Botswana adventure changed woman’s life

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/09/2010 (5571 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Tyndall Park woman says a recent visit to Botswana has given her a new perspective on life.

Amy Dhillon returned from the African country earlier this month after spending the spring and summer there as an intern evaluating HIV/AIDS programs in the country.

Botswana has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. It is estimated that between 15 and 20% of the country has the virus while the life expectancy of people in the country is less than 40 years. Many of Botswana’s HIV positive populace are children who have been born with the virus.

Dhillon says her experiences in Botswana redefined her life.

“I really learned how to focus on what is important in life, which is living, family and friends. I’m certainly a lot more relaxed,” she says during a telephone interview from Ontario.

Dhillon learned about the Coady International Institute’s Youth in Partnership program in January of this year. The program offers Canadian university graduates the opportunity to work with development organizations around the world.

Dhillon’s duties included teaching locals in Botswana how to become HIV/AIDS counselors. She also worked with mothers to prevent the transmission of the virus through breast milk and helped educate men about how to change their sex habits.

Dhillon says most of the people she worked with were very accepting of her and other visitors.

“It was easy to be new there. There was so much help being offered from individuals. Since everyone is from the same area. They are very welcoming,” she says.

Dhillon says the battle against HIV has helped bring the country together.

“Despite the circumstances, I don’t think Canada has something that brings the nation together on the same page as what is going on in Botswana,” she says.

Dhillon says her experience in the country really opened her eyes to the challenges development workers face in underdeveloped nations.

“I see now how challenging development work really is. It is a slow process. I get it now,” she says.

“The reality is funding only comes when groups have projects and basic funding is a real challenge. Staff are always writing grants and drafting funding proposals.”

Dhillon is currently pursuing a joint law and international affairs degree from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

She admits it was a tough decision to leave Botswana to resume her studies.

“I loved it and I didn’t want to come home,” she says.

“We’re always told about success and money being keys to life, but the fact of the matter is money cannot buy you happiness. It’s true.”

rob.brown@canstarnews.com