Hey Kids,
I woke up this morning to the sound of rain (good for the machambas, not so good for my clothes) and also the sound of my stomach grumbling. After a talented bout of acrobatic skill trying to remain upright while straddling the wet chimney latrine, holding on to my toilet paper and an umbrella, I got dressed and waited with the other people in my village for PC to take us to Maputo. The ceremony was at the Ambassador's residence (Despite Moz not currently having a formal ambassador). To our surprise, the former head of the Peace Corps Washington was in town, as he is the American Ambassador to the UN Programs in Rome (complicated, I know), and decided to join the ceremony. We gorged our self on food and Lychee juice and got a nice goodbye from our outgoing Country Director, Dave, who is leaving at the end of January. So as of this morning, I am officially done with training and am a Peace Corps Volunteer. We only had 5 people leave the program early, for a variety of reasons, out of nearly 70 trainees which is pretty darn good.
Tomorrow we are delivered to site and I will begin setting up my home and meeting my community. We had Supervisors conference this past week and I got the opportunity to meet a woman who works in my organization. From what she said, the group sounds great and does some fantastic work with children. I will wait until I observe everything for myself to delve into what exactly they do, and what I will be helping them with. I meet my supervisor on Sunday since he is going out of town Monday, and I am excited for it. Plus, I am inheriting a cat from another volunteer after the holidays, so will let you know how that turns out.
ALERT: I have a new Mailing address that will come straight Xai Xai, were I can pick it up. You can still send things to the PC office in Maputo, but I won't be able to get it until a driver happens to be passing by Xai Xai, which is about once every month or two. The address is:
Zachery Scott, PCV
C.P. 85
Xai Xai, Gaza, Mozambique
Airmail (Always best to put this)
Some of you might know that Gaza has been ranked as one of the highest areas of infection for HIV/AIDS in Mozambique, for a variety of reasons, with many areas hitting close to a 20% infection rate. I and the other volunteers have a great deal of work ahead of us and I look forward to having a couple weeks to set up my site and enjoy the holidays before really digging in.
Thanks for everything and enjoy the holidays. I will try and get an update out as soon as I have my bearings. Keep the letters coming. I love hearing about how everyone is doing back in the states.
Much Love,
ZS
Friday, December 7, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Guess who has his home fo the next 2 years...
Hey Kids,
This was a good week. We finally got our mail after almost a month. Normally it takes packages about 2 1/2 weeks to arrive in country and then some time to get in our hands, but there was a slight mix up with Peace Cops and every one's mail was delayed. A hearty thanks to Mom and David for their package of copies of The Economist (badly needed intellectual reading material) and the converter and studying aides. Also a big thanks to Dad and Dee for their over indulgent gift package that has basically isolated me from the rest of the volunteers out of sheer envy....hehe. Can we say Lobster Pate? Craziness.
Also, we received our site placements this week. It looks like PC is sending me to a semi-rural area working for a community based organization that is in need of some structural support and new ideas. The organization is AREPACHO, and they work with orphans, agriculture, and income generating projects, plus I get to work in the field...all of which I requested. This is also a new site, so Peace Corps has not sent a volunteer here before. They are located in the community of Choguene, just north of Xai Xai in the Provence of Gaza. Basically I am about a 4 hour Chapa ride from Maputo. I am looking at a picture of my house and it is super cute, although my bathroom is still in the process of being constructed. They are even building a veranda for me! PLUS, I have....(wait for it)....electricity! Well, at least that is what they tell me. I will have to assess everything once I get to site. From what I can tell, it is a cute little house and perfect for a person living alone. I will be sure and take plenty of pictures once I get to site.
As it stands right now, I am hoping to get to site and have everything up to PC Safety Code by Christmas. Then, if the stars are aligned, I will take a 7 hour Chapa ride up the coast to Vilankulo, to house sit for one of my favorite volunteers, Lily. The house is supposed to be great and her dog needs a care-taker while she and her roommate are away for the holidays. Plus since this is the first Christmas that I will be alone, I wanted to do something special. Snorkeling with manta rays and and resting on the beach sounds pretty good, right?
This past Thanksgiving alone was a little tougher than I thought, but I quickly recovered. We opted not to make a big deal about it, since anything we could put together would only make us miss our families more. So today, all the health trainees from my village have taken the trip to Maputo and we are eating lunch at a supposedly great Indian restaurant. This might be as close to turkey as I get....lol
I have to close for now, but thanks for keeping me updated on everything. Hopefully my cell phone will be arriving soon and I will be in closer contact with some of you.
Keepin it up,
ZS
This was a good week. We finally got our mail after almost a month. Normally it takes packages about 2 1/2 weeks to arrive in country and then some time to get in our hands, but there was a slight mix up with Peace Cops and every one's mail was delayed. A hearty thanks to Mom and David for their package of copies of The Economist (badly needed intellectual reading material) and the converter and studying aides. Also a big thanks to Dad and Dee for their over indulgent gift package that has basically isolated me from the rest of the volunteers out of sheer envy....hehe. Can we say Lobster Pate? Craziness.
Also, we received our site placements this week. It looks like PC is sending me to a semi-rural area working for a community based organization that is in need of some structural support and new ideas. The organization is AREPACHO, and they work with orphans, agriculture, and income generating projects, plus I get to work in the field...all of which I requested. This is also a new site, so Peace Corps has not sent a volunteer here before. They are located in the community of Choguene, just north of Xai Xai in the Provence of Gaza. Basically I am about a 4 hour Chapa ride from Maputo. I am looking at a picture of my house and it is super cute, although my bathroom is still in the process of being constructed. They are even building a veranda for me! PLUS, I have....(wait for it)....electricity! Well, at least that is what they tell me. I will have to assess everything once I get to site. From what I can tell, it is a cute little house and perfect for a person living alone. I will be sure and take plenty of pictures once I get to site.
As it stands right now, I am hoping to get to site and have everything up to PC Safety Code by Christmas. Then, if the stars are aligned, I will take a 7 hour Chapa ride up the coast to Vilankulo, to house sit for one of my favorite volunteers, Lily. The house is supposed to be great and her dog needs a care-taker while she and her roommate are away for the holidays. Plus since this is the first Christmas that I will be alone, I wanted to do something special. Snorkeling with manta rays and and resting on the beach sounds pretty good, right?
This past Thanksgiving alone was a little tougher than I thought, but I quickly recovered. We opted not to make a big deal about it, since anything we could put together would only make us miss our families more. So today, all the health trainees from my village have taken the trip to Maputo and we are eating lunch at a supposedly great Indian restaurant. This might be as close to turkey as I get....lol
I have to close for now, but thanks for keeping me updated on everything. Hopefully my cell phone will be arriving soon and I will be in closer contact with some of you.
Keepin it up,
ZS
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Pictures....Finally!
Hey Kids,
Well, we just finished week 7 and I am feeling much better. My site visit to Xai Xai was a real treat. The city was much larger than anything I would want for a site, but was a nice change of pace. I and another trainee, Nicole, stayed with David, a volunteer working for the very large NGO, Save the Children. After a week of checking e-mail, walking around the city, visiting the large market and eating as much goat as we wanted, Nicole and I went to the beach on Thursday and Friday. The volunteers had pitched in to get all the trainees who were visiting the area two beach houses for our last night. It was great to relax with everyone and watch the waves roll in. Hopefully you can understand why I took so many pictures of the sunrise at 5 am.
I arrived back at Mafuiane after catching a 4 hour Chapa ride back and then hitching a ride with a nice Mozambican farmer. In fact, I have taken a real shine to hitching rides to various destinations. In many ways it is safer than taking the overcrowded chapas, but they are sometimes the only option. When I arrived I found that the other volunteers were rested as well, but most of us were not in the mood to resume training. This week went especially slow, despite the exciting discussions on project implementation and budget composition.
Last night while I was reading my new book, "A Complicated War" (awesome, btw), I noticed that one of my neighbor's new baby goats who had just been born this past week, had an anus that was impacted with...well, stuff. I have no idea how it happened but this was problematic for the baby, as he/she was unable to defecate. When I addressed the issue with the Mama next door, she said she had noticed it but wasn't sure what to do. So I grabbed another trainee, Jody, got some gloves, caught the goat and began....well, you know. 20 minutes and plenty of doo doo later, the baby goat was back to prancing around with a fully funtional rectal cavity. The smell was foul, but it only intensified my desire to live in a rural area and raise some sort of animal...but more about that later.
This morning, I woke up at the earliest possibly hour and went with a neighborhood boy, Gildo, to help me cut down reeds so that I could learn to make an astera mat. These are pretty simple mats that all the women use to sit on during the heat of the day when you want to be in the shade outside where there is breeze. The problem is that if you wait too long in the morning to collect the reeds, it gets warms and, as Gildo was quick to point out, cobras (meaning snakes) become a problem. Once those dry, I will begin working with Gildo in making my own mat.
After that, I went and had my interview with the Associate PC Director for Health, Janelle, regarding my site placement. She was very complimentary of my work in the tech sessions and I told her that I wanted a rural site working with kids, preferebly in the central portion of the country where assistance is most needed. She said that she already had a project in mind for me from the beginning that was along those lines, so I was happy. Whether or not I have electricity is to be decided. The ability to have a fridge and fans would be dreamy, but I might just be hoping. I should know my area next week and will update you shortly there after. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Depending on how far I am from a larger town, my updates on here might get a tad scarce.
Other than that, all is well. I'm strongly considering getting a dog when I get to site, so I might be in need to pet supplies depending on what is available in my area. Plenty of people have dogs in Moz, but the care and attention they give their pets is substantially less from that which is given in the States. I think that is one tradition I will not pick up.
Pictures are attached to the original e-mail. Sorry for making you join Snapfish to see them, but I couldn't find away around the photo-sharing sites. Thanks for the e-mails and letters. They help tremendously. PC has been a little slow in getting us our mail, but I know a couple things are in route.
Stay in touch and I'll try and do the same.
LU,
ZS
Well, we just finished week 7 and I am feeling much better. My site visit to Xai Xai was a real treat. The city was much larger than anything I would want for a site, but was a nice change of pace. I and another trainee, Nicole, stayed with David, a volunteer working for the very large NGO, Save the Children. After a week of checking e-mail, walking around the city, visiting the large market and eating as much goat as we wanted, Nicole and I went to the beach on Thursday and Friday. The volunteers had pitched in to get all the trainees who were visiting the area two beach houses for our last night. It was great to relax with everyone and watch the waves roll in. Hopefully you can understand why I took so many pictures of the sunrise at 5 am.
I arrived back at Mafuiane after catching a 4 hour Chapa ride back and then hitching a ride with a nice Mozambican farmer. In fact, I have taken a real shine to hitching rides to various destinations. In many ways it is safer than taking the overcrowded chapas, but they are sometimes the only option. When I arrived I found that the other volunteers were rested as well, but most of us were not in the mood to resume training. This week went especially slow, despite the exciting discussions on project implementation and budget composition.
Last night while I was reading my new book, "A Complicated War" (awesome, btw), I noticed that one of my neighbor's new baby goats who had just been born this past week, had an anus that was impacted with...well, stuff. I have no idea how it happened but this was problematic for the baby, as he/she was unable to defecate. When I addressed the issue with the Mama next door, she said she had noticed it but wasn't sure what to do. So I grabbed another trainee, Jody, got some gloves, caught the goat and began....well, you know. 20 minutes and plenty of doo doo later, the baby goat was back to prancing around with a fully funtional rectal cavity. The smell was foul, but it only intensified my desire to live in a rural area and raise some sort of animal...but more about that later.
This morning, I woke up at the earliest possibly hour and went with a neighborhood boy, Gildo, to help me cut down reeds so that I could learn to make an astera mat. These are pretty simple mats that all the women use to sit on during the heat of the day when you want to be in the shade outside where there is breeze. The problem is that if you wait too long in the morning to collect the reeds, it gets warms and, as Gildo was quick to point out, cobras (meaning snakes) become a problem. Once those dry, I will begin working with Gildo in making my own mat.
After that, I went and had my interview with the Associate PC Director for Health, Janelle, regarding my site placement. She was very complimentary of my work in the tech sessions and I told her that I wanted a rural site working with kids, preferebly in the central portion of the country where assistance is most needed. She said that she already had a project in mind for me from the beginning that was along those lines, so I was happy. Whether or not I have electricity is to be decided. The ability to have a fridge and fans would be dreamy, but I might just be hoping. I should know my area next week and will update you shortly there after. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Depending on how far I am from a larger town, my updates on here might get a tad scarce.
Other than that, all is well. I'm strongly considering getting a dog when I get to site, so I might be in need to pet supplies depending on what is available in my area. Plenty of people have dogs in Moz, but the care and attention they give their pets is substantially less from that which is given in the States. I think that is one tradition I will not pick up.
Pictures are attached to the original e-mail. Sorry for making you join Snapfish to see them, but I couldn't find away around the photo-sharing sites. Thanks for the e-mails and letters. They help tremendously. PC has been a little slow in getting us our mail, but I know a couple things are in route.
Stay in touch and I'll try and do the same.
LU,
ZS
Saturday, November 3, 2007
It's been a tough week...
The end of week 5 marked the halfway point in our training. We took the first of our two LPI's which gauge our proficiency in Portuguese and must be passed for us to be delivered to site. Our guest speaker on Thursday was a mother living with HIV. She told us that she became aware of her status when she went in for a pre-natal exam. Upon telling her husband, he promptly left her and their two children with one more on the way. So not only did she have to deal with losing her husband and the income associated with him, but also with being positive, pregnant and an active mother. Apparently this is not an uncommon story. Because of the lack of jobs, many men go to work in the mines of South Africa for years at a time, sending money back to their family. Sadly this is also when some of them contract the disease. Luckily the baby did not contract the disease during delivery. Mom was breast feeding exclusively for the first 6 months until the local Christian organization that she gets food from told her to stop, and that they would supply her with formula for the baby. Now the organization is out of food and the baby is hungry. Her two other children are not eating regularly either, and she is forced to make the decision of whether to let her baby go hungry, or beast feed and potentially pass the virus on to him. When she was done, there was not a dry eye in the place. It's at times like these that you question your ability to handle this whole experience, but also see the need for aide and volunteers.
The next day, Friday, after class I went to Buane to check some emails and escape a little bit. As I was leaving the cafe' and walking back to the chapa stop, a truck sped by weaving in and out of the lanes. I don't know whether the driver was in a hurry or the brakes went out, but he lost control and the huge truck turned over on its side. By the time I ran there, two men were pulling the man out of the driver's seat. His leg had been crushed and was hanging on by only a few stands of muscle. I felt completely helpless as I didn't know the number for emergency services and I didn't have a phone even if I did know them. I didn't have any gloves with me to assist and I didn't have the medical knowledge to do any good if I had. Plus my language skills were no strong enough to help direct people. All I could do was sit back and watch as his guy was laying on the side of the road with half a leg and yell in my broken Portuguese "We need a car! We need a hospital." Eventually cars started honking their horns and trying to get around the accident all at once. I put down my things and directed traffic until a truck came to take the man to the hospital. Looking back it was actually kind of humorous as this little skinny white boy is telling these persistent chapa drivers to stop. One kept moving, so I yelled "Para!" and actually startled him a bit. But it worked and he stopped. Afterwards I just kept getting angry about how helpless we all seem to feel right now. We came here to "do good" but I don't even know how that is measured or what it means. We leave for site visit on Monday to see a current volunteer in the field for about 5 days. It should be a nice beak from training and a chance to get a much needed boost.
Also, I know a couple of you have wanted to send care packages. That is super sweet of you and always appreciated. Most things I can either get in country or live without. But here is a wish list anyways:
*BOOKS! - It is so hard to come by good reading material in Moz. Anything historical, health, or Pulitzer is always nice. I just finished "Mountains beyond Mountains" and I highly recommend it. I'm wanting to read a doctoral thesis called AIDS and Accusation soon.
*Index cards - They are nearly impossible to get in Moz and SUPER helpful in learning vocabulary. I will need them for the next year or so.
*Hobbies - Any books or materials hat can help me start a hobby. I will not have a TV or radio at site, so it will be nice to have things to work on. Help me get creative!
*Converter - Moz works on a 220 amp and my trimmer works on an American 110 amp. I have the adapter for the prongs, but I need a converter for the wattage.
*Double A Batteries - for camera
*General goodies - Pictures are always nice. Have fun and I will try and pick up some cultural items for you as I get deeper into service.
Thanks for everything and the support along the way.
I'll keep my chin up and stay in touch.
xo
Zachariah
The next day, Friday, after class I went to Buane to check some emails and escape a little bit. As I was leaving the cafe' and walking back to the chapa stop, a truck sped by weaving in and out of the lanes. I don't know whether the driver was in a hurry or the brakes went out, but he lost control and the huge truck turned over on its side. By the time I ran there, two men were pulling the man out of the driver's seat. His leg had been crushed and was hanging on by only a few stands of muscle. I felt completely helpless as I didn't know the number for emergency services and I didn't have a phone even if I did know them. I didn't have any gloves with me to assist and I didn't have the medical knowledge to do any good if I had. Plus my language skills were no strong enough to help direct people. All I could do was sit back and watch as his guy was laying on the side of the road with half a leg and yell in my broken Portuguese "We need a car! We need a hospital." Eventually cars started honking their horns and trying to get around the accident all at once. I put down my things and directed traffic until a truck came to take the man to the hospital. Looking back it was actually kind of humorous as this little skinny white boy is telling these persistent chapa drivers to stop. One kept moving, so I yelled "Para!" and actually startled him a bit. But it worked and he stopped. Afterwards I just kept getting angry about how helpless we all seem to feel right now. We came here to "do good" but I don't even know how that is measured or what it means. We leave for site visit on Monday to see a current volunteer in the field for about 5 days. It should be a nice beak from training and a chance to get a much needed boost.
Also, I know a couple of you have wanted to send care packages. That is super sweet of you and always appreciated. Most things I can either get in country or live without. But here is a wish list anyways:
*BOOKS! - It is so hard to come by good reading material in Moz. Anything historical, health, or Pulitzer is always nice. I just finished "Mountains beyond Mountains" and I highly recommend it. I'm wanting to read a doctoral thesis called AIDS and Accusation soon.
*Index cards - They are nearly impossible to get in Moz and SUPER helpful in learning vocabulary. I will need them for the next year or so.
*Hobbies - Any books or materials hat can help me start a hobby. I will not have a TV or radio at site, so it will be nice to have things to work on. Help me get creative!
*Converter - Moz works on a 220 amp and my trimmer works on an American 110 amp. I have the adapter for the prongs, but I need a converter for the wattage.
*Double A Batteries - for camera
*General goodies - Pictures are always nice. Have fun and I will try and pick up some cultural items for you as I get deeper into service.
Thanks for everything and the support along the way.
I'll keep my chin up and stay in touch.
xo
Zachariah
Saturday, October 27, 2007
OK OK...I'll come clean
Alright, So apparently a few of you wanted more details than I was giving out. I'm not crazy about the LONG blog posts, so this will be one of the few....
Most of you wanted to know my daily routine and a few more specifics about Mozambique's program. Peace Corps has been in Moz since 1998 and only started sending health volunteers 2 years ago. There is a great overview of the country at http://www.worldviewmagazine.com/issues/article.cfm?id=211&issue=48. Our Country Director, Dave, is a pretty fantastic human being with a lifetime of experience in Peace Corps, Ameri Corps and the like. Sadly he is retiring in January, which surprisingly is the biggest thing that most volunteers are worried about. His past policies have put the volunteers more in control of their environment and the projects they take on. As a result, Moz is one of the stronger model programs in the world. Our Health Trainer is Caroline, a shorter woman from Zimbabwe that most of us refer to as God. She is a nurse, a midwife, an AIDS Activist and an amazing teacher. She has lost family members to the disease and brings an amazingly real perspective in dealing with the more human side of the epidemic. She also did some clinical trial work at Stanford, so her understanding of the disease (not to mention her English) is better than most. The training staff (Claudia) is fantastic as well. You can tell they have gotten good at their jobs...
Everyday I wake up...twice. First when my Cows go off, along with the other symphony of goats, birds and roosters, at around 4am. Amazingly, I am able to suppress my anger at any creature not wielding oposable thumbs long enough to drift back to sleep. Mama Florencia knocks on my door at 6am and gives me about 5 minutes to rouse myself. The moment my door opens I am handed a broom and bucket to clean my floors, afterwards I empty out my "Xi Xi" bucket from the previous night's....tinkles.
I go get the boiling water that mama has lovingly prepared and mix it in my "basiha" to take my bucket bath. To be honest, I actually enjoy my bucket baths. It is a very freeing experience and once you get over the concept that you will NEVER REALLY be as clean as you were in the States, everything falls into place.
After my bath I go and have breakfast, which usually consists of freeze-dried coffee (which I am trying to stop drinking), and egg and bread. I head to class at about 7:30am and we have language for 4 hours. There are 2 "pods" in my village, so they can keep the language groups small to about 5 people per group. We break for lunch for about an hour, then return back for a few hours of technical (health) sessions and/or cross-cultural sessions. These are led by Carolina or one of the 2 current volunteers that visit us each week. After that we have language tutoring and then head back home to study, help make dinner, take another bath and study some more. Everyone is pretty tired by about 8pm, so there are very few wild nights. I have introduced my family to sweet potato fries and also beets. They loved both.
The health care in Peace Corps is impressive. We have gotten just about every vaccine that you can imagine, and are issued a fantastic medical kit filled with all kinds of goodies. The medical teams is always available for questions or concerns, and Peace Corps will fly you down to Maputo for any medical appointments or mental health check ups. One thing they don't mess around with is the health of their volunteers.
It's hard to imagine that we are almost halfway through training. After the first week, things started speeding by. The week after next we will have our site visits. This is where we go to stay with another health volunteer in the field and get a little hands on experience. The week after that is a very heavy tech week, and then the following week is the administrators conference, where we will meet our new NGO's....I think.
The nights get a little lonely, but they are very manageable, since we are loaded with work each day. Many of us fear going to site and not having much to do for the first few months while we acclimate. I need to start looking for hobbies that can keep me busy. Might not be bad to have a few...
Overall, this is a pretty secure program. The kids are energetic, motivated and capable. We have had a few ET (early terminate) for various reasons, but most of us are still in it for the long haul. Knowing the good that will come from our being here helps when questioning our commitment and our...intestinal fortitude.
Once we get to site we will have less monotony. Right now they are trying to keep up busy with a daily routine, and it's certainly for the best. We all miss our family, our boyfriends or girlfriends, our favorite foods and our emotional security....and by missing these things together, it bring us closer and makes it all very manageable.
I'm going to close for now. Hope this has been a more informative post than my previous ones. If any of you have specific questions, let me know and I can answer. Letter and packages are always nice. I am always in need of more books to read (and index cards to study language with).
Keep me posted on gossip and news from back home. I miss you guys, but as always, I'm having a blast.
Much love,
Zacariah
P.S. Also, I had a Duh Moment on my last post. I called Sandra "Shirley". Also, thanks to Jeffrey for his second card. Made me miss Weho's Halloween festivites....
Most of you wanted to know my daily routine and a few more specifics about Mozambique's program. Peace Corps has been in Moz since 1998 and only started sending health volunteers 2 years ago. There is a great overview of the country at http://www.worldviewmagazine.com/issues/article.cfm?id=211&issue=48. Our Country Director, Dave, is a pretty fantastic human being with a lifetime of experience in Peace Corps, Ameri Corps and the like. Sadly he is retiring in January, which surprisingly is the biggest thing that most volunteers are worried about. His past policies have put the volunteers more in control of their environment and the projects they take on. As a result, Moz is one of the stronger model programs in the world. Our Health Trainer is Caroline, a shorter woman from Zimbabwe that most of us refer to as God. She is a nurse, a midwife, an AIDS Activist and an amazing teacher. She has lost family members to the disease and brings an amazingly real perspective in dealing with the more human side of the epidemic. She also did some clinical trial work at Stanford, so her understanding of the disease (not to mention her English) is better than most. The training staff (Claudia) is fantastic as well. You can tell they have gotten good at their jobs...
Everyday I wake up...twice. First when my Cows go off, along with the other symphony of goats, birds and roosters, at around 4am. Amazingly, I am able to suppress my anger at any creature not wielding oposable thumbs long enough to drift back to sleep. Mama Florencia knocks on my door at 6am and gives me about 5 minutes to rouse myself. The moment my door opens I am handed a broom and bucket to clean my floors, afterwards I empty out my "Xi Xi" bucket from the previous night's....tinkles.
I go get the boiling water that mama has lovingly prepared and mix it in my "basiha" to take my bucket bath. To be honest, I actually enjoy my bucket baths. It is a very freeing experience and once you get over the concept that you will NEVER REALLY be as clean as you were in the States, everything falls into place.
After my bath I go and have breakfast, which usually consists of freeze-dried coffee (which I am trying to stop drinking), and egg and bread. I head to class at about 7:30am and we have language for 4 hours. There are 2 "pods" in my village, so they can keep the language groups small to about 5 people per group. We break for lunch for about an hour, then return back for a few hours of technical (health) sessions and/or cross-cultural sessions. These are led by Carolina or one of the 2 current volunteers that visit us each week. After that we have language tutoring and then head back home to study, help make dinner, take another bath and study some more. Everyone is pretty tired by about 8pm, so there are very few wild nights. I have introduced my family to sweet potato fries and also beets. They loved both.
The health care in Peace Corps is impressive. We have gotten just about every vaccine that you can imagine, and are issued a fantastic medical kit filled with all kinds of goodies. The medical teams is always available for questions or concerns, and Peace Corps will fly you down to Maputo for any medical appointments or mental health check ups. One thing they don't mess around with is the health of their volunteers.
It's hard to imagine that we are almost halfway through training. After the first week, things started speeding by. The week after next we will have our site visits. This is where we go to stay with another health volunteer in the field and get a little hands on experience. The week after that is a very heavy tech week, and then the following week is the administrators conference, where we will meet our new NGO's....I think.
The nights get a little lonely, but they are very manageable, since we are loaded with work each day. Many of us fear going to site and not having much to do for the first few months while we acclimate. I need to start looking for hobbies that can keep me busy. Might not be bad to have a few...
Overall, this is a pretty secure program. The kids are energetic, motivated and capable. We have had a few ET (early terminate) for various reasons, but most of us are still in it for the long haul. Knowing the good that will come from our being here helps when questioning our commitment and our...intestinal fortitude.
Once we get to site we will have less monotony. Right now they are trying to keep up busy with a daily routine, and it's certainly for the best. We all miss our family, our boyfriends or girlfriends, our favorite foods and our emotional security....and by missing these things together, it bring us closer and makes it all very manageable.
I'm going to close for now. Hope this has been a more informative post than my previous ones. If any of you have specific questions, let me know and I can answer. Letter and packages are always nice. I am always in need of more books to read (and index cards to study language with).
Keep me posted on gossip and news from back home. I miss you guys, but as always, I'm having a blast.
Much love,
Zacariah
P.S. Also, I had a Duh Moment on my last post. I called Sandra "Shirley". Also, thanks to Jeffrey for his second card. Made me miss Weho's Halloween festivites....
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Guess who got his first pieces of mail.....
Hey Kids,
Who rocks my face off?? Shirley in Oklahoma and Jeffrey in WeHo Rock my face off! They were the senders of my first pieces of mail. Jeffrey, a return volunteer, sent me some encouraging words, and Shirley sent me a little care package with bandanas and other goodies to enjoy. Much thanks, as it made me the envy of the other volunteers. Any kids in South Carolina that can, I want some Gamecock attire.... Those of you who asked, the address again is:
Zachery Scott, PCT (After my training, it will be PCV)
Corpo Da Paz/U.S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo
Mozambique
My beard is growing out nicely, and I look 40 again. I will keep taking pictures and upload them all in a month or so. Learning Portuguese is coming along slowly but surely. It is an intensive program, but effective. We are also intertwining technical classes and cross-cultural classes in as well, resulting in little free time. The emotional roller coaster is slowing down a bit. I feel less manic, and more secure about our role and need in the country. Mozambique remains to impress me with the overall hospitality of its people and the beauty of its lands.
Once I get more into training and eventually to site, I will have more to report. Right now they are just working us pretty hard to get everyone up to speed before letting us loose on our projects.
Keep the letters and packages coming. They are always a nice surprise.
Much love,
Zachariah
Who rocks my face off?? Shirley in Oklahoma and Jeffrey in WeHo Rock my face off! They were the senders of my first pieces of mail. Jeffrey, a return volunteer, sent me some encouraging words, and Shirley sent me a little care package with bandanas and other goodies to enjoy. Much thanks, as it made me the envy of the other volunteers. Any kids in South Carolina that can, I want some Gamecock attire.... Those of you who asked, the address again is:
Zachery Scott, PCT (After my training, it will be PCV)
Corpo Da Paz/U.S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo
Mozambique
My beard is growing out nicely, and I look 40 again. I will keep taking pictures and upload them all in a month or so. Learning Portuguese is coming along slowly but surely. It is an intensive program, but effective. We are also intertwining technical classes and cross-cultural classes in as well, resulting in little free time. The emotional roller coaster is slowing down a bit. I feel less manic, and more secure about our role and need in the country. Mozambique remains to impress me with the overall hospitality of its people and the beauty of its lands.
Once I get more into training and eventually to site, I will have more to report. Right now they are just working us pretty hard to get everyone up to speed before letting us loose on our projects.
Keep the letters and packages coming. They are always a nice surprise.
Much love,
Zachariah
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Stop Blessing the Rain Down in Africa!!!
Hey Kids,
So we took a day trip to Maputo to buy some extra supplies and to check our internet. The trip took an hour on a Chupa, which is basically a 10 person van that has 30 people shoved into it. It cost me 20 Metacais one way which is less than a dollar. An hour in an Internet cafe costs 2 dollars. So in a month when I an travel on my own, it will be easier and inexpensive to update everyone.
The days of pre-training in Maputo were pretty posh compared to the village we are in right now. As we are on the bus headed to Mafuiane, they told us that because it had rained, the bus could not get through the streets, so we would have to walk. Oh sweet heaven was it muddy! Our moms were already waiting for us. Momma Florencia yelled out "Zacheria" and when I looked up, came over and gave me hugs and kisses. She is a delightful young woman, only 28 years in age. Papa Augusto is 30 and both a farmer and contract brick layer. I have 3 younger sibling; Padmiera is 7, Anna is 4, and Leno is 1. They are beyond precious and I play games with them every day, which is exhausting. And yes, I have taken pictures and will send them out in the months to come.
I take a bucket bath each morning when I wake up and each evening before dinner. We have chickens, goats, and pigs running around. Once you get over the fact that you will NEVER be as clean as you were in an American shower, you get comfortable VERY quick. The toilet is also outside on the other side of the wall from the shower. I experienced what can only be described as the Mozambican Slide the first 2 days I was in Mafuiane. Thankfully my system has acclimated.
My host family loved the gifts i brought them, but I will keep an eye out for more toys that I can bring to the children. I am keeping both a written and a video journal of my first impressions and experience. They will help supplement this blog.
Overall, I cannot convey how much fun I am having. This is such a different world. There is much to learn on both sides of the fence. I will promise to update more.
Much love and remember...
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
ZS
So we took a day trip to Maputo to buy some extra supplies and to check our internet. The trip took an hour on a Chupa, which is basically a 10 person van that has 30 people shoved into it. It cost me 20 Metacais one way which is less than a dollar. An hour in an Internet cafe costs 2 dollars. So in a month when I an travel on my own, it will be easier and inexpensive to update everyone.
The days of pre-training in Maputo were pretty posh compared to the village we are in right now. As we are on the bus headed to Mafuiane, they told us that because it had rained, the bus could not get through the streets, so we would have to walk. Oh sweet heaven was it muddy! Our moms were already waiting for us. Momma Florencia yelled out "Zacheria" and when I looked up, came over and gave me hugs and kisses. She is a delightful young woman, only 28 years in age. Papa Augusto is 30 and both a farmer and contract brick layer. I have 3 younger sibling; Padmiera is 7, Anna is 4, and Leno is 1. They are beyond precious and I play games with them every day, which is exhausting. And yes, I have taken pictures and will send them out in the months to come.
I take a bucket bath each morning when I wake up and each evening before dinner. We have chickens, goats, and pigs running around. Once you get over the fact that you will NEVER be as clean as you were in an American shower, you get comfortable VERY quick. The toilet is also outside on the other side of the wall from the shower. I experienced what can only be described as the Mozambican Slide the first 2 days I was in Mafuiane. Thankfully my system has acclimated.
My host family loved the gifts i brought them, but I will keep an eye out for more toys that I can bring to the children. I am keeping both a written and a video journal of my first impressions and experience. They will help supplement this blog.
Overall, I cannot convey how much fun I am having. This is such a different world. There is much to learn on both sides of the fence. I will promise to update more.
Much love and remember...
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
ZS
Monday, September 24, 2007
Leaving on Jet Plane....
Hey Kids,
So we just finished up a couple days of "staging." Basically they run down what is expected and try and scare off the thin skinned. Well, this Boy is still here! I took my first malaria pill (which is a weekly dosage) and I haven't had one violent dream yet (a common side effect), which is disappointing. The 70 other volunteers who are headed to Mozambique with me are almost all fresh out of college. I'm only 2 years older than then, but that experience working in the real world is apparent.
There are only 20 other health workers in my group, and they are breaking us all into sub-sections. I'm eager to see who I will actually be working with the next 3 months. Also, it looks like there is only one other gay person in my whole class, and he will be separated from my group next week. Looks like I'll have to humor myself with those fun Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand/Broadway/Scathing comments that pop into my head oh so often. Regardless, all is well and I'm excited to go.
I will probably not have much Internet access for the next three months, so don't fret if I don't update. I'm eager to experience this new culture that I have already preordained in my head as stereotypical "African." If I see a Starbucks when I get off the plane I swear I'm coming straight home....lol. My first blog entry had a mailing address for me for those of you who have been asking.
I have a 17 hour plane ride tomorrow so it's time for me to finish packing and get ready for bed. Will promise to updated you the moment I have Internet access. Until then...
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
ZS
So we just finished up a couple days of "staging." Basically they run down what is expected and try and scare off the thin skinned. Well, this Boy is still here! I took my first malaria pill (which is a weekly dosage) and I haven't had one violent dream yet (a common side effect), which is disappointing. The 70 other volunteers who are headed to Mozambique with me are almost all fresh out of college. I'm only 2 years older than then, but that experience working in the real world is apparent.
There are only 20 other health workers in my group, and they are breaking us all into sub-sections. I'm eager to see who I will actually be working with the next 3 months. Also, it looks like there is only one other gay person in my whole class, and he will be separated from my group next week. Looks like I'll have to humor myself with those fun Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand/Broadway/Scathing comments that pop into my head oh so often. Regardless, all is well and I'm excited to go.
I will probably not have much Internet access for the next three months, so don't fret if I don't update. I'm eager to experience this new culture that I have already preordained in my head as stereotypical "African." If I see a Starbucks when I get off the plane I swear I'm coming straight home....lol. My first blog entry had a mailing address for me for those of you who have been asking.
I have a 17 hour plane ride tomorrow so it's time for me to finish packing and get ready for bed. Will promise to updated you the moment I have Internet access. Until then...
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
ZS
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
And I'm Off....
Hey Kids!
Well, it's about that time. I leave Los Angeles tonight to spend a couple days in South Carolina with my dad, and then I will begin my trip out to Mozambique. I am BEYOND ready for this journey and excited for what lays ahead. Because many have been asking, those of you who wish to send letters or care packages, I can be reached at:
Zachery Scott, PCT (After my training, it will be PCV)
Corpo Da Paz/U.S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo
Mozambique
A few words to the wise...The mail service in Mozambique is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service; thus, it is important to be patient. If you plan on sending a package, You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. They do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. It is also recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently.
The first three months of my training will keep me busy and I probably will not be able to update this blog as much as I would like to. If you don't hear from me, don't worry. My modes of communication will broaden as I get the hang of my environment, so just be patient.
I cannot thank my family and friends enough for all the support they have given me. I never thought I would be as eager to take this journey as I am today, and it's because of the support I have received. I look forward to keeping in touch with you all, and seeing a couple of you who are coming out to visit. Have to finishing packing now, but will hopefully update this blog soon. Until next time...
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
ZS
Well, it's about that time. I leave Los Angeles tonight to spend a couple days in South Carolina with my dad, and then I will begin my trip out to Mozambique. I am BEYOND ready for this journey and excited for what lays ahead. Because many have been asking, those of you who wish to send letters or care packages, I can be reached at:
Zachery Scott, PCT (After my training, it will be PCV)
Corpo Da Paz/U.S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo
Mozambique
A few words to the wise...The mail service in Mozambique is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service; thus, it is important to be patient. If you plan on sending a package, You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. They do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. It is also recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently.
The first three months of my training will keep me busy and I probably will not be able to update this blog as much as I would like to. If you don't hear from me, don't worry. My modes of communication will broaden as I get the hang of my environment, so just be patient.
I cannot thank my family and friends enough for all the support they have given me. I never thought I would be as eager to take this journey as I am today, and it's because of the support I have received. I look forward to keeping in touch with you all, and seeing a couple of you who are coming out to visit. Have to finishing packing now, but will hopefully update this blog soon. Until next time...
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
ZS
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