Where I Am- What We Do

Mountains. Lakes. Rivers. Animals. Programs. Camps. Kids. School. Minibuses. Food. Painting. 

School let out for the summer in July and I was done teaching my Life Skills class until September. We finished on a semi high note with every girl in the school having completed and sewn their own reusable sanitary napkins and undergoing Sex Ed. Several girls from surrounding Primary and Secondary schools also got a chance to make these pads as I did guest sessions at their schools as well. Also our AIDS TOTO club wrote poems and sang a song in the school assembly. I prepared everyone for their exams while also teaching them some other topics concerning malaria, nutrition, water safety, and sanitation. 

Summertime began but here in Malawi summertime is cold as its our winter season- such a relief from all the heat. I finally could wear jeans and a sweater in the house!

To start the break I headed to the capital city of Lilongwe to attend a 1 week Behavior Change Communication (BCC) training where I was also trained on a girls empowerment curriculum called Go Girls! Meeting up in the city is always a treat as there is warm water and electricity and plenty of new movies to trade among volunteers. I took a Malawian counterpart from my community named Juma to this training. It was his second Peace Corps training and he really enjoyed it and learned a lot. He is now working with a Community Based Organization (CBO) in our area to raise awareness on gender inequality and safety for girls in our community.  

During my off time I had also applied to be a counselor at camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) which is a camp held by Peace Corps once a year for high school girls where they come to learn and be empowered. In Malawi, just 27% girls are selected to secondary school and of those only 13% attend. In the end, only 5% actually graduate and move on to jobs and higher education. So we invited 66 girls to come to camp to try and change this trend. I was in charge of 11 girls along with my Malawian co-counselor Sibo. The week was long starting at 6am and ending at 11pm but every second was worth it in the end when shy, quiet girls had a chance to blossom and raise their voice and share their stories. I also had the chance to teach about menstruation and lead the girls in sewing their own reusable pads. It was such a special week that cannot be put into words. I also get a chance to teach other PCVs about the Pad Project in 2 weeks at a PC training. 

After I finished almost 2 weeks of Camp GLOW I went on a vacation with my boyfriend. We traveled to the northern part of Malawi which is much cooler, mountainous, less populated, and has more trees than where I live in the dry, flat south. It was gorgeous! We got to stay on the lakeshore and snorkel, play volleyball, get real coffee and cake, go on boat rides, swim, eat good meals, and just relax. The scenery was beautiful and the weather perfect. 

In between traveling I also worked with the health centre to pilot an adult malnutrition support program funded by FANTA-USAID. It is a brand new project targeting malnourished adolescents and adults especially those living with HIV. Food supplements are given to those who are moderately and severely malnourished. We also give nutrition counseling and health talks/demonstrations on how to eat healthier. The HIV Support group has also been working very hard in their nutrition garden growing all kinds of vegetables and promoting them around the health centre. They have learned so much and I'm proud of their dedication. 

Recently, I also began visiting with a local women's group consisting of 15 working women where we are covering all kinds of topics ranging from family planning to budgeting to gender based violence. I'm excited to be working with these strong women. They are good examples for our community. 

Myself and a few other PCVs recently completed our second malaria mural at a health center down the road from the one I volunteer at. This weekend we are going back to paint a HIV mural there. Doctors can use these murals when teaching and they brighten up the clinics. This weekend I am also hosting a formal training on data analysis at my health centre for all the staff. We have been working on reporting, charts, and graphs for months now so it's time to formalize everything and we have grant money to do it! The health centre is also well on its way to having electricity. The Maternity Ward now has electricity and hopefully the rest will soon. No more deliveries by candles! More women than ever before have been delivering at the clinic thanks to an NGO called OPTIONS who started a maternity program at our HC. 

Summertime is also wedding season and it seems that every few weeks I am heading to another wedding or engagement ceremony. These can be fun cultural events with a lot of dancing, gift giving, food, and singing. I really enjoy getting to support my friends and colleagues in this way. Attending a wedding/engagement ceremony is a good sign of friendship. It's also baby season every season! I was blessed to have a member of the HIV Support group name their baby after me. My Malawian Chiyao name is Atupele which means "given." So the baby is named Atupele Deanna. She is a very beautiful little girl! I even got the opportunity to give her a first haircut as her god-mother! She cried but the moment was still special. I've never shopped so much for baby clothes before but it's fun buying diapers and little clothes for babies. My boyfriend's aunt also had a baby boy named Blessing and he's the cutest little guy- always happy!

This season is also initiation season in the village where children become young adults. There are ceremonies, food, dancing, singing, decorations, advice given, new clothes given, etc. My neighbor friend was initiated this year and we celebrated by giving her a new shirt, skirt, and shoes. Her family returned the favor by giving me a goat leg and a bowl of rice. Everyone is happy and joyful during initiations. They dance with drums and music up and down the street and all through the night. It's a big right of passage for children. 

The past few weeks especially I've really felt at home here in Malawi. When I was on vacation some of my co-workers were texting me that they missed me. I've been invited to many weddings, ceremonies, and celebrations. I've named a baby. I was asked to attend the secret initiation ceremony that few get to see. I've been given gifts among gifts from those who have little. I hope to repay this kindness somehow. Everyday is a little bit different and a little bit the same. Biking around the village. Working on grants. Working at the health centre- giving health talks. It's a good life. A happy life. I've now spent my 25th and 26th birthday in Malawi and I hope to be here for many more. 

Blessings to everyone and thanks for reading.