Some Sad News, and Some Happy News

It has been a difficult few days here, as we have lost a beloved member of our Peace Corps Zambia family.  Paul Blum, a CHIP volunteer who was deeply loved by our entire group and who was like a father to many of us, recently passed away from natural causes.  We are about to hold a memorial service for him at the Peace Corps house in Lusaka, and we are all wearing chitenge bracelates in his memory.  We have all committed to carrying out his service through our own Peace Corps service over the next two years.  He was a man whose smile was infectious, whose stories will always be remembered, and a friend with whom I enjoyed bicycling home as the sun set over the Zambian landscape of mut hut villages, cows, chickens, and goats after a long day of training.  Paul was so present and at peace here in Zambia, and was carrying out his longtime dream of serving in Peace Corps after his many years of teaching.  We are all sending our love and support to Paul's entire family during this incredibly difficult time.

I do want to also give some happy news about life here in Zambia as well.  We are almost finished with training, and just returned from second site visit where we first visited a volunteer living in our province, and then spent 2 days at our sites where we will be living for the next 2 years!  My site visit was incredible, Ty and I were able to weigh babies at the Under 5 clinic and teach mothers how to make ORS for their children to help with diarrhea.  We also did a soya demonstration for many village members, where we spent an afternoon making soy milk, soya sausage, and roasted pumpkin seeds as a nutrition demonstration.  The village loved our cooking!  We gave a safe sex talk for about 70 high school students, and it felt amazing to know that with just a simple skit about delaying sex until the students are ready, having a discussion about healthy relationships, and giving a condom demonstration, the students gained so much knowledge about staying safe, and protecting themselves against STIs, HIV, and unwanted teenage pregnancies. 

When I arrived at my site, Muzoka village, I was immediately greeted by my host family.  I live with a family but not right on top of their compound, which is perfect-- I live slightly down the hill from them, so I have my privacy, but also feel very safe.  I live in walking distance (4km, about an hour walk or a quick bicycle ride) to the tarmac (main road), a sizable market, my health clinic, the bus station which can take me to the provincial house and Choma boma in about 20 minutes, and very close to the school and church.  Although most of Zambia is flat, I live in the hills and have an absolutely beautiful view of my entire village from just outside my hut.  I live within a 3 minute walk from a peaceful dam that runs into the Zambezi river, and I played with my little 4 year old brother Joe at the dam for an afternoon.  He is the sweetest! I have to pass through a large cow field to get to the school and water pump, and I also have to climb on top of a hill to make and receive phone calls.  But it's ok because I live so close to the main road, I usually receive text messages, and I live very close to the provincial house and not far from Victoria Falls!  My village is so friendly, motivated and supportive, and each night we gathered around a bonfire as my Bamaama (who is a gradmother) and grandchildren danced to the radio.  I already felt at home, and I was only there for 2 days! I cannot wait to decorate my hut and make it my own. 

I am sending so much love to you all back home, huge hugs and smiles!