So, I wanted to tell a story of one of the last days at site...I went to visit a traditional healer/witchdoctor...I asked my friend, George, to take me to some in our area, so he took me to the one near the market. It looked pretty normal from the outside, just a house. We went to the back and went into the "consultation" room. Sitting on the mat on the floor, I looked around and saw his potions and magic stuff. It was interesting. George explained the purpose of our visit: to meet him and to see what he could offer me. He said that he could offer me three services: to tell me who has stolen from me (MK85) , fix any illnesses that I have (MK75) , or to fix any problems associated with my family (MK65) . Of course, as soon as I heard he could tell me who was robbing from me, I told him to help me with that.
From this point on, he went into some sort of trance thing. He started speaking to his dead mother's spirit in this gourd-like thing that had hair on it. He said that it reminds him of his mother. In order to get any information, he had to ask his mother (amayi in chichewa). He blew over the hair on the gourd before he started asking his mother for information. He kept chanting things at this object, saying "amayi" over and over until he felt satisfied with his answer. He told me that two male students from the technical college were the ones stealing from me. They come to my house only when I am not there for a few days and tell each other that information and go together to take things. They sell my stuff in the market and to people in the village. It should be easy to catch these guys because they come to my house so often to check to see if I am around.
There are three punishments towards the person who stole from you: 1)put some sort of spell on them that makes them frozen in your house until you catch them stealing from you 2) sores will appear all over the body of the person who stole from you 3) the witchdoctor can put a curse on them to kill them...sounds brutal...
There are 2 things I can do to keep them away from my house: 1) put some seeds around the perimeter of my house and when the person comes close to my house, they will just not feel like robbing from me and walk away 2) put a oil mixture on my windows and doors and will do the same thing as the seeds...I only found out the price for the seeds: MK800! Ridiculous!
After the information sharing, he described how he came to be a traditional healer. He said that in first grade, he started having dreams with his dead uncle in them, telling him what seeds from trees to collect to heal people. He kept having the dreams and by 4th grade, he decided to start helping people against his father's will. A few years later, he had another dream from his dead uncle telling him to charge people for his gift. He then explained some of his potion things and gourds: 1)Mwatida: protects a person's body if harm comes 2)Kusala: a strange gourd thing with horns or something that recognizes who is a witch 3)Mwuzayani: assists in fertility 4)Mwazangati: a stuffed snake (like what you would win at a fair) that turns into a live snake that can be sent to bite someone and kill them...
I discussed the visit with George after we left. We both agreed that he must of thought that I worked at the technical college for him to say that it was students stealing from me. I told him that I suspected my watchman and he agreed that it could be him. He doesn't really believe in traditional healers like a lot of other Malawians, so it was interesting to hear his opinion.
Well, that's it for now....will write later! Just wanted to share this quick story
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Why can't things be simple?
Hi everyone!
Only 7 1/2 weeks until I am back on American soil! So, I have been in Zomba town since Saturday and I am kinda going a little stir crazy even though I have had internet every day and have been in good company. I am staying with another PCV, Sika. She is a nurse who teaches at the college of nursing. I came in on Saturday to meet up with her and then buy some cement and collect bricks for the guardian shelter on Monday.
Well, I showed up on Monday and they said they had scheduled the lorry to be used for something else, so I didn't get to collect stuff then. They said I could use it on Tuesday. So, I called the chiefs and let them know the change of program. I came on Tuesday and they said the lorry needed to get new tires since the tread was worn through. The tires were supposed to arrive from the supplier on Monday, but didn't and then maybe come sometime this week. So, I checked with the technical college to see if they could borrow us their lorry and they said their's was in use all week. So, then I talked to the central hospital people and they said we could use their's but that it would be postponing their programs of building as well.
On Wednesday, we bought cement and then delivered it to the health center. Then, we proceded to the chief's house. He told us that the people wouldn't be coming because they had already spent all day monday and tuesday waiting for the vehicle to come to collect bricks. They were in their fields harvesting maize...funny thing I noticed...in the fields, only women were harvesting maize and we use the men to collect bricks, so where were the men? I don't know...So, we set up to do this all over again on Friday....
Things that have been going pretty good for me lately: I taught at People Living with HIV/AIDS group how to make peanut butter as a source of nutrition. It is really easy to make and locally available so they can improve their nutrition! I also taught the female students a reproductive health lesson. They were really responsive! I introduced them to female condoms and they were so excited about them! I got 100 for them from the reproductive health NGO, Banja la Mtsogolo. While I was there, I tried to set up a system for them to bring about 100 every month when they come to do female sterilization. So, we'll see if it happens. I am so excited about the women having a choice in protecting themselves from HIV, STDs, and pregnancy. I don't know if there's any way to measure how often these girls use female condoms since sex is such a taboo issue to talk about, but it would be interesting to see how successful they are.
I have about 7 1/2 weeks left in country and about 6 weeks left at my site. It is really weird to think that I am actually leaving Malawi relatively soon. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel about it and I don't want to really think about it. It is kind of bittersweet to be leaving because I am excited to come home and start the next part of my life, but at the same time, it will be really hard to leave all of the friends I have made here behind.
I have also been dealing with not being able to talk to Paul since he is in training in Moldova for Peace Corps. It has been really hard since he is a huge part of my support system. He knows everything I am doing and gives great advice on how to deal with some things...I have gotten a few emails but no letters yet, probably because he is so busy with training. He gave me the phone number for his host family and I was able to call him this week! It was so good to hear his voice. He sounded good, but tired from training, which sounds just about right for the length of time he's been gone. He found out his site this week and this weekend was heading to see his site! I am really excited for him!
Well, that's all I've been up to lately....just trying to get through the last few weeks and wrapping up projects and hoping they get finished! Hope everyone is doing well!
Love ya,
Nikki
Only 7 1/2 weeks until I am back on American soil! So, I have been in Zomba town since Saturday and I am kinda going a little stir crazy even though I have had internet every day and have been in good company. I am staying with another PCV, Sika. She is a nurse who teaches at the college of nursing. I came in on Saturday to meet up with her and then buy some cement and collect bricks for the guardian shelter on Monday.
Well, I showed up on Monday and they said they had scheduled the lorry to be used for something else, so I didn't get to collect stuff then. They said I could use it on Tuesday. So, I called the chiefs and let them know the change of program. I came on Tuesday and they said the lorry needed to get new tires since the tread was worn through. The tires were supposed to arrive from the supplier on Monday, but didn't and then maybe come sometime this week. So, I checked with the technical college to see if they could borrow us their lorry and they said their's was in use all week. So, then I talked to the central hospital people and they said we could use their's but that it would be postponing their programs of building as well.
On Wednesday, we bought cement and then delivered it to the health center. Then, we proceded to the chief's house. He told us that the people wouldn't be coming because they had already spent all day monday and tuesday waiting for the vehicle to come to collect bricks. They were in their fields harvesting maize...funny thing I noticed...in the fields, only women were harvesting maize and we use the men to collect bricks, so where were the men? I don't know...So, we set up to do this all over again on Friday....
Things that have been going pretty good for me lately: I taught at People Living with HIV/AIDS group how to make peanut butter as a source of nutrition. It is really easy to make and locally available so they can improve their nutrition! I also taught the female students a reproductive health lesson. They were really responsive! I introduced them to female condoms and they were so excited about them! I got 100 for them from the reproductive health NGO, Banja la Mtsogolo. While I was there, I tried to set up a system for them to bring about 100 every month when they come to do female sterilization. So, we'll see if it happens. I am so excited about the women having a choice in protecting themselves from HIV, STDs, and pregnancy. I don't know if there's any way to measure how often these girls use female condoms since sex is such a taboo issue to talk about, but it would be interesting to see how successful they are.
I have about 7 1/2 weeks left in country and about 6 weeks left at my site. It is really weird to think that I am actually leaving Malawi relatively soon. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel about it and I don't want to really think about it. It is kind of bittersweet to be leaving because I am excited to come home and start the next part of my life, but at the same time, it will be really hard to leave all of the friends I have made here behind.
I have also been dealing with not being able to talk to Paul since he is in training in Moldova for Peace Corps. It has been really hard since he is a huge part of my support system. He knows everything I am doing and gives great advice on how to deal with some things...I have gotten a few emails but no letters yet, probably because he is so busy with training. He gave me the phone number for his host family and I was able to call him this week! It was so good to hear his voice. He sounded good, but tired from training, which sounds just about right for the length of time he's been gone. He found out his site this week and this weekend was heading to see his site! I am really excited for him!
Well, that's all I've been up to lately....just trying to get through the last few weeks and wrapping up projects and hoping they get finished! Hope everyone is doing well!
Love ya,
Nikki
Monday, February 11, 2008
Busy with lots of stuff!
Hey everyone!
So, I have realized that I haven't written for a long time and its time for an update on what I've been doing since my bike accident...after some physical therapy in Lilongwe, I went to Zomba to help teach summer school with the education volunteers. It was fun and I led a goat dissection and taught genetics. It brought back my sense of longing for anatomy! I feel like the students had a better understanding of biology after their two weeks at summer school. I went back to site to find the guardian shelter not having a lot done and the students gone for break. I was only there a small amount of time and then headed up north to the Lake for Christmas.
Christmas at the lake was pretty good. I got some swimming in and eating some good food. I was more anxious about visiting the US at the end of December...
I flew out of Blantyre (the major city in the southern region). My flight was 2 hours late, so I freaked out about getting to the US. The flight staff helped to get everything taken care of. When I got to Johannesburg, I went to the South African Airways desk and they had everything taken care of for me. I was re-routed to JFK and put on a Delta flight to Portland. It was a long haul, but definately worth it. I didn't get in until 11pm instead of 9, but oh well. Bridget suprised me with getting Paul a security pass and he was waiting for me at the gate! It was so cold when I got in! I know that it was because I am used to 85 degree plus weather year-round. Everyone thought it was really funny.
Visiting the US was really good and that deciding to go home was definately a good thing for me. It was really good to see all of my friends and family, and especially Paul. I found out that Paul is leaving for Moldova (eastern Europe) at the end of this month, so we spent a lot of time getting stuff for him to leave. It was kind of weird. I feel like I don't fit in as much with american culture and that being back for good is going to be a hard transition. Everything seems so different even though it probably hasn't changed that much, but that I have changed a lot. I spent a lot of my time going to thai food restaurants, shopping for Paul (a little for myself), spending lots of time with Paul, cooking Malawian food for my parents, and going to the mountain with my girlfriends. It was sort of hard to leave, but at the same time I was missing being in Malawi and wanted to get back to wrap up projects and say my goodbyes.
When I got back to Malawi, I spent a few days dealing with jet lag. I got back to site and was busy from the get go. I had some meetings with the head chief and set up a meeting with the local chiefs to discuss the progression of the guardian shelter. Twenty-five chiefs, technical college instructors, a rep from the district health office, and myself had a pretty good meeting. I spent the next week running around Zomba town getting lots of supplies for the guardian shelter. It took almost all week to get most of it done. However, when I returned, I found out that nothing had really been done since I left. The villagers hadn't come to start working and the technical college can't provide most of the work like they had promised. So, I have to figure out how to get the villagers to come and do the building. We'll see what happens. Before I left site, I taught the community based organization (CBO) that I am working with how to make peanut butter.
I just finished at weeklong training on Home-Based and Pallative Care. It was pretty helpful. I took two people from the CBO since they are interested in doing HBC in my area. They found it very helpful and are really excited to start doing this stuff at Nasawa! We will (hopefully) train people in our area that are interested and keep working on the peanut butter making and selling!
Well, I guess that's a semi-short wrap up of what I've been up to lately...I will try to write more often since I am outta Malawi soon-ish! I hope that everyone is doing well and healthy!
Love ya,
Nikki
So, I have realized that I haven't written for a long time and its time for an update on what I've been doing since my bike accident...after some physical therapy in Lilongwe, I went to Zomba to help teach summer school with the education volunteers. It was fun and I led a goat dissection and taught genetics. It brought back my sense of longing for anatomy! I feel like the students had a better understanding of biology after their two weeks at summer school. I went back to site to find the guardian shelter not having a lot done and the students gone for break. I was only there a small amount of time and then headed up north to the Lake for Christmas.
Christmas at the lake was pretty good. I got some swimming in and eating some good food. I was more anxious about visiting the US at the end of December...
I flew out of Blantyre (the major city in the southern region). My flight was 2 hours late, so I freaked out about getting to the US. The flight staff helped to get everything taken care of. When I got to Johannesburg, I went to the South African Airways desk and they had everything taken care of for me. I was re-routed to JFK and put on a Delta flight to Portland. It was a long haul, but definately worth it. I didn't get in until 11pm instead of 9, but oh well. Bridget suprised me with getting Paul a security pass and he was waiting for me at the gate! It was so cold when I got in! I know that it was because I am used to 85 degree plus weather year-round. Everyone thought it was really funny.
Visiting the US was really good and that deciding to go home was definately a good thing for me. It was really good to see all of my friends and family, and especially Paul. I found out that Paul is leaving for Moldova (eastern Europe) at the end of this month, so we spent a lot of time getting stuff for him to leave. It was kind of weird. I feel like I don't fit in as much with american culture and that being back for good is going to be a hard transition. Everything seems so different even though it probably hasn't changed that much, but that I have changed a lot. I spent a lot of my time going to thai food restaurants, shopping for Paul (a little for myself), spending lots of time with Paul, cooking Malawian food for my parents, and going to the mountain with my girlfriends. It was sort of hard to leave, but at the same time I was missing being in Malawi and wanted to get back to wrap up projects and say my goodbyes.
When I got back to Malawi, I spent a few days dealing with jet lag. I got back to site and was busy from the get go. I had some meetings with the head chief and set up a meeting with the local chiefs to discuss the progression of the guardian shelter. Twenty-five chiefs, technical college instructors, a rep from the district health office, and myself had a pretty good meeting. I spent the next week running around Zomba town getting lots of supplies for the guardian shelter. It took almost all week to get most of it done. However, when I returned, I found out that nothing had really been done since I left. The villagers hadn't come to start working and the technical college can't provide most of the work like they had promised. So, I have to figure out how to get the villagers to come and do the building. We'll see what happens. Before I left site, I taught the community based organization (CBO) that I am working with how to make peanut butter.
I just finished at weeklong training on Home-Based and Pallative Care. It was pretty helpful. I took two people from the CBO since they are interested in doing HBC in my area. They found it very helpful and are really excited to start doing this stuff at Nasawa! We will (hopefully) train people in our area that are interested and keep working on the peanut butter making and selling!
Well, I guess that's a semi-short wrap up of what I've been up to lately...I will try to write more often since I am outta Malawi soon-ish! I hope that everyone is doing well and healthy!
Love ya,
Nikki
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