I
started this blog with the best intentions of actually posting on it.
That hasn't really happened all that much. I chose to blame it on
the fact that back in November my computer decided to start acting
like Marvin the manic-depressive robot (meaning, it's doesn't really
work properly, except when it decides it wants to, sometimes, for
about twenty to thirty minutes), because typing on a computer where
you can't see what you are writing isn't much fun. Didn't seem like
much of an issue when I first got to site (settling in is not that
thrilling of an affair), but things have been picking up in the past
couple months, so I'm going to try to post a bit more frequently.
For
starters, what have I been up to the past several weeks?
April
started off with final exams and a LOT of grading – two weeks that
were the definition of hectic. To balance out the absurdity of
finals in Mozambique, we luckily had a few distractions. First off,
we had our first visitor from out of province in 4 months – my
friend Andrea from training, who made it all the way up from Manica
province – and April 7th is Mozambican Woman's Days, so
off we all went in our capulanas to party with the professoras from
our school, Kankhomba.
After
finals and grading (which is the absolutely the worst), off I went to
Nampula for a week and a half of Peace Corps conferences. Two days
of travel (first by chapa and then by train – which is the best
drive through ever), landed six Mozambican women, my fellow PCV
Jamie, and me in Monapo for a REDES training of trainers conference
(REDES is a Peace Corps project that focuses on empowering young
girls through a small-group environment). We spent the weekend in
Monapo talking about how to effectively communicate with the young
girls, practicing the sort of sessions we will be giving in our
groups, and fafoca-ing (gossiping) with our Mozambican counterparts.
After three days of girl time, my fellow Moz 19-ers and I headed back
to Nampula City for our Reconnect conference – a week of running
water, fancy food, and endless sessions about our successes,
challenges, teaching and integration methods. It was great to see
other PCVs for the first time in months, exchange horror stories and
amusing anecdotes, and speak nothing but English for a few days.
Also, there was a pool. We're pretty easy to please after four
months at site. During the conference, all of us had limited
patience for the sessions, but between all the sharing, there were a
few good ideas that came out.
So,
off I went back to Lichinga, ready for the new trimester and trying
all sorts of new things in the classroom. But, we're in Mozambique.
I didn't actually get to teach until two weeks after the trimester
started – after being informed that I have four student teachers
for the first half of the trimester. After a bit of confusion about
what exactly we were all supposed to do, they started teaching this
past week and will continue teaching until the end of their semester
in mid-June. Leaving me with an absurd amount of free time.
This
weirded me out at first – I was just ready to really give teaching
another go when I suddenly learned that I won't be teaching until the
end of the trimester. Uff da! What's a PCV to do without a primary
project? Focus on secondary projects!
I'm
finally starting to get my REDES group started – we had our first
official meeting yesterday. Only four girls attended, but they all
seem interested and want to do something involving theater. Since
acting isn't my strong suit, I'm going to try to get my hands on some
Portuguese-language movies – as inspiration.
I've
also started talking with a couple ORGs based in Niassa who do
conservation work – the Niassa Carnivore Project, which works on
improving human/carnivore interactions in the game reserve in
northern Niassa, and World Wildlife Fund, who are working up at Lake
Malawi establishing a reserve. I'm still unsure of what I might do
with WWF, but it's looking like I'll work with the NCP teaching
income-generating activities to groups in the reserve –
specifically how to make peanut butter to women! Yummy!
Jade
and I are also starting up a sort of 'science study hall' for the
students at our school where we'll talk about different topics in
science, help kids study for their classes, watch documentaries
(mostly because I want to), and do experiments!
And
I'm in the planning stages of an English club for the Professors at
our school. It's typical for volunteers to have English clubs –
either with students or in the community – but enough of the PCV
English teachers have mentioned how few of their colleagues speak
English all that well, so I thought having a club for the professors
to practice their English and be better equipped to teach their
students would be a bit farther reaching. Also, they speak English
already, which makes my job a lot easier!
So
these are my focuses for the next few months, weaving teaching back
in there once I don't have student teachers to do my work for me.
All
of that gets to wait for a couple more weeks, though, as this coming
weekend I'm off to Cape Town to meet up with my family! A whole week
of family, food, wine, cheese, showers, and adventures in an
English-speaking country! Sounds like heaven. The roads might even
be paved!
Ate
a minha volta!
