Air Con and Music Videos are Amazing

Hi Friends!

Sorry that it’s been so long since my last post but technology is always a problem here in Zambia. Now that we have high-speed internet in Chipata we have managed to crash the computer and of course internet does require power. But luckily today I have internet, power and a computer!

I'm currently in Chipata assisting with training on HIV/AIDS for PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). I went through this training in March and now I'm helping train a group of agriculture and education volunteers and their Zambian counterparts. I'm enjoying passing on my knowledge and the experiences I've had in the village with these topics. Our house is also closed due to an outbreak of scabies, just a few people but we don't want to risk it, so I'm staying at a very nice guesthouse with a/c and tv. It’s been a long time since I've slept in air conditioning.

This last week the rains finally began. I, of course, ended up biking home from Katete in the pouring rain but managed to wait out the rest of it in the election office. I did have some plastic bags with me so none of the packages I had just picked up were damaged. Unfortunately my roof needs some repair work so I'm dealing with some leaks but keeping the bed dry with the tarp. As long as my bed is dry I can handle just about everything. Along with the rains come the flying termites, which we fry and eat, but are mostly annoying. They swarm the lights and often fly into your face especially when you are wearing a headlamp. Or fly in your face when the power goes out and you have a let computer screen as just happened to me.
In November two of my good PCV friends here had a wedding in the village. I had never been to a village wedding so it was really interesting to see plus to get to have a big celebration with all our friends here. The night before the wedding they had to walk from their homes in the village, so her from his hut and he from his host family’s hut, and meet in the middle. Then there is a lot of dancing and they enter their own home for the first time. The next day there is a ceremony in the village filled with dancing and speeches, also a long presentation of presents. They tried to make us all stand up and introduce ourselves but we managed to get out of that which probably saved us hours of the ceremony. The evening was spent eating and dancing so much like a wedding in America. I had a lot of fun and is great to share that time with my friends.
Since hot season has just ended with the rains I haven’t had that many programs. Mostly I’ve been continuing VCT with a program in my own village just last Friday where we had just over 50 people come for testing! The other day I was at my clinic and a couple who I tested earlier in the early came back in for their second test, which is recommended after 3 months since the test we use cannot detect new HIV infections, which was very exciting for me that they listened and choose to get tested again. It is always nice to feel like what you are teaching is actually sinking in.
I had another great moment when I finally got home from being sick in October and I ran into my mentor from GLOW. While I was gone she held meetings with all the teachers, the PTA, and even the first meeting with the girls interested in joining our GLOW club. A lot of our work is capacity building so hopefully the programs we create are sustainable and having meeting without me present is a great start. The schools are now on break for the month of December but when the new term begins in January, we will have a GLOW club at our school.
For Thanksgiving we all came into Chipata for the holiday. I ran the dinner with two other PCVs. We managed to have all the Thanksgiving favorites including the miracle of pumpkin pie even through pumpkins are not of season. A dinner even included a turkey from Wilmer, Minnesota so I had a little bit of home here in Zambia. But really it was a nice day to spend with my friends and think about all the things we are thankful for.
Happy Holidays!
Love,
Allie