It seems like ages since Thutoke Thebe, our most beautiful teacher, suggested that our class form a club to give advice to the inquisitive boys and girls of Botswana. Children have many questions and do not always know where to go for advice.  Maybe their parents are late, an unfortunate reality in a country where some are infected with a dangerous virus that many find shameful. Maybe their fathers are off working in the diamond mines in the far north and rarely come home.  Maybe they are at their cattle posts, tending to livestock.  Maybe their parents are shy, and don’t know how to answer their children’s questions. Perhaps parents are even the source of consternation in some children.  Whatever the reason, it was Maa Thebe’s idea that we, the students in Standard 6, might help the children of Botswana to solve whatever problems they might have.  And some children have formidable problems indeed.

She put a big sign in the front of our classroom with a quote from a man named Mr. Fred Rogers.  It contained five simple words written in big letters in Maa Thebe’s beautiful printing.  Maa Thebe took her penmanship quite seriously and tried to instill in us the value of having a fine hand.  The sign said “IF IT'S MENTIONABLE, IT'S MANAGEABLE.” It was a very short sentence, but what did it mean? 

 Our class, the 30 children in Standard 6, tried to answer that question.  Fumwa, the class brain who wants to visit China some day, said “I think it means that if you can talk about a problem, you can figure out a solution to it.” Geitso, who loves to play softball, said “It’s like if you lose a game, at first you feel very sad and maybe a little mad.  But when your teammates and coach talk about why they think they lost the game, then you can figure out what you need to work on.” Kwangu, who loves soccer, agreed with Geitso.  He said “Last season, we lost many games.  Then our team talked about how we could improve.  Our coach asked a friend who plays soccer at the University of Botswana to suggest some new drills for us, and this year we are doing much better.” Thabang agreed and said “That makes sense.  If you talk about a problem, it helps you think about the problem and how you can solve it.”  Dixie, Chedza and Karabo all nodded in agreement.  Karabo said “Sometimes when you can’t talk about something that’s bothering you, the problem seems like it gets bigger and bigger.”  Dixie said “Yes, I had a problem sucking my finger.  I didn’t want to talk about it, but I could see that it was hurting my front tooth.  I felt embarrassed to be a big girl of 12 who was doing something that babies do.  I talked to my mother about it and she made an appointment for me to see a dentist. I feel much better now.” Tshepho said “I love to swim and when I am bigger I want to go to the Olympics and compete in the Triathlon, but because of the great drought there is no water in the damn so I can’t train properly.  Maybe our Club can help me find a solution.”

 While the whole class could join the Wednesday Afternoon Advice Club, the most faithful members were the eight of us.  We are four boys - Goitse, Thabang, Kwangu and Tshepho - and four girls - Fumwa, Chedza, Dixie and Karabo - and we love to help people.  When we grow up we want to be like our great former president Festus Mogae.  He had a vision that Botswana would be free of HIV by our 50th anniversary as a nation. 

We set up a box inside the front door of our school where any student could ask for advice or help with any problem that was on his or her mind.  Only Maa Thebe had the key to the box and today she brought a letter signed by a girl in our school.  This is what the letter said:

Dear Wednesday Afternoon Advice Club:

 I have a big problem and I don’t know where to turn to for advice. My father is late and I live with my mother and her boyfriend, Raa Terato, in the Village.  My mother works as a cashier at Pick-and-Pay in Riverwalk, but they don’t give her many hours so we do not have a lot of money.  Raa Terato works as teacher and he helps us buy food and pay our rent.  He is very tall and fat and likes to chew on a toothpick.  He wears a big hat and has an angry face. I was a little afraid of him, but now something has happened that makes me a lot afraid of him.  Last week he told me that he wants me to be his girlfriend.  I didn’t know what to say so I pretended that I didn’t hear him.  Later I told my mother what he said.  My mother said that he is a teacher and that he could have my grades lowered if I displeased him.  She also told me that we need the money that he gives us and that I should do whatever he wants me to do. I don’t love Raa Terato and I don’t want to be his girlfriend. What should I do?  Can you please give me some advice?

Your friend,

Kessie 

 We gasped in surprise and then the room became silent.  Maa Thebe went to the chalkboard as she always did when our Club was asked for advice.  She made two columns on the board and said “Let’s make a list to help us sort out our thinking.  What should we advise Kessie to do, and what should we advise Kessie not to do?”  She looked at us and asked: “Who wants to start?”

Our thoughts were racing as we tried to think of good advice for Kessie.  It made our heads feel like they would explode. At the same time we felt sick to our stomach.  What a terrible dilemma for Kessie!  And this is a problem that some other children in the world have as well.   Then lyrics from a song written by Chedza’s favorite artist, Taylor Swift, popped into her head:

“Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate

Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off.”

 Chedza said, “There must be something that Kessie can do to shake off this problem.” “The most important thing,” said Dixie, “is that Kessie be safe. Put that in the column of what Kessie should do.”  “But how can she be safe? Raa Terato lives with her” asked Thabang.  The children were silent for a while.  Then Fumwa thought of suggestion. “Kessie has to stay away from Raa Terato. That will help keep her safe.  If someone powerful threatens you, stay away from them.  My big sister had a dodgy professor at the university.  Whenever she had to meet with him in his office, she would bring a friend with her to keep her safe.” Fumwa added “Put that in the column of what Kessie shouldn’t do. She shouldn’t be alone with Raa Terato. ” Then Tshepho said, “What about our guidance counselor?  Perhaps Maa Thebe can arrange for a meeting between Kessie’s mother and the guidance counselor.  She may know how to solve this problem.” The children talked like this for quite a while and added other suggestions to their list.  Then they wrote a letter to Kessie with their advice.  This is what their letter said:

Dear Kessie:

Thank you for writing to us and telling us about your problem.  We are your friends and we want to help you solve it.  You must stay away from Raa Terato.  You can stay with one of us, or go to visit your auntie for a while.  Maa Thebe will talk to the guidance counselor today and arrange a meeting with your mother. We think that the guidance counselor will be able to help you with this predicament.

Your friends,

The Wednesday Afternoon Advice Club

At the next meeting of the Wednesday Afternoon Advice Club for Adventurous Boys and Girls we had a surprise visitor:  Kessie!  She came to thank us for our advice.  She told us that the guidance counselor told her mother about an opening for a cook in the school kitchen that pays a good salary. Kessie’s mother applied for the job and now earns enough money to pay their rent and buy food.  Now Kessie’s mother doesn’t need Raa Terato’s money. She told him not to come to their house any more.  When the guidance counselor told the principal about what Raa Terato had done, the principal told him that he cannot work at the school any more. Our teacher, Maa Thebe, has a brother works at the Nalide Police station.  He found Raa Terato and warned him not to talk to little girls in this way. 

Kessie looked up at the sign in the front of the classroom and said: “Mr. Rogers is right.  If it’s mentionable, it is manageable.”  Everyone is the Advice Club felt very happy. Taylor Swift’s song popped into Chedza’s head again and this time she started to sing.  And all the members of the Wednesday Afternoon Advice Club for Adventurous Boys and Girls joined in:

“Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate

Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off.”