UC Davis Blum Center for Developing Economies

Precision Planter project Blum Fellow Stephanie Lew Botswana Summer 2017 Today we hitched a ride with some people into town because we needed to go to the bank to get money to pay for rent. They dropped us off at the bank and told us to meet them at the Kalahari Arms Hotel when we were done. We called and asked them how long they’d be and they said 10-15 minutes. The wait ended up being more than an hour. Also, I was expecting the excursion to take an hour or two but it ended up taking nearly 6 hours—which was basically our entire day. Furthermore, we may agree on a time to meet and do work, but people here are generally 15 min-1 hour late. These experiences highlight miscommunication in regards to time and timeliness that I think stem from cultural differences.  Back at home I’m used to living a lifestyle in which I am always on the go. There are days where I have things booked every hour of the day, so 15 minutes makes a difference. When I’m here I find myself getting...

Precision Planter project Blum Fellow Stephanie Lew Botswana Summer 2017 International aid is something that is so tricky, and throughout this trip I’ve been struggling to understand what my place is within development and how I can truly help others. Historically, international aid has failed, and I think it largely ties into this idea presented in this proverb: If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. From my understanding, development has failed because we simply give fish out; we don’t each how to fish. In the same way, we pour money and resources into a place, and they become dependent on it. All of the money and resources we’ve contributed to the growth and development of other countries has never been sustainable because it doesn’t grow social and economic capital of a country. With this idea in mind, I have been very conscious about how I choose to help others within the community. I don...

Precision Planter project Blum Fellow Stephanie Lew Botswana Summer 2017 It’s been a crazy change going from life in California to life in Botswana. I had a moment this morning where I was really missing home. I figured that I was missing the people I spent my time with and the predictability of my daily routine, but when I thought about what I was feeling even more, I realized that above all, I missed being comfortable. I miss comfort of being surrounded by my closest friends and family. I miss the comfort of showering. I miss knowing the social norms. I miss knowing how to speak the native language. I miss knowing what to expect. I then came to realize the issue with this. I’ve always believed that growth happened when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. This is actually a belief of mine that I picked up from my first, and only international trip before this one, to Nicaragua. I’ve always preached to myself to strive to seek new, different experiences, and her...