The remaining 16 members of the Peace Corps Malawi Education 2012 will finished with our service in exactly 5 months and will all be RPCVs (unless someone decides to ET first).
I have been living in Malawi 646 days. Swearing-in was 577 days ago. I have been alive 9866 days.
I've hosted or presented at 13 teacher workshops, observed 78 classes, taught 33 secondary school periods (periods per term added across the terms), and 2 university courses (5-credits each).
I have written 98 blog posts. I have filled 173 pages in my journal. I have mailed about 100 letters back to the states, keeping in regular contact the whole time with 4 pen-pals.
I have made numerous friends, both ex-pats and Malawians. There are countless memories I will not soon forget.
(Oh, and Gator Football kicks off in 154 days.)
Saturday, March 29, 2014
I Have Failed.
I have been thinking about how to explain the inevitable failures of development work in Malawi without sounding too negative. I know this post has a very negative title to it, but I'm perfectly fine with it's contents, so no need to ask "What's wrong?" or "Are you ok?" It isn't all libraries and kittens.
I'm going to use an example from my service. This definitely isn't my only failure. I've had many. Countless. However, I see it as my largest failure because I not only cost someone else money, I let down my students, and worst of all, I was unable to follow through with my promises.
I'm a new PCV. I've only been at site a couple months, and the opportunity to attend a training for a new program in Malawi. Not only does this opportunity arise, but my wonderfully supportive site-mate is not highly encouraging me to attend, but is also organizing it. I got to see her doing the program during my site visit, so I'm excited at the idea of starting myself. And, she has a counterpart that would be perfect for me!
I travel to the training with another site mate, Aaron (the birth of our friendship is playing Civ4 in our room far too late into the night at this training), and our counterparts. I'm excited! This is my first time traveling since moving to site. Aaron shows me traveling like a bwana. The training is being held at a nice beach front lodge in Senga Bay. No problems on transport.
The training goes wonderfully with awesome facilitators! We have a blast! I learn a lot and I get to know a lot of other great PCVs and their counterparts.
After returning to site, my counterpart and I plan on using our training and starting an after-school club at Thunduti CDSS. I teach all day, so it's easy for me to be ready for the club after school. My counterpart, who volunteers at a nearby CBO (Community Based Organisation), says he'll get there so we can start right after school. The first session goes great and the kids love it! The second session comes around, and he is a bit late. That's ok. The kids are still so excited they're willing to wait.
Keep in mind, this is right after-school, so 1:30pm, and most of these kids haven't eaten breakfast, let alone lunch. Over the next few weeks, my counterpart shows up later or he doesn't show up at all. Even when I call and confirm he'll be there on time. Even when I come back early and skip the Super Bowl Party in Mzuzu just for a session. The kids wait with me on my house porch, but if he's more than 30 minutes late, they just disperse, disappointed. I tried holding one of the sessions without him, but without a translator (the kids get most of my English, but it helps to still translate important things) or the energy from a second facilitator, it doesn't go well. I finally meet with my counterpart, and tell him he needs to start coming early or warning us because the kids are losing interest. He says he will. He doesn't. His phone stops working. His attendance gets even worse. He starts missing more than he makes. An entire month goes by without a session.
Finally, I pull the plug. The kids still want to do the program, so I begin searching for a new counterpart. I decide to ask a recent college-graduate teacher at my school. He's perfect! He's already the PE teacher, so we can do the sessions in class. He's also a very excited teacher that I've always enjoyed chatting and working with.
We arranged a period that we'll do the sessions and I ensure that I will always be around at that time. He read through the manual, and at the start of this academic year we begin working with the kids. It's a big group, and my new counterpart seems a little less energetic than I expected, but the kids still seem to really enjoy it. I'm happy that things will finally work out!
The next week, my new counterpart disappears before our class period. The week after that, the school dismisses the students early. Over the course of the entire term, I make myself available all but three weeks, yet we only manage to meet twice. That's ok, there's always the second term.
Nope. The first month of the second term yields not a single session, even though I have made myself completely available throughout the week. The students are asking when we will start meeting again. They want to do the program. I want to do the program. Sadly, in this line of work, an audience and motivation is not always enough.
Since then, I half-heatedly tried a couple more times. Yet, I now have had to admit to myself that I will not been able to implement my training in my service. I have taken grant money to attend a training, but have yielded minimal results. I have failed.
I'm going to use an example from my service. This definitely isn't my only failure. I've had many. Countless. However, I see it as my largest failure because I not only cost someone else money, I let down my students, and worst of all, I was unable to follow through with my promises.
I'm a new PCV. I've only been at site a couple months, and the opportunity to attend a training for a new program in Malawi. Not only does this opportunity arise, but my wonderfully supportive site-mate is not highly encouraging me to attend, but is also organizing it. I got to see her doing the program during my site visit, so I'm excited at the idea of starting myself. And, she has a counterpart that would be perfect for me!
I travel to the training with another site mate, Aaron (the birth of our friendship is playing Civ4 in our room far too late into the night at this training), and our counterparts. I'm excited! This is my first time traveling since moving to site. Aaron shows me traveling like a bwana. The training is being held at a nice beach front lodge in Senga Bay. No problems on transport.
The training goes wonderfully with awesome facilitators! We have a blast! I learn a lot and I get to know a lot of other great PCVs and their counterparts.
After returning to site, my counterpart and I plan on using our training and starting an after-school club at Thunduti CDSS. I teach all day, so it's easy for me to be ready for the club after school. My counterpart, who volunteers at a nearby CBO (Community Based Organisation), says he'll get there so we can start right after school. The first session goes great and the kids love it! The second session comes around, and he is a bit late. That's ok. The kids are still so excited they're willing to wait.
Keep in mind, this is right after-school, so 1:30pm, and most of these kids haven't eaten breakfast, let alone lunch. Over the next few weeks, my counterpart shows up later or he doesn't show up at all. Even when I call and confirm he'll be there on time. Even when I come back early and skip the Super Bowl Party in Mzuzu just for a session. The kids wait with me on my house porch, but if he's more than 30 minutes late, they just disperse, disappointed. I tried holding one of the sessions without him, but without a translator (the kids get most of my English, but it helps to still translate important things) or the energy from a second facilitator, it doesn't go well. I finally meet with my counterpart, and tell him he needs to start coming early or warning us because the kids are losing interest. He says he will. He doesn't. His phone stops working. His attendance gets even worse. He starts missing more than he makes. An entire month goes by without a session.
Finally, I pull the plug. The kids still want to do the program, so I begin searching for a new counterpart. I decide to ask a recent college-graduate teacher at my school. He's perfect! He's already the PE teacher, so we can do the sessions in class. He's also a very excited teacher that I've always enjoyed chatting and working with.
We arranged a period that we'll do the sessions and I ensure that I will always be around at that time. He read through the manual, and at the start of this academic year we begin working with the kids. It's a big group, and my new counterpart seems a little less energetic than I expected, but the kids still seem to really enjoy it. I'm happy that things will finally work out!
The next week, my new counterpart disappears before our class period. The week after that, the school dismisses the students early. Over the course of the entire term, I make myself available all but three weeks, yet we only manage to meet twice. That's ok, there's always the second term.
Nope. The first month of the second term yields not a single session, even though I have made myself completely available throughout the week. The students are asking when we will start meeting again. They want to do the program. I want to do the program. Sadly, in this line of work, an audience and motivation is not always enough.
Since then, I half-heatedly tried a couple more times. Yet, I now have had to admit to myself that I will not been able to implement my training in my service. I have taken grant money to attend a training, but have yielded minimal results. I have failed.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
So Close!
I'm currently up at the University of Livingstonia, and as I post this, the library should be getting the final touches. However, while I have internet, I wanted to post some high quality pictures of the progress.
 |
| The outside of the new library |
 |
| The inside of the library before floors |
 |
| Finished floor in the lab storage room |
 |
| Finished floor in the book room |
 |
| The main room ready for the cementing of the floor |
As soon as it's done, I'll upload completed pictures using my phone.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Zombieland: A Guide to Surviving Peace Corps (Guest Post)
Originally posted on February 9, 2014
His life had changed so much, and sometimes wondered if anyone from his old life could’ve recognized him now. It probably didn’t help that he’d not seen the inside of a shower in months.
Occasionally he’d see others like him, taken out of comfortable lives and forced to survive. Those infrequent gatherings gave much needed laughter, relief from the constant stressors everyone dealt with. It was a chance to let their guard down, share stories and good food.
He’d seen one of his friends get bitten, in one of those relaxed moments. Although they had quickly dispatched the attacker with no more emotion than one might have when killing a bug, they could do nothing for their friend but try to ease his pain. Eventually the friend closed his eyes.
The rice had burned. Damn.
#1 Cardio: Staying fit and healthy is a challenge, but doing so will remind you to improve your diet, give you much-needed endorphins, and relieve stress.
#2 Double Tap: Follow through so you don’t get bit in the ass- especially when dealing with the Peace Corps office. Sent in a vacation request or reimbursement form? Fire off a text for confirmation. Now is not the time to get stingy with your phone units.
#3 Beware of Bathrooms: I can’t stress this one enough. Not only do you have worries of finding bats flying out of the hole you’re trying to use (which incidentally are surprisingly soft), but also keep an eye out for collapsing floors, flooding, and highly venomous snakes. Read Melissa’s post for more on snakes and chims ( Melissa in Malawi: SsssSSsssS)
There is the occasional cholera outbreak too, so wash your hands.
#4 Buckle Up: There aren’t always seat belts available, but use them whenever possible. Don’t listen to anyone telling you not to bother, cause nearly every vehicle on the road will have poor to non-existent brakes, worn tires, and drunk drivers. The roads aren’t in get best conditions, cows, goats, dogs, and people carelessly wander into your path, and as Columbus says, “it’s going to be a bumpy ride. “
#7 Travel Light: You can never be sure what a travel day will bring, so be prepared to carry all your stuff for 12 hours. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep your eye on it (reducing risk of theft). Mobility is also an important consideration. If fights break out, the door of your minibus gets chained shut, and your driver starts off erratically before jumping out to join the fight- you want to be ready to jump out the back as soon as the bus stops. One lightweight bag makes quick escapes possible.
#17 Don’t be a hero: Peace Corps isn’t about you, it’s about what your community can do after you leave. Don’t expect to show up and save the day, first you have to learn. Learn about the culture, learn about your community, and learn from the people.
#18 Limber Up: You’ll have to be flexible if you want to survive 27 months of service. You’ll be stretched far past your comfort zone every day. Be open to the new culture you’re immersed in, and know how to set boundaries for your own protection. You don’t want to pull a muscle! The best advice I received for staying limber – try not to have any expectations.
#22 When in doubt, know your way out: Trust yourself and trust your instincts. If you get in a situation that doesn’t feel right, get out of it. Be willing to change your plans and don’t be afraid of being rude.
#31 Check the Backseat: Don’t wait to find out if that rotting smell is a combination of fish and poor hygiene, or a mostly dead fellow who is feeling particularly bitey…
#32 Enjoy the Little Things: It’s the little things that get you through that next hour, day, and week. Getting a surprisingly cold coke after a long miserable day of travel makes all the difference. A friend surprising you with a beer before a long bus ride, escaping into a good book on a homesick day, or listening to some of your favorite songs will make you extraordinarily happy.
Don't Be a Hero: Stand up for your fellow
volunteer. Whether it is one ant too many or some asshole on the street,
don’t let your friend face it alone.
While Peace Corps volunteers have spent hours contemplating plans in case of zombie attacks, no one has been bitten yet. In the story above, my friend was stung by a scorpion while a group of us were watching a movie, and after taking pain killers tried to get some sleep. He was fine within a couple days.
That’ll do, pig.
Prelude
Sitting on a log, staring off into the distance as night falls, a man is alone. He is most often alone these days. Rice begins to boil over and the water hisses as it hits the cook fire, his thoughts distracting him. The battered pot, like most of his things, was functional and in a state of disrepair. It hadn’t been long ago that he had been surrounded by luxuries; running water, electricity, and all the conveniences one could want. It was the food he missed most, steak and salad, or a cheeseburger and milkshake. His food now was far more utilitarian. Rice and beans kept for months and provided necessary nutrients and energy.His life had changed so much, and sometimes wondered if anyone from his old life could’ve recognized him now. It probably didn’t help that he’d not seen the inside of a shower in months.
Occasionally he’d see others like him, taken out of comfortable lives and forced to survive. Those infrequent gatherings gave much needed laughter, relief from the constant stressors everyone dealt with. It was a chance to let their guard down, share stories and good food.
He’d seen one of his friends get bitten, in one of those relaxed moments. Although they had quickly dispatched the attacker with no more emotion than one might have when killing a bug, they could do nothing for their friend but try to ease his pain. Eventually the friend closed his eyes.
The rice had burned. Damn.
A Guide to Surviving Peace Corps
Zombieland told the story of an unlikely survivor and his list of rules. Although he formed the rules facing the collapse of civilization, surviving Peace Corps has a surprising number of parallels. So whether you’ve stepped off a plane a long way from home, or constantly receive unwelcome attention from the mouths of those around you, keep these rules in mind.#1 Cardio: Staying fit and healthy is a challenge, but doing so will remind you to improve your diet, give you much-needed endorphins, and relieve stress.
#2 Double Tap: Follow through so you don’t get bit in the ass- especially when dealing with the Peace Corps office. Sent in a vacation request or reimbursement form? Fire off a text for confirmation. Now is not the time to get stingy with your phone units.
#3 Beware of Bathrooms: I can’t stress this one enough. Not only do you have worries of finding bats flying out of the hole you’re trying to use (which incidentally are surprisingly soft), but also keep an eye out for collapsing floors, flooding, and highly venomous snakes. Read Melissa’s post for more on snakes and chims ( Melissa in Malawi: SsssSSsssS)
There is the occasional cholera outbreak too, so wash your hands.
#4 Buckle Up: There aren’t always seat belts available, but use them whenever possible. Don’t listen to anyone telling you not to bother, cause nearly every vehicle on the road will have poor to non-existent brakes, worn tires, and drunk drivers. The roads aren’t in get best conditions, cows, goats, dogs, and people carelessly wander into your path, and as Columbus says, “it’s going to be a bumpy ride. “
#7 Travel Light: You can never be sure what a travel day will bring, so be prepared to carry all your stuff for 12 hours. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep your eye on it (reducing risk of theft). Mobility is also an important consideration. If fights break out, the door of your minibus gets chained shut, and your driver starts off erratically before jumping out to join the fight- you want to be ready to jump out the back as soon as the bus stops. One lightweight bag makes quick escapes possible.
#17 Don’t be a hero: Peace Corps isn’t about you, it’s about what your community can do after you leave. Don’t expect to show up and save the day, first you have to learn. Learn about the culture, learn about your community, and learn from the people.
#18 Limber Up: You’ll have to be flexible if you want to survive 27 months of service. You’ll be stretched far past your comfort zone every day. Be open to the new culture you’re immersed in, and know how to set boundaries for your own protection. You don’t want to pull a muscle! The best advice I received for staying limber – try not to have any expectations.
#22 When in doubt, know your way out: Trust yourself and trust your instincts. If you get in a situation that doesn’t feel right, get out of it. Be willing to change your plans and don’t be afraid of being rude.
#31 Check the Backseat: Don’t wait to find out if that rotting smell is a combination of fish and poor hygiene, or a mostly dead fellow who is feeling particularly bitey…
#32 Enjoy the Little Things: It’s the little things that get you through that next hour, day, and week. Getting a surprisingly cold coke after a long miserable day of travel makes all the difference. A friend surprising you with a beer before a long bus ride, escaping into a good book on a homesick day, or listening to some of your favorite songs will make you extraordinarily happy.
While Peace Corps volunteers have spent hours contemplating plans in case of zombie attacks, no one has been bitten yet. In the story above, my friend was stung by a scorpion while a group of us were watching a movie, and after taking pain killers tried to get some sleep. He was fine within a couple days.
That’ll do, pig.
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Rita's Village Videos
Rita, another Ed12 PCV, has made these videos and I thought some of you might like to see what another Malawian village is like. She's in Zomba district, down in the southern region, however the school and market are very similar to most Malawian villages I've seen. Note: Rita is far more integrated in her community than I am, so sorry if I am unable to do a similar video.
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Donations Needed for Camp Sky
I feel like all I ever do on this blog anymore is talk about the library (funded by your generous donations). Without that even being completed (but getting close), here I am asking for donations for a third time. This was something I didn't want to do even once, but welcome to the world of international development.
I will personally be involved as one of the four Teacher Development Facilitators running the Teach Sky component, as well as having two students and one teacher from Thunduti CDSS in attendance. I had the chance to visit this camp last year and was thoroughly impressed with the good work the volunteers were doing then, and am excited to be a part of it this year.
Camp Sky was originally formed by Peace Corps Malawi Education Volunteers to prepare top students at Community Day Secondary Schools for the Malawian School Certificate Examination. For the week of camp we are able to address the educational disparity faced by those exceptional students who must learn with a severe lack of resources. Furthermore, Camp Sky assists students in learning that success is not solely dependent on exams by addressing the important health aspects of a happy life. This year’s camp will focus on themes of “Healthy Body, Strong Mind”, and incorporate discussions of HIV/AIDS, Malaria prevention, self-esteem, and gender pathologies. Our week together will look towards the future as we provide students options post secondary school, and look to setting goals for success. More recently, Camp Sky has been expanded to include a Teach Sky component, whereby volunteers help improve teaching strategies and management techniques for teachers who work at CDSS's. Through training teachers in classroom methods, we are able to reach a multitude of students who are others wise marginalized by the current education system. We recognize that our status as Peace Corps Volunteers is transient, yet we hope that through this program, we can promote a long-lasting impact on our students and teachers, show them the opportunities open to them through attaining further education, and encourage a sense of pride in their Malawian identities.
This year, Camp Sky will be funded by donations made through the Peace Corps Volunteer Projects website. All donations are tax deductable. If you are able to give a little, please visit the website bellow.
Camp Sky | Donate to Volunteer Projects
Regardless of if you are able to make a donation or not, you can like our Facebook page.
I will personally be involved as one of the four Teacher Development Facilitators running the Teach Sky component, as well as having two students and one teacher from Thunduti CDSS in attendance. I had the chance to visit this camp last year and was thoroughly impressed with the good work the volunteers were doing then, and am excited to be a part of it this year.
Camp Sky
Camp Sky was originally formed by Peace Corps Malawi Education Volunteers to prepare top students at Community Day Secondary Schools for the Malawian School Certificate Examination. For the week of camp we are able to address the educational disparity faced by those exceptional students who must learn with a severe lack of resources. Furthermore, Camp Sky assists students in learning that success is not solely dependent on exams by addressing the important health aspects of a happy life. This year’s camp will focus on themes of “Healthy Body, Strong Mind”, and incorporate discussions of HIV/AIDS, Malaria prevention, self-esteem, and gender pathologies. Our week together will look towards the future as we provide students options post secondary school, and look to setting goals for success. More recently, Camp Sky has been expanded to include a Teach Sky component, whereby volunteers help improve teaching strategies and management techniques for teachers who work at CDSS's. Through training teachers in classroom methods, we are able to reach a multitude of students who are others wise marginalized by the current education system. We recognize that our status as Peace Corps Volunteers is transient, yet we hope that through this program, we can promote a long-lasting impact on our students and teachers, show them the opportunities open to them through attaining further education, and encourage a sense of pride in their Malawian identities.
This year, Camp Sky will be funded by donations made through the Peace Corps Volunteer Projects website. All donations are tax deductable. If you are able to give a little, please visit the website bellow.
Camp Sky | Donate to Volunteer Projects
Regardless of if you are able to make a donation or not, you can like our Facebook page.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Trip to Tukuyu
Donald and I took a trip to Tukuyu for Martyr's Day weekend. Officially, this was to do some cool hiking that has been sitting there just across the boarder, but also it was just to get out of Malawi for a few days, use up vacation days, and get a few more stamps in the passport (with the year long visa, it costs nothing anyways).
The trip was great. Saturday, we left from Donald's house fairly early, made it to Bongo Camping where we were staying at a decent time. After setting up camp, we decided to walk to town, and upon discovering a quiet bar, attempted to "collect them all" and drink every different type of beer the bar offered. Seeings as Tanzania beers come in 500mL bottles, and they're not exactly low on the alcohol content, we had fun.
The next day was the hike up the Ngoza Volcano. I had read about this hike in the Lonely Planet guide book, and had originally planned on doing it last year before Aaron highjacked my vacation, redirecting us to Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar (a highjacking which I am grateful for). The hike started off on a road through maize fields, but then about half-way we turned into the tropical rainforest. This is when the tsetse flies found us, and swarmed us. I mean swarmed, as in 'Everglades mosquitoes in summer' swarming except these are horse-flies African cousins that hurt a little worse, and bite through clothes with total indifference.
So, we were hiking fast. I'm in horrible shape right now, and after being sick a few weeks ago, what little muscles I had, have gone. I was fine on the flat part, but when we started actually climbing the volcano (600m gain in about 40min), I was dying. Donald says he was suffering as well at this pace (which makes me feel a little better about my health). Once we got to the crater rim and could see the lake, we realized we'd have to walk the whole crater rim to reach the other side and the summit, but we also agreed we had no actual desire to do just that. We just wanted to go down to the lake (500m down), so we asked the guide to take us down there. This was a great idea, however it was also a VERY steep drop. At times, we were climbing down tree roots like a ladder or bouldering in areas without great hand-holds (Lenore and Michael, it was worse than Lava Tower and even I was going slowly and carefully).
However, once we reached the lake, it was awesome. The flies went away, we were in the shade, and we just had a PB&J picnic lunch (ate through an entire loaf of bread). The hike back up was a little slower (we put on insect repellant which helped but didn't fix the problem) and much nicer. Overall, it was a great hike.
We got back and celebrated at our bar with a Bia Bingwa (translation, Beer Champion). Monday, we took our time getting back into Malawi. At the boarder, I introduced Donald to my tradition of getting a beer at the G8 Bar, right next to the boarder crossing. We also got some of the best chips mayai ever, where the eggs were cooked perfectly and still had just a little goo in the center. I decided to buy Red Gold here for cheaper, then we strolled back across the bridge to The Warm Heart of Africa, where I will remain for 6 more months.
Pictures of the trip on Facebook
The trip was great. Saturday, we left from Donald's house fairly early, made it to Bongo Camping where we were staying at a decent time. After setting up camp, we decided to walk to town, and upon discovering a quiet bar, attempted to "collect them all" and drink every different type of beer the bar offered. Seeings as Tanzania beers come in 500mL bottles, and they're not exactly low on the alcohol content, we had fun.
The next day was the hike up the Ngoza Volcano. I had read about this hike in the Lonely Planet guide book, and had originally planned on doing it last year before Aaron highjacked my vacation, redirecting us to Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar (a highjacking which I am grateful for). The hike started off on a road through maize fields, but then about half-way we turned into the tropical rainforest. This is when the tsetse flies found us, and swarmed us. I mean swarmed, as in 'Everglades mosquitoes in summer' swarming except these are horse-flies African cousins that hurt a little worse, and bite through clothes with total indifference.
So, we were hiking fast. I'm in horrible shape right now, and after being sick a few weeks ago, what little muscles I had, have gone. I was fine on the flat part, but when we started actually climbing the volcano (600m gain in about 40min), I was dying. Donald says he was suffering as well at this pace (which makes me feel a little better about my health). Once we got to the crater rim and could see the lake, we realized we'd have to walk the whole crater rim to reach the other side and the summit, but we also agreed we had no actual desire to do just that. We just wanted to go down to the lake (500m down), so we asked the guide to take us down there. This was a great idea, however it was also a VERY steep drop. At times, we were climbing down tree roots like a ladder or bouldering in areas without great hand-holds (Lenore and Michael, it was worse than Lava Tower and even I was going slowly and carefully).
However, once we reached the lake, it was awesome. The flies went away, we were in the shade, and we just had a PB&J picnic lunch (ate through an entire loaf of bread). The hike back up was a little slower (we put on insect repellant which helped but didn't fix the problem) and much nicer. Overall, it was a great hike.
We got back and celebrated at our bar with a Bia Bingwa (translation, Beer Champion). Monday, we took our time getting back into Malawi. At the boarder, I introduced Donald to my tradition of getting a beer at the G8 Bar, right next to the boarder crossing. We also got some of the best chips mayai ever, where the eggs were cooked perfectly and still had just a little goo in the center. I decided to buy Red Gold here for cheaper, then we strolled back across the bridge to The Warm Heart of Africa, where I will remain for 6 more months.
Pictures of the trip on Facebook
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