Waiting for Winter?

For the past six months I have been consumed with developing an anthropological hypothesis on the effects of the climate temperature on human behavior (Wow that sounds very academic!).  In layman’s terms – the summer heat has caused me to be a bit frenzied.  This year temperatures have hit the highest in 30 years! High 90’s into the low 100’s was normal, falling asleep was a challenge, and washing your hands is substituted for bucket baths.

I wake up and go outside to see if I feel or smell the relief in the air and I’ve accepted the slowness of the dry summer season to leave - 91 degrees today dropping to 61 degrees tonight.

I still roll the fan from room to room with me – it’s like a puppy. I still wear the same three loose cotton dresses I had made.  I still stock the refrigerator with water bottles as well as the tiny freezer. I still wonder if I will ever wear my socks and sweatshirt here.  My thoughts on tropical living were tainted by postcards. 

Getting back to my hypothesis; I look at these pictures, all taken on hot days and I see warm friendships, warm smiles, and warm hospitality. I guess can wait for summer to end.  Mozambican style.

@bloggingabroad 

@bloggingabroad 

National Women’s Day

Mozambique’s National Women’s Day: April 7

National Women’s Day is celebrated April 7th as a public holiday in Mozambique. It is intended to celebrate a significant woman in Mozambique’s history, Josina Machel. Machel served in the Liberation Front during the country’s fight for independence from Portugal. She was a lead volunteer of the Women’s Section which aimed to offer women military training, as well as several programs concerning women and children.  On the anniversary of her death from cancer, April 7^th, Mozambique honor’s her contribution to the social rights of Mozambican woman.

Today it is celebrated to pay tribute to women’s campaign for human rights and equality between men and women.              @bloggingabroad 
                 

The Quest of a Latrine.

When you are living in a different culture the most standard everyday practices become an adventure. My exploit today was something that we can all relate to because every human and animal does it.  Yes, going to the bathroom. Today after four hours in a car and waiting for a bus it was my turn to explore the grassland and be practical. In this situation modesty stretches into being ridiculous.

I’m in Mozambique – there aren’t any rest stops or McDonald's to stop into- just beautiful kilometers of prairie that the one major highway intersects.

In conclusion, here is a meaningful glimpse into my life on this venture.

Okay this guy is not paying attention so the location will be behind him.

No one passing by in the field - this is good enough.

Hurry, pants down, squat, shake...

I'm in the "SQUAT DOWN" club!!!!

Mission accomplished - and the bystander is still on the phone!

Stay tuned for more blogs this week!

#OutAndAbout

 @bloggingabroad

 #BAphotochallenge

Youth empowerment and gender equality.

Youth empowerment and gender equality.

When I think of this topic for Americans, my mind goes back in history to child labor laws and the women’s Equal Rights movement .Those issues are centuries old and were slowly resolved in the USA by civic unrest, public protest, and a strong legal system to enforce basic human rights.

In many impoverished countries those issues remain – it’s not in history yet.

Peace Corps has a rich history of working with youth, especially girls.  Many volunteers all over the world are utilizing the new initiative “Let Girls Learn” sponsored by Michelle Obama. This program does more than just promote girls to continue their education - which is a challenge because of customary early marriages, pregnancies, and poverty.  LGL builds self-esteem to help them identify their innate abilities and skills – and aspire to reach a goal for their future.

Living at the community level, and teaching 5^th grade English as a secondary project, I have met these young girls and decided to form a girl’s empowering group. Because this is a new subject in my community, I have introduced it as an ESL program then when interest came up I discuss the empowerment agenda with the mothers. The girls like the ESL part and the mothers are supporting the social / educational agenda.

I held the first class with two sweet girls, ages 11 and 12. We started by learning five English words:

Our discussion started from introductions and ended with an activity to draw a picture of them at work when they grow up. Both want to be doctors and work right here in their home town. I noticed how similar their pictures came out - except for two things:  one wants a car, and the other one is taking her siblings to work - not her children.

Slowly this perhaps can expand their mindsets and learn how to set goals and the steps it takes to reach it. Could this start building leadership and be a cutting edge for future women in this small rural community?  It starts with a seed …let’s see. 

Sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY

How many of you can relate to the memory of unhappily cleaning your teenager’s room on a Saturday morning?  I found myself doing it too often, debating myself as I carried the dirty clothes down two flights of stairs. I could have closed the door so I couldn’t see it; but it would still be there.  I could have threatened to withhold food; but that would have diminished the harmony at the dinner table. I could have waited until that special shirt was needed urgently and then rebutted “I told you so”; but then I would participate in the scurry to find it.

I was thinking of that memory last week during training for Volunteers and our community counterparts on the topic of Program Design and Management. As a matter of fact in the three day training, I had plenty of free time to think. Of course I was paying attention and doing the tasks with my co-worker and I appreciated the brush up - for about half the time.  The other half I was reminded of my son’s bedroom when he was 12 years old.

It is so much easier to get something completed by just doing it yourself, right? The value is in the end results, right? So much can be saved if the able person does it, right? I can do this myself, right?

Wrong.

 Peace Corps invests in developing skills.  That’s what it’s all about here, not enabling, but assisting them to be able to know how get to the next level. At this point projects are done with a community counterparts, my role in the beginning is to guide and assist and then eventually fade out as the counterpart takes the lead.

Recipe to be an Effective Volunteer:        Patience + Steadfast = Success / Sustainability.

That’s what it’s about.

NEW:  A new project on the horizon will be working with a group of leaders to rebuild a community park that has been abandoned since independence 40 years ago. This can be designed as the community hub for educational, health, and other social services located right in the center of the villa. Peace Corps has small grants that can be applied for to assist with the funding. I am looking forward to working with my very excited counterparts!

(p.s. I did end up working myself out of my housekeeper job, eventually. Thanks Christian.)

(pp.s A visit to the beach of Xai-Xai, about 2 ½ hours away from my site.)

BE POSITIVE / SER O POSITIVO

PHARMACY STAFF

Ser O Positivo

Here in Mozambique HIV/AIDS has been an epidemic since the 1980’s; today it affects 11.5% of the population and is #5 in the world’s country comparison dealing with this disease. In my province the rates are higher because of the proximity to South Africa. In Magude,there are a substantial number of male migrant workers and estimates are higher - approx. 14%. 

Since the late 1990 treatments have been found to manage the disease through a daily medicine called anti-retroviral drugs (ARV).  These drugs are used to treat HIV by restoring the immune system and delay the progression to AIDS. ARV became available here through donations since 2007.

WAITING FOR PRESCRIPTIONS

People here walk or travel miles to refill their medicine every month, imagine the size of Connecticut and spread three hospitals around the state – that sums up the distance between the person and the hospitals that have the ARV medicines. 

NEVER ENDING PAPERWORK

A new project was introduced to alleviate this issue and reduce the abandonment of treatment. It’s called GAAC (Support Group Community Adherence), people who are live close team up and take turns coming to pick up the whole groups prescriptions. It is community at its finest.

Even with resources available HIV patients still have barriers. At the pharmacy, there is a box of files of people who have abandoned treatment and are sought after by buscas (go-get) to educate and support them to stay on treatment. 90% of time they can’t be found, have passed away, or feel ill on the ARV and choose to stay off.  I have yet gone on the searches, but I’m planning to build a team of strong leaders who will act as life recruiters and build a support network to help those who have abandoned hope.

The percentage of woman carriers are higher then men, due to non-traditional customs (many wives), yet the percentage of babies born with HIV have declined drastically because of pre-natal testing and treatment of the mothers.
It is the biggest health issue here in Mozambique, yet it still carries the stigmas. When I was doing the Community Needs Assessment, one question asked was, “What is the community’s attitude on HIV?” Results:

Accepted             48%

Shame                  16%

Judgmental        19%

Ignorance            11%

Discrimination   6%

Watch this clip “Ser O Positivo”, and be positive with me on the elimination of this disease. (Go to Utube).