finally found internet!

Written Wednesday, February 20, 2013

My goodness it has been a very long time since I have posted a blog!

To my loyal followers and friends at home, firstly – don’t you have other more interesting things to read than this silly blog? Haha secondly, I am sorry for the delay. I have now purchased a modem (looks like a small zip-drive) that will allow me to access internet on my computer anywhere there is a signal for the service. This should mean that I am also able to skype! So let me know if anyone is interested in getting some face time with this sweaty mess over here in Africa. I miss you all like crazy.

Ok so lets chat about what I’ve been up to these days!

Last week I was around Quissico, getting some work done with my organizations, I’m finally getting my Peer Educators a bit more organized at the hospital. It’s my hope that we can get the “buscas” started sometime this month or next out in the field. “Buscas” are when the Peer Educators spend a day out in the field visiting those people who have abandoned treatment, encouraging them to come back to the hospital, to get retested and to get back on their medication. There was much confusion and delay about this process, so after one of our Cha Positiva’s (a monthly support group for people living with HIV/AIDS) we all sat down to discuss what days people work at the hospital, and what days they would spend in the field. As they are required to do one day each a week, we organized a new schedule and talked about how to fill out the busca cards, and answered any other questions they had. All in all I think it was a very good and productive day.

The work with my other organizations has been going well also. I am working on a combination project, involving the hospital and one of my community based organizations about starting a medicinal plant garden in/around the hospital grounds. That way we can reach out to more people, hold workshops there, and hopefully distribute more of these amazing plants out to those who need it most.

Speaking of plants, I am currently in Manjacaze, Gaza Province for a weeklong seminar about agriculture, plants, nutrition etc. I am staying at my good friend Linda’s house (a fellow Moz 18er) as she was kind enough to let me crash on her floor. So far we have had many interesting seminars about varying topics including hygiene, medicinal plants, different types of gardens, how to plant different forms of plants, etc. I brought along two counterparts with me, one from each community-based organization that way they can then take the information back, and it can disseminate through the various clients/other volunteers/ their neighbors and what not. There now, is that “sustainable”?

The past weekend was an adventure for the books- I traveled northwest to a small town in inland Inhambane Province called Panda. It is out there. No electricity ever, super rare to see white people, and just a very small community in general. Needless to say when twenty white ‘mulungu’s’ rolled in (white person) the whole town was interested. We spent Friday night hanging out around town, ended up at the local bar area where a hugggggeeeee crowd amassed to watch us dance and just be goofy. We tried in vain many times to get people involved to no avail. They preferred to just stand on the sidelines and watch the crazy white people shake their booties. After a while I did get tired with this though, feeling like an animal at the zoo, so I rested my laurels and laughed alongside the locals at my crazy friends.

The next day we loaded all of our things into a rented chapa (small bus thing) that drove us out into the matu (bush) we were about a 30 minute drive from the closest house, in the middle of a field, in the middle of nowhere. It was awesome. Super wide open spaces, sky as far as you could see, wind rushing through your hair. It felt good to be alive.

We set up tents, and just hung out with our sangria and bean stew all afternoon, playing games, singing songs, and just enjoying each others company. A pretty cool Valentines Day weekend if you ask me.  Side note; I spent valentines day with my good friends in Inharrime (the next town north of Quissico) we had market food, beers, and watched a girlie rom-com. Life was good.

So I went from one interior town in Inhambane province, to another interior town in Gaza province on Sunday. That was a very very very long day of travel, in the hot sun, while hung-over. I don’t recommend that to anyone. Long gone are the lazy hangover days of a couch, fast food/cold pizza, and a movie. Now, its heat, crowded hitchhiking, and long days of travel. How I miss being hung-over in the states haha. But I digress. . . . back to “peace corps” mode.

I’ll be here in Manjacaze until Friday or Saturday, depending on transportation options and when our seminar comes to a close. I am sincerely looking forward to getting back to site, my bed, my friends and neighbors, and my work. I think its awesome that I love my home/community here so much.

So as its almost the end of February, I have started getting together my social and work calendar together for the month of March. Coming up next month; I am throwing a “create your own superhero” party for a friends birthday at the lagoon/my house, then we have St. Patrick’s day, and our PDM (project design management) conference with Peace Corps at the end of the month. Stay tuned to see how it all goes.

Keep the emails, facebook messages, and any other forms of communication coming. I really appreciate them!

Let me know if/when anyone is interested in trying to Skype!

Xo

t