Throughout this past summer, Ohio University faculty and students traveled abroad to engage first-handedly in promoting awareness and prevention for HIV/AIDS Gaborone, Botswana. From mid June to mid July, both undergraduate and graduate students experienced working with governmental agencies as well as the general public. Prior to their field work experiences, students engaged in a one-week orientation to become familiar with the HIV/AIDS challenges of Botswana. In addition, they received training for speaking conversational Setswana.

When reflecting on her travels, Angela Johnson, a doctoral student in the School of Communication Studies said, “It was more than an experience, it was an immersion.” She explained that her decision to go abroad was based on interests in learning more about edutainment initiatives for the country’s televised soap operas. However, the personal relationships Angela developed enriched her experiences in ways she had not anticipated, “I was separated from the OU group and housed with a Botswana woman going through a hard time. As I packed to leave 5 weeks later, we both cried…despite our barriers of culture and language, we had built a deep and meaningful relationship.”

Dr. Ben Bates of the School of Communication Studies first became actively involved with the program this year. He credited the students for their involvement, noting that the experience can be emotionally and physically exhausting. As a professor, however, Dr. Bates explained how he assumed multiple, and at times unpredictable, roles throughout the trip. He served as an instructor, but also stood in as a tour guide or negotiator when needed. Naming the list of roles he served, Dr. Bates noted, “There’s no fixed positionality there.” 

While the trip presented many challenges it also left those who attended with lasting memories. Chris Bartos, an undergraduate senior in the School of Communication Studies, explained how the area was filled with misfortunes, yet, the people were so kind and caring. “After serving them food, one little boy saw that I wasn’t eating. He figured I was hungry so he asked if I would like some food from his bowl,” Chris said. “The compassion and selflessness that I experienced in Africa is something that we should see more of in our own country.”

Others on the trip described a number of instances that continue to live in their memories. Dr. Bates described his lasting impressions of the trip when he explained, “It could be sitting on the veranda at the lodge in Kasane watching the sun set over the Chobe River. It could be seeing the children at SOS Children’s Village listening carefully to stories. It could be eating little British-style pies,” he said. “It could be a thousand moments.”

The abroad program for HIV/AIDS in Botswana was initially designed and developed by Dr. Chikombero of Media Arts and Studies, Dr. Lucky Ordirile of Counseling and Career Services, and Betsy Morely of International Admissions. For more information about this program, please visit the following link: http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/programs/africa/Gaborone.cfm.