Swear in Ceremony!

Officially a Peace Corps Volunteer!!!!!

This is it!!! After a year and half waiting for my departure, I am officially a Peace Corps volunteer.  2 years countdown starts from now! Two years of adventure, learning, struggles and accomplishment.
I am very excited and ready to face what is coming for me. I want to say an enormous thank you to my family and friends who helped and supported me from the application process until after training and now. I will try my best to post as much posts as I can.

Thank you!!!

Host Families Festa

Last week of training

Here I am completing my last week of training. I cannot believe 10 weeks has gone by. Next week I will be heading back to Maputo for our swear-in ceremony and I will officially become Peace Corps Volunteer. And the 2 years countdown will start on this day. I am extremely excited to finish training and finally get to my site.

This training was intense challenging, long very helpful, confusing. It was a very structured and dense schedule that I had very little time for myself. The huge benefits tha I received is to be able to communicate in Portuguese. As of now I am able to have a basic conversation and yet talk about more complicated topics. I also learned a lot about health and nutrition. I have been well treated by my host family and learned local cuisines. After that, I am finally ready to step in. Next week I will move to Chokwe, move into my house and I’ll have to buy all the appliances since I am opening the site. I am looking forward for this opportunity that is coming up for me and I am staying positive all the way. J

Amazing day to hopeless day

Part of the training is to work with an organization based in Namaacha. I was assigned to this organization called Associacao Tiane. We work with them to understand how an organization works and to give us a preview on what we will encounter in our site.

Asociacao Tiane is an organization that supports people living with HIV/AIDS. Although the medication (TARV) that treats patient with HIV/AIDS is free, people stop taking this treatment after a month.

The hospital provides to the patient with medicine worth of 30 days and they have to come back to get more medicine. Unfortunately, patient don’t come back to get their medicine and stop the treatment. This is when Associacao Tiane comes in and reaches out to the community doing home visits in person and looking for the patients directly to their house to find out why they stopped the treatment and ask them to go back and get treated.

I had the chance to participate in a home visit with an activista. We had to look for patient A in the Barrio Z of Namaacha. This barrio is very much different from where I live. It is very poor and the house lives next to each other and they are in bad conditions. There is no system of numbers for each house and they are no street names as well….it is like a very tiny village where people know where people lives by names. So we went asking to neighborhoods and kids where Patient A lives. When we finally found the house, we passed as we were patient A’s friends paying him a visit to say hello.

It is important that neighbors and family don’t know about the real reason why we come in person for confidentiality. Unfortunedlty patient A was not at his home.

Associaciao Tiane pays a visit 3 times. After 3 unsuccessful visits, the patient is classified as ‘abandon’. And they won’t follow up on the patient because that person was not reachable, or did not want to be reached or simply decided to stop taking the medicine.

The activista took me around the Barrio and we talked to the neighbors. On that day I had my second lesson of Changana, the local language in Namaacha, so I was able to practice my language with them and talk to the community. It was amazing. People were so welcoming and were so happy I was talking to them in their own local language. It was truly a great experience to be in community. On my way going back home, I had this long conversation with the activista who is actually living with HIV/AIDS as well. Being a foreigner and not speaking Portuguese totally fluently has its advantage and I took the opportunity to ask personal questions. Questions I think I would never ask to someone with the same situation and who would speak English. After our long conversation, what I can vividly remember is the activista saying….all you have to do is forgive and move forward. At this point I was inspired and amazed by her persona t the point that I teared…

It is truly amazing to see people like this activista fully grasping the beauty of life despite living with the disease. I admire her way of thinking and her input in working for Asociacao Tiane in helping the community. She has the will to give back to the community and she wants to encourage people who have the same disease as her to continue living their life fully and inspire them that….simply….life is not finished. Also, tell others that by taking the medication people can live a normal, healthy, happy life.

We parted and I walked home tearing….I was probably a bit too much emotional on that day but I was amazed by her sense of determination  that she had left me inspired and moved….

All these tearing completely stop as soon as I saw an older woman, albino, beating up this little girl like no shame. I was standing there….powerless…what should I do? Intervene? Scream to stop the beatings? Or walk away?

I was shocked….I walked slowly and then stopped as I was standing in between this woman the child who had ran passed me and stood behind me. The woman stopped, grabbed her children walked away…and I continue to walk my way home. I kept thinking…I can’t believe this woman would dare putting her hand on this child but also I felt so powerless in this moment.  In the states, people in the street would intervene right away. Although, I have to always remind myself that I am not home. That I cannot completely act the way I would do back home and that I have to be careful and discreet in the things I do. I was by myself surrounded by little kids and this woman…there was no police….there was absolutely nothing at all around me. This is just sad….to feel powerful in this situation. That was one crazy first experience of violence that I have experience and really pray it will be the last one. 

AND THE SITE IS...............

We had our site announcements last Thursday and I will be living in Chokwe in the province of Gaza for the next two years of my life. I will be working for John Hopkins University Communication Program (PACTO). I am so excited!!! In two weeks I finish training and I will officially be a Peace Corps Volunteer. YAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Visit to the Curandeiro

I visited a curandeiro (a healer who practice traditional medicine) generally; people would reach out to a curandeiro to get treated. The curandeiro can (supposedly) cure people with plants but also can see the future.

See, this is how it works. The curandeiro has a bag filled with shells and coins, he spits in the bag, the ‘patient’ needs to blow on it and the container of the bag is thrown on the floor. This is how the curandeiro can see what kind of ‘disease’ the patient has. And offer to get rid of the disease through various practices such as combining natural plants but it can go to using scalpels and then I don’t know how it goes. So at the end, how to do in the case of a person who is HIV positive? How can a curandeiro see if the patient is HIV positive?

How can he/she help cure the patient with plants if he contracted HIV?

I realize how complicated cultures/tradition interferes with modern medicine…

Usually, there is a curandeiro in each town, and as a health volunteer, how can I manage working with a curandeiro to incite people to go straight to the hospital, get tested and get medicine. Curandeiros can transmit HIV with their practices in which they use scalpels and where rituals are asked to pass the blood from one to another as a ritual path. After several training on traditional medicines and talk. I do believe that it is important to educate curandeiros first since there are the first demanded by the community and educate them to practice safe manners when curing patients and incite patient to see a doctor if the patient does not feel or look well after being treated with traditional medicine. 

Short visit to Mocuba, Zambezia

4 volunteers and I flew to the province of Zambezia to visit a current volunteer. This visit is called Shadow Visit. It is way for trainees to see what life like for real! Redeena and I were sent to visit Tanya Riddle in Mocuba. From Maputo we landed to Quelimane. We had to stay one night over to another volunteer since it was late at night. Then early the next day, we hopped in a chapa to Mocuba.

I posted a photo of myself in a chapa and I did not explain it is. It is a way of transportation here in Mozambique. It is a minivan. A chapa won’t move anywhere until it is completely full. So sometimes you get to wait at the chapa station for 2 hours until it’s full and you go. It is totally uncomfortable, dangerous and long. It’s perfect for short people but people like me with long legs it is uncomfortable. Also I would say that you need to have good knees and be flexible. It can be very frustrating because the conductor would blast his songs, you might sit by the speaker throughout the whole journey (which can take up hours depending on where you are), it’s incredibly hot, so of course you will encounter people with severe BO and you have your bag in your lap. It is a great way to travel cheap in Mozambique. You can catch them anywhere in the street. There is no bus station. You just hop in and hop off but you definitely need to be open minded and ready to go to experience a chapa.

So back my short visit, after two hours, we arrived in Mocuba.  Tanya leaves in this nice compound with her organization.  It is a faith-based organization. Tanya educates orphans; she runs a theater group that does skits about HIV AIDS and malaria. We assisted a meeting where professors were recapulating what they learned about Malaria and how can they reach to the community door to door and incite people how to put mosquito nets and its importance and the different practices to avoid getting malaria and so on. It was interesting. Tanya also showed us her wells projects in which she was able to get funding. So in the next couple weeks, the community will be able to access water in their community and not go to further public wells in which generally the water is dirty and contaminated. I think it was such a great project to see. Two volunteers are supposed to go to Mocuba because Tanya is finishing her service in a couple of months. I think that this place is very secure. It is a compound watched by two guards and there are more than 10 dogs there. (Side note: Mozambicans are terrified of dogs) I felt very secure there although a part of me would rather be living within the community and not in a compound close off. But I enjoyed my visit. I thought Tanya is doing a wonderful work with the kids. I was very admirative and inspired. So I come back full of excitement because soon I will be living it somewhere and do my workshops on HIV/AIDS.

From Mocuba, Redeena and I took a chapa back to Quelimane and the flew to Maputo and stayed there overnight. I spent a nice full day in Maputo with Lisa. We walked around the city, shopped then met up with other volunteers to go to the Chinese store. I love my Chinese people! The only places that look like a wall mart are owned by Chinese people and you can find ANYTHING you want!  It is heaven there! The funny thing is that literally everything is imported from China. I know that because I was able to find the exact same shower gel I used when I was in Xiamen for a month. It was nice little day of shopping and seeing the capital and the same day came back to Namaacha with 5 kinds of cheese that I brought in Maputo. I was in Heaven. J

My permagarden

I decided to do a permagarden at my host family house. I asked permission to my host family to use some space in her garden and she was glad to let me do it. Sabrian,Colin and Lis helped me to do it along with the training facilitator Paula and Lucio. In two hours or so, we made this great machamba and planted tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, pineapples trees,  a lychee tree and some peanuts as well.

I initiated this project because I want to gain more experience on permagarden because I intend to do my own at my site. I thought it would be a good idea to re do one while I am in training and have the facilitator around if I have any questions. So yes! It was a success. I also taught my host family what was the system of permagardening. Unfortunately I would be present to see the results of my garden but at least I was able to practice how to do it again. I think it is so funny that I am doing a permagarden. I would have never thought I would get interested in gardening to be honest. Oh well there is a first time for everything J

Coming out from church with all the host mothers :) My Host mother is right in the middle

Photos in Namaacha

Cooking with my classmates

 Baking um bolo (a cake) :)

 Laundry time

 Rehearsing our dance for Ngoma time

 My living room

 Ngoma time...me dancing in a capulana

 My bed and my mosquito net

First time meeting my host mother Angelina

 Signature pose in Namaacha :-)

 At the waterfalls (Cascatas)

 Permagardening

 Minha casa!

 View from my house at sunset and my host baby brother, Walmer. These mountains behind are in Swaziland :)

Permagarden

Today, we started our permagarden learning. One of the main reason I am learning Permagarden is to incite people to use the same technique to grow their vegetables. It also very encouraged for the HIV/AIDS population to have a permagarden since medicinal plants and vegetables are accessible right in their garden. Once they will see me making my own permagarden, they might wonder what the hell I am doing but months later (if I am doing this right) my garden will be more fructuous than anybody else. So this technique should attract people to do the same thing and I will be able to show them how to. So today, we learned how to make an effective compost pile. This compost pile takes 3 months to decompose. Since we are not going to be there in 3 months, we learned another way to prepare the soil ready for planting.

 The whole day we digged and double digged on the soil. It felt great to be on my knees and work on it!!!  We also installed swales to control the water in case of erosion and created berms (walls).  After all that, we planted lemongrass, sweet potatoes. On the side, I took home some aloe Vera root. I am going to water it every day and plant it once I get to my site. I am going to create some great facial masks with that ;) 

First time in a Chapa :)

Pick your type!

Sessions of the day 6/21/2012

Today, I had interesting sessions. We had a session on gastro-intro diseases, so basically it translates to mainly Diarrhea. It is the most common disease that PC volunteers throughout the world experience. I have to admit to myself that it will happen to me.  Of course, I am totally not looking for it but to be honest I would rather it happens when I am in training than at my site. The silly reason is because, I am taking cared by my host family and at site I will by myself. But oh well….it is what it is. The doctor who conducted the session handed us an interesting chart called the ‘Bristol Stool Chart’. If I cannot upload it on this blog, please Google it. If by misfortune, we end being sick, the first contact with PC medical office is through the phone. So we basically have to be very detailed on how we are feeling, and what ‘things’ looks like. This chart breaks down the stools in different type from type 1 to 7….and trust me I do not want to be in type 7. lol

After the medical session, Carl, our country director conducted his session on the MBTI test that we took last week. So he came today to give us the results. The MBTI test (Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator) is simply a personality test. It is commonly used in busineses and organizations to see what people’s personality are and how we can be a successful organization or business or other with the different personalities. It has many other purpose as well.

So here are my results, and people who knows me can tell  if this personality is wrong. I do think that the results match exactly who I am really in life.

The results are: ENFP (Extroverted-iNtuition-Feeling-Perceiving): Warmly enthusiastic  and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency. ENFP are people oriented, creative, they seek harmony-Life of Party-More starts than finishes. ENFP are the most optimistic.

So yes…I totally agree on everything. If anyone has comments on that or want to add more on the personality test please comment and share J

Basically, this test gives a great idea of what kind of person you are and how you can match with others who have the same kind of personality AND those who are totally different from you. You can make your work more effective by filling what’s lacking. So I am glad I took this test even though I know who I am. I encourage people to take it.

Then later, today I was introduced to ‘Permagarden’, I have a few broad information on it. It looks like I am going to produce my own crops. PC is teaching us these skills, for us but also in the intention that Mozambicans can adopt a healthy, economical way to produce and eat food.

So I am very exactly about this project. Tomorrow we will learn how to do compost and all that good stuff. I will keep you all updated. Boa Tarde :)

Living it in Namaacha and Cooking with the Host Mothers

I cannot explain how amazing Namaacha is….it is so peaceful, green everywhere, nice people. I mean where on earth did I ended up!!! Coming from NYC, where people barely says hello to you in the streets or even give you attitude.  I ended up in a country where people are constantly welcoming. It feels good to see the good human nature of people….fully present for you. This is something that we are lacking in America and even Europe: Being fully present for each other.

We are always preocuppied by many material things and work that we cannot seem to find time to breath sometimes. Well I get to do that, here and fully enjoy what life is.

Today, my language class and our host mothers reunited to cook together and share our different gastronomy. So we made the famous mac and cheese , chicken with sauteed green beans and a fresh salad.             Our host mother had to buy the ingredients prior today as we needed some cheese, milk and other. It is commun for most families in Namaacha to cross the border in Swaziland and come back with groceries. Apparently, Swazi is cheaper than Mozambique.

So anyways, our host mothers cooked a traditional mozambican dish called MBOA. It is a spinach dish, coconut and peanut. It seems easy but the process was definetly a long process. You have to scrape coconut, and grind the peanut with a huge pilar. We had a great time. The host mother really enjoyed learning how to make mac and cheese. They were asking us before….what are you guys going to cook with cheese?!? Lol

It was a really fun experience!  I am living it! J

Portuguese and Food

My portuguese is improving day by day…I am amazed how I can simply have a basic conversation after learning this language litterally two weeks ago. The fact that I studied Spanish in Junior high and high school is definetly a plus. My french is definetly helping me and also my latin. I love studying languages. I won’t make it as a career, just as a passion lets say. So yes, portuguese is my 7^th language so far. After French, Latin, Spanish, English, German, Chinese….here I am learning Portuguese. Don’t be too impressed I think I lost my German. LOL 

What I have say regarding Portuguese is that its easy for me to understand although it is very hard to speak. 

The fact of knowing Spanish has advantage and inconvenience. I can recognize and understand better although, everything I say in Portuguese is mixed up with Spanish. And these two languages are not that close as we may think....actually they are very different. But I am getting there. It is all about practice. I have class all day and after I continue speaking with my family at night. so its getting there. There is no better way to learn a language when we are completely immersed.

Here is my typical day schedule

Wake up at 5:30am

Bano a 6am sometimes 6:15

Pequeno almoco (Breakfast) at 7 am

7:30 Language class starts

5pm Language ends

Food

This whole theory of kids dying in Africa is totally nonsense….at least in Mocambique. I have never ate so much in my entire life.

Here is the eating schedule in my host family

(Breakfast)

Lanche (Snack time)

Almoco (Lunch)

Lanche (Snack)

Dinner

The snacks are mostly a piece of bread and cheese with jam and some fruits. It is a lot of food for one day. I am considering asking my host family to switch my schedule around and have less ‘food’ time because I won’t be able to fit in my pants if I continue this way. :/

First Week in Namaacha

Hello all, It has been now more than week that I have been in Mozambique and WOW I have so much to say.

The first day we arrived to Namaacha, we (the other volunteer and I) got out of our vans and were welcomed in joyful chants by the host mothers. As soon as they finished each family pulled out tags with our individual names on it. So here I am searching for my family with whom I will be staying over for 3 months and there I found her…my mother. Her name is Angelina. She welcomes me with a big smile and kisses and introduces me to all the other host mother as if I was her own daughter. To be honest, I had no idea what was going on. All the mothers kissed hugged me and then…reality check….everyone was speaking in Portuguese. I had NO idea what my host mother was telling me but she kept on laughing and I kept on laughing spitting some Spanish and last minute Portuguese…. From that point all the volunteer separated each other and there we were starting our training, living our new life.

I live in a very nice spacious brick house, and a beautiful view of mountains. As a matter fact these mountains that I am looking every morning at sunrise and sunset are in Swaziland. That’s right I am located right on the border of Swaziland AND South Africa. It is just amazing to know that I am staying so closeto these countries. PC does not allow us to leave the country in the next 6 months….but trust me...the people who knows me, knows that I am so tempted just to put my foot across the barbed wire and claim THERE I WAS THERE!

Namaacha is a very nice little town, the people are extremely nice. You say hi to every single people here. I have not passed across one person not saying bom dia.

 It is currently the winter here. So the mornings and nights are extremely cold but the days are very hot around 25 to 30C.

The training is very intense. I am completely immersed in the language. I take Portuguese classes for 7 to 8 hours a day. We are all separated into 4 people per class. Once or twice a week, all the volunteers meet at this place called HUB and we attend training classes. So far we have had training regarding health and transportation security. We also had detailed information regarding the two volunteers who passes last December to show us what are they do and dont's in circulating around Mozambique through public transportation. So far I feel these classes tell us all the bad parts and dont’s about living in Mozambique. Theses trainings are a bit scary but are meant to prepare us to whats to come and to prevent ourselves from possible danger.

So far, I am doing and feeling well. I still cannot believe I am in Africa. I am enjoying my time with my host family and I absolutely love learning Portuguese. I get to speak with my family as well who always encourage to speak. For the people who know me closely, I have big news; I am starting to learn to cook lol. 

First Post in Mozambique

Hello there!!!!!!!!!!! This is my first post in Africa. On Wednesday May, 29th, my fellow Peace Corps volunteer and I, left the United States for Africa. It takes roughly 15 hours of flight from NYC and Johannesburg. I slept throughout the whole ride. I have not been sleeping for the past 5 days. I was finishing packing, spending time with family and friends.  Packing, that I ended up repacking at the airport since I was exceeding the luggage weight limit. I realized I over packed and brought way too much with me. But all is well and I know I will be able to get what’s missing in Mozambique.

Right now, I feel exhausted and numb. I do not have a particular feeling on anything. I am excited, yet nervous. Leaving my family and friends and all the people I love was hard from me. I did not realize how much I Iove New York City.  I see now that I am leaving behind amazing people and great memories. The goodbyes were much harder this time than when I left Paris, left my family and friends to go NYC. I was doing fine because I was leaving my family in France for my other family in the USA. Now, this is different since I am leaving the US to meet with a new family with new people and in a total different environment. I am excited about finally being in the Peace Corps. I was waiting for 2 years. It was a long but yet fast process. When people ask me how do I feel about leaving for 2 years. I respond it will go fast. And it will be….and that’s what makes me anxious a bit. Time goes fast when you have fun. But I know it will feel long at times.

So, here is an overview of what we have been doing since our arrival. We arrived in Maputo, and were gladly welcomed my no one. Yes, the Peace Corps staff was not expecting us that early. So after this misunderstanding and a little more patience we are greeted by the country director Carl Swartz… (And I think I am misspelling his name)

After the airport we were drove to this really nice hotel/resort called Girassol Hoteis. Nice spot, with a pool, gym and delicious food. The next day we went to the Peace Corps office which is located 5 min away from the hotel. The neighborhood where we are staying is very posh with nice houses and guards standing in front of them. It seems like a much secured area. After meeting all of the Peace Corps staff, we got our round of shots and medical kit. I was injected Meningitis, Rabies, Hepatis A and some other shot….I cannot count anymore. But I am fine with it. The more I receive shots, the more relieved I am lol.We also received our malaria pill which I have to take one week. I am a bit anxious about the side effects of this pill but I hope all will work out. Then, after our medical interview, we had our Portuguese interview. It was my very first conversation in Portuguese and I have to say that I am so glad I know French and Spanish to back me up. The interview wasn’t bad at all but I do need to start learning the basics. I am really excited in the idea that I will learn another language. On my count it will be my 7^th language to study. Don’t be amazed I am not completely fluent in all of these languages but I am still practicing as much as I can. Portuguese is funny to hear and pronounce to be honest. The Peace Corps says that it has the best language training in the world and I do believe it since all the volunteers has to have a conversational/intermediate level in order to start the two years of service.  But anyway I am not too worried for me I will study hard in order to acquire a decent level of Portuguese and rock these two years.

ANYWAYS, this first post is LONG sorry about that. What I can say quickly is that I am not having the impression that I am in Africa yet….From NYC to Maputo and its really nice hotel. I have not had any culture shock yet. I have been living in a cocoon so far and been very jetlagged and tired. HOWEVER, tomorrow is the real experience. I am moving out of Maputo to Namaacha, which is an hour and half from the city. I will be staying there for 3 months. Basically I will be there during our whole training living with a host family. All I know right now is that I will be living with a family of 5 people. There is the mother, another woman of my age, a younger daughter of 17, an 11 years old boy and a newborn of 7 months. I am looking forward in meeting with them and spending three months of my life with them and learn their culture. ohh… I just learned today how to shower with a bucket….the experience starts now….Will keep you posted on how everything goes….Boa noite!  J

Preparing for departure

I've spent the last few days at home preparing for my departure for Mozambique by making my packing list, reading, and practicing some basic Portuguese. I leave New York City May 30^th to Maputo, Mozambique. From then on, I'll try to update this blog with pictures and stories. Enjoy!