Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Good and the Bad

I am visiting America in two weeks.  I do not know what to expect, how I will cope with clothing and grocery stores, lines where people do not push in front of one another, and transport that is reliable.  I do know, however, that a month away from Zambia is much needed for my spirit.  My days have become long and chaotic as I continuously try to motivate my villages to complete our health post, and as I set up all logistics for our projects so that they will hopefully continue in my absence.  I spent ten hours in town yesterday shopping for grant materials, waiting on a dishonest transporter who decided not to tell me that he had a problem with his tire after half of our materials were loaded onto the vehicle.  I fell apart after hour eight, slumped on the sidewalk, feeling completely taken advantage of for being a foreigner.  I felt like a broken china doll, my body shattered into a million tiny pieces.  I thought, "All I am trying to do is help!  Why is this happening?"  I realized that at the end of the day, there are both kind hearted and dishonest people in the world, wherever you go.  The situation was resolved, but I personally felt quite defeated.

I believe in the goodness of humanity, but it is inevitable to go through days when you encounter people who have a very different moral compass than you do.  My family in the village keeps me here, but there are always going to be reminders that I am not from Zambia.  I love this place, and I need to just re-charge my battery.  The hunger, the corruption, the environmental degradation... it all wears on you after a while.  You feel stuck, like you have so much knowledge but no way to change the larger systems that are causing the suffering you are feeling at the village level.  Grassroots development work is incredibly fulfilling because of the human connections and small victories that are possible... and some days it can also break your heart.  Anyway, love to all and I cannot wait to see some of you very soon!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

National HIV Prevention Convention

Greetings! I was invited to rapporteur Zambia's Third National HIV Prevention Convention with four other Peace Corps health volunteers, and it was quite an experience.  The Vice President of Zambia, Guy Scott, and the First Lady, Christine Kaseba-Sata, attended and spoke at the conference, in addition to notable representatives from organizations such as UNAIDS, USAID, CDC, WHO, and many others.  We spent much of the time running around note-keeping, compiling power-points, and helping to summarize presentations for the final resolutions presented by the National AIDS Council.  It was incredibly interesting to hear about all the projects going on in Zambia, what has been successful, and where the gaps in programs and funding exist.  While it was difficult to be reporting and to not have a say in the discussions taking place on behalf of our rural villages, we were able to make connections and see what kinds of discussions are being had at the national level surrounding HIV prevention, treatment, and care.  All in all, the experience was a rich one, and it was an honor to be invited to such a large national event!

Thanks to the most beautiful support system in the world, the funds have been raised for my final large, donation-based Peace Corps project... Nachibanga Health Post!  I am hoping to start the foundation with the builder and community early next week, and get things moving quickly before I head back to America for a few weeks to visit family and friends.  As this much-needed re-energizing time at home approaches, I am both excited and nervous... excited to see all of the loved ones who I have missed tremendously, and nervous only because the reverse culture-shock is going to be intense (with all the electricity, hot showers, movies, air conditioning, and fresh coffee just in front of me!)  Sending love to you all.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

A Shift in Energy

I have been so busy with work in the village and apologize for delaying this blog post.  These past months have been filled with the completion of our Mother's Shelter (well, near-completion, as the District Health Office has now decided that we need a larger veranda than previously planned), attending our midterm conference in Lusaka (where I got to see all of my friends with whom I first arrived in Zambia), and the start of our Nachibanga Health Post building.  I will write about the highlights of village projects and progress, and about a few of the people who have made these successes possible.

Ndondi Mother's Shelter:  It has taken 4 long months of biking up and down huge rocky, dusty hills under the 100 degree hot season sun, but we're nearly finished!  The building is complete and looks incredible, but I will feel even more fulfilled once I see mother's beginning to deliver at our shelter.  Two people worked tirelessly with me to direct the building of this Mother's Shelter.  The first is Mr. Muleya, a tall, middle-aged Zambian man who wears a bucket hat and always carries around his secretary notebook.  He is the man who first invited me to Ndondi village about a year ago.  At the time I was hesitant to embark upon a project that required a 3 hour round trip bike-ride from my home, but he and the Ndondi Neighborhood Health Committee showed so much commitment during my initial visits that I could not resist.  Mr. Muleya has shown up to every meeting, coordinated and facilitated countless headmen and large community meetings, and has never let me down.

The second man is the son of the Ndondi senior headman, whose Tonga name I unfortunately can never seem to pronounce correctly.  He is the chairman of the Neighborhood Health Committee, so I always just call him 'Ba Chairman.'  He is a softspoken, humble man with chipped front teeth and a sweet, kind smile.  When asked to be the next headman he turned down the position, fearing that he would not be able to be as involved on the school PTA and clinic health committee.  Anytime we encountered issues during the building process, he calmly thought through all possible solutions until advising us on the most feasible and effective option.  Ndondi villages really owe these men so much appreciation for voluntarily pouring their energies into this project.  I am so grateful for their hearts of gold.

Nachibanga Health Post:  I was hopeful but realistic just a few months ago, thinking that this project would not be possible.  Now we have completed the digging of the foundation for a small health post in my village.  A few things happened to push this project along.  About 6 out of 10 villages were initially on board with the project, working day after day to mold bricks.  Then the district came in to promise food relief, as it is now the annual hungry season, exacerbated by the poor rains and maize harvest last year.  The deal is that food will come from the government in exchange for the villages working together on a community development project.  The villages unanimously chose our health post project, and now all 10 villages are working together before the rains become heavier to mold bricks, dig the foundation (both of these stages are now complete), and haul pit sand, river sand and crushed stones to the site.  I have never seen so many villagers coming together in this way, every single day.  Yes, this has been incited by the promise of bags of maize to make it through hungry season.  But villagers are also seeing their power to create development and change in their community. 

This health post will allow thousands of villagers to travel much shorter distances to access health care and treatment.  It will alleviate congestion in the large Muzoka clinic 5km away.  And most importantly, it seems this project is influencing villagers to take more ownership of their community's health and development.  The power of community is unfolding right before my eyes, and it is indescribably magical.

*To donate towards building materials for our Nachibanga Health Post, please visit:  http://www.peacecorps.gov/donate
and enter our project #: 14-611-001
We are racing the rains, so if you are able, please donate any amount as soon as possible.
Sending love and light to my support system back home! 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Some Thoughts On Development Work...

Recently I have realized that a large part of the "trudging through mud" feeling I am experiencing after 14 months of service in Zambia has to do with the nature of community development work.  When I explain my frustrations to those at home in America, the common question is "why do you think these things are happening?"  And every time I am asked this question, I am at a loss for words.  The reality is this: I still do not know.  After 14 months of intense community development work, I still do not know much.  I have to admit that to myself at the end of every day, which is exhausting.  I do not know why villagers either fail to show up to meetings, or show up 3 hours late.  I do not know why the majority of men won't wear condoms, why 13 year old girls are getting pregnant, why so many women giving birth at home wait until the last minute to decide they are in an emergency situation.  I do not know why the builder of our mother's shelter is working incredibly slowly and failed to show up to our weekly meeting... after I biked a total of 3 hours up and down dusty hills in 95 degree weather to meet with him.  I do not know why, after I raised the money to fix our community water pump, our village has yet to form a water pump committee and neglected to tell me that one of our pipes has a fixable leak (I thought it was drying up).  Deflection of personal responsibility, I guess.  The 'it's just okay' mentality. 

It is the moments with my host family that keep me here, to be quite honest.  It is the feeling that I have more love to explore with them.  I do not want to give up on them, this village, or this work.  I have glints of hope each day that the tiniest ounce of change can happen in my village.  I still have that unexplainable intuitive feeling in my heart and in my gut that I am still supposed to be here in Zambia, doing what I am doing.  One of my volunteer friends recently told me that I need to try not to take disappointments in my village so personally.  I am working on taking disappointments less personally, but I know that it's not in my nature to just not care.  And I hope that one day, this aspect of my personality and approach to life-long community development work will help to facilitate change, big and small. Maybe taking community development work personally means that I am meant to do this work, because I believe deep down that the people with whom I work have the ability to come together to create change and improve their lives.  I believe in the power of community, and I hope that even this belief is what it takes to keep on keeping on.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Mid-Service Blues

I just spent the best ten days of my life with my first visitor to Zambia.  The ten days were like a dream; we spent time jamming with musicians in my village, visited Victoria Falls, saw elephants within an arms-reach crossing the road, and took time to just breathe and reflect.  Now I am back to the village for the second half of my Peace Corps service, and the truth is that it is difficult.  My heart hurts a bit as I miss the people I love in America.  I miss home.  I miss the ease of transport, I miss access to electricity and running water, I miss the anonymity of walking down a street as another American instead of the white muzungu (foreigner).  I miss access to various vegetables, washing machines, and new technology.  I know the second half of my service is filled with exciting happenings, like helping to post the new volunteers to their villages, our mid-service conference, Camp GLOW preparations, a month-long trip home to the states for New Years, a trip to Bali at the end of March, the completion of our clinic's mother's shelter.  And yet, I long to be back in the states.  I know things will pick up, and I also know that when I complete my service, I will miss Zambia.  So I will push through, and I will do everything I can to stay inspired and present in my village.  Sometimes we must do things in the present that are both painful and beautiful at the same time, and this is one of those times in my service.  Sending love and light to all those at home who are supporting me, inspiring me, and loving me as I continue my service in Zambia.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Reality

Poverty in the village is a tricky thing to cope with.  I must constantly tell myself not to feel guilty.  Though I do live in a mud hut, fetch water and cook with charcoal just like every other villager, I am undoubtedly different.  I make more than sufficient kwacha (Zambian currency) each month for transport and food, and can save a bit for vacation as well.  I rarely have to worry about having enough.  I get to spend four nights each month at our cozy provincial house in Choma town (this is in fact necessary for my mental health) with electricity, computers, hot showers, clean sheets, my American friends, and Grey's Anatomy DVDs.  I can buy broccoli (sometimes) and apples from the grocery store when I come to town.  And, in one year from now, I get to go back to America and get a Master's degree. 

In my village, there are none of these luxuries.  In my village, poverty has a name and a face.  It is my brother Ba Sanford who works from sunrise to sunset herding the cows and working in the field, but does not have thread to sew the 10th hole in his pants (he uses recycled threads from a mealie-meal sack).  It is my sister Ba Edith who has to walk five kilometers barefoot to the clinic each month to have her newborn Noah weighed and vaccinated.  It is the malnourished baby (usually at least ten each week) who I weigh at the clinic. 

It is difficult to draw a line in terms of "helping."  I can write a grant for a mother's delivery shelter, form a Neighborhood Health Committee and Anti-AIDS Club at our village school.  But I cannot ensure that the rains will fall properly this year to produce a plentiful maize harvest.  I can help pay for my neighbor Eric's school fees through the exchange of his help with projects at my house so he can finish grade 12, or give oil and sugar to his mother Ba Erin when she is in need.  But I cannot do these things for everyone.  As much as I tell myself not to feel guilty, some days these harsh realities slap me in the face 50 times in a row.  I cannot ignore them, and must accept that there are days when I feel absolutely helpless...

And then I see the bright smile of Ba Sanford as he greets me each day, hear the giggles of my village nieces and nephews and the Sunday evening drumming and dancing happening outside a nearby hut, or witness the love-gaze between my host sister and her young daughter-- and I know that everything is, as we say here, "just okay."


Monday, June 24, 2013

One Year Reflections

I biked early from my village this morning, on a dirt road between a bursting golden, pink, and purple sunrise to my right, and the humongous white Supermoon to my left.  The sky was an explosion of indescribable beauty.  And as I celebrate one year of service in Zambia, I have had some recent tears that remind me of how beautiful this adventure has been.  I did not expect to cry; after all, I have transitioned into a tough, I-can-do-anything Peace Corps volunteer.  But these are different tears than I have ever experienced before-- tears of overwhelming happiness.  They are my expressions of gratitude for the family I have inherited in Zambia, and for my family and friends at home in America. 

My friend and I hosted the new health trainees for 3 days this past week, teaching them how to fetch water, cook on a charcoal stove, make a fire, give a condom demonstration in front of 80 laughing teenagers... you know, daily life in rural Zambia.  On the last night, we cooked an "American" dinner of tortillas and vegetables for my friend's Bataata (a village Chief!), Bamaama, and counterpart (who must be a brother to my friend from a past lifetime, I am sure).  Sitting with this family, gathered around the dancing candlelight with prayers and humble words of thanks filling the air, I glanced at my friend sitting between his Zambian parents.  He looked like their son.  I mean he really, really looked like he belonged to their family.  My heart and my tear ducts filled to the brim.  I told my friend's family what I was seeing, and how incredible it was.  I then cracked a joke, asking how their son inherited his height, and everyone laughed.  When I peered at my friend, I saw him tearing up as well.  It was a night I will remember for the rest of my life.

It is in these moments, full of love and sharing and open hearts, that I know I am exactly where I need to be.  My time in Zambia has not been easy, and every day has both its own challenges and successes.  This work is hard, frustrating, and disappointing at times.  Some days people will show up to meetings that will last 5 inspiring hours; some days nobody will show up at all.  Some days I feel energized and on top of the world, biking from health talks at the clinic to Anti-AIDS club meetings at the school.  Some days I am so exhausted, I don't know if I can make it up that last hill.  But this is the most meaningful work I have ever done, not just in terms of grassroots development, but in terms of individual connections I have made.  I am stronger, both physically and mentally, than I have ever been in my life.  For this growth, for these connections, and for this crazy beautiful ride, I say thank you Zambia. Twalumba kapati.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Momentum!

It has been a long time since my last post, as I have been so busy in the village.  The work has been exhausting, yet incredibly fulfilling.  As I get further and further into my service, it becomes increasingly difficult to describe the ups and downs of daily life.  My village is home, my host family has become an extension of my American family, and my house is feeling as close to "home" as possible for living in a mud hut.  I sit with my host brother and the guys shelling beans, handwash my clothes and make my fire in no time, and paint sunflowers on my new house.

The first exciting news is that our handpump is finished!  It took so much work and coordination, but we did it... thanks to a donation from close friends of two of my professors at UCLA, who happened to be in Zambia and visited my village.  I am beyond grateful for their generosity, and as I sat down with my host sister (with whom I had been tirelessly going door to door to try and raise money to fix our water source) and told her the news, we both teared up.  We did it!  My hands are newly calloused from fetching water by myself again, but every time I pump the water into my containers, I feel happy and proud.

I have been working with a few new communities recently, and the momentum in my village work has sped up tremendously.  I had called a community development meeting for all surrounding villages three different times, and only one man showed up.  By the third meeting, I told this man that I wanted to visit his village, because he was the only one showing commitment.  I visited his village a few days later, met his headman, and we called a meeting right there with 6 men and 6 women sitting under a big mango tree.  There was a funeral going on at the time, which usually means all business as usual is called off for up to a week, but the headman respected my visit and took a couple hours out of the gathering for our meeting.  I will be going back after provincial meetings and PEPFAR training (this and next week), for they will have already called a village meeting to discuss their top priorities and proposed projects for the future.

The most exciting new project has been in Ndondi village, an hour and a half bike ride each way, up and down huge hills.  But the hills are beautiful (especially because most of our province is flat), and listening to my music (a mixture of pump up jams like 90s pop, John Mellencamp, and 50 Cent) helps keep me going.  I was invited to this community by a man who is friends with my host family, and I met with him at the tiny Ndondi health post.  This three-roomed health post serves a community of 2,800 villagers, with one nurse and a number of community health workers.  One room serves as both a delivery room and an HIV counseling and testing room, so when mothers come in to give birth, patients who want to get an HIV test must be turned away.  After holding multiple successful meetings at the clinic, and after feeling so inspired by this hard-working community, I decided to propose a grant to help Ndondi build a two-room extension onto their health post.  The village is elated, because this extension has been in the works for over a year, but funding has yet to be provided by the government.

One room will serve as a mother's shelter, for expectant mothers and their families to wait before and after giving birth.  Hopefully this shelter will decrease maternal and new-born mortality, for mothers will be able to travel the far distances from their villages in the hills to the clinic up to two weeks before giving birth.  Patients will be attended to by trained medical staff instead of giving birth at home, thus allowing any emergencies or complications to be identified before it is too late to reach a hospital or a larger health clinic with a doctor.   The second, smaller room will be used for VCT (Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing).  Hopefully more villagers will come for VCT, for they will not have to worry about getting turned away because there is no private space for testing.

I have been working non-stop with our newly created project committee (clinic staff and passionate community members and leaders) to complete the grant for our health post extension.  When our grant is approved, I will provide a link for family and friends to donate through the Peace Corps website.  With support from family and friends, we can raise funds quickly and get our project underway before hot and rainy season!  Sending love to you all, more updates to come.  

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Namibian Adventures

I just returned from Namibia, and though my pictures speak for themself, I will update as best I can!  The journey was LONG, 20 hours each way on a bus from Livingstone to Windhoek.  Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is an incredibly clean, calm, friendly city.  Namibia has one of the smallest populations in the world, because it is mostly barren but beautiful desert. The country gained independence in 1990, so the German influence is very strong in the cities and towns.  The effects of colonialism are deeply felt but difficult to grasp, as Windhoek and Swakopmund seemed to be run by large German businesses, in addition to the diamond and oil mining industries.  Poverty exists mostly on the outskirts of these small cities, as there is little water available far outside these cities.

Everything is much less expensive in Namibia as compared to Lusaka (though prices in the village are of course next to nothing), so I was able to buy fresh produce and funky accessories like a new yellow hat and yellow sunglasses for cheap!  We rented a vehicle in Windhoek and drove for a day in the desert to Sossusvlei, where we camped and awoke at sunrise to climb part-way up the second largest sand dune in Namibia called "Big Mama."  We hiked to petrified trees, saw the largest sand dune in Namibia ("Big Daddy"), drove past giraffe, kudu, ostrich, warthogs, baboons, and feasted our eyes on glorious canyons and mountains.  We then drove to Swakopmund, a touristy coastal town where the desert meets the ocean.  I hadn't realized how much I missed the ocean.  The weather was chilly at night but scorching during the day, the sunsets were absolutely unreal, and the trip all in all was magical.  My friends and I had a few scary experiences driving in the desert (I will spare the details, we are all totally safe!), as is transportation in Africa.  Now it's back to work in the village!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Be Free

Every day has been filled with stories, fulfilling work, and hilarious times in the village.  As for work, we had our first Muzoka HIV/AIDS Support Group meeting on Friday.  I was exhausted from being at the clinic all day, but when the 8 members of a previously formed support group (who dissolved due to disorganized leadership) sat with me under a tree to tell me their stories and their ideas for Income Generating Projects, I felt immediately re-energized that day.  There were at least 3 times as many group members in the previous group, so as our weekly meetings continue, we expect to get many more to re-join.  However, having 8 committed members show up to a first meeting was a huge success.  These individuals were so comfortable speaking about their status, personal and community reactions to their status (including both discrimination and acceptance), and their frustration with the long distances they have to travel in order to get their ARVs.  ARVs may be "free" in Zambia, but transport is expensive and time-consuming.  We discussed collective income generating projects, and decided we would begin a community garden for the members to both eat nutritious vegetables, and sell these vegetables in the market.  Next week we will choose a site for the garden, and elect members to various positions for the group.  Our first meeting truly inspired me, and each group member was so ready to begin our project.  We also would like to form dramas to sensitize the community on HIV/AIDS and safer sexual practices.  The group members, who are all over 40 years old, told me it would not be a problem to show up next week with skit ideas.  They were excited and began discussing costumes and drums to accompany the skits.  I hope to eventually combine this support group and my Anti-AIDS club at the school in our community dramas, culminating in a Village Health Day carnival.  I have also had quite a few villagers come to me to learn English.  They sit on my veranda and bring schoolbooks to read together.  Some are kids, some adults, some young adults who want to find jobs.  I don't really find it to be "work," I just enjoy teaching. 

I needed some alone time on Sunday, so I decided to go on a bike ride in the opposite direction of the route to the clinic.  I found gorgeous rolling hills (which gave my legs a good burn) and a peaceful, quiet path to ride when I need to get away.  I blasted my ipod as I admired the beautiful green untouched hills.  In a few months the green will begin turning brown as the Earth dries and makes Zambia look more like a savannah. 

My friends in the village are beginning to come to me as their friend, not just as a foreigner.  They tell me about their family problems, their struggles.  They laugh with me as they ask me why I am a 23 year old single women living alone without children (although the only "alone" time I have is at night when I get to read under my mosquito net).  They also laugh as I try my hardest to speak Tonga (and I laugh at my attempts as well).  I painted the words "Be Free!" on the outside of my hut, and they have really understood that my door is open.  This village is becoming my home, and I fall in love with it more and more every day.  It is challenging, exhausting, and I miss friends and family back home.  I miss people showing up to meetings on time, I miss abundant fruits and vegetables that I can buy at the grocery store, instead of waiting to see what is available during the season at the market.  I miss the ease of American transport.  But I am grateful, and I try to soak my spirit in the beauty of life in rural Zambia.

Monday, March 18, 2013

So Busy, So Happy!

I am busier and happier than I have ever been in my entire life!  Since being back in my village, every day has been a whirlwind, always moving.  I have been back for about a week and a half, and already so many things have begun.  Yesterday was probably the most exciting day.  The water pump near my home, which serves about 30 families, has been broken for a year or so.  My family has put so much work into rebuilding my home, and to give back to them, I really want to repair this borehole.  So I spent time finding the man who knows about taking apart and repairing boreholes.  He lives in a nearby village, and goes to the church not far from my home.  On Saturday, I went to the church, but was told he would be arriving late.  I went home to wash clothes and dishes, and when I went back to the church, I found him.  I invited him to our village meeting the next day, a Sunday, at my home to make plans for repairing our water pump.  I didn't want to get my hopes up on Sunday, so I spent the morning tutoring 3 girls in my village, knowing that my plan may not work out.  Things have a way of both happening as planned and not happening as planned in Zambia (usually the latter), and you just have to accept whatever happens.  Make peace with it.  At 15:30 the man arrived, but my village was not at my home.  I called the children to tell my village that they must come on time, as the man to repair our borehole has made a long journey and is at my home.  They quickly organized, and the man with water pump expertise, myself, and 8 men brought our tools to the borehole to begin the job.  The women and children gathered as we took apart our water pump.  It turned out that the only things needing replacement were the bearings, some rubbers, and a nylon nut.  I came to town today to price the items with the coordinator for the National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program, and the pricing is even lower than I expected.  For the whole job, it will cost each family less than $2 (or 10 kwacha), equal to one bottle of cooking oil.  To have water for years.  Now, the only hurdle is to call upon these families to put together what they have to repair our water source.  My host brother things it is very, very possible, as "water is life."

Other than that, I have started an Anti-AIDS club at our school, and after teaching the students about HIV/AIDS education, I would like to begin creating dramas with them to sensitize the community on HIV and safe sex practices.  This week, I am also holding our first meetings for my nutrition program at our clinic for the most malnourished children (there are a lot of them at the Under 5 weighings, as we are still in hungry season and nutritious foods are in short supply), and re-starting the HIV/AIDS support group that once existed at our clinic.  I have also been approached by many in my village and in neighboring villages about starting a pre-school, and will hold our first meeting for the pre-school committee in about a week.  It is so much, and I have been running around like crazy, but have also not forgotten to admire the bursting field of sunflowers on my bike-ride to and from the clinic, the intensely beautiful sunsets, or sitting in my new mango tree at the end of the day (which I realized the other day as I was bucket bathing looks exactly like the tree tattoo on my shoulder!).  I also take time to laugh with my friends in the village, A LOT.  Almost every day.  I used to be way more stressed in the village, but meditation amidst the chaos is something I have recently found. I have also been devouring books before I go to sleep, as well as writing tons in my journal.  If you have any books you are finished with and would like to send my way, it would be so greatly appreciated.  Sending so much love back home!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Safe and Staying Positive

I do not want anyone from back home to get too scared, but a few nights ago the house where I was staying with another Peace Corps Response volunteer while waiting for my hut to be finished was robbed.  I heard noises in the living room around one in the morning, but thought they were just my roommate in the bathroom.  Turns out, our house had been broken into.  Luckily it was only my roommate's computer and nothing else.  We were not hurt, and although the computer was a devastating loss (it had many personal files and photos on it), we realized that it may have deterred the robbers from entering our bedrooms.  Peace Corps responded immediately, and we spent the next day at the police station.  I am now back at the Peace Corps house, waiting for my new hut to be finished.  I am set to go to my village on Friday to ensure everything is finished, and then move in on Monday.  My new home, in addition to the packages I just received from family and friends, couldn't come at a better time.

Although there have been some intense happenings thus far in Zambia, I am remaining positive and happy.  I have also received some inspiring e-mails from teachers and mentors of mine recently, which have also brightened my days.  Sending peace and love back home!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Blessings in Disguise

My new hut is almost finished! I should be able to move in by the end of February.  But for now, although traveling to different villages has been exhausting, I've been able to do some incredibly successful programs that I will bring to my village very soon.  I just returned from a friend's village where we had the most successful HIV/AIDS talk!  The group was quite large, about 60 villagers gathered at a rural health post, and the individuals were both male and female and of varying ages.  We first discussed the facts and myths regarding HIV transmission and prevention, and then we discussed "living positively" if you discover you are HIV positive.  We also played a game at the end where I wrote "activities that can transmit HIV" and "activities that cannot transmit HIV" on index cards, and the group had to correctly place the cards into either category.  They were so enthusiastic, and placed each of the cards in the correct category!  We also taught a group of women how to make cheese, and they were so excited to make it for their families, and to possibly sell the cheese by the roadside since it is so inexpensive to make (and nutritious).  I gave a health talk at the cheese-making demonstration, and after one of the women tasted the cheese, she said, "Wow! I already feel my body getting stronger from this cheese!"  The whole day, though it was rainy and gray, made me smile.

I realized, particularly after the HIV talk, that this is the kind of work I want to do for the rest of my life.  Helping to mobilize a village to facilitate in their action and excitement to improve community health makes me so happy, and fills me up.  It makes my soul feel both energized and at peace, knowing I am putting my efforts towards helping villagers improve their own health with just a bit of knowledge and inspiration.  I have so many ideas, and I just hope that 20 more months is enough time to see them through with my village.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Birthday Updates

I'm 23!  Don't feel much different than I did yesterday, yet 22 began what feels like an epic chapter that will continue to be filled with stories of adventure, inspiration, frustration, and beauty.  The past weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind.  After IST I moved into a temporary homebase, in Kalomo which is a boma (small town) 40 minutes south of Choma.  Not really diggin the town vibe, I miss the quiet communal feel of the village, so I am traveling from village to village working with other Peace Corps volunteers on various programs.  Just came back from doing a cheese-making demo at my friend's school, which was a success!  Cheese-making, particularly as hungry season begins (in between planting and harvesting time), is a great way to improve food security, especially because at this time the cows are producing lots of milk due to the rains and abundance of grasses for them to eat.  All you need is milk, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt to make village cheese!  The kids really loved our cooking demo.  I spent my birthday evening with this same friend, listening to music and enjoying the clear, starry, moon-filled sky.

All of the Southern volunteers had a giant January birthday party on Saturday.  The theme was mustaches, machetes, mini skirts, and mohawks.  Tons of fun and overwhelming celebration.  Headed to a friend's village before the party to do a malaria prevention talk at the Under 5 clinic.  The sun has been shining the past 2 weeks, so we bathed and swam in his river for almost an entire day.  Got tons of vitamin D, which I have been missing in the rain! Headed to another friend's village today to do an HIV prevention talk in her class, and then doing both cheese-making and HIV education in yet another village next week.  Then to visit a close friend in central province.  Keep moving, that's my current slogan.  I want to teach myself how to make fruit jam this weekend as well, so I can teach villagers how to preserve the abundance of a single fruit before it spoils (for example, now mangoes are falling everywhere, and many rot before they can be eaten).

Saw photos of my new hut... I can't believe how much work Peace Corps staff and my village have put into this new home!  I am expecting to move in at the end of February, and I really cannot wait.  I cannot wait to re-decorate my hut with paintings, wall-hangings, citenges, collages, photographs, etc.  I am also planning a vegetable garden and kitchen compost, hoping to grow kale, lettuce, carrot, onion, and sunflowers.  Hopefully the chicken wire can prevent the goats and cows from eating the vegetables! My new hut is located on top of a hill that overlooks the entire village, as well as the nightly golden sunsets.  I have a mango tree, a bit more privacy, probably better cell service than I had before (which was next to nothing, so anything will be an improvement!), and hopefully a comfortable new home.  Sending so much love to you all back home <3

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Changes Changes!

I am currently in Lusaka at IST and have completed my Community Entry... I can't believe how quickly it went by!  I am beyond happy to be with all of the friends I came into country with, and a bit sad that I will not see many of them until midway through my service.  Let's see... I have a new hut being built because the flooding destroyed my hut, so I will be staying with two Peace Corps Response volunteers in Kalomo (a small boma) until my hut is finished.  I want to get back to my village so badly, I miss everyone so much and I miss having a home.  I am, however, excited to decorate my new home... the paintings and collages from my old hut may not make it in the move up the hill to my new hut, but I will make them again.  Impermanence of things, and patience.  I will be hopping around to friends' villages to do nutritious cooking demos, health talks, and will also visit the District Health Office and a number of NGOs in the boma so that I can bring back ideas and resources back to my village in a month (hopefully it won't take much longer than that, but time is elastic here in Zambia). 

My counterpart from my clinic Judy and I have come up with a plan to have a program at our clinic where we take 10 to 15 of the most malnourished children from our Under 5s, have a cooking demo once a week where the mothers each bring an ingredient to a potluck and we will teach the mothers to cook balanced meals for their children, and we will monitor their weight gain.  Once they reach their target weight (which I will collaborate with the nurses to determine), the women and their children will graduate from the program and we will rotate in another child and his/her mother.  I am also hoping to start an HIV/AIDS support group at my clinic.  I am so energized to get back to my village and begin working on these programs.  Love you all!