A brief background on Botswana

Prior to its independence in 1966, Botswana was a British protectorate. At the time of independence, it was one of the poorest countries in Africa. Now, its one of the most stable African countries. Botswana is different than any other African country in that it's populace is determined to improve its economic and social conditions. This may come as a surprise considering Botswana is a landlocked country. You can see a map of Africa on the right side of the blog. Although it is at a disadvantageous position, lacking direct access to sea, Botswana has seen steady economic increases due to its diamond trade and tourism.

About the size of Texas, I consider Botswana as a city of extremes. It is home to the largest concentration of African elephants in the world! And their population keeps increasing. I'm sure everyone has seen the good ol' classic "The Lion King." Pretty much all the wildlife you have seen in the film can be found in Botswana! Furthermore, the Okavango Delta, also located in Botswana, is the largest inland delta in the world. I will have a once in a lifetime opportunity of touring the delta at the end of my program. 

Despite its steady economic increases, Botswana has been hard hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Home to little over 2 million people, Botswana is the second highest country in the world infected with HIV, with 1 in 6 Batswana infected. The disease has ravaged the country to such an extent that at one point the life expectancy was reduced to shocking levels. This has prevented the country to move forward in an efficient manner forcing the government to invest more in the health sector to save its people.

I hope to take an in depth look at HIV/AIDS during the program and share it with you guys. Stay tuned!

Shots!

I updated my "Preparations" page. Check it out! It discusses the vaccinations and medications you'll need for travelling abroad. And here is what my travel health card looks like!

Why Botswana?!

Deciding a place was a tough decision. I knew I wanted to pick a program something related to my major. After I chose public-health, I looked at public-health programs offered by study abroad organizations. To make my decision easier, I stuck to one program, CIEE, and now was left with a difficult task of picking a country that offered that particular program. My options were Thailand, Dominican Republic, Argentina and Botswana.

The cost of the program is different for each country and should be taken into account when considering where to go for study abroad. To have the perfect international experience, you would want to pick a place that suits your needs without having to think about it twice. Moreover, I wanted to go somewhere different, a unique non-traditional place that would make me standout. This is often times helpful when applying for scholarships (this will be further discussed in the scholarships page). I was confused between Argentina and Botswana. Argentina was an option because a public-health program there would be more relative to the U.S. Both are developed countries. However, Botswana is a developing country and analyzing HIV/AIDS in the context of a developing nation intrigued me. Therefore, I chose Botswana. Plus, I get to learn an African language! Setswana!

Introduction

Hey all, my journey to the amazing continent of Africa will begin June 4th, when I'll leave my hometown Chicago and fly to Gaborone, Botswana for the Summer Community Public Health Program. For all future study abroad students, this blog aims to act as a guide and resource for students who look forward to go on study abroad for the summer or the academic year. Moreover, the goal of the blog is to encourage other students who have already done their study abroad to share their experiences as well. Currently, about 2% of U.S. undergrads take the opportunity to go on study abroad. ONLY 2%!!! This was enough to encourage me to explore Africa!

Having an international experience is important in developing a person. I hope to learn about a country blessed with the beauty of nature and diamonds, yet ravaged by HIV/AIDS. This blog will detail my preparations, scholarships, experiences, and what I learned from my time abroad in Botswana.

Stay tuned for more posts!