So, our first visit was to the Baylor Children’s Clinical Center of Excellence. This was definitely the best visit thus far. Upon arrival, I was struck at how nice the facility looked—it could have easily been an upscale hospital in Austin or Orlando. Once we got into the hospital, I was pained to see the waiting room filled with little children and their mothers. It was packed and made me nervous that they resented us rich white kids for coming in and touring the facility. Once we were in, we were greeted by American pediatricians who were working in Botswana to help the HIV epidemic.
“57% of all deaths for kids less than 5 years old is caused by HIV/Aids. This is the highest of any country.”
“In 2003, there were only 5 pediatricians for 2 Million people”
It was clear that Botswana had the highest rate of HIV than any other country in the world. In addition, there were not many doctors who were willing to treat children, because historically the thought was that children will not be working or add anything to the community. There is also a stigma surrounding the disease, and people who are infected are less likely to get help or get medication because they are too embarrassed or ashamed. This mindset causes the disease to spread because people are not appropriately using the drugs. It was such a sad, but educational experience and I was pleased to see non-profits and doctors taking an interest in this epidemic.
Our next visit was to the U.S. Embassy where 2 representatives discussed the economic policies of Botswana and the role that the U.S. government has played in the development and financial help with the growing HIV/Aids infected population. These women were extremely well versed in the foreign policies and had much to say about the upcoming election and government run industries. It was interesting to me that Botswana has a somewhat socialist society, but the natural resources have sustained the economy and helped it thrive. I was shocked to hear that the government has historically run a surplus, with too much funds from foreign demand for natural resources. They actually call it “Africa Light” because it’s not like other countries in Africa with respect to For example have decreased in demand greatly, hurting the economy in future developments. This really surprised me because the government is the wealthiest economy, yet it has the highest rate of HIV/Aids. That didn’t make much sense to me, but I’m sure there are plenty of factors that go into the eradication of a major epidemic like HIV. Very sad…but a reality.
Our next visit was to a cultural tribe and a mini safari through the Mokolodi Nature Reserve. I thought the cultural visit was hilarious. The tribe women were very welcoming and taught us their culture through a visual representation. For example, they mimicked what would happen if someone is sick by having one of the women come out and stand on cow poop and look up to the sky. Sam and Andrea acted out a wedding and consummation, which is always funny. The chief was the only man and had about 6 wives because the idea was to make as many babies to help build the community. It was a great visit and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Afterwards, we went on a mini safari and got to see elephants, ostrich, and other animals. It was a great end to our day.
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