| X M.Y P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L J.O.U.R.N.E.Y . |
| Updates |
| The next day, we went to the PC office for a day filled with sessions that required us to complete paperwork, get shots, get fitted for abike and pick the language we would study. I selected Tonga which means I will be living in sunny Southern Province. The next day we left for our site visits. I was heading to the Northwestern Province to visit 2 volunteers, Kim and Nicole. The site visit is an opportunity to experience life in the village. We cooked on a brazier, bathed outdoors using a bucket, used a pit latrine, and got water from a well. Every night, we were exhausted, yet when we tried to catalog the days' events, we hadn't done a lot, by American standards (ie. only attended one meeting). You wake up around 5 a.m. to a rooster and the bright sunshine. Then, you have to get water from the well to your hut and heat your bath water before taking your bath. Then, you have to start your fire to cook breakfast. Then prepare the meal, cook, eat, then wash dishes. Then, we went on a walking tour of the area. When we came back, it was time to prepare lunch, cook, eat and do dishes. Then, you have to get ready and go to your meeting that's scheduled for 14:00 (2 p.m.), but won't start until 15:00. After the meeting, you rush home, start the fire, prepare the food, cook, clean and by now it's dark. It's also about 18:00 (6 p.m.). You sit and chat for 1-2 hours by candlelight and are in bed by 8 p.m., exhausted from the day's events. During our site visit, we spent a morning at an "Under 5" weigh in at a clinic. This is the day where mothers bring their children who are under the age of 5. During these sessions, children are weighed, mothers are tested for HIV/AIDS and counseled, and sick children receive treatment. I was inspired by the nurses who provide care with limited resources and the women and children whose strength and determination keep them healthy. Despite the major health risks (TB, malaria, dysentery, HIV/AIDS, etc) and the lack of medical resources, these children were surviving. You can't walk away from that experience without being moved and counting your blessings. During a recent language class, we were learning Tonga words for illnesses like malaria, coughing, sneezing, HIV/AIDS, etc. Then, our teacher asked if there were any not listed that we wanted to know. My friend, who mother recently had a stroke, asked for the word for heart attack or stroke. Our teacher looked straight her straight in the eye and said, "We don't have a word for that." In that moment, we realized that they didn't neet a word for those conditions because people didn't survive those experiences. My friend realized that, had her mom been in Zambia, she would not be alive now. It was a sobering thought for all of us. Since then, we have had many amazing moments that have taught me about my character, both good and bad, and opened my eyes to the beauty of Zambia and its people. Here are a few of the stories: My Host Family: When my sister was in 5th grade, she stayed with a host family during a softball tournament. The experience was not a good one. As a result, I was very nervous about meeting my host family. I shouldn't have been. They are a wonderful coule who are my parents' age. As my host father says, he and my dad are "agemates" (the same age). They have 5 children. Their 18-year old son and 6-year old granddaughter live with them. Family Structure: In Zambia, children always have a home. Having spent 4.5 years with an organization that had a foster care program, I find myself in a country that can't understand why you would need such a program. Many families are affected by HIV/AIDS, yet every child has a home. They live with aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers or grandparents. It would take you weeks to figure out that 1/2 of the kids in your host family are not their biological children. My Bike: Let's just say that my bike and I are learning to speak the same language. My father may be willing to tell you how quickly I learned to ride my bike and how well I ride, but that was a LONG TIME AGO and on paved, flatroads. It's nothing like trying to maneuver on dirt roads during the rainy season. I have only had one minor incident. We were biking to a nearby village. I was behind my language instructor. He went through a puddle. I thought that was silly when there was a perfectly good, dry incline to the left of the puddle. I went up the small bump and quickly realized why my instructor had chosen the puddle. There was a gap/crevice. I had enough time to think, "Gosh, this is going to hurt!" before I went over my handle bars. I scraped my elbows, bruised my leg and created a HUGE DENT in my PRIDE! One of many! continued >> The views in this site are personal and do not reflect those of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps. Copyright Geocities.com/JalleGebisa. All Rights Reserved. |
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