Friday, August 20, 2010
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
Saturday, August 14, 2010
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
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
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