It’s been about a month that I’ve been back and I knew that once I returned to my site that I would have to hit the ground running. It hits me almost every day that I will be leaving this place in a little over a year and it pushes me to work hard to complete the projects I have set out to. So here’s an update on my projects….
1. Kamera Under Five Health Clinic - the proposal is written and submitted, now I am just waiting to hear from the PC office as to whether or not it is approved, which will then be sent to Washington so that they can post it on the Peace Corps website for people to donate to. Also, I visited Kamera last week so that we could start outplanting the moringa seedlings as well as to teach them more about the nutritional benefits of the tree. Plus I gave the women’s netball team a netball for them to play and they were so excited about that! Every time I visit this community I just get overwhelmed by their support and enthusiasm.
2. Tree nurseries - the seedlings are finished in the nursery stage and are now ready for outplanting. Between all the nurseries there is over 12,000 trees to plant which will take some work. At least 60% of the trees are moringa so there has been a lot of discussion and sharing of information about the tree. And in the next week I will start demonstrating how to process the moringa into powder so that the families can start using it.
3. Kakunga Village Savings & Loans group - the group has been meeting with a loans officer from OIBM who helps them to understand the basics of loans and savings as well as he determines whether or not the group is fit for a loan. He met with the group three times and now they have gone to apply for a loan. Most of them are requesting about 5,000-10,000 each in Malawi kwacha which is about $35-65 and will be repaid in four months at a reasonably low interest rate. Also, their one acre of groundnuts is doing well and hopefully in early March they will harvest, so soon enough they’ll be starting their group business!
4. Nutrition Project - For a while I have been working with an HIV/AIDS support group on making jam, using natural medicine, composting, doing a tree nursery, etc. Now we are planning on doing a nutrition and wellness project that will consist of 3 things: 1. to develop their medicinal garden; 2. to raise pigs; 3. to get an oil press. Currently we are working on the design to build a shelter for the pigs as well as to finalize the budget.
5. Volleyball club - things are really looking up now that we have plenty of volleyballs, so I think the key is to get the girls involved in playing against other schools. Also, after talking with my “assistant”, Agnes, we decided that March is going to be our “sexual health” month. The more I learn about these girls and some of the challenges and issues they face, I realize now more than ever that we need to talk about abstinence, safe sex, prevention of HIV/AIDS, and all that stuff. However, I am scared out of my mind to deal with this very important issue. So please be praying for the girls as well as myself.
Other than that, things are slowly getting better here. The first couple weeks being back after the holiday were a bit rocky, mostly because of some deaths and sickness in my village as well as having to deal with some tenuous relationships between my neighbors. But life is basically back to normal and I am trying to enjoy the little things about being here. One example is this past Sunday, which is probably my favorite day of the week in the village. In the morning I had a tea party with the neighbor girls (the boys were not invited), did some work around the house and garden, then went to a friend’s house to hang out and cook spaghetti for his family. Sunday afternoons is when I always meet with the women’s group and I love spending time with them because they are always laughing and having fun together. After the meeting we decided to play netball so after slipping and sliding in the mud for two hours we ended by getting into a circle and dancing. Now the women here can really, really dance. They shake their entire bodies in a way that doesn't even seem physically possible. Even the girls and the kids who can barely walk can do this, it's crazy. It’s a lot of fun to watch, but not as much fun when they shove you into the middle of the circle so that you have to dance all by yourself, then they all laugh at the fact that the white girl has no rhythm, what a surprise.
1. Kamera Under Five Health Clinic - the proposal is written and submitted, now I am just waiting to hear from the PC office as to whether or not it is approved, which will then be sent to Washington so that they can post it on the Peace Corps website for people to donate to. Also, I visited Kamera last week so that we could start outplanting the moringa seedlings as well as to teach them more about the nutritional benefits of the tree. Plus I gave the women’s netball team a netball for them to play and they were so excited about that! Every time I visit this community I just get overwhelmed by their support and enthusiasm.
2. Tree nurseries - the seedlings are finished in the nursery stage and are now ready for outplanting. Between all the nurseries there is over 12,000 trees to plant which will take some work. At least 60% of the trees are moringa so there has been a lot of discussion and sharing of information about the tree. And in the next week I will start demonstrating how to process the moringa into powder so that the families can start using it.
3. Kakunga Village Savings & Loans group - the group has been meeting with a loans officer from OIBM who helps them to understand the basics of loans and savings as well as he determines whether or not the group is fit for a loan. He met with the group three times and now they have gone to apply for a loan. Most of them are requesting about 5,000-10,000 each in Malawi kwacha which is about $35-65 and will be repaid in four months at a reasonably low interest rate. Also, their one acre of groundnuts is doing well and hopefully in early March they will harvest, so soon enough they’ll be starting their group business!
4. Nutrition Project - For a while I have been working with an HIV/AIDS support group on making jam, using natural medicine, composting, doing a tree nursery, etc. Now we are planning on doing a nutrition and wellness project that will consist of 3 things: 1. to develop their medicinal garden; 2. to raise pigs; 3. to get an oil press. Currently we are working on the design to build a shelter for the pigs as well as to finalize the budget.
5. Volleyball club - things are really looking up now that we have plenty of volleyballs, so I think the key is to get the girls involved in playing against other schools. Also, after talking with my “assistant”, Agnes, we decided that March is going to be our “sexual health” month. The more I learn about these girls and some of the challenges and issues they face, I realize now more than ever that we need to talk about abstinence, safe sex, prevention of HIV/AIDS, and all that stuff. However, I am scared out of my mind to deal with this very important issue. So please be praying for the girls as well as myself.
Other than that, things are slowly getting better here. The first couple weeks being back after the holiday were a bit rocky, mostly because of some deaths and sickness in my village as well as having to deal with some tenuous relationships between my neighbors. But life is basically back to normal and I am trying to enjoy the little things about being here. One example is this past Sunday, which is probably my favorite day of the week in the village. In the morning I had a tea party with the neighbor girls (the boys were not invited), did some work around the house and garden, then went to a friend’s house to hang out and cook spaghetti for his family. Sunday afternoons is when I always meet with the women’s group and I love spending time with them because they are always laughing and having fun together. After the meeting we decided to play netball so after slipping and sliding in the mud for two hours we ended by getting into a circle and dancing. Now the women here can really, really dance. They shake their entire bodies in a way that doesn't even seem physically possible. Even the girls and the kids who can barely walk can do this, it's crazy. It’s a lot of fun to watch, but not as much fun when they shove you into the middle of the circle so that you have to dance all by yourself, then they all laugh at the fact that the white girl has no rhythm, what a surprise.
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