Nata Village Blog

The initiative was born when world traveller Jon Rawlinson met up with Melody Jenkins who serves as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Nata. "Both were frustrated with the fact that enormous amounts of money are pouring into Africa yet little money is getting to the village level and to those who need it most." Jon made three visits to Nata and filmed a documentary about HIV/AIDS in the village. The documentary led the way to the creation of a website, which shares information about the Nata Clinic; it features details about PLWAs, village life, youth groups, the Kgosis (chiefs), and the professionals involved in the fight to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. The site is designed to profile the specific needs of the village and give its visitors an opportunity to help.

The website also acts as a cultural exchange platform and shows pictures that reflect the traditional Setswana activities in the village. "We want to show people the things that they only read about in books, that they can view them at the click of the mouse at natavillage.org. Recently we put up pictures of two families negotiating bogadi or lobola and that showed people what marriage means here," said Jenkins.

HIV/AIDS.

According to organisers, Nata - a village of 5,000 people located on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana - has the second highest HIV infection rate in Africa. The current rate of infection is 37%, nationally; Nata's rate of infection is even higher. The pandemic has left Nata with over 400 orphans.

Melody Jenkins, the technical adviser for Nata, indicates that the money raised though the website is helping people living with HIV/AIDS travel to Gweta, the closest village with a clinic offering antiretrovirals (ARVs), for treatment. The money has also been used to buy uniforms for the local support groups like Ntwa Kgolo. A local drama group called Mabogo Art and Culture plans to buy sound equipment with the funds raised. Details about this group and its work are accessible on the Nata Village Blog website. The funds raised from the website are being managed by the Nata AIDS and Orphans Trust, a registered non-profit trust in Botswana.