Merry Christmas! Happy Boxing Day! Technically, yesterday was Christmas. However, it was unlike any Christmas I have ever experienced. In order to get the full effect I feel it necessary to give a time line of events...
Dec. 24 12:30 PM Alexis and Ben meet me in my village. They see my house, we eat banana bread and mangoes. It is a good start to the day.
3:00PM Arrive in Nkhotakota. Have lunch, take bicycle taxi to Jesi's house.
5:00PM Ten of us have arrived at Jesi's. We are still waiting for 2, but the boxed wine is chilled (sort of) and we have peanut butter balls. Life is grand.
6:00PM First attempt at dinner. Or, first attempts at fire starting and boiling water. How many volunteers does it take to make dinner? Well...
8:00PM Still no boiled water. Boxed wine no longer chilled. Peanut butter balls are gone.
9:30PM The ten of us eat glue that should have been fettuccine Alfredo from 2 pans. Boxed wine makes everything better. Still missing the other 2 volunteers...
11:00PM They are on their way! No bicycle taxis so 5 of us decide we should walk to pick them up...
12:15AM Arrive at the road. Merry Christmas!
1:30AM Back to Jesi's. The 12 of us are together!
2:00AM Sleeping
5:00AM Time to wake up
8:00AM Walk to road to get a ride to Nkhotakota Pottery for Christmas Breakfast
8:05AM Massive rains hit Nkhotakota
8:20AM Find a ride in the back of a truck to the road...in the rain.
8:40AM Get on a bus to the turnoff for NP
9:00AM Thought it was a 200M walk to NP...turns out it is 4k. It is only sprinkling now.
10:00AM Full English breakfast. : ) Delicious
11:00AM We realize we don't have much else to do...so we should probably just hang out until lunch.
2:00PM Delicious lunch. Christmas is mostly about eating, right?
3:00PM Walk back to the road. Find a hitch back to Jesi's road. Alexis sits on a seizing goat, I hold on realizing this is not one of my smarter moves.
4:00PM Walk back to Jesi's.
8:00PM White Elephant gift exchange. Amy and Meg redeem our cooking efforts by making chili and rice and tortillas and guacamole.
9:30PM Fast asleep.
Not a typical Christmas but certainly memorable. I have been so blessed this year with amazing friends and family. I miss you all and hope you know you are with me wherever I happen to be.
loads of love,
elisabeth
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
When it Rains, it Pours
I had a discussion with another teacher about the weather in Malawi. "We have three seasons-from August to the middle of December it is the hot-dry season, then from December to the middle of May it is the hot-wet season where everything floods and we have a lot of mosquitoes. In June and July we have winter." (I believe that is the loosest term of winter ever used.)
I have a tin roof, for which I am very thankful because it helps keep the wildlife and I from co-existing. However, having a tin roof in the hot/dry season is like living in an oven and having a tin roof during the hot/wet season is like living in a metal plan with popcorn kernels constantly falling on your head. I am sure June and July will be really nice.
I am slowly getting my village life together. This week has been tough (for a variety of reasons) but there have been enough smiles, welcomes, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and amazing sunsets to make things okay. I have been falling into a routine of waking up around 5 to run, it is an incredibly beautiful place so it is a treat every morning, I get to see the sunrise, the mountains in the distance, and I often have an impromptu running club with the kids along the way. After I shower (via a bucket) and go to school (around 7). I have been spending the days at school reading books on training teachers, classroom observations, and how to create school and classroom improvement I found at the Teacher Development Center. I spend the afternoons at school or at the library (I tried to translate The 3 Little Pigs in Chichewa for a large group of children-it was pretty ridiculous). In the evenings Vinnocent (Vinny), my 5 year old neighbor sit on my porch sometimes dancing, sometimes coloring, sometimes I sew, but mostly just sitting. I have also had some interesting conversations with my other neighbors about America (they LOVE Obama and think America is great), religion, and food (eating snails = unimaginable and I had to convince them that Chinese cuisine does not include humans). Vinny's mom, my new amayi takes good care of me often bringing mangoes or nsima or whole fish (if you have any tips on cooking entire fish please send them my way). I read for a while and go to sleep before 9. Sometimes I feel like I am in Beauty and the Beast and want to start singing "There goes the baker with his tray like always..." But it is pretty stress free (minus fire starting and the occasional encounter with insects the size of my hand) I am certainly learning to love it.
This weekend a group of us are going to celebrate Christmas at Jesi's. I am really excited to see everyone (it is so strange going from spending every moment with the same 20 people to a few texts throughout the day). It doesn't really feel like the holiday season, trying to explain snow to Malawians reminds me of Cool Runnings--they get a very worried look on their faces and ask if the cars move. Though I miss bundling up and trying to find the perfect present (okay, I miss Target and lots of good food) it is kind of refreshing to be so removed from the commercialization of Christmas. Mostly, I miss you all and hope you are enjoying the good things of the season. Merry Merry Christmas.
loads of love,
elisabeth
I have a tin roof, for which I am very thankful because it helps keep the wildlife and I from co-existing. However, having a tin roof in the hot/dry season is like living in an oven and having a tin roof during the hot/wet season is like living in a metal plan with popcorn kernels constantly falling on your head. I am sure June and July will be really nice.
I am slowly getting my village life together. This week has been tough (for a variety of reasons) but there have been enough smiles, welcomes, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and amazing sunsets to make things okay. I have been falling into a routine of waking up around 5 to run, it is an incredibly beautiful place so it is a treat every morning, I get to see the sunrise, the mountains in the distance, and I often have an impromptu running club with the kids along the way. After I shower (via a bucket) and go to school (around 7). I have been spending the days at school reading books on training teachers, classroom observations, and how to create school and classroom improvement I found at the Teacher Development Center. I spend the afternoons at school or at the library (I tried to translate The 3 Little Pigs in Chichewa for a large group of children-it was pretty ridiculous). In the evenings Vinnocent (Vinny), my 5 year old neighbor sit on my porch sometimes dancing, sometimes coloring, sometimes I sew, but mostly just sitting. I have also had some interesting conversations with my other neighbors about America (they LOVE Obama and think America is great), religion, and food (eating snails = unimaginable and I had to convince them that Chinese cuisine does not include humans). Vinny's mom, my new amayi takes good care of me often bringing mangoes or nsima or whole fish (if you have any tips on cooking entire fish please send them my way). I read for a while and go to sleep before 9. Sometimes I feel like I am in Beauty and the Beast and want to start singing "There goes the baker with his tray like always..." But it is pretty stress free (minus fire starting and the occasional encounter with insects the size of my hand) I am certainly learning to love it.
This weekend a group of us are going to celebrate Christmas at Jesi's. I am really excited to see everyone (it is so strange going from spending every moment with the same 20 people to a few texts throughout the day). It doesn't really feel like the holiday season, trying to explain snow to Malawians reminds me of Cool Runnings--they get a very worried look on their faces and ask if the cars move. Though I miss bundling up and trying to find the perfect present (okay, I miss Target and lots of good food) it is kind of refreshing to be so removed from the commercialization of Christmas. Mostly, I miss you all and hope you are enjoying the good things of the season. Merry Merry Christmas.
loads of love,
elisabeth
Sunday, December 13, 2009
On becoming a REAL volunteer...
I am no longer a Peace Corps trainee, now I am a real volunteer. To you, all that means is a PCV behind my name rather than PCT when sending mail. To me it meant saying goodbye to my closest friends in Malawi, many whom I will not see for at least three months. It meant frantically running around Lilongwe shopping for all the things I could possibly imagine needing for my new house in an incredibly frantic three hour window. It meant swearing in as a real volunteer with the American ambassador to Malawi, it meant watching the Gule Wamkulu (the traditional Malawian dance = a HUGE treat), it meant packing up everything I have accumulated the past 10 weeks including a bike and a mattress and loading up Peace Corps transport to our new homes.
I moved to my site with friend Jesi, who is a short 30 minute bus ride away in Nkhotakota. I have managed to stay fairly busy setting up my house, trying to find the bore hole, carrying back water from the bore hole, getting lost carrying back water from the bore hole, having a small army of children lead me back to house carrying water from the bore hole, trying to start a fire, cooking over a fire (so far, I have made french fries, banana bread, and scrambled eggs with pumpkin leaves, tomatoes, and onions, along with salsa and a lot of peanut butter sandwiches), making curtains, scoping out the market, chatting with my neighbors, and reading. On Saturday one of my site mate's, Jillian came to visit. She is a health volunteer and lives about an hour away. She is going to America for the holidays but it was really nice to have a visitor.
First impressions of Mkaika = incredibly hot. After making dinner the first night I realized I have been less sweaty after a workout (yeah, I was pretty gross). I have great neighbors, the Amayi next door takes good care of me-perhaps because I gave her the banana bread, but I'll do whatever it takes to have an Amayi on my good side, and I found Pineapple in the market. It's not such a bad place.
I am going to begin work on Monday, slowly I think I will fall into a routine and I am looking forward to the time when this place feels like home. Also I have a new address, I am not sure how reliable it is, but I want to see if it works. Of course, the Lilongwe address is always good it is just a matter of me being in Lilongwe.
I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. I would love to hear from you soon! Miss you all!!!
loads of love,
elisabeth
I moved to my site with friend Jesi, who is a short 30 minute bus ride away in Nkhotakota. I have managed to stay fairly busy setting up my house, trying to find the bore hole, carrying back water from the bore hole, getting lost carrying back water from the bore hole, having a small army of children lead me back to house carrying water from the bore hole, trying to start a fire, cooking over a fire (so far, I have made french fries, banana bread, and scrambled eggs with pumpkin leaves, tomatoes, and onions, along with salsa and a lot of peanut butter sandwiches), making curtains, scoping out the market, chatting with my neighbors, and reading. On Saturday one of my site mate's, Jillian came to visit. She is a health volunteer and lives about an hour away. She is going to America for the holidays but it was really nice to have a visitor.
First impressions of Mkaika = incredibly hot. After making dinner the first night I realized I have been less sweaty after a workout (yeah, I was pretty gross). I have great neighbors, the Amayi next door takes good care of me-perhaps because I gave her the banana bread, but I'll do whatever it takes to have an Amayi on my good side, and I found Pineapple in the market. It's not such a bad place.
I am going to begin work on Monday, slowly I think I will fall into a routine and I am looking forward to the time when this place feels like home. Also I have a new address, I am not sure how reliable it is, but I want to see if it works. Of course, the Lilongwe address is always good it is just a matter of me being in Lilongwe.
I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. I would love to hear from you soon! Miss you all!!!
loads of love,
elisabeth
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Turkey Day!
Yes, I would love a piece of apple pie with ice cream. Thanks for asking. : ) Yes, I would love to be with my family watching some football games (okay, with my mom) enjoying an incredibly luxurious lazy day being completely spoiled by my family. Alas, this dream will have to wait because here I am celebrating #1 of 3 Thanksgivings in Malawi. Even though I am so far away from the American thanksgiving (we do get to celebrate at the ambassador's house on Saturday..woohoo!) I am certainly not lacking for things for which to be thankful. I am doing something I have wanted to do FOREVER and I have family and friends supporting me a million percent (yes, I think this is actually a real number)--so yes, I am very thankful this year.
Last week I found out where I will be living for the next 2 years...I am living in the Nkhotakota district along the lake shore (read: extremely hot!). I am about 40k south of the Nkhotakota central village which I have heard has Internet and a few restaurants. Salima is about 60k south of my village, Salima is considered a city (everything is relative), but I have friends in both villages so it will be really great to be able to visit both sites regularly. My village just got electricity at the trading center (where the market is) which means I can have a cold coke anytime I want! Beyond there, there are no homes or buildings with electricity (including the school and my house). My house is beautiful, I even have a spare bedroom for you to visit! I am in a small compound with 3 houses (one belongs to a policeman and his family--mother, you can sleep soundly now), it has a great porch and a tin roof. I am about a 4k walk to the lake, 5 minutes from the school, and about 5 minutes to the road and the market.
My counterpart came to Dedza last week for a supervisors workshop with all of the other counterparts (headteachers). We spent a few days together discussing expectations and guidelines, Saturday we all departed for our sites. We took a small minibus from Dedza to Lilongwe and a big bus from Lilongwe to my village. It was about a 4 hour trip from Lilongwe on a very crowded, standing room only bus...I have spent the past few days meeting the other teachers (I am now the only female staff member), meeting the primary education advisor, the community development organizer, police officers, the chiefs of my village and surrounding villages, an environment couple who live very close, and other good people. We traveled to one of the other schools in my cluster and spent a lot of time sitting underneath a tree. I am still not exactly sure what my job will entail, but I definitely know that I will keep myself busy.
I am in Lilongwe at the moment and will travel back to Dedza today or tomorrow, we come back to Lilongwe on Saturday to celebrate Thanksgiving at the ambassador's house, Sunday I am going to Blantyre for our language intensive week. We will come back to Lilongwe on Wednesday or Thursday to visit camp SKY ( an academic camp for students from our schools with potential), then we get ready to swear in on December 9th. The second month has gone much faster than the first...which is a good thing. I also have a phone now and it doesn't cost me anything to receive phone calls. I think Skype is the cheapest way to call (about 16 cents/minute)--I would love to hear from you! Also, once I am at my site I should be able to check my email every couple of weeks so keep those emails coming!
I hope you are all enjoying your turkeys and families. : ) Love and miss you all!
loads of love,
elisabeth
Last week I found out where I will be living for the next 2 years...I am living in the Nkhotakota district along the lake shore (read: extremely hot!). I am about 40k south of the Nkhotakota central village which I have heard has Internet and a few restaurants. Salima is about 60k south of my village, Salima is considered a city (everything is relative), but I have friends in both villages so it will be really great to be able to visit both sites regularly. My village just got electricity at the trading center (where the market is) which means I can have a cold coke anytime I want! Beyond there, there are no homes or buildings with electricity (including the school and my house). My house is beautiful, I even have a spare bedroom for you to visit! I am in a small compound with 3 houses (one belongs to a policeman and his family--mother, you can sleep soundly now), it has a great porch and a tin roof. I am about a 4k walk to the lake, 5 minutes from the school, and about 5 minutes to the road and the market.
My counterpart came to Dedza last week for a supervisors workshop with all of the other counterparts (headteachers). We spent a few days together discussing expectations and guidelines, Saturday we all departed for our sites. We took a small minibus from Dedza to Lilongwe and a big bus from Lilongwe to my village. It was about a 4 hour trip from Lilongwe on a very crowded, standing room only bus...I have spent the past few days meeting the other teachers (I am now the only female staff member), meeting the primary education advisor, the community development organizer, police officers, the chiefs of my village and surrounding villages, an environment couple who live very close, and other good people. We traveled to one of the other schools in my cluster and spent a lot of time sitting underneath a tree. I am still not exactly sure what my job will entail, but I definitely know that I will keep myself busy.
I am in Lilongwe at the moment and will travel back to Dedza today or tomorrow, we come back to Lilongwe on Saturday to celebrate Thanksgiving at the ambassador's house, Sunday I am going to Blantyre for our language intensive week. We will come back to Lilongwe on Wednesday or Thursday to visit camp SKY ( an academic camp for students from our schools with potential), then we get ready to swear in on December 9th. The second month has gone much faster than the first...which is a good thing. I also have a phone now and it doesn't cost me anything to receive phone calls. I think Skype is the cheapest way to call (about 16 cents/minute)--I would love to hear from you! Also, once I am at my site I should be able to check my email every couple of weeks so keep those emails coming!
I hope you are all enjoying your turkeys and families. : ) Love and miss you all!
loads of love,
elisabeth
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The First 6 Weeks!
I am making it. I am making it day by day, meal by meal, conversation by conversation; I am making my life in Malawi and I love it.
After nearly 72 hours of traveling from Grand Rapids to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to New York, New York to Johannesburg, and finally Johannesburg to Lilongwe I was a bit dazed arriving to a warm Peace Corps welcome at the airport. Many first and second year education volunteers excitedly greeted us with banners and cheers as we deplaned and were shuttled to the baggage area. After being so emotionally and physically exhausted from the weeks leading up to this point it was a huge relief to finally arrive. We had a brief meet and greet with the country director and current volunteers then we were promptly shuttled to Dedza College of Forestry where we spent the first week of training. I tried to take in the first moments of traveling through Malawi but the bus ride quickly put me to sleep…
Our first week of training was a combination of language, culture, and technical sessions to help prepare us for home stay and our teaching practice. We got used to the local cuisine (and by cuisine I mean nsima) and local bedtimes (between 8-9pm…perfect). One morning a few of us woke up around 4:30am to climb a little mountain next to the college. The sun was rising and it was one of my favorite memories so far. Saturday afternoon we split into three different villages for our home stay experiences. I realized how babysat I had been for the past week and became incredibly nervous to depend on a family I could barely communicate with. At that moment everything became so much more real, I realized this is how it is going to be for the next two years…I will not be babysat; I will be in a village BY MYSELF. For some reason I never really internalized what that would feel like…perhaps the idea that accepting those feelings would make it real made avoidance so much easier. Nevertheless, this moment could not be avoided so as Sexual Healing blared on the Malawian radio station our little group of seven sat in the back of a Peace Corps land cruiser heading towards Katsekaminga, our new home for six weeks.
About 30 minutes later we arrived to a large group of women and children clapping and singing for our arrival. I had no idea what they were singing about, but I knew I was in the right place. In a field, in a village, in Malawi, in Africa…thousands of miles from everything I know, but exactly where I was supposed to be. I was escorted to my home for the next six weeks with my Amayi (Malawian mom…though it should mean the backbone of the Malawian culture (specifically in Chewa land) and toughest ladies in the world). I have my own little home with two very quaint (read: tiny) rooms. I am incredibly lucky to be the only trainee to have electricity in my home, though being spoiled now is going to be tough when I live on my own…without an Amayi or electricity.
In the past five weeks I have gained three siblings and countless cousins/relatives. My amayi and abambo (father) have three children, Precious-12, Ayiesha-6, and Patrick-4. They are hilarious and certainly keep me entertained. Precious is in school and is the man of the house when my abambo is away. He has been so helpful and though might think I will make a really terrible Malawian women, he has been incredibly welcoming and is constantly saving me from looking completely ridiculous doing house chores (though that cannot always be avoided). Ayiesha is my six year old sister and probably the biggest diva in Katsekaminga. She loves pretty dresses, dance parties, and taking care of others (by others, I mean me). She and I have become pretty close (well, as close as I can become with a six year old I can have very basic conversations with). Our amayi is teaching both of us how to take care of a Malawian home and cook over a fire…she is much better than me. If you listen really carefully you might hear Patrick’s voice in America. He has more personality and spunk than most and LOVES cars…he will spend the entire day pretending to drive around his house. My abambo works in Blantyre for a transportation company, he was home the first two weeks of my stay but is now living in Blantyre for work. My amayi is a machine, I mean that in the most loving sense, but I wouldn’t mess with her. ever. She cooks three meals a day over a fire never once using an oven mitt or cutting board. She can wash clothes to make them whiter than I ever thought they could be, chop wood like a lumber jack, and makes the best African cake probably in Africa. (she “bakes” by putting coals on top of pot) She also has a free-zee business that takes up a lot of time. She makes free-zees from baobab trees and sells them in the market and to the neighborhood children; she is a smart lady that has taken advantage of her electricity and a freezer.
During the week I wake up around 5, sweep with Precious, and meet my friend, Alexis, for a run. We run down the road through Katsekaminga running into no less than 20 people we must greet. I take a bath (bucket style), eat breakfast (mandesi (fried dough), African cake, or bread, and a banana), and then head to school. We teach at Katsekaminga Community Day Secondary School, a 10 minute walk from my house. When we are at site I probably won’t be able to teach because my official position as a teacher development facilitator is more about training teachers and helping schools, but at the moment I am teaching English to form 3 (junior year). We have about 70 kids in form 3 which was intimidating at first, but because they are so eager to learn it has been a lot of fun and totally redeemed my love of teaching. I only teach one block a day and spend some of the other blocks observing other trainees, lesson planning, and reading old National Geographics. (Alix-I just read an article about the racetrack business in Kentucky and the problem with red births that was killing all the foals-it was a really interesting article from the May 2003 magazine…you should check it out!) We all go home for lunch (nsima or rice, soy pieces, eggs, chicken, goat, and greens), and then meet for Chichewa class around 1. We have a language class of four people (the other people in our village are learning Chitumbuka), I am slowly starting to have a decent grasp but there is much work to do in that department. We finish around 4:30 so sometimes we go to the market, sometimes we just sit and chat, sometimes we do group Yoga, and sometimes I just go home to help my Amayi make dinner. (See lunch menu) My family has a TV and a DVD player (I know, not the scene I thought I would have) so after dinner we watch music videos. Picture a man singing in front of the cheesiest backdrop you can imagine and a single camera zooming in and out and you have 99% of Malawian music videos. I go to my house around 7:00 to read, do crossword puzzles, or write letters and am asleep my 8:30. It’s a good life.
The Malawian education system is something I can could try to write about for days…there is definitely a need for some major changes but there is no clear solution. They recently instated free primary education for every child in Malawi which is an excellent start and very promising for the future of Malawi. However, there is still a fee for secondary school and an extreme difference in the quality of secondary schools between private schools, government schools, and community day schools (we are teaching and working in the community day schools). After primary school the students must pass a test to move on to secondary school; however there are not enough secondary schools or teachers for every student so enrollment is based on test scores and ability to pay the fees. Once in secondary school the students must take and pass two separate exams, one after form 2 and the final exam after form 4. The tests are extremely difficult, many of the teachers are not qualified, and the students are competing for a minimal number of spaces in universities. Unfortunately, there are not many technical schools available and many students return to the villages once they have finished school. They have recently changed the school year (as in last week) to begin December 7, meaning many students will have a two week “summer” break. The school year has begun in January in the past; this meant the students take the tests in October and November, the hottest months in Malawi. The people in education want the tests to begin in June and July so they are working on a two year plan to change the beginning of the school year to September. Unfortunately, we swear in as volunteers on December 9 which means we will miss the first few weeks of school. I am planning to spend much of the first term observing teachers so it will definitely cut down on sitting around time which is okay with me.
Our days in Katsekaminga are numbered and I am excited to move back to the college, find out our sites, and get started. I miss you all and would LOVE to hear from you! Letters make my day and I promise to write back. : )
Loads of love,
Elisabeth
After nearly 72 hours of traveling from Grand Rapids to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to New York, New York to Johannesburg, and finally Johannesburg to Lilongwe I was a bit dazed arriving to a warm Peace Corps welcome at the airport. Many first and second year education volunteers excitedly greeted us with banners and cheers as we deplaned and were shuttled to the baggage area. After being so emotionally and physically exhausted from the weeks leading up to this point it was a huge relief to finally arrive. We had a brief meet and greet with the country director and current volunteers then we were promptly shuttled to Dedza College of Forestry where we spent the first week of training. I tried to take in the first moments of traveling through Malawi but the bus ride quickly put me to sleep…
Our first week of training was a combination of language, culture, and technical sessions to help prepare us for home stay and our teaching practice. We got used to the local cuisine (and by cuisine I mean nsima) and local bedtimes (between 8-9pm…perfect). One morning a few of us woke up around 4:30am to climb a little mountain next to the college. The sun was rising and it was one of my favorite memories so far. Saturday afternoon we split into three different villages for our home stay experiences. I realized how babysat I had been for the past week and became incredibly nervous to depend on a family I could barely communicate with. At that moment everything became so much more real, I realized this is how it is going to be for the next two years…I will not be babysat; I will be in a village BY MYSELF. For some reason I never really internalized what that would feel like…perhaps the idea that accepting those feelings would make it real made avoidance so much easier. Nevertheless, this moment could not be avoided so as Sexual Healing blared on the Malawian radio station our little group of seven sat in the back of a Peace Corps land cruiser heading towards Katsekaminga, our new home for six weeks.
About 30 minutes later we arrived to a large group of women and children clapping and singing for our arrival. I had no idea what they were singing about, but I knew I was in the right place. In a field, in a village, in Malawi, in Africa…thousands of miles from everything I know, but exactly where I was supposed to be. I was escorted to my home for the next six weeks with my Amayi (Malawian mom…though it should mean the backbone of the Malawian culture (specifically in Chewa land) and toughest ladies in the world). I have my own little home with two very quaint (read: tiny) rooms. I am incredibly lucky to be the only trainee to have electricity in my home, though being spoiled now is going to be tough when I live on my own…without an Amayi or electricity.
In the past five weeks I have gained three siblings and countless cousins/relatives. My amayi and abambo (father) have three children, Precious-12, Ayiesha-6, and Patrick-4. They are hilarious and certainly keep me entertained. Precious is in school and is the man of the house when my abambo is away. He has been so helpful and though might think I will make a really terrible Malawian women, he has been incredibly welcoming and is constantly saving me from looking completely ridiculous doing house chores (though that cannot always be avoided). Ayiesha is my six year old sister and probably the biggest diva in Katsekaminga. She loves pretty dresses, dance parties, and taking care of others (by others, I mean me). She and I have become pretty close (well, as close as I can become with a six year old I can have very basic conversations with). Our amayi is teaching both of us how to take care of a Malawian home and cook over a fire…she is much better than me. If you listen really carefully you might hear Patrick’s voice in America. He has more personality and spunk than most and LOVES cars…he will spend the entire day pretending to drive around his house. My abambo works in Blantyre for a transportation company, he was home the first two weeks of my stay but is now living in Blantyre for work. My amayi is a machine, I mean that in the most loving sense, but I wouldn’t mess with her. ever. She cooks three meals a day over a fire never once using an oven mitt or cutting board. She can wash clothes to make them whiter than I ever thought they could be, chop wood like a lumber jack, and makes the best African cake probably in Africa. (she “bakes” by putting coals on top of pot) She also has a free-zee business that takes up a lot of time. She makes free-zees from baobab trees and sells them in the market and to the neighborhood children; she is a smart lady that has taken advantage of her electricity and a freezer.
During the week I wake up around 5, sweep with Precious, and meet my friend, Alexis, for a run. We run down the road through Katsekaminga running into no less than 20 people we must greet. I take a bath (bucket style), eat breakfast (mandesi (fried dough), African cake, or bread, and a banana), and then head to school. We teach at Katsekaminga Community Day Secondary School, a 10 minute walk from my house. When we are at site I probably won’t be able to teach because my official position as a teacher development facilitator is more about training teachers and helping schools, but at the moment I am teaching English to form 3 (junior year). We have about 70 kids in form 3 which was intimidating at first, but because they are so eager to learn it has been a lot of fun and totally redeemed my love of teaching. I only teach one block a day and spend some of the other blocks observing other trainees, lesson planning, and reading old National Geographics. (Alix-I just read an article about the racetrack business in Kentucky and the problem with red births that was killing all the foals-it was a really interesting article from the May 2003 magazine…you should check it out!) We all go home for lunch (nsima or rice, soy pieces, eggs, chicken, goat, and greens), and then meet for Chichewa class around 1. We have a language class of four people (the other people in our village are learning Chitumbuka), I am slowly starting to have a decent grasp but there is much work to do in that department. We finish around 4:30 so sometimes we go to the market, sometimes we just sit and chat, sometimes we do group Yoga, and sometimes I just go home to help my Amayi make dinner. (See lunch menu) My family has a TV and a DVD player (I know, not the scene I thought I would have) so after dinner we watch music videos. Picture a man singing in front of the cheesiest backdrop you can imagine and a single camera zooming in and out and you have 99% of Malawian music videos. I go to my house around 7:00 to read, do crossword puzzles, or write letters and am asleep my 8:30. It’s a good life.
The Malawian education system is something I can could try to write about for days…there is definitely a need for some major changes but there is no clear solution. They recently instated free primary education for every child in Malawi which is an excellent start and very promising for the future of Malawi. However, there is still a fee for secondary school and an extreme difference in the quality of secondary schools between private schools, government schools, and community day schools (we are teaching and working in the community day schools). After primary school the students must pass a test to move on to secondary school; however there are not enough secondary schools or teachers for every student so enrollment is based on test scores and ability to pay the fees. Once in secondary school the students must take and pass two separate exams, one after form 2 and the final exam after form 4. The tests are extremely difficult, many of the teachers are not qualified, and the students are competing for a minimal number of spaces in universities. Unfortunately, there are not many technical schools available and many students return to the villages once they have finished school. They have recently changed the school year (as in last week) to begin December 7, meaning many students will have a two week “summer” break. The school year has begun in January in the past; this meant the students take the tests in October and November, the hottest months in Malawi. The people in education want the tests to begin in June and July so they are working on a two year plan to change the beginning of the school year to September. Unfortunately, we swear in as volunteers on December 9 which means we will miss the first few weeks of school. I am planning to spend much of the first term observing teachers so it will definitely cut down on sitting around time which is okay with me.
Our days in Katsekaminga are numbered and I am excited to move back to the college, find out our sites, and get started. I miss you all and would LOVE to hear from you! Letters make my day and I promise to write back. : )
Loads of love,
Elisabeth
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Fly One Time
Okay, so I am really flying four times, but I really love Ben Harper. Tonight is the last night before the real adventure begins. I fly to Philly tomorrow for training for 3-7, we drive to New York in the middle of the night and leave for South Africa Saturday morning. We have a short layover in Johannesburg Sunday morning and then are on our way to Malawi. Once we are in Malawi we have been told not to expect to use the internet for about eight weeks. That means I would LOVE letters from you! (see previous blog post for mailing directions)
This has been such a long time coming, but I am still beyond nervous. My bags are packed, I have been saying goodbyes since August, and now it is simply time to go. I will try and update as much as possible. Please keep me posted on your life too, I will only be gone 27 months. : ) I can't come back to spouses and babies I don't know about!!
Here goes. I guess I just have to fly one time.
love,
elisabeth
This has been such a long time coming, but I am still beyond nervous. My bags are packed, I have been saying goodbyes since August, and now it is simply time to go. I will try and update as much as possible. Please keep me posted on your life too, I will only be gone 27 months. : ) I can't come back to spouses and babies I don't know about!!
Here goes. I guess I just have to fly one time.
love,
elisabeth
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Warm Heart of Africa
In an effort to answer some common questions, here you go....
Sooo umm where is Malawi?
Malawi is in eastern Africa. It shares borders with Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique. Its land area is about the size of Indiana.
What will you be doing?
Lots of things, probably. According to the Peace Corps my title is Teacher Development Facilitator. My primary duties will include:
Improving knowledge skills and attitudes of male secondary school teachers in English, Math and Science through skill transfer and enhancing resource development and availability in cluster schools. The project also seeks to strengthen links between cluster schools and communities.
Teacher development facilitators are expected to: assist the cluster leader head school in the development and functioning of the the cluster working group; act as a resource to teacher undergoing distance learning and to the rest of the teachers in the cluster; submit professional development work schedules to the cluster leader at the beginning of each term; promote mobilization of resources in the cluster; monitor and evaluate the progress of the training sessions; maintain teacher activity and attendance records; visit and assist teachers in schools.
So, that is the plan. Let's see what happens. : )
What is Malawi like? (I am not really sure but this what the Peace Corps training manual has to say):
Economy- Agriculture accounts for half its GDP. Tobacco, tea, and sugar create more than 70% of export earnings.
People and Culture -Malawi has a population of about 12 million people. English and Chichewa are the two official languages, though they are six principal tribes with linguistic differences. Christian is the predominant religion, though there are large Islamic populations throughout the country.
Government -Malawi has a parliamentary style government with the president as the head of state.
Food- Nsima (a thick corn porridge) is the staple food in Malawi. It is often served with vegetables and beans.
dates please!
The Malawi group meets in Philadelphia on September 25. We have a training session from 3-7pm. Then it gets crazy...
September 26, 2009
2:30am check out of hotel
3:00am drive to NY
11:35am flight to South Africa (15 hours...)
the next day...
September 27, 2009
11:40 flight to Lilongwe, Malawi
Can I send a package? (okay, I added this one in case)
OF COURSE! My address is on the blog, it will change once I move to my permanent site.
This is a helpful website with suggestions and mailing tips.
http://www.friendsofmalawi.org/learn_about_malawi/money_and_materials.html
If you send an envelope use a $0.98 stamp. If you send a package use a padded envelope. Make sure to put AIR MAIL (PAR AVION) on everything. When labeling the package you should make it as general as possible (cookies and energy bars = nutritional supplements, books and magazines = educational material, etc)
You could send....
Letters from you!
Powdered drink mixes
Dried fruit
Energy bars (Clif and Luna are my favorite)
Spices
Cookies : )
Gum
Magazines
Books
If you have any more specific questions let me know. Please please keep in touch!
loads of love,
elisabeth
Sooo umm where is Malawi?
Malawi is in eastern Africa. It shares borders with Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique. Its land area is about the size of Indiana.
What will you be doing?
Lots of things, probably. According to the Peace Corps my title is Teacher Development Facilitator. My primary duties will include:
Improving knowledge skills and attitudes of male secondary school teachers in English, Math and Science through skill transfer and enhancing resource development and availability in cluster schools. The project also seeks to strengthen links between cluster schools and communities.
Teacher development facilitators are expected to: assist the cluster leader head school in the development and functioning of the the cluster working group; act as a resource to teacher undergoing distance learning and to the rest of the teachers in the cluster; submit professional development work schedules to the cluster leader at the beginning of each term; promote mobilization of resources in the cluster; monitor and evaluate the progress of the training sessions; maintain teacher activity and attendance records; visit and assist teachers in schools.
So, that is the plan. Let's see what happens. : )
What is Malawi like? (I am not really sure but this what the Peace Corps training manual has to say):
Economy- Agriculture accounts for half its GDP. Tobacco, tea, and sugar create more than 70% of export earnings.
People and Culture -Malawi has a population of about 12 million people. English and Chichewa are the two official languages, though they are six principal tribes with linguistic differences. Christian is the predominant religion, though there are large Islamic populations throughout the country.
Government -Malawi has a parliamentary style government with the president as the head of state.
Food- Nsima (a thick corn porridge) is the staple food in Malawi. It is often served with vegetables and beans.
dates please!
The Malawi group meets in Philadelphia on September 25. We have a training session from 3-7pm. Then it gets crazy...
September 26, 2009
2:30am check out of hotel
3:00am drive to NY
11:35am flight to South Africa (15 hours...)
the next day...
September 27, 2009
11:40 flight to Lilongwe, Malawi
Can I send a package? (okay, I added this one in case)
OF COURSE! My address is on the blog, it will change once I move to my permanent site.
This is a helpful website with suggestions and mailing tips.
http://www.friendsofmalawi.org/learn_about_malawi/money_and_materials.html
If you send an envelope use a $0.98 stamp. If you send a package use a padded envelope. Make sure to put AIR MAIL (PAR AVION) on everything. When labeling the package you should make it as general as possible (cookies and energy bars = nutritional supplements, books and magazines = educational material, etc)
You could send....
Letters from you!
Powdered drink mixes
Dried fruit
Energy bars (Clif and Luna are my favorite)
Spices
Cookies : )
Gum
Magazines
Books
If you have any more specific questions let me know. Please please keep in touch!
loads of love,
elisabeth
Puttin' on My Big Girl Pants
Adios Houston. Time for me to put on my brave face and my big girl pants and wave goodbye to Houston. I have tricked myself into believing I am not moving away, I am simply going on vacation. A vacation that deserves a farewell party and lots of hugs. I have tricked myself into believing it is not the last time I will go to Ecclesia, eat at the Spanish Flower, or run around Memorial Park. But, it might be. I have no plans to return to Houston in 27 months apart from a visit and for all the things that frustrated and annoyed me about this city I am fairly confident over 27 months those quirks will turn into nostalgic memories.
I have met some truly extraordinary people in Houston. You are probably one of them. Thanks for everything.
I have met some truly extraordinary people in Houston. You are probably one of them. Thanks for everything.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Ready or Not...
I am not really sure when it will hit me that I am going to Africa for two years. Right now I am soaking up the lazy days, enjoying long workouts, and a lack of a mandatory agenda. My to-do list is getting smaller: the moving truck is scheduled, extra glasses and contacts have been ordered, insurance companies have been notified, and I have even begun thinking about thinking about packing.
In so many ways this is a long time coming. I decided in 8th grade I was going to do the peace corps and remember reaffirming this allegation to my parents when I was 16. Upon graduation from college I applied for Teach For America and the Peace Corps. TFA won and I spent the last two years teaching second grade in Houston, Texas. I am not about regretting anything and hurricane Ike provided ample down time to complete the Peace Corps application...again. So, here goes...
I will be going as a teacher development facilitator for secondary teachers. While this sounds super exciting I am anxious about going back to secondary education and being an effective trainer. I am also nervous about learning Chichewa (I don't have a very good track record with learning new languages) and snakes. Our staging begins on September 23rd and we begin our training in Malawi on the 26th. We have about ten weeks of training and then the real adventure begins.
I have not yet begun my "last" game. The last time I buy grocies at this Kroger, the last Monday of a full month in the United States (I'm ridiculous), etc...and I probably shouldn't, it is way too stressful. Until I begin that part of the leaving process here's to more lazy days and TCBY trips.
loads of love,
elisabeth
In so many ways this is a long time coming. I decided in 8th grade I was going to do the peace corps and remember reaffirming this allegation to my parents when I was 16. Upon graduation from college I applied for Teach For America and the Peace Corps. TFA won and I spent the last two years teaching second grade in Houston, Texas. I am not about regretting anything and hurricane Ike provided ample down time to complete the Peace Corps application...again. So, here goes...
I will be going as a teacher development facilitator for secondary teachers. While this sounds super exciting I am anxious about going back to secondary education and being an effective trainer. I am also nervous about learning Chichewa (I don't have a very good track record with learning new languages) and snakes. Our staging begins on September 23rd and we begin our training in Malawi on the 26th. We have about ten weeks of training and then the real adventure begins.
I have not yet begun my "last" game. The last time I buy grocies at this Kroger, the last Monday of a full month in the United States (I'm ridiculous), etc...and I probably shouldn't, it is way too stressful. Until I begin that part of the leaving process here's to more lazy days and TCBY trips.
loads of love,
elisabeth
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