Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The end of the beginning
Where to begin...in the end I suppose. The end of my peace corps training has passed and I swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer last Friday. training itself has been very educational being trained in conservation farming, bee keeping, Argo forestry, and many other things to help with food security and replenishing the woodlands... though learning the bantu language Bemba (the one of Zambians 75 dialects) has proven to be challenging for me..slowly but surely..panono panono.
My homestay family, the Makuka's, have been very kind and accommodating. From teaching me to carry water on my head the 2 k it is to the well to patiently teaching as I destroyed nshima pot after nshima pot...my bamayo's patients especially has been plentiful. I have grown attached to them and feel more and more a part of there family.
I have biked 20k of fairly intense dirt roads almost everyday, tried caterpillar, carried water on my head, hitched to get from point a to point b, and the list continues. Funny enough, the lifestyle has been the easiest for me to adjust to...I really like it actually. From bucket baths, to candle light letter writing, farming in the day, making all food from scratch...it is a veery peaceful way to live...the latrine isn't even that bad, nor is the palm sized spider that has made its home in the grass thatch of my roof.
There have been challenges galore throughout this time...none of which I expected. I am surrounded by some of the efficient most hard working people i have ever met...especially the woman! It is heartbreaking though...seeing kids with clothes that have more holes than not, bellies that are puffed from malnutrition, foot infections because there is not enough money for shoes...seeing how disparity...happiness...alcohol...both fuels a society and holds them down. I am realizing the next two years will most likely harbor some veery lonely times as I attempt to understand this new reality, the complexity of it, and trying to become a part of it....when I am just all out homesick.
I will be dropped at my site on thursday by a cruiser with all of my things. My community host/counterpart seems to be very ambitious so that is exciting. I am 20 k off the tarmac and another 17 k to the nearest volunteer...for sure a day trip. To be honest...I haven't quite figured out what my role will be within my community when I get there. With all my heart and soul, I pray that whatever my role materializes to be, it will truley make a difference in the lives of my village Mubila, Kapiri, Zambia. I don't know how often I will get online once I am posted...but feel free to send me messages. They are nice to get when I manage an Internet connection. My address will now be my name, us peace corps, po box , Mkushi, Zambia. I love you all and miss you more than words can say!
Peace and Love from Zambia!
Ps, I lost my camera so I am hoping it surfaces...I have some rad pic to share when it does!
My homestay family, the Makuka's, have been very kind and accommodating. From teaching me to carry water on my head the 2 k it is to the well to patiently teaching as I destroyed nshima pot after nshima pot...my bamayo's patients especially has been plentiful. I have grown attached to them and feel more and more a part of there family.
I have biked 20k of fairly intense dirt roads almost everyday, tried caterpillar, carried water on my head, hitched to get from point a to point b, and the list continues. Funny enough, the lifestyle has been the easiest for me to adjust to...I really like it actually. From bucket baths, to candle light letter writing, farming in the day, making all food from scratch...it is a veery peaceful way to live...the latrine isn't even that bad, nor is the palm sized spider that has made its home in the grass thatch of my roof.
There have been challenges galore throughout this time...none of which I expected. I am surrounded by some of the efficient most hard working people i have ever met...especially the woman! It is heartbreaking though...seeing kids with clothes that have more holes than not, bellies that are puffed from malnutrition, foot infections because there is not enough money for shoes...seeing how disparity...happiness...alcohol...both fuels a society and holds them down. I am realizing the next two years will most likely harbor some veery lonely times as I attempt to understand this new reality, the complexity of it, and trying to become a part of it....when I am just all out homesick.
I will be dropped at my site on thursday by a cruiser with all of my things. My community host/counterpart seems to be very ambitious so that is exciting. I am 20 k off the tarmac and another 17 k to the nearest volunteer...for sure a day trip. To be honest...I haven't quite figured out what my role will be within my community when I get there. With all my heart and soul, I pray that whatever my role materializes to be, it will truley make a difference in the lives of my village Mubila, Kapiri, Zambia. I don't know how often I will get online once I am posted...but feel free to send me messages. They are nice to get when I manage an Internet connection. My address will now be my name, us peace corps, po box , Mkushi, Zambia. I love you all and miss you more than words can say!
Peace and Love from Zambia!
Ps, I lost my camera so I am hoping it surfaces...I have some rad pic to share when it does!
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