Solutions come one step at a time.

For the past sixteen months I have been posting my experiences in Mozambique to viewers around the world to take a glimpse of my life here in my host country. This past month I have had writer’s block about a new subject matter. Daily past times and news are now part of my normal – the ecstasy of the different way of life and customs have dimmed.

Until one morning at the hospital I met this boy picking up medicine with his mother. Such an acute case of toe in-gait (pigeon toed) was startling. Wheels of questions and possibilities start to blurt out of my mouth and resulted in an appointment to the major hospital in the city, unfortunately to no avail.

This boy, who happens to be so sweet, is 15 years old and was born with this deformity. Here in Mozambique braces are used or in extreme cases surgery can be done – I’m not sure if 15 years ago this was practiced- but right now he is turned away because of his age.

 I can see the sparkle of hope in this boy’s eyes, and now I too am contaminated.  Isn’t there a solution somewhere? As unrealistic as it is here, I think that this is not impossible globally.  I have made a few contacts to global-heath institutions and await replies; even my family at home is reaching out to contacts. So now I ask you -friend or stranger- any ideas?

Please contact me by making a comment.  One step at a time …..

Mid-Term, What's Ahead?

It’s Sunday and I sit here in my house, usually I’m just thinking of going to the market to buy food,  but today I’m consumed with the completion of my first year in my village.  I have just returned from my Mid-Service Conference with the other volunteers, which points our half-way mark. At this point on the journey it is bitter sweet, I feel relieved that it is half done and stressed that I only have a year left.

The first year was slow; much time was spent trying to understand, be trusted, build relationships, and advocate for change.  Despite my capacity and motivation, my time here is very short. It is said “what takes a day in the USA takes a week in Africa, what takes a week in the USA takes a month in Africa; what takes a month in the USA takes a year in Africa”. I will admit that is very true.

I think about the monitoring the projects that have started ; Is this project going well? Should this be dropped, changed, started? Questions haunt me - Is my contribution to this village going to make an impact? Will these projects enriching their lives?  Will they continue when I leave? The questions are daunting, and the answer kicks my ego:             I am not the messiah.

So with that realized, I will continue with more humility and gratitude, but I will keep trying of the sole reason that these good people unfortunately drew a short straw.

 

One Year Anniversary as a Peace Corps Volunteer

August 1^st, 2016 marks my year anniversary of being a Peace Corps volunteer. I’ve settled into a different cultural with both exciting opportunities and challenges in the work I do, but most of all it has deepened my appreciation of this experience.

This blog has given me the chance to share this journey with thousands of friends and strangers; I hope that you too will continue to join me for another year in Mozambique.

New Peace Corps friends 

New culinary skills

New gifts given

New neighborhoods

Old look

New look

New skills

New techiques

New family

New family

New Audience

New chores

New friends

New work places

New roads

New attire

New voyages

New landscapes

New interests

New teams

Solved by a glass of wine

I will honestly tell all of you I have been partially selfish for not starting to work on a very important program here at the hospital. You see, I am a lost case – I mean, in most cases I get lost; anywhere, but here it’s worse. In most towns the infrastructure is lacking. There are no resources that goes into planning, therefore streets are not named, neighborhoods have grey areas, and homes are not numbered.  There is a nomadic theme, people reside in distant huts and the locations are not in an organized fashion.  You can imagine the stress I’ve had walking to new locations. People are always willing to assist, but the directions are like, “It’s near where they kill the cows”, or “It’s before the new house that Jobja Kossa built for his new wife.” I usually feel desolate.  I am pinched with that feeling when it comes to this project; buscas; that is Portuguese for “in search of”.  Hospitals assign workers, “activists”, to go and locate individuals that have abandoned their HIV treatment.  These workers take just the names and the area the patient lives near, and then go looking for them.  It’s like being asked to look for Paula on that side of the river, with a wave of the hand. “Where?”

Aside for the logistics, this concept of service is a bit odd for a foreigner; why wouldn’t patients return for health services? We would think that they either moved or have died, why go to search for them and tell them to come back with you? I can’t rationalize the service, being a structured American. I don’t dare ask because they would shrug and wonder why I doubt that activity. I think it has to do with the community group culture – we will go get them, their ours. I respect that spirit, but this method has a 2% success rate.

I’ve avoided working with the buscas partially because of the lack of my familiarity outside of the center and because of the dismal outcomes. Until now, a great conversation at a party ended up to be the best suggestion. I was reminding how this other project dealing with Malaria in my village has what is similar to a census report on population done two years ago; the houses were numbered and the residents were listed.  They have a technical phone book/GPS on a tablet!

 THIS COULD BE LINK TO THE ABANDONED PATIENTS!! 

After a conversation with one hospital supervisor, we visited the administrator of the other organization and the idea was endorsed. The idea is just a small start but I’m selfishly happy because of the possibility to work in these areas and find my way back!  A possible solution over a glass of wine; not bad.

Food to Think

I can’t help but keeping my ear to the ground when it comes to national’s issues here because I am working with the new generation, I can help with the roots but the sun needs to shine for the tree to grow. What are these youth growing into?

UPDATE: Mozambique is facing difficult economic challenges growth this year will be below 4.5%, which is 3% below historic levels, the currency has depreciated by about 28% and Inflation hit 16% in May. The International Monetary Fund – the world’s bank- just completed a distressing mission to investigate the government’s recent economic actions and will not resume funding until corrective actions are started. Borrowing needed money is a long way off.

Mozambique has an agricultural based economy; last month a big campaign in the Northern section of Mozambique to adapt a plan that was used in Brazil to increase its production of agriculture by establishing large plantations.  This would require the government to seize property in the rural areas and cause displacement of thousands of peasants. The protest against this new plan won but the problem continues.

International funding institutions like the World Bank and the African Development Bank, invest millions in big projects in the poultry market, yet the profit usually doesn’t go to the local villagers (except in labor).  Smaller simpler projects, including one from Bill Gates proposing to give 5 chickens to those in the program, can’t quite succeed to commercial use  because of cost and availability of feed, veterinary care, and coops.

Like many,  I believe the answer is in the middle – local cooperatives, (neighboring farmers working together) mid-size producers. With strong basic education, and the cultural trait of group mentality, this business of cooperatives could be a sustainable pathway for these youth.

If you are interested in this topic read; Chickens and beer: A recipe for agricultural growth in Mozambique by Teresa Smart and Joseph Hanlon - pdf format, 6 Mb file, free on http://bit.ly/chickens-beer.

The views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not represent Peace Corps nor the U.S. government.

 

@bloggingabroad

VERSE OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2

Show-Down at the Village

It’s time for a Show-Down

 If you think I’m referring to the political arena of my homeland, the United States, and my host country, Mozambique; you’re wrong but that is a good guess (At home this week there is a show down debate on gun control, and here the two political party leaders are getting a bit steamy calling out to international mediators to calm civil unrest). No the showdown I am writing on is between the time I have left here and completing my projects. I am almost at my half way mark here and there is still much left to do.

Let me quickly set a scenario; pretend that you are a mountain climber.  You are invited to climb a beautiful rural mountain with no paths and just basic gear. You get dropped off and can see the mountain is a distance away and you can’t get there alone. You realize that the local peasants need to come with you for guidance and to assist building a pathway so that they can receive the resources of the fertile land. So now you’re gathering a needed posse team since you can’t hike alone.  It takes a bit of time to be able to communicate with the people, and it is difficult to convince them that the trek will meet their needed resources as well - water and food. 

The villagers are not on your time frame, they are busy just meeting the daily needs, they need to process the information and get an overall consensus – plus it’s a long walk. 

Often you look around you and see that less are following you. So you, the mountain climber, slows down until you are walking with the group, momentum is slow and it’s difficult to see if you’re any closure to starting the climb. 

Tired, with holes in your boots you finally realize that you have arrived at the base of the mountain and are looking up.  Up. It seems very far.  Your happiness is now overcome with mental fatigue, you labored so hard to just get to the base that climbing up is intimidating. Time is limited. You are finding that the posse is looking at you for direction, the next step, a bit closer to the peak - and you are tempted to just sit and toast hot dogs.

Show down time, move up or sit by the campfire. That’s where I am; hot dog in one hand and hiking stick in another.

Briefing on some of my projects.

Color Coded Pediatric Appointment schedule.  All infants under two years of age have an assigned color which determines the time that they visit the hospital for monthly check ups. Before , all mothers appeared at 7:30 am and waited (a study done showed that a sick child would take over 5 hours to be able to compete visit – 80% of time is spent waiting to be seen).  It was also communicated that sick children are attended first and that the mother needs to alert staff upon arrival. This has significantly reduced waiting time.

Organization of pharmacy.  A funnel effect was apparent at the pharmacy and this was resolved by dividing services and assigning staff to the two pharmacy windows. We also communicated to patients peak wait periods advised early in the morning or late afternoon for refills. Staff can now complete work at hospital closing time.

Youth Groups- Planting the seed to succeed into these young minds is imperative for the future of this country. I have a young girls group on Saturday’s that attend a “Choose your Future” class, a Tuesday ESL group of fifth graders who are building self-esteem sprinkled with English words; and a group of older girls who just started a new group generating income and learning about good health.

Family Park Proposal:  A team and I are working on rebuilding a community park that has gone into disarray since the Portuguese left 41 years ago.  Originally it was set up as a playground but now will include stations for all family members and serve as an educational center.  I am hoping that this will strengthen the family unit, now a day’s men go to bars and mothers collect at homes with other women if there is any free time. Still working with a sketch but hopefully the grant will be written and the work will start and finish by April.

Other activities include a ESL group for hospital staff, a permanent garden project with a  teacher at the agronomy school, and I coordinate an English Theater contest in September with 10 contestants in my province.

So I need to put down the hot dog, tape up my shoes, and take one more step up this mountain. 

Thanks for following me.

The reception I get is always polite with a tinge of curiosity from the elders

Children are content with this porridge

hanging out

What?

Twins are at a high percentage in my district.

Will his life be better than his father's?