So at the end of June I was very fortunate to be able to go home to America for a couple weeks!
The first part of the trip was spending time with my best friend since 5th grade! She got married (weird how growing up works...) and we had a lot of last minute running around to do. This included going into Toys-R-Us which was a bit overwhelming and I was still getting used to being around so much English which means I was cursing more than I should have been... The wedding was so beautiful and only had a couple snags along the way so that was good. I really enjoyed spending time with an old friend, being able to actually help with the wedding stuff (felt pretty guilty that I was the maid of honor but couldn't do much from Madagascar), celebrating her love with a great man and seeing a bunch of her family too that I hadn't see in a very long time. The one sad part about this trip is that I barely squeezed into my dress for the wedding resulting in me not being able to gorge myself on all the great American food that I wanted to... Even having Special K cereal and cold milk was Amazing though!
The second part of my trip was going back home to Colorado. My family and I drove back from the wedding and watched movies in a spacious car, which is about the furthest away from my Madagascar experiences as I can get! I forgot how much seeing the Rockies just makes me feel at home too... I was able to see a few good friends and hit up my old college town to chat with some folks. I also got to spend the 4th of July with my family and take a motorcycle ride into the mountains with my dad. I had a lot of Cinnamon Toast Crush and PHO!!! Rocked my world. My mom let me sleep in her bed while I was home too = A-maz-ing!!! So soft, so warm..! These are the things I was excited about haha!
It was great to be home, to speak English, to be in my own culture where I understand everything, to be with my friends and family...but sadly I had to leave all over again... 5 different planes and a lot of hours later I was back in Madagascar to finish out my 1 year+ of service. I was able to stay in the capital for a little bit and welcome the incoming health and education trainees, which was fun. I finally made it back to my banking town, then to my site and back in my house. My house felt smaller and I wanted to take a few days of just being alone to readjust to everything again. I have gotten back into most of my routines and have a lot more drive to focus on my work but my attitude towards everything is not the same as before leaving for America.
I'll clarify that a bit... I'm a lot more homesick than I was before. I am less inclined to go out and just sit and talk with people - This is in part to do with me having a new computer to watch movies and stuff on and in part, sitting around and talking is slightly uncomfortable when I can't always relate or contribute much to the conversation so I would rather spend my time planning and organizing my work. My focus on work has been better, the computer has allowed me to work on my funding proposals at site where it is quiet instead of having to wait to use the computer in my banking town when I really don't feel like working since I'm around other volunteers. I am more on the fence about a third year extension than when I left, I'm still considering it but I still need time to think about it before having any serious conversations with Peace Corps about it.
So that's pretty much where I'm at at this point. I've got something coming up almost every month for the rest of the year so that'll move things along nicely :) Helping a couple other volunteers on projects this month and in October (which will also be my 24th birthday..!) September I will be in the capital again helping out with language translating for Operation Smile. November I am headed back to our original training site for our Mid-Service Conference. Hopefully during all that the project proposals will come through and we can start working!
Mind-trip: A year into service, a year left and 2012 is just around the corner
Friday, August 5, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
I found a project!!! But I need your help!
Manakory aby (Hello Everyone)!
I hope this finds you all doing well and that work, school and life in general is good. As for me, I'm good, great actually! I've been in Peace Corps now for 10 months, with about a year and 4 months left but am thinking about extending my service for an extra year. If you have been following my blog, which I try to keep up with as much as I can (TisaInAfrica.blogspot.com), I hope you have been enjoying reading what I've been up to. I remember thinking that 2 years was such a daunting amount time and now it seems like it is going to run out before I know it!
I live in the rural commune of Sahambavy, located in the southern highlands, which is known for producing all of the tea production in Madagascar. Although technically we are considered "ambany vohitsa" (countryside), my commune is a progressive one. We have regular transportation to a larger city near by, a sizeable market twice a week, a library, elementary, middle and high schools, several chruches, a basic health center staffed with a doctor, midwife and pharmasist as well as supporting health educators in all the surrounding villages. I've spent enough time in my community now to understand what their needs are and have a ton of ideas for projects that I want to accomplish. My main concern when choosing which projects to focus on is the question of sustainability. Does my community actually want this project? Will they find it helpful? Will the people continue to use it after I have gone? A crucial factor in project sustainability is when the community is the driving force behind it. I am writing to you today to tell you about a project that my community has approached me about.
Each village is made up of a few small clusters of houses called tananas. There is a tanana called Toby in the village of Bedia that sits 5K away from the center of the commune. Several years ago a pastor began to support chronically ill people in Toby Bedia, by way of healing through prayer. A new church was built about 4 years ago to continue daily prayer for the people in Toby. This tanana has become a place where people with various physical and developmental illnesses are referred to because community members have committed themselves to being care takers as well as spiritual leaders for the sick. In an effort to improve the (goals) of Toby some of the community leaders have approached me about a project they would like to implement. The health center is located in the main part of the commune which means villagers have to walk to recieve consultations, vaccines or medications. A woman named Radety has been collaborating with the Mayor and Doctor to try to bring health care to the people of Toby Bedia. She would like to construct a building consisting of 4 rooms that would provide space for the doctor to do weekly consultations, keep a stock of medications and supplies as well as rooms for patients to recover after treatment.
As progressive as Sahambavy is, funding for such a project is hard to find. The commune and family members of the sick do their best to provide rice and clothing to the people of Toby, but the main funding for building the new church and a building to house the caretakers has come from the personal funds of Radety. After being approached by my community, spending some time in Toby to understand their lives and hearing about their ideas, I set out to search for funding for this project. Peace Corps has what is called the Peace Corps Partnership Programm (PCPP), which is a way for volunteers in country to connect with people at home to provide funding for materials for whatever project they are planning for. The way PCPP works is, say we need $3,000 USD to build this care center, and through your contributions and the efforts of PCPP we only raise $2,500, then the difference could be given from other people as the website is open for everyone to donate to. Unfortunately, it is not guaranteed that I would recieve that funding and if not, it would go into a Global Fund which would be dispersed to various projects around the world. Of course the funding would be used for other great causes but it would mean that my community and I would find ourselves back at square one.
The community members are the driving force behind this project. I met with them recently to explain the process of PCPP; not only are they writing the bulk of the project proposal (which I must say is a lot of work and needs to be done thoroughly) but they will also be contributing at least 25% of the total project cost. They are dedicated to making this project happen, so of course if they are put back to square one again they will try another strategy to get it done. I would love to see this project become a success the first go around while I am still here as support but I need your help! I am asking you all in advance to see if you are interested in contributing to this cause and a rough estimate of how much you would be willing to donate. If I can get enough responses/pledges, I will submit the proposal to PCPP for review and upon its approval the project will go on the Peace Corps website. This is where you can sumbit your donations and once the amount is reached the funds will be sent to me to begin project implementation. I want to secure donations prior to submitting the proposal in order to complete this project in a time frame that is not discouraging to my community, as well as allowing myself to be able to see it succeed.
I will be checking my email as regularly as I am able to so please send me a reply to my email below if you are interested! Also, please do not hestitate to forward this to anyone that may be interested in directly making a difference in Madagascar.
With love and peace,
Tisa Kunkee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Community Health - Madagascar
Email: Tisa.Kunkee@gmail.com
I hope this finds you all doing well and that work, school and life in general is good. As for me, I'm good, great actually! I've been in Peace Corps now for 10 months, with about a year and 4 months left but am thinking about extending my service for an extra year. If you have been following my blog, which I try to keep up with as much as I can (TisaInAfrica.blogspot.com), I hope you have been enjoying reading what I've been up to. I remember thinking that 2 years was such a daunting amount time and now it seems like it is going to run out before I know it!
I live in the rural commune of Sahambavy, located in the southern highlands, which is known for producing all of the tea production in Madagascar. Although technically we are considered "ambany vohitsa" (countryside), my commune is a progressive one. We have regular transportation to a larger city near by, a sizeable market twice a week, a library, elementary, middle and high schools, several chruches, a basic health center staffed with a doctor, midwife and pharmasist as well as supporting health educators in all the surrounding villages. I've spent enough time in my community now to understand what their needs are and have a ton of ideas for projects that I want to accomplish. My main concern when choosing which projects to focus on is the question of sustainability. Does my community actually want this project? Will they find it helpful? Will the people continue to use it after I have gone? A crucial factor in project sustainability is when the community is the driving force behind it. I am writing to you today to tell you about a project that my community has approached me about.
Each village is made up of a few small clusters of houses called tananas. There is a tanana called Toby in the village of Bedia that sits 5K away from the center of the commune. Several years ago a pastor began to support chronically ill people in Toby Bedia, by way of healing through prayer. A new church was built about 4 years ago to continue daily prayer for the people in Toby. This tanana has become a place where people with various physical and developmental illnesses are referred to because community members have committed themselves to being care takers as well as spiritual leaders for the sick. In an effort to improve the (goals) of Toby some of the community leaders have approached me about a project they would like to implement. The health center is located in the main part of the commune which means villagers have to walk to recieve consultations, vaccines or medications. A woman named Radety has been collaborating with the Mayor and Doctor to try to bring health care to the people of Toby Bedia. She would like to construct a building consisting of 4 rooms that would provide space for the doctor to do weekly consultations, keep a stock of medications and supplies as well as rooms for patients to recover after treatment.
As progressive as Sahambavy is, funding for such a project is hard to find. The commune and family members of the sick do their best to provide rice and clothing to the people of Toby, but the main funding for building the new church and a building to house the caretakers has come from the personal funds of Radety. After being approached by my community, spending some time in Toby to understand their lives and hearing about their ideas, I set out to search for funding for this project. Peace Corps has what is called the Peace Corps Partnership Programm (PCPP), which is a way for volunteers in country to connect with people at home to provide funding for materials for whatever project they are planning for. The way PCPP works is, say we need $3,000 USD to build this care center, and through your contributions and the efforts of PCPP we only raise $2,500, then the difference could be given from other people as the website is open for everyone to donate to. Unfortunately, it is not guaranteed that I would recieve that funding and if not, it would go into a Global Fund which would be dispersed to various projects around the world. Of course the funding would be used for other great causes but it would mean that my community and I would find ourselves back at square one.
The community members are the driving force behind this project. I met with them recently to explain the process of PCPP; not only are they writing the bulk of the project proposal (which I must say is a lot of work and needs to be done thoroughly) but they will also be contributing at least 25% of the total project cost. They are dedicated to making this project happen, so of course if they are put back to square one again they will try another strategy to get it done. I would love to see this project become a success the first go around while I am still here as support but I need your help! I am asking you all in advance to see if you are interested in contributing to this cause and a rough estimate of how much you would be willing to donate. If I can get enough responses/pledges, I will submit the proposal to PCPP for review and upon its approval the project will go on the Peace Corps website. This is where you can sumbit your donations and once the amount is reached the funds will be sent to me to begin project implementation. I want to secure donations prior to submitting the proposal in order to complete this project in a time frame that is not discouraging to my community, as well as allowing myself to be able to see it succeed.
I will be checking my email as regularly as I am able to so please send me a reply to my email below if you are interested! Also, please do not hestitate to forward this to anyone that may be interested in directly making a difference in Madagascar.
With love and peace,
Tisa Kunkee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Community Health - Madagascar
Email: Tisa.Kunkee@gmail.com
Saturday, April 16, 2011
I need a detox for my brain...
I should really start working out soon so I can clear my mind... Here is what is on it currently:
-How to get funding for a pump and/or health center project at my site. This has many, many components such as identifying potential donors, project descrition, timeline and budget. All of those have various parts and this is just for the proposal, there is no guarantee that the project will get funded...
-General work at site is fine but I've hit a glitch with my counterpart. A certain situation has made our relationship a bit awkward. We had planned to go out to all the villages and do baby food demonstrations but she has started scheduling other work/errands instead of going with me... She tells other people I'm good enough at my Gasy to do it on my own - yet she has told me that my Gasy has retreated back to a lower level and the other issue is I don't know how to get out to all the villages.
-America. I'm missing it but I am also going back in June/July. I've got to get approval from PC and then of course the gift buying process.
-Another HIV/AIDS and Hygien/Nutrition tour is a possibility
-I'm starting to think about "After Peace Corps" which I think has become the most thing on my mind. At least in this current moment. Do I want to extend my PC service? If so, in what way (NGO, response volunteer)? Do I want to find an actual job here? How to even go about that process? Is Foreign services an option? I also want to get my Masters - In what? Where? Through what program? What about travel after service?
So much to think about. Way too much time to think about it...
-How to get funding for a pump and/or health center project at my site. This has many, many components such as identifying potential donors, project descrition, timeline and budget. All of those have various parts and this is just for the proposal, there is no guarantee that the project will get funded...
-General work at site is fine but I've hit a glitch with my counterpart. A certain situation has made our relationship a bit awkward. We had planned to go out to all the villages and do baby food demonstrations but she has started scheduling other work/errands instead of going with me... She tells other people I'm good enough at my Gasy to do it on my own - yet she has told me that my Gasy has retreated back to a lower level and the other issue is I don't know how to get out to all the villages.
-America. I'm missing it but I am also going back in June/July. I've got to get approval from PC and then of course the gift buying process.
-Another HIV/AIDS and Hygien/Nutrition tour is a possibility
-I'm starting to think about "After Peace Corps" which I think has become the most thing on my mind. At least in this current moment. Do I want to extend my PC service? If so, in what way (NGO, response volunteer)? Do I want to find an actual job here? How to even go about that process? Is Foreign services an option? I also want to get my Masters - In what? Where? Through what program? What about travel after service?
So much to think about. Way too much time to think about it...
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Dirty South
I actually feel like a legitimate volunteer now! I just got back from a business trip where me and 4 other volunteers from my stage gave health lessons about HIV/AIDS, STIs and condom use to the classes of our fellow education volunteers living to the south of us.
What we talked about:
Myths and Facts about HIV/AIDS - We blew up condoms with strips of paper inside, tossed them to the students, then they had to break them and decide if the statement was true or false
How HIV/AIDS effects the body - Had volunteers to come up; one representing the body, 6 others in a circle around the first to represent the immune system. Had 2 others try to attack and touch the first to represent maladies like the flu. Then I went round as HIV removing the immune system, the 2 volunteers would then try to attack the body again.
Transmission - Used a hand-shaking game to demonstrate how quickly diseases can spread, the importance of testing and prevention and that there are no visible symptoms of HIV. We talked about transmissible fluids, pathways for fluids, risky behaviors and the life cycle of the disease
STI - those present in M/car, symptoms to go to the doctor for
Prevention - ABCD: Abstinence Be faithful Condom use Detection. Aleo Misoroka Toy Izay Mitsabo: It is better to prevent than to treat
Condoms - Don'ts: Don't use expired condoms, don't use more than one at a time, don't leave them in a hot place, don't open with scissors. This was followed by us doing a demonstration and then we had the students do a condom race.
Interesting notes:
We got asked a lot about the female condom, how AIDS started and got to M/car, how the medicine works, other contraceptive methods (including the withdrawl method), condom use is low here because they say it spoils the mood
Great trip - Great experience
What we talked about:
Myths and Facts about HIV/AIDS - We blew up condoms with strips of paper inside, tossed them to the students, then they had to break them and decide if the statement was true or false
How HIV/AIDS effects the body - Had volunteers to come up; one representing the body, 6 others in a circle around the first to represent the immune system. Had 2 others try to attack and touch the first to represent maladies like the flu. Then I went round as HIV removing the immune system, the 2 volunteers would then try to attack the body again.
Transmission - Used a hand-shaking game to demonstrate how quickly diseases can spread, the importance of testing and prevention and that there are no visible symptoms of HIV. We talked about transmissible fluids, pathways for fluids, risky behaviors and the life cycle of the disease
STI - those present in M/car, symptoms to go to the doctor for
Prevention - ABCD: Abstinence Be faithful Condom use Detection. Aleo Misoroka Toy Izay Mitsabo: It is better to prevent than to treat
Condoms - Don'ts: Don't use expired condoms, don't use more than one at a time, don't leave them in a hot place, don't open with scissors. This was followed by us doing a demonstration and then we had the students do a condom race.
Interesting notes:
We got asked a lot about the female condom, how AIDS started and got to M/car, how the medicine works, other contraceptive methods (including the withdrawl method), condom use is low here because they say it spoils the mood
Great trip - Great experience
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Food for thought
So I have been having this conversation with people lately and the more and more I think about it, the more I realize how silly life is... One of the things that I have really been enjoying out here is all the fresh fruits and vegetables! I buy local foods, I buy seasonally, and there are no preservatives or any stuff like that in the food. Even with meats, all the animals roam freely and eat grasses instead of corn. It's great! I eat Lychee that are still on the branch, there are mangoes of like at least 5 different kinds here, grapes are coming into season and I know there are avocadoes here and I will be So excited when I see those in the market!
But something I've been realizing is that I don't know how any of this stuff grows...
What does a mango tree look like? Do green beans grow on bushes like tomatoes or on vines like grapes? How do beans grow - above the ground like squash or in it like potatoes? What about peanuts - is it a tree? a bush? how does it work with the shell and everything?? Apparently bananas start out as this huge purple pod... and pineapples - they start out red and I don't even know how to explain how they grow because I have yet to see it but it seems So strange how they grow...
Isn't it silly?!? Isn't it silly?! and almost rediculous that I am 23 years old and I don't know how the majority of what I have been eating all my life looks like before I buy it at the store, before I open the can or package, before it is on my plate and I'm eating it..?
The answer is Yes!
I have been disconnected from my food - something that is part of my everyday routine, one of the basic necessities of life and a favorite past-time - for practically 22 years up until I move to an island and have no choice but to see it in a different light!
Sad, silly, interesting and I hope that through cooking and gardening I will find a greater appreciation for my food and the process behind it
But something I've been realizing is that I don't know how any of this stuff grows...
What does a mango tree look like? Do green beans grow on bushes like tomatoes or on vines like grapes? How do beans grow - above the ground like squash or in it like potatoes? What about peanuts - is it a tree? a bush? how does it work with the shell and everything?? Apparently bananas start out as this huge purple pod... and pineapples - they start out red and I don't even know how to explain how they grow because I have yet to see it but it seems So strange how they grow...
Isn't it silly?!? Isn't it silly?! and almost rediculous that I am 23 years old and I don't know how the majority of what I have been eating all my life looks like before I buy it at the store, before I open the can or package, before it is on my plate and I'm eating it..?
The answer is Yes!
I have been disconnected from my food - something that is part of my everyday routine, one of the basic necessities of life and a favorite past-time - for practically 22 years up until I move to an island and have no choice but to see it in a different light!
Sad, silly, interesting and I hope that through cooking and gardening I will find a greater appreciation for my food and the process behind it
First project - The Hot Box
So the first small project that I set up at site was training some of the health educators about the Hot Box. My friend Wallie, fellow health volunteer, came through my site and helped me out with this!
The Hot Box:
Materials - 2 blankets, a basket, a pot and your food
Steps - start cooking your food, fold one blanket and put it in the bottom of the basket, after the 'Stove Time' put the covered pot in the basket, take the second folded blanket, cover the pot and tuck between the first blanket and the basket, make sure no heat is leaking out and wait for your food to finish cooking.
Example - 1 kapoaka (cup and a half) of rice to 3/4 zinga (a big cup basically, equivalent to about a 2 cup measuring cup). About 10 minutes on the stove, or just bring it to a boil. Let it sit in the Hot Box for about 30 minutes, maybe 40 if its red rice and then enjoy.
A make-shift crock pot, if you will...
So prior to IST I set up an information session with the health educators about the Hot Box and then the following 3 days to go out to the villages to do a demo. Here is how scheduling goes here in M/car...
Sent out reminders to the educators about 4 or 5 days before the info session - and by 'sent out' I mean asking people who are walking around if they know the people who the note is for and/or to somehow get it to them by passing it on to another person on the road. The info session was scheduled for 8 am and we didn't get started until about 9:30... People show up and if not everyone is there they go walk around and do other errands and when other people show up and not everyone is there and they do the same thing so yeah haha
They all seemed really suprised that the Hot Box would actually work. I think it made sense with trapping the heat and all though and they got really excited about it. So the next day my counterpart tool us out to one of the villages and we gave the same session and followed that up with a demonstration. We made rice and they were excited to see it cooked when it came out! We asked if they would use it and they said they would actually use it for stuff that took a long time to cook like cassava or sweet potatoes.
We didn't end up going out to the other villages the next two days because one day the health educator didn't show up to show us the way to the village - granted it was one of the market days and I was kind of anticipating for this to happen. The next day not only did the person who was supposed to show us out there unable to make it but the educator in that village had to go into Fianar the day before because her mother was sick and therefore none of the people in the village would be gathered...
Overall though, it went pretty well. I think people will use it like they said, for things that take a while to cook - one, saves on time having to watch over the food and two, uses less charcoal/wood. I will be going out to do baby food demonstrations probably in Feb and will talk about the hot Box probably too and see how other people recieve it too.
What I learned..?
Nothing is going to come out exactly as I plan. Which is Totally fine but remember to stay flexible and patient.
Cross-cultural lesson: We had a poster with suggested times and measurements like the rice example but people got really hung up on all this stuff. We had to explain that the amount of time depends on the kind of food and that they had to practice and play with it to figure out what works best. So I'm talking with my language teacher and going back over the posters and we find where a bg part of the disconnect is. People tell time differently here. We use watches but most of the people here don't have them, they use the sun. So when we say 30 minutes then don't really know what that means because that is kind of like clock time - saying half an hour translates better.
The Hot Box:
Materials - 2 blankets, a basket, a pot and your food
Steps - start cooking your food, fold one blanket and put it in the bottom of the basket, after the 'Stove Time' put the covered pot in the basket, take the second folded blanket, cover the pot and tuck between the first blanket and the basket, make sure no heat is leaking out and wait for your food to finish cooking.
Example - 1 kapoaka (cup and a half) of rice to 3/4 zinga (a big cup basically, equivalent to about a 2 cup measuring cup). About 10 minutes on the stove, or just bring it to a boil. Let it sit in the Hot Box for about 30 minutes, maybe 40 if its red rice and then enjoy.
A make-shift crock pot, if you will...
So prior to IST I set up an information session with the health educators about the Hot Box and then the following 3 days to go out to the villages to do a demo. Here is how scheduling goes here in M/car...
Sent out reminders to the educators about 4 or 5 days before the info session - and by 'sent out' I mean asking people who are walking around if they know the people who the note is for and/or to somehow get it to them by passing it on to another person on the road. The info session was scheduled for 8 am and we didn't get started until about 9:30... People show up and if not everyone is there they go walk around and do other errands and when other people show up and not everyone is there and they do the same thing so yeah haha
They all seemed really suprised that the Hot Box would actually work. I think it made sense with trapping the heat and all though and they got really excited about it. So the next day my counterpart tool us out to one of the villages and we gave the same session and followed that up with a demonstration. We made rice and they were excited to see it cooked when it came out! We asked if they would use it and they said they would actually use it for stuff that took a long time to cook like cassava or sweet potatoes.
We didn't end up going out to the other villages the next two days because one day the health educator didn't show up to show us the way to the village - granted it was one of the market days and I was kind of anticipating for this to happen. The next day not only did the person who was supposed to show us out there unable to make it but the educator in that village had to go into Fianar the day before because her mother was sick and therefore none of the people in the village would be gathered...
Overall though, it went pretty well. I think people will use it like they said, for things that take a while to cook - one, saves on time having to watch over the food and two, uses less charcoal/wood. I will be going out to do baby food demonstrations probably in Feb and will talk about the hot Box probably too and see how other people recieve it too.
What I learned..?
Nothing is going to come out exactly as I plan. Which is Totally fine but remember to stay flexible and patient.
Cross-cultural lesson: We had a poster with suggested times and measurements like the rice example but people got really hung up on all this stuff. We had to explain that the amount of time depends on the kind of food and that they had to practice and play with it to figure out what works best. So I'm talking with my language teacher and going back over the posters and we find where a bg part of the disconnect is. People tell time differently here. We use watches but most of the people here don't have them, they use the sun. So when we say 30 minutes then don't really know what that means because that is kind of like clock time - saying half an hour translates better.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Just add water
Alright! So apparently the hardest part of Peace Corps is the initial training and then the first few months at site. If this is true it should be "smooth sailing" from here on out!
For the past week me and my stage mates came back into the capital for our IST (In-Service Training) It was really great to see everyone again! Some of my favorite people are in completely different areas of Madagascar - I've got a friend isolated in the West, people who are fly sites and travel is only affordable when PC pays for it on official business and we've got a black hole here in M/car too where some great people are...
The training consisted of administrative stuff, how to get funding, how to collaborate with other sectors and the like. But mostly it was a chance for us to see each other again, share and vent about what has been going on at site and just relax for a bit before taking on the next leg of service.
After we left the training site a bunch of us were staying in the capital while we were getting ready to head back to site. We have just entered into the rainy season here so one night it was raining and for some reason the medical unit at the volunteer housing had a bunch of water coming off it so someone put a trashcan under the spot where most of it was coming off. A room downstairs where a bunch of beds are had water get in it the pervious night so someone was trying to prevent that from happening again. Well...the rain stopped but water was still just pouring off the medical unit and I realized that it was actually coming off the second floor balcony and not the roof....
So I went investigating. I walked in the door and the first floor had a bunch of water everywhere! Then I went up the stairs and it looked like a scene from the Titanic - water was just flowing down the stairs and all the rooms on the second floor were flooded.
What I found was that the water heater on the second floor had a tube pop off! I walked into a humid room with a high pressure stream of water just blasting in one of the rooms! It had probably been going on for something like at least 3 hours. In broken Malagasy we all tried to get the guards to turn off the water - we were calling the regular duty phone as well as the medical duty phone to try to get someone to get the water off and check things out. It was hilarious and frustrating all at the same time.
The main water did finally get shut off after like half an hour or so of franticness. Then a couple of us started to get all the boxes up off the floor and sweeping all the water from the rooms off the balcony. One of the PC doctors finally got there around 12:30 pm which is hella late here and he said that we had done enough for the night and to leave it until morning. Nothing got super damaged as far as I know so that is good.
The next night it rained pretty hard and the same building I was just talking about was dangerously close to flooding again. It kind of sits at the bottom of a hill and the area was flooded a bit - about ankle height. It kept raining but the flooding stayed just barely under the bit of raised porch-ish area outside of the rooms.
...Oh Madagascar...
For the past week me and my stage mates came back into the capital for our IST (In-Service Training) It was really great to see everyone again! Some of my favorite people are in completely different areas of Madagascar - I've got a friend isolated in the West, people who are fly sites and travel is only affordable when PC pays for it on official business and we've got a black hole here in M/car too where some great people are...
The training consisted of administrative stuff, how to get funding, how to collaborate with other sectors and the like. But mostly it was a chance for us to see each other again, share and vent about what has been going on at site and just relax for a bit before taking on the next leg of service.
After we left the training site a bunch of us were staying in the capital while we were getting ready to head back to site. We have just entered into the rainy season here so one night it was raining and for some reason the medical unit at the volunteer housing had a bunch of water coming off it so someone put a trashcan under the spot where most of it was coming off. A room downstairs where a bunch of beds are had water get in it the pervious night so someone was trying to prevent that from happening again. Well...the rain stopped but water was still just pouring off the medical unit and I realized that it was actually coming off the second floor balcony and not the roof....
So I went investigating. I walked in the door and the first floor had a bunch of water everywhere! Then I went up the stairs and it looked like a scene from the Titanic - water was just flowing down the stairs and all the rooms on the second floor were flooded.
What I found was that the water heater on the second floor had a tube pop off! I walked into a humid room with a high pressure stream of water just blasting in one of the rooms! It had probably been going on for something like at least 3 hours. In broken Malagasy we all tried to get the guards to turn off the water - we were calling the regular duty phone as well as the medical duty phone to try to get someone to get the water off and check things out. It was hilarious and frustrating all at the same time.
The main water did finally get shut off after like half an hour or so of franticness. Then a couple of us started to get all the boxes up off the floor and sweeping all the water from the rooms off the balcony. One of the PC doctors finally got there around 12:30 pm which is hella late here and he said that we had done enough for the night and to leave it until morning. Nothing got super damaged as far as I know so that is good.
The next night it rained pretty hard and the same building I was just talking about was dangerously close to flooding again. It kind of sits at the bottom of a hill and the area was flooded a bit - about ankle height. It kept raining but the flooding stayed just barely under the bit of raised porch-ish area outside of the rooms.
...Oh Madagascar...
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Reflections of 2010
The year the world tapped me on the shoulder and said "You should know this by now but - You can accomplish anything."
2010 has been one hell of a year! So much has happened...
1. Made a rediculous New Year's Resolution that I actually stuck to throughout the entire year
2. I worked under a new supervisor - the ambiguity and off-hands approach was something I was not used to and really nervous to engage in, but I grew a lot more confidence in myself and my abilities
3. Graduated from CSU in May - I'm a first gen and it felt amazing. I still don't think it has fully hit me yet that I have a college degree!
4. Did a lot of crying in terms of my love life and had to let go of a good dog. The upside to this is that I have come a long way and I know that I will be ok
5. I was the Maid of Honor in my sister's wedding. I love her So much and could not be happier for her
6. Worked with my dad for a couple months crawling around in attics and installing insulation - Dirty dirty work but I am so proud of my dad for having such a good business going.
7. All my Peace Corps process came together! I remember first thinking about it, making the decision to apply, getting the application in, all the interviews, all the paperwork and finally getting the paper saying I was going to Madagascar for 27 months!
8. I have gone through Pre-Service Training in Peace Corps Madagascar and met some great people and made some good friends! I've been trained to talk to rural communities about Health and have learned a foreign language - the Betsileo dialect.
9. I have made it through 2 and a half months at my site. Kids come by way too often, men are creepy, my mayor is kind of a big deal and my commune is so well established in terms of people knowledgable about health issues and whatnot that my biggest problem will be finding how I can help. Made it to In-Service Training!
10. Had friends to my site and did an information session with the health educators in my commune about the "Hot Bow" - basically a make-shift crock pot to help them save on wood/charcoal. Did a demonstration in one of my other fokontany but didn't end up going to the other scheduled ones because well, it's Madagascar...but all good, watched a lot of Dexter!
There is so much more that I went through in 2010 but it is just too much to keep track of. I have grown so much as a person and in ways that I can't even really explain. I am going through a once-in-a-lifetime experience in my early 20's and it has only just begun.
I can only imagine what 2011 will bring!
2010 has been one hell of a year! So much has happened...
1. Made a rediculous New Year's Resolution that I actually stuck to throughout the entire year
2. I worked under a new supervisor - the ambiguity and off-hands approach was something I was not used to and really nervous to engage in, but I grew a lot more confidence in myself and my abilities
3. Graduated from CSU in May - I'm a first gen and it felt amazing. I still don't think it has fully hit me yet that I have a college degree!
4. Did a lot of crying in terms of my love life and had to let go of a good dog. The upside to this is that I have come a long way and I know that I will be ok
5. I was the Maid of Honor in my sister's wedding. I love her So much and could not be happier for her
6. Worked with my dad for a couple months crawling around in attics and installing insulation - Dirty dirty work but I am so proud of my dad for having such a good business going.
7. All my Peace Corps process came together! I remember first thinking about it, making the decision to apply, getting the application in, all the interviews, all the paperwork and finally getting the paper saying I was going to Madagascar for 27 months!
8. I have gone through Pre-Service Training in Peace Corps Madagascar and met some great people and made some good friends! I've been trained to talk to rural communities about Health and have learned a foreign language - the Betsileo dialect.
9. I have made it through 2 and a half months at my site. Kids come by way too often, men are creepy, my mayor is kind of a big deal and my commune is so well established in terms of people knowledgable about health issues and whatnot that my biggest problem will be finding how I can help. Made it to In-Service Training!
10. Had friends to my site and did an information session with the health educators in my commune about the "Hot Bow" - basically a make-shift crock pot to help them save on wood/charcoal. Did a demonstration in one of my other fokontany but didn't end up going to the other scheduled ones because well, it's Madagascar...but all good, watched a lot of Dexter!
There is so much more that I went through in 2010 but it is just too much to keep track of. I have grown so much as a person and in ways that I can't even really explain. I am going through a once-in-a-lifetime experience in my early 20's and it has only just begun.
I can only imagine what 2011 will bring!
My new November
The end of November brings rain
Beetles crawl out of the moistened soil
"There are already lots of kids!"
She says with urgent excitement
Having grown out of my childhood courage
I watch as they swat grasses with fallen sticks
Provoking flight
And leaping through dusk air
While a zinga of water traps their next meal
Beetles crawl out of the moistened soil
"There are already lots of kids!"
She says with urgent excitement
Having grown out of my childhood courage
I watch as they swat grasses with fallen sticks
Provoking flight
And leaping through dusk air
While a zinga of water traps their next meal
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Vanity Fair
*So my palm-tickler stoped by while I was tweaking this piece. In my limited Malagasy I told him it was about men and women. I found it ironic - maybe he thought the poem was about him - and partially it is. The angry part of the quiz for comic relief.
*He is not allowed to visit me at my house anymore by the way. I'm pretty sure that whenever I went to the market and his friends saw me, they would go tell him and then he would end up visiting. Not cool. So I finally went and told the people at the commune office and they went to him with the commune police saying he couldn't come around anymore.
I always wondered what I'd look like with a shaved head
It seems so easy
No dealing with curling irons or straighteners
Shower time cut in half
All I'd need are some clippers
What do you think y'all?
Could I pull off the G.I. Jane Demi Moore look?
Or maybe Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta?
Could I be the
No-I-don't-have-hair bad-ass
Dying in a blaze of gunfire
But only after I have seduced you in ways that you've only imagined
Could I be a type of sexy like that?
Nope
No, I'm too scared
'Cause what if my head is a wonky shape
Or it never grows back the same length
Or what if people think I'm sick
That cancer is my hairdresser
And the only beauty they see in me
Is because they think I know more about life than they do
Why give up my hair
My one vanity
My beauty like that?
And besides
I'm afraid it wouldn't make a difference
I'm afraid I'd still be beautiful
Still have to ignore cat calls
And learn to speak rejection
Like I learned that
Below here, you're a prude
But above here, you're a slut
Call me shallow
Call me a bitch too obsessed with looks
Tell me beauty is only skin deep
And what matters is inside
Tell me of course I don't believe in plastic surgery
Because I'm already beautiful
That I do not know what it feels like
To break mirrors
That repeat time and time again
That this world is not fair
Call me vain
Call me anything but pretty
Tell me anything but beauty
Becuase beauty is cat calls and rejection
It's learning to yell fire
Becasue no one responds to
No, Help or
"Stop!"
It's skipping meals to go to the gym
A guilty binge with a painful purge
And still two inches away from looking like her
Jealousy and competition
Tainting bonds of friendship
Of sisterhood
It's unearned privileges
And the constant struggle
To prove you have a brain
It's swallowing pride
Facing the reality
That you are one of the lucky ones
One of the lucky ones
That only gets gropped and grabbed
Only belonging to lustful thoughts
And unwanted stares
One asking each and every day
How can I trust you or any of your brothers?
I wish I were plain
I wish years of this shit
Hadn't made me this way
I'd donate my vanity
To the Locks of Love
My smooth skin
To the puberty impared
And to the woman buying anit-wrinkle cream
In Walgreens
As for the cross-dressing man
Awaiting surgery
Every curve would go to her
I'd give away all these things
People told me were beautiful
If it would allow me even a moment's rest...
But I'm afraid it wouldn't make a difference
*He is not allowed to visit me at my house anymore by the way. I'm pretty sure that whenever I went to the market and his friends saw me, they would go tell him and then he would end up visiting. Not cool. So I finally went and told the people at the commune office and they went to him with the commune police saying he couldn't come around anymore.
I always wondered what I'd look like with a shaved head
It seems so easy
No dealing with curling irons or straighteners
Shower time cut in half
All I'd need are some clippers
What do you think y'all?
Could I pull off the G.I. Jane Demi Moore look?
Or maybe Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta?
Could I be the
No-I-don't-have-hair bad-ass
Dying in a blaze of gunfire
But only after I have seduced you in ways that you've only imagined
Could I be a type of sexy like that?
Nope
No, I'm too scared
'Cause what if my head is a wonky shape
Or it never grows back the same length
Or what if people think I'm sick
That cancer is my hairdresser
And the only beauty they see in me
Is because they think I know more about life than they do
Why give up my hair
My one vanity
My beauty like that?
And besides
I'm afraid it wouldn't make a difference
I'm afraid I'd still be beautiful
Still have to ignore cat calls
And learn to speak rejection
Like I learned that
Below here, you're a prude
But above here, you're a slut
Call me shallow
Call me a bitch too obsessed with looks
Tell me beauty is only skin deep
And what matters is inside
Tell me of course I don't believe in plastic surgery
Because I'm already beautiful
That I do not know what it feels like
To break mirrors
That repeat time and time again
That this world is not fair
Call me vain
Call me anything but pretty
Tell me anything but beauty
Becuase beauty is cat calls and rejection
It's learning to yell fire
Becasue no one responds to
No, Help or
"Stop!"
It's skipping meals to go to the gym
A guilty binge with a painful purge
And still two inches away from looking like her
Jealousy and competition
Tainting bonds of friendship
Of sisterhood
It's unearned privileges
And the constant struggle
To prove you have a brain
It's swallowing pride
Facing the reality
That you are one of the lucky ones
One of the lucky ones
That only gets gropped and grabbed
Only belonging to lustful thoughts
And unwanted stares
One asking each and every day
How can I trust you or any of your brothers?
I wish I were plain
I wish years of this shit
Hadn't made me this way
I'd donate my vanity
To the Locks of Love
My smooth skin
To the puberty impared
And to the woman buying anit-wrinkle cream
In Walgreens
As for the cross-dressing man
Awaiting surgery
Every curve would go to her
I'd give away all these things
People told me were beautiful
If it would allow me even a moment's rest...
But I'm afraid it wouldn't make a difference
If mechanics wrote love haikus
I only crash cars
That belong to my close friends
My record is clean
First car: age sixteen
Silver Honda Accord
It was a death trap
I learned to shift gears
By the feel of it: Listen,
Now let out the clutch
Then, from grey to blue
Angst became my fuel
Shifting with every impulse
Red, fast and wild
A Toyota Celica
Perfectly fitting
Too eager, too young
Overheated and broken
I'm no mechanic
Then I saw, I saw..
A Chilean stallion
A fable creature
You, my Elanore
Shilby GT 500
Unattainable
We had a nice ride
Cruising, Blasting rhythms of
"I love you so much"
It's hard to describe
Shifting into happiness,
Into your great light
You, fable creature
You have an amazing light
Of course you must share
I will wait for you
There are those who need your light
You must go to them
And you went to them.
I can only wait for so long
Before I must shift
It was a hard choice
Either I abandoned you
Or gave up my dreams
My dreams of travel
To find a me beyond men
To take time to walk
Desperate, I waited...
But to walk, one cannot wait.
It was a hard choice.
Unknown direction
Taking in my surroundings
Aimlessly, I walk
A poor man's Lexus
There, rusting in the hot sun
Awaiting new paint
That belong to my close friends
My record is clean
First car: age sixteen
Silver Honda Accord
It was a death trap
I learned to shift gears
By the feel of it: Listen,
Now let out the clutch
Then, from grey to blue
Angst became my fuel
Shifting with every impulse
Red, fast and wild
A Toyota Celica
Perfectly fitting
Too eager, too young
Overheated and broken
I'm no mechanic
Then I saw, I saw..
A Chilean stallion
A fable creature
You, my Elanore
Shilby GT 500
Unattainable
We had a nice ride
Cruising, Blasting rhythms of
"I love you so much"
It's hard to describe
Shifting into happiness,
Into your great light
You, fable creature
You have an amazing light
Of course you must share
I will wait for you
There are those who need your light
You must go to them
And you went to them.
I can only wait for so long
Before I must shift
It was a hard choice
Either I abandoned you
Or gave up my dreams
My dreams of travel
To find a me beyond men
To take time to walk
Desperate, I waited...
But to walk, one cannot wait.
It was a hard choice.
Unknown direction
Taking in my surroundings
Aimlessly, I walk
A poor man's Lexus
There, rusting in the hot sun
Awaiting new paint
Rano - Rano - Rano Madio
Thursday Nov. 4th, 2010
I had the honor of attending the opening of 5 new water pumps in my commune. The organization Grand Lyon funded the construction of 5 new pumps located in 4 different fokontany.
We went to each fokontany where people were gathered around the new pumps. They all had a sky blue fence around them with empty buckets lined up outside of it - waiting to be filled. Most of the time was spent, as is the Malagasy culture, of introducing everyone who is present and thanking each other. There were a lot of speeches in Malagasy and in French (the Grand Lyon people all spoke French and no Gasy which is typical and the reason people are confused when I don't understand French). Thus I was picking out Malagasy words here and there that I understood, leaving me partially confused, and then totally lost the rest of the time people were using French.
After the speeches the pumps were opened, turned on and the Grand Lyon people, the commune Mayor and the fokontany mayor washed their hands and took a quick drink of the water. Then the village people came in to fill their buckets. At the first pump, the kids from the primary school sang a song while the buckets were being filled. Mostly I caught the word for pump and "Rano - rano - rano madio" which means water - water - water clean. I totally teared up listening to them sing and pulled the "oh, there is something in my eye" eye wipe technique to cover up how big of a sap I am!
The second fokontany did not do anything particularly special for us but as the mayor walked to the pump someone said "what's new?" and he replied not much but "misotro rano Antotohazo" which means drinking Antotohazo (the fokontany) water. He was super happy about it. Then we were clapped into the third fokontany as the kids chanted "Merci". This pump was at the primary school where they had different Eau'Vive bottles filled with dirty water and clean water from the pump. In between the speeches and the hand washing deal there were 6 girls who recited poems they had written about water/the new pump.
By the time we got to the last pump, in the commune, everyone was tired and hungry so there was less enthusiasm... But the commune thanked all the people involved with bringing in the new pumps with hand woven baskets with "Grand Lyon" and the commune's name woven into each side. Accompanied with a box of tea of course!
Good times!
I had the honor of attending the opening of 5 new water pumps in my commune. The organization Grand Lyon funded the construction of 5 new pumps located in 4 different fokontany.
We went to each fokontany where people were gathered around the new pumps. They all had a sky blue fence around them with empty buckets lined up outside of it - waiting to be filled. Most of the time was spent, as is the Malagasy culture, of introducing everyone who is present and thanking each other. There were a lot of speeches in Malagasy and in French (the Grand Lyon people all spoke French and no Gasy which is typical and the reason people are confused when I don't understand French). Thus I was picking out Malagasy words here and there that I understood, leaving me partially confused, and then totally lost the rest of the time people were using French.
After the speeches the pumps were opened, turned on and the Grand Lyon people, the commune Mayor and the fokontany mayor washed their hands and took a quick drink of the water. Then the village people came in to fill their buckets. At the first pump, the kids from the primary school sang a song while the buckets were being filled. Mostly I caught the word for pump and "Rano - rano - rano madio" which means water - water - water clean. I totally teared up listening to them sing and pulled the "oh, there is something in my eye" eye wipe technique to cover up how big of a sap I am!
The second fokontany did not do anything particularly special for us but as the mayor walked to the pump someone said "what's new?" and he replied not much but "misotro rano Antotohazo" which means drinking Antotohazo (the fokontany) water. He was super happy about it. Then we were clapped into the third fokontany as the kids chanted "Merci". This pump was at the primary school where they had different Eau'Vive bottles filled with dirty water and clean water from the pump. In between the speeches and the hand washing deal there were 6 girls who recited poems they had written about water/the new pump.
By the time we got to the last pump, in the commune, everyone was tired and hungry so there was less enthusiasm... But the commune thanked all the people involved with bringing in the new pumps with hand woven baskets with "Grand Lyon" and the commune's name woven into each side. Accompanied with a box of tea of course!
Good times!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Haiku titled: Where there are no textbooks
Ny mpianatra
Tsa maintsy manoratra
Mba mahay tsara
Roughly translated:
The students
Must write
In order to know
Tsa maintsy manoratra
Mba mahay tsara
Roughly translated:
The students
Must write
In order to know
Mazoto ny mpanentana ara_pahasalamana izay mandeha tongotsa
Roughly translated: Zealous are the Health Educators who go by foot
October 25 - October 29 was Mother and Child week. This means getting Vitamin A, Deworming pills and the Measels vaccine out to every mother and child who needs it. The mayor and doctor brought in other docotrs/nurses/midwives from Fianar to come help go out to all the fokontany where the health educators gathered people to get medicine.
Posters were put up throughout the commune in the week before. Thursday notes were send out to the mpanentanas (health educators) to come to a meeting at the CSB II on Friday. Monday I accompanied a nurse and another worker from the hospital with a cooler for the vaccine, bottles of pills and capsules and seringes.
We went to 2 fokontany. One 5k away from the commune and the other 7k but they are on the same road that loops back around to the commune. There was a misunderstanding on the part of the mpanentanas and no one was gathered... So we walked back to the CSB and helped out there. Tuesday we went out again and this time there were people - a lot of people.
The first fokontany set up was pretty disorganized although it was the only time we all had charis and a table to work at. The Vitamin A came in these capsules that we had to cut to cut the top off of and squeeze into the kids mouths. This was my task - along with popping the the pill in there afterwards. Picture it - Me, who does not have the greatest soft spot for children, sticking my fingers in the mouths of about 400 kids between the ages of 9 months to 4 years old... many of whom were crying screaming, slobbering, snotting and just being plain out difficult... yeah... it was a shit show and we didn't have lunch or water between sometime before 7:30 AM and 6:00 PM when we got back from the second fokontany.
I must admit some kids were cute, like the ones who ran away when we jokied about giving them vaccines too. I did my tounge trick at one point and they loved the shit out of that - they always do. On Thursday we weont out again to just do vaccines for anyone who was missed. Instead of having one big group gathered like before, we went out to each individual tanana* and the mpanentanas pretty much made sure that each house came and got the kids vaccinated. Very, very cool! Anyway, even though the kids were screaming and crying over all the vaccine business they were cute and it was funny all at the same time, I guess because they were so dramatic about it.
Coolest thing about all this is that it was happening all over Madagascar!
*So I think I figured it out. The commune is the whole community, the biggest and also called the center of the community. Then the fokontany (10 in Sahambavy), is the small villages that are the surrounding subsets. The smallest is the tanana which are the little clusters of houses within the fokontany.
October 25 - October 29 was Mother and Child week. This means getting Vitamin A, Deworming pills and the Measels vaccine out to every mother and child who needs it. The mayor and doctor brought in other docotrs/nurses/midwives from Fianar to come help go out to all the fokontany where the health educators gathered people to get medicine.
Posters were put up throughout the commune in the week before. Thursday notes were send out to the mpanentanas (health educators) to come to a meeting at the CSB II on Friday. Monday I accompanied a nurse and another worker from the hospital with a cooler for the vaccine, bottles of pills and capsules and seringes.
We went to 2 fokontany. One 5k away from the commune and the other 7k but they are on the same road that loops back around to the commune. There was a misunderstanding on the part of the mpanentanas and no one was gathered... So we walked back to the CSB and helped out there. Tuesday we went out again and this time there were people - a lot of people.
The first fokontany set up was pretty disorganized although it was the only time we all had charis and a table to work at. The Vitamin A came in these capsules that we had to cut to cut the top off of and squeeze into the kids mouths. This was my task - along with popping the the pill in there afterwards. Picture it - Me, who does not have the greatest soft spot for children, sticking my fingers in the mouths of about 400 kids between the ages of 9 months to 4 years old... many of whom were crying screaming, slobbering, snotting and just being plain out difficult... yeah... it was a shit show and we didn't have lunch or water between sometime before 7:30 AM and 6:00 PM when we got back from the second fokontany.
I must admit some kids were cute, like the ones who ran away when we jokied about giving them vaccines too. I did my tounge trick at one point and they loved the shit out of that - they always do. On Thursday we weont out again to just do vaccines for anyone who was missed. Instead of having one big group gathered like before, we went out to each individual tanana* and the mpanentanas pretty much made sure that each house came and got the kids vaccinated. Very, very cool! Anyway, even though the kids were screaming and crying over all the vaccine business they were cute and it was funny all at the same time, I guess because they were so dramatic about it.
Coolest thing about all this is that it was happening all over Madagascar!
*So I think I figured it out. The commune is the whole community, the biggest and also called the center of the community. Then the fokontany (10 in Sahambavy), is the small villages that are the surrounding subsets. The smallest is the tanana which are the little clusters of houses within the fokontany.
One of those cheesy magazine surveys - Turning anger into humor
So the other day a guy came around and I'm pretty sure he was saying that he was looking for a wife... I started out really pissed off and wrote some angry poetry (that I will post later) but I wrote this afterwards in order to take a comic relief angle instead or staying frustrated.
How good are my chances to marry Tisa??
Question 1: Do you smoke?
A. Yes
B. Sometimes
C. No
Question 2: Who drives?
A. You, I umm...lost my license
B. You, my Mustang is in the shop
C. You, I only commute by bike
Question 3: Describe your physical activity
A. I pump iron 3 times a week - here feel my pecs!
B. I take the stairs instead of the elevator
C. The workers at REI know me by name
Question 4: How often would you compliment my looks?
A. Everyday, I think you're pretty
B. When you dress up and wear make-up
C. Not often, I have more important things to say to you
Question 5: Tattoos?
A. None, I think they are tacky
B. I've got a tribal around my bicep
C. I know a guy who can fix whoever chooses B
Question 6: Talk to me about Social Justice
A. What does Social Justice mean?
B. I let other people worry about that stuff
C. That's a little too general...are we talking SES, feminism, gender, race??
Question 7: How would you propose to me?
A. Hey, I'm looking for a wife. It could be you!
B. Lit up on the scoreboard at a baseball game
C. During a slam at a coffee shop
Question 8: How long do you want to wait before actually getting married?
A. Why wait? Let's get hitched now!
B. Year long engagement - enough time to plan the wedding and find a home
C. Marriage?! I thought we were just getting to know each other..!
Question 9: How many kids do you want?
A. 7 boys, 7 girls
B. 2.5 - it's the ideal size
C. None - but adoption if we change our minds
Question 10: How many pets do you want?
A. None, I hate animals
B. A dog, but it has to sleep outside
C. A great dane, at least 2 cats and...a pig!
If you chose:
All A's: No way, you don't have a chance
There is no way in hell that I would ever marry you. Not only do you seem like a total tool but your frame of thought is Completely different from mine. You can leave now. Bye.
All B's: Hate to break it to you but it's best to give up now
You seem like a nice person but I don't think it would work between us. We don't want the same things and that would only hurt us in the long run. If you'd stop hitting on me now I'm sure we could still be friends
All C's: You've got the potential but alas...
You have some pretty ideal qualities - you must have lied about something... But if you do happen to exist I hope we run into each other someday, maybe we could grab some coffee.
How good are my chances to marry Tisa??
Question 1: Do you smoke?
A. Yes
B. Sometimes
C. No
Question 2: Who drives?
A. You, I umm...lost my license
B. You, my Mustang is in the shop
C. You, I only commute by bike
Question 3: Describe your physical activity
A. I pump iron 3 times a week - here feel my pecs!
B. I take the stairs instead of the elevator
C. The workers at REI know me by name
Question 4: How often would you compliment my looks?
A. Everyday, I think you're pretty
B. When you dress up and wear make-up
C. Not often, I have more important things to say to you
Question 5: Tattoos?
A. None, I think they are tacky
B. I've got a tribal around my bicep
C. I know a guy who can fix whoever chooses B
Question 6: Talk to me about Social Justice
A. What does Social Justice mean?
B. I let other people worry about that stuff
C. That's a little too general...are we talking SES, feminism, gender, race??
Question 7: How would you propose to me?
A. Hey, I'm looking for a wife. It could be you!
B. Lit up on the scoreboard at a baseball game
C. During a slam at a coffee shop
Question 8: How long do you want to wait before actually getting married?
A. Why wait? Let's get hitched now!
B. Year long engagement - enough time to plan the wedding and find a home
C. Marriage?! I thought we were just getting to know each other..!
Question 9: How many kids do you want?
A. 7 boys, 7 girls
B. 2.5 - it's the ideal size
C. None - but adoption if we change our minds
Question 10: How many pets do you want?
A. None, I hate animals
B. A dog, but it has to sleep outside
C. A great dane, at least 2 cats and...a pig!
If you chose:
All A's: No way, you don't have a chance
There is no way in hell that I would ever marry you. Not only do you seem like a total tool but your frame of thought is Completely different from mine. You can leave now. Bye.
All B's: Hate to break it to you but it's best to give up now
You seem like a nice person but I don't think it would work between us. We don't want the same things and that would only hurt us in the long run. If you'd stop hitting on me now I'm sure we could still be friends
All C's: You've got the potential but alas...
You have some pretty ideal qualities - you must have lied about something... But if you do happen to exist I hope we run into each other someday, maybe we could grab some coffee.
Shout out!
Shout out to my family and friends! I love you so much!
I also want to give a special shout out to Tom and his class:
Ryan
Becky
Jacob
Brett
Ruth
Desi
Ed
Subrina
Gabriel
Andrew
Sam
These awesome people are in a Correspondece Match Program through PC. Thanks for reading!
I also want to give a special shout out to Tom and his class:
Ryan
Becky
Jacob
Brett
Ruth
Desi
Ed
Subrina
Gabriel
Andrew
Sam
These awesome people are in a Correspondece Match Program through PC. Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Health Care in my rural commune
CSB II weekly schedule
Monday: Prenatal Consultations
Tuesday: Vaccines
Wednesday: Illness Consultations
Thurdsay: Family Planning
Friday: Vaccines
I go in on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The way it works is when people arrive, mostly women, they stack their karnes (little booklets where all they health info is, their health passport, if you will) outside the door - this is hz they keep track of the order. They sit and wait for the midwives and doctor to arrive, wait for their name to be called and then go in for their consultation. While they wait is an opportunity to get out health messages. This is eo oh eo (more or less) where I come in, well this is where they let me do my PC thing. I can talk about STIs, HIV/AIDS, Diarreah, ARI, Hygiene, Clean water, Safe motherhood, Nutrition - there is a lot!
The only thing is that the CSB II is already pretty well established. They have a doctor. They have 2 midwives. An organization called SALFA is working with the CSB II, they have established health educators in each fokontany (surrounding villages) and I basically do what they do but in poor Malagasy. There is also a WASH worker here to talk about latrines/kabones, clean water and hygiene.
This is great! But I feel like my biggest challenge is going to be finding projects to do that they don't already have covered... I might need to help motivate the health educators to do more - that will be most sustainable. And going out to the far fokontanys will probably be best.
Monday: Prenatal Consultations
Tuesday: Vaccines
Wednesday: Illness Consultations
Thurdsay: Family Planning
Friday: Vaccines
I go in on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The way it works is when people arrive, mostly women, they stack their karnes (little booklets where all they health info is, their health passport, if you will) outside the door - this is hz they keep track of the order. They sit and wait for the midwives and doctor to arrive, wait for their name to be called and then go in for their consultation. While they wait is an opportunity to get out health messages. This is eo oh eo (more or less) where I come in, well this is where they let me do my PC thing. I can talk about STIs, HIV/AIDS, Diarreah, ARI, Hygiene, Clean water, Safe motherhood, Nutrition - there is a lot!
The only thing is that the CSB II is already pretty well established. They have a doctor. They have 2 midwives. An organization called SALFA is working with the CSB II, they have established health educators in each fokontany (surrounding villages) and I basically do what they do but in poor Malagasy. There is also a WASH worker here to talk about latrines/kabones, clean water and hygiene.
This is great! But I feel like my biggest challenge is going to be finding projects to do that they don't already have covered... I might need to help motivate the health educators to do more - that will be most sustainable. And going out to the far fokontanys will probably be best.
Some Rants and Raves
Rants:
-I feel like I am being used as a baby-sitter
-People keep asking me for English tutoring
-It seems like my counterpart is in this weird circle of exclusivity that she wants me to be a part of...
-I have to be cautious about who I make friends with, who I let in my house and what things I let people see.
-Men are not afraid to flirt and touch you... I've got men hissing at me, grabbing at me, and telling me they love me...One guy at my site, a teenager, is particular annoying... He does this creepy cultural palm-tickle thing, tags alng whenever he sees me, tells me I'm handsom, buys street food for me and whatever kid I'm hanging out with and stops by my house smetimes when it is already dark... My American signs of "step off" are not wrking quite well so I have to start being more aggressive and straight forward
Raves:
-There is little to no light pollution here. I can see the Milky Way every night from my front yard
-I eat local and I eat fresh! Carrots, tomatoes, spinach, onions, green beans, beans, mangos, pibasy, cucumber, garlic..! A friend gave me sweet potatoes right from her front yard - they were still warm!!!
-I'm learning how to cook! I made pancakes with fruit compote from scratch!
-I'm starting to get why kids are so cute
-I feel like I am being used as a baby-sitter
-People keep asking me for English tutoring
-It seems like my counterpart is in this weird circle of exclusivity that she wants me to be a part of...
-I have to be cautious about who I make friends with, who I let in my house and what things I let people see.
-Men are not afraid to flirt and touch you... I've got men hissing at me, grabbing at me, and telling me they love me...One guy at my site, a teenager, is particular annoying... He does this creepy cultural palm-tickle thing, tags alng whenever he sees me, tells me I'm handsom, buys street food for me and whatever kid I'm hanging out with and stops by my house smetimes when it is already dark... My American signs of "step off" are not wrking quite well so I have to start being more aggressive and straight forward
Raves:
-There is little to no light pollution here. I can see the Milky Way every night from my front yard
-I eat local and I eat fresh! Carrots, tomatoes, spinach, onions, green beans, beans, mangos, pibasy, cucumber, garlic..! A friend gave me sweet potatoes right from her front yard - they were still warm!!!
-I'm learning how to cook! I made pancakes with fruit compote from scratch!
-I'm starting to get why kids are so cute
Birthday #23 in M/car
Do I feel any older? No, somehow you never do on your birthday
What did I do? Not a whole lot in terms of celebrating, birthdays are not big here. I worked, cooked the same food as always, did a bit of laundry - just another day really. But I did have a beer after my dinner haha
It is the beginning of week 4 at site. Holy crap!
Tamana tsara! (settled well)
My first week I realized how different it is to live alone. It is really quite at night. Have you ever heard stuff at night and totally freaked yourself out for no reason at all?? Yeah, I did that my first week... Long story short - I thought someone had gotten through my fence, the police and mayor ended up at my house, nothing was actually wrong and people are still talking about it... I feel like such an idiot!
Anyway, I have two rooms (bedroom and kitchen), a good sized yard with space to garden. There is a water pump near by and I am close to the commune, CSB II (hospital) and market too.
A glimpse into my day to day:
-I go to the CSB II three mornings a week
-Cook every meal
-Language tutoring three times a week
-Big market days are wednesday and sunday. Bargaining is a big part of the culture
-Saturdays I play with my counterpart's kid
-Sundays there are soccer games
-Another volunteer lives 8k from me and comes on sundays for market so we chill
-Free time is spent reading, cooking, chatting with people and walking aroung. I do a fair amount of just thinking too (like wondering what cyclne season is going to be like) haha
What did I do? Not a whole lot in terms of celebrating, birthdays are not big here. I worked, cooked the same food as always, did a bit of laundry - just another day really. But I did have a beer after my dinner haha
It is the beginning of week 4 at site. Holy crap!
Tamana tsara! (settled well)
My first week I realized how different it is to live alone. It is really quite at night. Have you ever heard stuff at night and totally freaked yourself out for no reason at all?? Yeah, I did that my first week... Long story short - I thought someone had gotten through my fence, the police and mayor ended up at my house, nothing was actually wrong and people are still talking about it... I feel like such an idiot!
Anyway, I have two rooms (bedroom and kitchen), a good sized yard with space to garden. There is a water pump near by and I am close to the commune, CSB II (hospital) and market too.
A glimpse into my day to day:
-I go to the CSB II three mornings a week
-Cook every meal
-Language tutoring three times a week
-Big market days are wednesday and sunday. Bargaining is a big part of the culture
-Saturdays I play with my counterpart's kid
-Sundays there are soccer games
-Another volunteer lives 8k from me and comes on sundays for market so we chill
-Free time is spent reading, cooking, chatting with people and walking aroung. I do a fair amount of just thinking too (like wondering what cyclne season is going to be like) haha
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