Goodbye USA, Hello Africa

We've been on the plane for a little over 13 hours now, and as my last blog entry was written 2 hours before leaving our hotel in Philly and embarking onto this journey into the great unknown, I find it only appropriate to write again just two hours before touching down in Africa for the first time. While my nerves haven't kicked in yet, my anxiousness is continually growing. Ive spent my awake hours of this flight staring out the window of the plane, searching for any sign of familiarity in the land below that I will soon lose. Instead I've been staring down into utter blackness, signs that we are now over "The Dark Continent," but I'm able to glance up at stars littering the sky in a way that I don't recognize. I've watched what I believe to be either Venus or Mars, as it's made its way from resting on the horizon to moving high up in the sky, almost above the planes view. I've anticipated seeing the sun rise, and after hours of checking my watch in expectation, I've finally remembered that now I am in the Southern Hemisphere, and it being winter here, the nights are longer. But alas! Right as the smells of sweet breakfast pancakes and coffee being made begin filling the cabin of the plane, a slight hint of oranges, yellows, greens, and blues begin spilling over the dark edge of our Earth, separating the still sleeping land from the dark starry sky. Now, a beautiful rainbow of colors, an explosion of fiery red at the base as it escorts a large glowing orange orb, the first tally of many amazing sunrises that my eyes will be able to feast upon over these next few years. I wish that I was able to paint a picture with my words that would do justice to the beauty witnessed before me. Now, as the sweet aromas gently awake the sleeping passengers, the sky turns to a tangerine orange, and begins to light the desolate land below us. According to the flight map, we are over Namibia, where every so often a cluster of lights shine from the ground, giving an idea as to how far spread towns containing electricity are from each other, and how small they appear to be, scattered on the vast red sand. As the sun rises higher and we travel further onward, lakes and rivers begin to glisten below, shattering my obviously uneducated expectations of Africa being only a dry desert.

It's still unreal to me that the African country of Zambia will be my home for the next two years. This is the longest commitment I've ever made to anything before- aside from college, but I could return home whenever I wanted to during that time. 6+ months in Ireland was tough for me, and they spoke English there!It feels as if this flight is for a vacation right now, not a flight taking me to my new home. 6 months from now I will be able to travel, have visitors, and start my work projects. A completely different schedule than my first 6 months in Ireland, and with less freedoms.

As we step out of the airplane and down onto the tarmack, I'm surprised to not be smacked in the face by heat and humidity, but rather by gusts of wind and a brisk 60 degrees. Welcome signs line the outer building of the airport, " Welcome to Zambia, the best African country!" "Be Zambitious!". Childrens laughter fills the air as I notice a group of young kids playing in the grass next to a neighboring plane, a freedom to wander that would never be allowed in the States. After grabbing our bags - with only 1 person out of 67 of us not receiving theirs- we head to the outside, where the warmest and most enthusiastic welcome awaited us. 68 people with about 4 pieces of luggage each; every one of us stepping into this unknown land with different fears, expectations, and aspirations running through our heads, and we load up into Zambian trucks that will take us to our motel stay for the first few days. What a site all of us "muzungos" must have been! I hop in the front of a truck alongside the driver (who, by the way, is on the opposite side of the car, and the car on the opposite side of the road), and I begin taking in the sites. There's an odd sense of familiarity here that I didn't expect to find. The terrain, the people, the roads, it all reminds me very much of Brasil, and I instantly feel right at home.

The difference between myself and a lot of my friends is that, while I’m happy to live out of suitcases and yearn to seek the unknown, they like to build nests and often have trouble straying from their comforts. I’m able to leave behind everything I love, know, and have come to understand, for the sake of exploration in an unknown wilderness. Though, it is in no way a means to hurt the ones I love by leaving them behind so often, but rather a way to find the human connection and that same love for others in the deepest, sometimes darkest corners of the world, where not many others wish to or get to venture. Africa, or “The Dark Continent” seems to be shrouded with mystery, but it’s really just a make up of important stories, yet to be discovered and waiting to be told. Had I remained immersed in the modernized, tranquil, civilized, tamed, and well beaten paths of America, I’d never be able to experience all of the wonderous gifts and challenges that Zambia and Africa will surely present to me over the next 2+ years. The thing about serving with the Peace Corps is that I don’t receive just a mere glimpse of a new tapestry of yet another country traveled to on the list, but I get to live, on the ground, in the heart of the communities and peoples, and learn how that very tapestry is woven. Arriving in Zambia I am but a malleable clay, and as time goes on I am excited to see the shape that takes form when guided by the strong hands of Africa.

The horizons here appear to stretch endlessly under the vivid, blue, seemingly painted sky. Zambia seems to be like the wild west, and there are areas here of which that is how they are referred. There are off-white colonnades, dirty and chipped pillars, holding up thatched roofs over a dirt sidewalk. Though the roads in Lusaka are pitted with tarmac, they are also full of potholes, so one can never expect a smooth ride. In fact, out of Lusaka it is rare to find tarmac roads at all, maybe you will have this for a few km until you venture out of the city, and the road suddenly turns to red dirt and rocks as you make your way into the bush. There are two main roads in Zambia- Great Northern and Great Eastern, which, you guessed it, run from East to West and North to South. To get to any province, like to go to Northern from Eastern, you can’t just simply drive north. You have to travel hours back into Lusaka, get onto Great Northern road, and the head up country.

Purple jacarandas, yellow acacias, and trees laden in scarlet blossoms line the two lane road here in Lusaka. There are markets, selling everything from fake ivory bangles (a symbol of your tribe), to heaps beans and dried sardines (kapenta), to colorful chitenges. I heard that it was once counted that there are 128 different ways to use a chitenge, but the most popular- and the reason/ways that we wear them- are as skirts over trousers (or over other skirts). They are also used to help balance buckets on the heads, or as a shower towel. The designs on these brightly colored, distinctive cotton cloths are almos of an Africanized paisley. This fashion was quickly adopted by the girls of our group, as we learned that showing anything above your knees here is the equivalent to showing your boobs in America, and the thighs are considered where the woman’s private part begins. It is seen as an indicator that you are easy, as is the taboo about condoms in which we will be educating on- if a woman asks her partner to use a condom or presents one to her, it will be thought that she is a prostitute. Anyways, taboos and myths at a later time. In some places, just wearing trousers (pants=underwear, trouses=jeans), could also indicate that you are a “working woman” i.e. up for hire. So, we are all getting used to wearing the chitenge skirt, as well as biking in them! Ah- another very popular use is to use a chitenge to tie your baby onto your back- and it looks very comfortable as well! The women here are amazing, and put American women to shame. As they bare their commendably quiet babies spread-eagled on their backs in these chitenge slings, they also sport chitenge turbans on their heads, which serve a prosaic purpose as a platform for burdens. Their exquisite balance is remarkable; how they are able to bear loads capable of defeating a pack mule upon their heads is beyond me. And something I will never attempt to do with my history of a broken neck. They stroll the paths with these burdens on their heads, a baby on their back, often a water jug or another child in their hands, and an expression of stoic serenity spread across their face. 

My words to describe this place and the beauty that astounds never seem quite noiry enough, as there is an ever flowing poetic rhythm to all that goes on in this country.I wish I could say that the way I wake and start each morning is with the same poetic beauty, but my in-and-out sleep stops and starts abruptly at all hours of the night and early morning, as the roosters seem to have a conversation all across the plains. And It starts with the faintest noise- though for me it’s usually the 1 year old in the room next to me waking from night terrors and letting out a whimper- which then causes a chain reaction of the rooster outside my window to make a call. Not your typical “cock-a-doodle-do”, however, my rooster sounds more like somewhat of a hybrid of a dying cow-dog. It’s cock-a-doodler surely must be broken. As his song comes to a screech, I hear the other roosters throughout the village call their response and I lay there, counting the few seconds of silence before mine squawks again. This goes on for about an hour and each time I get those few seconds of silence, I pray that my rooster has finally given up and chosen not to respond… and then… surely enough… right on cue it starts up again. Then, maybe another 45 minutes of silence until, again, something inspires my future dinner to yapp away. At times I seriously think of getting out of my warm, cozy, mosquito net covered tavern and venturing out into the brisk nightly air to throw a stone (or maybe even a huge brick) at the lousy excuse for a bird, but then I remember how warm and cozy I am. So I cover my head with my pillow and try to lull myself back to sleep. I know that in time I will become immune to these sounds and that they will (hopefully) become the equivalent to the crickets soft song. That, or I will make that rooster my dinner; I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one who would enjoy that feast.

A look ahead.

I'd like to share with you what the next few hours, days, and weeks will entail for me.

In less than one hour from now I will board a bus from Philadelphia to New York City, with the ~70 other Peace Corps Trainees that I have met only today. We will leave from JFK at 11am, land in South Africa 15 hours later, and then take another plane 2 hours into Lusaka, Zambia- my new home. After landing we will be greeted by PC staff, given our shots, and then taken to stay at a government hostel. We will stay at the training site for a 3 day orientation, and then we will go out to volunteer sites, to stay for a few days with them in the huts. Thrown right into what our new lives will be like. Returning from their sites, back to our training post. These next 3 months of training I will learn the local language, be trained for my job, as well as go through cultural, health, safety, and bike (!) training. I will have little to no communication during this time. So.. write letters, and write often!! They will definitely help to get me through these next few months.

It is currently winter time in Zambia. Winter to them means ~45F at night and in the mornings, and ~75F during the day time.

My training site is located in Chipembi, about 150km north of the Capital of Lusaka. During my Community-based training, I will live individually with a host family. They will help to familiarize me to the local customs, language, and daily lifestyles. The conditions that my host family live in will be the same conditions that I will live in when I get my permanent site placement in October- mud hut, grass roof, no electricity or running water, no phones. I will also not have any internet access over the three months of training. I will take my language, cultural, and technical job training within my village.

Training is the most intense part. My training schedule, Monday through Friday, will look like:
8-12: Language
12-14: Lunch
14-17: Technical (job) Training
And, on Saturday mornings, additional language classes or cross-cultural trainings.

During training, 5 local languages will be taught: Bemba, Nyanja, Lunda, Mambwe, Tonga and Kaonde. The language I learn will determine where abouts in the country I will be placed for my 2 years of service, post-training. My swearing- in date, where I will become an official Peace Corps Volunteer, is Oct. 5th. On Oct 6, I will move out of my host family's hut, and into my own village and hut. Happy Birthday to me, I'm going to be completely alone in a new place.

That's most of the information I have for now. Again, I cannot stress enough how much receiving letters will mean to me. I will have no internet, no cellphone, no email. That will be my only form of communication. If you have any questions about my living/working conditions- anything at all- PLEASE write them to me and I will be happy to answer. :) I'd like to educate people back home on Zambia as much as I can.

"The Congress of the United States declares that it is the policy of the United States and the purpose of this Act to promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the people of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower, particularly in meeting the basic needs of those living in the poorest areas of such countries, and to help promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the people served and a better understanding of other people on the part of the American people." -Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. sec. 2501)

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M MOVING TO ZAMBIA!

One day from today. 17+ hours in a plane from now. I will touch foot on Zambian soil! I will begin a new chapter in my life- in a completely different life- in a strange new land. I cannot wait!

I've been taking some time the last few days to just sit down and really reflect on everything over the last 8 weeks since I found out I'd be leaving for Zambia. I'm remembering an idea of a roller coaster of emotions... but when I really think about the last 7 weeks, that roller coaster is a really small one, that is kinda flat. I think it was conditioned in my head that I was going to go through all of these different states of mind, and overwhelming emotional changes. When people continually ask me how I feel about leaving for Africa, I feel as if they sometimes infer that I should be feeling all sorts of crazy things, terror included. In reality, though, the only thing that I've really felt continually is: excited!

There was a time a few weeks back when I had about a day or two of freak out. I questioned if this is the right move, if I could really do this, and what I had gotten myself into. But then, very quickly, I was reassured. This is something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. Since I was 15 and went to Austria with a host family and some classmates, I've been saying I wanted to live abroad, and eventually run my own business in another country. Although that business has since changed (I wanted my own Physical Therapy Clinic), my dreams of living abroad and having my own sort of organization haven't. When I got a taste of 3rd World life during a ~1 month volunteer project to Romania, I knew that that was the life setting I wanted to experience and live in and help in. After I traveled to the innercities and favelas of Bahia, Brasil, and saw all of the wonderful things that my aunt does to help the poor (in a country that became her home after she was posted there in the Peace Corps 40+ years ago!), I felt assured this is my calling. Many different things have shaped what I want to do with the rest of my life, but mostly everything I've experienced has reconfirmed it even more for me. I've been saying, since 2009, "I want to live in a 3rd World country, with an indigenous tribe, in a rural area with no amenities, where I only make enough to get by, and in food or shelter. I want to be the main wellness provider in the area, being able to help not only with first aid, and general illness, but also with physical ailments and rehabilitation (see! still with my original 15 year old dream), with mental health, with behaviour change, and all other areas of wellness. I'd also like to be able to work with children, and especially people with disabilities." Well, there's a lot more that has been added to that as well now, such as being able to utilize my pilots license and help deliver aid/travel to remote areas. I'm sure that there are many things that I'll be learning over the next few years that I will become passionate about as well, and will want to mesh that all in to my future plans.

I know that I am extremely lucky to have this opportunity. Everyone says how brave I am, but I really don't feel that way. I portray confidence in all things that I do, but deep down, I'm an emotional wreck right now. As excited as I am to gain new friends, family, and experiences over the next two years, there is so much about home that I am going to miss.

Sure, strip me of my comforts. Make me live with the basics. That's what I want. But I'd love to have all my friends and family, as well as my cat, right there along side of me. And while I know that we all still wake up under the same sun, fall asleep under the same moon, and are in each others hearts and minds, it doesn't make it any easier to leave anyone behind. I wish more of my friends could experience life like I do, learn what it's like to put others before yourself and your own comforts, but not many of my friends would be willing to give up their luxuries and routines. I realize that it takes a really strong person to do this, and while I strongly believe that I will succeed, I know that these next two years are going to show me some of the most difficult times I've ever seen. I know I will be pushed to my limits. I know there will be times that I'm bored out of my mind and just wish I had someone I could talk to, someone that speaks the same language as me and understands. I know that there will be times when I want to give up and come home. I know there will be times that I become depressed, lonely, sick, everything. And I know that leaving Zambia and returning home will be even more difficult to do, in more ways than one.

But I also know that I'm going to experience so much. I'm going to learn things about myself that I never knew before. I'm going to see the world in a whole new light (even more so than I already do). I'm going to learn so much about humanity, the human spirit, and human sacrifice. What it really means to be happy, and how that happiness does not stem from material items. I'm going to get to see things that very few people will ever get to say that they saw. I'm going to be so energized and full of life from the tremendous things that I'll be doing. And I'm going to be making a difference in the worlds of many. I have so much love to give, and I cannot wait to spread that throughout my new home.

The mission of the Peace Corps is simple, but also a very important one. 51 years ago, President Kennedy challenged a group of college students to go abroad and serve the poor by living with them. To promote world peace and friendship, to help the people of developing countries meet their basic needs. To create on-the-ground, people-to-people relationships. The Peace Corps reflects the most enduring values and ideals: generosity, civic pride, a strong work ethic, and commitment to service. Being selected to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer is a huge honor to me, and I couldn't be more proud. This is a 27 month commitment, but it's a lifetime of change.

As a group of ~70, we will all board a bus in about one hour from now. From there we will board a plane, and touch down in a strange, magical, foreign land. And from there, our lives as we know it will completely change.

Concerns of my safety

Everyones first reaction when hearing that I'm about to move to Zambia is "Aren't you scared? Isn't it dangerous?".. And while I appreciate everyones concern for my safety, I hope to be able to dissipate some of that concern and increase your understanding of the Peace Corps, and of Zambia, as well as  heighten your confidence in myself and my safety.

Here are a few facts and figures, of the overall Peace Corps safety surveys:

• 87% of volunteers feel safe or very safe where they live
• 92% usually safe or very safe where they work
• 64% usually safe or very safe while traveling
• 60% usually safe or very safe in city where Peace Corps office is located.

• Peace Corp Volunteers have reported 13,045 crime incidents over the last 10 years. Most crimes reported by PCVs are property crimes.
• Over the last 10 years, theft, burglary, and robbery have accounted for 77% of all crimes reported by Volunteers.
• Thefts include pick pocketing and stealing of property without confrontation (46% of all crimes reported).
• Robbery is the taking of property under confrontational circumstances — this includes when a weapon is present or a demand is made by the assailant (11% of all crimes reported).
• Burglary includes the unlawful entry of a Volunteer’s home. Usually, burglaries happen when the Volunteer is not home (20% of all crimes reported).
• Physical assaults accounted for 11% of all crime reported by Volunteers.
• From 2001-2010, 8.5% of incidents reported were sexual assaults. This includes, rape, attempted rape, and any other unwanted touching of the Volunteer in a sexual manner. More than two-thirds of the incidents reported were “Other Sexual Assaults,” which is defined as unwanted kissing or touching of a Volunteer. Most rapes and attempted rapes occur by friends or acquaintances.

If there is political violence or civil unrest, Peace Corps will evacuate their volunteers. Volunteers could be moved to another post, or sent home to await a new departure to a different country/program.  

It's important to note that a majority of Peace Corps Volunteers serve without major incidents. The health, safety, and security of PCV's are of the highest priority of the Peace Corps. 

Also, I have taken the liberty of checking the Human Rights Watch webpage, to see if anything is going on in Zambia right now. It seems one of their biggest current problems is Chinese coming into Zambia, buying land and mines, and then bringing over Chinese prisoners to work within those mines/building roads/whatever labor is needed. I have heard from others that they then just leave the prisoners there. This is becoming a problem, and the Zambian government is working to have the miners and Chinese obey the laws of Zambia. Some Zambian women who are receiving HIV treatments have/are being abused, and the Human Rights Watch website also touched on that. Otherwise, there seemed to be nothing too alarming, no red flags, and Zambia appears to be a safe country.

Zambia is a fairly healthy country to live in. Malaria is something that I could possibly encounter, but the Peace Corps will have me taking Malaria Prophylaxis throughout my tour in Zambia. Zambia has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Out of the 10 million people that live there, about 20% have HIV or AIDS. More than 75% of people with HIV/AIDS are young, sexually active adults, and children under the age of 5. Children being orphaned because of AIDS is a fairly common thing, and the alarming rise of the illness and the orphans is contributing to the countries already low life expectancy. 

To get to the touchy stuff: rape is a very real thing. It does happen in Africa (as well as all over the world), and it does happen to Peace Corps Volunteers. It will not, however, happen to me. I have taken and graduated from a WAR class (Women Against Rape), as well as am taking Tactical Self-Defense. We were taught self-defense tactics that do work, and many different stories and attack scenarios were presented to us. We were attacked by men who were 2 to 3 times our size and weight; we were thrown to the ground, pinned down, and had to defend ourselves from various rape positions. These classes were extremely intense. I was pushed to the point of overwhelming emotions- terror, helplessness, frustration.. At many times while being attacked I wanted to simply give up. I had panic attacks, asthma attacks, was choked, and shed many tears. But I made it through it. And now that I've been in these circumstances, I know what to do. I know that there will be an initial moment of shock and terror, should I be attacked, but my brain will be able to settle itself and say "I've been here before. I've dealt with this." I know what 'weapons' I have throughout my body, I know how to use each of them, and I know that I will also have the element of surprise, as they probably wouldn't expect me to fight back. Although I am not a violent person, I can seriously injure, if not become lethal with, any attacker. Nobody has the right to touch me, no means no, and if they don't respect that then I have every moral and legal right and reason to protect myself in any way that I see fit. If somebody messes with me, they won't get a second chance to mess with me again. My Tactical Self-Defense class has also taught me how to deal with street attacks, knife and gun attacks, MACHETE attacks (!), pick pocketer's, and even more ground work. I am so thankful that I have participated in these classes; I have become so much more aware of my surroundings, my body, and my abilities and weaknesses. I am fully confident that I can protect myself.

Aside from that, I'm also very smart about how I present myself when in public. I know how to avoid certain situations, I know what not to do. I know not to go out alone at night, not to be intoxicated in a foreign place, or draw more attention to myself than I'll already will be. I know that the quicker I assimilate myself into the culture, the more time I take to get to know the people and places around me, the more effort I put into learning their language and cultural norms, I'll lessen the chances of being a victim. I know that making friends with community members, respected members of the villages, law enforcers of the area, etc. will also lessen the chances of something happening to me. Basically, I feel that while I can't prevent everything from happening, I have taken the precautions to protecting myself both locally and abroad, and I definitely will not be an easy target for someone to take down. 

I hear I won the Peace Corps lottery by being placed in Zambia. It's one of the few countries where the original, raw mission of what the Peace Corps started out to be, is still going. All of my other friends serving through PC across the world have constant access to facebook, instagram, and other such things. They have running water and electricity. This is not what I wanted- I got what I signed up for. I wanted to be in a rural area with no amenities. I wanted to be away from constant communication. And Zambia seems like such a wonderful and beautiful place. I don't feel scared one bit about going there, I don't fear for my safety. And neither should you.