Hi Friends,
First, I am going to do a little begging. I want to thank all of you who have already donated but we still need about 2000 dollars. So please if you haven't made a donation consider doing so. We've spent a lot of the last couple days working out some of the details for Camp GLOW and its going to be an amazing experience for these girls. Not only will they gain valuble skills and knowledge on such subjects as assertiveness, communication, peer pressure, and rape and sexual assault but they will also have a lot of fun. We will doing art projects with the girls including making sanitary pads, teaching them dramas, and doing a lot of fun sports and games. We've gotten a lot of support from local businesses but we still need your help to pay for our wonderful facilities. All we need is 200 people to give 10 dollars, or a hundred to give 20! It doesn't take much and it will add up if everyone does their part. So please donate if you can and pass this along to anyone else you know who may be interested in supporting these wonderful young women ( and my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer!)
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=611-055
The last few days have been very GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) oriented. Thursday and Friday we had a training with our partners at the YWCA to practice, finalize the schedule and figure out a lot of the logistics of the camp. It was lot of fun and we got a lot done but our to do list grows everyday. We spent yesterday trying to cross a few things off the list including getting more donations here in Chipata. Mostly this means we are going shop to shop asking for any donations that they are willing to give. Yesterday was very successful as we were able to raise some money and also got a few needed items donated. Our biggest surprise was from our landlord ( who owns a resturant and butcher) who donated ice cream so that we can have an ice cream party for the girls! Most of these girls have probably never had ice cream, so are very excited. We still have a lot to do but are slowly getting it all done.
Back in my village I've been traveling throughout my catchment conducting sensitization meetings to increase the levels of HIV testing in the area. For the most part things have been going well and people have even requested VCT services. I did have one meeting where only 4 people came and had to be rescheduled but one out of three is not bad at all. Once we have visited all the neighborhoods, we will be returning to conduct the actual testing. Most testing is done at the clinics but since people are reluctent to come in for testing we are going to them! Since most people who are postivie in Zambia don't know their status testing is very important.
Besides all the work that has finally jump-started I have still found time for fun. My friend Denise came to visit before our provincial meetings at the beginning of June. It was fun to show her around my area and introduce her to all the people I tell stories about. My village was very excited to have a visitor, with one little boy yelling "A'zungu A'wiri" or two white people when we came in to the village.
Its cotton harvest time and I've been learning a lot about cotton from my neighbors. This means that many villagers have money in the first time for a long time which is both good and bad. I am not enjoying the fact that men can once more afford alcohol but it is good to see children getting full meals again.
Time is flying by, I can't believe that I've been in Zambia for 11 months! This means that its once again the cold season, which means no rain which is nice but that it can be rather cold in the morning. Good thing I packed my long underwear...
Well I guess thats all for now, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there (especially mine!). Enjoy the beautiful MN summer for me!
Love,
Allie
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Grant Time
Hey Friends!
First of all I would like to ask for your help. As you know I, along with other volunteers, have been busy planning a girl's empowerment for 30 girls across Eastern Provence. To fund the camp we have applied for a grant through Peace Corps called the Peace Corps Partnership Grant and now we are asking all of you to be our partners! The camp is going to be a wonderful opportunity for the girls and this grant is a great way for all of you to provide support for my work here in Zambia. We are not asking for big contributions but rather for those you are able to just donate what they can, even donations of 5 dollars add up fast. So thanks in advance for the support!!
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=611-055
Otherwise things have been going well at site. Currently my neighbors have been busy harvesting, particularly their cotton. So right now there aren't a lot of people around but soon we will enter "development season." The time of year that people have time and resources to devote to working with me. My counterpart from PEPFAR and I are planning to travel throughout my catchment to encourage more individuals to go in for HIV testing and condom use.
This last week I went to visit my friend Denise's site which was a lot of fun. Mostly we sat around and ate, visiting other PCVs is a great excuse to cook more elaborate food. We did manage to pound some coffee beans and paint watercolors as well. From there we headed to Chipata to meet another friend's parents. It was nice to be around parents again and they even bought us homemade cookies from America!
Currently my house has been invaded by ants who have moved in due to the beginning of cold season. I am waging a losing battle against them but I have faith that I will be able to discover their hill and stop in the infestation.
Well, I guess that's all for now. Please consider donating to Camp GLOW, its really going to be a moving experience for these girls and hopefully extend far beyond the week at camp as the girls become Peer Educators. So thanks!!
Love,
Allie
First of all I would like to ask for your help. As you know I, along with other volunteers, have been busy planning a girl's empowerment for 30 girls across Eastern Provence. To fund the camp we have applied for a grant through Peace Corps called the Peace Corps Partnership Grant and now we are asking all of you to be our partners! The camp is going to be a wonderful opportunity for the girls and this grant is a great way for all of you to provide support for my work here in Zambia. We are not asking for big contributions but rather for those you are able to just donate what they can, even donations of 5 dollars add up fast. So thanks in advance for the support!!
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=611-055
Otherwise things have been going well at site. Currently my neighbors have been busy harvesting, particularly their cotton. So right now there aren't a lot of people around but soon we will enter "development season." The time of year that people have time and resources to devote to working with me. My counterpart from PEPFAR and I are planning to travel throughout my catchment to encourage more individuals to go in for HIV testing and condom use.
This last week I went to visit my friend Denise's site which was a lot of fun. Mostly we sat around and ate, visiting other PCVs is a great excuse to cook more elaborate food. We did manage to pound some coffee beans and paint watercolors as well. From there we headed to Chipata to meet another friend's parents. It was nice to be around parents again and they even bought us homemade cookies from America!
Currently my house has been invaded by ants who have moved in due to the beginning of cold season. I am waging a losing battle against them but I have faith that I will be able to discover their hill and stop in the infestation.
Well, I guess that's all for now. Please consider donating to Camp GLOW, its really going to be a moving experience for these girls and hopefully extend far beyond the week at camp as the girls become Peer Educators. So thanks!!
Love,
Allie
Thursday, April 29, 2010
There's an election going on?
Hey Friends,
Well it hasn't been that long since my last post so this one won't be nearly as epic. I returned home to find that a rat had moved in and was chewing the plastic lid off my oil. I managed to live with it for awhile but the sound it made at rat moving around my house was just too much. I consulted my neighbor and he happily provided a trap. So the rat has been eliminated and I didn't even have to dispose of the body myself. As a side note the Chewa people, my tribe here in Zambia, do eat rats but those caught in the house. There are actually two words in Nyanja for rat, those that live in the house and those that live in the field. And no I have not yet experienced this delicacy.
Work has been about the same, with me spending a lot of time at the clinic trying to keep busy. My counterpart from PEPFAR has a lot of great ideas and we are currently planning sensitization meetings in my area to increase the rates of HIV testing. Its nice to finally have someone fired up about my work and with so many great ideas.
My clinic in-charges daughter is trying to teach herself biology so see can get the credit in the subject and go to nursing school. I have attempted to help her and have been dusting off my basic biology skills. Its been interesting to see the things they focus on, a lot more memorization while my biology education has mostly focused on concepts. I am not sure how much I am helping but I always looking for ways to promote education here in Zambia.
I have also experienced the first flat tire on my bike. Of course this occurred after my pump and patch kit were stolen from my saddle bags in the Boma and before I could replace them. I went to borrow a pump and ended up handing my tire off to a neighbor boy who returned with it nicely fixed for me. Sadly the patch didn't hold but I was able to manage without a bike for a few days before coming to Chipata.
The reason I am updating so soon is because I was called out of site for safety and security. My area recently lost its MP in a road accident and so we are currently experiencing a by-election, today was polling day in fact! Sometimes elections can result in riots so, even through there have been no problems in my area, its PC/Zambia policy to pull volunteers from site. Before heading out on Monday I was able to ascertain that elections mainly consist of people holding rallies, yelling candidates names, and driving around in cantor trucks signing. A but different then the campaigning done in America that's for sure. I did get to see the President's helicopter when he came by spent a few minutes wondering what in the world was going on before someone explained. Helicopters are definitely not of place in rural Zambia.
I have spent the last couple days hanging in Chipata with the new volunteers as they got ready to get posted. It really made me realize how much I have changed since I went to site 7 months ago! I was reminded of how nervous I was those first couple weeks compared with now when I get to site and I am so happy to be home. Its also nice not to be the new kids anymore and have people ask me for advice for a change.
My time in Chipata has been briefly interrupted with a quick trip to Lusaka for medical. I'm apparently developing allergies, most likely to my thatch roof or dust, which has left me with a headache for the last week. I did get a free cruiser down here, saw medical, and am heading back bright and early because I would much rather be in Chipata.
Well I guess that is all for now. Its 8:30 here and past my bedtime!
Love,
Allie
Well it hasn't been that long since my last post so this one won't be nearly as epic. I returned home to find that a rat had moved in and was chewing the plastic lid off my oil. I managed to live with it for awhile but the sound it made at rat moving around my house was just too much. I consulted my neighbor and he happily provided a trap. So the rat has been eliminated and I didn't even have to dispose of the body myself. As a side note the Chewa people, my tribe here in Zambia, do eat rats but those caught in the house. There are actually two words in Nyanja for rat, those that live in the house and those that live in the field. And no I have not yet experienced this delicacy.
Work has been about the same, with me spending a lot of time at the clinic trying to keep busy. My counterpart from PEPFAR has a lot of great ideas and we are currently planning sensitization meetings in my area to increase the rates of HIV testing. Its nice to finally have someone fired up about my work and with so many great ideas.
My clinic in-charges daughter is trying to teach herself biology so see can get the credit in the subject and go to nursing school. I have attempted to help her and have been dusting off my basic biology skills. Its been interesting to see the things they focus on, a lot more memorization while my biology education has mostly focused on concepts. I am not sure how much I am helping but I always looking for ways to promote education here in Zambia.
I have also experienced the first flat tire on my bike. Of course this occurred after my pump and patch kit were stolen from my saddle bags in the Boma and before I could replace them. I went to borrow a pump and ended up handing my tire off to a neighbor boy who returned with it nicely fixed for me. Sadly the patch didn't hold but I was able to manage without a bike for a few days before coming to Chipata.
The reason I am updating so soon is because I was called out of site for safety and security. My area recently lost its MP in a road accident and so we are currently experiencing a by-election, today was polling day in fact! Sometimes elections can result in riots so, even through there have been no problems in my area, its PC/Zambia policy to pull volunteers from site. Before heading out on Monday I was able to ascertain that elections mainly consist of people holding rallies, yelling candidates names, and driving around in cantor trucks signing. A but different then the campaigning done in America that's for sure. I did get to see the President's helicopter when he came by spent a few minutes wondering what in the world was going on before someone explained. Helicopters are definitely not of place in rural Zambia.
I have spent the last couple days hanging in Chipata with the new volunteers as they got ready to get posted. It really made me realize how much I have changed since I went to site 7 months ago! I was reminded of how nervous I was those first couple weeks compared with now when I get to site and I am so happy to be home. Its also nice not to be the new kids anymore and have people ask me for advice for a change.
My time in Chipata has been briefly interrupted with a quick trip to Lusaka for medical. I'm apparently developing allergies, most likely to my thatch roof or dust, which has left me with a headache for the last week. I did get a free cruiser down here, saw medical, and am heading back bright and early because I would much rather be in Chipata.
Well I guess that is all for now. Its 8:30 here and past my bedtime!
Love,
Allie
Friday, April 9, 2010
Rain, sex, and sand
Hi Friends!
Sorry that its been so long since my last post but I've been away from the Internet for awhile. I spent the rest of February and the first couple weeks of March just hanging out in the village, over 4 weeks straight, the longest I've ever stayed in one go. Luckily the rain began to slow down which helped keep my sanity. However, not before a small lake complete with lily pads managed to form on the path to my clinic. I managed to fall in the lake but only once before perfecting crossing it on my bike. My pit latrine also became dangerously close to overflowing but hopefully the water level has decreased.
I've been keeping busy at site working at the clinic and attempting to hold meetings. April marks the end of the planting season so things are beginning to start up. Along with that a group of women in the village wants to start weekly cooking lessons with me. Not only will I learn all about Zambian cooking but I can use the time to teach a little about nutrition and pratice my language. Since my "formal" work is still slow I am trying more and more to focus on more informal work by working health into my daily conversations.
One of the most exciting parts has been the start of harvesting. So far my life has been filled with fresh maize ( not as good as sweet corn but still pretty good), boiled peanuts, and pumpkin. I am slowly becoming an expert on removing the hairs from pumpkin leaves. After hungry season its nice to have some fresh food again. I am on the lookout for any good lentil or okra recipes that I can cook on the braizer.
The last week of March I spent in Chipata at an HIV/AIDS workshop. Peace Corps is part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which includes the CDC, USAID, and Health and Human Services. Basically we learned a lot of things that I already knew but we each brought a counterpart from the village and they definitely learned a lot. We did have a lot of fun breaking Zambian social taboos when we listed as many words for sex, vagina, and penis that we could think of. We finished the week by going for VCT (Voluntary, Counseling, and Testing) which was a good experience for us to fully understand what people being tested go through. Besides the workshop we enjoyed our week in Chipata by having a braai and pizza party.
Following PEPFAR I, and 5 others, headed down south to Namibia! It was a great vacation and one of the most beautiful places I've seen. We had some long transport down there not getting into the capital until 3:30 in the morning but people there were very kind. Namibia was a shock coming from Zambia, the gas stations have better selections of food then most stores in Zambia! In Windhoek we went to a real mall complete with a clinque counter and speciality foods store, we were pretty sure that we in America.
From there we rented a car and headed to Swakopmund which is a German resort town on the Atlantic Ocean. It was of course freezing there but the ocean was pretty. Namibia was a German colony and you can definitely tell in the town. We weren't quite sure if we were in Germany, California or the twilight zone. From there we drove up the Skeleton Coast to see a shipwreck and a seal reserve. We literally saw tens of thousands of Cape Fur Seals, however the place had a very distinct smell. We also spent an extreme day on the dunes where we slid down the dunes on waxed boards at up to 60 km/hr. It was a little scary but a lot of fun. But walking back up the dunes was hard, like an extreme stairmaster. In the afternoon we went ATVing on the dunes which gave us great views and a few scary moments as we went up on the edges. There we also met two PC Namibia volunteers and it was a lot of fun to hear the differences and similarities of our experiences.
From there we headed to the desert to see the largest dunes in the world, we got up at the crack of dawn to climb the dunes before it got too hot. It was beautiful to see the changing colors. We picnicked at a gorge and swam in the pooling water to cool off from our hike up the dunes. We camped at a lodge outside the dunes where we saw some great sunsets. We also met some touring singers from South Africa including one the South African Three Tenors who lit our fire and gave us a free cd.
One of the best parts was all the wildlife we saw including oryx, springbok, giraffe, zebra, warthogs, baboons, and even an elephant while driving. Definitely a lot more game then Zambia. We also managed to eat quite a bit of game, and other types, of meat on the trip. Most of us are suffering from meat overload.
Our way home involved over 1000 km in the back of pick-ups which has left me with a sore back but it was all worth it. Now its time to get back to site and work, as I enjoy the end of the rainy season.
Love,
Allie
Sorry that its been so long since my last post but I've been away from the Internet for awhile. I spent the rest of February and the first couple weeks of March just hanging out in the village, over 4 weeks straight, the longest I've ever stayed in one go. Luckily the rain began to slow down which helped keep my sanity. However, not before a small lake complete with lily pads managed to form on the path to my clinic. I managed to fall in the lake but only once before perfecting crossing it on my bike. My pit latrine also became dangerously close to overflowing but hopefully the water level has decreased.
I've been keeping busy at site working at the clinic and attempting to hold meetings. April marks the end of the planting season so things are beginning to start up. Along with that a group of women in the village wants to start weekly cooking lessons with me. Not only will I learn all about Zambian cooking but I can use the time to teach a little about nutrition and pratice my language. Since my "formal" work is still slow I am trying more and more to focus on more informal work by working health into my daily conversations.
One of the most exciting parts has been the start of harvesting. So far my life has been filled with fresh maize ( not as good as sweet corn but still pretty good), boiled peanuts, and pumpkin. I am slowly becoming an expert on removing the hairs from pumpkin leaves. After hungry season its nice to have some fresh food again. I am on the lookout for any good lentil or okra recipes that I can cook on the braizer.
The last week of March I spent in Chipata at an HIV/AIDS workshop. Peace Corps is part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which includes the CDC, USAID, and Health and Human Services. Basically we learned a lot of things that I already knew but we each brought a counterpart from the village and they definitely learned a lot. We did have a lot of fun breaking Zambian social taboos when we listed as many words for sex, vagina, and penis that we could think of. We finished the week by going for VCT (Voluntary, Counseling, and Testing) which was a good experience for us to fully understand what people being tested go through. Besides the workshop we enjoyed our week in Chipata by having a braai and pizza party.
Following PEPFAR I, and 5 others, headed down south to Namibia! It was a great vacation and one of the most beautiful places I've seen. We had some long transport down there not getting into the capital until 3:30 in the morning but people there were very kind. Namibia was a shock coming from Zambia, the gas stations have better selections of food then most stores in Zambia! In Windhoek we went to a real mall complete with a clinque counter and speciality foods store, we were pretty sure that we in America.
From there we rented a car and headed to Swakopmund which is a German resort town on the Atlantic Ocean. It was of course freezing there but the ocean was pretty. Namibia was a German colony and you can definitely tell in the town. We weren't quite sure if we were in Germany, California or the twilight zone. From there we drove up the Skeleton Coast to see a shipwreck and a seal reserve. We literally saw tens of thousands of Cape Fur Seals, however the place had a very distinct smell. We also spent an extreme day on the dunes where we slid down the dunes on waxed boards at up to 60 km/hr. It was a little scary but a lot of fun. But walking back up the dunes was hard, like an extreme stairmaster. In the afternoon we went ATVing on the dunes which gave us great views and a few scary moments as we went up on the edges. There we also met two PC Namibia volunteers and it was a lot of fun to hear the differences and similarities of our experiences.
From there we headed to the desert to see the largest dunes in the world, we got up at the crack of dawn to climb the dunes before it got too hot. It was beautiful to see the changing colors. We picnicked at a gorge and swam in the pooling water to cool off from our hike up the dunes. We camped at a lodge outside the dunes where we saw some great sunsets. We also met some touring singers from South Africa including one the South African Three Tenors who lit our fire and gave us a free cd.
One of the best parts was all the wildlife we saw including oryx, springbok, giraffe, zebra, warthogs, baboons, and even an elephant while driving. Definitely a lot more game then Zambia. We also managed to eat quite a bit of game, and other types, of meat on the trip. Most of us are suffering from meat overload.
Our way home involved over 1000 km in the back of pick-ups which has left me with a sore back but it was all worth it. Now its time to get back to site and work, as I enjoy the end of the rainy season.
Love,
Allie
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Is this still Zambia?
Hi Friends!
Its been a busy month for me here in Zambia. I spent the last two weeks of January in Lusaka for our in-service training (IST). It was a chance for us all to check in and get a little more training now that we had a real idea of our work and lives in Zambia. The transition from quiet, rainy days in the village to long days of seminars(and not getting my 10 hours of sleep) was a little hard but overall the two weeks were a lot of fun and maybe a little educational.
Going from the village to Lusaka was a major transition and had us all wondering if we were still in Zambia. My first afternoon, as I sat having a chocolate milkshake with friends, we all couldn't stop staring. Everything was so bright and people were so well dressed, we definately looked terrible in comparsion. Its amazing to me that there are people in the village will never see Lusaka and those in Lusaka who will never see the village. Its almost like there are two seperate Zambias. Of course there would be very classic Zambian moments like the taxis never having fuel and the power going out, I was even proposed to in the parking lot at the mall, that reminded me that some things are just plain Zambian.
The best part was of course the food, I have never wanted Chinese and Indian food more in my life. Plus a new ice-cream place opened that has real ice cream not just spft serve! My stomach did not always approve of all that diary and I think we all gained about 10 pounds. I think my body was more then happy to get back to my village diet.
Since getting back to the village I've been assisting with malaria testing and other tasks at my clinic. Luckily we finally have a new clinic incharage in place and things are getting a little less hectic. Its still the height of malaria season and I'm seeing a lot more cases. Fighting malaria is a difficult task since so much of it is about behavior change. Behavior change, as anyone on a diet or trying to quit smoking, is not easy and often takes a long time for results which is hard when so many kids are sick with malaria.
The last few days I, along with two other PCVs, have been meeting with NGOs in Chipata to partner with us on a girl's empowerment camp. Luckily the YWCA was very excited to work with us and they have some great resources. We also found a space to hold the camp, but now its time to figure out the budget. Nsima gets expensive for 70 people. We still have a lot to do but I think that we made a good dent.
Well that is all for now. I hope that is all well and everyone is keeping warm!
Love,
Allie
Its been a busy month for me here in Zambia. I spent the last two weeks of January in Lusaka for our in-service training (IST). It was a chance for us all to check in and get a little more training now that we had a real idea of our work and lives in Zambia. The transition from quiet, rainy days in the village to long days of seminars(and not getting my 10 hours of sleep) was a little hard but overall the two weeks were a lot of fun and maybe a little educational.
Going from the village to Lusaka was a major transition and had us all wondering if we were still in Zambia. My first afternoon, as I sat having a chocolate milkshake with friends, we all couldn't stop staring. Everything was so bright and people were so well dressed, we definately looked terrible in comparsion. Its amazing to me that there are people in the village will never see Lusaka and those in Lusaka who will never see the village. Its almost like there are two seperate Zambias. Of course there would be very classic Zambian moments like the taxis never having fuel and the power going out, I was even proposed to in the parking lot at the mall, that reminded me that some things are just plain Zambian.
The best part was of course the food, I have never wanted Chinese and Indian food more in my life. Plus a new ice-cream place opened that has real ice cream not just spft serve! My stomach did not always approve of all that diary and I think we all gained about 10 pounds. I think my body was more then happy to get back to my village diet.
Since getting back to the village I've been assisting with malaria testing and other tasks at my clinic. Luckily we finally have a new clinic incharage in place and things are getting a little less hectic. Its still the height of malaria season and I'm seeing a lot more cases. Fighting malaria is a difficult task since so much of it is about behavior change. Behavior change, as anyone on a diet or trying to quit smoking, is not easy and often takes a long time for results which is hard when so many kids are sick with malaria.
The last few days I, along with two other PCVs, have been meeting with NGOs in Chipata to partner with us on a girl's empowerment camp. Luckily the YWCA was very excited to work with us and they have some great resources. We also found a space to hold the camp, but now its time to figure out the budget. Nsima gets expensive for 70 people. We still have a lot to do but I think that we made a good dent.
Well that is all for now. I hope that is all well and everyone is keeping warm!
Love,
Allie
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Rainy Season and a Holiday Trip
Hi Friends!
I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. I, along with 4 of my friends, took a trip to Vilankulo, Mozambique. It was my first real experience in African travel and it was an adventure. Our way there included a pick-up with over 24 people and ten cases of beer and a 15 hour bus ride. The bus ride was one of the worst experiences of my life, the bus was way overbooked so we had to stand for the entire time and were pushed around my the other passengers. It did not leave us with a favorable first impression of Mozambicians. The bus was also extremely hot whenever it stopped and I ended up being sick because of my malaria medicine, luckily my friend Mike had a ziploc bag. We survived and were saved by a flat tire that enabled us to take a mini-bus the last 60 km. We took mini-buses home to avoid that experience and it was much better.
With that said I had a wonderful time on my trip. Our guesthouse was right across from the beach so we started many days with a morning swim. The Indian Ocean is beautiful and since we were there for a full moon we saw some amazing tides. We were also able to visit Bazarato Archipelago and go snorkeling. Sadly we did not see dugongs, sea cows which are highly endangered, and sea turtles. But we did see an amazing reef with clown fish, a lion fish, puffer fish and lots of parrot fish. It was truly beautiful and wonderful to see a healthy reef. We were also able to spend the night on one of the islands, although we were attacked by crabs in our sleep.
It was interesting to see another country besides Zambia, the most striking thing was how much more infrastructure there was in Mozambique. It was frustrating to once again not know the local language, travelig in Mozambique without knowing Porutgese is hard as many of the waiters and sales people knew limited english. It gave us all a chance to remember our Spainish and be greatful for even limited Nyanja that I know.
Currently its the rainy season and will be for quite awhile. While my neighbors are off that their fields I've been helping test people for malaria at my clinic. My area has a major problem with malaria and some days we have 20-30 people test positive. Seeing children throw-up and have seizures from malaria has given me an even greater drive to do something about it and take my own malaria medicine everyday. Yesterday while I was there we had two child deaths which was not an easy thing to know about. To see the mothers come out and just cry, and then have to walk back home was terrible.
I've attended two funerals since being posted. Funerals in Zambia are a lot different then in the US. Mostly it involves of wailing of loved ones, wailing is the most intense crying that you will ever hear it, I can feel it in my bones. That usually lasts a day and then the body is brought and a eulogy and small sermon is given before the procession to the graveyard. Once the wailing ends almost all signs of outward grief are over.
Well I don't want to end on a sad note...Tomorrow I am off to Lusaka for In-Service Training. A nice 10 workshop to give us a little more knowledge, we are going to do gardening which I am very excited for because I finally got some land to plant a few veggies. However I am most looking forward to seeing a movie or two, eating cheese, ice-cream, and bread, and seeing my friends.
I want to say thanks for all the Christmas and B-day cards, I love mail.
Love,
Allie
I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. I, along with 4 of my friends, took a trip to Vilankulo, Mozambique. It was my first real experience in African travel and it was an adventure. Our way there included a pick-up with over 24 people and ten cases of beer and a 15 hour bus ride. The bus ride was one of the worst experiences of my life, the bus was way overbooked so we had to stand for the entire time and were pushed around my the other passengers. It did not leave us with a favorable first impression of Mozambicians. The bus was also extremely hot whenever it stopped and I ended up being sick because of my malaria medicine, luckily my friend Mike had a ziploc bag. We survived and were saved by a flat tire that enabled us to take a mini-bus the last 60 km. We took mini-buses home to avoid that experience and it was much better.
With that said I had a wonderful time on my trip. Our guesthouse was right across from the beach so we started many days with a morning swim. The Indian Ocean is beautiful and since we were there for a full moon we saw some amazing tides. We were also able to visit Bazarato Archipelago and go snorkeling. Sadly we did not see dugongs, sea cows which are highly endangered, and sea turtles. But we did see an amazing reef with clown fish, a lion fish, puffer fish and lots of parrot fish. It was truly beautiful and wonderful to see a healthy reef. We were also able to spend the night on one of the islands, although we were attacked by crabs in our sleep.
It was interesting to see another country besides Zambia, the most striking thing was how much more infrastructure there was in Mozambique. It was frustrating to once again not know the local language, travelig in Mozambique without knowing Porutgese is hard as many of the waiters and sales people knew limited english. It gave us all a chance to remember our Spainish and be greatful for even limited Nyanja that I know.
Currently its the rainy season and will be for quite awhile. While my neighbors are off that their fields I've been helping test people for malaria at my clinic. My area has a major problem with malaria and some days we have 20-30 people test positive. Seeing children throw-up and have seizures from malaria has given me an even greater drive to do something about it and take my own malaria medicine everyday. Yesterday while I was there we had two child deaths which was not an easy thing to know about. To see the mothers come out and just cry, and then have to walk back home was terrible.
I've attended two funerals since being posted. Funerals in Zambia are a lot different then in the US. Mostly it involves of wailing of loved ones, wailing is the most intense crying that you will ever hear it, I can feel it in my bones. That usually lasts a day and then the body is brought and a eulogy and small sermon is given before the procession to the graveyard. Once the wailing ends almost all signs of outward grief are over.
Well I don't want to end on a sad note...Tomorrow I am off to Lusaka for In-Service Training. A nice 10 workshop to give us a little more knowledge, we are going to do gardening which I am very excited for because I finally got some land to plant a few veggies. However I am most looking forward to seeing a movie or two, eating cheese, ice-cream, and bread, and seeing my friends.
I want to say thanks for all the Christmas and B-day cards, I love mail.
Love,
Allie
Thursday, November 26, 2009
So its been awhile
Hey Friends,
Sorry its been so long since my last blog post but I have been busy getting settled into the village. The last seven weeks have been some of the most intense of my life as I attempt to settle in and figure out what this whole Peace Corps thing is all about.
Most of my time has been spent organizing my house, although I am still without furniture, and getting to know my community. My day begins at about 5:45, an hour after my neighbors, when I sweep both my house and yard. After that its usually off to the borehole for my 20 L of water then its time to wash dishes and make breakfast. Some days its off to the clinic or a meeting but often I spend time just hanging out in the village (and thus have already finished 24 books). I spend a lot of time with the women of my village shelling peanuts or just sitting around. While I have been learning how to cook on the brassier I am also still being fed a lot by my village and recieve food all the time, definately not going hungry.
Since I am a first generation volunteer my work has been slow. Mostly I have been assisiting with ante-natal and Under 5 clinics where I weigh babies, take blood pressure, and give out birth control. Hopefully in the new year I will be able to get started on a few of my own projects but first I need to gain the trust of the community. Sadly my awesome clinic in-charge has left to go back to school so I am anxiously awaiting his replacement. My rural health center is very small only a staff of 3, well now down to 2, so I know the community will be greatful when a replacement comes.
November marks the beginning of the rainy season in which I have already found myself caught in the pouring rain once. This also means the beginning of both farming and malaria season. Farming season means that the villagers head to field for the morning and all other things slow down for awhile. Malaria season means that things get interesting at the clinic. My district and catchment area have some of the highest rates of malaria for all of Zambia. According to the people at the district health office the epidemic in the area may even be centered in the dambo in my village! They have a few interesting ideas to combat malaria including the testing of most individuals to test and treat adults without symtoms. I am not sure if this will actually occur but I am very excitied to observe it.
All the PCV's in Eastern are at the house this week to have biannual meetings and celebrate Thanksgiving. Currently we are hard at work making dinner featuring turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp...among other items. Even here in Zambia we are managing to have a pretty traditional meal. Its also been great to see my friends and hang out with other Americans. While in the village I will occasionally see my PCV neighbors in the Boma but its nice to have prolonged time together.
Things of course have not always been easy and my last week was particulary difficult. I recieved the very sad news of the passing of my grandfather coupled with a very leaky roof. Then I had a slight incident with the mentally ill woman who lives in my village but over all things have been good. While the bad days are tests of my strengh the wonderful support of my family and friends, both old and my new ones here in Zambia, have helped me release taht I can handle anything Zambia can throw my way.
Well I had better get off so someone else can use the computer. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love,
Allie
Sorry its been so long since my last blog post but I have been busy getting settled into the village. The last seven weeks have been some of the most intense of my life as I attempt to settle in and figure out what this whole Peace Corps thing is all about.
Most of my time has been spent organizing my house, although I am still without furniture, and getting to know my community. My day begins at about 5:45, an hour after my neighbors, when I sweep both my house and yard. After that its usually off to the borehole for my 20 L of water then its time to wash dishes and make breakfast. Some days its off to the clinic or a meeting but often I spend time just hanging out in the village (and thus have already finished 24 books). I spend a lot of time with the women of my village shelling peanuts or just sitting around. While I have been learning how to cook on the brassier I am also still being fed a lot by my village and recieve food all the time, definately not going hungry.
Since I am a first generation volunteer my work has been slow. Mostly I have been assisiting with ante-natal and Under 5 clinics where I weigh babies, take blood pressure, and give out birth control. Hopefully in the new year I will be able to get started on a few of my own projects but first I need to gain the trust of the community. Sadly my awesome clinic in-charge has left to go back to school so I am anxiously awaiting his replacement. My rural health center is very small only a staff of 3, well now down to 2, so I know the community will be greatful when a replacement comes.
November marks the beginning of the rainy season in which I have already found myself caught in the pouring rain once. This also means the beginning of both farming and malaria season. Farming season means that the villagers head to field for the morning and all other things slow down for awhile. Malaria season means that things get interesting at the clinic. My district and catchment area have some of the highest rates of malaria for all of Zambia. According to the people at the district health office the epidemic in the area may even be centered in the dambo in my village! They have a few interesting ideas to combat malaria including the testing of most individuals to test and treat adults without symtoms. I am not sure if this will actually occur but I am very excitied to observe it.
All the PCV's in Eastern are at the house this week to have biannual meetings and celebrate Thanksgiving. Currently we are hard at work making dinner featuring turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp...among other items. Even here in Zambia we are managing to have a pretty traditional meal. Its also been great to see my friends and hang out with other Americans. While in the village I will occasionally see my PCV neighbors in the Boma but its nice to have prolonged time together.
Things of course have not always been easy and my last week was particulary difficult. I recieved the very sad news of the passing of my grandfather coupled with a very leaky roof. Then I had a slight incident with the mentally ill woman who lives in my village but over all things have been good. While the bad days are tests of my strengh the wonderful support of my family and friends, both old and my new ones here in Zambia, have helped me release taht I can handle anything Zambia can throw my way.
Well I had better get off so someone else can use the computer. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love,
Allie
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