I hope that you all have enjoyed the holiday season as much as I have. Stay well.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/115715/saturday-night-live-steve-martins-holiday-wish
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
To begin with...
Hello everyone! So, I know that I've been talking about this blog for sometime, and I would love to say that I've been so very busy saving people, that I haven't had to the time to stop and write about my experiences. Sadly this is not true. The truth is that I have been rather daunted with writing about my experiences. I only hope that you find what I have to say somewhat interesting, mildly entertaining and/or slightly humorous. A word of warning, (especially for aunts, uncles, parents and others) I can use some colorful expressions here, so please be advised that I really don't want to the focus of ire for some of the things that I say.
To Begin With:
I am one of 24 Peace Corps Volunteer (you should have known this) working in the Public Health sector (that means I'm trying to get people to wear condoms when they have sex that isn't meant for makin' babies; to dig latrines for when they gotta go twosies; to drink clean water; to start coming to the dispensary to have their babies; and to start sleeping under mosquito nets so they don't get malaria) in Kenya. I work and live on a small government-run dispensary (basically a health clinic with two nurses and a public health officer) north of Kilifi (I can't reveal the specific name for security purposes, so you're gonna have to work to find me Al-Queda!) The first 2 months that I was here, I spent in a town on the Tanzanian border, undergoing language, cultural and technical training, while living with a home stay family. I have now spent 4 months in my village and to be honest, I have not done much yet. The first 3 months at site, Peace Corps Volunteers (I'll be going with PCVs, among other acronyms, after this, which Peace Corps (PC) is incredibly fond of) are supposed to acclimatize themselves to living wherever they are, getting to know the locals, and assessing the community's needs that need to be addressed. We PCVs then spent a week in Nairobi attending training that delved more deeply in the technical aspects of our work (really, it was not as helpful as I had hoped.)
I am now back at site, and attempting to become more active in my community. Generally speaking, I've been told, Public Health Volunteers working in the dispensaries of my sort take nearly 10 months before their projects take definitive shape (I tell myself this every time I spend yet another day on my couch reading.) In my defense(*warning*, a self-justifying excuse is approaching!) I am one of the few volunteers who live without electricity (the power lines have been strung, and I'm told that they have now installed the transformers, which was supposed to happen 3 months ago...so for Kenya they're running ahead of schedule) or running water (I'm on rain water, and luckily El Nino (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEoHz56jWGY) has been kind to us, but we do have to buy our water sometimes) but really, we PCVs here in Kenya are pretty spoiled when it comes to everyday conveniences (such as cell phones and internet access, among other things.) Be that as it may, I am now attempting to play catch up with my fellow volunteers, who have been very active in their communities, and I feel that I am making some headway.
The Work I've Done:
As far as work is concerned, I've mostly been attending a lot of meetings, and not understanding a word that is said (actually not true, its just that there are 4-7 words I don't understand for every 1 I do.) By far the most useful work that I've done (in my primary project) is weighing babies (I was lucky. My friend DeAnne had the babies pee on her, and she didn't have any water to wash with, not even any that she could buy) and recording what vaccinations they have received...oh, and I answered a question during a health talk to high schools, and managed to say "testicles," "genitals," and "vagina," without even cracking a smile...(*heh*giggle*snort*) ... and I helped educate a whole town about HIV/AIDS by winning a soda chugging contest! You may have heard about my side project that I'm working on. I am attempting to secure financing for a local group that is attempting to grow mushrooms (this will be a future blog topic, so I'll leave it at that.) Right now, I'm attempting to organize some sort of Health Awareness/ Mobilizations/ Barazas. Basically, I'm trying to get an organization to come out with tents, chairs and PA system (a must; people here LOVE those things), and another organization to come out and organize football (the fake kind) matches, in an attempt to get people to come out, so that I can present health topics to them in a social setting. There is a lot that goes into these mobilizations/ outreaches, and again, that's another post. My most important work will be working in schools, and it is the one I feel the most trepidation about. Honestly, I have found that there is nothing more terrifying that a group of children that don't speak your language, and have the time and inclination to pay attention to you. I'm sure that everything will work out, as this is what many of the PH PCVs do for their work.
The Fun I've Had:
Luckily, Kenya is a very easy place to get around in, and PC gives us just enough money and time off to have a little fun. With a group of roughly 50 PCVs in the Coast Province of Kenya, I have had more than enough opportunity to get to know people. We've managed to go to Watamu, which is an Italian beach resort town, and couple times and Mombasa more than a couple times. We had a Halloween party, and I dressed as a viking (my friend Lindsay said I was terrifying when I struck a berserker pose.) Things here are very inexpensive, and if you're willing to a few small comforts here and there, you can have an amazing time. And if you have a large group to split expenses, there's no reason to sacrifice those comforts. The best example is the villa that we rented out in Watamu that looked like something an African warlord would have owned. Honestly, the only things that were missing were the AK-47s, hookers and blow. I';m really enjoying myself here with all of my newly made friends, and will be sad when this time is up.
A Few Other Things
Peace Corps routinly reads our blogs, so there just be aware that Big Brother is watching, when you go to comment here. I'll have another post that has a scoop on PC as an organization. I also won't tell you too much about future plans (vacations, parties etc.) for security reasons (again, Al-Queda) but I will tell you about past things I've done. This will be a work in progress, so keep checking back for improvements. And lets hope that my writing improves. I miss you all, and will talk to you later.
To Begin With:
I am one of 24 Peace Corps Volunteer (you should have known this) working in the Public Health sector (that means I'm trying to get people to wear condoms when they have sex that isn't meant for makin' babies; to dig latrines for when they gotta go twosies; to drink clean water; to start coming to the dispensary to have their babies; and to start sleeping under mosquito nets so they don't get malaria) in Kenya. I work and live on a small government-run dispensary (basically a health clinic with two nurses and a public health officer) north of Kilifi (I can't reveal the specific name for security purposes, so you're gonna have to work to find me Al-Queda!) The first 2 months that I was here, I spent in a town on the Tanzanian border, undergoing language, cultural and technical training, while living with a home stay family. I have now spent 4 months in my village and to be honest, I have not done much yet. The first 3 months at site, Peace Corps Volunteers (I'll be going with PCVs, among other acronyms, after this, which Peace Corps (PC) is incredibly fond of) are supposed to acclimatize themselves to living wherever they are, getting to know the locals, and assessing the community's needs that need to be addressed. We PCVs then spent a week in Nairobi attending training that delved more deeply in the technical aspects of our work (really, it was not as helpful as I had hoped.)
I am now back at site, and attempting to become more active in my community. Generally speaking, I've been told, Public Health Volunteers working in the dispensaries of my sort take nearly 10 months before their projects take definitive shape (I tell myself this every time I spend yet another day on my couch reading.) In my defense(*warning*, a self-justifying excuse is approaching!) I am one of the few volunteers who live without electricity (the power lines have been strung, and I'm told that they have now installed the transformers, which was supposed to happen 3 months ago...so for Kenya they're running ahead of schedule) or running water (I'm on rain water, and luckily El Nino (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEoHz56jWGY) has been kind to us, but we do have to buy our water sometimes) but really, we PCVs here in Kenya are pretty spoiled when it comes to everyday conveniences (such as cell phones and internet access, among other things.) Be that as it may, I am now attempting to play catch up with my fellow volunteers, who have been very active in their communities, and I feel that I am making some headway.
The Work I've Done:
As far as work is concerned, I've mostly been attending a lot of meetings, and not understanding a word that is said (actually not true, its just that there are 4-7 words I don't understand for every 1 I do.) By far the most useful work that I've done (in my primary project) is weighing babies (I was lucky. My friend DeAnne had the babies pee on her, and she didn't have any water to wash with, not even any that she could buy) and recording what vaccinations they have received...oh, and I answered a question during a health talk to high schools, and managed to say "testicles," "genitals," and "vagina," without even cracking a smile...(*heh*giggle*snort*) ... and I helped educate a whole town about HIV/AIDS by winning a soda chugging contest! You may have heard about my side project that I'm working on. I am attempting to secure financing for a local group that is attempting to grow mushrooms (this will be a future blog topic, so I'll leave it at that.) Right now, I'm attempting to organize some sort of Health Awareness/ Mobilizations/ Barazas. Basically, I'm trying to get an organization to come out with tents, chairs and PA system (a must; people here LOVE those things), and another organization to come out and organize football (the fake kind) matches, in an attempt to get people to come out, so that I can present health topics to them in a social setting. There is a lot that goes into these mobilizations/ outreaches, and again, that's another post. My most important work will be working in schools, and it is the one I feel the most trepidation about. Honestly, I have found that there is nothing more terrifying that a group of children that don't speak your language, and have the time and inclination to pay attention to you. I'm sure that everything will work out, as this is what many of the PH PCVs do for their work.
The Fun I've Had:
Luckily, Kenya is a very easy place to get around in, and PC gives us just enough money and time off to have a little fun. With a group of roughly 50 PCVs in the Coast Province of Kenya, I have had more than enough opportunity to get to know people. We've managed to go to Watamu, which is an Italian beach resort town, and couple times and Mombasa more than a couple times. We had a Halloween party, and I dressed as a viking (my friend Lindsay said I was terrifying when I struck a berserker pose.) Things here are very inexpensive, and if you're willing to a few small comforts here and there, you can have an amazing time. And if you have a large group to split expenses, there's no reason to sacrifice those comforts. The best example is the villa that we rented out in Watamu that looked like something an African warlord would have owned. Honestly, the only things that were missing were the AK-47s, hookers and blow. I';m really enjoying myself here with all of my newly made friends, and will be sad when this time is up.
A Few Other Things
Peace Corps routinly reads our blogs, so there just be aware that Big Brother is watching, when you go to comment here. I'll have another post that has a scoop on PC as an organization. I also won't tell you too much about future plans (vacations, parties etc.) for security reasons (again, Al-Queda) but I will tell you about past things I've done. This will be a work in progress, so keep checking back for improvements. And lets hope that my writing improves. I miss you all, and will talk to you later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
