Stomping OUT Malaria, in MOZ

Some info for you all to think about -

Malaria, an infection caused by the plasmodium parasite, has been a critical public health challenge for thousands of years. From the first recorded sighting in China in 2,700 BC, its signature high cyclical fever and anemia have gone on to kill hundreds of millions of people and the total number of infections is in the billions. In the year 2005 alone, World Health Organization estimates indicated that malaria infected between 350 and 500 million people and killed over 1 million, 90% of whom lived in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of those were children.

Since 2005, a massive international malaria control effort has begun to make significant progress. In 2010, WHO estimated that the number of malaria deaths annually had dropped to 655,000, with the majority of the decrease attributable to increased availability and usage of long lasting insecticide-treaded nets (LLINs). With the LLIN coverage across the continent reaching high levels, ho
wever, the potential for additional gains through net distributions diminishes. The international malaria prevention community, while maintaining high levels of net coverage, has increasingly turned its focus to training community health workers to diagnose and treat malaria in the home. As an organization supporting grassroots development, Peace Corps Volunteers work closely with CHWs across Africa.

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.

Check out more amazing work being done by volunteers around the continent! 

http://stompoutmalaria.org/2015/03/

algumas novidades

Good morning!

It has been a good while since I’ve posted- apologies. Things haven’t necessarily been busy here, its just that I’m not sure what to write about.

A few weeks ago, I finished up with the first round of site identification/development visits for the incoming health group (they arrive the first day of May) and spent a week or so in Quelimane, doing whatever it is I do here. From there I traveled to the northern city of Nampula, where I helped to facilitate the project design management (PDM) conference for the group Moz 22. This conference is held 6 months into our service here, giving us a chance to learn how to create, develop/design and implement a project alongside our counterparts to address the needs of our communities.

Sixteen Volunteers brought 17 counterparts from their local organizations to participate in the conference in Maputo and 11 Volunteers and 13 counterparts attended the workshop in Nampula. We are excited to see the community health projects they implement in their communities throughout the rest of their service!

From Nampula I traveled with the volunteers from the Nampula conference to Ilha de Mozambique. This was my second time on the island; I had traveled there in September of 2013 with my good friend Olivia after our REDES Handover conference. The island hadn’t changed, but I have, along with my interests. I had less of a desire to go to the discothèque, drink on the pier, etc. Instead I took the time to really see the historical aspects of the island. Went exploring through the fort, the historical museum that was once the governor’s house, the memorial garden, which honors those who were sold in the slave trade.  I took a lot of time to just relax, swim a good bit around the pier, and collect some beautiful sea glass. All in all, it was a fantastic and much needed mini-vacation.

I returned to Quelimane after a hellacious 14 hour trip that included 6 modes of transportation – a chapa to get from the island to Nampula, a personal car to get from one end of the city to the other, a big greyhound-style bus that took me to the turn-off to Quelimane, an open back truck that took me into the city and finally a bike taxi that took me to my apartment from the central market. It was a LONGGG day, and the next day, I don't think I moved far from my bed. 

at the fort

loving the sun and ocean

view of the pier from the top of the fort

some of the beautiful colors and architecture of Ilha

The last few weeks have been a boring string of daily life in Quelimane. Much of my work is still via computer/email, as I plan things for the upcoming round of site identification/development. I’ve been attempting to get in touch with people at the DPS, with little luck. Showing up to ICAP only creates more stress in my life because the office is such a negative work environment, and the end of this week finds me compiling the monthly reports from the volunteers we have in the districts. In addition to that, its time for our VRF (volunteer reporting form) to be filled in and turned into Peace Corps. While many volunteers do their own M&E in the field with their projects, and for various organizations the VRF is our own form of Monitoring and Evaluation. Fun times. . .

I was fortunate enough to participate in a Peace Corps panel at my old university, where two RPCV’s and myself were there to share our experiences and encourage people to apply for Peace Corps. It was a very interesting panel, full of similar life experiences and stories, though we all served at different times and in different countries. The panel didn't happen until midnight/1am my time here, so the next day was spent sleeping and working from home.

Today I’m back in the ICAP office, where I’m politely ignored, and not included in anything. Whatever.

I’ve started a countdown for various events- 140 days until I leave country, 34 days until the Bushfire Music Festival, and 125 days until my birthday. Haha! I’ve also selected my classes for the fall semester of school, and am trying to figure out my living situation. If anyone knows of a good but cheap road bike being sold, please let me know, I’m looking for one!!

Also, thought this was interesting and that you would all enjoy-

“Throughout service, Volunteers develop a relationship with a place like you would with a loved one.  First comes infatuation. Delighted by its immediate novelty and stimulated by adventure, you can’t wait to know it more intimately and give it all of your attention. Soon after the honeymoon phase recedes, however, you begin to perceive all of its “flaws,” and you’re forced to figure out whom you are in the face of all that is different from you. You might even come to resent the community for not being what you wanted it to be (for not satisfying you the way you hoped it would), before feeling so low you begin to wonder if it’s all worth doing in the first place. Then, like in any successfully intimate relationship, you discover the beauty in its depths and come to love it despite (or in spite of) its imperfections. You feel empowered because you see yourself and your community from a whole new perspective. You go on living, permanently altered by a secret only you are privy to because of the way you’ve experienced it directly.” - - written by a volunteer who recently COS’d from Armenia.

I can totally relate to this entire paragraph, and at this point, I’m looking forward to the work I have remaining in my service, and the next adventure on the horizon.

Be well-

t

moZAMbique

Hi hi hi!

It’s been a busy few weeks here in Zambezia province for me! Last week found me on the road participating in the first round of site visits and development for the incoming health group (this will be Moz group 24) in May. We had to change our schedule almost on a daily basis because of the massive flooding and road destruction throughout the province. Overall it was a great week, I really enjoyed getting out of the city, seeing some beautiful parts of this province, and meeting new people in the district sites. In the evenings I was hosted by the local volunteer in the town, and being able to walk around small towns, have a beer or two at the local barraca, and chat with people in the market made me feel like I was 'back in mozambique'. . . my life in the city is totally different from life in the districts/communities. 

what some of the roads look like in Zambezia province

our traveling office for the week

the view above beautiful alto malocue

the market in morrumbala

the bridge that connects the district of ile to namarrori - the volunteers we have there have not yet been able to return to site

the bridge collapsed as the truck was driving over it

The main focus of these visits was to introduce Peace Corps to the directors of health, directors of the hospital, and any district coordinators from INGO’s that work in the district. Some locations filled out a form, asking for a volunteer, and others didn't, but we visited anyway. One of the most positive things that could happen for a Peace Corps program happened to us in December. The health program is now officially linked with the ministry of health through a memorandum of understanding. This means that hospitals can directly request a volunteer, and that we will not need to be reliant on an INGO’s presence and the work that they provide for us.

            -The education program has had a memorandum with the ministry of education since we opened peace corps Mozambique in 1998 . . . the health program started here in 2004, and in 2014 we finally signed a memorandum. This is a BIG thing.

The districts that I had the opportunity to visit were; Morrumbala, Mopeia, Namacurra, Mocuba, Alto Malocue, and Ile. We were on the road Mon-Friday, and I returned to Quelimane in the afternoon on Friday. Hosted some volunteers here this past weekend and we had a lovely time. I will continue to say, that Quelimane is so much better when I have someone to pal around with.

Things are getting better for me. . .work is keeping me busy – various things going on in the numerous roles that I play. With ICAP we have created a template for peace corps volunteers to report what they are doing on a monthly basis- these are turned in on the 25^th of each month, and are submitted to our supervisors and the Maputo office for review and feedback. I think this is going to be an eye-opener for the teams about how underused the volunteers are, and where we want to be more involved/how we can participate.

With my role as PCVL, I’m leaving again this weekend for Nampula to help facilitate Moz 22’s project design management conference. That should be a nice time, and useful. I remember my PDM conference – it gave me the basic information and structure to design a project with my counterparts at ACOMUZA. I hope this group feels the same.

With the DPS I am still trying to make headway – they are excellent about staying in touch and communicating with me, but actual things happening are a bit harder.

The Nucleo Provincial do combate ao HIV/Aids has been busy creating a yearly program and budget for the HIV programs around the province. I was helpful in this process, showing my counterpart there how to use Microsoft excel to create an easier to understand/use budget. I’m excited to go there tomorrow to see how things have been going.

And to top it all off- I have scheduled myself some much needed R&R time after this PDM conference in Nampula . . Taking the location opportunity to travel over to Ilha de Mozambique. Which, in my opinion is one of the most beautiful places in this entire country. I’ve also bought my tickets to the Bushfire music festival in Swaziland at the end of May, so that is a fun adventure to look forward to as well.

Adventures, trying to stay busy, and the start of a new month…. 5 more to go!