World AIDS Day and Dobby the Kitten

   World AIDS day for my district, Kgalagadi South, was celebrated on December 6th in a village called Gakibane. Although nobody from my office or clinic was going, and I wasn't involved in planning the event, I wanted to go for the experience and because a couple of other PCVs in my district who live closer to Gakibane were involved. I went the day before to the largest village and center of my district, Tsabong to meet up with the other volunteers  and to help make some red ribbons for another PCV's project. I then went to Middlepits to stay with the volunteer who lives there for the night so that I would be closer to Gakibane for the event the next morning.
   This leads me to another part of my story, which involves me getting a kitten. Ever since my PCV friend in Middlepits found out that her cat had been responsible for getting a female cat pregnant ( the kittens ended up looking JUST like her cat...oh snap haha)  a plan was made for me to take one of the kittens so we had figured that since the kittens were now old enough I would be taking one back to Werda with me following the World AIDS Day event. The power ended up being out that night so we decided to go for a walk around her compound and look for the kittens. We discovered that there was only one kitten left now because someone had taken the other one already and since we had nothing better to do anyway that it was a good time for me to take the last remaining kitten before someone else did. The problem was that the gate to the closet the kitten was living in was locked at this point so we had to try to lure the kitten out of the gated closet since it was small enough to fit through the gate. We must have looked completely ridiculous to anyone passing by as we sat for a couple of hours with string and a mouse toy trying to lure this kitten out  as he just sat and stared at us like we were insane. Finally someone suggested that we leave food outside of the gate and back far away and that worked! We spent the rest of the evening playing with my new kitten, Dobby, and toasting marshmallows over a candle. (Yes, these are the things PCVs do when we get bored).
   World AIDS Day in Gakibane was great. Two of the PCVs I went with spoke, as did people from their offices and clinic. Some youth and a support group from Gakibane also performed songs, which were beautiful. After the event there were some tables set up so I stood by one with other PCVs and handed out condoms. A lot of people came by the table to take condoms and ask questions so that was great. Next year I hope to get  involved in planning or speaking at the event since I now know more about what it is like and maybe  some more people from Werda will attend with me.
   After three modes of transportation, Dobby the kitten and I arrived safely back in Werda. Dobby is adjusting well to life living with a PCV and is likely to be spoiled rotten. He is a sweet and playful little guy.