Study Abroad in Botswana Africa

 

For my study abroad, I chose the Community Public Health Program in Gaborone Botswana during the Fall 2024 semester. I am a public health major on a pre-PA track and have always wanted to visit Africa. When I first arrived I did not know what to expect at all. Over time I began to acclimate and have learned so much from my host family and gotten close with my host sister. I got an opportunity to understand the health care system and observed the differences between public and private health care in Botswana. When visiting the hospitals I was able to see a birth, traditional medicine healers, and even give a talk on alcohol abuse in Dikgatlhong village during my community public health practicum course. I have made friends at the University of Botswana (UB) and with the student volunteers who were extremely welcoming and helpful when adjusting to life here. I am taking classes through UB and CIEE on environmental health, the psychology of HIV and AIDS, and the Rwandan genocide which have all been very interesting. I traveled to Namibia, Victoria Falls, South Africa, and around Botswana (Maun, Chobe...this is where a lot of the wildlife is) with a group of international students because of the CIEE driver who works in Gaborone. Despite all these positive experiences, I do not want to give students who are thinking of doing this program false expectations as I found living in Botswana difficult sometimes. Expect to STICK OUT as a foreigner and people will call you out, especially at the taxi station center. Most people are just curious, however, catcalling is seen as more acceptable here and happens frequently if you are a woman. If you choose to stay with a host family you may need to take public transportation to get to the University. This means you have to pass through the central taxi station. It is crowded and very difficult to navigate there, so be prepared for this mentally and have someone show you the routes beforehand. CIEE staff will help you with this but expect to be catcalled and even approached when you go. Ignore and keep walking or politely decline these advances if they happen. The Combis (vans that are usually PULA 7.00 or USD 0.52) that are separate from taxi cars (PULA 7.00) are crowded and it is difficult to understand the routes they take. If you can avoid taking public transportation, I would. I used it my first 2 months in Gaborone and then ended up using InDrive which is like Uber for the rest of my time but, you have to pay with the exact cash amount (typically 40 PULA or USD 3.00). I found it easier to make friends with local students if you stayed on campus so this is also something to consider. I will warn people, the dorms are pretty bad meaning the showers do not get hot water a lot of the time and the rooms get very hot in the summer. People I knew staying on campus would typically go to the gym at UB to shower. If you are coming in the Fall it is summertime here, so expect temperatures during the day near 80-97°F (Late October->January)  but temperatures can get as low as 40°F when you first arrive at night (July->Early September). It is very dusty here and there is not much wildlife in Gaborone which is where you spend most of your time. You need to travel outside the city of Gaborone to see the animals so if you are coming to Gaborone with the expectation of seeing lots of elephants, you will likely be disappointed. There are places such as Mokolodi Nature Reserve that has a lot of wildlife and Safari which is close to Gaborone, but still a drive away. Overall, this program has been amazing and I have learned so much I would have never known if I did not study abroad. If you choose to come to Africa you need to be flexible and have a "go with the flow" mentality. Sometimes things are delayed or happen unexpectedly. Be patient and understand you are in a new country that operates differently. Mostly travel, meet new people and, enjoy the experience!

Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park

My Host Family 

International students travelling over break

Maun Okavango Delta