as the number of days i have left in malawi is decreasing, i am finding it harder and harder to write blog entries simply because i don't want to leave, but also because i feel like i have written so much about my experience here that it is hard to find something new to write about.
today was a great day for camp. the weather was beautiful, and everything pretty much went according to plan. as a part of the third and last day of every camp, each class puts on a presentation for the entire school, the teachers, and any community members that show up. sometimes they will perform a drama, but more often than not, they will sing a song. it's really great because these kids have amazing voices and are filled with talent. and singing and dancing is such an instrumental part of the malawian culture, and when they do so, the sing with unspeakable joy.
after we came back, a few of us went to the vendor market which is about a 10 minute walk from our home here. the vender market has...everything. clothes, shoes, food, jewelery, toothpaste, belts, accessories; you name it, they have it. when we were walking through the makeshift stands that were tightly packed, many of the venders were ecstatic that white people (plus 1 asian) were walking through and they were trying so hard to sell us stuff, as they shoved their merchandise in our faces.
i wonder more and more the impression that we as white people (plus 1 asian) give off when we walk through the streets. it's so clear that malawians see us and assume our pockets are full with kwacha (malawian currency) and want to spend it. i think it's kind of sad that americans are portrayed as materialistic rich people. especially because i have never met more sincere and earnest people in my life while working with the students in my team. it is definitely hard to think about coming from america, the hodgepodge of nationalities, and working in a country that is mainly one nationality.
many vendors have bad images of americans because we like to eye shop their goods only and never actually buy anything. and i don't want to be seen as someone who is solely here to help, because i don't want to give off any impression that we are better than they are. what is even more frustrating is that i don't know what we can do to further a neutral, if not positive image of us.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
bittersweet
today i was sick so i couldnt make it out to camp. i felt pretty guilty because i couldnt do what i came here to do simply because i was a bit under the weather. so today all i did was sit on my ass pretty much and take momentary naps.
while i was awake, i thought about my time here, and how it is coming to a close. i am very glad that i am here, and am thankful for everything i learned.
i think being here and living with 14 other people makes it difficult for me to have some alone time, which i really value. and i think today was that day for me. i am so glad to have met everyone in our team because i feel that we all play an essential part in this team dynamic.
i am trying to consolidate all my thoughts regarding this trip into one picture and i realized that it is impossible to do so. if there is one word i could use to describe this experience it would be bittersweet. i am unable to gather all my thoughts into one big theme because there is too much that happened in this month. all the happy moments, the sad moments, the heroic moments, the dramatic moments. i think what is best is to not think of this trip in the span of a moment, but to respect it for its volume of knowledge both taught and received.
i can't wait to get back home and continue on with my life and see what i can change based on my experience here, but at the same time, i am sad to leave such a beautiful, yet unreached, country.
while i was awake, i thought about my time here, and how it is coming to a close. i am very glad that i am here, and am thankful for everything i learned.
i think being here and living with 14 other people makes it difficult for me to have some alone time, which i really value. and i think today was that day for me. i am so glad to have met everyone in our team because i feel that we all play an essential part in this team dynamic.
i am trying to consolidate all my thoughts regarding this trip into one picture and i realized that it is impossible to do so. if there is one word i could use to describe this experience it would be bittersweet. i am unable to gather all my thoughts into one big theme because there is too much that happened in this month. all the happy moments, the sad moments, the heroic moments, the dramatic moments. i think what is best is to not think of this trip in the span of a moment, but to respect it for its volume of knowledge both taught and received.
i can't wait to get back home and continue on with my life and see what i can change based on my experience here, but at the same time, i am sad to leave such a beautiful, yet unreached, country.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
update from yesterday. today was our day of break, but we went to the crisis nursery which is a nursery for orphan babies.
1/24/09
finally learned the name of the school. balongombe full primary school. we finished our third and last day of camp there today. once again, i was working with the teachers. yesterday they were pretty quiet and reserved, but today they were filled with questions and comments and i was happy to do what i could to answer them adequately. i sometimes feel out of place answering questions for the teachers because they are older than i am, and they are also actual teachers, whereas i am but a volunteer who learned all this material in two days.
as a teacher facilitator, we help our coordinators serve lunch to the children, and let me tell you, it is quite an experience. i have never had the experience of being a lunch lady, but this is as close as it gets. first of all, we were overwhelmed with the number of students that showed up that we didnt have enough food for everyone. when the kids get on line for food, we give them a helping of nsima, and a ladel of relish for the nsima.
many times the kids say "give me more" or "more nsima" or "more relish" and that is pretty much the only english phrases they know. and its so easy for me to get pissed and tell them to go away or stare them down. and because of that i am so quick to make generalizations about malawian children, or even malawians as a group.
i hate myself for doing this but it is almost human nature for me. and it's so unfair to all of the malawians that my mind is programmed to judge others so easily. maybe the courtesy of these children exist but is lost in the english translation. maybe that is all they can think of when there is a cooler filled with food and we are only giving them a meager portion. if a kid is living in poverty and he sees a bunch of white people, why wouldnt he beg for food and money?
whats more is that i've met some great people here. all of our translators are amazing. they are dedicated, hardworking, earnest, and fun. and sometimes i wonder what my opinion of them will eventually unfold into.
like i said before, i am learning as much as i am teaching here. and i feel that i am learning even more about myself and my regard to people and cultures.
1/24/09
finally learned the name of the school. balongombe full primary school. we finished our third and last day of camp there today. once again, i was working with the teachers. yesterday they were pretty quiet and reserved, but today they were filled with questions and comments and i was happy to do what i could to answer them adequately. i sometimes feel out of place answering questions for the teachers because they are older than i am, and they are also actual teachers, whereas i am but a volunteer who learned all this material in two days.
as a teacher facilitator, we help our coordinators serve lunch to the children, and let me tell you, it is quite an experience. i have never had the experience of being a lunch lady, but this is as close as it gets. first of all, we were overwhelmed with the number of students that showed up that we didnt have enough food for everyone. when the kids get on line for food, we give them a helping of nsima, and a ladel of relish for the nsima.
many times the kids say "give me more" or "more nsima" or "more relish" and that is pretty much the only english phrases they know. and its so easy for me to get pissed and tell them to go away or stare them down. and because of that i am so quick to make generalizations about malawian children, or even malawians as a group.
i hate myself for doing this but it is almost human nature for me. and it's so unfair to all of the malawians that my mind is programmed to judge others so easily. maybe the courtesy of these children exist but is lost in the english translation. maybe that is all they can think of when there is a cooler filled with food and we are only giving them a meager portion. if a kid is living in poverty and he sees a bunch of white people, why wouldnt he beg for food and money?
whats more is that i've met some great people here. all of our translators are amazing. they are dedicated, hardworking, earnest, and fun. and sometimes i wonder what my opinion of them will eventually unfold into.
like i said before, i am learning as much as i am teaching here. and i feel that i am learning even more about myself and my regard to people and cultures.
Friday, January 23, 2009
fishing
shoutout to my man tony and my girl michelle for the awesome video post! this one's for you guys.
we continued our second day today at school whose name i do not know. again, this time, my partner and i are working with the teachers of the school showing them the teaching methods that worldcamp employs and the curriculum that we present to the students.
i am amazed that even the teachers at the schools hold a certain degree of selfishness. i assumed that it was present only among the children and that they would mature and grow out of it, but the teachers that we are working with this time are extremely greedy. today they started asking us for extra pens and then they demanded that they keep the materials that we used to show them how to create a simple solar oven.
it is interesting because they say that it is difficult to teach without the proper resources such as glue, scissors, charts, or diagrams. and so then they ask us if they could keep the diagrams and materials that we bring to show them effective ways to teach. and yet i know that the materials that we use can be created themselves, but they are just not creative enough, or dedicated enough to do so. and i find that the teachers are too materialistic to see our goal for malawi.
worldcamp believes in the saying, "give a man a fish, feed him once, teach him how to fish, feed him forever", or something like that. we press for the importance of education rather than giving gifts. there are plenty of NGO's that come to places like this and just drop off junk and leave. but we want to give them something more valuable. we want to give them the knowledge that can empower the lives of the children to live stronger and healthier lives.
and we know that it works. worldcamp cycles through schools every 3 years and one of the schools that we went to 3 years ago, one of our coordinators got a chance to speak with a student who was participated in our three day camp back then. he said that it is not worth it for him to engage in risky behavior if it can potentially ruin his life by HIV. that is power in education.
we continued our second day today at school whose name i do not know. again, this time, my partner and i are working with the teachers of the school showing them the teaching methods that worldcamp employs and the curriculum that we present to the students.
i am amazed that even the teachers at the schools hold a certain degree of selfishness. i assumed that it was present only among the children and that they would mature and grow out of it, but the teachers that we are working with this time are extremely greedy. today they started asking us for extra pens and then they demanded that they keep the materials that we used to show them how to create a simple solar oven.
it is interesting because they say that it is difficult to teach without the proper resources such as glue, scissors, charts, or diagrams. and so then they ask us if they could keep the diagrams and materials that we bring to show them effective ways to teach. and yet i know that the materials that we use can be created themselves, but they are just not creative enough, or dedicated enough to do so. and i find that the teachers are too materialistic to see our goal for malawi.
worldcamp believes in the saying, "give a man a fish, feed him once, teach him how to fish, feed him forever", or something like that. we press for the importance of education rather than giving gifts. there are plenty of NGO's that come to places like this and just drop off junk and leave. but we want to give them something more valuable. we want to give them the knowledge that can empower the lives of the children to live stronger and healthier lives.
and we know that it works. worldcamp cycles through schools every 3 years and one of the schools that we went to 3 years ago, one of our coordinators got a chance to speak with a student who was participated in our three day camp back then. he said that it is not worth it for him to engage in risky behavior if it can potentially ruin his life by HIV. that is power in education.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
safari +...
update for the week:
01/18-21
so this past week, we traveled to zambia to go on a three day break at Wildlife Camp. we saw lots of animals, enjoyed some time by the pool, and went on a night safari drive and a morning safari drive.
on our way there, we encountered some problems with the dirt road. there was a long stretch of dirt road that made it pretty much impossible to travel via car. plus it since its the rainy season, there were many puddles. we passed by a village and was stuck there for quite some time because there was a huge puddle, or should i say, lake, in the middle of the road.
i learned that the villagers actually dig up the hole in the road to make travelers pay them for "fixing" the road or their car if it breaks. since its the rainy season, all these holes were filled up with water so it became even harder to traverse. long story short, our bus's radiator broke as it was crossing through an extremely bumpy side path which was an alternative to crossing the red sea. we tried to pay the villagers to drive through their village cause there was a path available but they said no. then they asked us for money to help fix the bus and all of us got pretty annoyed. but we got there by making shuttling with our landrover which can pretty much haul through any kind of road.
the break was great. after 2 weeks of hard work, it felt well earned. safari was amazing. we saw a lot of things that people would have to go on like 4 safaris to finally be able to catch. some examples: lion pride, lion pride eating dead giraffe killed on previous day, tons of elephants, elephant young, elephants fighting, giraffes, baboons, impalas, warthogs, tons of hippos, hippos being fat, hippos being lazy, hippos yawning, wild dogs, hyenas...etc. it was great. what made it even better was that this wasnt like a zoo where these animals are behind bars. theyre just chillin out in the open, and we just drive right up next to them. they think that the safari vehicle is a large animal that doesnt threaten them so as long as we stay in the vehicle we are fine. if our internet here wasn't so slow, i would post up pictures.
on our way back, we hired two more landrovers and got back (its a 7hr drive from lilongwe malawi to zambia).
amazing.
1/22/09
today we returned to work and we started our fourth camp at school whose name i dont know. this time it is my partner and my turn to work with the teachers of the school instead of the students. we have a discussion with them about teaching methods, curriculum, situations they are faced with, etc.
we had a very interactive group of teachers and they were very responsive so i am grateful. i think that as we do this, we teach them our teaching methods and curriculum, and at the same time, we are learning a lot about them and the culture that surrounds us currently.
today i've learned that HIV/AIDS education in malawi is difficult because not only is it taboo to speak of such things, but names of genital parts are considered highly offensive. i think this is really weird because these grown adults find it difficult to say medical terms such as penis or vagina, and so i wonder how could they be effectively be teaching to these students about sex education?
i find this hard to understand because the HIV/AIDS epidemic is so preventable and so stoppable. and if these teachers, or even the malawians find it hard to overcome this one wordy problem, i wonder if there will ever be hope for malawi's children.
01/18-21
so this past week, we traveled to zambia to go on a three day break at Wildlife Camp. we saw lots of animals, enjoyed some time by the pool, and went on a night safari drive and a morning safari drive.
on our way there, we encountered some problems with the dirt road. there was a long stretch of dirt road that made it pretty much impossible to travel via car. plus it since its the rainy season, there were many puddles. we passed by a village and was stuck there for quite some time because there was a huge puddle, or should i say, lake, in the middle of the road.
i learned that the villagers actually dig up the hole in the road to make travelers pay them for "fixing" the road or their car if it breaks. since its the rainy season, all these holes were filled up with water so it became even harder to traverse. long story short, our bus's radiator broke as it was crossing through an extremely bumpy side path which was an alternative to crossing the red sea. we tried to pay the villagers to drive through their village cause there was a path available but they said no. then they asked us for money to help fix the bus and all of us got pretty annoyed. but we got there by making shuttling with our landrover which can pretty much haul through any kind of road.
the break was great. after 2 weeks of hard work, it felt well earned. safari was amazing. we saw a lot of things that people would have to go on like 4 safaris to finally be able to catch. some examples: lion pride, lion pride eating dead giraffe killed on previous day, tons of elephants, elephant young, elephants fighting, giraffes, baboons, impalas, warthogs, tons of hippos, hippos being fat, hippos being lazy, hippos yawning, wild dogs, hyenas...etc. it was great. what made it even better was that this wasnt like a zoo where these animals are behind bars. theyre just chillin out in the open, and we just drive right up next to them. they think that the safari vehicle is a large animal that doesnt threaten them so as long as we stay in the vehicle we are fine. if our internet here wasn't so slow, i would post up pictures.
on our way back, we hired two more landrovers and got back (its a 7hr drive from lilongwe malawi to zambia).
amazing.
1/22/09
today we returned to work and we started our fourth camp at school whose name i dont know. this time it is my partner and my turn to work with the teachers of the school instead of the students. we have a discussion with them about teaching methods, curriculum, situations they are faced with, etc.
we had a very interactive group of teachers and they were very responsive so i am grateful. i think that as we do this, we teach them our teaching methods and curriculum, and at the same time, we are learning a lot about them and the culture that surrounds us currently.
today i've learned that HIV/AIDS education in malawi is difficult because not only is it taboo to speak of such things, but names of genital parts are considered highly offensive. i think this is really weird because these grown adults find it difficult to say medical terms such as penis or vagina, and so i wonder how could they be effectively be teaching to these students about sex education?
i find this hard to understand because the HIV/AIDS epidemic is so preventable and so stoppable. and if these teachers, or even the malawians find it hard to overcome this one wordy problem, i wonder if there will ever be hope for malawi's children.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
no man is an island
two-day update into one blog entry:
today we returned to namitete full primary school to complete our second day of camp curriculum. everything went well overall and the main part of today was at night when we went to our homestay families.
there is a homestay program at world camp, where during one of the camps, we stay at the village nearby the school and we stay with families chosen by the headmaster. we all stayed at the Chisikwa II village and me and three other dudes stayed with henry and his family.
we walked aroun the village checking out the scene and what life is like around there. there is no electricty, no running water, no heat. pretty much just buildings made of handmade bricks. and its not like one big house. its many many small brick structures along with crops and outdoor brick walled "toilets". its clearly far from comfort.
i am noticing that these villages are comprised of one or two big families and they all live together, the children and relatives. all the kids play with each other, the older folks all help out with chores, cook food together and work the crops. as i watch the villagers, i am overwhelmed with a sense of community. everybody seems to have a function or a job that they have. either sweeping the floor, or cooking the food, taking care of the children, etc. eating together with the family is valued. additionally, i have learned that malawian villagers value their wealth by the amount of children they have, which is an answer to the large families here.
in america, the dream is for people to be independent and be able to support themselves. many people in the states refuse to help the homeless because they feel like it won't teach them to stand up on their own two feet. america is all about me, me, and me. it is about learning how to take care of yourself.
there are many times while i am here where i can use the phrase " the grass is greener on the other side" and this is definitely one of those times. and i find that i cannot always bash on where i'm from because there are obviously things that i love about living in new york. but the key is finding the balance between what i can learn from living here and what i know is important about living in new york.
short entry tonight folks, but i need my sleep because tomorrow we're traveling to zambia for a 4 day safari trip!
today we returned to namitete full primary school to complete our second day of camp curriculum. everything went well overall and the main part of today was at night when we went to our homestay families.
there is a homestay program at world camp, where during one of the camps, we stay at the village nearby the school and we stay with families chosen by the headmaster. we all stayed at the Chisikwa II village and me and three other dudes stayed with henry and his family.
we walked aroun the village checking out the scene and what life is like around there. there is no electricty, no running water, no heat. pretty much just buildings made of handmade bricks. and its not like one big house. its many many small brick structures along with crops and outdoor brick walled "toilets". its clearly far from comfort.
i am noticing that these villages are comprised of one or two big families and they all live together, the children and relatives. all the kids play with each other, the older folks all help out with chores, cook food together and work the crops. as i watch the villagers, i am overwhelmed with a sense of community. everybody seems to have a function or a job that they have. either sweeping the floor, or cooking the food, taking care of the children, etc. eating together with the family is valued. additionally, i have learned that malawian villagers value their wealth by the amount of children they have, which is an answer to the large families here.
in america, the dream is for people to be independent and be able to support themselves. many people in the states refuse to help the homeless because they feel like it won't teach them to stand up on their own two feet. america is all about me, me, and me. it is about learning how to take care of yourself.
there are many times while i am here where i can use the phrase " the grass is greener on the other side" and this is definitely one of those times. and i find that i cannot always bash on where i'm from because there are obviously things that i love about living in new york. but the key is finding the balance between what i can learn from living here and what i know is important about living in new york.
short entry tonight folks, but i need my sleep because tomorrow we're traveling to zambia for a 4 day safari trip!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
step it back.
the previous camp that we finished was pretty much a poor performance. but i think today's new start at a different school really made it up.
on our way to the camp, many of us were exuding a very negative attitude cause the previous camp was bad and it was pouring hell outside. but before we left the bus, one of our coordinators just gave us a moment to relax and take in all the excitement from our first camp and breathe out all of our frustations. it really helped. we left the bus and entered the school area with a lot of fun and excitement. overall, today was a pretty textbook camp day.
i realized that we are all here to do a job. we have a function. and that function is to deliver factual information about HIV/AIDS and the environment to these children, and they need this information. my emotional state should never determine my actions, or lack thereof, here in these camps because otherwise, i am not completing the task that i am assigned to, and the task that these kids expect of me. even if it takes a moment for me to step back and rethinking my purpose here, i feel like i must do what i am here to do, no matter what it takes.
tomorrow, after camp, we are all going to someones house in the village for the homestay program. i'm very excited for it. i feel like doing this homestay program will let me say with confidence that i have been to malawi. it's really important for me to do these things because otherwise, i feel like i have no right to teach them when i know nothing of their lifestyle. obviously it will be very difficult cause i don't speak chichewa, and there will be lots of charades going on tomorrow night, but i hear that they will be going out of their way to comfort us, and all i can do us try and be respectful of their culture and way of life. hopefully i will learn a lot.
next update in two days with juicy details about homestay. stay tuned.
on our way to the camp, many of us were exuding a very negative attitude cause the previous camp was bad and it was pouring hell outside. but before we left the bus, one of our coordinators just gave us a moment to relax and take in all the excitement from our first camp and breathe out all of our frustations. it really helped. we left the bus and entered the school area with a lot of fun and excitement. overall, today was a pretty textbook camp day.
i realized that we are all here to do a job. we have a function. and that function is to deliver factual information about HIV/AIDS and the environment to these children, and they need this information. my emotional state should never determine my actions, or lack thereof, here in these camps because otherwise, i am not completing the task that i am assigned to, and the task that these kids expect of me. even if it takes a moment for me to step back and rethinking my purpose here, i feel like i must do what i am here to do, no matter what it takes.
tomorrow, after camp, we are all going to someones house in the village for the homestay program. i'm very excited for it. i feel like doing this homestay program will let me say with confidence that i have been to malawi. it's really important for me to do these things because otherwise, i feel like i have no right to teach them when i know nothing of their lifestyle. obviously it will be very difficult cause i don't speak chichewa, and there will be lots of charades going on tomorrow night, but i hear that they will be going out of their way to comfort us, and all i can do us try and be respectful of their culture and way of life. hopefully i will learn a lot.
next update in two days with juicy details about homestay. stay tuned.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
untitled.
today we finished the two-day program at a school (i don't remember the name of it). on the last day that we teach at the schools, either two-day or three-day program, we always do mens and womens empowerment discussion, where we split the kids up by gender and the teachers discuss gender issues.
during these times, the differences in our culture are so clear that it is sometimes difficult to know how to teach them when the difference is so large. in malawian culture, men are still the decision makers, which ultimately makes them the deciders of whether or not to have sex. women generally have little or no say in this, which is so interesting because in the states, you could say that women are the deciders of whether or not to have sex. i watch my friends go to parties and try and hook up with girls and in the end, it is the girl's decision whether or not to go through with it.
and so, its difficult to teach when our views on this single issue differ because we want to teach the importance of gender inequality and specifically, the shared decision to have sex, yet at the same time, we don't want to be imposing on their culture. i am learning the being a good teacher means having the right amount of respect for your students so that you teach what is right, yet you don't condescend on what we may think to be wrong.
i sometimes wonder if we have the perfect amount of respect. obviously we won't be able to see the results of our work here immediately, but it is always comforting to know that students are making lifestyle choices based on our curriculum.
it is interesting to think about how i choose my courses based on the prof that is teaching the course. and i know that often a good prof can make the difference between a good course and a terrible experience. and these students here clearly dont have a choice for their instructors. and i wonder if the material that we are teaching is strong enough to stand on its own regardless of how it is presented.
during these times, the differences in our culture are so clear that it is sometimes difficult to know how to teach them when the difference is so large. in malawian culture, men are still the decision makers, which ultimately makes them the deciders of whether or not to have sex. women generally have little or no say in this, which is so interesting because in the states, you could say that women are the deciders of whether or not to have sex. i watch my friends go to parties and try and hook up with girls and in the end, it is the girl's decision whether or not to go through with it.
and so, its difficult to teach when our views on this single issue differ because we want to teach the importance of gender inequality and specifically, the shared decision to have sex, yet at the same time, we don't want to be imposing on their culture. i am learning the being a good teacher means having the right amount of respect for your students so that you teach what is right, yet you don't condescend on what we may think to be wrong.
i sometimes wonder if we have the perfect amount of respect. obviously we won't be able to see the results of our work here immediately, but it is always comforting to know that students are making lifestyle choices based on our curriculum.
it is interesting to think about how i choose my courses based on the prof that is teaching the course. and i know that often a good prof can make the difference between a good course and a terrible experience. and these students here clearly dont have a choice for their instructors. and i wonder if the material that we are teaching is strong enough to stand on its own regardless of how it is presented.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
attitude
i am realizing more and more that the people we surround ourselves with shape our energy and attitude towards life.
today we started a two-day program at a school because we couldnt make it yesterday because of the mud. at the start of the day, we always sing group songs and games to get everyone excitement up for the program. as we were introducing all of the volunteers, one girl at the edge of the circle suddenly fell over and started to get a seizure. i was about 10 people away from the girl, and i saw the progression as she fell, started to roll around, and then convulsing. i was so frightened that i basically froze as i watched her, and i had never felt so powerless and helpless in my life. eventually she drew a scene and people came and helped her.
after seeing that, i was somewhat discouraged throughout the day, just being overwhelmed with a sense of incapacity. i cannot help but think about the image of the girl falling down and me just standing there. it saddens me that my mind is not trained to shout for help when it is needed. not only here in africa, but even in the states? how many of us will scream help! or hey! when a woman's purse has been snatched across the street? or how many of us will call 911 when we see someone fainting in our neighborhoods?
once again, its the rain season here, and it poured like the clouds were falling down on us during lunch. basically, what had happened was that the coordinators started to serve lunch and some of the kids made it to the separate building where we were serving lunch (all of our classes are in separate buildings, and by buildings, i mean 15x20 structures to fit 50 students tops). when we turned around to go back to our respective classrooms, it started to pour, and most of the students had not made it to the lunchroom, and it was impossible to make it there and back without getting you and your food drenched.
i am thankful for our coordinators for their clear minds and decisive choices as they decided to take each icebox filled with nsima and bean relish to each classroom and feed the kids there. they were more than willing to get themselves drenched and their shoes soaking in puddles for this to be completely executed.
i was one of the people stuck in the lunchroom with a few students, and some of the rugrats (we call village kids who dont attend school "rugrats") started to climb the windows and reach their hands in. the only english phrase that they know is "give me nsima!" and they just repeat that over and over again. one moment, i got annoyed and i went to the window and just firmly said "no" to them all. in retrospect, i can't believe how selfish i was, let alone have the audacity to say no to a hungry kid. of course i could have just ignored him, but selfish me had to do something about it.
its clear that our attitudes shape our decisions and words. i realize that today, in all situations, i had the ability to do something better or at least not do something to worsen the situation. when we talked about this stuff later, i see that it is important for us to surround ourselves with people who can point our attitudes in the right direction.
cheese.
today we started a two-day program at a school because we couldnt make it yesterday because of the mud. at the start of the day, we always sing group songs and games to get everyone excitement up for the program. as we were introducing all of the volunteers, one girl at the edge of the circle suddenly fell over and started to get a seizure. i was about 10 people away from the girl, and i saw the progression as she fell, started to roll around, and then convulsing. i was so frightened that i basically froze as i watched her, and i had never felt so powerless and helpless in my life. eventually she drew a scene and people came and helped her.
after seeing that, i was somewhat discouraged throughout the day, just being overwhelmed with a sense of incapacity. i cannot help but think about the image of the girl falling down and me just standing there. it saddens me that my mind is not trained to shout for help when it is needed. not only here in africa, but even in the states? how many of us will scream help! or hey! when a woman's purse has been snatched across the street? or how many of us will call 911 when we see someone fainting in our neighborhoods?
once again, its the rain season here, and it poured like the clouds were falling down on us during lunch. basically, what had happened was that the coordinators started to serve lunch and some of the kids made it to the separate building where we were serving lunch (all of our classes are in separate buildings, and by buildings, i mean 15x20 structures to fit 50 students tops). when we turned around to go back to our respective classrooms, it started to pour, and most of the students had not made it to the lunchroom, and it was impossible to make it there and back without getting you and your food drenched.
i am thankful for our coordinators for their clear minds and decisive choices as they decided to take each icebox filled with nsima and bean relish to each classroom and feed the kids there. they were more than willing to get themselves drenched and their shoes soaking in puddles for this to be completely executed.
i was one of the people stuck in the lunchroom with a few students, and some of the rugrats (we call village kids who dont attend school "rugrats") started to climb the windows and reach their hands in. the only english phrase that they know is "give me nsima!" and they just repeat that over and over again. one moment, i got annoyed and i went to the window and just firmly said "no" to them all. in retrospect, i can't believe how selfish i was, let alone have the audacity to say no to a hungry kid. of course i could have just ignored him, but selfish me had to do something about it.
its clear that our attitudes shape our decisions and words. i realize that today, in all situations, i had the ability to do something better or at least not do something to worsen the situation. when we talked about this stuff later, i see that it is important for us to surround ourselves with people who can point our attitudes in the right direction.
cheese.
Monday, January 12, 2009
unplanned
if i were to describe the events of today, i would use the word: unplanned.
we were originally going to go to mnkhupa full primary school today, but because it poured so much yesterday, the dirt roads turned into mud and it was impossible to drive through it. we got stuck multiple times and we all had to get out and push the truck to get it out of the mud.
we ended up turning around and going back to an orphanage that was on the way. we decided on giving them the food that we brought originally for the children, and we figured that this would be the best way to not waste the food. the orphanage that we went to is a home for about 2,000 kids. unbelievable. and we only brought enough food probably for about 500 children tops. we gave out all the food we had in the truck to the headmaster of the orphanage so that he could decide who gets the food.
there exists some degree of duality in giving an orphanage of 2000 kids food enough for 500 people. there isn't a doubt in my mind that we should be giving the food away to these kids, i mean, how could we not? yet at the same time, if only 1/4 of the kids are going to be able to eat what we bring to them, is it wrong to bring the food in the first place and create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the kids to eat?
anyways, as we started to leave the orphanage, we got stuck again. this time it was even worse. the roads are guarded by ditches on both sides all the way down, and the mud made the roads extremely slippery and unfortunately, the butt end of our truck slid into a ditch. oh man, we were there probably for an hour just trying to get the car out. not only that, but it created a huge scene because we were right in between the orphanage and a small village, so both kids and adults came to watch the show. we would ask the adults for help, but they asked for money that we didn't want to give. we eventually had to walk to the village nearby and get bricks to put on the muddy areas of the road.
long story, short, we got out of the ditch and we gave a small amount of money to the village people who helped us. very much unplanned.
we were originally going to go to mnkhupa full primary school today, but because it poured so much yesterday, the dirt roads turned into mud and it was impossible to drive through it. we got stuck multiple times and we all had to get out and push the truck to get it out of the mud.
we ended up turning around and going back to an orphanage that was on the way. we decided on giving them the food that we brought originally for the children, and we figured that this would be the best way to not waste the food. the orphanage that we went to is a home for about 2,000 kids. unbelievable. and we only brought enough food probably for about 500 children tops. we gave out all the food we had in the truck to the headmaster of the orphanage so that he could decide who gets the food.
there exists some degree of duality in giving an orphanage of 2000 kids food enough for 500 people. there isn't a doubt in my mind that we should be giving the food away to these kids, i mean, how could we not? yet at the same time, if only 1/4 of the kids are going to be able to eat what we bring to them, is it wrong to bring the food in the first place and create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the kids to eat?
anyways, as we started to leave the orphanage, we got stuck again. this time it was even worse. the roads are guarded by ditches on both sides all the way down, and the mud made the roads extremely slippery and unfortunately, the butt end of our truck slid into a ditch. oh man, we were there probably for an hour just trying to get the car out. not only that, but it created a huge scene because we were right in between the orphanage and a small village, so both kids and adults came to watch the show. we would ask the adults for help, but they asked for money that we didn't want to give. we eventually had to walk to the village nearby and get bricks to put on the muddy areas of the road.
long story, short, we got out of the ditch and we gave a small amount of money to the village people who helped us. very much unplanned.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
sent
sorry for forgetting to update again everyone.
here's two days worth of posts.
1/10/09
today was our last day at kamwama full primary school. it felt good to finish our first camp at our first school. the kids were so excited today especially because today we gave out AIDS ribbons to the kids. we made it very ceremonial for them, getting them in line, putting the aids ribbon on for them and shaking their hand and taking a picture.
it seems kind of funny that they feel so special about getting a simple AIDS ribbons, but i think its really important that we make it ceremonial because then they really make it a big deal. we tell them that wearing an AIDS ribbon means that they are fully educated in AIDS and that now they will do whatever they can to prevent the spread of HIV.
its so exciting watching them get so happy after getting the ribbon. it makes us feel like we've done something important in their lives.
1/11/09
we went on a hike this sunday morning, and it was by far the hardest hike that i ever did. i went hiking a few times before, but this was legit steep hiking. it really made me realize how out of shape i am. but while we were going up, it began to pour, which is expected because this is the rainy season in malawi, but we all got totally drenched, and it started to get very very slippery with all of the mud. luckily no one got injured and we all had a good time.
after, today some of us decided to go to church with two of the translators. i definitely expected a very traditional style of worship with choirs and powerful speakers, but it was a lot more americanized than i thought, which in a sense, disappointed me because i really wanted to experience a church like that.
tomorrow we start our second camp at Mnkhupa Full Primary school, so hopefully everything will go as well as the first one.
miss everyone at home!
-chris
here's two days worth of posts.
1/10/09
today was our last day at kamwama full primary school. it felt good to finish our first camp at our first school. the kids were so excited today especially because today we gave out AIDS ribbons to the kids. we made it very ceremonial for them, getting them in line, putting the aids ribbon on for them and shaking their hand and taking a picture.
it seems kind of funny that they feel so special about getting a simple AIDS ribbons, but i think its really important that we make it ceremonial because then they really make it a big deal. we tell them that wearing an AIDS ribbon means that they are fully educated in AIDS and that now they will do whatever they can to prevent the spread of HIV.
its so exciting watching them get so happy after getting the ribbon. it makes us feel like we've done something important in their lives.
1/11/09
we went on a hike this sunday morning, and it was by far the hardest hike that i ever did. i went hiking a few times before, but this was legit steep hiking. it really made me realize how out of shape i am. but while we were going up, it began to pour, which is expected because this is the rainy season in malawi, but we all got totally drenched, and it started to get very very slippery with all of the mud. luckily no one got injured and we all had a good time.
after, today some of us decided to go to church with two of the translators. i definitely expected a very traditional style of worship with choirs and powerful speakers, but it was a lot more americanized than i thought, which in a sense, disappointed me because i really wanted to experience a church like that.
tomorrow we start our second camp at Mnkhupa Full Primary school, so hopefully everything will go as well as the first one.
miss everyone at home!
-chris
Friday, January 9, 2009
desperation
today was the second day that we worked at kamwama full primary school.
i've discovered today that one of the standard 8 grade girls in our school (equivalent of 8th grade in the states) is pregnant. whats worse is that it may be a case of transactional sex from one of the teachers at our school. what often happens is that men in malawi approach women for sex and offer something in return for it. they think it's perfectly fine because he has something that she wants and thinks that sex is a perfectly fine exchange for it. so teachers may sometime offer them good grades on their standard 8 exams in exchange for sex, which the idea is just impossible because school teachers don't have any control over the grades of standardized exams here.
as i come in contact with the children and the adults here, i am learning a lot about the culture here, especially they way they deal with HIV/AIDS.
the main portion of what we did today was empowerment discussions for men and women separately. the other male volunteers and i led the male empowerment discussions and we try and get to the idea that the decision of having sex is shared by both the male and women because they both share equal risks for doing so.
by the end of empowerment discussions, we open the floor for anonymous questions, and we let the kids write their questions on slips of paper and we read and answer the ones that we're comfortable with answering. and we all knew that there were myths circulating about HIV around malawi, but we never experienced answering these questions these children, and i was a bit overwhelmed with emotion.
some of these myths regarding HIV/AIDS are:
if you have HIV, you can cure yourself by having sex with a virgin
if you have HIV, you can cure yourself by having sex with a disabled person
you can't get HIV when you're having sex for the first time
when i hear these myths, i am not so much appalled by them as much as i feel sorry. i think that these ridiculous myths show the extent of desparity that exists in this country to find hope for themselves. and i am even more amazed at the power of what we want to believe.
our housekeeper's father recently past away so he left to pay his respects. but as he as leaving, he said that everything is alright because this life is nothing, and the life in heaven is everything to look forward to.
i wonder if every malawian has that attitude towards their life. it makes me feel guilty that sometimes my life is so good that i don't even look forward to heaven.
i've discovered today that one of the standard 8 grade girls in our school (equivalent of 8th grade in the states) is pregnant. whats worse is that it may be a case of transactional sex from one of the teachers at our school. what often happens is that men in malawi approach women for sex and offer something in return for it. they think it's perfectly fine because he has something that she wants and thinks that sex is a perfectly fine exchange for it. so teachers may sometime offer them good grades on their standard 8 exams in exchange for sex, which the idea is just impossible because school teachers don't have any control over the grades of standardized exams here.
as i come in contact with the children and the adults here, i am learning a lot about the culture here, especially they way they deal with HIV/AIDS.
the main portion of what we did today was empowerment discussions for men and women separately. the other male volunteers and i led the male empowerment discussions and we try and get to the idea that the decision of having sex is shared by both the male and women because they both share equal risks for doing so.
by the end of empowerment discussions, we open the floor for anonymous questions, and we let the kids write their questions on slips of paper and we read and answer the ones that we're comfortable with answering. and we all knew that there were myths circulating about HIV around malawi, but we never experienced answering these questions these children, and i was a bit overwhelmed with emotion.
some of these myths regarding HIV/AIDS are:
if you have HIV, you can cure yourself by having sex with a virgin
if you have HIV, you can cure yourself by having sex with a disabled person
you can't get HIV when you're having sex for the first time
when i hear these myths, i am not so much appalled by them as much as i feel sorry. i think that these ridiculous myths show the extent of desparity that exists in this country to find hope for themselves. and i am even more amazed at the power of what we want to believe.
our housekeeper's father recently past away so he left to pay his respects. but as he as leaving, he said that everything is alright because this life is nothing, and the life in heaven is everything to look forward to.
i wonder if every malawian has that attitude towards their life. it makes me feel guilty that sometimes my life is so good that i don't even look forward to heaven.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
1st actual day of camp
after three days of orientation, today was our first day teaching about everything we learned. it was really overwhelming at first, but everything pretty much fell into place.
on our way to the school, i sat next to one of our translators, and had a pretty long talk about stuff. he's 21 right now, so we're the same age. i asked him questions mainly about malawian culture, school in malawi, etc. eventually, we started talking about religion in malawi. christianity is the main religion here, and it is pretty evident from the many churches that i've seen so far just traveling around. most of our translators attend church, and some are even in bible school.
as i was talking to my translator, i realize that i can't seem to escape the presence of God. i consider myself to be a pretty spritual person. i may not attend church as much as i used to in high school, but i still enjoy having deep thoughts about life, religion, and morality. my translator is very learned in religion in malawi, and seems to be a very big christian. he tells about churches in malawi, and how he doesnt understand how young christians don't enjoy attending church. i ask him how long people normally spend their sundays at church, and he responds that regardless of how long he is there, it doesn't seem like it is a long time because he is devoting and enjoying that one day completely to christ. i'm so taken aback by the amount of sincere passion that i've just witnessed and i feel like someone like me to respond to him with my lying eyes would just be wrong.
near the end of our discussion, he told me that one day, he wants to travel to the states and visit a church there. i had to hold my tongue back to stop myself from trying to convince him not to come. in many senses, when i see great people like him, i am ashamed of what i am, and the attitudes that most americans, or even korean-americans, have towards church. i only hope that the day he comes to the states to visit a church, he may visit one that makes him proud to be who he is.
so when we arrived, we were greeted by about 50-60 malawian kids who attend our school. they are so happy to see us and their smiles are so contagious. i think it was watching the excitement of the children during games that increased my confidence of speaking in front of them about such a risky subject.
during lunchtime, we bring nsima (pounded cornmeal that looks, but tastes nothing like, mashed potatoes) with some cabbage relish for the students to eat. i eat their food with them, just like them, with my hands, and they find it hilarious. i think that if you know how to make someone smile, then you need to go and volunteer.
after all the students got their food, we gave the remaining nsima and relish to the village kids who are waiting patiently outside the doors of the food room. we put the remaining nsima in two huge plates, and the remaining relish in two huge plates as well, and suddenly i see two circles being formed around one plate each of nsima and relish, as if they have been waiting for food their entire lives. immediately after, i witness what i can only describe as a life size edition of hungry hungry hippos. it is sad, watching kids who are bloated b/c they are malnutritioned as they stuff their faces with food without any concern for etiquitte. what is even more tragic is that america suffers from obesity, a term that these children do not understand, and will probably never will. america just has too much food. as i eat my nsima, i get kind of annoyed with eating, and am planning on throwing away the pbj that i packed earlier because i just don't want to eat it. i'm about to throw away food because i just don't want to eat it. when such a dichotomy between poverty and abundance exists, how can i say that i have something to teach these children? when all is said and done, will they see us as americans, or as volunteers?
on our way to the school, i sat next to one of our translators, and had a pretty long talk about stuff. he's 21 right now, so we're the same age. i asked him questions mainly about malawian culture, school in malawi, etc. eventually, we started talking about religion in malawi. christianity is the main religion here, and it is pretty evident from the many churches that i've seen so far just traveling around. most of our translators attend church, and some are even in bible school.
as i was talking to my translator, i realize that i can't seem to escape the presence of God. i consider myself to be a pretty spritual person. i may not attend church as much as i used to in high school, but i still enjoy having deep thoughts about life, religion, and morality. my translator is very learned in religion in malawi, and seems to be a very big christian. he tells about churches in malawi, and how he doesnt understand how young christians don't enjoy attending church. i ask him how long people normally spend their sundays at church, and he responds that regardless of how long he is there, it doesn't seem like it is a long time because he is devoting and enjoying that one day completely to christ. i'm so taken aback by the amount of sincere passion that i've just witnessed and i feel like someone like me to respond to him with my lying eyes would just be wrong.
near the end of our discussion, he told me that one day, he wants to travel to the states and visit a church there. i had to hold my tongue back to stop myself from trying to convince him not to come. in many senses, when i see great people like him, i am ashamed of what i am, and the attitudes that most americans, or even korean-americans, have towards church. i only hope that the day he comes to the states to visit a church, he may visit one that makes him proud to be who he is.
so when we arrived, we were greeted by about 50-60 malawian kids who attend our school. they are so happy to see us and their smiles are so contagious. i think it was watching the excitement of the children during games that increased my confidence of speaking in front of them about such a risky subject.
during lunchtime, we bring nsima (pounded cornmeal that looks, but tastes nothing like, mashed potatoes) with some cabbage relish for the students to eat. i eat their food with them, just like them, with my hands, and they find it hilarious. i think that if you know how to make someone smile, then you need to go and volunteer.
after all the students got their food, we gave the remaining nsima and relish to the village kids who are waiting patiently outside the doors of the food room. we put the remaining nsima in two huge plates, and the remaining relish in two huge plates as well, and suddenly i see two circles being formed around one plate each of nsima and relish, as if they have been waiting for food their entire lives. immediately after, i witness what i can only describe as a life size edition of hungry hungry hippos. it is sad, watching kids who are bloated b/c they are malnutritioned as they stuff their faces with food without any concern for etiquitte. what is even more tragic is that america suffers from obesity, a term that these children do not understand, and will probably never will. america just has too much food. as i eat my nsima, i get kind of annoyed with eating, and am planning on throwing away the pbj that i packed earlier because i just don't want to eat it. i'm about to throw away food because i just don't want to eat it. when such a dichotomy between poverty and abundance exists, how can i say that i have something to teach these children? when all is said and done, will they see us as americans, or as volunteers?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
new perspectives
hey all, sorry for the delayed post.
i was actually at lake malawi with our team for the past three days where we had our orientation.
i'll posting up entries for all the days that i missed for you avid readers.
1/4/09
well, i finally arrived at lilongwe, malawi after a grueling two days of travel. i arrived at 1 am and since one of my coordinators couldnt pick me up at that time, i had to wait until 8 am in lilongwe airport to get picked up.
at that point, i cannot lie, but i wasnt in the happiest moods. i had just taken 4 flights to get to my final destination, the status of my hygeine was being compromised, my checked baggage did not arrive at the airport, and i had to spend the night in the airport with all of the festering vermin that were crawling all over the floor. it was then when i realized my selfish attitude. i started to regret my decision to even come to malawi in the first place. i was so bitter about my current condition that i failed to recognize the original puprose of which this organization exists: to help.
needless to say, i was happy to be picked up in the morning. and what turned my mood upside down was the sight of the house that i will be staying at this january. it is a huge house with a pool in the front, a porch with a ping pong and foosball table, huge kitchen, huge living room, huge quarters, each bed with mosquito nets, and best of all, showers.
after taking a long shower and nap, i went out on the pool with the members of my team. unfortunately, i couldnt swim because my luggage hasn't arrived yet. but i was there, enjoying the sunlight, playing the house guitar, and living the dream of my retired vacation. i knew that this month was going to be great.
later that day, we starter our orientation, reviewing the material that we were given. i had looked over the material a couple of times, but i was slowly starting to realize that the people that we are teaching about HIV/AIDS are children. they are the equivalent of 5th, 6th, and 7th graders in the states. i dont even think that i knew what HIV or AIDS was when i was that age, and these children have already been expose to the idea of sex and are already using it to their advantage.
14% of malawi's population is HIV positive, and for a country the size of michigan with 14 million people, this means that about 1 million people have AIDS in malawi. what is even more tragic is that a baby born to parents with HIV has a 25% chance of acquiring the virus themselves. talk about sins of the father.
anyways, tomorrow our team will be heading out to lake malawi for three days to finish our orientation, and its going to be awesome
1/5/09
today we left for lake malawi to continue our orientation. during the two hour drive there i saw a lot of beautiful things as well as a lot of sad things.
the villages that we passed seemed really amazing and beautiful to me. when i talked to our translators, admired the shoddy construction of each home within the village, i was overwhelmed with a sense of community. i learned that each village has a village head, and that the villages are usually comprised of members of the same extended family. what another person may see this to be primitive, i look at this as sensibility. each member of the village has a job to do, such as getting the water, or the wood, cooking, etc. it seems that if a person does not complete his job, the community does not function as well. these villages give purpose to people, and instill in them a sense of responsibility, something that i myself need to learn someday soon.
on the other hand, a child working the field may be a common sight in malawi, but for me it was astonishing. we passed many agricultural fields on the way there and most of them were either being worked by an entire family, or children.
it was then that i realized that what our team is doing in malawi may put jealousy in the minds of the malawians. we are walking into their schools with clean clothes, shoes, sunglasses, teach whatever we know about HIV/AIDS, deforestation, and gender issues, and in a month, take ourselves out of the picture. when i think about this, i wonder if i am doing more harm, than good. i mean, obviously our purpose there is to only produce positive effects for the country, but is it a bad thing to say that ignorance is bliss in this case?
another thing that has been on my mind is elicited from a discussion we had today. to give a little background, in malawi, it is a taboo to talk about HIV/AIDS, sex, and anything along those lines. yet, we are going to schools, talking openly about a topic that they may or may not feel uncomfortable about. does it not feel like we are imposing western culture on them? or where do we draw that line of what "culture" entails? do attitudes toward HIV count as culture?
what is most difficult about teaching such a difficult topic is that there are so many gray areas.
1/6/09
today, the second day of our orientation at lake malawi.
i am starting to feel more knowledgable about the material that we need to teach, but i'm still nervous about presenting the material in an understandable, yet fun, manner.
during one of our breaks, a few of our members went into lake malawi for a swim. we could see where they were from the backside of the lodge that we stayed at. there were some malawian kids swimming around the water and our team members invited them to come and play with them. their mothers were right behind them, and they still encouraged the kids to go on and have fun. the kids swam towards them, and for about half an hour, our team members were singing songs and dances that we have been learning during orientation with the malawian kids.
this was really a important moment for me during my orientation. i realized that malawian kids are so carefree, shameless (not in a negative connotation), and are excited to learn new things. i was so surprised when the mothers on the beach encouraged their kids to go and play with our team members. i find that in the states, starting from day 1, we are told to never talk to strangers, let alone approach them to have fun. i wonder, what is so wrong with the way that we americans raise our kids that they are not that free-spirited as the malawian kids? when we pass them on our bus ride to the lake, they wave and smile to us with welcoming eyes, and when we wave back, they giggle and smile even more amongst themselves. if we were to raise our kids that way, perhaps there wouldnt exist kidnappers and child molesters so that we would have to instill fear in our children.
on a side note, today was my 21st birthday, and i spent it at lake malawi, and i could not imagine being with our team of 15 volunteers and 5 coordinators on this day. they baked a cake for me, made a card for me, (bought a few drinks for me). we didnt do much, but i don't remember the last time that i was this happy, or the last time i laughed this hard. i don't regret turning 21 in malawi. to be honest, to me, its just another birthday. but it felt even better that it was in the heart of africa.
1/7/09
we traveled back to our volunteer house today. the highlight of this day was that we met the rest of the translators that we will be working with over the next 4 weeks. we got a chance to get to know them so that when we're working together for the first time, things wouldnt be as difficult. as i was asking them questions about malawi, and its culture, i realized that these translators are a great resource to us. they are willing to answer any question that we may have, even those regarding HIV/AIDS in malawi, a subject that we are all aware to be a taboo in malawi.
we had a time of reflection today, where we had to discuss a high time and a low time while we were in malawi. my low time would have to be staying in lilongwe airport for 7 hours from 1am to 8am waiting to get picked up. my flight arrived at 1am, but the airport is so small that it closes at night, and it is extremely dangerous driving around lilongwe at night because of the sheer amount of potholes in the ground, so i agreed to wait until the morning without knowing what i was getting myself into. my high time would have to be my birthday. enough said.
thanks for reading 4 days worth of blog. i'll post up pics later.
i was actually at lake malawi with our team for the past three days where we had our orientation.
i'll posting up entries for all the days that i missed for you avid readers.
1/4/09
well, i finally arrived at lilongwe, malawi after a grueling two days of travel. i arrived at 1 am and since one of my coordinators couldnt pick me up at that time, i had to wait until 8 am in lilongwe airport to get picked up.
at that point, i cannot lie, but i wasnt in the happiest moods. i had just taken 4 flights to get to my final destination, the status of my hygeine was being compromised, my checked baggage did not arrive at the airport, and i had to spend the night in the airport with all of the festering vermin that were crawling all over the floor. it was then when i realized my selfish attitude. i started to regret my decision to even come to malawi in the first place. i was so bitter about my current condition that i failed to recognize the original puprose of which this organization exists: to help.
needless to say, i was happy to be picked up in the morning. and what turned my mood upside down was the sight of the house that i will be staying at this january. it is a huge house with a pool in the front, a porch with a ping pong and foosball table, huge kitchen, huge living room, huge quarters, each bed with mosquito nets, and best of all, showers.
after taking a long shower and nap, i went out on the pool with the members of my team. unfortunately, i couldnt swim because my luggage hasn't arrived yet. but i was there, enjoying the sunlight, playing the house guitar, and living the dream of my retired vacation. i knew that this month was going to be great.
later that day, we starter our orientation, reviewing the material that we were given. i had looked over the material a couple of times, but i was slowly starting to realize that the people that we are teaching about HIV/AIDS are children. they are the equivalent of 5th, 6th, and 7th graders in the states. i dont even think that i knew what HIV or AIDS was when i was that age, and these children have already been expose to the idea of sex and are already using it to their advantage.
14% of malawi's population is HIV positive, and for a country the size of michigan with 14 million people, this means that about 1 million people have AIDS in malawi. what is even more tragic is that a baby born to parents with HIV has a 25% chance of acquiring the virus themselves. talk about sins of the father.
anyways, tomorrow our team will be heading out to lake malawi for three days to finish our orientation, and its going to be awesome
1/5/09
today we left for lake malawi to continue our orientation. during the two hour drive there i saw a lot of beautiful things as well as a lot of sad things.
the villages that we passed seemed really amazing and beautiful to me. when i talked to our translators, admired the shoddy construction of each home within the village, i was overwhelmed with a sense of community. i learned that each village has a village head, and that the villages are usually comprised of members of the same extended family. what another person may see this to be primitive, i look at this as sensibility. each member of the village has a job to do, such as getting the water, or the wood, cooking, etc. it seems that if a person does not complete his job, the community does not function as well. these villages give purpose to people, and instill in them a sense of responsibility, something that i myself need to learn someday soon.
on the other hand, a child working the field may be a common sight in malawi, but for me it was astonishing. we passed many agricultural fields on the way there and most of them were either being worked by an entire family, or children.
it was then that i realized that what our team is doing in malawi may put jealousy in the minds of the malawians. we are walking into their schools with clean clothes, shoes, sunglasses, teach whatever we know about HIV/AIDS, deforestation, and gender issues, and in a month, take ourselves out of the picture. when i think about this, i wonder if i am doing more harm, than good. i mean, obviously our purpose there is to only produce positive effects for the country, but is it a bad thing to say that ignorance is bliss in this case?
another thing that has been on my mind is elicited from a discussion we had today. to give a little background, in malawi, it is a taboo to talk about HIV/AIDS, sex, and anything along those lines. yet, we are going to schools, talking openly about a topic that they may or may not feel uncomfortable about. does it not feel like we are imposing western culture on them? or where do we draw that line of what "culture" entails? do attitudes toward HIV count as culture?
what is most difficult about teaching such a difficult topic is that there are so many gray areas.
1/6/09
today, the second day of our orientation at lake malawi.
i am starting to feel more knowledgable about the material that we need to teach, but i'm still nervous about presenting the material in an understandable, yet fun, manner.
during one of our breaks, a few of our members went into lake malawi for a swim. we could see where they were from the backside of the lodge that we stayed at. there were some malawian kids swimming around the water and our team members invited them to come and play with them. their mothers were right behind them, and they still encouraged the kids to go on and have fun. the kids swam towards them, and for about half an hour, our team members were singing songs and dances that we have been learning during orientation with the malawian kids.
this was really a important moment for me during my orientation. i realized that malawian kids are so carefree, shameless (not in a negative connotation), and are excited to learn new things. i was so surprised when the mothers on the beach encouraged their kids to go and play with our team members. i find that in the states, starting from day 1, we are told to never talk to strangers, let alone approach them to have fun. i wonder, what is so wrong with the way that we americans raise our kids that they are not that free-spirited as the malawian kids? when we pass them on our bus ride to the lake, they wave and smile to us with welcoming eyes, and when we wave back, they giggle and smile even more amongst themselves. if we were to raise our kids that way, perhaps there wouldnt exist kidnappers and child molesters so that we would have to instill fear in our children.
on a side note, today was my 21st birthday, and i spent it at lake malawi, and i could not imagine being with our team of 15 volunteers and 5 coordinators on this day. they baked a cake for me, made a card for me, (bought a few drinks for me). we didnt do much, but i don't remember the last time that i was this happy, or the last time i laughed this hard. i don't regret turning 21 in malawi. to be honest, to me, its just another birthday. but it felt even better that it was in the heart of africa.
1/7/09
we traveled back to our volunteer house today. the highlight of this day was that we met the rest of the translators that we will be working with over the next 4 weeks. we got a chance to get to know them so that when we're working together for the first time, things wouldnt be as difficult. as i was asking them questions about malawi, and its culture, i realized that these translators are a great resource to us. they are willing to answer any question that we may have, even those regarding HIV/AIDS in malawi, a subject that we are all aware to be a taboo in malawi.
we had a time of reflection today, where we had to discuss a high time and a low time while we were in malawi. my low time would have to be staying in lilongwe airport for 7 hours from 1am to 8am waiting to get picked up. my flight arrived at 1am, but the airport is so small that it closes at night, and it is extremely dangerous driving around lilongwe at night because of the sheer amount of potholes in the ground, so i agreed to wait until the morning without knowing what i was getting myself into. my high time would have to be my birthday. enough said.
thanks for reading 4 days worth of blog. i'll post up pics later.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
what a way to start the new year
well, tomorrow morning, 1040am, i will be leaving on a 2-day flight to lilongwe, malawi. i can easily say that i am excited for this 1 month trip education children about aids/hiv and the environment. but i am even more nervous about doing my job.
i've been on trips similar to this one before, with a team from my church going to an overseas nation preaching and offering free, basic medical attention. i highly respect missionaries, giving up their lives to help others in the name of christ. but in some odd way, i respect even more, those who sincerely volunteer without any religious affiliation.
i think there is something beautiful about the desire to help without carrying a bible along with it. and when i am there with a team of such people, i am afraid of how my background may influence my perception. there is no doubt that the time we spend there will be a learning experience for our entire team, but for me, i think my experience there will be of greater impact to the way i look at serving.
goodbye comfort zone.
malawi, i cannot wait to see what you have in store for me.
-chris
i've been on trips similar to this one before, with a team from my church going to an overseas nation preaching and offering free, basic medical attention. i highly respect missionaries, giving up their lives to help others in the name of christ. but in some odd way, i respect even more, those who sincerely volunteer without any religious affiliation.
i think there is something beautiful about the desire to help without carrying a bible along with it. and when i am there with a team of such people, i am afraid of how my background may influence my perception. there is no doubt that the time we spend there will be a learning experience for our entire team, but for me, i think my experience there will be of greater impact to the way i look at serving.
goodbye comfort zone.
malawi, i cannot wait to see what you have in store for me.
-chris
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