Being a DAC Volunteer, Part III

Is it appropriate for female DAC volunteers to wear pants to work?

I would say that it is ok for female DAC volunteers to wear pants to work as long as they are not denim. Most Batswana women I work with wear skirts most of the time and dress pants some of the time. For important meetings and special events, however, women wear skirts. That being said, the nicer you dress the more respect and credibility you will earn among your colleagues. As a male, I wish a brought a few more dress shirts and wore ties a bit more often just to impress.

Is dry cleaning available?

Yes, dry cleaning is available in Gaborone, towns and larger villages. I know of a at least a few Molepolole, but they are very basic operations and I am not sure I would trust them. Not all DAC volunteers will be placed in villages with dry cleaning services. Outside of maybe one nice outfit or one suit jacket I don't recommend bringing things that need to be dry cleaned. It's expensive, inconvenient , impractical and unnecessary.

Are you using a huge sleeping bag as your bedspread or did you have a comforter shipped to you?

In the summer months I sleep on top of everything, sometimes with a fan blowing on me! But in the winter I am glad I purchased a comforter from an HIV/AIDS support group doing a sewing project for income generation. Don't bother to ship a comforter over here because you can purchase one with your settling-in allowance in Gaborone or possibly in your community. You can also buy plenty of cheap blankets during training and afterward to keep you warm. If you decide to bring a sleeping bag make sure it is a compact one that you can use to travel.

Anything else? Let me know.