"I'm busy busy forming my future" - one of my favorite girls after she was late for lunch.
With that Camp Sky is over. Six months of planning and organizing over in 10 days. The most exhausting, inspiring, stressful, wonderful ten days of my time in Malawi have come to a close. I must admit, it was a huge success.
Success #1
The students arrived in one day all before 9pm. Public transportation in Malawi is less than reliable therefore this is a small miracle.
Success #2
The students were divided into four streams of classes each with 17 campers. This meant the campers had smaller class sizes (compared to the 60+ they normally have in the classes), the teachers (other volunteers) could plan activities for smaller classes and for kids who are above average academically, plus they got to have labs in real science labs, and use the computer lab. (for many kids it was the first time they had ever turned on a computer and many schools do not have any kind of science lab or lab equipment)
Success #3
In the afternoon the kids participated in three extracurricular activities from sustainable agriculture, solar engineering, tuck shop, cooking, sewing, writers' workshop, business, mud stove building, orienteering, batiking, etc. It was so cool to have our own camp tuck shop based on the business skills they learned, reading poems from writers' workshop, and having kids sort through the rubbish pile shouting "we love composting!" Over the weekend they also did a goat dissection (we later had goat for dinner) and built a bee hive to learn about honey IGAs. (income generating activities)
Success #4
Climbing a mountain. With 76 kids. We all made it up, we all made it own. That is one giant success.
Success #5
People came to talk to us. We had some special force police officers, a solar engineering guy, a fish pond guy, and a journalist from the major radio station in Malawi. They talked about the importance of education, career guidance, and professional options in Malawi. The kids had never heard of a lot of these options and now have lots of plans for their future that don't just include farming.
Success #6
A field trip is always exhausting. A field trip in Malawi offers lots of potential challenges like transport not arriving, people forgetting we are coming, moving 76 kids around Lilongwe, etc etc But we made it! We toured Parliament, had lunch at a memorial (rice and beans out of a bucket), watched some airplanes take off and land, and made it back to Kasungu.
Success #7
The ATTORNEY GENERAL came to speak at camp. This was a total fluke. I was in the office picking up my passport (SO I CAN COME TO AMERICA) and was talking to the secretary for the Country Director. It was the day before camp so I was really excited talking about it, Betty (the wonderful secretary) mentioned some ideas for speakers and told me to call her back. I called a few days later and Betty had the attorney general lined up. Good thing I am coming to America because otherwise this might not ever have happened.
Success #8
The kids made it home. 76 kids from all over Malawi are back in their villages. I hope they are inspired.
Next week I am coming to America. Land of ice cream, cheese, salads, and personal vehicles. I arrive in Detroit Thursday morning and will be using my mom's cellphone for the 3 weeks I am around. Send me a message with your number so we can have a phone date. The safety and security officer with whom I had to have a briefing with before filing my leave of absence for America warned me that "your friends will make fun of you for talking so slow-you must explain to them you talk slow because you live in Malawi and must speak slowly in order for your students to understand you." Please don't make fun of me for being slow. : )
much love,
e
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Prayers for Sarah
I cannot wait to blog about Camp! It is going far better than I could have ever imagined but today this blog is not about Camp Sky or Malawi. It is about something far more important, it is about my friend Sarah.
Sarah Chidgey is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. When I was struggling through teaching in Houston she was there to encourage, support, and pray for me. She reminded me there is nothing prayer can't solve and God never gives more than we can handle. Now she needs your prayers. Sarah was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Her blog is www.sarahchidgey.blogspot.com -read about her, love her, and tell cancer to start packing.
Much love,
e
Sarah Chidgey is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. When I was struggling through teaching in Houston she was there to encourage, support, and pray for me. She reminded me there is nothing prayer can't solve and God never gives more than we can handle. Now she needs your prayers. Sarah was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Her blog is www.sarahchidgey.blogspot.com -read about her, love her, and tell cancer to start packing.
Much love,
e
Monday, August 9, 2010
A blog stolen from Alexis
I stole this blog from Alexis to explain the last 24 crazy hours in Lilongwe:
Apparently, when instinct kicks in, I opt for the former.
I'm in Lilongwe to shop for school supplies and tie up loose ends before Camp Sky starts next week in Kasungu, and the last 24 hours have been pretty weird.
Last night Elisabeth and I played ultimate frisbee and saw a man hit by a car on the way home. We were riding with a doctor, who tried to stop the growing mob from touching the man, but it was too late. They picked him up like a sack of maize and tossed him in the back of a car, his body twitching in his last breaths. Car accidents are fairly frequent here, but it doesn't lessen the shock of seeing them. No ambulances show up in 5 minutes, no EMTs with backboards, no policemen arrive on the scene to calm the crowd and take notes. A mob collects, surrounds the involved parties, tempers rise and then slowly dispel. There won't be a notice in the paper.
So we were contemplative this morning, crossing the bridge of last night's accident, as we embarked on a hellish three hours of market shopping. I have never been a shopper. Inevitably, my blood-sugar levels plummet an hour in and I morph into a impatient animal on a ravenous search for peanuts or sugar. Unfortunately, this morning that happened at the very moment we were accosted by a large crazy man who followed us around the streets of Lilongwe. We weaved in and out of stores, crossed the street, walked zigzag and still this man was a step behind, mouthing kisses and mumbling incoherently.
Well, Elisabeth booked it and I lost it, unleashing a loud and long slew of pointed directions as to where he should go and how he might arrive there. It was quite a scene we made there, in the electronics shop next to the bus depot. I think my reaction was a result of the stress of the night before, and of pent-up frustration at the barrage of unwanted negative attention that women receive here. Anyhow, after my rant, we ducked, ran, and dove behind an idling car, and (to the amusement of its passengers) waited and watched until our pursuer rambled away, and we escaped safely into the depths of the chaotic clothes market.Some deep breaths and big lunch later, I'm writing off this trip to Lilongwe as a bad dream, and looking forward to better days ahead: a stop tomorrow at the health sector's Camp Glow where I'll be talking to the girls about writing, then a fondue-inclusive visit to Jen and Kris's site on the way north to Kasungu, and then 10 crazy (the good kind of crazy) fun-filled days of camp after that.
I am spending tomorrow in Lilongwe to finish up some things for SKY and then will head to Kasungu on Wednesday for more camp preparations and camp. Hears to hoping the next 24 hours will be better : )
loads of love,
e
Apparently, when instinct kicks in, I opt for the former.
I'm in Lilongwe to shop for school supplies and tie up loose ends before Camp Sky starts next week in Kasungu, and the last 24 hours have been pretty weird.
Last night Elisabeth and I played ultimate frisbee and saw a man hit by a car on the way home. We were riding with a doctor, who tried to stop the growing mob from touching the man, but it was too late. They picked him up like a sack of maize and tossed him in the back of a car, his body twitching in his last breaths. Car accidents are fairly frequent here, but it doesn't lessen the shock of seeing them. No ambulances show up in 5 minutes, no EMTs with backboards, no policemen arrive on the scene to calm the crowd and take notes. A mob collects, surrounds the involved parties, tempers rise and then slowly dispel. There won't be a notice in the paper.
So we were contemplative this morning, crossing the bridge of last night's accident, as we embarked on a hellish three hours of market shopping. I have never been a shopper. Inevitably, my blood-sugar levels plummet an hour in and I morph into a impatient animal on a ravenous search for peanuts or sugar. Unfortunately, this morning that happened at the very moment we were accosted by a large crazy man who followed us around the streets of Lilongwe. We weaved in and out of stores, crossed the street, walked zigzag and still this man was a step behind, mouthing kisses and mumbling incoherently.
Well, Elisabeth booked it and I lost it, unleashing a loud and long slew of pointed directions as to where he should go and how he might arrive there. It was quite a scene we made there, in the electronics shop next to the bus depot. I think my reaction was a result of the stress of the night before, and of pent-up frustration at the barrage of unwanted negative attention that women receive here. Anyhow, after my rant, we ducked, ran, and dove behind an idling car, and (to the amusement of its passengers) waited and watched until our pursuer rambled away, and we escaped safely into the depths of the chaotic clothes market.Some deep breaths and big lunch later, I'm writing off this trip to Lilongwe as a bad dream, and looking forward to better days ahead: a stop tomorrow at the health sector's Camp Glow where I'll be talking to the girls about writing, then a fondue-inclusive visit to Jen and Kris's site on the way north to Kasungu, and then 10 crazy (the good kind of crazy) fun-filled days of camp after that.
I am spending tomorrow in Lilongwe to finish up some things for SKY and then will head to Kasungu on Wednesday for more camp preparations and camp. Hears to hoping the next 24 hours will be better : )
loads of love,
e
Thursday, August 5, 2010
August, already??!!
I decided I want to go to graduate school when I come home. Of course I want to go for all the obvious reasons (I miss the smell of libraries, I miss learning in an academic environment, it will give me something to obsess about during the last few months of my peace corps service, etc). However, I have also realized that after Peace Corps I would be in no condition to have a real job with set hours and expectations. At my current school in Malawi I make a poster and receive a giant thanks, it will be devastating to work in America where a poster might only receive some strange looks, but certainly not a round of applause. But the last few weeks have been busy, really busy. Like America busy and I have confirmed my decision to stay away from an actual job for a few more years.
To rewind, last time I wrote in this blog we were going to have lunch with the President. Yes, that happened. Yes, it is in my top 5 days in Malawi. Yes, it was totally ridiculous and over the top and absolutely fantastic. We arrived to a giant tent with 17 portable air conditioning units. It is the middle of winter in Malawi. We dined and danced and shook hands with the President and the First Lady. They had a marching band to play the national anthem and popular Malawian played while we were dancing. I sat next to the Minister of Education and tried to a) get him to come to Camp Sky and b) build a science lab at my school but he was having none of that. Nonetheless, I drank wine and ate chocolate cake and had a ball.
Back in the real world...
While in Lilongwe, I submitted a proposal for a youth center with a library for AYID. It is a long shot because of the amount of money (A LOT) but AYID is working hard selling soap and building bricks. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I came back to house for the Form Four graduation. I cannot believe the first school year is finished. I helped cook and was lucky enough to learn how to cut apart the insides of the goat. Yes, they have me a giant basin of the goat insides and a knife. So there I was, at school, cutting apart a goat's liver, stomach, intestines, and other organs realizing I have made it in Malawi. And I have absolutley no desire to ever do that again. On the plus side, I could clarify I only wanted the 'outside' of the goat and they could save the 'insides' for other people. In any case, the graduation was wonderful (or as wonderful as 6 hours of speeches can be-but this time it was worth it for the students).
Sunday I was hanging out at my house and my mysterious Member of Parliament arrived. The same MP who never returns my phone calls and frequently forgets meetings just showed up at my house. We discussed the issue of electricity and she casually said 'ok' sounds good-we will commit to half the cost. She had spoken with the committees and the other subcommittees and the other subsubcommittees and they had okey'ed bringing electricity to the school. Unfortunately, that leaves me with fundraising $9000usd. (yikes!) I talked to some Malawians and some Peace Corps staff who were all shocked at the high cost. Afraid of getting 'azungu priced' I went back to the electricity supplier more prepared to play the game and they are doing a reappraisal. I may be asking for your assistance with this project so please stay tuned!
However, the biggest fish frying right now is Camp Sky. I am heading to Lilongwe on Sunday to buy supplies and to Kasungu to prepare. It is going to take some small miracles for everything to happen, but I have to remember this is Malawi and things just magically happen.
27 days till America!
Loads of love,
e
To rewind, last time I wrote in this blog we were going to have lunch with the President. Yes, that happened. Yes, it is in my top 5 days in Malawi. Yes, it was totally ridiculous and over the top and absolutely fantastic. We arrived to a giant tent with 17 portable air conditioning units. It is the middle of winter in Malawi. We dined and danced and shook hands with the President and the First Lady. They had a marching band to play the national anthem and popular Malawian played while we were dancing. I sat next to the Minister of Education and tried to a) get him to come to Camp Sky and b) build a science lab at my school but he was having none of that. Nonetheless, I drank wine and ate chocolate cake and had a ball.
Back in the real world...
While in Lilongwe, I submitted a proposal for a youth center with a library for AYID. It is a long shot because of the amount of money (A LOT) but AYID is working hard selling soap and building bricks. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I came back to house for the Form Four graduation. I cannot believe the first school year is finished. I helped cook and was lucky enough to learn how to cut apart the insides of the goat. Yes, they have me a giant basin of the goat insides and a knife. So there I was, at school, cutting apart a goat's liver, stomach, intestines, and other organs realizing I have made it in Malawi. And I have absolutley no desire to ever do that again. On the plus side, I could clarify I only wanted the 'outside' of the goat and they could save the 'insides' for other people. In any case, the graduation was wonderful (or as wonderful as 6 hours of speeches can be-but this time it was worth it for the students).
Sunday I was hanging out at my house and my mysterious Member of Parliament arrived. The same MP who never returns my phone calls and frequently forgets meetings just showed up at my house. We discussed the issue of electricity and she casually said 'ok' sounds good-we will commit to half the cost. She had spoken with the committees and the other subcommittees and the other subsubcommittees and they had okey'ed bringing electricity to the school. Unfortunately, that leaves me with fundraising $9000usd. (yikes!) I talked to some Malawians and some Peace Corps staff who were all shocked at the high cost. Afraid of getting 'azungu priced' I went back to the electricity supplier more prepared to play the game and they are doing a reappraisal. I may be asking for your assistance with this project so please stay tuned!
However, the biggest fish frying right now is Camp Sky. I am heading to Lilongwe on Sunday to buy supplies and to Kasungu to prepare. It is going to take some small miracles for everything to happen, but I have to remember this is Malawi and things just magically happen.
27 days till America!
Loads of love,
e
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