Rainy, Dreadful Days Before Botswana
Penn Global Seminar: Writing Health and Healing in Botswana
Manjay, one of the Spring 2026 Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Spring Break. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.
I can’t believe I’m only 24 hours away from my flight to Botswana. I have been looking forward to this day since the moment I first learned about the class in the fall of 2025 while seated in my PennCAP counselor’s office. My counselor and I were discussing the classes I wanted to take, and I mentioned that I wanted something related to studying abroad. She brought up PGS, and we started looking at the options available for the spring semester. This class immediately stood out to me. It honestly felt like it was personally designed for my interests. As I have interest in healthcare systems across Africa.
From the first day of class, I started getting to know my classmates through the icebreakers that Dr. Byala would have us do. Through our name tags and conversations, we’ve all learned little things about each other. I’ve especially grown closer with my classmates Denissia, both in and out of class. She has been really helpful as we prepare for the trip, especially when we’ve been figuring out things like phone plans and parking.
One of the things I really enjoyed about the class was the book we read. Dr. Byala praised the book for how well written, complex, and interesting it was, and that became clear for me in every chapter. Through the book, I was able to hear stories from patients struggling with cancer, their families, and the medical practitioners caring for them. As someone with a strong interest in medical ethics, it made me think deeply about how medical ethics and healthcare systems can change depending on location and circumstances. The book portrays a health system that often has to rely on improvisation as Botswana deals with the emergence of cancer while facing limited medical resources. Reading it created a vivid picture in my mind of Botswana and Princess Marina Hospital, which we learned about in class. Because of that, I’m really excited to see it in person and meet the doctors and patients there.
Another thing I’m excited about is learning more Setswana. During one class session, Dr. Byala invited two students from Botswana to teach us some of the language. It was a really nice experience, and they also taught us a lot about their culture and social norms. I’m also looking forward to meeting my Penn Pal, an assigned high school student in Botswana who I’ll get to meet once we arrive.
The week of the trip has honestly felt really long and exhausting because I’ve been so excited for the trip while also trying to finish a lot of assignments before spring break. One piece of advice I would give future students is to try to finish as much work as possible the weekend before the trip. For example, our first white paper draft was due the Wednesday before we left, and I also had exams and work due in other classes. Getting a head start helped me feel more prepared and less stressed. I would also recommend looking carefully at the itinerary before packing. That way you know what you’ll need to wear each day and can pack more efficiently. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’ll let you know how well it works once I’m actually there.
I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to meet people in Botswana and learn more about their culture, traditions, and daily life. Bye for now, see you in Botswana. ✈️🌍