Category: Africa
This week, we went out to dinner to a local African chain called Spur. Spur is very similar to the US chain Chilis and serves basic staples such as burgers, steaks and ribs. Our server suggested that we try the burgers. Being that we were hungry and looking for something easy and quick, we agreed. Note the word "quick"!
Project Blog
Week two:
After returning from our Marsabit service trip, we started our work at the Partners For Care House located in Nairobi. At the end of the week, we had three main accomplishments: sewing the first packs, a model to determine government health expenses and an analysis of the current health system. And, we set the goals for our third and final week of our GAP project.
We are now in day five of being on site with Barclays Bank for continued work on Project Firefly in Gaborone, Botswana. The week has gone by very fast at times, with lots of information being gathered through meetings with many of our new colleagues at the bank. We are on track with our timeline, and our client is content with our progress thus far.
We have quickly come to realize that life in Gaborone is very different than life in the United States. One of our biggest struggles has been the way business is conducted. However, after a few days, we are gaining more familiarity with business customs in Botswana. Much to our delight, the local food is both tasty and affordable. Finally, the country itself is very unique with natural resources that we have been able to enjoy.
We continued our work in the conference room this week, engaged with several more shareholders, including meeting with staff from HR and legal, and attended a new business committee meeting. We also had the opportunity to meet with Reinette van der Merwe, Managing Director of Bank of Barclays, Botswana. She was eager to meet with us and learn about our backgrounds and our project, and she was kind enough to provide us with her own insights and guidance.