'It was difficult to find decent accommodation in Francistown even though we had been promised housing as part of the deal.'

'It was difficult to find decent accommodation in Francistown even though we had been promised housing as part of the deal.'

Rosemary describes settling into Francistown in Botswana where she was working in a training college as a lecturer. She remembers setting up a home there.

Rosemary McCloskey

Trinity College Dublin

1995

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Rosemary McCloskey

Work and Employment

Life Story

Gabarone, Botswana

1990's

It turned out that I knew his wife already, but had never met Andrew Banda since he was always in Botswana. Andrew kept me up to date with everything because the others did not like to speak English, and staff meetings which might have begun in English very soon changed to Setswana. He knows a lot of African languages and was fluent in Kalanga and Setswana as a native speaker (The north eastern corner of Botswana is where the Kalanga people mostly live. They are akin to Shona people and their language is somewhat similar). I found the Kalanga people with whom I worked very hospitable, but I am afraid I could not say the same about the Batswana.I was asked to lecture in child psychology and sociology at first and then later offered the Home Economics department. There had been no one qualified to teach home economics for years and when the authorities found out that I could sew, they decided to reopen the domestic science sector if I would take it on. I agreed but refused to entertain the cooking since my cookery was not what they would cook and eat. I stayed with sewing and knitting.It was difficult to find decent accommodation in Francistown even though we had been promised housing as part of the deal. I had to traipse around to try to find somewhere not too distant from the college since at that stage I had no transport. I went to the district commissioner to enlist his help. He was not very helpful at all until I said that I had heard of someone who might allow me to share a house with her. She was Bonyana Modisi who was a civil servant. She was not trouble at all and I got a room in the house. However, she had a live-in boyfriend and this upset things somewhat, for I felt that I could only use my bedroom. I had bought a gas cooker, which they promptly commandeered but I soon put a stop to that when I removed it to Bualwayo to de Beer Avenue. In Botswana people in positions of authority will assist, but they expect favours as a result and sexual favour at that. The commissioner landed down to the house one evening prepared to stay the night, and I had to ask him to leave as I do not indulge such desires. He was very disappointed and of course this did not help me in any future dealings with his department.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)