been absolutely phenomenal getting to know everyone. Coming out of a college bubble, it’s truly refreshing.

Frustrating?:

The lack of alone time and individuality that occurs when you share so much (social scene, a car, work, living space, etc.) with 3 other fellows.

36. What are the Top 3 things you miss the most from the US? (Can be food, amenities, movies, etc. Cannot be people—although we know you miss us in the PiAf office terribly, and we thank you! We miss you, too.)

a. Easy access to data/wifi on my phone b. Online postings/clear announcements of events (as opposed to word-of-mouth dissemination of information) c. Really awesome BBQ sauce/ribs

37. What are the Top 3 things about life in your host country that beat out the U.S.?

a. The welcoming, friendly, and open people!! b. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences c. The proximity to such amazing sights and adventures

38. Please comment on your relationship with the Princeton in Africa office. Include the following details: a. Are you receiving sufficient support, materials, and information from us? b. What could we improve? The Princeton in Africa office has been fantastic in terms of keeping up with us and sending up relevant updates. I cannot think of any improvements at the moment!

Your Stipend & Budget

39. If you are receiving stipend monies directly from your fellowship organization, how are you being paid? a. Biweekly, monthly, etc? b. In US dollars or in another currency? c. In cash or deposited directly into a bank account? Local account or US account?

Monthly in BWP (Pula) in cash.

40. Have you undertaken additional work to meet expenses? (Please remember that during the term of your fellowship, you are to work only as a Fellow and at no other job unless any such job is previously disclosed to Princeton in Africa and approved in writing by PiAf).

41. Please provide a sample monthly budget of your average expenses (in US dollars).

Rent $ 0 Utilities $ 0 Furnishings $ 10 Phone $ 25 Internet $ 0 Transportation $ 15 Fitness $ 15 Entertainment $ 150 Food $ 150 Travel $ 100 Medications $ 20 Laundry $ 0 House cleaning $ 0 Home security $ 0 Other (specify) $ 0

Other one-time or infrequent expenses not included in your monthly budget above (e.g. visa expenses)?

None