Prize Giving

In accordance with my status as one of only 11 resident “whities” in Seronga, (Simon and I have a ridiculous habit of counting, and recounting, for no good reason, it’s not as though the numbers have -or will- change. And yet we often recount as though we are taking inventory, or making certain non of us have bred without reporting to some crazy committee – the official count is as follows- Me, him, 2 Afrikaners at the Houseboats, a missionary family of 5, the counselor- who really, is mixed- and his wife) or perhaps because I am “The Peace Corps in Seronga”, I am often invited to community events of significance. As a result of the aforementioned status of whitey, I am nearly always an “honored guest” which means sitting under an awning or tent with the heads of departments and the kgosi (chief) while everyone else swelters in the sun, and being fed a higher quality of food in an area segregated from the majority of the villagers who I’ve heard often fight over the food and tend to get upset when they cannot also bring left-overs home in a Tupperware container (side note on Tupperware- I am amazed at the commerce of Tupperware in Seronga- one of the policemen’s wives and the female ambulance driver from Gunistoga are reps, and I often see catalogues floating around amongst the villagers. The actual products are everywhere, coming into the village in huge cartons at the post office which have had the occasion to nearly bring me to tears when I see a huge box come through and realize it’s got nothing to do with me… Jeeze I am becoming selfish… anyway…It never ceases to amaze me how in a rural, tough to get to village down a dirt road with limited accessibility to what I’ve come to consider “the outside world” we can have such a prevalence of Tupperware. I’m nearly ready to email the company to congratulate them on their marketing strategy, because this is truly impressive. We can’t get decent….most anything, really, but by God, we’ve got Tupperware. Go figure. Perhaps Mary Kay and Avon will be next…but I doubt it.)


Another condition of being an honored guest means that I am introduced and expected to stand and give a little wave, which can occasionally get difficult as A) this is clearly all in Setswana and if they don’t go around the introduction of the “dignitaries” in the order we are sitting I am screwed, stuck with a smile plastered on my face never quite knowing when it’s my turn (but now I am often nudged by one of the kind souls I make a point of sitting next to) to do my pageant wave and B) I occasionally space out or am sending a text message- (this is not rude or uncommon behavior during meetings here) when I am announced and C) I still can’t exactly figure out what importance I hold as a figurehead and am always surprised when I am introduced. I can understand the Kgosi and the social worker and the Principle Registered Nurse from the clinic, but me? Oh well.


Anyway. The school year in Botswana goes more on the calendar year rather than by the farming seasons (although perhaps it still is on the farming season as with the advent of rain it appears that also means it’s plowing time…) like it does in the States so the schools have been coming to the end of their terms. In what was an exceptionally surprising turn of events for me, it is customary for the schools to have a ceremony and “prize giving” for the students who have done especially well over the year, acknowledging their hard work and rewarding their excellence.


The reason this is surprising to me lies in my observations that the Batswana tend to be a quite a socialist culture, there isn’t much emphasis on acknowledging people’s differences, or one person’s inadequacies or their success or superior performance over another. While this is a positive in terms of the immediate acceptance and inclusion of those who stand out for some reason, such as those who are albino or have down syndrome, are an AIDS orphan, exceptionally poor or something else that might make them the object of ridicule or isolation and shame in another culture are included without hesitation here. There seems to be more emphasis on inclusiveness than exclusiveness in some ways.


This tends to be a more problematic concept amongst groups which in western culture thrive on the rewards and praise that may come with putting in a great effort, such as within the workplace or in schools. When there is so much being given in a country and culture through no sense of working for it, because everyone should be taken care of equally and there are no rewards for extra effort, it can lead to a sort of apathy or even lack of personal responsibility.
While it’s the epitome of fairness, it can also be the downfall of excellence and productivity. It’s been a stark contrast for me, and one I continue to learn about and from. I’m beginning to see the value in concepts of socialism, and am nearly certain that it, rather than straight capitalistic and democratic concepts might work better for Africa as a whole. There is a reason that kgotla meetings can go on for hours and hours and that is because everyone gets to speak their opinion and be heard even if they are saying the same thing as their neighbor. Everyone’s opinion is valued, and everyone must come to consensus before we move on. In many ways, the majority doesn’t always rule in Botswana.


Don’t get me wrong, there are sections of the population that work very, very hard. Women often work from sun up to sun down caring for children, husbands and households, washing and cleaning and cooking all by hand, without the assistance of modern appliances and conveniences. You know everything they make will be from scratch, every time, no take out or fridge for leftovers in Seronga. There are men who farm, or have a formal job and plow fields, striving to support their families and make their lives better.

All of these factors together lead to my surprise and extreme pleasure that there was such a thing as Prize Giving.

The first was the primary (elementary) school. The invitation didn’t list a time, and both the teachers and my friend the social worker who was giving the keynote address insisted that the festivities would begin at 8am. Knowing what I know about Botswana, I showed up at half 9, and the event did not begin until around 11. We went through the introductions, the performances, the speeches and the awards, with the whole thing lasting longer than my undergraduate commencement.


I was thrilled to see all the mothers (and occasional grandmother or father) in the audience, taking time away from their very busy lives to acknowledge the achievement of their progeny. When a child’s name was called the mothers would scream and wave their arms as they also rushed up to the make-shift stage to hug and kiss their children while dancing around (in what I now realize is a mother’s universal tendency to embarrass their children) and to receive the brown paper wrapped prize and certificate that was given to the child and immediately handed over to the parent. It was poignant to witness the blatant display of pride they had in their children, an appreciation of a somewhat intangible academic achievement, generally higher than the level they themselves had accomplished. To me it was even more beautiful to witness when you think of what a concept of “accomplishment” might mean to one of these mothers. Anything they finish or complete inevitably has to be done again tomorrow, next week, or next growing season.

At the second ceremony, the prize giving at the junior secondary (middle school, although with children ages 13-18, depending on when many of them began school, this is the highest level of education many children on this side of the delta receive as there is no senior secondary between here and Maun which is between 6 and 10 hours away) I was also impressed (if not also a bit tired of long speeches and the formalities of another commencement length activity in Seronga) by the performances of the children. There were traditional dances, songs, dramas, the scouts, poetry, and music. It was quite the show, and ended up leading me to the idea that I need to be working more with the children, which is what is now happening. Prizes all around!