Camp Glow

Happy Almost Halloween everyone!

Hope you are all enjoying the cool fall weather and getting into the holiday spirit! Things here are going well...it is HOT HOT HOT now! October is supposedly the hottest month out of the year, and I really didn't think it was that bad but now, it's pretty unbearable at times-especially when biking!

Saturday was Zambian Independence Day...I thought everyone would be out celebrating but to my surprise, there was hardly any celebrating! I came into Mpika to meet up with Laura and we biked to her house where I spent this weekend. She lives 15k (7.5 miles) from Mpika and man I'm I sore from that biking! I thought 7k from my site to Mpika was bad, but she is all up hill so it makes it even worse. But she is so in shape she finds it no problem to bike that much haha. I tell you, after two years, I'll certainly be able to enter the Iron Man competition :-) The weekend was nice and relaxing.

Today, we are in Mpika trying to finalize plans for a camp that Peace Corps is putting on. The 7 Peace Corps volunteers in Mpika District will be hosting camp GLOW-Girls Leading Our World from December 6th-12th. Since Mary Ellen and I are the newest volunteers, we are included but not expected to plan for the event, however since I'm so close to town, I've offered to help Laura in the planning. For the 5 volunteers who have been here for a while, they will be bringing two girls from their local schools and one teacher to this camp....and basically it is an empowerment camp. I am really excited as this is really what I spent a lot of my time at college studying! It will be interesting to see how this camp plays out and hopefully the girls will walk away from it really empowered! I'll keep you updated on how the camp goes!

Work wise, things are really picking up...I never thought I'd be busy during my "no-work" community entry period but really, I'm super busy! Last week, we started village inspections so I was able to meet everyone in White Village and Chilebela Village. My catchment area of Chibansa has 27 villages so now I can cross off three of them that I've visited! The third being my own village of Bufuba. I am also super busy with the anti-aids club at school. Last week, we had our first official session and I gave the lesson on myths and facts of HIV/AIDs. I was impressed by how much the students already knew, but there were a lot of truths that they thought were myths so it was a good lesson for them to learn. This week, we are tackling the immune system and how HIV/AIDs affects it. Wish me luck! The students are really great though and seem geniunely interested so it works well for all of us. Last week, I attended a School WASHE meeting (Water and Sanitation Education) which was sponsored by the NGO DAPP-Development Aid People to People. It was held at the school and we went around looking at the various water sanitation facilities...whether the school had adequate toilets, hand washing facilities, a water source etc...unfortunately, my school is lacking greatly in water sanitation so hopefully this new School WASHE committee will try to work to improve the school's situation. They don't have a water source at school so school children are made to bring a 2 liter bucket of water every day so they can clean the toilets. They don't have hand washing facilities so children don't wash hands after they use the restrooms. It really is a hygiene issue! And there are so many students but the school lacks adequate desks so the students sit on reed mats on the floor. I am hoping that I'll be able to work with the school to improve their situation, somehow.

On Thursday, I came to Mpika to meet up with Dr. Mulenga who works at the Ministry of Health. I introduced myself and told him I'd be working with him to help Chibansa catchment, but he is such a busy man that I feel my workings with him will be really limited. I also met with the DEBS-Director of the Education Boards and she is a really great lady. I am hoping she will work with me to help Chibansa School.

This week, my agenda is pretty full with more village inspections and anti-aids club. I finally got my kitchen door put on, and painted, and my kitchen walls cemented so all I have left to do is lime the walls (to keep termites away) and my home will be complete. As soon as I have everything set up, I'll take pictures and post for everyone to see!

Alrighty well I'm going to sign off for now. I really hope you all are well! Please write and keep me up to date on your wonderful lives!
Miss you!!!

P.S. I apologize in advance for my previous and any future posts that I have not spell/grammar checked this blog....I write against the clock and never have enough time to go back and re-read so sorry sorry!