Thursday, February 23, 2012

ZINDUKA

Zinduka soccer
So I just received the honor to attend a grassroots zinduka soccer seminar with 9 other volunteers and 30 counterparts. I chose to bring my friend Joel who helped me with the WAD (World AIDS Day) event, he also helped me start the health club in the primary school so it seemed like a great choice. I had to bring 2 counterparts so I let Joel choose the second so I ended up with Joel and Vitalis. This seminar is designed to teach us to be master coaches but really it taught on how to be a role model. The grassroots program has an age target of 10-19 with 10 lessons. The lessons should be done in 3 months and each child should go through the program once. Each lesson involves different topics but they are all HIV/AIDS related. An example of a lesson is that there is a goal and two lines of people about 30ft out. One line of kids is HIV and the other line is a striker line. For the first round the striker line is abstaining from sex so you blow the whistle and after the kid reaches about half way you blow it again and the kid in the HIV line tries to catch him before he reaches the goal (representing their life goals). The second round the striker line has to dribble 1 ball representing one sexual partner, a few kids gets caught by HIV. In the 3rd round the striker line has to dribble 2 or 3 balls representing multiple partners where they all pretty much get caught. This lesson, like all of the lessons is very visual and I am SO PUMPED to have learned it!! Of course you have to know your audience and adjust accordingly but all in all these are great games to get kids out of the classroom but really learning. Also the most important thing about this project is that it opens up conversation with safe people who have time to hear them out. My counterparts are expected to be role models and always there for the kids and their questions which I really think can foster a safe environment which will help to dispel myths and bring out real information.

update

Life in milo is going great, im just working at the CTC (Care and Treatment Clinic) and getting ready for my preschool to open. I had about 63 kids last year but most of them have moved on to the primary school so im going to be looking at a MUCH smaller class, which is good for all parties. I hope that it goes well and that we will be able to get the kids doing good work. As of now my COS (Close of Service) date is Aug 17th but in May but I have a COS conference where I will find out the exact date which could range from july to aug. I haven’t yet found a good 3rd year extension opportunity, World Vision doesn’t have any openings, but I am still on the look-out. I hope that it all works out.
The other day was pretty busy with the CTC, I was doing file paper work and whatnot just helping out when I saw that a guy had a CD4 count of 2!!! To start ARVs you have to have below a 300 because at that time your body is at serious risk of infection, your immune system is down. For someone to have a 2 they must be super sick. I then had a woman come in and while I was trying to find her file the other staff was talking about TB, I was half listening and then the women went to get up leaning forward and coughing on me at the same time, I turned and asked the staff who had TB and what do you know the woman who coughed on me does! Haha figures huh?
I was talking with my counterpart and a friend by all of the shops about just random things, getting in on all of the good gossip and who was pregnant with whom when she directed the convo to me. She gave me a good motherly talk about how I need to make sure not to get pregnant because my parents will be disappointed and that I need to finish my masters first. She said that all the guys in the village are liars and I need to make sure that if I want a boyfriend in Tanzania he couldn’t be married. Why you may ask? “Because his wife will find out and tell the wizards and get a potion and put it in your drink and you will be poisoned”. Some other advice is not to accept an opened drink from a man, are you thinking date rape? NOPE “love potion” from the wizard could be in there!! Gotta love the cross of cultures.
I was talking to another peace corps volunteer about how a villager broke her leg and I then said in Swahili “well, there are a lot of wizards and bad luck”. My friend gave the Swahili word of agreement and I walked outside where I realized that what I said was super Tanzanian and came back in said “OMG did you hear what I just said? What will happen when I get back to the states and blame things on bad luck and wizards?” haha
For new years I was in Mbeya staying with a lot of volunteers at lake Malawi enjoying the sun and a few hikes. We went to a waterfall with a lagoon at the bottom and it was soooo pretty on the hike and at the waterfall. In the movies they make standing under a waterfall look so cool and fun BUT in reality the water kinda hurts lol, its coming down pretty fast and its not like a shower head at all! We had a lot of fun and it was cool to meet people from all around. I then went to Mbeya town and stayed with a bunch of people at a friend’s apartment (he is a pcv but teaches at the university so has a nice apartment on campus). We bought a lot of voucher for our internet sticks and watched football all night!! The next day we just relaxed and went to bed kinda early bc the Michigan game was on at 4am. Glenn and I got up around 3:15 so that we had enough time to find a good website to watch and we ate cereal and cold milk (first time in country, it cost a pretty penny) and drank a few beers as the Wolverines kicked butt!!!! I can’t wait for next football season where I can see a football game at a normal hour on a bigger than 8 inch screen!