So I am currently sitting in Solowezi, the provincial capital, at the peace corps house after vi sting another CHIP (the health program) volunteer in the province and then traveling to my site. It was neat to see another volunteers site and what things she has done. I think her situation is going to be very different from mine. She is close to the mines and hers is definitely more "urban". We ate very well while we were there went to her clinic, went to the school, attended a community meeting while having language classes in the afternoon. All in all it was very nice and a very needed break from training.
I learned that if a pregnant women follows around a person for along time then her baby will begin to resemble that person. Pregnant women are not allowed to eat eggs, not good since that is a good source of protein. Men who eat ground nuts increase their "strength". Women are not allowed to add salt to there cooking when they are menstruating, totally a way for men to control women. Also, there are little monsters with backwards feet that if a child sees they will die but adults are safe. Those are just some of the beliefs, I thought I would share.
Next I headed to my village. English is not spoken by alot of people so I will have to improve my Kaonde skills. I couldn't communicate well with the villagers. There is no market, carpenter, or seamstress in my village so I will have to be diligent about my food and other supplies that I need at site. I think that once I get a garden going it will be easier to get fresh fruits and vegetables. Some of the staple vegetables I can buy from people that farm them if they have extra.
The clinic that I will be working at has three rooms, and intake room, a storage room, and a "ward" (room with beds). They do have a fridge, however, there is no electricity which means that we can't give out vaccinations. Also basically anyone who comes in to the clinic is diagnoses with malaria which I don't think is actually the case. If you have sores on your mouth I am pretty sure that you do not have malaria. The catchment area that the clinic serves is very small so the clinic is not busy ever, apparently, according to the clinic coordinator. There is supposed to be another worker at the clinic but he went to Solwezi in July and has not returned. They aren't sure what happened to him or if he is coming back.
I also met with the committee who is responsible for bringing me to Nyansonso and one of them is the deputy teacher and he asked me to bring back a library in October, I can guarantee you that wont happen. I am a facilitator not a enabler. They also do not have enough teachers at the school so they want me to teach science to the students. I am not sure if I have a good enough grasp to teach in Kaonde or if the students have a good enough grasp of English. We will have to see what happens.
My host was very concerned that I would be able to walk long distances or carry things. She wanted to make sure that I did not get tired. It was very sweet but I she definitely underestimates my ability. On the other hand she over estimates my appetite. She wants to get me fat. I would finish a meal and then she would bring 4 hard boiled eggs for me to eat or for breakfast a bowl of porridge. I had trouble finishing all of this. I definitely know why I have gained weight since being here. These Zambians like to feed me.
The area that Nyansonso is in has many trees and is really quite beautiful. I took a few pictures but haven't been able to upload them. As soon as I do I will let you all know.
That is about it. Tomorrow I head back to our training site for more classes and tests. On September 20th there are the presidential elections here so send good vibes for safe and peaceful campaigns and elections. There have only been a few isolated incidents of violence so I think it will all be fine.
Keep me updated on your lives it is always nice to hear from you.
Ellen
