Gaborone Employee Association
U.S. Mission to Botswana
Community, Recreation, and Fellowship for the U.S. Mission Family
U.S. Mission to Botswana
Community, Recreation, and Fellowship for the U.S. Mission Family
Community, Recreation, and Fellowship
The Gaborone Employee Association (GEA) serves the U.S. Mission family in Botswana, fostering community connections through recreational facilities, social events, and member services. Since its founding, GEA has provided a welcoming space for diplomats, staff, and their families to build lasting friendships and create memories.
The GEA offers a combined tennis court/basketball court, a thatch-roofed meeting area (the Leobo), and a large children's playground at their plot on Presidents Drive, and a multi-machine gym at their plot on North Ring Road. The court and Leobo are available for reservations, while the gym and playground are freely available during normal operating hours of 6am to 8pm.
Our membership structure allows for members from a variety of communities connected to the U.S. Mission to Botswana to serve the diverse needs of the U.S. Mission family.
Sacha Fraiture is the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) in Gaborone, Botswana. Over the past year, he was the PAO and Consular Officer in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). Before CAR, he was the Regional Public Engagement Specialist (REPS) based in Jordan but responsible for all American Spaces in the Middle East. Previous tours included Deputy Embassy Spokesperson in Morocco, Embassy Spokesperson in Qatar and Consular Officer in El Salvador. Sacha is a native of Maryland with a BA in History from Rutgers University and an MA in International Affairs from American University. He speaks Arabic, Spanish, and French and is an avid soccer supporter, coach, and player. He met his wife, Tara, while they were both Peace Corps Volunteers in northern Cameroon. They have three daughters.
Michael Raney is the Office Management Specialist for the Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy Gaborone. In 2025, he celebrated 20 years in the Foreign Service. Michael has served as Treasurer of the board since April 2025. Michael and his wife Kristen arrived to post with their 5 children in 2024, and have become quite the masters of mixing up some great ice cream concoctions, among their other side quests. We are grateful for Michael for staying on as Treasurer.
Maria Ester Becerro arrived at post in July 2025 with her husband, USDH Thomas Cecil. Ester most recently served as Community Liaison Officer (CLO) at the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay (2022-2025), where she participated on the Country Team, Housing Board, and Employee Association. In her CLO role, Ester managed arrivals and orientation programming, coordinated major embassy events including the 4th of July and holiday celebrations, and oversaw employee recognition activities and supervising staff and managing administrative operations.
Professional-grade recreational spaces available to members
All GEA members must follow our Rules & Regulations to maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone. Log in to your account to view the full rules, or read a summary below.
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For membership questions or general information, contact the board:
Chairperson: chair@geabotswana.org
Treasurer: treasurer@geabotswana.org
Secretary: secretary@geabotswana.org