COS Conference Reflections

Our Health COS Conference was held in January 2013 in Mangochi.  We took some time to reflect on some of our experiences here.  The following were written on the infamous flip chart paper and answered anonymously by Health '11 PCVs during the conference.  Enjoy our reflections.

Health COS Conference

Mangochi, January 2013

 

POSTERS

 

 

BEST SOUVENIR:

·         6000 MK of women’s group Kathi gave me info (available now!)

·         A Malawian bike taxi seat (Give me My Money Bicycle Tours)

·         Operation Smile T shirt

·         Christian

·         Lots of pictures

·         Videos of dancing singing and fun

·         Cedar box from Mulanje (Help deforestation efforts)

·         My dog Colby

·         My dog Kuba

·         All my chitenjie bags

·         Friends

·         Hugs

·         Tumbuka and my bond with my amama

·         Kerrios Afrikan map necklace

 

BEST MEMORY

·         Being santa and giving presents to my counterpart’s children

·         My iwes

·         Camp Glow “Nditha. I can. I am proud”

·         Operation smile

·         Showing up to 4^th of July in bad news boat

·         Teaching my youth group kids how to cook pizza and egg salad

·         Dance parties in my village

·         Making kandali nsima

·         Washing my neighbor’s hair. Hearing a story about a friend washing he neighbor’s hair….WTF

·         Walking on foot for 6 hours to my village at 3 AM

·         Village iwes playing cow and driver, complete with whip and fake reed ox cart

·         Village kids pretending everything is a car and “driving” around with sound effects

·         Being bit by a monkey….a baboon

·         July 3^rd/4^th 2012

·         “are they still blowing off fireworks….naked?”

·         Every memory with my dog

·         Site visits from PCV and American friends

·         Last night at COS dancing with everyone under the stars around the fire and in the rain

 

WHAT I WILL MISS LEAST

·         Chimbuzi

·         “azungu”

·         Poisonous bugs in my house

·         Airtel

·         Minibus conductors

·         DIARRHEA

·         Call boys arrhg

·         Waiting (uhhhh….)

·         Hot season

·         The transportation to my village (matolas) X 2

·         Lack of electricity

·         “So beautiful.  Marry me”

·         Being laughed at

·         The minibuses

·         No consequences

 

WHAT I HOPE I WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR IS…..

·         Brownies

·         My hair and sense of humor

·         Being the site rat

·         Condoms

·         My honesty sincerity and generosity (ie sarcasm)

·         Being a loving open and respectful presence

·         Washing the dog (you know you are taking that to the clubs in America)

·         Although I don’t hope, rather know it to be so……I will be THE WIFE.