PICTURES!!!

The moment you've all been waiting for is here! Keep your fingers crossed as you go to this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/salleykathryn/20100925ZambiaTraining?authkey=Gv1sRgCOHA4bSW28nKogE&feat=directlink

This is not a complete set of pictures. More are in the process of uploading, so check back later to see the rest!

I am at the Peace Corps house in my province at the moment having a day of rest before we begin major shopping for our sites tomorrow morning. If all goes as planned, I will be posted in my village this Thursday! I hope that during community entry (the first 3 months in my village) I will have time to type up my journal entries from training and come into town at some point and upload them.

Love and miss you lots and lots!

If you like sending mail to Zambia, then this post is for you.

Hello everyone! Sorry to be so brief, but i am typing from my phone and have to keep this short. I have received so many inquiries from home regarding what should be sent in care packages, that it was suggested to me that i create a list. I have finally done so, and given it to my mother. Acting as salley's base camp high point care package coordinator, she will dissiminate this information to any eager gift givers. Please email her at mmcessna@gmail.com for suggestions. Currently, i am in training, but will be posted out in a village alone come late sept. To assure items are received prior to then, they will need to be sent by about sept 3rd or 4th. Later packages, however, are also welcomed. This is by no means a plea for gifts, as letters and pictures from home will make me smile even more than if i received the worlds biggest box of hand sanitizer and toilet paper! Love, salley

Hello from Zambia!!!

Hi Everyone! Because I do not have regular computer access during my 9 week training period, I have been keeping a journal of my experiences, here is a snippet of what I have done so far. I am internet cafe for just a short period of time, so I apologize in advance for any misspellings, etc.

First Site Visit:

After just a few nights spent at a training center outside of Zambia's capital city, Lusaka, my intake of volunteers was sent out on our first site visit. During this time, we were to stay with current volunteers at their posts out in the bush! I was sent to Northern Province, specifically Mpika district, to the village of Mununga. The current volunteer did not have enough room in her hut for all of us, so we took our tents and camped out for 3 nights. Memorable moments from the trip include:

1. Having the father in the neighboring house stay up all night guarding our tents (we heard rumors that he circled our cluster of tents with a club to protect us!)
2. Taking "snaps"of the kids. They love love love to have their picture made!
3. Watching the neighbors kill and cook a chicken and rooster in honor of our visit to the village.
4. Helping the mother of the neighboring family prepare a traditional meal: nshima, relish (rape with ground nuts), etc. (Food will require a whole separate post- coming soon, I promise!)
5. Learning from our host volunteer the boundless culinary possibilities of the brazier (or charcoal cooking stove)- we made a curry dish, spaghetti, scrambled eggs, pancakes, popcorn, tacos, and even a cake! I am definitely looking forward to experimenting with both new and old recipes as soon as I have my own brazier.
6. Learning how to tie my chitenge (wrap skirt) so that is didn't fall off while walking. I have been told that this traditional piece of cloth has 500+ uses, the most popular being clothing, apron, headwrap, baby sling, purse, blanket, towel and curtain. I am sure that I will discover many more uses over the course of my next 27 months.
7. Experimenting with the bucket bath for the first time. It's just you, a bucket of warm water, a cup and towel in an enclosure made of some sort of grass that does not lend itself to much privacy!
8. Attempting to learn how to use the bathroom in a pit latrine, a target that to most Americans would seem nearly impossible to hit. After several failed attempts and wet shoes, I learned that disrobing from the waist down was the best method while I was still in "pit latrine training".
9. Experiencing my first long ride in the back of a land cruiser - 6 hrs of bumpy roads in the back of a land cruiser with 7 other volunteers (but no one complained!).

Overall, the experience was great! It gave us volunteers a chance to see what village life is really like, time to voice our fears, concerns, and excitement surrounding our next 2 years of service in Zambia, and time to recharge after several busy days of travel, shuffling baggage, filling out forms, receiving a plethora of vaccines and playing numerous icebreakers with PC staff and fellow PC trainees.

I have other journal entries that I want to post, but my time is just about up. I attempted to upload my pictures, but the computer is taking quite a while, so I will probably have to wait until another time. I know you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see me in my adorable new chitenge, so I promise that I will try again with the pictures next time. Know that I am safe and happy and continuing to discover Zambia!

Much love!

Salley

Are we there yet?

The past two days have been quite slow, full of a string of setbacks and much waiting. We were warned that transportation would be frustrating, but I anticipated that this would come later in Zambia, not so early in our journey.

It all started in Atlanta, with a bus mix-up that required us to transfer buses, leaving our luggage on a sidewalk downtown in the heat and drizzling rain for several hours. Our 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg was delayed a bit, so upon arrival in South Africa last evening, we missed our connecting flight to Lusaka, Zambia. After spending several hours in the airport sprawled out all over the floor, Peace Corps staff were able to reserve us rooms in a nearby hotel. After one last night with a warm shower and comfortable bed, we are back at the airport in Johannesburg waiting on our flights. Our group of 58 has been split up, some having caught an earlier flight to Lusaka, others waiting for the evening flight, and still others waiting on standby. I was one of the lucky ones to secure a ticket on the evening flight tonight, so, if I keep my fingers crossed, later today I will finally set foot in Zambia!

I still do not feel like I am in Africa. Being confined to the airport feels more like being stuck in an upscale mall. We are taunted by picture books in the gift shops depicting Victoria Falls and safari scenes, and I think that everyone is chomping at the bit to get to our final destination. We have explored as much of the airport as we can, lugging around our heavy carry-ons, and bought some of the local junk food. My chutney flavor Simba Chips being my first taste of Africa : )

The long fight went surprisingly well. I was seated directly in the center of my row, which wasn’t too bad as I had other volunteers on either side of me. One of my seatmates let me lean on his shoulder for a bit, which was very sweet, considering the possibility of me drooling all over him. He assured me that he had his poncho with him just in case I got out of hand, but luckily he didn’t have to use it : ) The food wasn’t too great, but edible, and the flight attendants couldn’t have been any nicer. I got up several times towards the end of the flight to look out the window at the dusty landscape of Namibia and Botswana as we crossed over. It was pretty to look at, wide and vast – my first glimpse of Africa!

I will let you know when I finally reach Zambia! Until then, I will stand guard over a sleeping group of fellow volunteers in the airport, as I am the only person still awake!

Thanks for reading! Hope you all are well : )

BIG Sigh of Relief!

I arrived in Atlanta today for “staging,” Peace Corps pre-departure orientation. I have met some AMAZING people and feel like we have a really great and supportive group. Saying goodbye to my family this morning was very difficult, but meeting people that are feeling exactly as I am has made what could have been a really terrifying day, a really wonderful and relieving experience.

Sorry to be so brief, but I have to get my beauty rest before heading out tomorrow! I will let you know when I arrive on Thursday!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

Here is my first Peace Corps photo!!!

FREAKING OUT!!!

I have cried at least once each day for the past 5 days. The stress of preparation and saying goodbye has proven to be very difficult. I have been assured by returned volunteers that the first part of this journey will be the worse though, and I am hopeful that they are correct. I think that once I get to Zambia and get busy settling in and eventually find a routine, things will be better. I am still very excited to be embarking in such an incredible experience, and know that this is an opportunity I would never want to pass up.

I have included my mailing address during training to the right. I have heard that during the first 8-9 weeks, internet access is spotty, so contact via letter writing is suggested. If you feel like sending a letter to a land far far away, get out your stationary and get creative! I will appreciate hearing from you : )

I have to bring this post to a quick close, as I need to go wrestle with my suitcase for the rest of the day. Next time I write, I will probably be in Zambia!

Take care while I’m away!

Love,

Salley

I just don’t know what to do with myself…

It has been a while since I have last updated, so I feel like I should at least put something on the page (for all my fans out there, you know - thanks for reading, Mom). It is about time for the obligatory “COUNTDOWN!” post that so many soon-to-be Peace Corps Trainees include on their blogs as departure looms nearer, so here’s mine:

Two weeks to go, and I am surprisingly calm. I’m at the beach with my family and find myself at a loss as to what I should be doing. The past month has been spent rushing around gathering info about Zambia, filling out PC paperwork, having a ridiculous number of passport-sized photos made, buying gear I think I will need (despite all the disapproving remarks from friends who fear that I am taking more than is necessary – and yes, just so you Debbie Downers know, my Aveda hair products are essential, and they will find their way onto the plane no matter what), settling money and legal matters at home, eating (as discussed in my previous post), seeing friends and family here and there, and studying for my exam to become a Registered Dietitian (which I passed last Monday, Yippee! That’s one less thing to worry about upon my return to the states in 27 months!).

I think that because I have been pretty tied up over the last several weeks, I don’t even know what to do with myself now that I have some down time. I think I’m just going to go with it, sit back, and enjoy my last bit of time at home. It might be quite a while before I am given the opportunity to just sit and do nothing. I am looking forward to seeing one of my best friends who is flying in from NYC tomorrow, and hanging out with other buddies and family at home before I leave. Perhaps I’ll practice packing my suitcase, or setting up my tent.

I also want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me prepare for my adventure. Because of the things I was able to purchase with your help, I feel so much better prepared for Zambia. And your kind words of encouragement will remind me, each day I am over there, of why I decided to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and give me comfort in knowing others are thinking of me back home. Thank you for supporting me, and in doing so, also showing your support of the Peace Corps!

Food Baby!!!

With only about a month left before I leave for Zambia, I have begun scrambling to consume as many of my favorite comfort foods as possible. This may seem like an easy task, but right now, I sit here typing feeling extremely uncomfortable, pregnant with a slaw dog, french fries, and two glasses of Pepsi, and I wonder if I can go on. I have done pretty well so far, tried to pace myself, and have a few more things to eat before I feel like I am ready for Africa. So far my food triumphs include: Biscuit Factory, Krispy Kreme, Thai food, a waffle cone of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, Dog House, pizza, and a banana split. Still to come are BBQ, a Cookout milkshake, Alex’s House breakfast, Mediterranean Deli, and fried chicken. I am a little over halfway there, so I hope I can see this through to the finish. Elasticized pants are definitely in my future, and I am thankful that I hear that those wraps women wear in Zambia can be very forgiving. Let’s hope so at least!

Ugh, off to take some tums and digest…

Roach Motels and Rat Traps

I am going to stop reading the blogs of current PC volunteers serving in Zambia. In my excitement to learn more about the country, I thought that reading first-hand accounts would give me the best idea of what to expect. While there are many touching stories of connections made with host families and village residents, the stories that seem more common are more of the “holy mother, you will never believe what happened today!” type events. There are stories of ants and termites that can bore through concrete floors, roaches and spiders who are so numerous that they become housemates or are named as pets, a rat the size of a large cat falling onto a sleeping volunteer’s face, and a cobra curled up underneath a volunteer’s bed. With all these online cries for help, you’d think Terminix would have swooped in by now to corner the market on pest control. The need is obviously there. I am now wondering whether I should devote the majority of my packing space to rat traps and roach motels, as it appears that a large majority of the volunteer’s day is spent either trying to catch or squash the little vermin, and if those efforts prove ineffective, they devote a great deal of time to writing about them instead! Either way, I know that am going to have to get to know nature a little bit better : /

Introducing… ZAMBIA!!!

After scouring my welcome book, I thought I would share a few facts with you all so that you may become more familiar with the country that will be my home for the upcoming 27 months. Here we go!

Peace Corps in Zambia:

The first volunteers were sent to Zambia in 1994. Since then, approximately 700 volunteers have served in this country, making this PC program one of the largest in all of Africa. There are currently 4 PC projects in Zambia. Rural Aquaculture Promotion (RAP), Rural Education Development (RED), Linking Income, Food and the Environment (LIFE), and a newer health project (that’s what I’ll be doing!).

History:

Zambia was discovered by Europeans in the mid 19th century. In 1855, David Livingston was the first European to see the falls on the Zambezi River (among the largest in the world) and named them Victoria Falls after the queen. Locally, these falls are known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or the “smoke that thunders.” The country’s previous name was Northern Rhodesia (southern half was Zimbabwe) and independence from Britain was granted in October of 1964. Since then, there have been just 4 presidents, the current on being Rupiah Banda.

Geography and Climate:

The country is named after the Zambezi River and is surrounded by Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zaire and Zimbabwe. There are 9 provinces and 72 districts in this country that is about the size of Texas. Much of the country lies on a plateau with an average elevation of about 3500-4500 feet (very similar to the elevation of North Carolina’s mountains!). The higher elevation is supposed to temper the humidity, so hopefully my hair won’t be a completely frizzy mess! There are 3 distinct seasons in Zambia. November – April is warm and wet, May – August is cool and dry, and September – October is hot and dry. The distinct seasons allow for cultivation of a wide range of crops, so hopefully I will be able to have a little garden, as I have read about other volunteers who have done so.

The People:

Zambia is one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most highly urbanized countries with half of its 11 million people concentrated in a few urban zones. There are 73 ethno-linguistic groups. English is the official language, but it is common to find people in rural areas that do not speak English (I will be trained in one of the local languages!). Most Zambians are Christians of varying denominations. Half of the population is less than 15 year old and life expectancy 36 years (one of the world’s lowest). Zambia has one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in Africa. An estimated 950,000 adults and 70,000 children are infected.

Economy:

Copper mining is the # 1 income generator for the country and corn is the principle cash crop (and staple). The currency is the Kwatcha (about 5,200 Kwatcha per US dollar). Unemployment is high and per capita income is about $1,000 (relatively low compared to other African countries).

Wildlife and Outdoor Fun:

In researching Zambia, I have noticed that many have dubbed it the “real Africa” because the country’s description evokes images of Safaris and herds of Lion King-like roaming animals. Zambia has 19 national parks and 34 game management areas. Wildlife includes leopards, lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, elephants, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, various primates, antelope, reptiles, and over 700 bird species. There are opportunities for Safaris, river rafting, fishing, bungee jumping at Victoria Falls, and a host of many other outdoor African adventures! I will accrue vacation time for each month worked, so hopefully I will have the chance to explore after I settle in at my post.

I feel like I just completed a middle school social studies project! Hope you found it informative. Too bad this wasn’t in a classroom setting where I would have definitely brought in my attempt at making some type of customary Zambian food for everyone to try : )

Relinquishing Plans and Embracing Adventure!

As many of you already know, I have decided to join Peace Corps, becoming one of the nearly 8,000 volunteers currently serving in approximately 80 countries around the globe. I have always wanted to go abroad and participate in some type of global service, and after getting to getting to know the organization a bit better through returned volunteers , I settled on Peace Corps as my vessel for service and exploration. As my mother reminds me, there is no better time in my life to go and do as I please. I have finished my formal education, I am not tied down to anyone or anything (except those pesky student loans, but they can wait), and am deserving of this time of my own before deciding to settle into a more structured life at home.

I applied for Peace Corps back in August of 2009, completing the application a full year before I was ready to leave home. I thought that giving myself the summer after finishing my masters would give me time to study for and take my exam to become a Registered Dietitian, time to prepare mentally, say goodbye to friends and family and perhaps work and save a little money for preparation and travel once overseas. I hadn’t really thought that I would receive my assignment until mid to late July (as I was nominated for a program in Africa departing in September) at which point I would then allow myself to get excited and really start preparing to go.

Things took a real turn this past week. I was getting ready to head to the hospital on one of the last days of contract work I was doing at the same hospital where I just completed my internship, when the phone rang. It was a woman at the Peace Corps Recruiting Office. She began by asking me if I was preparing for my departure, if I was excited about the adventure, what I anticipated would be my biggest challenge, what I hoped to gain from the experience, etc. I felt like this was just a routine call, just touching base with me to see if I was still in it for the long haul and not becoming a total nut as the days to departure became fewer and fewer. Of course gave her all the answers I thought she was looking for and said what I was truly feeling at the time, “Yes, I am really excited, but certainly aware of the challenges ahead.” And “I know progress can be slow at first, but one of the most important things to remember during service is to just be present each day, interact with your hosts and enjoy learning about each other in this amazing two-year exchange of knowledge and cultural traditions.” Yadda, yadda, yadda. “ I am ready, I am excited, I am prepared!”

After going on like this for about 20 minutes, she then says, “ I am trying to find a program that fits your skills set. The program that you were scheduled to join in September is full. The placements after that point are backed up until the first of 2011, except for this one program that is still open. How would you feel about a program that leaves in mid to late July?”

“What!?!?” I say. “July?!? That is really soon, I mean soooo sooooooo very soon!” From this point on, my confidence crumbles. I begging blabbering on about needing a month to study for my RD exam, time to talk with my family and see friends that I had planned to spend time with this summer, time to get mentally ready to leave. I think the recruiter sensed my panic. I was all but crying on the phone. She politely, but firmly said that I could have a few days to think about it, talk with my family and make my decision. In a trembling voice, I squeaked out an OK, and hung up the phone. I immediately ran into the living room where my mom and sister were and started bawling. “They want me to leave in July!!!” I cried. “If I don’t go now, I will not get to go until 2011!” (still barely understood by my confused audience). After a few moments of me sitting on the arm of chair uttering “oh my God, oh my God, oh my God” my mom calmly comes over to me, gives me a hug and says “this is what you want, isn’t it?” and at that point, I then remember how much I have wanted to go to Africa this whole last year and I also was reminded of the support of my mother, who could have easily started crying right along side of me and begged me to stay, fueled my fear and convinced me that I was not ready to go. But she didn’t, and I quickly snapped out of my freaked out frenzy and started convincing myself that this was the right time to go, that somehow, this was meant to be.

The timing is almost perfect. I was notified on May 25^th, almost two months in advance of my July 20^th departure date. I finished up my contract position with the hospital a day after I received the news, and did not get a second job I interviewed for the past week. Without a summer job, I will have plenty of time to devote to studying for my RD exam. My family goes on to the beach for the week of the 4^th of July, so I will have a nice bit of time to spend with just them right before I go. It would have been nice to have more time to work and save up some money, but with a little in the bank left over from last year’s student loans, I think I will be ok. Time with friends will be rushed, but I hope that if I am not able to see them in before I go, they will find the time to visit me and go on SAFARI sometime over the course of the next two years (wink, wink, hint, hint, fingers crossed, start saving now!).

I am so so very excited about this next phase in my life. Even though I am very happy with my chosen career field of dietetics, I have yet to determine my niche in the profession. During my internship, I was exposed to Clinical Dietetics, Food Service, and Employee Wellness. While I learned so much in each of these rotations, I feel that there are other opportunities in the profession that I would like to explore that may be better suited to my interests. I am very interested in food security issues and malnutrition and would much prefer helping people find access to healthy foods, rather than figuring a way to teach a 400 lb man to count the calories in his big gulp or put down his cheeseburger. No offense to those that do that type of work. Overconsumption and chronic disease as a result of an unhealthy diet are huge issues in our country, and dietitians here have one of the most important roles in combating these problems, but I just don’t think that work is for me. Although my primary aim during my Peace Corps assignment is to serve those in my host community, I also believe that Peace Corps may give to me the career direction I need upon my return to the states. (here’s hoping at least!)

Ok, enough about all that. I apologize for being so long-winded. But if you know me well, you shouldn’t be surprised : ) On to my assignment!

Where I will be going: ZAMBIA!!!

My title: Community Health Development Extensionist. I will be among the second wave of volunteers working on a new health project that combines the efforts of two former Zambian PC projects focusing on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Food Security, among other health priorities of Zambia’s rural communities.

Dates of service: July 22^nd, 2010 to September 23^rd 2012!!! (I will be almost 27 by then!)

The way the program works is all of us volunteers will fly to a designated city in the US for a day or so of what is called “Staging.” This is where we receive necessary paperwork, immunizations, and a brief introduction to Peace Corps. After that, we take off and fly to our host country. Here, we will participate in Pre-Service training that goes through the end of September. In Zambia, this training is community-based, meaning each volunteer will live with a host family. At the end of the nine-week training period, we will be sworn in as Volunteers if we demonstrate competence in language, cross-cultural understanding and technical skills.

After being sworn in, I will be assigned to one of the remote (bolded in my volunteer handbook) villages in one of the six provinces to which the health project currently sends volunteers.

My handbook indicates that I will work within a 20 km radius from my base village, and could be as far as 100 km from the nearest volunteer!

Other interesting tid-bits of information from my volunteer handbook:

“you will live in a village earthen house with a thatched roof, lit by kerosene lamps or candles”

“you will cook your meals over wood or charcoal”

“water may need to be carried from as far as 30 minutes away on foot”

“transportation to your provincial capital may take a full day and will generally be in crowded and dusty public transport where you will ride at the back of an open truck”

“volunteers may at times find it necessary to travel on trucks carrying produce or livestock”

“some volunteers walk or ride their bikes up to 30 km to catch a ride at a main road”

At least they don’t hold back! Of course I was expecting such conditions, so don’t think I am sitting here in a panic. It’s just funny to see it typed out on paper. I could totally handle a ride with a chicken in my lap, and perhaps all those cycling classes in college will pay off with more than just buns of steel. Just because I haven’t done it yet, doesn’t mean I won’t be up for the experience : ) I am sure there are plenty other surprises to come!

Ok. That’s all for now. More specifics on Zambia in my next post! Thanks for joining in on the start of my BIG ADVENTURE!!!