Oh my, the awesome is slipping by...

Day 145

One of my last meetings with Luso la Manja – so sad!  We talked about my plans of selling bags in the States and we took some great photos.  Beatrice’s daughter was the model for most of my pictures and she was shy at first but then she started workin’ it and I’m so excited to start marketing these amazing bags in the States.  When I returned home, I heard a familiar voice at my front door – Ama Chipalasa is back!  She is visiting for only a few days and she brought with her the kiddos.  They are the most adorable children you’ve ever seen and I miss them every since they moved in December.

Day 146

Mrs. Nkhosi and I have started working on Youth Friendly Health Services together and it has been incredibly rewarding.  So far we have only 20 or so students who show up but we are working on increasing the numbers.  We planned for the upcoming year after I have left and she is really excited to take my place as the leader.  It feels good knowing my work will continue after I leave.

Day 147

Today Cornelius (my Project Coordinator with Peace Corps) came by Dwambazi to tell me that I am being replaced!  I am so excited!  There are a few things my replacement can work on and of course Dwambazi is an amazing village to live in.  I have always felt supported and my role has been understood by everyone.  It would be great if Youth Friendly Health Services continued and maybe turned into camp.  Jembe is also looking for about 40 more pit latrines and the HIV Support Groups are working on gardening projects.  It would be fantastic if the new volunteer could follow up on these as I didn’t get my projects going until late in the game.  Either way, the new PCV is in for a treat – Dwambazi is great!

Day 148

I found the most amazing market find today: jeans! For about $1.25 and they fit like a glove, which is rare for someone of my stature.  So excited for my Euro Trip in my new jeans!

Saying Good-byes

Day 134

I brought home some treats from Lilongwe and Christian met me at my house.  We made an amazing steak dinner with mashed potatoes and salad.  It was so delicious and such an awesome treat, since I never buy meat because it can be expensive and I don’t have a fridge.

Day 135

Another amazing Youth Club meeting – this time we played football and frisbee in the rain!  It was so much fun slipping and sliding and getting muddy.  Christian and I splurged on another fun dinner with chocolate cake.  I feel so spoiled this week!

Day 136

Christian and I sat down with a calendar to plan the next few months.  I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with to-do lists and planning that I really needed to sit down and focus.  I cleaned up the clutter in my brain!  Time to get cracking!

Day 137

It’s official!  I bought my plane ticket home.  I arrive in Florida May 7, just in time for Mother’s Day!

Day 138

Oh my sinuses!  The weather has been chilly and rainy and my sinus headache has been intense!  I’ve been drugged up and sleepy, but sober and awake enough to make a fantastic pumpkin soup that hit the spot!

Day 139

I’m still sick in bed, but a hot bafa did the trick in curing me enough to sit up and knock out my Description of Service paperwork.  A few hours later and I was feeling great about the rain and sickness.  It kicked my butt in gear!

Day 140

I was on my way to being 100% back to health so I decided to walk to school in the light rain.  It was nice and cool and people were happy to finally see me out and about.  I greeted everyone who walked by and somehow that made me feel healthier and put a bounce in my step.  I love my village, especially in rainy season.  It’s beautiful.

Day 141

Well, well, well, what do you know?!  If you tune into MBC radio 1, you can hear an interview with Christian and Luso la Manja's creator Beatrice Zindondo about the African Women's Entrepreneur Program that is being held in Lilongwe this week!  So happy, excited and proud of Christian and Beatrice!

Day 142

Early in the day I had Youth Club.  The topic today was Know Your Status.  Several students got tested immediately after our session.  One girl in particular was very nervous about receiving her results.  Her friends reassured her that HIV was not a death sentence as long as she lived positively and no matter what they would support her and continuing being her friend.  I was practically jumping up and down after hearing this!  Breaking the stigma associated with HIV and making students aware of the importance of getting tested has been exactly what I have been teaching these past two years.  It was amazing to hear it in practice.  Her results?  Negative.  She jumped for joy and hugged everyone.  She is a true role model and I couldn’t be more proud.

I met Christian at his home and he brought with him a steak and we made potatoes and green beans and again I felt so giddy before bed with a full tummy of delicious food!

Day 143

We spent our last day at Mayoka with our friends.  Gary and Catherine have been so good to us and I love their little family.  We decided to stay the night and they gave us the most beautiful room with a bathtub, shower and gorgeous view.  I soaked in the tub and we drank cold beers on our balcony.  It was a wonderful last night in Nkhata Bay and I’m so grateful for the love and friendship that Gary and Catherine show us every time we visit.

Day 144

We had a much-needed double date with Rob and Nancy at Christian’s house.  The menu?  Burgers and fries!  They loved it!  I will truly miss Rob and Nancy – they have been such good friends to us and enjoying American/Malawian dinners has been so much fun.  We took photos to commemorate our last night together on Rob’s new camera.  He couldn’t be more proud.

My Last Awesome VSV Meeting

Day 131

Flawless travel to Lilongwe!  I got into town before lunch and took care of most of my business before the staff could be whisked away by new trainees.  Oh, it feels good to accomplish something!

Day 132

My last Volunteers Supporting Volunteers meeting started today.  It was great meeting the new members and we got a lot done in one day.  The best part was seeing Irene and my friends for maybe the last time before I head back to the States.  I am so proud of how far VSV has come and I am so proud of my cohort and how far we have come together.  It’s amazing what two years does.

Day 133

My amazing friends Katie and Jake got engaged last October and I couldn’t be happier for them.  We threw a surprise engagement party for Katie and Jake and it was a joyous occasion with cocktails, gifts and tasty food.  Katie and Jake are sweet couple and I beam when I think of them together.  And to think it all began in Peace Corps!

Village Days of Awesome

Day 117

I spent the afternoon doing chatting with the women in my village.  They were meeting at Mrs. Nkhosi’s house for their monthly meeting.  I had not visited with them (not like this) in a long time.  We talked for a while and it was nice.  I feel like I’ve been in my own little world lately and I haven’t taken the proper amount of time to visit with my friends. 

Day 118

My newly-found Dutch friends came to visit!  They were on their way from Nkhata Bay and they said they would stop in for a few hours.  It was really great to show them my house and village.  They loved it and we met with a few favorite neighbors and blew up balloons for the kiddos (which ended up being a disaster as now everyone is asking me for balloons) and it was such an exceptional visit!  I felt proud of my village and work here as it’s rare that anyone other than Peace Corps visits me.  

Day 119

The kiddos came over to play and I took some time out to actually sit and play with them.  Usually I just give them something to do in my front yard while I do chores and I pop my head out every once in a while to break dance.  Today we blew bubbles all afternoon.  Their eyes bugged out at how amazing a bubble is and they ran around popping them until my face turned blue.

Day 120

Christian Surprise!  Christian showed up just after dark after telling me he would be stopping by the next day.  Such a nice treat!

Day 121

In honor of Christian’s visit, I made lemon tarts (which I have never made before) and I was surprised at how amazing they were!  Delicious, we ate most of the treats by the end of the day. 

Day 122

In the middle of the night, I was robbed.  I was angry and upset most of the day, but was supported by Christian (who picked up new locks while I manned the house) and Ian (who stopped by to play frisbee) and all of my neighbors sent out a search party and checked in on me throughout the day.  Although a really unfortunate event, I was extremely lucky to feel so much love during a day where I felt so much loss.

Day 123

Sunday night means pizza night at Mayoka so Christian and I went to the bay and met up with Jay and his friend Sarah who was visiting from Germany.  We went swimming and drank cold beers and it was such a calm day after feeling so broken the day before with my break-in.  We also met an RPCV who stayed in Malawi a few years before.  It was really cool to chat with him about Peace Corps and returning...now that we are almost done, I feel like I can relate to RPCVs and I’m less likely to relate to newer volunteers.

Day 124

I picked up new phones for Christian and me in Mzuzu.  Surprisingly, it was stress-free.  Airtel was quick to respond with customer service and it made my life feel so much calmer.  Afterwards we celebrated with cold beer at Aqua Africa.

Day 125

I met with the ladies of Luso on my way home from Nkhata Bay and it was a busy visit.  A group of eye doctors were visiting Malawi to provide free glasses to adults and children after receiving a free eye exam at the Luso house.  They brought with them a suitcase of eye glasses and I watched them test the eyes of several people and it was amazing to watch them “see” for the first time.  One man jumped up and did a dance and couldn’t stop laughing.  It was so good to watch.

Day 126

Back to teaching Life Skills this week!  I decided to teach a few lessons on puberty and reproduction to all the forms, since it is a topic that many teachers feel uncomfortable teaching.  My favorite question of the day: “Did Jesus go through puberty?  Did Jesus have wet dreams?!”

Day 127

Still teaching the life skills and I was really pleased with the question/answer sessions in class.  Students were asking questions that were too scared to ask teachers or adults about masturbation, menstruation, wet dreams, and feelings.  I was so impressed with how bold they were and they were so attentive I had gone over by at least 10 minutes in every class.

Day 128

One of the last few market days with Ama Chimbutu.  We didn’t score any good clothes this week, but we did drink cold cokes and there’s nothing like sitting next to your best friend with a cold coke.

Day 129

My first day of implementing Youth Friendly Health Services was a hit!  We had 14 students show up (okay, not a fantastic showing, but it’s a start) and they all walked away with condoms and a few received HIV tests.  Not to mention, we played frisbee and football most of the morning, which is always a hit.

Day 130

I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.  Googling things in America does seem to calm me.  For instance, I like to google apartments where I might live in Houston or look for cars or jobs.  Today was a job googling day and I was excited to see a few postings of things that I am qualified for and would love to do – a rare thing!  So I spent a lot of the day preparing my resume and writing cover letters.  Even if I don’t get the job, I’m just happy for the practice.  I feel like I’m out of shape when it comes to job hunting!

180 Days: Valentine's Week

Day 107

Robert sponsored an ultimate frisbee game with some of the secondary school kids.  Christian, Ian, Rob and I whomped them hard!  But I was impressed with how well they knew and understood the rules of the game.  They picked it up quickly and they started getting more aggressive by the third game.

108

We woke up early at Rob’s to hike the mountain that is just near his house.  It was like climbing a stair master for 15 kilometers!  Our guide was a man who worked with the forestry office and he was running up the sheer hills.  I couldn’t believe how out of shape I was.  Before we reached the top, it started to storm and lightening crashed right by our heads so we headed down the mountain early.  We ate tuna fish sandwiches and hot cider at Rob’s.  We were cold and wet, but very happy.  I’m going to miss these kids.

109

Christian and I headed up to Nkhata Bay so that we could start our holiday at Lukwe a few days early.  When we got to Christian’s house, we passed out almost immediately from the hike the day before.  We were in bad shape.  Movies and taking it easy were the only things on our agenda.

110

We learned that Christian’s good friend Robert’s wife, Nancy, was in the hospital so we decided to visit her.  She was in bad shape, suffering from Malaria for the 4^th time since we had known her.  We splurged on a cab to take her and her family home from the hospital.  Since I had suffered from malaria once before, I know how painful it can be.  The hospital was 8 kilometers from her house and I didn’t want her to have to walk that whole way, so I was happy to go with her.  Unfortunately she only speaks Chichewa so I tried to tell her to feel better but all I could do was give her a hug.  I think she understood.

111

Christian and I got lucky on our way to Lukwe – generous rides all the way to the top!  When we arrived, we were greeted by the incredibly friendly staff and given a gorgeous room with a view.  Cold beer?  Yes, please. 

112

Christian and I explored Lukwe’s beautiful, lush gardens (where the ingredients for our fresh salads at  every meal were growing) and made our way to the waterfall.  There was a cave behind the waterfall and we climbed behind it and I wished so badly that my camera was not broken.  The view was incredible from the top – you could see all the trees and villages all the way to the lake.  At dinner, another couple was sitting nearby.  They were being attacked by giant bugs, so we invited them to sit at our table, which was not as close to the light.  Turns out, our friendship was meant to be!  They were a really nice Dutch couple our age and we chatted late into the evening.  I walked away with a little bounce.  Our first “couple friends” that we met on vacation – how perfectly cliche!

113

The next morning we met with Arjan and Dominique for a hike to the waterfall.  They brought their camera and we took great shots.  Our friendship was effortless.  We drove up to Livingstonia to see the old mission town and I felt like we were in a twilight zone.  The village felt like a small town in New England.  There was a beautiful church and even a university.  I couldn’t wrap my head around it – this was nothing like the Malawi I knew.  We ate ice cream and scones for lunch in town, but for Valentine’s dinner we devoured steaks and drank wine and played bao until it was late.  I felt like we had known each other forever. 

114

The travel back to Nkhata Bay was easy-going, thanks to Arjan and Dominique taking us most of the way.  We caught a ride to Mzuzu, stocked up on groceries and headed to Christian’s house.  Such a flawless vacation, even though my camera broke we ended up making very good friends.

115

We spent the day in the bay using internet and I was able to get a lot done.  My favorite place is Aqua Africa – free internet and cold beers overlooking one of the most beautiful places in Malawi.

116

We spent another day in the bay getting things done.  I feel so nostalgic now that time is coming to an end here and every time I say good-bye to our friends, it feels harder and harder.  I am so bad at good-byes so I pretend I’m just not leaving. 

Awesome Village Days

Day 99

There’s something about taking transport with a buddy.  Even when it’s pouring rain and you’ve been sitting in a puddle for two hours, nothing beats having your best friends by your side to take the stress away.  So grateful for Christian’s company today.

Day 100

In an effort to cure my sweet tooth, I baked a chocolate cake.  It was divine – baked goods can solve boring day woes.

Day 101

I spent another rainy day sipping hot tea on my front porch as rain poured.  A hot bucket bath followed.  I will definitely miss these days.

Day 101

Jembe and I met to discuss the completion of the pit latrines but alas, there was nothing to discuss as they were completed this week!  All 60 latrines have been dug, pitted and slabbed!  Many families are still working on building the superstructures, but at least we have the latrines completed.

Day 102

I spent the afternoon investigating the latrines.  Families came up to me to thank me for their toilets, but I shouldn’t be the one thanked – it was all Jembe.  He worked incredibly hard and he was so dedicated in this project.  I was happy to help in the little way that I did, but truly the community contribution and Jembe’s direction are what made these latrines a reality.

Day 103

I woke up to the news that the Ravens won followed up by a phone call from John back home.  It was great to catch up – we hadn’t spoke in ages.  He has always been a huge advocate for all my endeavors so it was nice to hear a friendly voice.  To finish out the day, Christian came over and I made chili and cornbread and it was fantastic.

Day 104

My yard has been overgrown with weeds and bushes that probably house snakes and other scary creatures.  I talked to the headmaster and was able to put together a team of 15 students to come slash my yard.  They did it in just over an hour and asked me to come back to teach this term.  Since I have finished the latrines, I think I will stop by and teach some life skills.

Day 105

I went to the school today to help start a fruit tree nursery.  We planted a few seedlings and I brought over some leftover avocado seeds.  I introduced moringa and the teachers went nuts for it.  The students took turns hoeing and digging in the dirt and we finished the plot in about an hour.  I’m excited to start seeing these little guys grow!

Day 106

Successful trip to Dwangwa – I was in and out in under an hour with all my groceries and chores completed.  Feels good to get things accomplished with no hassle.

180 Days of Awesome: My Last Trip South

Day 92

My first real date in Malawi was classic – dinner and a movie!  Katie, Jake, Christian and I went out on a double date in Blantyre.  We went to a mildly disturbing movie called Ted and followed that up with dinner.  We snuck candy into the theater and bought popcorn with lots of salt and artificial butter.  It was incredibly American and so much fun. 

Day 93

There is a second-hand store, called DAPP, that sells clothing for very cheap – maybe even cheaper than the markets.  Since it was an end-of-the-month sale, Katie, Christian and I had to rummage through piles and racks of clothes.  We each found a few things, but the best was a bright orange dinner jacket that Christian found and will probably wear to football games when his college plays.  It’s completely obnoxious, but for $1.50, why not?

Day 94

After a quick game of Scrabble (...that I won! I never win!), Katie and Jake made a fancy spaghetti dinner that we ate on Katie’s rooftop.  It was complete with wine and candles and the soft sounds of a bagpipe playing in the distance.  After dinner we drank fancy drinks at a nearby bar that serves western drinks with our new friends that work at Plumpy Nut.  Ahhh...mojitos!

Day 95

Christian and I enjoyed our last dinner in Blantyre with the most beautiful sunset over the city.  We drank cold beers, he played pool and I sang along to the Barenaked Ladies they were playing on the speakers.  Blantyre provides an amazing mini-vacation, so we cheers’d to our last night and wished for a good journey back to reality.

Day 96

Hitching in the South is like nothing else.  You stick out your hand and you get a ride in less than 20 minutes.  I am amazed and impressed with the speed and ease that Southern PCVs have with transport.  Once we go to Lilongwe, we enjoyed a home-cooked dinner at Irene’s with Cassie, Katie and Miriam.  Irene is an amazing cook and an incredible hostess.  It’s nice staying with her – it doesn’t feel so much life staying in the city. 

Day 97

I received my Basic Life Skills training from the embassy, which is awesome as I prepare for nursing school and beyond.  Free and fun class, just as my certification was expiring!

Day 98

It was necessary that I go to the bank.  National Bank and I have had very few positive run-ins so I was dreading the task.  I had tried a few times this week, but it was always packed.  In Lilongwe, the bank is so busy that they have a “take a number” machine and people sit in chairs like it’s the DMV.  Today I went to the bank right as it was opening and followed a herd of people in as the doors unlocked.  My number was 27, but there were about 10 tellers, so the line went quickly.  When I went to the teller, I received minimum questioning, only service!  And it was speedy!  Hooray!

Awesome Days with Partners in Health

Day 87

Today is the day!  The greatest day I’ve been waiting for since I learned I was coming to Malawi...a visit to Partners in Health in Neno!  PIH has been an influential organization in international health for years and it is a huge reason why I studied public health.  They have a hospital in Neno, one of the poorest and underserved districts in Malawi.  Christian and I arrived in beautiful, mountainous Neno in the early afternoon where we met the program coordinator (an RPCV from Lesotho) to talk about plans for the week.  It was really nice sharing Peace Corps stories and learning about the history of PIH at Neno.  We had an amazing family-style dinner with the volunteers at Neno and got to know more about the programs that were offered.

Neno became a district in 2006 when Malawi split the large district of Mwanza.  When this happened, Neno received funding to build a district hospital from Partners in Health.  PIH came in and created programs that could be helpful in the area, including distributing Toms Shoes and wheelchairs, as well as creating vocational programs for young men and women to create their own jobs.

Day 88

I worked with a program called POSER (Program on Social and Economic Rights) which goes out to individuals who have been identified as “needy” by the hospital staff.  POSER goes out on home visits to assess housing damage, poverty levels and family situations.  Typically these members of the community have on-going medical issues and POSER determines if PIH could potentially assist in some way.  We went on home visits meeting these members of the community – some had disabilities, some were suffering from HIV/AIDS related illnesses, some had dire housing needs, some required school fee assistance for their children, some lacked pit latrines, etc.  After the assessment was completed, paperwork would be submitted to POSER in order to be ranked in order of neediness and then they determine how they can most effectively help the families. 

We traveled all over Neno district and saw many challenges that people face in this highly impoverished area.  PIH takes a holistic approach to health; when someone is suffering from disease, they look at other contributing factors and determine ways to help those who need it most.

The highlight was when we crossed a low-flow river to meet with a family for five minutes only to return to a fast-paced river crashing over the path that we had crossed earlier.  The POSER worker we were with was getting frantic and she kept saying over and over that she did not want to drown.  Our heroes were a few women who came to try to help with the situation…we decided to ford the river with the women holding our hands to keep us from slipping into the rocks.  It was a wild adventure that left us soaking wet, but laughing.

Day 89

Neno is a new district, so a lot of the development came when the new hospital was built.  I chatted with locals about the changes and enjoyed lunch at a restaurant IGA that PIH helped set up.  We also talked with some of the volunteers from America who work with PIH in the boma.  We shared ideas about women’s groups, schools and vocational trainings, natural medicine gardens and youth friendly health services and I shared many files and stories that would be useful.  It was fun being in a new community and using ideas that I already have to help with some of the projects that the volunteers are currently working on.

Day 90

I visited the nursery school in Neno boma.  It was recycled, like my nursery school in Dwambazi, with no roof and few materials, but many happy 4 year olds.  We went out in the field with the Infrastructure Team to visit 4 health centers in the area.  At the first health center, they made repairs to the roof of a staff member’s house.  Another health center visit was made to determine if the staff was taking care of the new health center.

The best part of the day was when Christian and I sat at the edge of a cliff overlooking small villages in Mozambique.  The day was beautiful and the landscape was breath-taking. 

Day 91

We traveled with the Palliative Care Coordinator and some doctors who went on home visits to see two patients.  The Palliative Care unit takes time to identify patients who suffer from a debilitating illness and do not live near a health center.  The doctors took their time with each patient (45 minutes to 1.5 hours – you can’t get that kind of care anywhere!) and even addressed issues with other members of the community who were nearby, for example, children suffering from worms were given medicine.   They typically follow up once per month or more if necessary.  It was an amazing visit – watching these doctors diagnose the patients in such a holistic way – truly inspiring!

 

Awesome Days at COS

Day 83

We arrived at Mangochi for our Close of Service Conference, where camels greeted us at the gate.  We met after a delicious lunch to choose our dates for COS.  Drumroll, please... I got April 11^th!  I’m sad to say good-bye but excited to see what’s next.  A fun-filled Euro Trip is in the works...ease my way back into the States. 

Day 84

Ride, ride, ride that camel!  After our sessions of whatever and whatever, we set out to ride camels!  The camel guides could command the camels to stand up, sit down, come and go.  It was wild.  And there was a baby camel that pranced around awkwardly in the sand.  Yessir, we rode camels on the beach.  When a camel stands up and you are on its back, it is very disconcerting.  It feels like the camel is falling up.  And after an easy ride on the beach, the camel sits once again, which feels like you might crash and burn at any minute.  We were ga-ga for the camels.

Day 85

Our last full day of COS conference ended with a delicious braai, music by DJ Renee, a bonfire and dancing.  Oh the dancing!  We danced and danced like it was nobody’s business.  Everyone – Health ’11, Cornelius, Eliza, Irene and John... It felt like we were dancing with everything we had.  It was just so perfect.  The best way to end our service.

Day 86                                 

We left Mangochi mid-morning and Katie and I arrived in Blantyre where I promptly wanted to fall asleep, but not without homemade pizza!  Visiting Katie is always a good time...even when you’re just sitting around watching Modern Family and eating pizza.  Simple enough, but Katie is the sparkle to the day.

Pre-COS Conference Awesome

Day 76

Today in between rain drops, I went to visit a gogo Ruth.  She was wearing “trees” (small twigs, actually) in her ear holes where earrings belonged.  At 70-something, I figured she deserved to feel beautiful, so I brought her a pair of earrings that my friend Mary gave me during training for my first birthday in Malawi.  They were turquoise and shaped like hearts.  I handed them to Ruth and her eyes lit up.  Her hands shook when she tried to put them on, so I helped her put them in her tiny ears.  She couldn’t stop chatting about how happy she was and how beautiful the earrings were.  They dangled from her ear lobes and she kept shaking her head to make them swing.  True beauty is an elderly woman grinning ear to ear over heart-shaped turquoise earrings. 

Day 77

Shelly is back from Tanzania with fun stories and pictures and lots of laughs!  She came to Dwambazi, which was a trip long overdue.  Ian, Shelly and I visited the natural medicine garden with the HIV Support Group and we busily worked.  It was so nice to hear Ian and Steven chatting about their big plans and Shelly laughing and joking (in her practically fluent Chichewa) with the women as she picked weeds.  I looked at my friends and our progress and for a minute, everything was aligned for perfection.

Day 78

Girls Night with Shelly and Melissa – and some random travelers who showed up.   They were walking from Cape Town to Cairo and heard an American lived in this village, so they stopped in.  At first awkward, we soon found a way to continue our girls night with the random travelers and it proved to be fun and tasty (hummus, chili and brownies?! Woo!)

Day 79

Ok, last night was late and Shelly and I spent the day watching movies and being lazy.  It was perfect and effortless and everything we needed.

Day 80

We woke up early to travel to Cape Mac.  Transport was hardly exciting (besides taking a mini bus through a ravine) but the destination was sweet.  I finally visited Cape Mac!

Day 81

Rainy day served as a lazy day (no thanks to the stomach issues I still faced) but I had a tasty, fun lunch with all my friends ( A lunch that I later threw up – but the company was nice for a while).

Day 82

Feeling much better, but still cooped up because of the rain, I got to eat a pizza and cheeseburger dinner with all my amazing friends around me.  Feeling nostalgic.  It’s crazy to think this is all coming to an end so soon.

180 Days of Awesome: at site!

Day 70

Amazing travel day!  An immediate, free ride from some awesome Kenyan truck drivers all the way to Luso la Manja where I spent over an hour picking up more bags to sell.  When we went back to the road, we got another almost immediate ride from another awesome couple of Kenyan truck drivers all the way to Dwambazi.  Free rides and good company!  I think visiting Kenya is in my future.  

When we hopped out of the truck, I heard Ama Chimbutu’s voice yelling my name.  But I must be mistaken – she told me on Christmas Eve when I called that she was transferring and the truck was leaving that day.  I turned and saw her running toward the road hollaring my name in her distinctive, raspy voice. “AMA!” I yelled as I bolted across the road, dropping my bag in the ditch and jumping in for a hug.  Oh my joy was overfilling, as I spent a lot of Christmas Eve sulking and crying at the thought of not saying good-bye to my good friend.  She told me she couldn’t leave because they have a field of rice so her family left for the new hospital and she would join them in June.  I couldn’t believe my luck.

After I dropped my things off at my house, I visited Mrs. Nkhosi who had a baby Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve was quite busy in Dwambazi).  She told me before she had the baby that she wanted me to name it, but we never talked about it again.  When I met her baby, a lovely girl with a mop of hair on her head, I learned her name was Sylvia and Mrs. Nkhosi was very upset I didn’t name the baby myself.  I explained that it was bad form to name a baby over the phone, I had to see the babe in person to come up with a quality name.  Still distraught, Mrs. Nkhosi pouted for a few minutes.  I told her I would give the baby a middle name: Ann, after my Grandma Nate.  Sylvia Ann Nkhosi.  Mrs. Nkhosi jumped up and down and now darling, one-week old Sylvia currently goes by the name Ann.

Day 71

Jembe has been diligently working on our pit latrines and today I got a sneak peak at our first chimbudzi.  I stood over the deep hole, with a perfectly crafted cement slab and thought, ‘this is it’.  This is what I’ve been working on for months and finally it is working out!  Although not without flaws and delays, the project does seem to be going smoothly, largely due to Jembe’s hard work.  He told me this project is one-of-a-kind and the district hospital in Nkhotakota is using our village as a model for other villages.  They are making a huge effort to promote hygeine in neighboring villages and they will come out when we finish for our turning-over ceremony with the media to address the issue.  This is huge and Jembe is beaming with pride.  He has been fantastic and deserves all the accolades.

Day 72

Ama Chimbutu now lives with agogo Ruth.  Ruth is 4 feet nothin’ and 100 pounds soaking wet, but as sassy as Ama.  The two of them bicker and laugh and gossip like no one else.  I spent the afternoon with Ruth as I waited for Ama to come back from the fields and she showed me her large, empty house.  She drew pictures of a light switch and electricity plugs on the wall.  Wishful thinking?  She is sweet as pie and sharp, even though she must be pushing 70 and in Malawi that is something to be proud of.  When Ama showed up, we went to the market and raised our usual havoc.  She laughed at me as I yelled at a drunk man for grabbing my arm.  She likes when I get saucy in Chitonga, but it’s only when necessary.  When we returned to Ruth’s, we sat on the porch as the sun set and talked about how much we would miss each other when I leave.  I hate to think about it. 

Day 73

Super-cleaning my house!  This translates to actual cleaning – dusting, mopping, organizing, all of it – as opposed to the spot cleaning which is what I typically do – toss things in the corner, under my bed, fast mop around anything on the floor.  This will end up taking me three days to complete, but it feels so therapeutic and the organizing results in me getting rid of so much junk that will make it easier for packing and leaving Dwambazi. Ugh, I hate to think about it.

Day 74

I lunched with Ama Chimbutu and agogo Ruth.  There’s nothing as intimate as sharing a plate of nsima and stewed goat.  I gave Ama her gift (just in case she tries to leave again without saying good-bye) which was a teal colored chitenje – one that I have as well, so we can always remember each other.  She loved it.  I also gave her some soap from America.  She was ecstatic over that.  She said it was nice soap that she would only use when she saw her husband.

Day 75

Rain, rain, rain all day long makes doing laundry impossible!  More cleaning today, but the best feeling was when I caught up with my correspondence.  I have been bad at writing people back but now I have a bunch of letters to send out.  Let’s see how long it takes me to buy stamps.