Nothing has happened.

We received a generous donation, for which we are grateful.

Nothing to report.

Again nothing interesting happened.

Nothing important happened yesterday.

The report of 9 September has been placed on the website.

We wish everybody a merry Christmas.
We received an email from a Nigerian barrister with the question, whether we could use a large sum of money to invest. He worked under order for a Nigerian woman, who had been given compensation money by Shell.
In spite of the fact that I do not believe in any god, I prayed yesterday to ask if at long last a safe home could be found for Xwaa.

Yesterday the bird cage was sold. It is going to be used to exhibit a song thrush on bird shows. The buyer said this type of cage was/ is made in Indonesia especially for song thrushes. That is a happy coincidence.
I discovered that our website was visited by the website http://bushmenprayer.blogspot.nl/2014_04_01_archive.html. On this website extensive and clear information is given about Bushmen. It is worthwhile to pay the site a visit.
We received another email from Mr. Dave and Angela, this time it was about € 1,270,437.00. Where in an amount we use a dot, in Botswana they use a comma, and where we use a comma, they put a dot. Maybe this is de custom in the whole of Africa. I have not opened the email.

In Mmegi there was a warning for heavy rain showers, possibly up till 50 mm in 24 hours, strong wind and thunder, from 23 until 26 December. The advice was given to take precautions.

Nothing of importance happened yesterday.

There was an offer for our birds which are for sale on the internet market place. Someone wanted to exchange them for a mini laptop and some hard drives. If we delivered the birds at his place we would get a couple of extra hard drives. I thought how useful they would be for us. Henk was of another opinion, he thought they might be stolen goods. I have not taken up the offer.

I have sent an email to the Ombudsman in Botswana yesterday.

The Sunday standard published an article written by Sonny O. Sente. He/ she expects many people to lose their job in the near future. He/ she thinks it might be a good thing to worn their parents that when they visit them next year Christmas in their homevillage, they might not have the money to bring them a Christmas meal. Read more: http://www.sundaystandard.info/let-us-not-buy-our-parents-rice-x-mas
Mmegi published an article about expected floods in Botswana.
“Prepare for floods now. The Meteorological Services Department is doing a wonderful job of always updating the nation on weather conditions. This is a welcome development that should be applauded. This week this department warned the country that the second half of the rainy season in January and February 2017 would be characterized by heavy rains countrywide, with a risk of flooding on the scale of the disasters that occurred in the year 2000. They reminded us of the worst floods ever in 1999/2000-rain season that covered huge areas of Botswana. No wonder those floods are regarded as the worst ever floods to happen in this landlocked country which is mostly a desert. Five months ago President Ian Khama, in his previous capacity as the SADC chair, launched a global appeal for P29.6 billion of relief aid, as 23 million citizens wallow in extreme hunger, with experts warning of imminent deaths.”
I think he asked for relief aid for the whole of Africa, Botswana has just over 2 million citizens. In case of floods the aid is still needs, they also can have crop failures as a result.

Mr. Dave and Angela really want to help us, they have sent another email. I have deleted it, because when something appears too good to be true, it mostly is not true.

I went for the result of the TBC test, and I do not have TBC.
I had another search on Google for contact information of the Botswana Ombudsman, and found an email address, a telephone number (different from the Child Protection Desk) and an address. Next week I shall use them.
Mr. Dave and his fiancée Angela sent an email, in bad Dutch, to tell that they had won a lottery price of £ 1.2 million and that they had decided to give it away. SEMK was one of the lucky ones who were going to receive £ 1 million. They wanted me to send my ID number for them to certify that we are who we claim to be. If they really want to give it, our bank account number is on the website, they can easily transfer it. I put the email in the spam box and deleted it.

Yesterday I twice made a phone call to the Child Protection Desk in Botswana, no one answered. I searched on Google in case the number was not corredt. I was directed to the website of the Ombudsman and found the button “contact”. My happiness of at last finding the right place to put the story was short lived, a notice said: this page can’t be reached.”

The report of 8 September has been placed on the website.
Nearly every day I am working on preparations for next year’s lessons at Nampol. Making pads to put under the embroidery and cutting out picture cards while making holes; searching for suitable pieces of cloth for the ghost dolls and for the students to make bags to store their scissors, pencils, pencil sharpener etc.; some of the pieces of clothes have to be washed and ironed. The sock doll I have made as an example is waiting for a dress, the cloth is being used as a blanket at the moment. Am I becoming demented because I enjoy these kindergarten handicrafts, or is there still something of the child in me?
The number of visitors on our website is steadily becoming higher. The highest average until three month ago was 9, at this moment it is 15. Nearly 1/3 were a first time visitor.

Yesterday I went for a check up on tuberculosis. On Friday I have to go for the result.
An email arrived from SOS Children’s Villages in Tlokweng. The director has brought his worries about Xwaa once more to the attention of the Social Services in Ghanzi. I was given the advice to call the Child Protection Desk. This I will do, when the contact information arrives. Concerning the handicraft lessons at their pre school, only the two other Villages in Botswana have a pre school. In Tlokweng the children attend government schools. There is the possibility to teach them after school and during the weekends. I have asked if I could help at a public school, in that way I can also see how the children are taught.
I have inquired at Flight Connect, the bus service from Johannesburg to Gaborone, whether the bus passes Tlokweng. That is the case, but passengers only can get off at the border or in Gaborone.

The cartoon in Mmegi about the footballs which were kicked by President Ian Khama’s into his own goal has been replaced by another cartoon.

Again nothing to mention.

Nothing to mention.

The report of 7 September has been placed on our website.

The Debswana Diamond Mine Company has understood what England and The Netherlands already discovered in the beginning of the 20th century, namely, if the workers live under comfortable circumstances, they produce better work results. Debswana is going to upgrade the building for single workers and for workers with a family a new plot has been bought for houses to be built on. Debswana felt committed to providing suitable accommodation that will leave the employees fresh and ready to face each day with a sober mind. For this, Debswana invests Pula 200 million. (Read in Mmegi) Who will follow????
I also read in Mmegi that President Ian Khama had scored already several other balls in own goal. See cartoon, right side under on homepage, with the text: Maybe we should try something else! http://www.mmegi.bw/
SELEFU

The report of 6 September 2016 has been placed on our website.

Someone in Botswana told me that her sister’s baby had died in the seventh month of the pregnancy. This was the second baby she had lost in this way. The explanation was that air had gone into the womb so that an infection had occurred. I was shocked to hear this, because this was known in England already in the beginning of the 20th century and precautions were taken, which often were successful. Although only for the rich people at that time, but by now this should be known in Botswana too. I have copied information from the internet and sent it by post to the person who told me about it. Hopefully she can use it to improve the situation in Botswana.

Nothing happened yesterday.

President Ian Khama becomes quicker and more often angry with his ministers, he accuses them of incompetence. The opposition completely agrees with this. In other words, the President is shooting the ball in his own goal.

Worked on preparations for the lessons at Nampol next year. The students are going to make a doll from a sock. I have made an example. It was not easy to design a dress which is easy for them to copy, but yesterday I succeeded. To make the holes in the embroidery cards a soft underground is required. For this I am cutting an old blanket into squares and underneath I sew a piece of cloth to strengthen it. It is not known yet how many of these are needed; I am hoping 60 will be enough. They have to be washed as the blanket is smelling rather musty. The prickers are found not to be sharp enough so they are going to be touched up. The cards on which the embroidery is done also can be used for weaving. Last year small needles were used for the weaving, this was awkward. I searched on the internet for weaving needles, the cheapest one was € 0,98. That would be nearly € 60 for 60 needles, which is too much. Shall have a look in shops for cheaper ones.

Finished a pair of socks and sold them.

Placed the report of 5 September on the website.

Nothing to report.