Deuteronomy 31:8

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8







Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Month into Working Life

I have been a Communications Assistant at SFH for one month now. And it has been a busy month! My body is still trying to get used to the 8-5, Monday thru Friday schedule after being in the village life for 2 years where my days consisted of killing time by reading, washing clothes, cleaning, and hanging out with people with a scheduled program every now and then. So far it's been a good month. My job as a CA is to go out and create demand for SFH products and services. So we sell items like condoms, clorin for safe drinking water, birth control pills, and then we educate communities and schools on things like male circumcision, long term family planning methods (IUDS), and going to get tested for HIV and create demand for them to get these services. As the Copperbelt platform we have insane targets that each department has to meet each month (for example, the MC team has a target of providing 2,175 circumcisions every month) and so the CA is very important to help these departments reach these numbers. We've been going around to a few schools and doing some of the GrassRoots Soccer activities I learned to teach about HIV in a non formal way. Then we also go on outreaches where we attack some speakers to the top of the cruiser and drive around talking in a microphone alerting people that we are there and they should come and get the service we are offering. Going around like this with the PA system is really effective. Even though we can tell a clinic we are there and hope word spreads around, most times in the more urban areas the correct message doesn't reach everyone so this method targets a large number of people. So far in my month I have seen not only a lot of Kitwe, but also a lot of the Copperbelt thanks to the outreaches we've done. I've been to many of the districts including Chingola, Chililabombwe, and Mufulira.I still have yet to make it to Ndola, the provincial capitol, but I am hoping that one of our trips will take me there. Next up, we as a communications team have been planning a workshop for teachers to train them about MC so that they can tell their students about it and hopefully be referring them to our site so they can get circumcised. Being that pretty much every baby gets circumcised in the States I had never thought that much about it, but here it is really being pushed because it can help lower the risk of getting HIV by 60%, and lower the chances of the man passing on HPV to women which can cause cervical cancer. And MC is being provided for free to Zambian men thanks to funding from USAID. So thank you America! Otherwise, life outside of work is going well. I am slowing figuring out where to buy certain things in town and I am loving living in my house that has running water (most of the time, I still stock it up in a dish just in case it stops), power, a stove, and a fridge. Only a little over 1 month until I am in America for the holidays! I can't wait to see everyone and be back for some American living!!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Life after the Village

I have been out of my village for a little over one month now, but it seems like a lifetime ago. Saying that getting pulled from my site was 'emotional' would be the understatment of the century. In the week prior to getting pulled I felt excited for what was to come next, sad to be saying goodbye, anxious, disappointment, and anger due to a HUGE mistake by Peace Corps. I won't get into too many details, but to make a long story short they didn't have Misengo on the list of sites to be replaced so one week before I was to go I find out that no one is coming to replace my site and continue on in the work that I was doing even though I had many times told many members of staff that I HIGHLY recommended it to be replaced. However, as we were driving away good news came and a girl is coming to my site for one year after previously being a volunteer in Southern Province. So at least, Misengo will have a volunteer again! Saying goodbyes was the worst experience ever and something I would never want to repeat again. Ever. Luckily though since then I have been able to communicate with some people from my village by phone which has been so great. The drama that Misengo has never ceases to amaze me and I find myself missing it so much!
But now I have left Misengo and Northern Province and have found myself in the Copperbelt Province, in the city of Kitwe. It is a HUGE step up from Kasama town which had one traffic light, one Shoprite, and very little else. Kitwe is huge with a population of over 500,000 and lots of cars, areas, and shops not to mention delicious pizza. I live in the Nkana West part of town which is really close to town center and a short walk to the Society for Family Health offices. I live in a flat that has two bedrooms (with closets), a bathroom (with a flush toilet, shower, and tub), a kitchen (with stove, fridge, countertops, sink), and a big sitting room. I really like it and slowly but surely I am making it a home :)
My job at Society for Family Health has been going well after week one and I have to say I forgot how tiring it is to actually have a job from 8-5 every day Monday-Friday. As part of the communications team we are asked to go out a lot and provide information to the community before an event takes place. Last week we went to Mufurila right on the border to the Democratic Republic of Congo to prepare people for male circumcision. The beginning of this week we went to schools to watch their programs in promotion of global handwashing day, and this weekend I will be traveling again up near the Congo to promote family planning methods. So far it is busy, but I am liking it!