Friday, January 29, 2010

Everything is Relative

Recently, I have been struggling with the idea that I am not being effective, that I am just killing time and hanging out. I attend meetings and visit schools, but I haven't done anything substantial or tangible. Of course, things in Africa take time and this is perfectly normal but it was still starting to bother me. Patience is a funny thing and just as these thoughts were starting to bum me out a little a little boy reminded me everything is relative.
So, for background, Malawi is a very male dominated society. Women are supposed to be at home cooking and taking care of the family. I am the only female at my school and one of three females in all of my cluster schools. (there are 6 schools).
Last Friday I had a meeting with all of the headteachers in a building next to the primary school. School is a very loose term in this case-there are hundreds of kids running around, few teachers, and even fewer resources. As I was waiting for the Heads to arrive I started doing an impromptu lesson on numbers and letters with the 50+ children who decided watching the white lady was more important than sitting in a classroom. (also, I am not sure where the teachers were, in any case lots of kids running around at "school") One of my schools just received a female headteacher (included in the 3 females)-she was the first to arrive and asked if I knew what this young boy in the front was saying to the little girl next to him. I said no so she explained, he was saying if you stay in school and work hard you can be like Madam Elisa. So I haven't built anything or saved the world and the majority of my time is spent reading and playing with my neighbors. But, maybe one day there will be more madams in Malawi and that is a good thing.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

This is Africa

I always imagine what my life MIGHT look like in the Peace Corps. I didn't have any concrete facts, just a wild imagination that made the extensive application process seem normal and the long wait just a simple test of patience. Throughout training the other volunteers and I would laugh about ridiculous and awkward moments remembering T.I.A. (this is Africa). We were still fresh in country and not used to being put in a minibus with 20 of our closest friends, or standing next to a seizing chicken on a four hour bus trip, etc. Recently, I have had more T.I.A. moments that remind me I am not imagining my life in the Peace Corps anymore. This is my life.

T.I.A. Moment 1
One of my cluster schools (about an hour bike ride away in the rainy season) is a very small school with only two forms. The school is new and growing and hoping for school blocks to accommodate forms 3 & 4. They just received a third teacher from the ministry of education and the Form 1 classroom doesn't have benches or desks so the students work on the floor. So, this little school with about 120 students and 3 teachers sits about an hour away from the road, from electricity, from bread, and cold drinks! I taught a lesson there the other day and looked at the classroom of students ranging in age from 14-25 and thought yes, this is Africa.

T.I.A. Moment 2
After visiting another one of my cluster schools (about an hour in the back of a truck down a crazy dirt road that would give Disney Land a run for its money) I decided I would start walking back home and stop at another school along the way. Two and a half hours later I made it to the school without seeing another vehicle along the way. Yes, T.I.A. For those concerned I did manage to find transportation home via a bicycle taxi and sanitation truck. It was a very long day.

T.I.A. Moment 3
If you need a self confidence booster you should come to Malawi. I walk down the road and the children start jumping up and down, chanting my name. Charity, the girl from school who helps get my water and clean my home (in exchange for her school fees) told me it was because I "have a cheap name," hmm I thought it was because I am a rockstar. : )

** I feel as though I should include another Charity-ism in this category- I hadn't swept in a couple of days and she was over sweeping my house when she asked me "why am I such a dirty being?" I didn't really have a response for that except the thought that my mom would be so embarrassed.

T.I.A. Moment 4 (slightly more frustrating)
Being the only female attending an Area Executive Committee meeting and for 3 hours being asked/told when I am going to leave to cook them nsima. I told them they were probably going to be very hungry because I am never going to cook them nsima. I realize this was not the culturally sensitive thing to do, but I too was hungry and tired.

I know this is just the beginning and there will be plenty more T.I.A. moments. I am trying to take each day as it comes and am doing my best to not take any day for granted remembering that my time here is limited.

But, in the future I will never take a couch for granted or water with lemon or busy Saturday afternoons or jamba juice after a tough workout or being able to visit friends whenever I want....Of course, those are all things that will be there when I get back so until then this is Africa.

loads of love,
elisabeth

Saturday, January 9, 2010

What I have learned so far...

I have been living at site for about a month now. I have compiled a list of observations thus far:

* Riding a bike in a skirt stinks.
*I should start dinner a good hour before I am hungry....still working on the whole fire thing. I can start a fire no problem, keeping it going well...
*I really can't live on peanut butter sandwiches
*If I were a sports recruiter I would come to Malawi. There is nothing a Malawian women can't do and it seems as if they feel no pain. ever. for example,
-Removing pots directly from the fire without an oven mitt
- Learning how to jump rope with a baby on their back
-Breast feeding while walking carrying about 20 pounds of rice on their head
- I could go on, but they are pretty incredible
*I kind of like not having electricity, well except for the whole cooking thing
*Pasta sides, mac n'cheese, oatmeal, and chocolate is the stuff dreams are made of : )
* You should label what you plant in your garden-or at least remember what you plant. I had zero faith in my gardening skills but now I have a bunch of stuff growing and I don't know what it is! Whoops.
*I still have no idea what I want to do when I grow up
*Malawians really feel that if you don't eat nsima daily you must not be healthy
*I don't know how I will ever function not getting 8/9 hours of sleep every night
*Nothing I do in my village goes unnoticed. Everyone knows how many tomatoes I buy, that I prefer Fanta to Coke, and that I don't cook nsima. Seriously, you could drive down the M5 and between Benga and Mkaika just ask for Elisa, someone knows where I am.
*Every last extravagant ice cream trip before I left was worth it.
*I have amazing friends and the best family in the whole world
*I am incredibly lucky and blessed!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Cheers to 2009

I had a good 2009. As far as a chunk of 365 days are concerned, this was a pretty good block of time. I laughed, traveled, explored, finished TFA, ran a marathon, and ended it in Africa. It seems as though every year goes by faster than the previous, I can only imagine what 2010 will bring.

We had the last week off of school because of the holidays so I spent a few days at site planting seeds in my garden, building a shelter for my compost pile, and playing way too many games of memory with Vinny and his brothers. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the babies (Denise and Derrick-age 9 months) spend most of their time sans clothes (I don't blame them!) or diapers-clearly we were not paying enough attention to them because they peed on the cards. No more memory.

New Year's Eve Jesi and I traveled north to Nkhata Bay to ring in the new year with about 20 other PCVs. The trip up the lake shore was not easy, it ultimately included 5 different vehicles, but it was totally worth every uncomfortable minute. As we were driving I kept expecting dinosaurs to appear from the bush, it was so lush and green and beautiful. We arrived at our hostel prepared to camp but ended up staying in a chalet with an amazing view of the bay. We rang in the new year dancing outside to a mixture of Malawian music and some old school Beyonce and Rihanna. New Years day was spent swimming in the lake, reading on our porch, and generally being thankful for being put in a Peace Corps country that is also a tropical paradise. I am still thinking about my resolutions, but I am certain 2010 will not disappoint.