It's been a while since I have posted anything and I feel that this blog is probably the best way to send out a massive "this is what I'm doing" notification instead of writing 50 million individual emails (I love you all but you know you wouldn't want to do it either!)
So I got my site positing last week! Zambia is divided up into 73 (it was 72 but I was told recently it is now 73) districts which are in 8 different districts (Northwestern, Western, Southern, Central, Lusaka, Eastern, Northern & Luapula). I have been studying Bemba so I knew I would be going to Northern, Luapula, or Central. I got posted to Fiwila Village, in Mukushi District, in Central Province. My village is 75km from the main road. In Zambia there are 2 main paved roads, the Great East Road and the Great North Road. After that it is mostly bumpy dirt roads and a vast network of bush paths. My BOMA (which is like the district capital) is Mkushi which is on the main road, however I will be close to a town called Masansa where I will be able to get all the food I need. I will be living in my own mud hut (which is rumored to be large in the world of mud huts) on a compound with a family in my village. My clinic is less than a km away and it is a missionary clinic. There is of course two sides of this. Because it is missionary it is well run and well staffed but I may have to bite my tongue when it comes to religious issues. I am really hoping since we have a common goal that we will be able to reconcile any differences and work for the betterment of our mushi (village in Bemba). I was supposed to go out to my village yesterday to see it and meet my community but I had a little mishap...
In PCZ (Peace Corps Zambia) there are two site visits. One when you first get to Zambia to give you a taste right off the bat what village bush life is like. On this site visit you could go anywhere in the country, for example I went to Northwestern province but would never be posted there because it is not a Bemba speaking province. The second site visit it to your actual province and district so you can do things like meet people that are going to be your neighbors for the next 6 months to 2 years (depending on where they are in their service) see your Boma, talk with current PCV's about their work, and I think, most importantly, meet your village and see your house. Our second day at site we realized that the RAP (Rural Aquaculture Program) volunteers had *stolen* (they still claim it was an accident) our chocolate, coffee, chips, and crackers. Well there was no way we could allow this to happen so we waged war and set out to capture our goods. Unfortunately, like all warriors, we had to suffer hardships for our treasure, and our hardship was an 8km walk there. Somehow during this walk I tweaked my ankle/foot. I tried to tough it out but sprained ankles and the African bush don't mesh well. After trying to tough it out and hope it felt better for 2 days I couldn't take it anymore and had to call our PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer)who told me to go to the provincial house (more about that in a second) and STAY OFF IT for 48 hours. I have been doing my best to just lay around the house and keep my foot up and the IB Profin flowing. It's been a challenge because I am not the kind of person who can lay around the house all day! Yes, when I'm really tired, was out late the night before, maybe drank a little too much the night before, sure I can do that. But when I'm bursting with energy, loving where I am and just wanting to explore it it's really hard to just sit... so I'm doing the best I can at it!!
So the provincial house! Every province has a PC House in the provincial capital. Here in Central Province (the best province) our house in in Serenje. The person who lives here full time is our PCVL (Peace Corps Volunteer Leader). They are the resources person for the volunteers in our province and are a great source of information. They are also someone who has just completed their 2 years of service so they are very in the know of everything you are going through or will go through and can really appreciate your struggles and triumphs. Our PCVL is Mindy and she is FANTASTIC! She is so supportive of us volunteers and is a great teacher. She also cares about us and is here for us. I really don't think I could ask for someone better. She is so easy to talk to you so helpful. At the provincial house there are bedrooms and bathrooms so you can shower and sleep, a TV, DVD player with movies, a library, prescription drugs (this is also where you go when you are sick or injured) people keep things like computers here so they don't take them out to site. There is a full kitchen for cooking and dining room table for eating. There are also 3 dogs, who are adorable. Things like province wide meetings occur here. People can also come here when they need a few days our of their village, when they are going to Lusaka (the capital) it can be a good stopping over point. If they have meetings in Serenje they can stay here. It is 10,000 kwacha (or 10 Pin) per night which is the equivalent of 2 dollars so really affordable. There is a maid and gardener so the place is kept clean and round the clock guards so it is safe. Our house is also brand new so we will get to be part of creating it's character. I have a feeling it is a nice place to come to escape from village life, even if just temporarily.
I am loving being in Zambia! Not every day is wonderful, but there is something wonderful in every day. I stay with an amazing host family in the village of Kabelika. My bataata (or father) name is George. He is a builder and a lay preacher and extremely hard working and very devoted to his family. He can speak really good English and is well read. I love having conversations with him. We learn a lot from each other and he is probably one of my best friends in PC. My bamaayo, Hilda, is equally incredible. She is shier and quieter but tough as nails. She works so hard from 5am to 21 hours (9pm). For the past two weeks my bataata has been in Chongwe (the nearest city to us) for a conference so it has just been bamaayo me and the kids and it was amazing because we really got a chance to bond. She has me in what I call "zamwife" training, but I love it! She is teaching me how to cook umusalu (vegetables) and eggs, I am not yet allowed to do the nshima. I help he with dishes but she fired me from laundry. We go to the village garden together and she makes me a hot bath everyday. I have 4 brothers, James (12) Graveson (9) Keshash (6) and Mwanza (18 months). They are so well behaved (for the most part) and really watch out and take care of each other. My family is also raising me a chicken. I cannot decide what to name it since every time I try and catch it, it runs away. I am taking suggestions but so far I really like Penelope, but maybe Lola. I have no idea what I am going to do with the chicken once they give it to me, but it is a huge huge gift to give to me, especially since they are raising it especially for me. I really find myself lucky that I have a host family that I feel so part of! I will be very very sad to leave them. We had a zamfamily photo shoot a few weeks ago, bamaayo told me I had to put on a Chitenge for it, which is traditional Zambian wear. I will try and get some pictures up soon!
Every night I take a bath to the African sunset. I stand outside in my bathing shelter and just try and drink it all in. I just finished my Pete's coffee (always feel free to send me more!) but every morning I was drinking good hot coffee and watching the African sunrise. I bike anywhere between 2 and 6 k per day and I LOVE the bike riding. It's been years since I have mountain biked and I forgot why I loved it. Bemba is the most difficult part of training but I have a teacher that meshes with my learning style really really well and a language partner who learns at the same pace as me. We just had our second language evaluation and I am still doing well. I am hoping that I will get to use the language a lot in my village so that I can get good at it! I love the idea of being fluent (or semi fluent) in Bemba!
Hopefully tomorrow I will get to go to Fiwila, then on Wednesday back to Lusaka where we will have a counterpart workshop. In our villages we work with counterparts, usually many sometimes of both sexes, that are community members that are involved in the sectors we work in (for example, since I am a CHIP volunteer I may have counterparts that are community health workers, doctors or nurses (though this is rare), outreach workers, ministry of health officials, members on the NHC (neighbor hood health committees) or just community members who are involved in the RHC (Rural Health Center) which is the clinic)These people will be who I work with to find out the needs of the community, will hep me meet and make connections in my village, will help with trainings, planning, setting up groups etc etc. Peace Corps is assigning me one for the workshop but I can work with anyone once I am posted to the village. We spend the 1st three months doing "community entry" where our main goal is to identify what the community sees as their main health problems, brainstorming, and just getting to know the community. You do not actually do any work. This gives you a chance to find out who is genuine and trust worthy in their intentions and also allows you to really get to know your community which is uber important!
After the workshop I will have 2 more weeks left and then will swear in on September 24th, pending me passing my Bemba exam, so I should really get to studying...like... now!
I will try and post again soon, and will get out my new address in the next few days. Please continue to email/send letters they are always appreciated!
