Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World)

           Internationally, women in many countries do not experience the same freedoms and liberties as women in the United States do. In some instances, women still can’t own land, ask a man on a date, control household money, or decide when they want to marry and start a family. In Southern Province, the land of the Tonga’s, many women is even 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th wives. It is common to be told by a man upon the first meeting that he loves you, wants to marry you, or wants you to give him a child. Men are expected to pay a dowry to be allowed to marry. If this isn’t paid in full even after marriage, a woman will be told to return to her parents until it is covered. Many times during conversations where I’m explaining about Peace Corps and the work of the organization and my project and that I’m here alone, people exclaim, “And your husband gave you permission?!”

            As a way to empower and encourage respect of women, PCVs around the world host Camp G.L.O.W (Girls Leading Our World). GLOW is an attempt to instill a sense of self-worth in young girls, to encourage them to respect themselves and their bodies, and teach life skills.  We do this through organizing something like a summer camp for girls between the ages of 11-15 and inviting community counterparts to attend sessions as well.

            In December 2013, volunteers in Southern Province sponsored a camp. For one week we dedicated our time to mentoring 16 girls and 8 counterparts. We covered topics such as self-esteem by providing profiles of successful women like Oprah and Joyce Banda, the president of Malawi. Girls wrote positive things about themselves on flower petals and pasted them in journals that they were encouraged to write in so that they could be reminded of the good characteristics and qualities they possess. The girls also learned about budgeting, healthy ways to respond to peer pressure, healthy relationships, and sexual health. They participated in arts and crafts such as making friendship bracelets as well as doing team-building activities.

            Through programs like GLOW, volunteers touch the lives of young women in their communities. They’re exposing them to ideas and topics that are often avoided because they’re uncomfortable. They’re attempting to raise the next generation of young women into confident, self-respecting teens and adults. In my mind, children are the real way that change is going to happen. Whether it’s worldwide or in a small African village, children are the key to change, development, and to a country that is filled with strong, independent, and creative individuals. It also brings about the topic of the importance of women in society and can lead to mutual respect between genders and within communities and households. A girl who has expectations, confidence, and knows how she wants to be perceived and function within a community can be a strong driving force behind change and development. Lets support our girls as they navigate the obstacle course that is teendom and encourage a sense of pride in being a woman!

The Camp GLOW Song by Amanda Eilefson

Girls are strong

Girls are smart

Girls have big hearts

Oh yeah!

Girls leading our world

Girls leading our world

Two Americans Final Account of Rafting the Zambezi

Over the holidays I had a visitor from the states! Over the course of their stay we went to a few local markets, ate at some tasty restaurants in Lusaka, stayed in my village for Christmas, and went to Zambia's number one tourist destination, Livingstone. While everything we did was pretty fun and definitely a new experience for Ryan, the most outrageous and crazy thing we did was white water rafting on the Zambezi River. I've had numerous volunteers say it is one of the best things they've done in Zambia. Perhaps for those adrenaline junkies, this was an awesome experience. For me and Ryan it was slightly (really?) terrifying and we were glad 1) we only went for half a day and 2) when it was over. Before even signing up I was hesitant. I’ve been rafting once in the states and really enjoyed it but water isn’t my favorite element and I don’t find digging a paddle into foaming, raging water and hanging onto a raft for dear life very relaxing. Ryan is slightly more experienced than me when it comes to white water rafting and was really looking forward to it so it became our one big splurge during his visit.

Rafting on the Zambezi River is considered to be the best one-day white water rafting trips in the world (http://www.zambezi.com/content/white_water_rafting_the_zambezi_river).I didn't know this at the time or else I never would have done it. But ignorance can be a great enabler.

Now most of the time when you go rafting the guides tell you there is a chance you might end up in the water due to your raft flipping or you falling out because of a large wave. A chance, let me stress this, a chance that if your group can’t synchronize or you hit a rapid wrong you might end up in some rough water. When we arrived at the office we were told that we would definitely end up in the water. After being outfitted with helmets and huge life vests we headed to Victoria Falls National Park to begin our half day adventure.

Boiling Pot, just below Victoria Falls, was a churning, raging mess of water. The rafting company was throwing us right into it from the beginning as Boiling Pot is a class 4/5 rapid (classes range from 1 to 6 , 6 being un-runnable). Steeling myself for the worst, I climbed into my raft with the guide, Enoch, Ryan, a family from San Francisco, and a couple from Australia. Let the fun times begin.

With the first attempt at Boiling Pot, everyone except Enoch, me, and the daughter of the SF couple, ended up in the river. The next attempt found Ryan in the water with a dislocated knee (luckily it popped back in by itself but that didn’t really mean it was completely pain-free and hunky dory). At times, throughout the course of the next 8 rapids (we skipped #9 as the water was to rough and high) all we could do was duck down in the raft and hold on for dear life so as not to be thrown into the rapids. Our crew made it through almost all of the rapids without any mishaps, even the one where there was a 5-8 meter drop, until we hit rapid #7, Gulliver’s Travels. Our entire raft flipped, tossing everyone into the river. There’s never been any point in my life where I thought I was close to death but when I ended up in the Zambezi on this rapid I truly thought I was going to drown. All I could do was hold on to the rope that was attached to the raft and fight as best I could from being dragged under the water. Sometimes I’d end up under the raft. At other times I was being dragged like a ragdoll alongside of it. Even when the raft threw me against some rocks I couldn’t do anything but hold on. Letting go for me was unthinkable as I thought I would surely be a goner. When I finally surfaced in slightly calmer water, I was hyperventilating (perhaps having a panic attack?), trying to catch my breath. The guide must have realized I was starting to panic because he dragged me onto the raft and told me to hold on (nope, we weren’t done with Gulliver’s Travels yet). I thought I was scared during my time in the water when we finally reached a calm patch, Ryan was not in the raft. I couldn’t spot him anywhere. With no idea where he was or if he was okay, I tried reining in my panic and questions and stop myself from thinking I was going to see a body floating in the pool where things like paddles were accumulating. After the next rapid our crew regrouped and Ryan was re-united with our small watercraft.

For the last 2 rapids we stayed in the raft and finished the trip with a sigh of relief, happy to be back on solid ground. Although we had quite a trek out of the Batoka Gorge, it was good to be off of the water. While this gave Ryan and I a good story to awe friends and relatives with, we both agreed to never do such a thing again. At least we also signed up for the sunset cruise.

Goats Play Marco Polo

   Does everyone remember the  common kids game, Marco Polo? One kid is "it," closes their eyes, and blindly tries to find the other kids by following their voice as they respond to "Polo!" to his "Marco!" My brothers and I use to play in the swimming pools of the apartment complexes we lived in or in hotels.
   Did you know that goats also play Marco Polo? In the past 9 months I've had ample time to observe goat behavior. The one thing I've noticed most often is that all goats at some point throughout their day of grazing and moving about also make time to play Marco Polo. This is usually accompanied by the participating goats running hither and thither in response to the answers they get from their bleating "Marco!" Mad dashes one way turn into sprints in another direction in a fraction of a second.
   My favorite Marco Polo game to watch is when nanny's and kids play. It goes something like this:
          Kid: "Mom..."
          Nanny: "Maaa...."
          Kid: "Mooooommmmm...."
          Nanny: "Mmmaaaaaaaaaaa."
          Kid: "MMMMOOOOOOOMMMMMM!"
          Nanny: "Maaaa! Maaaa! Maaaaa!"
It continues until the game ends with the two happily reunited.
   I think goats cheat though as they keep their eyes open while they play. They may be in a larger area than a pool but if I ever peeked during a game of Marco Polo, my brothers were quick  to shout, "No cheating!" I guess I'll cut my four-legged forms of entertainment some slack though as it seems like acceptable behavior to all of the other goats and no one ever gets upset over this slight change of rules.

Being Brave

    I can't count how many Americans and Zambians have told me how brave I am for becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer, moving to a remote African village on an often misunderstood continent, dedicating 2 years of my life to a people in a place far from my home. In truth, I don't feel brave. Most of the time I lock myself inside my hut as soon as it gets dark because I'm afraid of meeting my cobra neighbors.
   Maybe PCVs don't realize they possess an uncommon courage no present in others. What we do, while out of the ordinary, doesn't seem strange or selective. Perhaps we have gene DRD4-7R that is linked to restlessness and curiosity in 20% of the population (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/125-restless-genes/dobbs-text). We don't see ourselves as unique or brave, though I think every volunteer would admit that the experience certainly is.
   Maybe there is something within us that provides a sense of longing for experiencing the unknown or something new and novel. Certainly my friends in the states never understood my desire to hop trains of free-dive with great white sharks. I'm sure they were even more confused when my reasons for deciding not to do these things had more to do with the fact that trains really are quite noisy and I get mini panic attacks when trying to breath through a snorkel and not with the dangers inherent in such acts as train hopping and diving with sharks.
   So, when people tell me how brave I am, I am always at a loss for words, puzzled by what leads them to say such things. While PC is not for everyone, I'm a firm believer that anyone can be brave and achieve amazing feats. You don't have to live in a hidden corner of the earth to be courageous. Courage is within all of us and bravery is when we rise to meet the challenges that await us. So I say cheers to everyone because while you may think I'm brave, I think you are equally so.

Who knows what development means? Please raise your hand.

      Before volunteering in Peace Corps, I had no idea what international development work entailed. It is an abstract idea that I couldn't explain to my friends, family, or even myself although I regurgitated the description of the project to those who were curious. After seven months in country, I'm still no expert on development but I have a much better idea of what sustainable development means and how to go about achieving it. I may even be able to explain it to you now!
     In America, we don't often think of what development is or how to go about achieving it. It so inherent in our culture. America already has the foundation for industry, markets, education. We merely expand upon the structure that is already present, which in one way is a hindrance as it makes starting new businesses and developing new ideas more difficult. But, how do you build something that doesn't exist yet especially when you're coming from a country where the idea is already established, the infrastructure already built...meaning, you haven't the vaguest idea of how to begin. This is one reason I struggled with the idea and definition of development before completing Peace Corps training and living in my village. I've never developed anything. At least, not in the sense that development workers do.
     Recently, the LIFE 2013 Peace Corps volunteers attended technical training and a Project Design and Management Workshop. During this time, my definition and understanding of development and what it means, especially in a rural setting, was solidified. The training and workshop helped me define my goal for Peace Corps service. While most volunteers spearhead a large project during their time in-country, something that will be recognized and appreciated by Peace Corps and the community in which the volunteer lived and worked even after they're gone, I wonder how sustainable the project is. Most projects are ideas generated by the volunteer to meet a need they have observed in the village. This makes the motivation and drive for the project directly connected to the volunteer and their presence. While the community may be involved in the construction of whatever the PCV may have in mind, it isn't owned by them. What do I mean when I say that a project is "owned" by the community? To me, it means that the members of the community have identified  a need in their area and agreed to address it, they are passionate about improving their village in the way they see fit, they have the motivation and dedication to see the project begin and continue with it until its' completion. They have a sense of ownership over the idea, they see a benefit in remaining steadfast and moving forward, and they can take pride in the outcome. It will be something they want to protect and showcase.
     Oftentimes volunteers want to see observable, tangible changes in their villages within the 2 years they serve. They want to know that they created something and didn't dedicate years of their life in a foreign country with no end result. While the projects typically do benefit a community, I wonder how much the community learned about developing itself, about relying on the skills, talents, and ideas of its' people. It's wonderful to see motivated and enthusiastic volunteers bringing change to their communities and even if the projects don't survive, the village still remembers their volunteer thus achieving the second goal of Peace Corps (promoting a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served). But, what I've learned during the 7 months I've been here is what I truly want for my village. I want to empower them, to teach them how to build the things they want, how to bring about development to their rural community long after I've gone. I want to teach them what I know about capacity building, about community development, identifying projects, and defining goals and then how to achieve them. I want them to be able to do what I do and have the knowledge I have. Perhaps I'll never have a remembrance, a memento commemorating my time here, but if one person learns that they themselves are a powerful force for change and have the tools they need to make those changes occur, then I'll be happy to be merely Milimo, the first PCV in Nalube.

Voyage of the Mini S.S. Minnow

Lake Tanganyika - the second deepest lake in the world and the most biologically diverse. This is where I’m spending my post IST (In-service Training) vacation. Mpulungu, only port town in Zambia, is much like other Zambian towns. Small shops line the main road selling a variety of goods and necessities like biscuits (cookies) or shampoo. There’s a market near the water that is packed with people, the shore lined with boats, and smelling of fish and salt.

                Excited to get out on the lake and in the water, the group of PCVs that made the trek up north from Lusaka rented some boats with the intention of rowing out to a nearby island. I climbed into the boat that looked more reliable, meaning the bottom wasn’t filled with water. I should have known when they only wanted 3 muzungu’s in the boat and 5 in the other that I’d probably chosen the wrong one. As the Zambian crew, one man in the bow and one in the stern, pushed off from shore with their apprehensive flock of PCVs, I was certain we were going to capsize at any moment dumping me and all of my precious electronics into Lake Tang. As water began pouring into the boat from the seams in the boards, patchily plugged with bits and pieces of chitenge, I began to think we may also sink. I’ve been jumping off boats and docks in the Midwest all of my life and can hold my own in the water so aside from possibly  ruining my camera/ipod/phone by accidentally ending up in the lake, I wasn’t too concerned…until we spotted a crocodile. Yep, a crocodile. I’d heard rumors of crocs in the lake but thought they would be a rare sight and not encountered on this little adventure.  Now the stream of thoughts in my head have quickly been consumed by, “capsize, sink, Lake Placid, capsizing sinking crocodiles crocodilescrocodilescrocodilescrocodilescrococrocscroc…”

                All ends well though as the boat neither capsized nor sunk, the crocodile did not pursue and attempt to eat us, and we arrived at the island. We spent a blissful hour dangling our feet in the greenish-blue water and gazing out over one of the most beautiful and least visited areas of Zambia. 

Sweeping the Yard

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  It's a chore in Zambia that all the women do, normally each morning. The "yards" are typically just bare soil/sand so, to integrate into the community & participate in a piece of Zambian culture, I too sweep my yard.  There can be no wind but the minute I begin, huge gusts will pop up & continue throughout my sweeping endeavor.  Add to that the hard, cold fact that no matter which direction the wind is blowing, when I adjust my position so I am sweeping the dust clouds away from me, the wind changed & all the dust comes right back in my face.  Without fail this happens. Sometimes I swear the wind is even going all directions at once, engulfing me in a dust cyclone & coating me from head to foot in dirt.  Add this to the fact that I'm also sweating & it's a guarantee that I'm now filthy, and this is how I start the day (about twice a week as I'm really very lazy.)  The most annoying thing though, more than wind or being covered in small soil particles, is when I've finished the task, feeling very accomplished (yah me! I've just swept an area the size of a hotel pool with a broom made of twigs)... and a chicken walks through my yard.  I'm going to be eating chicken tonight!
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