Nutrition Workshop Pictures

My counterpart teaching about the food groups and nutrition groups

Soy milk demonstration/practical

Soy milk!

The children waiting at the water pump

The mothers and children tasting the soy milk and cassava chips

Fay, my co-worker's supercute kid! :)

Next time

I wanted to post an update, but somehow it doesn't feel right to do so right now. I'll be back in a month with an update!

Happy Turkey Day! :)

Obama wins!

Hooray for Obama!!

I really wish I were there with my fellow Americans to celebrate, but I was definitely rejoicing with you in my spirit! My brother had kept me up all night with the polls, and at 6 AM, he texted me, "HE WINS! HE WINS!" That definitely woke me up. :)

I listened to the gracious and beautiful speeches on the BBC and then sprinted to my friend's (also a Peace Corps Volunteer) house. We cheered, laughed, and celebrated. We agreed that for the first time in our lives, we actually felt proud to be Americans.

Then I went to my health center with the biggest smile on my face. Still bubbling with excitement, I told my health worker supervisor about Obama's victory. He stared blankly at me and asked, "Who's that?" He's only the next president of USA! I guess not everyone's well informed. :)

Africa is truly rejoicing! There was a play in Kenya about Obama and McCain. I've heard songs on the radio about Obama... and I heard there is a chitenje (a traditional fabric) with Obama's picture plastered all over. I am so buying it when I see it! :)

Congratulations Obama!

Happy Halloween and Election Day!

It’s funny how much the world seems to revolve around America, especially during this election time. One of my youths (one who finished secondary school last year!) named “United States of America” as one of the continents! (Don’t tell me that wasn’t funny!)

All eyes are truly on America though. BBC wasn’t joking when they called this election an “international affair”. There’s this tension in the air (Malawian air at least) that this election will either make or break Malawi’s future. I thought it a bit petty (though clearly disguising it), but they think the world of America, sometimes for the wrong reason. For the most part, people love America because of money. Almost unanimously, Malawians are rooting for Barack Obama. Why? “Because he’s a African man, so of course he give money to his people!”, though they forget that he wasn’t actually born in Kenya. (The only one who was for McCain was my neighbor simply because he’s a conservative, even though he wouldn’t vote for his own country’s election.)

Speaking of which, Malawi’s election is coming up next year! This is campaign year, so I’ve been hearing a lot about elections, use of “non-violence” during elections, and the likes. Also a bipartisan government, the showdown is between two contestants: ex-president Muluzi and current president Bingu. Since Malawi first defeated the British imperialism in 1964, Malawians have been promoting democracy since. But like every other countries struggling for a free democracy, Malawi had its issues. The first was said to have ruled with an iron fist for over a decade, imprisoning anyone who dared speak malice against him or his government. But the good he brought was education and development, especially infrastructure development. Then came the second president in 1994, who opened the doors to foreign aid and made primary education free, but was said to have brought corruption into the government and flaunted the money at the local villagers. After maximizing his service limit (two terms), he is still attempting to run again for presidency. In 2004, the current president finally took his place as leader. According to Malawians, he was actually Muluzi’s protégé but turned his back once he took office. With his doctorate in economics from USA, he brought development into Malawi and fought against corruption, but people have complained that too much of the money is going into the towns and not the villages, thus increasing the disparity between the rich and poor. However, many of the people I’ve talked to have expressed favor for the current president because of the economic development in Malawi.

Since my service ends in July, I’ll have the fortunate opportunity to witness this election in May 2009! (Though sadly, I won’t be able to witness our monumental election with my fellow Americans! L)

Anyway, since it’s prime season for pumpkins for you pumpkin lovers, here’s a special (and simple!) recipe I use when our fields are rife with pumpkins.

Pumpkin Soup
-1 pumpkin
-1 beef (or chicken or ham) stock cube for 2 people
-1 onion
-other vegetables
1. Wash and cut up the pumpkin into edible sizes and dispose of seeds (or roast them!)
2. Place the pumpkin pieces in a pot and barely cover with water
3. Boil for 20 minutes, then add stock, onions, and vegetables. (I only add onions because I don’t really have a lot of other vegetables to work with, like carrots.)

We volunteers also have tried making pumpkin curry, which I heard is good! I’ve also tried stir-fry pumpkin… but it didn’t come out that great. Bon appetit!

In a few days, I’ll send an update about my past month’s work. Until then, have a happy halloween and election day!

Love,
Elaine

Dzaleka Refugee Camp

I’ve been wanting to write an update about this for a long time since last year, but I always felt like I didn’t have the knowledge and the words to start… How does one begin to talk human rights? About the Ugandan child soldiers who have been fighting the adults’ war for the last 20 years? About the 800,000 Rwandans were massacred in one hundred days in 1994? About the warlords in Sudan attacking UNs’ convoys and pillaging the innocents’ only means of survival? About the generations of girls brought up in brothels deep in the heart of India? About women being raped and murdered in Somalia while the world is sitting by even though UN is calling it “one of the worst humanitarian crises” at this very moment?

I just spent 2 days at Dzaleka refugee camp with a friend of mine. "Dzaleka" means "Never again", yet I'm not sure some of these refugees really believe they will "never again" see the terror and horror that siezed their lives in Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. I didn't really spend any time with the refugees themselves, but I was walking amid the refugees, hanging out at their market, health center, houses, mess halls, schools, etc. We spent most of our time wandering around, searching for the administrators of the camp, health center, and school, and staying with a British volunteer we had met at Dzaleka. I had learned so much just from talking to people and wished I had more questions and time to ask them. I didn't meet any weeping refugees, amputee escapees, or anything like that, but I was glad that I was able to walk among the refugees' homes living their lives as normally as they possibly could.

The UNHCR first opened the camp in 1994 just eight months after the Rwandan genocide. Recently it consolidated with another camp due to some problems, so currently there are over 9,000 refugees overpopulating the camp with roughly half from Rwanda, followed by the Congolese. I was surprised that there were so many Rwandans and that after 14 years, they still remained in Malawi, especially considering how Malawi had little to offer them. But one person told me that even after hearing their fellow Rwandans sharing about the stability in their homeland, their fear still dominate their lives, forcing them to camp out in a foreign land. I guess I cannot underestimate the consequences a genocide produces, but thankfully, the UNHCR has an unconditional policy that allows them to stay as long as they want until they feel emotionally prepared to return home.

As for the Somalians, I cannot blame them for being stuck here - or anywhere - for so long. As the only anarchic state in the world, they really don't have anywhere else to turn to. It seems that Malawi also doesn't know how to handle the influx of Somalians (or even the Congolese) because their lack of governance left them with little or no documentations of their lives. As if their lives were erased or never written.

Even though these refugees escaped from their countries for a safer place to live, it seems that they're still insecure. The administrator of the camp shared that their biggest challenge has been security amongst the refugees and even between the refugees and Malawians. Though there hasn't been any major violent outbreaks (that'd be a problem for the place of "asylum"), apparently most bickering would not be internationally but actually intranationally, most especially with the Congolese.

As I walked through the camp, I tried to imagine and understand what the refugees must face and deal with. To have their homes, lands, crops, livestock, and all things we consider assets taken away from them, I couldn't imagine how they can recuperate from that, especially living in another country where the language and culture are foreign to them. It's amazing how one little war between two warlords or two power-hungry dictators can ruin so many people's lives.

In case you're unaware of the current issues, I've summarized the current major humanitarian crises from the book Not On Our Watch:

Congo (1996-present)
After the Rwandan genocide, the fighting didn’t stop. Instead, it flowed into its neighboring countries, like Congo (formerly known as Zaire). Since Rwanda and Uganda invaded it again in 1998 to overthrow the dictator Mobutu, it has been dubbed as the “African First World War”. Though a peace deal was signed in 2003, violence still continues throughout the country.

Northern Uganda (1986-Present)
Just two countries away from here, the rebels, Lord’s Resistance Army, have been abducting children to fight the government. The leader, Joseph Kony, believes himself to be God’s “messenger” bringing punishment to the government. But he does so at the expense of eight to fourteen-year-olds, who are brainwashed to kill and used as generals’ wives. Though a peace process has been in the works since 2005, the IRC’s warrant to arrest Kony has left the rebels unwilling.

Somalia (1991-Present)
Somalia is actually the only “failed state”, in which anarchy takes on its true meaning since the Cold War. Since “Black Hawk Down”, the U.S. has provided little, if any, support to the Somalis, showing strong interest only in fighting terrorism.

After my visit, my appreciation for the UNHCR grew. Of course it's far from perfect and has room for growth and change, but I can see that they're trying to create a place as safe and comfortable as possible while dealing with the constant influx and outflux of refugees and taking in the Malawians and refugees' needs at the same time. They're trying their best with the little resources they have. I admire how the administration is also trying to mainstream the refugees with the local villages to avoid isolation from the community. But how do they have a life for themselves when they don't have a home to live in? Land to farm on? Businesses to run? I didn't realize how difficult it would be to displaced from everything they knew and had once.

Anyway, I wanted to say more, but I couldn't put down everything I learned, so I'll stop here. I've also posted a few more pictures from Malawi at http://www.flickr.com/photos/26853368@N04/sets/72157605200076398/. I hope you enjoy them! :)

Dzaleka,
Elaine

This is the health center serving both the refugees and the Malawians

These are the primary students who mobbed us

Peace Corps' Job Description

"Waiting on people forever at the risk of never meeting the deadlines."

I don't think Peace Corps mentioned this in the job description. Yet that was what I've been doing for the past three months. This past month has been a bit hectic since I was trying to organize last-minute details for the proposal I’m working on.

Currently, my biggest assignment has been writing a proposal to the USAID (in joint partnership with Peace Corps) for funding to build an 8m x 12m shelter next to my health center where the under-five children can be weighed and immunized, as well as for youths to meet. As of right now, the mothers and their children (screaming ones who don’t have diapers, mind you) often wait up to an hour or two outdoor, which can become problematic during rainy season or hot season. This is one of the several factors that our under-five immunization coverage rate has been one of the lowest in all of Malawi (the penultimate one to be precise).

The other issue that challenges the youths is the lack of a venue for meetings and recreational activities. The youth-friendly health club I’ve been working with has been struggling a lot with attendance for various reasons. I don’t want to divulge too much here about the problems the youth club faces, but I know that they do need to have more activities to look forward to, like sports, games, movies, etc. I’ve also been encouraging the health staff to take a more active role in encouraging and advising these youths, especially regarding reproductive health.

With that said, I’m hoping that this proposal will pass and come October, we’ll be able to start building!

I’ve also been working on a few more proposals to fund other projects. The one that I’m most focused on right now is Nutrition Clinic. Before I came, the World Food Program withdrew their Supplementary Feeding Program for moderately to somewhat malnourished children from my health center, so we don’t even have an outpatient therapeutic program for these children. I’ve been trying to work on this one for awhile. Initially, I started a record book to monitor underweight/malnourished children over a period of 3 months, but the mothers were failing to show up the next month and/or the health workers were not following up when they were supposed to.

In an attempt to improve attendance, we designated a date each month for the mothers to come – the same day as the family planning clinic – so that they would have an easier time remembering and coordinating their hospital visitations. In addition, we added an educational component to the clinic that would promote self-sufficiency. After we’ve measured the children’s nutrition status, we’d educate them on different sustainable topics each month – basic nutrition groups, kitchen garden demo, food preservation demo, jam-making demo, and cooking demo. We’ve just gone through the nutrition groups and kitchen garden demo. Next week we’ll be presenting the food preservation demo: how to dry tomatoes and mangoes.

The kitchen garden demo has been a huge undertaking in addition to the work I’ve been doing for the shelter. I dragged one of my health workers with me to town to buy the mesh wire (to keep out the chickens) and the 100-pound metal pole, and it took four of us all day long to dig a 5x2 meter (x knee-high) pit out of a rock-solid floor. (Seriously, I thought we were digging up bricks and rocks. It reminded me of the time my brother and I dug up a pond in our backyard when I was in third grade.) But the point is that we want to show the mothers that they can build a small garden within their home compound, instead of going into their maize fields, and turn a dead ground into a piece of life. We’d add compost into the pit before sowing the seeds, so the seeds would then grow into a healthy bed instead of the dead rocky soil. The really cool thing about this kitchen garden is that there’d be a variety of food, alternating by legumes (i.e., soy beans), fruits (i.e. tomatoes), greens (i.e., spinach), and roots (i.e., garlic). They’re arranged in a way that would support the others. For example, the legumes nourish the soil, so the roots would benefit most from being next to them, and some of the roots (i.e., garlic and onions) are natural pest repellants from which the greens and fruits would benefit. To encourage the mothers with applying the knowledge, we also explained to the mothers that if they also dig the beds within their home compounds, we would visit their homes and provide some of the seeds. Since it’s still a work in progress, I won’t be able to know the effectiveness of the program, so I’m just hoping that it’ll be successful or be somewhat helpful to the mothers.

To take a preventive and more wide-scale approach, I also wanted to educate the villagers, not just the mothers with underweight children, about nutrition and proper food preparation techniques. Since men are the ones who usually buy the food or provide the money for food and the women are the ones who prepare the food, it is essential to include both men and women. My workshop will target mainly the Village Health Committee who was elected by their village to communicate and monitor health issues within their community. It’ll be a fun workshop with lots of cooking practicals and recipes! :)

My final major project is a natural medicine workshop. I’ve talked a lot about natural medicine in my previous update, but I didn’t want to just stop there. I want to host another workshop for Villages AIDS Committees and support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS. They’ll be able to learn about simple treatments for common colds and illnesses, as well as natural products they can use to generate incomes.

I’ll be continuing my secondary projects in November. My mentorship program fell apart for awhile because of all the exams and other problems (one of our mentors ran away after Camp GLOW and never came back), but when the new school year starts in November, I’d like to polish the program a little and start over. I might also consider teaching Life Skills at the secondary school again, but… I didn’t have the best experience last year, so we’ll see. And then there are the youths, of course. I’ll continue working with them, even though I’ve been facing a lot of challenges with them lately. I’ve also been involved with the youths at my church, though it’s not considered a Peace Corps assignment but a personal one.

I can’t believe how much this all sounds, but it really doesn’t feel like I’ve been doing a lot! I’m only here for 10 more months! I feel like I’m running out of time to accomplish all these things! I know it’s ironic that I mentioned helping people who don’t want to help themselves in my last update when I’m talking about the billions of projects I’m doing here. Will they all just go down the drain? I just hate the thought of giving up on people. I’m hoping that someone somewhere will actually learn something and think, “You know, maybe that is something worth trying and changing my life for.” Maybe they’ll start to hope and strive for a better life. :)

My yard while I was digging up a pit for my kitchen garden... using a hoe

My counterpart mixing the compost of our kitchen garden demo

A little eye candy

This was my agogo at homestay training cooking nsima

My homestay family eating in July 2008

These were the kids from my homestay village

These were 3 sisters - so cute!

My neighbor's baby is sooo cute! He's starting to talk now but can only say "Bye!",

so he always yells "Bye!" whenever he sees me! :)

This is the future Shaq O'Neill - Hope! He's huuuuge and he loves to laugh!

Baby Elaine! My friend named his baby after me!!

This little sweetheart is Kingsley, my co-worker's kid.

He's learning the alphabets now, so whenever he gets to "L",

he says "L-N-E" ("Ellen-e", get it? haha) and does a little dance! haha

A baby at church. She's sooo - yes it's that word again - cute!!! :D


I love the babies here, so I hope you don't mind me posting pictures of the babies and kids! haha


But here's a non-pediatric picture...


This is a toilet. I don't have one like this, but the cool thing is

the family (former Peace Corps Volunteers who stayed in Malawi)

uses the refuse and throws it into their compost to fertilize their gardens.

If that ain't recycling, then I don't know what else is!

For more pictures of Malawi, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/26853368@N04/sets/72157605200076398/

Enjoy!