The Greater Salt Lake

Aka: The Dead Sea. We bussed an hour and a half outside of Jerusalem to the Dead Sea which is surrounded by the cliffs of Israel and Jordan. We hiked in the rocky beige cliffs and gazed upon the endless desert. Despite the chill in the air, I made it into the blue water and it was WILD. I floated effortlessly and my body burned from the salt. The dead sea is the saltiest body of water on earth, not to mention the lowest point. The rocks along the shore had a hard crystal build up of salt and nothing can survive there. It is 30% salt where as the ocean is a mere 3. My skin was smooth and soft from the water and my eyes burnt from the air around the surface. The sensation of weightlessness was unlike anything I've experienced, I couldn't have drown if I tried. It was a nice afternoon.
The last couple of days, I have spent exploring Jerusalem and learning more about Judaism and what it means to be Jewish in Israel. My friend Lyndsey and I went to Haifa, the second largest city in Israel, for "the holiday of holidays" where Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan is celebrated. We went with "seeds of peace" a really great organization that brings Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, and American kids together for peace and conflict resolution. It was incredible to see the kids reunite for the first time since they were in the program together. The Israelis and Palestinians are often kept apart by boarder patrol and the giant wall that is being built around Israel, and the kids were ecstatic to reunite. We wandered around the city, saw the majestic Baha'i Gardens, listened to live Opera, and ate some great street food. The food here is heaven, falafal, hummus, yummy fruit, and great chocolate! It was a great day.
I attended my first Shabbat service and dinner afterward. The service was a liberal hippy gathering with beautiful singing and spirit filled people. The dinner afterward was at an Orthodox house and was right after a wedding, so there was incredible food, prayer, singing, and dancing in a circle around the table. YES, that really happens, and its fabulous! I felt so honored to be included at the table, and everyone was so welcoming. I am learning so much and experiencing an entire culture and place I am so unfamiliar with. Tomorrow we will see the Dome of the rock and the Holacaust museum. HAPPY NEW Year! LOVEEEEEEE me.

Jerusalem

It has been a glorious 3 days in Israel and I am in a constant state of wonderment. The girls and I went to Bethlehem, which seemed only appropriate for the Christmas celebrations. It was a short bus ride from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, but we had to get off the bus and go through the check point to get into the city. The check point is in the middle of a giant wall that stretches the borders of Israel and is intended to keep Palestinians out. Only those who live within the walls or have proper identification can get through. It was sobering to see the division so concretely. The massive wall was covered with messages like, “free Palestine,” “We are not terrorists,” “Bring Peace to Israel..” ect. It was very powerful to realize how for granted I take the freedom of movement. I can’t imagine what it is like to be kept from somewhere because of my origin or religion. Our United States Passports allowed us to enter Bethlehem and we walked down the windy streets to Manger Square for the Christmas Eve celebrations. The square was bustling with people and there was a stage set up in front of the church the evening of the 24th. There were choirs and performances all night leading up to midnight mass. We opted not to try to fight the crowds and to attend a service in the morning. The President of Palestine was the special guest so there were a lot of people wanting to attend. We ate falafel and drank sweet tea while listening to the music. I quietly observed all that was going on around me. In the morning we went to the Church of the Nativity, saw the place that Jesus was born, and attended mass there in Arabic.
This was/is only the beginning. Today we visited the Wailing Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (crucifixion/burial place of Jesus). The wall was lined with people praying and putting notes in the cracks of the white Jerusalem stone. People walked backwards from the wall so their backs weren’t turned to it. We were there as the light was radiating off the golden Dome of the Rock and Jerusalem shined.
Jerusalem is breathtaking. I had no idea how beautiful it would be. It is built on a series of hills that is a whirlwind of new and old. It is incredible to be in a city that is so significant to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. There is so much intensity and stimulation packed into this little city. I haven’t felt unsafe at all, though I can sometimes feel tension in the air. It helps to be with Hannah and her wonderful friends here. I love the food; we have had falafel, pita, and hummus everyday, a vegetarians dream! Not to mention the delicious pastries. I could get use to this. For now, I’m just trying to keep my feet on the ground and not be totally swept away by this experience. Ahhh more soon….i hope Christmas was wonderful for you too! Love lisa

Holy Cow...I mean LAND!!

We made it to Israel!! I'm in Tel Aviv after nearly 24 hours of travel and a 6 hour stop in Ethiopia. It was crazy coming into the Israeli airport. After being up all night, totally starstruck, braids flying every which way with my array of mismatched attire and the fact that i'm usually a mess in life anyways i was therefore seen as an instant threat and politely interrogated several times. The airport officials here don't mess around...but i could bring my water and shampoo not to mention my tweezers...these guys are armatures, don't they know the havoc i could've caused with these dangerous items? The people of Israel are beautiful. Dark features and shining eyes. It is so strange to be in such a pronounced Jewish culture. Such a mesh of Orthodox, Reform, Zionists and so many more I can't grasp. It is surreal. I'm in Israel! Tomorrow we will be going to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem for Christmas. A trip to the Dead Sea is in the plan as well. I am deliriously wide eyed and with wonder. This place is so rich with culture, history, tragedy and triumph. I just talked to a French woman very active in Doctors without Borders in a coffee shop...yes real COFFEE...brewed, not stirred....who just got back from Gaza and had incredible stories. She said one night they were in the clinic and there was an air raid and they heard firing and bombs all around them and they turned on the news and were watching the activity all around them from inside the building. So crazy. I'm learning from Hannah all about the rich history of this place and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict ahh its so interesting and heart breaking.

Anyways i'm pretty much in shock here. a few reflections. One: the glory of water fountains. I was thirsty and just simply bent over and got a drink...a COLD drink of sweet water. It's so good...once it hits your lips. Dogs...there are actual breeds here. Not just starving mutts twitching with fleas and worms. I loveeee the dogs, and on leashes as PETS...what? I'm not in Zambia any more toto. Things here are so accessible. I can buy gum...in several locations. The cars are small and fuel efficient and there is tarmac EVERYWHERE...endless tarmac...and little green walk guys and and and one kid per adult IF THAT. I do miss my iwes (village kids). ok i've only been here a few hours and listen to me. I can't express how i feel to be here...it's all just too much. I'll get some sleep and compose myself and send some more coherent reflections later

i love you alllllll

yay

NHC training

The road that leads into Mwamba

Some of my NHC members and me rethatching my roof

My kids and I in front of my hut

Dancing at a festival in the village

It's mushroom season

Holiday Cheer

Mwapoleni Mukwai…Greetings

It seems these last few months have flown by and it is hard to believe I am almost at the end of my 11th month in Zambia. Christmas has surely snuck up on me. Mwamba is void of the usual seasonal cues…Christmas music, lights, consumer craze, snow…it’s strange to think people are gathering with families in the states, wrapping presents and fighting snowy roads. Christmas in the village is much more rooted in the original purpose of celebrating the birth of Jesus without all of the clutter (which I, for the most part, enjoy). People go to church and usually slaughter some chickens and a goat, if lucky, feast, brew village beer and celebrate. The day before and after are typical work days, there’s really no rest during planting season.
It is officially rainy season and has been dumping at least once a day. The land has turned green and farmers are busy planting their fields. My thatched roof just got patched in time for the heavy precipitation and my leaks have been mended so I felt ok about leaving the place on holiday.
Speaking of…I’m not sure if everyone knew I am off to roam the Holy Land for Christmas. Yes, I’m going to Israel with two Peace Corps friends (Hannah & Lyndsey). Hannah lived in Jerusalem for a year and one of her best friends is getting married the 26th. I joked with her that I wanted to join her there and a few weeks later she extended the invitation. I really couldn’t fathom making the trip, especially on Peace Corps stipend, but I decided it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Hannah is Jewish, knows the language and land and has many friends there, and Lyndsey is a spirited Lutheran who truly lives her faith…the perfect trio. I still can’t believe I’m going. We fly out the 22nd and have a 6 hour layover in Ethiopia where we hope to taxi to dinner if we can persuade the border officials to wave the entry fee. We arrive in Tel Aviv the 23rd, will be in Bethelehem on Christmas, then stay in Jeruselem till the 27th, head to the Dead Sea for a night and be back in Lusaka the 4th. I’m continually in awe of the incredible opportunities that fall into my lap…and ever grateful.
The last few months at sight have been really busy. Because I am so close to the boma (Kasama) My community is very active and involved in many different groups and projects and there are endless work opportunities. I’m working on a bunch of different projects including an OVC (orphan and vulnerable children) community preschool. I am hoping to fund construction and get it going with a Peace Corps Partnership Proposal which I am working on and will be completed in January. I will give you more information on how you can help out once it is approved and in motion. The community is really excited and I’ve had people at my door wanting to register kids already.
As far as my CAHP (health) work goes I just trained my 3rd Neighborhood Health Committee and it was great. I had the previous group come and facilitate some of the health sessions to give them practice in teaching health education and they did a wonderful job. It is so cool to see the students become the teacher. They were proud, empowered and beaming, and so was I for that matter. It was nice to see people really come out of their shell, especially the maayos, who tend to be more reserved in educational settings. One of my Nutrition Club members had a baby on her back while she gave her talk on Safe Motherhood and it was just precious. I really want to focus on giving the skills of sharing knowledge because these clubs and groups will have to be comfortable in that realm to encourage change.
My trainings are usually 4 hours for 5 straight days. They include club strengthening and health education and are exciting and exhausting. I give certificates at the end and usually require they help out with the following training. This past group, Ndoloka Village (6k from Mwamba) was so grateful for the training they sent me home with a bike load of parcels, including a giant mushroom, mealie meal (nshima flour), onions, tomatoes, bananas, cassava, cabbage ect. They are such a generous community and would give me the clothes on their backs. I am always in awe of Zambian hospitality. I’ve been here almost a year and I’m still treated with such grace. I love work, my hut, and my villagers. It helps to ease some of the holiday melancholy and longing for my friends and family at home.
I want to end with a reminder how much strength I gather from and am ever grateful for all of your love and support, especially during the holidays. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wish all of you a cheery holiday season and I hope you revel in the love that surrounds you…. nalimutemwa –lisa

Mwapoleni Mukwai!! (Greetings). I am in Lusaka on my way to Lake Kariba in Southern Province, home of the Tonga tribe. It is my first real vacation and I am really excited for a break. So much has happened since I last wrote. Things in the village are going really well. I am still really busy and trying to put all of my various projects into action. Work with my Neighborhood Health Committees is going well. I just trained my second group and have a third in December. Im also working on various other trainings and workshops including Soya cooking/Nutrition, Anti-Aids clubs & HIV education, and a preschool project. I've been able to attend some cultural events including the big Bemba festival last month. President Mwanawasa helicoptered in and gave a speech among the traditional dances and performances. Each tribe in Zambia has a traditional festival once a year and I was excited to be able to go. Zambia is so rich with song and dance. It is remarkable to see the little ones and the elders shake and twist to the drums.
As I experience more and more here I continually learn about the nuances of the Bemba culture. The Bembas are the largest tribe in Zambia and the language is the most widely spoken of the 74 here. They are known for their sense of humor, strange cuisine (monkeys, caterpillars, and termites among other things), and tribal unity. One interesting thing I just learned about is when a woman is menstruating she will place a red bead on the bed to let her husband know it's that time of the month. He will take it and put in on the table and when she is finished she will replace it with a white bead meaning she is pure again. The women here are something else. They are tough as nails and I often see them in the fields working, carrying 20 liter water jugs on their heads with a child on one hand and another on their backs. They never stop working. It often takes hours to prepare food considering they go collect it in the bush, pound and cut, gather firewood, fetch water, and then begin cooking. It has been such an enriching experience to witness, and take part in.
The rains are coming and my roof is a bit leaky. My villagers have been gathering grass to re-thatch my roof for months (they take really good care of me). The nightly lightning and thunder storms have been a refreshing change from the dry heat of October, however I'm nervous to see what the full power of the rain brings. My villagers have been warning me about the snakes because they tend to seek dry warm places during the rains. A few nights ago I arrived home after dark and opened my storage room (across from my hut) to put my bike in and I heard some rustling. I figured it was the mouse who has made a home there. I flashed my light in the back corner and next to my spare bike tube (which has startled me before with its long black shape) was a long black tail. I stood there in shock for a good 10 seconds before it registered what it was. "wait a second...this tube has a TAIL" It moved and I screamed, bolted out of the room, and stood hyperventilating for a few minutes before I ran to my neighbor who came with his 6 kids (all carrying sticks) to save the day. Turns out it was a 30 inch black cobra who was probably seeking shelter and following the mouse. I was hysterical for a few hours, but then I composed myself and was able to relax. I was pretty proud considering my paralyzing fear. I only had nightmares for the next 2 nights and vowed to get a cat which i'm working on. Ohh life in a mud hut!
I am looking forward for the land to turn green and for my farmers to start cultivating. Most of my village is having a rough start to planting season because the Government decided to cut way back on fertilizer subsidies this year and failed to tell anyone in advance. A lot of my villagers requested 10-12 bags and only received 2 . People are in quite a flurry about it considering the bags run about 120,000 kwacha and they usually get them at 50-60,000 through the gov. People didn't have time or the information to budget for the cut back so they will be suffering next year when harvest comes. Fertilizer is a make or break asset to a farmer here in Zambia.
I'm really happy here and loving Zambia and the village. I can't express how lucky I feel to be here and how much I appreciate your support, letters and packages...Ok I'll try to update again soon.
MUCH LOVE...lisa

Greetings from Zambia. I apologize for my sparse correspondencelately, things have really been busy. Work is coming along ratherwell and I finally feel like I am getting the hang of the way thingswork here. I didn't realize it would take me 6 months to becomfortable with the work infrastructure in the village. I took theavailability of information and the basic organization of the statesfor granted. It seems like you can find out almost anything with thestroke of a computer key or a phone call, but here you can askquestions till your blue in the face and receive ten different answersand you wont find what your looking for until you have been around fora while. I understand now why this is a 2 year commitment. It ishard to become familiar enough with the system to work or changeanything in a shorter amount of time.

The work opportunities are vast here, especially in the health field,and it was overwhelming for a while to decide what to focus on. Itseems like every one of the 6 health thrusts (malaria, tb, hiv/aids,integrated reproductive health, child health/nutrition, andwater/sanitation) is a problem in the village and there are so manyprojects to undertake. After realizing that 33% of my areas childrenunder 5 years old are underweight, I decided to focus on child healthand nutrition. I asked all of my NHC's to form nutrition clubs intheir zone to support underweight children and mentor their parents onnutrition. I told them I would train both the NHC and Nutrition clubtogether on the health thrusts. Trainings are a big part of myproject and provide knowledge and guidance to NHC's and various clubs. A lot of the time people are a part of a club, but don't have theresources or information to make the club thrive. Some of my longtime NHC (Neighborhood Health Committee) members didn't even know whatan NHC was, or what their roles and responsibilities were.

My zones were excited about the project and one had a communitymeeting the next week, formed their nutrition club and we had a 6 daytraining the first week of September. I had to pull it together injust 2 weeks, but I had help from one of my counterparts in a near byvillage and a peer educator I met in Kasama, and the training wentreally well. It was 4 hours a day in the Kasonde Mwamba (7.5 k pastmy village of Mwamba) Catholic Church. It was an incredibleexperience and I enjoyed teaching very much. The 12 members of the NHCand the 12 Nutrition Club members showed up every day with the pensand paper I gave them and were excited to learn. My goal is to have each NHC participate in the next training so thatwith each zone that is trained, I am doing less and less facilitation. It is vital to have the club members become confident in spreadinginformation so that the health education will thrive when the PeaceCorps leaves the area. Sustainability is key.

The first training got the area moving and I've had multiple requestsfor trainings. I am planning another one for the second week ofOctober, which is the height of hot season and will probably be achallenge. I am missing the cool evening air. The days have becomequite uncomfortable and I have had to make multiple trips a day to thewell to keep my garden alive. I have tomatoes, onions, and cabbageoutside of my hut, and it's glorious to see my own produce sprout andgrow. I waited for weeks for my cabbage to grow in the middle of thegreen leaves that were sprouting and I thought it was strange that theballs in the middle weren't forming. I just figured cabbage took awhile until one of my neighbors asked why I wasn't eating it one dayand I realized it was Chinese cabbage. Here I was waiting for theround cabbage I was use to to form as my edible cabbage was dying. Iguess I have a long way to go in my gardening career. I willdefinitely not confuse my tomatoes…that's for sure!

During the dry season (April-November) the people of Zambialiterally burn the entire country. Instead of slashing the tallgrasses that grow around the bush, they simply light it on fire andevery night I see an orange glow in the distance as the fire rages.It's incredible that a country that is 95% flammable is set ablaze andamazingly kept under control. I still don't know the trick. One dayI looked out my window and saw the 15 foot flames a few yards from mystorage hut and prayed it wouldn't spread to my thatched roof. I'mjust waiting to come home one day and find my hut burnt down, butIt's still standing so far. The bush is beautiful right now, thehillsides are covered with turning trees, from green to red, to orangeand then brown. It's nothing like autumn in the states, but it's niceto see some color in the mass of green and brown.

I hope to get more pictures out to people and up on the blog, butI've had some unfortunate luck with my camera. The lens broke at theend of training and after sending it back to the states, paying tohave it fixed, and transporting it back with some visitors to Zambia,it was stolen out of their luggage. I am hoping to get a replacementsoon. Theft has been my biggest problem so far in Africa. I had mywallet stolen at a busy market in Lusaka and a few small items takenfrom my hut (soap, laundry line, ect). But overall I feel really safehere. My community is very protective of me, and if there is ever aproblem, the village Headmen and Chief get involved right away.Zambians have a very jovial in nature and peaceful spirits. It seemslike people know my name everywhere I go and I almost feel too welcomeat times. My favorite thing is to hear the kids shouting at me as Iride my bike on the dirt trails, "muli shani ba Lisa!" (how are youLisa), or "mulya kwisa ba Lisa?" (where are you going Lisa?).

I started to give English lessons to one of my counter parts, who isalready quite competent, but wants to polish his grammar andvocabulary. Good thing spelling isn't involved or we'd be in trouble. I found myself at a bit of a loss trying to dig into the vault ofthose jr high English classes. I think it will be a good opportunityto practice Bemba as well. We were doing sentence diagrams and aftermy example I asked him to give me a sentence. He thought and said"Lisa is very fat." I laughed for a good minute and he lookedconfused. I explained that though that is a compliment here (Ihope), it is quite taboo to call a girl, or anyone for that matter,fat in the states. I thought it was the greatest sentence he could'vesaid and it made me smile. In a country where food is scarce, havingenough to put some skin on your bones is a sign of prestige. If onlythey knew how obsessed Americans are with staying thin. What a world.

Overall I am feeling a lot more confident in my ability to access mysituation and create sustainable change in my area. I really love myvillage and am becoming attached to the people I work with every day.My Bemba is still lacking and It is one of my main frustrations, butluckily there is at least one person in each club or group I work withthat can translate for me. I hope to dedicate more time to learningvocab and hopefully it will start to click. For now, I am stillpainfully incompetent. I still long for home, friends, and family. Ialways feel a boost of confidence knowing that all of your thoughts,letters, and sentiments are coming my way. I am learning so much fromthis experience. My life will forever be changed by Zambia and I amthankful every day for this roller coaster I am riding. The ride goeson….until next time! lisa

Summer is COLD in Zambia...

I didn't think I would have to be bundled up in Africa, but turns out June and July are Coooollld here. It is winter and hard to believe y'all are lounging in the sun. It is surprisingly chilly at night, but still manages to be hot during the day. It's like fall and summer all in 24 hours. I never quite know how to dress. Things have been really busy lately. I traveled to Central Province this past week to run a half marathon. It was a marathon just to get there. A few friends and I hitched (a very common and usually safe way of transport here) from Kasama to Mpika (2 hours south) in a pick-up truck and actually hit a GOAT on the way. Yeah it was brutal, never hit anything like that in a vehicle before. It was a surprisingly small bump, but traumatic none the less. We made the rest of the trip on the back of a packed cargo truck. We, along with 20 fellow Zambian travellers, were on top of sacks of beans and other crops for the 4 hour trip. It wasn't a bad ride, though when the sun began to set we were FREEZING...the wind is merciless on those open trucks. We managed to make it from Kasama to Serenje (half way across the country) for 15,000 kwacha (about $4). Not bad. The run was a success, i did the 13 miles in 1 hour and 46 minutes, better than I expected. Unfortunately I injured my hamstring in a freak ultimate frisbee accident the next day and am in Lusaka for medical treatment now. I am getting it checked out later today, we think it might be a tear, but not sure. I am bummed because I am very active in the village and it is killing me to hobble around. I'm hoping for a quick recovery. It was a trip to roll into the traffic and development of Lusaka. I instantly missed the serenity of the Village. It is strange to see such a drastic difference of lifestyles. From bikes to cars, windy dirt roads to pavement, moonlight and stars to city lights. Hopefully I'll be able to return up north sooner than later. I'll be sure to keep you posted. All the love..Lisa

Greetings from Zambia. It's hard to know what details of my foreign lifestyle to fill you all in on, considering I rarely get to update the blog. I could fill endless pages with observations and wonderment of my life in the village. I can only say that I am continually challenged and humbled by the ups and downs of my work and everyday life. Work is really picking up, I've had a slue of meetings with my Neighborhood Health Committee and other communities as well. It's been very difficult for me to communicate to my community why I'm here in Zambia and what my work entails. Naturally they see me as a miracle worker coming from the land of opportunity and it's heartbreaking for me to have to tell them that I can't build their bridge or fund their schools. On the other hand it's beautiful to have them be so excited and thankful for my presence, and to merely watch them take joy in my attempt to live a Zambian life. I'm getting used to the laid back lifestyle of a Zambian village; my meetings usually start from half an hour to an hour late. People usually trickle in throughout and I'm never quite sure who's going to show up. Sometimes I have 15 village kids sitting in wonderment as to what I'm saying. At the end of every meeting, my communities love to teach me a new aspect of their culture, which usually involves cooking a local dish. My latest venture was homemade peanutbutter, called ichikonko in Bemba. It involves shelling, roasting, peeling, and pounding ground nuts. It's quite exciting to see a peanut transform into butter. My villagers always laugh at joy when I try to participate in the culture. I'm still getting used to life in the village, though I've been able to establish a routine and I'm excited to become more familiar with the groups I'm working with and really progress with them.
I'm really starting to make my mud hut feel like a home. Though I still get bombarded with critters. It's amazing how cockroaches don't phase me anymore, where as I would have been horrified before to find one sharing my living space. I had to remove 2 tarantulas from my hut just last week, and had to get a village kid to help me with a giant spider who happened to be on the inside of my mosquito net (which is a definite faux pax and a no-no). The village kids come in handy quite often, and luckily they're never too far away. I cemented the floors of my hut last month, and I've never been so excited about....cement. It cuts my dust intake in half so my lungs are much happier! Not to mention a significant cutback on ants and termites. Termites, by the way, I have found to be incredible creatures. They work at an incredible rate, have mounds that are six feet high, and are often eaten as a local dish. I sometimes come home to find termite tunnels popping up all over my hut. My snake sitings have risen to 4! I am doing surprisingly well at handling the encounters. I've only had one near my hut and again, the Iwes (children) came to my rescue. It's hard to imagine not sharing a space with a crawly creature or two.

I want to thank everyone for their letters and love. One of my favorite things to do after the sun sets is to read letters by candle light when I get lonely in my village. Thank you for taking time to share this adventure with me and for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. This experience continues to be enriching and is pushing me to lengths I never could have imagined. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity I have to serve and I am strengthened by the thoughts of friends and family at home. Until next time, Lisa.

Lisa's Friends Visit Her!

Some of Lisa's dear friends (college crowd that she went to Europe with, Guatemala with, lived with in college and later all moved to Seattle for the past year are teaching in Kenya and recently took a 5 day train ride to visit her. Here is their note that I thought you might like to read.

Sandy...
.we are back in Kenya... lamenting our departure from your darling daughter. we love her so soooo insanely much and words simply do not do justice to the amazing experience we had with her. she is healthy and let me TELL YOU has a village that is FANTASTIC. villagers stopping by her hut left and right to offer to fix this, or build that. they are so proud to have her there. her view is STUNNING and we can't wait to get you pictures somehow... or as soon as possible... (may have to be June). the first night we got there we stayed up till 430 talking... please rest easy know how excited the community is to have her there and how willing and present they are. she has a momentous task ahead of her indeed. one that is challenging becuase of the intangibility of the results.... but ulitmately she is the right person to be first generation in a site. she is motivated. we think that africa is going to be really good for lisa. she is going to come back in two years and be soooo relaxed. it is just about impossible to be uptight here... you can't and don't really need to stress about time and such.. so, great. :) we love you and spoke often of how much we love you.. you are so fun! thanks for bring our friend into the world. our lives are better becuase of her... and soooo many others. i know you are so proud.... know that we love YOU and can't wait to see you again soon sometime when we are not galavanting across the world :) love love love courtnae, ada and lori--

"We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between "master" builder and worker. We are the workers, not the master builder; the ministers, not the Messiah. We are the prophets of a future that is not our own." – Oscar Romero

Life in the Village...

Hello from the village in Africa (via my sister Linsey on her computer. Because I have no access to internet whatsoever, Linsey is typing for me as I dictate over the phone)! It's my second full week in the village and things are going really well. I am lucky enough to have had some visitors to help me get settled my first week. Ada, Courtnae, and Lori made the five day journey from Kenya to dwell with me in my little hut and meet my community. We had a ball and they were able to share in some firsts with me: my first community meeting, my first really intense bike ride through the african bush, the first time that I've taken the blood pressure of expectant mothers, my first two and a half hour Catholic mass in Bemba, and my first village dance party. It was quite a tease because now I'm adjusting to the village all by my lonesome, but ironically, as the only american that has ever lived here, I am rarely alone. I have a stream of constant visitors walking up the path to my hut, and there are always iwes (village children) sitting on my porch or peering in wonder at me through the bushes. My first three months at site are what Peace Corps calls "community entry", which is basically me getting to know not only my own village, but the six other zones in the area I am responsible for. My primary job is to support the decentralization of the health care system in Zambia. I'm here to make sure the chain leading from the community to the capital is in tact. My primary focus is on the Neighborhood Health Committee, which consists of volunteers at the community level who are responsible for the well being of their villages and for communicating their health needs up the chain. I have seven NHC's and my goal is to meet with each of them and discuss their activity and knowledge and make sure they're serving the communities. This will probably entail extensive health training with each group. I live within a five minute walk from the rural health center (clinic) which serves the seven zones of my catchment area. I'm also going to be doing a lot of work there and with the staff. What sets Peace Corps aside from other aid organizations is its focus on sustainability. Every project that I undertake, right down to the decisions I make on an everyday basis, should be sustainable so that when Peace Corps is no longer in the village, it won't be a loss for the community, but they will be able to function independently. This idea is what makes this process so long and difficult. For example, instead of facilitating a training to NHC by myself, I should instead try to train other members to do the talks themselves because that is more sustsainable. The health sector of Peace Corps can be one of the most challenging ones because it's hard to see results and we're really depending on the motivation of the community to achieve success. I know it will be a challenge but I am really excited about my work, I have definitely kept very busy. I don't know where all this free time that I'm supposed to have is. I think once I get used to life in the village and the way that things work here, things will settle down. I've been doing a lot of work helping out at the clinic, which serves around 2,000 villagers and has a 3-person staff. Last week I witnessed my first birth at the clinic, a seventeen year-old girl delivered her baby in a room with a table and a bucket of water, then not even a week later, the first death. It was a four year-old girl who lost the battle to Malaria, the second largest killer here in Zambia. Sometimes it is hard to strike a balance between the awe inspiring beauty of the culture I am emersed in and the feelings of helplessness at the reality of their hardships. Every day brings new joys and new challenges. Earlier today I was feeling frustrated by the crowd of kids that were staring at me, as they often do. I just wanted some alone time. But then a minute later I was laughing as they tried to teach me Bemba and help me as I sorted through my laundry. Norman Vincent Peale once said, "change your thoughts and you change your world." I found that to be so true. Every day and every situation is what I make of it. At the end of the day, I couldn't be happier sitting on the porch of my mud hut staring at the stars by candle light. Until next time, love and prayers from Zambia.

Lisa Graduates!

Lisa passed her tests, even the very difficult language test, graduated and is now an official Peace Corps Volunteer!! She is so excited and leaves tomorrow morning for her village (Mwamba), where she will spend the next 2 years. The goodbyes were sad for the group heading in a different direction and she says the Northern team is great. She loves getting your mail so please keep writing to her.
Sandy

Helloooo
I just have a moment to tell y'all whats up in Zambia. Training is wrapping up and we have less than a week until we are posted in the village. Last night we had a huge gathering to thank our host families, this is what I wrote in my journal...
not sure how pablo and I (of all people....everybody knows I can't cook) were put in charge of food, but 7 hours, and 100 hand made tortillas later we had a feast for our absolutely fabulous Zamilies. The evening was incredible. The families arrived crammed in the back of flat bed trucks and land cruisers and were singing upon arrival. We could hear them all the way down the bumpy dirt road to the training center. They were dressed to the max: bamayo's in their finest chetenge suits (beautiful colored fabric that local taylors make into just about anything) and batatas in suit jackets and trowsers. There was so much energy, love, humble pride, and genuine excitment in our tent overlooking the african plains. They are just too much...they love us dearley and are so good to us, you can see it in their eyes. The way they look at us, the care in their touch and the light of their smiles. At the end of our program, they presented US with gifts. They lined up by village (our group is spread through 8 or so villages near Chongway) and danced and sang traditional songs to present their offerings. It was really emotional for me. The pride and love with which each family gave their gifts and hugged each one of us SO TIGHTLY hit my heart like a spear. This merge of culture is so beautiful. The families were radiant, I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. I just kept thinking how lucky I was to be witnessing this, to be a part of it. To have entered this place, this world, the lives of these remarkable people. Africa is cool man. I love the dancing and singing, it is such a huge part of the culture. The sounds of Africa are pure elation. I love it.
Bamayo gave me a nshima pot and stirring stick so I can make it in my village, AND the last week she traveled to Lusaka to have a chetenge suit made for me to wear last night...it is GORGEOUS...bright yellow. The taylors here are INCREDIBLE...you merely tell them what you want, skirt, dress, pants, they measure you and 1-2 days and 5 bucks later sha BAM...new wardrobe. She was so happy to see me wear it. I will try to put a picture up, but my camera got wet while visiting a waterfall up No. (rough life, i know) and now won't work...blast!
Ahhh I am really sad to leave my family. But such is life. I am excited to start my service in the village. I have my final language and tech tests next week and If I pass will be sworn in as an "official" volunteer on Friday. Yeah no more trainee status! We'll see if I can manage to give Hiv prevention advice in Bemba by tuesday!! Mufwile ukubombfya umupila....(you must use condoms...). Just a quick thank you to everyone who has written me, you have no idea how much mail means here...and will be even more important when I get to the village. Thank you for all the birthday wishes and the packages...(mom you're the best, and lins and anita, katie b and peter...) and letters (joe and g-rents, ash, my kenya girls, kathy, AP, suz, mark, paul, ...) Sorry if i forgot anyone, I want to you guys to know that I got what you sent...I PROMISE I will always write back, it may take a while (zam post...), but i will. Your love keeps me strong! Until next time.... nalimutemwa sana! (i really love you...) -lisa

Partnership Proposal

Proposal Application Cover Sheet


Please complete the following sections of the PCPP Proposal Application. When each section has been completed, please mark the appropriate box below.

A. Volunteer Referrals
B. Volunteer and Project proposal information
C. Monitoring and Evaluation
D. Project Timeline
E. Project budget
F. Proposal Narratives


Has the community been informed and fully understands that Partnership funds are to be used only for costs associated with the project and that there will be no additional funding beyond the authorized amount on the proposal as submitted?

Yes No


We verify that this project is needed by the community of Mwamba Village, Kasama District. Zambiawho are the intended beneficiaries, and that we fully understand and will fulfill the requirements of the Peace Corps Partnership Program in implementing this project

Lisa Sekulich 20-01-08
Peace Corps Volunteer’s Signature Date

Alexander Mwamba 20-01-08
Community Partner’s Signature Date

I have reviewed this proposal and certify that it is well-planned, accurately budgeted, and the Peace Corps volunteer has the technical skills to successfully complete the project within the timeframe of his/her service. Furthermore, this proposal meets each Peace Corps Partnership criterion set forth in section 4 of MS720.


Peace Corps Country Director’s Signature Date

Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters
The Office of Private Sector Initiatives
1111 20th Street, NW ● Washington, DC 20526
Tel 202.692.2170 ● Fax 202.692.2171 ● Email pcpp@peacecorps.gov
A. Peace Corps Partnership Program Volunteer Referrals


Peace Corps Volunteer Lisa Sekulich Date
Peace Corps Partnership Program Proposal Application

To be filled out by OPSI Staff:
Fiscal Year: Project Number:


B. Volunteer and Project Proposal information
Country: Zambia, AFRICA
PCPP Project Title: Milex Pre-School
Community Organization: Milex Executive Board, PTA, and Mwamba Community.
Project Implementation Period: Start Date: Dec 2007 End Date: May 2008
Volunteer Name(s): Lisa Sekulich COS Date: March 2009
Peace Corps Sector Assignment: Community Health Action Program


Male
Female
Boys
Girls
Total
# of Participants: those persons directly involved in the design and implementation of the project
60
52


112
# of Beneficiaries: those persons directly impacted by the project
55
52
43
57
207


Project Classification
Peace Corps Project Sector Grouping (Please select only one)
Agriculture
Business Development
Education
Environment
Health
Municipal Development
Water & Sanitation
Youth Development
Other:
Priority Grouping
Infrastructure Development
Instructional Materials
Resources/Equipment and Supplies
Income Generation
Training
NGO Development


Total PCPP Request: $USD: 10,458.35 Local Currency: kwacha (ZMK): 38,695,900

Exchange Rate Used: 3700.00 ZMK to 1 $USD Date of Exchange Rate: 27/01/2007


C. Monitoring and evaluation

How will you know if your project is reaching its goals and objectives, and producing the desired benefits or change?

On this page, you will find a menu of indicators that will help you track the progress of your project. These indicators were chosen because they highlight the kinds of changes and outcomes that are most likely to occur in small-scale community development projects.

Please choose the indicators that you and your community will use to track the progress of your project during its implementation. When you complete your project, you will use the same indicators to report on the results that you and your community achieved.

Indicators of Success

Required
participants acquiring new knowledge or skills
(may include literacy, technical, or vocational skills or administrative and/or financial practices, ability to manage production, marketing or income-generating activities, or ability to obtain financial or technical assistance)

Who/how many? One hundred children ages 3-7 will start their education and develop knowledge and literacy at Milex Pre-School each year. The 10 members of the PTA along with the hundreds of parents and community members will be involved.

What skills? The students will learn English literacy, reading comprehension, basic mathematics, science, history, health and hygiene education, social skills, creativity and will be exposed to the importance of education. One community member will receive pre-school teacher training by the existing certified teacher and eventually take over a class of her own, The PTA and community members involved in the project will gain knowledge and competency in income generation, specifically chicken rearing, and basic infrastructure building, renovation, and sustainable development.

How will you know? We will receive feedback from parents and students on success of lessons and learning environment. The teachers at Mwamba Basic School will also be able to assess incoming grade one students who graduated from Milex. The income generated from the chicken coop will indicate IGA success and determine the rate of expansion and progression of the school.

Choose 1- 4 Additional/Optional Indicators of Success
improved capacity to define and meet goals and objectives
(relates most directly to changes in knowledge, skills and behavior, and may include planning skills, ability to set up group goals, and small project design skills, among others)

What changes? The community will have supported the school from the ground up and be actively involved in the realization of the goals of the project. People involved will have experience in capacity building, basic construction, budget preparation, income generation, chicken rearing, and sustainable development. The founders, school executives and community members will also be working towards their goal to move the school to a permanent location and expand it, allowing more students to be involved. The community will develop skills in sustainable development by creating and implementing small, achievable steps leading towards a larger goal.

How will you know? The development and maintenance of the school and the completion of all project objectives will indicate the community’s success in meeting project goals and working together to achieve them. The future success of the school will determine the community’s ability to start and maintain an income generating activities and create sustainable projects.


Project Timeline:

Approximately how long will your proposed project last?

Months: 6 Weeks: 0 Days: 0

PLEASE NOTE: The amount of time it takes to fund a project can be substantial depending on the amount of request and number of referrals received.
E. Project Budget

Please include a budget summary for the proposed project as a separate attachment. Indicate the quantity needed and the total cost of each item in both USD and local currency. Please also state whether the item will be paid for with PCPP funds or from community contributions (see detailed budget spreadsheet; page 7).

Partnership Contribution: USD 10,458.35 Local Currency: ZMK 38,695,900
Community Contribution: USD 3,459.46 Local Currency: ZMK 12,800,000
Total Project Cost: USD 13,917.81 Local Currency: ZMK 51,495,900

F. Proposal Narratives – Please do not limit your self to the space provided. Text boxes will expand to meet your space requirement for each narrative.

1.
Executive Summary:

Please write a 250 word summary of the proposed project. This allows potential donors to better understand the project. Describe the project objectives. Explain the community contribution for this project and briefly outline your request for the Partnership Program.
Note: This summary will be posted directly on the Peace Corps Website.


Executive Summary:

100 eager children, three reed mats, a passionate teacher, and one chalkboard is what Milex Pre-school is comprised of now. Mirriam and Alexander Mwamba, two local teachers, envision this empty storage room to be a thriving learning environment and a place to open pre-school age children to the excitement of education.
Mwamba Village has an overwhelming population of children from ages 3-7 who don’t have access to early education. The demand in the village is high as over a hundred kids are dropped off each morning at the doors of Milex. Mirriam and Alexander see the children of Mwamba as the future of tomorrow and strive to impart in them the love of learning, the desire to continue their education, and avoid early marriages and dropouts. They want to make the school affordable and available to the families of Mwamba, especially the large OVC (orphan and vulnerable child) population and give the children the opportunity to nurture their young minds. They believe in the power of education and the importance of instilling the desire for children to learn at a very tender age. They hope Milex students will be empowered and well prepared for grade one, feeling confident and successful in basic school and therefore more likely to go on to further their education.
Milex has a building, students, teachers, and community support; all it needs are materials and funding to make the project successful and sustainable. The community and founders envision Milex to be a permanent structure and to possibly expand to an official basic school. Until then, they will use a community-built storage shed that will be renovated by the PTA and turned into a wonderful place of learning to house the children. A permanent chicken coop will be built in the future location of the school and the proceeds will be used to pay the teachers, buy further supplies, keep school fees manageable for the farming population, and to sustain it after the partnership funding is exhausted.
The community will benefit greatly from this project and not only will seeds of education be planted, but the only chicken coop in the village will be opened and managed by school supporters and will support sustainable rural development. For Milex, the sky is the limit.
2.
Background Information:

Please provide a 1-2 paragraph description of your community and the community members involved with the proposed project.
Mwamba Village is situated 22 kilometers from the town of Kasama in the Northern Province of Zambia. It is home to Mwamba Basic School, Mwamba Rural Health Center and over 800 people, over a fourth of who are under the age of 5. Mwamba is bustling with activity and full of motivated community members always looking for ways to evolve.
Mirriam and Alexander Mwamba started Milex in September of 2006 out of their home and have since wanted to expand it to accommodate the many children of the Mwamba area. Mirriam is an enthusiastic teacher who received her teaching certificate from the Preschool Teachers College in Kasama in 2004. Alexander graduated from Kasama Teachers College in 2002 and is currently a teacher at Mwamba Basic School. He is very involved and heads up the school’s Ant-Aids club and runs the sports activities. The project is also supported by the Mwamba Basic Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, Clinic In-Charge, Agricultural Officer and hundreds of parents and community members of Mwamba.

3.
Community Need:

Please explain, in 1-2 paragraphs, the merit of this project, and why it is a priority in the community. What happens if the project is not implemented?


Community Need (cont’d):


There is a desperate need for rural Zambian children to learn the value of education early in their lives. There are a lot of families in Mwamba and the surrounding villages who are interested in exploring this option for their children, but there is little funding, priority, or resources for early education projects. Many children from ages 3-7 are left unattended while their families are working in the fields and don’t have a chance to learn necessary social skills and develop their young minds.
In Mwamba, we have an overwhelming OVC (orphan and vulnerable child) population who may never get a chance at an education and Milex is dedicated to give first priority to such children by offering low tuition rates and the much needed opportunity to develop skills and knowledge early.
Also, there are currently no chicken coops in the village and there is a need for villagers to have access to the nutritional meat and eggs. The coop will not only aid the school, but the local nutrition club and instill the knowledge of chicken-rearing and income generation to the area.
If the project is not implemented the pre-school will continue, but the learning environment will not be adequate enough to support the interested families. The students will fade and only a few will get this valuable opportunity. The project funding will also ensure the success of the school and aid in future generations of students.

4.
Community Initiation and Direction:

Describe, in 2-3 paragraphs, how the community is the driving force behind the project. Please discuss who in the community first proposed the project as well as how the beneficiaries are involved in the project’s planning and implementation. What are the roles and responsibilities of the community members?

When I arrived to Mwamba Village in April of 07, I was invited to visit Milex Pre-School by Mirriam. I was very impressed with her passion for teaching and the gift she had to lead the students. The kids were speaking basic English, learning letters of the alphabet, singing songs, and being versed in valuable social skills. I was, however, surprised by her small class size. She started the school in 2006 with 15 enrolled students, and by the end of the year most dropped out because they were unable to pay the tuition. Mirriam and Alexander came to me to with an idea to expand the school, make it affordable for all students who were interested, and give OVC’s in the area the same opportunities more fortunate kids have at education.
I researched ways to expand the project and we decided on a Peace Corps partnership. Mirriam, Alexander, and I had an initial community meeting with a small group of active and interested villagers in the beginning of December. By the second week of December they independently had a community meeting and enrolled over 115 children, chosen a PTA, and found another teacher to train. Though they knew the funding wouldn’t come through for several months, they were determined to start the school in January, and by the third week they had their maximum enrolment of 100 students. Each family paid k3, 000 per student for initial start up supplies and agreed to pay each term.
Classes are currently going on in a large community storage building with 50 3-4 year olds attending the morning session, and 50 5-7 year olds in the afternoons. They sit on reed mats and use a single chalkboard to learn. The community has shown overwhelming support of the project by their willingness to contribute to the project, their timely action and attendance in meetings. The community has vowed to help renovate the storage room, build the chicken coop, pay the yearly fees and continue to encourage their children in their education. The community and the founders will sign a written agreement as to the details of funding, chicken coop income and building contributions to avoid future problems.
5.
Community Contribution:

Please describe, in 1-2 paragraphs, the community contribution to this project. Contributions can include the costs of manual labor and transportation as well as contributions of cash or raw materials. Community contribution must total at least 25% of the total project cost.
The Mwamba community is excited and eager to get Milex up and running. A community-built storage shed was donated by the community to the project and they have vowed to help renovate the building by doing much of the necessary, and otherwise expensive labor including gathering materials, mixing and laying cement, clearing and cleaning the sights, maintaining the buildings and burning thousands of bricks for the chicken coop. The community has also agreed to pay a quarterly fee of k3,000 per student to help with the schools initial start up fund.


6.
Project Implementation:

Please present and discuss, in 3-4 paragraphs, the plan for implementing this project. Describe the phases of the project. Define specific tasks involved with the project, the order in which they will occur, and who will accomplish each task.
The project will have started long before the partnership funds will be collected. The hundred Milex students have been gathering in the storage building for the past two weeks to learn. The next phase of the project will be organizing the students to be broken up in to 4 groups of 25 to better suit the needs of the kids and to start organizing lesson plans. The PTA will meet and discuss who will be in charge of each part of the project. We will have a renovation committee and a building committee for the chicken coop. The furniture will be ordered and the contractor, who is a community member, will begin drawing plans and tasks for the committees.
The furniture will be ordered in the beginning of February and a load of wood, along with other materials will be brought to the local carpenter as soon as possible. Before renovations in April, the classroom will be decorated with temporary learning aids and reed mats to make the environment more conducive.
After the funds come in, there will be a buying committee assigned to gather the necessary materials for the first big transport to the village. Stone and sand gathering along with brick molding and burning will start at the beginning of April as will the chicken coop construction. The school building will be renovated in April while the students are on holiday and the teachers at the Basic School are available to help.
The community and the founders will sign a written agreement as to the details of funding, chicken coop income, and building contributions to make everyone’s roles and responsibilities clear and avoid future problems.

7.
Project Sustainability:

Please indicate, in 3-4 paragraphs, the skills and knowledge that will be acquired by the community through the implementation of this project. How will the project increase the capacity of individuals and support the community in meeting its goals? Does the community have the resources to sustain the project in the long term?





The children of Mwamba will benefit greatly by having a place and people to nourish their young minds and the community will learn valuable skills during the implementation of the project. Sustainability is the goal of every project I start as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The community acknowledges the need to build sustainability into every venture and by adding a chicken coop as an income generating activity to supplement the project. Not only will the school be able to support its future budget, but villagers will learn the importance and necessity of sustainability.
Income generation knowledge is very important in making projects in rural Zambia sustainable. The PTA and community recognized the need for income supplementation for the school and chose chicken rearing to allow the pre-school to function once the proposal money is exhausted.
From the beginning of this project, the community has had long-term plans and wants to eventually build a new structure behind the local market to house the school and chicken coop. The budget is largely taken up by the chicken coop because the community saw the need for it to be a perminant structure to ensure the sustainability of the school and support future plans.

My New Village!

We traveled to the villages we will be assigned to this week and I LOVE mine. When I arrived, the entire village(my village is Mwamba) was waiting and sang a song to me, saying that they had been waiting. They were screaming with excitement when they found I was also Catholic as they have a church near by. I have a beautiful 2 room mud hut with a thatched roof, perched atop a small hill and can see another hill nearby. This is rare and I am very lucky as many have huts that are surrounded by bush. My health center is very close and I will be supporting 7 other villages in the area. The village is completely immersed in bush so you need a map to treck along the rustic paths from home to home so you never see an actualy "town type village" They have outdoor kitchens, bath spots and places for "natures call." We could only stay in the village for 45 min and then moved on. I will love it and the people here! I also had my first snake experience. A baby cobra slithered by our door and was taken care of. Then the landcruiser we travel in ran over a huge snake ..eek!! I am handling it ok though, considering my extreme phobia. I found out my dear friends (doing service projects in Kenya) are coming to see me soon and CAN'T WAIT! Please keep in touch and send any correspondence to my new address which is Lisa Sekulich/PCV C/O Peace Corps P.O. Box 410374 Kasama, Zambia. Lisa

February Update from Lisa

Lisa asked me to post portions of a long letter so this may sound a little choppy but here goes:
The staple here is Nshima which is ground maize mixed with water and it looks like cream of wheat in a solid clump and is mainly a filler. 100% carbs. Zambians eat it every meal with a relish (usually made of soya bits which is spongy soy chunks, oil, and tomato). There are a few types of Nshima; breakfast has been highly refined and stripped of all nutrients to turn it white. Because it is so refined, it is more expensive and white and therefore preferred. There are a lot of tomatoes which I LOVE...and they eat raper which is a green leafy vegetable like spinach, but thicker and more bitter. They don't eat a lot of meat. They will kill a chicken or pig for visitors or a special occasion but will NEVER kill a cow unless it is sick.
I learned a lot about what type of work I'll be doing. I will go to a clinic for various reasons...under 5 clinic which is where mothers bring their kids under 5 to weigh to make sure they are healthy and also meeting with health groups. The health care system here is being decentralized so there are a series of groups that start at the community level (NHG..neighborhood health committees..volunteers) and go all the way up the chain to the Ministry of Health in Lusaka. My job is to form NGC's for the villages I will be working with, and motivate them to organize projects, attend meetings, and be a link to committees up the chain. It is a bit complicated and has many challenges but I am super stoked for the task. I will also have various other projects...women's groups, work at the village school, basically whatever I think would benefit the community. The key is to strengthen and form community committees that will remain strong and functioning when I leave.
Below are some interesting facts:
Men often hold hands walking down the street--
All food is eaten by hand, no silverware--
Everything is done with the right hand ( as if lefties aren't persecuted enough :)
Thighs are very sensual and are never exposed but breasts are merely to feed children and often showing
Big pieces of dyed and designed cloth called citengues ( c makes a ch sound) are used for everything such as wrap around skirts, belts, head wraps, towels, washcloths, drapes, baby carriers, seat covers, etc.
I have been running (aka road running) with my brother twice and both times we've had packs of people (school children, girls in skirts and bare feet, random Zambian dudes) following behind. It's nuts...the kids barely break a sweat. I love hearing your comments and getting your letters so please keep in touch! Love Lisa

Muli Shani? (How are you in Bemba). It is my first of 3 birthdays in Zambia and luckily today is the day we are in Lusaka for internet use...boo yeah. I wrote a detailed letter that mom will post at a later date, but I wanted to give a quick update now. I moved in with my host family 2 weeks ago and it has been quite a change. I live with a woman with a heart of gold and her 4 grand children in a house near the town of Chongway. I am one of 3 volunteers that has an urban home for training because there were a shortage of Bemba speaking families near the training center. So I have a cement room near my families house with electricity and a tin roof. Living with a family is full of what I like to call trials and triumphs. It is incredible to be in a Zambian house hold, see how they live, work and eat. I am treated like a queen and a child all at the same time. Bamaayo (my mother) wakes me every morning with bathing water and tea. My 3 sisters want to carry my bags and my brother studies Bemba with me every night and goes running with me every day. I don't think I could go out alone if I tried...so no worries there. Because 3 of us live near the town, everybody seems to know everything about us. It's actually quite remarkable...the province we are in natively speaks Nyanja and Soli, but EVERYONE knows that the "mizungu" (foreign/white) girls are learning Bemba, so they speak to us in that language. People here typically speak 2-3 tribal languages and English. Speaking of....BEMBA is HARD. There are only 15 letters in the alphabet, EVERY word ends in a vowel, and every combination of letters is a different word, even the pronunciation of the same word can have multiple meanings...so needless to say language has been a huge struggle. I miss Spanish. It is however, an incredibly fun language....lots of fun letter combinations like njeleleniko (excuse me), and my favorite fosholo (shovel). Ohhh and another thing there are letters that should never be put together...like nj, nd, nsh, combinations that my mouth physically won't say. But it's only been 2 weeks, I will succeed! Living near the BOMA (town) also has its ups and downs. I am near the market and shops for sweeties (candy), but also near the LOUD cheezy bar music that blares all through the night and endless Ama Guys (Zambian dudes) that offer proposals (respectfully). People are incredibly friendly, almost to a point of innocently invading the "bubble" that Americans like to have. Just an image...me running down the tarmak (main road) with the Zambian sun setting in the HUGE sky and a PACK of kids running behind my brother and I. They love it. Some kids will run the entire 3 miles in bare feet, girls will run in skirts and flip flops behind. It's absolutely awe inspiring. I love it. As far as the future goes, I will be assigned a site at the beginning of March, be sworn in (after passing language and tech tests) the end of March and leave for my very own mud hut in April. I still have a LOT to learn and a lot of language to master. I will have a 2 week site visit in a month to a location near my post where I will meet my clinic staff and get to know my area. The first 3 months is community entry where I will basically try to meet the villagers and explain my purpose. It is nuts that I, and 38 other volunteers, committed 2 years to something I really knew very little about. As things come together I am more and more excited to be out in the bush working on decentralization and sustainable change....Ahhh there is so much to tell. so much to say. so little time! I will try to write later today (there is quite a line for this computer). Until then, thank you for your LOVE!!!!! Shalenipo Mukway (stay well)
lisa

My Host Family Dancing (minus brother) Left: Mumboa, Sandra, Mary, Rita



D

I MADE IT TO ZAMBIA!!!

SO I'M IN ZAMBIA!!

I made it, all is good, feelin great! As I looked out the plane window and saw the stretches of green and rolling hills, I couldn't believe I was finally here. We were met at the airport by 6 land rovers that drove up in a line and wisked us down the road to our training sight. It is in a BOMA (town) about 45 minutes from Lusaka. I stared in wonder at the green planes and blue sky. We turned on to a red dirt road and bumped along passing jovial Zambians walking and waving children. This is a brand new training sight, so the people are not use to having a hurd of Americans around. They ALL wave as we go by. We have a soccer field by our dorms where we see the incredible sun set in the Zambian sky. And I thought Montana was big sky country....it literally goes on FOREVER! I will try to send mom a picture CD to eventually put online, but until then you'll have to imagine. We have had all traditional meals, including Nishima, the staple here. It is mushed and twice refined maize rolled into a football shaped ball. It is WHITE and totally carbs, no real nutritional value. They strip pretty much all the nutrients out of it, and it is virtually tasteless, but it fills the stomach. Another staple is cooking oil. Everything is doused in it. Aside from the obvious nutritional set backs, it tastes good. Our first few days have been really informational. I chose to speak BEMBA boo yeah..it is the most widely spoken language so I will either be placed in the Northern, Central or North West province. I am hoping to go to the north...it sounds delightful. We are headed out for a week long sight visits tomorrow morning where we will observe a second year volunteer in action. We start intensive training when we get back and then have a 2 week visit to our sight before actually moving. So far, most of my anxiety has been from the "unknown," which seems to be the routine..but as I get more information, the feeling shifts to excitment. I am extremly fortunate to be a part of this program. I am surrounded by incredible people who have done amazing things and will continue to do so. I will keep you updated as much as possible...until next time....

Orientation

Hi....I'm in D.C, living it up with 40 trainees. 32 chicas and 8 dudes...not quite balanced, but there are a lot of wonderful and inspiring people headed to Zambia and things are going well so far. I have had a day and a half of safety instruction and intro to Peace Corps work. We will be getting shots and vaccinations tomorrow and will have a 14 hour flight to Johannasburg, where we will be for the night. I arrive in Zambia the following day where I will have in country orientation and then visit second year volunteers. Following that we will be placed with host families and start language and skills training. I will be learning either Bemba (spoken in the north and Copper Belt), Lunda (South West), or Nyanja (near Lusaka (capitol) and central). Sometime at the end of March, I will be sent to my own village after passing proficiency tests (they want to make sure we are qualified and prepared to be on our own). I will not be able to update often, but I will try my best. Peace Corps also has guidelines about the information I give out, so if you have any specific questions, feel free to e-mail me or my mom. Above being a bit overwhelmed with all of this information, I am ecstatic to get to Africa and I am feeling all of your love and prayers. Thank you for everything!!! All the love...lisa

Peace Corps Zambia 2007

Well Hello There...
So this is my blog. I will have limited internet access so instead of mass e-mails, I will be writing my thoughts and experiences here. I should be able to update once a month or so. BAIC INFO: I am heading to Washington D.C on 1/22 for orientation and shots and will be flying to Johannesburg on the 25th and will arrive in Zambia (my humble home for the next couple of years) on the 26th. I will be in training near the capitol of Lusaka for 3 months, where I will live with a host family and familiarize myself with the country. March 29th I will be sent to my very own village where I will live in my very own mud hut. There I will be a Community Health Development Extensionist (that is a word peace corps made up...yeah they can do that) and will work with the Community Action for Health Project. AKA...HIV/AIDS education, water purification, waste management, infant care and basic health. I will assess the situation of my village and develop projects according to the situation. This has been a long process and I am ecstatic to get started. It will be hard to leave my wonderful friends and family, but 2 years is nothin right? Keep me, and the people of Zambia in your prayers! MUCH LOVE....lisa