Worldview Magazine - Winter 2007 - (Page 24)

ne Sunday afternoon at the nearby Nata Lodge, I had a chance meeting with a backpacker named Jon Rawlinson. Jon was traveling the world and on his way to the Okavango Delta to see some of Botswana’s amazing wildlife. He was surprised to learn I actually lived in Nata. He asked lots of question about my work in HIV/AIDS. “Do you want to leave the lodge and see the real Africa,” I asked. “Yes,” he said eagerly. So I took Jon and his traveling companion, Ian, into the village. Sunday night jazz is an institution in Botswana so we went to the Marula restaurant/bar to meet social workers, nurses, and a few teachers. Jon enjoyed meeting the locals but was surprised to hear them complaining about millions of dollars pouring into Africa for HIV/ AIDS that didn’t make it to places like Nata. Jon was a television producer, cameraman and a website designer. He thought he could help us. So, when they ﬁnished their tourist safaris, Jon came back to ask the village chief, Kgosi Makgesi, for permission to ﬁlm HIV/AIDS conditions in Nata. For three days, Jon and I shot video and still photographs of the negative and positive aspects of village life. Jon built a web site and I wrote the text in an eﬀort to raise funds to support HIV/AIDS educational activities, people living with AIDS the orphans and the Nata clinic. After Jon left, I was to become the technical advisor, blogger, photographer, and recruiter and trainer of volunteers. Next, we went to Seloma Tiro, a community leader, philanthropist and the owner of the Engen and Caltex petrol stations. Mr. Tiro employs over 50 people at his pumps, the quick shop, food take-away service and his popular Marula restaurant/bar. We showed Mr. Tiro and his accountant, Martha Ramaditse, the photographs and described our plan. Mr. Tiro loaned us his two-year-old HP laptop and gave us access to his dial-up internet service. Mr. Tiro oﬀered to pay all the long-distance charges and allowed us to use his oﬃce. Martha volunteered to become our ﬁrst local blogger and O is that we’ve set up a donation button using Paypal. Our ﬁrst big break came when Jon was interviewed on an Internet news show called Rocketboom. In a single day, viewers donated approximately $4,000 to Nata village. We were ecstatic and grateful. As of August of this year, we raised more than $14,000. Our eﬀorts have been recognized four times in Botswana’s national newspapers, three times on national radio and once on Botswana Television. e documentary “Village of Hope” was recently aired on cable channel Current TV for 30 million households and it has also been selected as part of GAP’s global RED campaign. Another exciting aspect of the project LIFESTRAW is a 10-inch long high-impact plastic tube of iodinewas that an impregnated carbon that filters up to 7,000 liters of water. innovative Designed by Vestergaard Frandsen and used in Ghana, Nigeria, teacher in Pakistan and Uganda. www.lifestraw.com. Canada assigned our e had no idea what blog as weekly reading for his 8th-grade would happen when class. e students were amazed that www.natavillage.org was many children in Nata don’t own even born on March 4, 2006. e site lets one store-bought toy. It was an eye anyone in the world witness the battle opener for them. to control the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic in one African village. ur Internet fundraising project Visitors meet the people of Nata and has improved life for those get the unique opportunity to learn in Nata who live with AIDS. about their rich culture and daily lives. Every member of Ntwakgolo Support Our web site features a 10-minute Group, the support group for people documentary called “A Village of living with AIDS, receives transport Hope,” more than 300 photographs of money to reach the clinic in Gweta. life in Nata in the ﬂickr video stream, at eased the burden on the clinic and three vlogs: Mma Diketso singss ambulances. e trust bought the 30 the Nata clinic every morning with a members uniforms so they can make a beautiful Setswana melody while we public declaration that they live with show the scene of waiting patients; a AIDS. e backs of their shirts bear local youth group sings educational the slogan they chose: “Plan Now, songs about HIV/AIDS; a tour of Nata Test Today, Live Openly with ARVs.” clinic ends with an interview of an HIV e trust also bought a $2,500 sound positive mother. e blog is updated system and generator so a group of outtwice a week with a story and a photo of-school and unemployed youth called depicting what is happening in the Mabogo Arts and Culture Productions village. e bottom line for the village could perform dramas, songs and photographer. e chiefs of Nata had a long history of supporting HIV/AIDS initiatives. ey were proud that Nata would be the ﬁrst village in Botswana with a web site of its own. We decided to create a trust to manage this fund-raising venture. Mr. Tiro was chosen to be chair of a board of six volunteer trustees who would make sure all donations were spent well. We also found a lawyer in Maun, Lawrence Lecha, who volunteered to write a 23-page document that created our non-proﬁt organization. W O 24 Winter 2007 http://www.lifestraw.com http://www.natavillage.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Worldview Magazine - Winter 2007

Worldview Magazine - Winter 2007 Contents President's Note Lafayette Park Note to Readers Commentary Letter from India Commentary Letter from Botswana Letter from Ha Teboho Letter from Jumbi Valley Letter from Mununga Letter from Medellin Giving Back Community News

Worldview Magazine - Winter 2007

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