Let's Be Tea Leaves

Pre-Service Training may have ended but the acronyms will live on forever. On October 15^th 72 of us took our oath to change from PCT’s (Peace Corps Trainees) to PCV’s (Peace Corps Volunteers)! Now, officially, our two years of service begin!

Many of us took extra long bucket baths to prepare for this day and dressed to the nines in our locally made “German print” skirts or shirts. There was a short ceremony with speeches from the Botswana Country Director, Kgosi (chief) of Serowe (our training village), the Charge d’Affaires from the U.S. Embassy to Botswana, and some of our own volunteers (yep, I can say “volunteers” now!).

The local Kgosi delivered a heartwarming speech about a rock, an egg, and some tea leaves. I know what you’re thinking, those don’t sound all that heartwarming, just wait... You take these three things and add boiling water. For the rock, nothing happens. It is placed someplace new yet it doesn’t change. For the egg, the environment changes it. It becomes something completely different than before the water was introduced. Finally, the tea leaves. When you place tea leaves into the harsh environment of a tea kettle, the tea leaves work with the water to become something new altogether. The tea leaves form a symbiotic relationship with the water to change their environment into something tasty and refreshing!

Therefore, as PCV’s, we should be tea leaves. We are entering new communities to be community mobilizers, mentors, teachers, and collaborators. Our goal is not to cure HIV or to “save” the world; rather we are placed here to work with the community towards common goals; to create sustainable change, and to share ideas, friendships, and cultures. Together, with the people of Botswana, we are going to make some delicious tasting tea!