World Malaria Day

Good Morning World! 

So this past week I have been in Maputo with three other amazing PCV's and the Mozambican Leadership (board members) for the REDES project. After months of planning and countless emails, and a crazy busy week of the REDES project is officially on its way to become a Mozambican led association! We were very very busy this past week with all of that, so I haven't had the ability to be at site to do Malaria-related projects this month.... Such a bummer in some ways because there are SO many ways to transmit the message of Malaria prevention and treatment - like last year my REDES girls did a theatre skit and my organization did a small net demonstration in various houses of our patients. .

So I'm going to take this opportunity to bend your ear a bit about Malaria. Keep an open mind as you read, and try to picture yourself living in a country where this disease is still an endemic. 

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness - if this is left untreated, it is possible to develop very severe complications and die. 

Malaria is endemic throughout Mozambique with seasonal peaks during and after the rainy season (which is between November and January-ish). The seasonal intensity of transmission varies depending on the amount of rain and air temperature. The tropical climate combined with the presence of some of the most efficient vectors for malaria transmission facilitates malaria transmission throughout the entire calendar year.

In Mozambique, Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality especially among children. The disease represents around 45% of all cases in outpatient visits, approximately 56% of inpatient at pediatric clinics and around 26% of all hospital deaths. This relatively high prevalence of Malaria in many parts of the country puts the entire population at risk and poses a challenge for malaria elimination efforts nationally and in neighboring countries.

So... How do we solve this? How can we combat and fight this disease??

One answer is - Stomping Out Malaria in Africa. (http://stompoutmalaria.org/) It is an initiative of the United States Peace Corps, with a mission to join all PCV's across Africa and around the world to bring an end to the scourge of Malaria.

Some of the Goals of this initiative include;

Fighting Malaria in Our Communities

--Peace Corps will work to ensure every malaria-impacted Peace Corps Volunteer community (village or urban neighborhood) has universal bed net coverage and comprehensive malaria prevention and treatment education programs.

Partnering to Defeat Malaria in Target Countries

--Peace Corps will work with partners in all malaria-impacted countries to achieve the internationally agreed upon  of milestone or near zero deaths caused by malaria by 2015.

Building an International Malaria Prevention Community

--Peace Corps will work with partners to catalyze a community of practice for frontline malaria prevention professionals, using the internet to facilitate documentation and sharing of malaria prevention best practices internationally.

Mozambique officially joined the Stomping Out Malaria in Africa Initiative in February of 2012.

Volunteers commonly integrate malaria prevention education into routine home visits to HIV positive people and OCVs (orphans and vulnerable children).  They also work with organizations to help with bed net distributions, indoor spraying campaigns, and other behavior change campaigns.

• 162 Volunteers serving in the sectors of Health and Education
• 100% of Volunteers trained in malaria prevention
• 13 Volunteers have attended an intensive domestic malaria training
• 3 Volunteers have attended an intensive international malaria training

In 2012, 31 Peace Corps Volunteers participated in 49 malaria projects reaching 2,700 people in 45 communities.

Training of Trainers:  Volunteers trained leaders in their communities to be malaria prevention advocates.

In 2012, Mozambique PCVs trained 244 community health workers about malaria prevention and treatment through organized trainings.

584 community members were educated through outreach and youth groups.

Education Campaigns:

Volunteers have taught 384 students about malaria in their schools.

1,750 individuals have been reached during theater tours, through murals, and malaria fairs.

Targeting Vulnerable Populations:  

Over 120 children under the age of five were touched by a malaria message through messaging to caregivers.

start.pause.continue.

Blog started; Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Salutations-

Well after a very busy and productive weekend, I am back to reality here in Quissico. . . I don't know exactly why CCS wont include me in their planning’s/activities but they just WONT! Frustrations at an all-new high.

I came to work at the hospital yesterday, on time, bright eyed and ready to get crack-a-lackin’ only to find that our office had been commandeered by the head doctor of CCS. She was conducting individual interviews/meetings with each team member, not allowing anyone else in the office. So my counterpart Joao and I wandered around the hospital finding random rooms to work in. After about 2 hours of this, we were finally allowed back into the office. No sooner had I set down my stuff and opened my computer to start work, she asked me to step out into the hall to wait while they have a meeting. This has been happening on a daily basis as of the past few weeks. I have expressed my frustrations to both the CCS team (involve meee! I am here to be a part of this team/help where I can) and to Peace Corps. I get receptive feedback from both, and it all seems to be going well… until it happens again.

After sitting in the hall outside of the office for about an hour yesterday I finally decided to pack it in. I gathered my things, and went to have lunch with a friend. I spent my afternoon working from home and watching episodes of Lost (my latest tv show obsession).

Blog continued; Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Sorry about that, I was skyping with Angela, the volunteer that I replaced here in Quissico, and was able to include a few of our Peer Educators. Seeing their reactions, made me so happy, and we were all able to talk for about 20 minutes or so.

No one ever showed up to the office yesterday, and now that I am back here again today, after my meeting with Acomuza, no one is here yet again. Tomorrow is our Cha Positivo day here, and we have nothing prepared, no one has told me if I am giving a workshop or anything. . .it’ll be an interesting day. Being out of the loop at times has its advantages (ignorance being bliss, and all that) but when it comes to these types of things, it is just frustrating and slightly disheartening.

Oh well… live and let be.

Some funny stories from my recent travels to and from Maputo; on the way down there, I was hitchhiking with this man coming from Inhambane City, we got to talking about health, and how important it is to do HIV tests here. So, he decided to stop and do one during our journey! Now, as awesome as this is, I was not expecting us to take a turn off of the main road and drive about 20 minutes into a random little town out in the bush! We got there, and you could instantly tell that many of these people have never seen a white person. It was very funny, and mostly very awkward, but at the end of it all, I was able to encourage one more person in this country to get HIV tested. Overall, a win.

During this trip there was a massive rain storm, which usually isn’t an issue, except when you are sitting in the back of a truck, and have your computer with you. WOMP WOMP WOMP. So I had to abandon ship, and took refuge at a fellow PCV’s house while I waited out the storm. Luckily I was able to catch a ride soon after the storm passed, and I didn't have any issues the rest of the way.

This week has been a normal one on all accounts, nothing really to report, just work per normal, hanging out with Tia Julia and family, and of course my good buddy Lua. Doing a bit of meditation and reflection about some things, and anticipating the new journeys that I am about to embark upon.

Pictures; my latest favorite dish to make – sesame peanut veggie noodles. Ingredients; ginger, garlic, onion in sesame oil, add in peanut butter and some water, raw shelled peanuts, eggplant, couve (like a spinach) and some green oinions. Simmer down and then add in the glass noodles. YUM.

The Lua-girl, so fresh and so clean after a bath. Sitting pretty for mom!

xoxo

t

STAYING A THIRD YEAR!

Surprise! I am officially staying in Mozambique for a third year! I will be moving to Quelimane, Zambezia Province to work as a PCVL (peace corps volunteer leader) and with ICAP (an international organization through Columbia University) and the DPS (provincial department of health).

As a PCVL, my duties will be; Volunteer Support, Site Identification and Development, Programming, and assisting with Trainings. I will report directly to Peace Corps staff and will be working in a role of supporting all Volunteers in the northern region of Mozambique. 

With ICAP I will be working with creating GAAC groups, the Peer Educators, and creating the relationships between community based organizations and the hospitals/health centers. I may be flying up to Nampula in May to meet the entire ICAP team in the north and establish my role/work that I will be doing.

My timeline is now this-

Leaving site on July 28 to Maputo, going through all of my medical things (lab tests, physical exam, dental exam) that I would do for COS anyway, to determine that I am medically fit/in a sound state of mind. That will be done on August 1st, and from there I will be staying in Maputo while Moz 22 (the new health group) goes through their swear-in ceremony/supervisor's conference, and move north then (around August 9-11th). Going to Nampula to participate in the northern supervisors conference, and from there, moving to Quelimane. Looking to arrive at my site around the 12th or so of August I think. More finalized dates to be decided in the future. 

I will not have a roommate, I will be moving into the current PCV's house right now, which is a nicer apartment with running water etc right in town.

I will be getting half of a monthly allowance, in addition to my normal monthly allowance for my moving stipend. but i am going to try and save money in these next few months from my conferences/travel etc to buy things like a refrigerator etc. I will also be selling some things from my home in Quissico to current volunteers in the south, so will save money from that to set up my new home. i would like to have some more creature comforts and a more 'comfy' living situation for a 3rd year in africa.

Lua will be a hurdle to figure out. . . .Peace Corps will probably be flying my things to the north, or putting them in a car to Nampula with the other new Volunteers. Not sure if there will be room for the puppy girl... am looking into costs of flights and such to bring her north with me. . . I know it may be a stretch, but she is a BIG part of my life and sanity here.

I get 30 days of leave to the United States, sooo I was thinking of coming home over the holidays... Reasoning behind this- many of my friends will be traveling back to Pgh for the holidays to spend time with family. People are more likely to have time off, and it would be really nice to spend time with my family and such. And just being home for the holidays - snow, pine trees, skiing, FREEZING MY ASS OFF. etc haha Plus, it is when people here in mozambique are more likely to be traveling/everyone goes on holidays as well. 

ok... i think that is all for now. 

xo

t

accomplishments

Good morning everyone!

This blog is coming to you from under a mango tree at Acomuza, during one of our meetings. Its wonderful and breezy here, and the sun filters through the branches in small circles that dance across the sand. It's a beautiful place, with beautiful people surrounding me. I couldn't be happier.

Apologies for my lack of blogging as of late, its not that there aren’t things to say about what’s happening; I’m just busy living and experiencing these things.

So let’s start with what’s been going on at work! Something that I am very very proud of, a project that has finally started, and been running well, and hopefully will help the community in a BIG way!!

In town, we have this small HIV testing center, which is really just a small room that has space enough for 3 people and a table. The best thing about this center is that it is right in the center of town, accessible to everyone, passerby and locals. People don't have to go to the hospital to get tested, they can just stop in, wait 5 minutes, and -bam- know their HIV status, and receive a consult right then and there (as well as condoms and such). Sounds like a great thing you say? I agree!

The problems with this have been numerous- not enough man power to keep the center open mon-fri from 8am-3pm, lack of the HIV rapid tests, etc. So, seeing all this happening I spoke with my counterpart at CCS, and suggested that we select 5-7 people from Acomuza (my community based organization that is now partnered with CCS) train them to do HIV tests, and then have one person a day work in the center. After talking with both CCS, Acomuza, the hospital staff/director, and waiting 3+ months to get this training approved, it has started!

We have selected 6 volunteers from Acomuza to be trained (one for each day of the week, plus a substitute if someone is sick/cant make it to work). Training two people at a time at the hospital, for 3 days each (mon-wed) will let us have all 6 people trained in 3 weeks. Once this is completed, we are going to have a meeting to discuss and create the calendar/schedule for the center.

The best part about all of this?? The first two people to be trained actually showed up on time on Monday, yesterday, and today! The first two will be trained!! First step to success! Hopefully it will be the same next Monday when we all show up to work. Each person receives a certificate of completion once the training is over, which may not seem like a big thing for us Americans, but here in Mozambique – certificates are the thing to get. Seriously.

So that is my small victory and success story for the week! In addition to this, I have been busy planning/helping to program training for REDES facilitators.

THIS is the type of work that I love doing here, the transferable skills, the empowering of workers here in Mozambique. This is sustainable work. When I leave site, the volunteers will still have the training/abilities to do HIV tests, to run REDES groups etc.

This makes me feel accomplished. The world is not changing, I am not curing AIDS, but 6 peoples lives will be slightly more enhanced, and hopefully with this, we can reach out to so many more people here in Quissico to encourage them to be tested.

Delicious things that I have made this week – a delicious homemade granola with raisins and peanuts, a coconut banana parfait/smoothie type thing for breakfast, and moringa hummus to put on toasted veggie sandwiches for lunch. YUM.

Lua is doing well, she has a new play-buddy, a puppy from a few houses over. This puppy is hilarious and adorable. Of course I’ve taken him under my wing a bit, giving him flea medicine, and deworming meds. . . I hate to see mistreated dogs here. Best part of this little guy? He’s only a few months old, and already about as big as Lua. Hilarious.

I’ve also recently created one of the greatest inventions in my house, and could KICK MYSELF for not doing this sooner - A hand washing station that is located off the corner of my porch. I punched some holes in the cap of an empty plastic bottle, cut the bottom off, flipped it upside down, and strung a rope through slits in the side. I fill it up with water, and it streams out like a faucet, allowing me to wash my hands, face etc without pausing.

            -why it took me so long to create this…. I’m not really sure.

I have a busy month coming up, on the 10^th I head back to Maptuo for two things; the REDES training (11^th-13^th), and a meeting with my Peace Corps boss about my extension. 

--Welp… there it is. Cat’s out of the bag. I am extending my contract with Peace Corps, moving to Quelimane in the Zambezia Province in the northern part of the country. Details about logistics to follow. I wasn't even going to write about it in this blog until I had more information, but then I decided that you all should know my decision.

April 21-25^th I have another meeting for REDES in Maputo, but this time it is about the legalization of the project into an actual NGO. Exciting stuff! And then following that, I have my COS conference, where we go to all the doctors, and get all of our information for our leave dates/the last 90 days of our service.

And there goes the month of April! Wild.

Miss you all, and love you more.

tx