tuesday's gone, with the wind.

Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday!

Yesterday was not the best of days for me, I was hit by some horrible stomach bug (again) and spent most of my day in bed or my bathroom. Yuck. Today I am feeling better, a little worse for the wear, but that's life in Moz for ya. Some days excellent, the next, you just cant seem to get away from your pit latrine.

So… last week was a good one, quite busy finishing up the last bits of REDES Workshop logistical things, a visit from the CCS Maputo team to our hospital here, the weekly meeting with my community organization Acomuza etc. . .life is back to normal here in Quissico, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Some of the things that I am working on this week are; promotion of a new and exciting tool called the Living Library. Its an online resource for PCV’s in Mozambique. It is created and curated for and by PCV’s and has a wide variety of subjects. It offers information and a focal point or “subject specialist” for each informational topic. It is still a work in progress, but with more promotion and involvement of others I think it could be a great success and incredible toolkit for current in-country volunteers.

The new REDES leadership is being voted in this week, and we should have an announcement by this weekend as to who the new representatives are going to be! Always exciting to know that the project is moving forward, and that it is being passed off into good hands. The actual handover will be taking place in Nampula City (like it did last year) and I have been invited to go because I am a Southern Coordinator, and because of my involvement with the registration and legalization process that happened in April. I am excited about participating in the handover, but that is one more weekend out of site, when I have so few left. . . its tough.

In addition to that, I am trying desperately to get the training project for the Acomuza members completed. If you remember, a few weeks back, I planned and organized a 2 week training for 6 volunteers from my community organization here at the hospital. During this training, the 6 volunteers were trained to give HIV testing and consults. From this training we want to open the testing center that is in town, to help increase the number of people being tested. The training went well, I even made certificates for everyone, and emailed them to one of my counterparts here at the hospital…. Unfortunately since the conclusion of the training, my counterpart has practically disappeared. He is working out in the field for CCS, which is understandable, but almost a month has passed now, and my Acomuza volunteers are without certificates, and the testing center has still not been opened. It is frustrating, and I am doing what I can to try and make it happen – but there are only so many texts and calls and general persistence one can do. It would be very sad to see this all work fall apart.

This past weekend I spent my time here at site. It was nice to relax with my friends, in my house, with my dog and the puppies (who are growing at an alarming rate). I started going through my clothes and some household things to give away and started thinking about what I am going to take with me to Quelimane. Sunday was Children’s Day here in Mozambique, so my Tia Thelma (my neighbor who moved to the other side of town) came over, and we made cakes for her daughters. It was a great time hanging out with her, baking cake, drinking tea, and watching a movie (in Portuguese of course), all the while knowing that the cakes were going to two of my favorite people in Quissico. Couldn't have asked for a better day.

Unfortunately yesterday I was hit by who knows what, and spent most of the day in bed. However, I used that opportunity to catch up on some media that came with a great review -Wolf of Wall Street. It was possibly the longest movie I have watched in a long time. While it was absolutely excellent, for those of you who know me, you know that I just cant sit through a movie, let alone a 3 hour one. So I was constantly pausing it, to make tea or to play with the puppies – but I did finally make it through!

how could you not want to play with those fuzzies! 

Today I am at the hospital, working with CCS on some things regarding Acomuza, and organizing various other things, like the GAAC Toolkit (we have a rough draft done!) oh, and getting my life together.

I have 5 weekends remaining in Quissico, and for 2 of them I will be away traveling for work. I

t's slightly depressing and overwhelming to know that my time in this amazing spot is coming to such a quick close. Knowing that I will never again live in my little grass shack, or be in this place of my life again. Wild. Its an interesting feeling to be sure, 2 years gone in what feels like the blink of an eye.

Speaking of, as of last week, I have officially been in Mozambique for 2 years! Wooo!