Happy St. Patty's Day!! Oh today always brings me back to my oh so fun college days in the land of the Irish, good ol' South Bend, Indiana! Too all my college friends reading this, I miss you!
Sorry it has been a long time since I have had the chance to update this blog, but surprisingly, my life has been super busy and hectic the last few months. Lusaka living is good, busy and sunny (lucky for me, terrible for the farmers so I hope it comes back, for their sake!).
I hope all is well back in America and you are getting a break from the harsh winter and preparing for a beautiful spring! It has just hit me that my time as a Volunteer ends in a few short 6 months, I just don't know if I'll be ready to be home because at this point in my life, I could stay in Zambia indefinitely...but we'll see what happens in the coming months.
I hope all is well back in America and you are getting a break from the harsh winter and preparing for a beautiful spring! It has just hit me that my time as a Volunteer ends in a few short 6 months, I just don't know if I'll be ready to be home because at this point in my life, I could stay in Zambia indefinitely...but we'll see what happens in the coming months.
So I have been at Save the Children for a little more than two months now and I am still overwhelmed with the Monday-Friday 8-5 work routine. Village life was so laid back, relaxed and I worked at my own pace. Now it's up at 6 am with the alarm and in bed by 9 pm so I can stay awake during the day. I love my little cottage-it's in a beautifully landscaped and quiet community in a really great location in Lusaka. I live very close to the PC office and to the Save office so it works out very well. However, because of my close proximity to PC office, I feel like I run a B&B because I constantly have volunteers in and out. In that past two months I have lived in the house, I think I have had it to myself for about two weeks...ha ha but it is nice to see and catch up with volunteers who are in the field, and I am glad I can help out. Lusaka life is pretty good, I thought I would hate living here, but surprisingly I have adjusted quite easily. I think it was made easier because I have made friends with my co-workers and hang out with the office secretary, Chama and her sisters, over the weekend so it is nice and makes it not so lonely. And of course, all the lovely PCVs passing through keep my quite entertained. So life's good, though I will always hold my village life close to my heart and will always miss it.
Work wise, I am immersed in it and it is keeping me so so busy. For the health program, we have planned a few activities for the EveryOne Campaign for this year, though it is quite challenging because funding is an issue (of course) so how can we work within our limited funds is our dilemma. The EveryOne Campaign is a global Save the Children campaign advocating for Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5 (maternal/child health). I am learning so much as I go along, and I am lucky to have a supervisor who really knows what she is talking about. Right now, we are planning for a children's concert around health in July and have teamed with Barefeet Theatre, and some local Zambian artists. We are hoping the kids can be the lead in this concert and make it really all about their health. For the health project, I am also working on the Lufwanyama Integrated Neonatal and Child Health Program (LINCHPIN) in the Copperbelt Province. I love working on this project because it compliments so well the work I was doing in my village. This project works with neighborhood health committees (NHCs), community health workers (CHWs) and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in rural villages in Lufwanyama district. Lufwanyama is a relatively new defined district that covers a vast area and has terrible infrastructure (roads, clinics etc). So the work here is really important, and focused on reducing maternal mortality and newborn/child mortality. I am learning so much and this has really sparked my interest in getting a masters of public health with a concentration on global maternal/child health.
My other primary assignment is working with one of Save's partner ngos Youth Vision Zambia which is focused on adolescent reproductive health rights and HIV/AIDs. I am working on creating a book to advocate for child rights based on a project that Youth Vision conducts in Misisi Compound, which is an unplanned settlement in Lusaka with a population of over 40,000. There are no government services so kids do not have schools, there are no clinics, it is very overcrowded and it floods in the rainy season so this is where the cholera outbreak happens. It is a very sad situation and the kids deserve better, so I am working to advocate for their rights.....let's hope we're successful.
So that's my work paraphrased...there is so much more I would add or say, but it is too much to include in here so I'll end for now.
I am slowly getting excited for my return home (even if it's just for a brief visit!). Miss you all! Please please continue to write and send my fun things, I still love getting mail even if I now live the big city life ;-)
Work wise, I am immersed in it and it is keeping me so so busy. For the health program, we have planned a few activities for the EveryOne Campaign for this year, though it is quite challenging because funding is an issue (of course) so how can we work within our limited funds is our dilemma. The EveryOne Campaign is a global Save the Children campaign advocating for Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5 (maternal/child health). I am learning so much as I go along, and I am lucky to have a supervisor who really knows what she is talking about. Right now, we are planning for a children's concert around health in July and have teamed with Barefeet Theatre, and some local Zambian artists. We are hoping the kids can be the lead in this concert and make it really all about their health. For the health project, I am also working on the Lufwanyama Integrated Neonatal and Child Health Program (LINCHPIN) in the Copperbelt Province. I love working on this project because it compliments so well the work I was doing in my village. This project works with neighborhood health committees (NHCs), community health workers (CHWs) and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in rural villages in Lufwanyama district. Lufwanyama is a relatively new defined district that covers a vast area and has terrible infrastructure (roads, clinics etc). So the work here is really important, and focused on reducing maternal mortality and newborn/child mortality. I am learning so much and this has really sparked my interest in getting a masters of public health with a concentration on global maternal/child health.
My other primary assignment is working with one of Save's partner ngos Youth Vision Zambia which is focused on adolescent reproductive health rights and HIV/AIDs. I am working on creating a book to advocate for child rights based on a project that Youth Vision conducts in Misisi Compound, which is an unplanned settlement in Lusaka with a population of over 40,000. There are no government services so kids do not have schools, there are no clinics, it is very overcrowded and it floods in the rainy season so this is where the cholera outbreak happens. It is a very sad situation and the kids deserve better, so I am working to advocate for their rights.....let's hope we're successful.
So that's my work paraphrased...there is so much more I would add or say, but it is too much to include in here so I'll end for now.
I am slowly getting excited for my return home (even if it's just for a brief visit!). Miss you all! Please please continue to write and send my fun things, I still love getting mail even if I now live the big city life ;-)
0 comments:
Post a Comment