Tuesday, May 4, 2010

October 29, 2009

Mwapoleni bonse mukwai! (a Bemba greeting of health)

Another cluster of months passed, another apology for the delay in updates warranted. It seems the longer I'm here, the less dramatic and noteworthy my activities seem, causing me to forget to sit down and write these mass e-mails and assure everyone back home that all is well and that you remain, as ever, in my thoughts. I'm not even entirely sure when I last wrote and am completely daunted by the task of trying to encapsulate months and months of events in one e-mail, so I'll restrict my recollections and try to be as concise as possible...

To start, the sheer amount of time I've been here in Zambia and the rapidly decreasing amount of time I have left in this beautiful country seems almost absurd to me. As cliché as it may sound, time has truly flown by and I feel myself trying to grasp on to every day remaining before I walk away from my life here and embark on the next step. With only 6 months left in my service, I'm now part of the most-veteran group of volunteers in Zambia. My 'intake' will become RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) in April and many of us, myself included, are already feeling a bit of anxiety about transitioning back to life in the States after all we've experienced and grown accustomed to here. More so than any adjustments faced during our initial months here in Zambia, having to readjust to a world once so familiar that will now seem completely new and in some ways difficult to understand will be a significant challenge. But, alas, I'm getting far ahead of myself. With a little less than a quarter of my total time in the village ahead of me, there's plenty to be done between now and then. These are just some of the most recent thoughts creeping into and occupying my head. I just feel, more than ever, that this whole spectacular, surreal experience is going to be over before I know it, which is strange to realize since it once seemed to be such a long time to be away - like the Grateful Dead said, "Such a long, long time to be gone and a short time to be there" (that's for you, Dad).

Looking back instead of forward, I once again have to reassert the fact that Zambia becomes more and more of a home with each passing month. I often think about how different and strange and sometimes scary so much of it seemed when I first arrived and in the initial months and compare that to the strong sense of familiarity I now feel towards the people and places here. Granted, I still see and experience things that surprise me on a very consistent basis, but
I've found myself increasingly connected to and in sync with the rhythm and energy in this little part of the world that I've so randomly been dropped into. Having a few visitors from home (which I'll delve into with more detail later on) really put this into focus for me as I saw how certain things are no longer novel or shocking to me, as when they are through unaccustomed eyes. It's hard to explain, but all I can say is that I like the feeling and never would have thought I could feel so comfortable in a completely different type of environment form all that we're so used to back in the States. Anyway, I'm certain I've touched on all these sentiments in past e-mails, but it's hard not to repeat myself a bit since this acute sense of awe seems to remain a constant part of the Peace Corps experience.

So, the past 7 months or so have most notably included brief periods of hosting family and friends from home, developments on big projects such as my village's community school and my work with certain farmers' and women's groups, a few trips to Lusaka (Zambia's capital)
for Peace Corps trainings, a trip to South Africa, and even some new additions to my mud hut family after my only roommate, Chimo the cat, had a total of 7 kittens in the past 3 months. All very exciting...

I think the biggest event worth elaborating on is my mom and brother's visit back in April. Now, to fully appreciate how much I was anticipating their arrival, imagine going almost 14 months without seeing any of your family members or closest friends, or anyone at all from your past, for that matter. Needless to say, it was a moment of pure, intense joy when I saw them at the airport and I hardly stopped smiling during their entire visit. We had quite an incredible time travelling around Zambia together, hiking around and gazing at the majestic Victoria Falls, going on 'safari' in Botswana's Chobe National Park, and simply enjoying being in close proximity to each other after over a year apart. The last leg of the trip included the trek up to my main stomping grounds in Luapula Province, including a few days in my village. No matter how hard I may try, I couldn't possibly express how amazing it was to have my mom and brother visit
the place that I've told them so much about and that has been my home for the past year and a half. Family means absolutely everything in Zambian culture, to the point where hardly anything is thought of in terms of the individual, only in the way it relates to and affects the collective whole of the family or village - a way of thinking many in the Western world could learn a thing of two from, I think. Anyway, this meant that, for my village, meeting some of my family members gave them a much more real sense of knowing me and solidified a lot people's connections to my presence here in Maloba Village. For my family's part, seeing the village for themselves, through their own eyes instead of only through my descriptions via letters or e-mail, provided them with a better understanding of my life and work here. It was quite surreal having my two, seemingly separate worlds collide and interact - a part of my experience here that meant more than words can say. I only wish I could bring each and every one of you here for a
visit, too!

Since then, the majority of my time has been spent further developing projects I started in my first year and elaborating on programs that were a bit slow at the beginning stages of my service. Not surprisingly, a lot of time and energy has been spent on building our community school, which has come with plenty of trials and tribulations, but a few triumphs as well. The project has brought more money into this small village than it's ever really seen, which brings plenty of issues with it. I've had a few moments of frustration as people in the community accuse each other of taking some of the money for themselves or not doing their fair share of the work, but I've tried to remedy these issues by facilitating constant communication through meetings and encouraging everyone to talk about their concerns instead of fostering rumors and misunderstandings. This has, for the most part, cleared matters up and gotten us all back on track with the work, which should be done within the next two weeks or so! The school looks really great - I've been so impressed with so many of those who are doing most of the construction. Using local materials and local knowledge, community members are able to build a beautiful school with their own hands. Overall, I'm incredibly proud of everyone involved and can't wait to see the school completed and full of kids learning and gaining skills so key to future development for this village. I've attached a few pictures of the school so far so those of you who contributed can see how it's coming along...

Outside the school project, I've continued income-generating activities with various groups in the area and facilitated a 3-week workshop focused on HIV/AIDS sensitization, basic business skills
training, and how to mediate the impact of HIV/AIDS on small-scale businesses and household income. In addition, I helped out with a training of a newer group of PCVs in August and assisted in coordinating volunteers while the Provincial Coordinator in Luapula was on a month-long trip to the States. I was also pretty occupied with LSAT studying in August and September in preparation for my trip down to South Africa to take the test in Johannesburg (the closest
LSAT test center to Maloba Village). Needless to say, it's been quite a challenge applying to law school from here, but I'm getting excited about the next step and going back to school and an environment of learning that I love and often miss. It baffles me to think how different a place I'll (hopefully) be in this time next year and how all this will seem in hindsight. I only hope the perspective I've gained here will prove to be useful as tackle law school and pursue a career in international human rights law.

My trip to South Africa reminded me of so many things I often miss about home and can't wait to get back to - hot showers, cold drinks, good food, real coffee, being able to just sit and be part of the energy of a diverse crowd, instead of constantly being watched and stared at...The trip (post-LSAT) provided a sense of ease and relaxation that I hadn't felt in a long time. It also provided some pretty incredible travel experiences and adventures, including lots of hiking around Cape Town, wine tasting in Stellenbosch, whale-watching and cage diving with Great White Sharks in the Indian Ocean, and visiting Robben Island to see and learn first-hand about aspects of South Africa's history that I had previously only read about in books. It was an exhilerating trip, giving me a chance to experience more of this region while I'm here and further igniting my fascination with and admiration for the people and places that make up this beautiful
part of the world.

The coming months will be filled with law school applications and work out in the fields as the rain season approaches and everyone prepares the land for this year's harvest. I'll do my best to write again before the end of the year in order to provide a less broad overview of activities on my end. Until then, please continue to keep in touch either via e-mail or snail mail. I continue to miss each of you with all my heart and wonder constantly how things are going on your end. Please know that you are all constantly in my thoughts and how grateful I am for all the support and encouragement I have been so lucky to receive throughout my time here - I truly wouldn't have lasted this long without it...

Mushale bwino! (Stay well!)

Love,
Sara