Hello Everyone! Habari zenu?

Hope all is well! Things are going better than ever in Ilembo. I have been pretty busy with teaching and starting a few small projects. In addition, things have really been jump started with the NGO in my village, because of the presence of the previous PCV in Ilembo a few weeks ago. She had started a school for Out-of-School Youth to learn how to sow and do carpentry projects. It's a really great idea because there are so many youth who have no source of income and little education and too much time on their hands. So the building was half-finished when she left and then some money was stolen from the account, so we have been dealing with trying to get that money back to complete the actual building. And right now it is looking good! The committee for the NGO is really motivated and they are working on creating the windows and doors (right now it is just brick walls and roof with weeds growing in the middle). The goal is to have the school up and running by April! It seems a little lofty to me, however, only time will tell!

My classes have been going well, they've been challenging, but in a good way. For some reason I have signed on to tutor a 13 year old boy who is in one of my classes and does not know how to read. I literally have zero experience in teaching someone how to read so I have no idea what I am doing. But he's a really smart kid and some how has coasted his way through school without knowing how to read.....not really sure how this has happened. But I did just pick up some books in town this weekend to help teach someone how to read. We are going to go the picture and sound route until we figure out which one works better. But he, Goodwin, or Goodie, is such a sweet kid and really motivated. In one of our sessions the other day I was telling him that I was going to be headed in to town for the weekend, and he revealed to me that he had never even been to town before. And then I got to talking to some other kids and it seems like 99% of them have never even been to town before. Which is really crazy to think about the fact that they've never been off of the mountain to see electricity, or paved roads, or offices. I foresee a potential project in the future....

So on top of teaching I have been volunteering at the Health Center, specifically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because that is the day the CTC is open, which is the treatment center for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Last week I did a nutrition session, I think maybe they understood a little. But sometimes it is hard because health words for are not well known around here; for example, the words for nutrients or nutrition are never used, so in Swahili you really have to simplify it. I use the word "wadudu" for about everything, which just translates to "bugs." But when I am trying to teach about the importance of washing veggies, plates, or even your hands, that is my main word. I substitute bugs for germs! However, I learned this the hard way after I taught an incredibly complicated lesson to PLWHA and I do not think anyone understood anything, including myself. So I have really learned that its so much better to keep things simple!!

Adrienne, my site mate, came to Ilembo two weeks ago on a market day, which is typically crazy! There are so many people, hundreds, bustling around the streets of Ilembo. Nevertheless, we toted a table and a few buckets on our heads, from our house and set up a hand washing station! I cut up a few bars of soap to entice people to come and Adrienne and I basically taught people all day the importance of washing your hands with soap before meals, when you return home from work, and after the bathroom. It was really fun! And then we talked about how visiting the hospital is more expensive than buying a few bars of soap each month but if you do not use soap it is really easy to get sick, because that "wadudu" will enter your tummy. We think we taught about 200 people, but who knows how many people will actually change their behavior! This aspect of my job can sometimes be frustrating, but I figure I am going to do my best to put information out there and then people can make their own decisions!

Then this past week four of my widows from my widows group, and myself, went to Iwigi, Adrienne's vill for a seminar. Adrienne had started a chicken project with her widows group (see Facebook for pictures) and they are going to start laying eggs next month. So Adrienne had invited my widows to come and teach a seminar about creating a budget and how to organize an income generating group. Since my widows have a pig project and sow aprons as a business they are well versed in budgets and really do a great job to sticking to them, personal and for the group! So we met in Ilembo Wednesday night and of course as we were waiting for the bus it started to pour! Sometimes if it is really raining hard the bus does not even arrive all the way in Iwigi because the mountain before Iwigi is pretty steep and the bus cannot get back up in the mud. And the Umalila road is not a popular one so it is not like there are multiple choices for transportation, especially to go even farther up the mountain. Luckily, travel in TZ always works out when you least expect it. There was a land rover passing through Ilembo with just enough room for all 5 of us to squeeze in the back! And we were delivered safely to Iwigi.

I had asked my widows to arrange for a place to stay in Iwigi, but of course since none of them had cell phones I knew this would be a hard task. I suggested staying at the little hotel that's in Iwigi, but they were appalled by the thought of it. So we just decided to hodi at a widow's door and she graciously allowed all 4 of them to stay (Adrienne and I were really hoping to have an English only, break from TZ night). So it all worked out and then my widows came over early for breakfast and to prepare the lesson. Then we headed over to the seminar! It could not have gone better! My widows taught everything from leaving money aside in case of emergencies, to how to enforce attendance from each widow if they want to profit from the eggs. It was really great! Luckily the rain held off too so we could hold the seminar outside. And they were all able to speak in Malila, our local language, so that all of the older women could understand. There were about 27 widows in all there! Which is a good size group! And when we were done of course they cooked us a delicious TZ meal of ugali, a meat dish (which is usually mostly bones with a little meat and fat in a sauce), and a green leafy veggie cooked so long there are not any vitamins left. Nevertheless, it was delicious! And we all had to eat without talking because it was raining so hard outside and when it pours there's no way to hear anything if you only have a metal roof! Anyway, it went great! Adrienne and I were really impressed with everyone at the seminar and we think everyone got a lot out of it! I feel like I learned so much too, not only about budgeting, but also from travelling with my widows and spending an extended period of time with them, as opposed to just a few hours, was a huge learning experience for me.

Things that I learned:

• Funerals are really important, but they take so many days and so much time and can disrupt any important meeting you have planned. People stop doing anything for weeks except for mourning.
• If someone offers you food it is SERIOUSLY impolite to refuse it.
• It is completely okay for young children to be left unmonitored for long periods of time.
• Little girls are expected to work like adults, and boys are free to do what they wish for most of the day.
• When you are expecting guests it is polite to meet them as close as you can and shower them with presents, and to also say "Karibu" or "Welcome" as many times as you possibly can.
• It is a real honor to have guests, and apparently brings you good luck!

So, this past weekend has been a pretty typical weekend in town, which I was really looking forward to. Watching movies, hanging out with friends, cooking delicious meals! It has been really fun and also relaxing, which is something I really needed!

All in all, things are great! I am really looking forward to my parents being here in 2 months! And I am starting to prepare more for that trip.

I put up a bunch of pictures in my Facebook album, "Imagine all the People, Sharing all the World." Including pictures of my village, my house, and the widows seminar! So go there to see them! More to come another day.....

I am headed back to the village tomorrow and am looking forward to the next few weeks in Ilembo! For now, on my cell! Oh, and thank you everyone who has sent me packages! As you know they make a huge difference in my life and make me so happy! It is so nice to get a little taste of home!

Will post another in March! Cheers!