Books for Swaziland

Hello Hello everyone!


The time has come and I need your help!

My school, and 29 others around the country, are looking to start libraries at the schools for the children. We are trying to get 1,000 books for each school and need your help to make this possible! The schools contribute half the amount of the project, our country post contributes a portion, but we still need your help to contribute the rest!!


Here is a description of the project:

Books for Swaziland is a project designed to establish new libraries or enhance existing school library facilities in rural Swazi communities. Each location will receive roughly 1,000 books, donated by Books for Africa, a US-based organization. The $9,800 raised by American donors will be used to cover the cost of shipping the books from America to the local community. Each location receiving books will raise funds (about $200 per location, totaling about $6,000 community monetary contribution) to cover the cost of transporting these materials from one community to the other. The money will also be used to organize a workshop in coordination with the National Library Service to properly train the counterparts who will be working in the libraries. This community monetary contribution represents 37 percent of the project cost.

Participating locations have agreed to provide a clean, secure room containing book shelves, a teacher to manage the library, and a written plan explaining how they will use the library to promote literacy. These contributions in conjunction with the funds raised in each location represent nearly 50 percent of the project cost.

Through this project, the libraries will help educate and empower the next generation of Swazi students. Each newly established library in this project will remain open for an estimated 10 years, reaching over 60,000 students during this time. This figure represents more than six percent of the country's total population. Through this project, Volunteers and their communities will be providing tangible benefits for the next generation of Swazi children.



Please, please, please help us! Pass it along, let everyone know!!


The link is:


https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=645-090



Thank you so much!!


Megan

CAPE TOWN!

Finally, Finally, Finally!

Pics from Cape Town!









Enjoy!

Ngwempisi Gorge Camping

Hey all,

Sorry for the long absence! Hopefully I'll get a real update up here soon...

In the mean time, here are some pictures from a recent camping trip in the Swaz!






Cheers!

Megan

Summer Time, Braai Time

Hello Hello!

Hope everyone is doing well back home, getting back in the swing of things at school and work after a wonderful summer!
I just want to let everyone know, I just came back from my Mid-Service Medical exams and I am healthy as can be! No HIV, no parasites, just the same Megan who left America over a year ago… No cavities either, Kimmie! : )
We’re getting back into the swing of things here as well. We’re just finishing a school break here, only a month, but still long enough for everyone to be excited to get back into the groove of school again. Schools will be opening tomorrow, supposedly anyway. There’s lots of tension involving schools and the government and I don’t want to say too much, but if you haven’t been keeping up, it’s fairly interesting stuff that I would recommend Googling. But the opening of schools tomorrow is up in the air, so here’s hoping I have something to do tomorrow!
The situation here is getting a little more international press with each time the people march toward the government offices with their petitions and with each IMF visit. But for those worried about my safety, no need to lose sleep. The Peace Corps does a great job of telling us not to move an inch from our sites during times of tension. So I hang with my community and it’s business as usual. Its interesting how you can read the articles of what happens in the city during these marches and hear the Peace Corps telling us to stay put incase they turn violent (they haven’t really…) and looking around my community and seeing nothing out of the ordinary. It’s interesting and its definitely a good thing. And with the Peace Corps always erring on the side of caution in these situations, the few times I’ve been in town when a situation arises, it’s definitely worked out to my advantage: get out of the country now (aka start your vacation early) and stay at the hostel and do not go anywhere (aka stay by the pool). So no need to worry about me. ; )
The school break is generally a quite time around the homestead and the community in general. Kids go visit their parents living somewhere else, parents come visit their kids and every just hangs out for a month. That is until there’s a party. School is out and everyone is home so weddings, braais and cultural festivals are in full swings. We had one “white wedding” in our community this month, as opposed to the traditional wedding. Swaziland is a country with one foot in the past and one in the present and it can be seen in their governmental system, their cultural events, and most especially their weddings. Most people have two weddings, traditional (umtsimba) and white. The traditional wedding is recognized by families, government and is generally the first. It has many parts including the teka (“welcoming” the bride into the grooms family), paying lobola (bride price, usually in cows), and the wedding. It can take many, many years. The white wedding is recognized by the church and is second and not always done. It is very expensive, as they are in America, but these people generally don’t have lots of money but want the wedding to be extravagant, and they invite everyone, EVERYONE in the community. But they are a big deal and a big party.
We’ve also had a few braais in the past month (BBQs for those of you not familiar with South African slang). The neighbors killed a cow a few days ago and invited everyone in the community to come by and have some beef and emahewu (traditional maize drink), for what I think was simply out of the goodness of their heart. Cows are a symbol of wealth here, an investment. They’re like the rural bank. And they’re worth a lot of money. So for someone to just kill a cow and cook it up for anyone to come and eat was an incredibly kind gesture. And delicious. I thanked my lucky stars though that I was not encouraged to eat any of the head again. I’ve decided it is a tribute to my integration in a way. No one thinks of me as the white person anymore, I’m Sethabile Shabalala, a girl, and I am not allowed to do the things men do. Sort of a backhanded compliment in a way.
Then we had our own Peace Corps braai. I now have 2 neighbors in the community next to me, and another in my closest town. The one in town lives at a teacher resource center in a (small) two bedroom house with running water, flush toilet, electricity, a fridge and a huge yard. So those of us in this area went up to her place and hung out for the afternoon, cooked hot dogs, drank beer and enjoyed the beautiful Swazi summer day. She is putting two bunk beds in her spare room so the four of us in the area have a place to stay. I LOVE HAVING NEIGHBORS! ; )
And finally, the Reed Dance once again rounded out the school break. I decided to skip it this year, as seeing 60,000 topless girls dance for the King was something I only needed to see once, as cool as it was. The Peace Corps boys are interested in forming a regiment to do the warrior dance at the men’s version in December, but us Peace Corps girls usually try to stay away from the topless dancing. I’m not THAT integrated.
But like I said, it’ll be good to get back to the schools and get things going again. My health project is wrapping up, but not with a few more hang ups, of course. Then we’re working on building our library this last term and the application for getting books donated. Around December I’ll be posting a link to where you can donate money to our Library Project. Through Books for Africa (based in St Paul!) we are donating 30,000 books to schools around the country, and hopefully two will by my community’s schools! So keep your eyes peeled, we’ll be needing your help!
Well that’s all for now. Enjoy that beautiful fall weather state-side. Things are heating up here, and fast. Summer is here!

Lots of love!
Megan

One Down, One to Go...

Well July came and went, and with it went my first year in the Swaz. We came last June and will leave next August, making this the mid way mark. So many things are happening to remind us that our time here is dwindling. Our new group of volunteers has finished their training and will be sworn in on Tuesday. It is so weird, thinking about this time last year, how long ago and yet not so long ago it all seems. Most of the group that came the year before us has left already too. Peace Corps Swaziland is us and Group 7, and it is so hard to see them all go. But I am very excited to get to know the new volunteers as well as we knew our old ones, and can't wait to meet up with G7 state side. We're also beginning our Mid-Service Medical exams, and all that entails. Basically, three days in town paid for with my friends. And also, my first dental appointment in over a year. Should be a treat.

The year mark also brings lots of work at site, as people finally realize that you're here to stay and want to help. I am looking forward to getting back to my hut and back into my community after running around at training with the new group and getting stuff going again. I am in the middle of a large project with our primary school. They are trying to build a library for the students and are trying to do it by the end of the school year, aka December 3rd. We are not allowed to use Peace Corps funds to build buildings, with good reason, so my school found alternative places for funding and I have been helping them with the writing of the application. The organization has come out to do site surveying and taking pictures, so fingers crossed we get it up and going soon! And with the thrid term comes the Peace Corps Swaziland Books for Africa Library Project, bringing 30,000 books to schools in Swaziland, helping as well to set up these libraries and library systems, training librarians, etc. I hope to get my High School and Primary School involved, and if they are accepted, I will be needing some of your help. Many of you asked how you can help with my projects and soon you will have your chance... stay tuned! ; )

But for now, I have all this time and free internet in town and lots to do, including kindle book shopping, facebook stalking and online shopping.

Hope everyone is doing well at home!!

Megan

Boom!

Hey Hey!

Well its been a busy few months in the Swaz. May and June were full of work and not a lot of play, but we all need a health dose of that every once in a while… especially those of us who don’t do so much of the work part anymore. ; )

Well my big health project is mostly over. It went decently well and I am happy with everything. Of course, it wasn’t without its challenges, but we got through! Our first community workshops happened to coincide with wind, rain and cold cold cold weather. It was unfortunate, but we had about 40-50 people show up despite the conditions so I would call it a success. The next week’s trainings had to be postponed as our RHMs who were leading the trainings were called to a meeting at inkhundla (like city hall). So we pushed the trainings back a week, which meant that they would have to do a session without me because I would be on vacation with my Mom and Dad that week, which, in the effort of being sustainable, worked out just as well that I wasn’t there. So we had our second set of community trainings just before Mom and Dad arrived. It was perfect timing in the end.

And on that note, MOM AND DAD CAME!! : ) It was awesome! So great to see them, hug them, and show them my life. It was so nice to have someone back home see and understand what my life is like here. It seems so natural and normal to me now; its weird that no one back in America knows, really, what I am seeing and doing. But now at least two people have! Ha. After some difficulties at the car rental place and encountering kakhulu road construction, they finally arrived in the Swaz as dusk was approaching. But thanks to one of my awesome sisis, Samu, who was pumping water and saw their car and confused faces, they were guided safely to my homestead where I was huddled around the wood burning stove, eagerly awaiting their arrival. After lots of hugs, some tears, and introductions of my American family to my Swazi family, it was surprising to realize that it really didn’t seem like it had been almost exactly one year to the day that I had seen them. But it had! Due to the impending darkness, and the long, dark, gravel road to Nhlangano where their hotel was, we decided it best to stay the night in my hut and attempt the trek in the morning. So Mom and Dad were able to experience the #hutlife. We spent the next day around my community, doing various things in preparation for the last community training the next week. We ground maize, carted chairs to the other side of the mountain, and Mom and Dad were quite the thing to see for the school children on their way home from school – I definitely don’t get that many waves on my way home anymore. We also made a pit stop at the home of the indvuna (headman) of our community, to introduce them. Unfortunately, he was not home, but fortunately his wife was. After, semi preparing them for the event (men have to take off their hats at the gate of umphakatsi – his homestead), they proceeded to pull out a grass mat and a stool – the grass mat for me, my mom and my counterpart, Khosi, the stool for my dad. Just a bit of African culture for the Americans. Make Indvuna then began to fawn over Mom, saying she was so beautiful and “ngitsandza wena” – I like you! We spent the next few days touring the Swaz, meeting my friends, and buying fun things before heading for a much needed vacation in St. Lucia, South Africa. We had a great 5 days there, seeing many, many hippos (much to Mom’s chagrin), including a hippo and croc boat tour in the Lake St. Lucia Estuary, and then, obviously, a safari in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve (when in Africa, right?) where we got entirely too close to some lions right off the bat. Like I mean ENTIRELY too close. And when he wouldn’t stop growling and looking our way and other safari trucks pulled up and blocked us in, and closest to the lion, I was a little more than nervous… and I was three people in! He would eat Dad first. But we made it out alive and saw four of the big five (quick! Can you name them??) so it was a success. We then headed up to Cape Vidal for our last day and enjoyed more time on the Indian Ocean, before we headed back up to the Swaz. But not before I drove, obviously! We aren’t allowed to drive in Swaziland or Moçambique because of their lack of public ambulances and roadside assistance. But South Africa has those, so driving was a go! After having been in Africa for a year, driving on the left side of the road and on the right side of the car was not the part that worried me… but the driving in general did. But after a year, it comes back like riding a bike, except, you know, on the other side of the road. It was, however, incredibly stressful as the roads were one lane each way, with an 80 mph speed limit, lots of trucks and very aggressive passers. After a few hours, I handed over the keys to Dad and took my seat back as navigator. We then spent one last day in the Swaz together at an awesome lodge in the Mlilwane Game Reserve, walking around the park, feeding bush babies at dusk, and enjoying a much needed Swazi meal by the fire. At the end of my vacations, I always find myself craving the rice, stew, chicken, cole slaw, beetroot, and chakalaka meal that I have come to know and love as the Swazi Take-Away, so I savored every bit of it and enjoyed the last of my days with my parents for a year and a half.

As sad as I was to see them go, yes there were more tears – though not as many as the first goodbyes a year ago, I was ready to get back to my friends, meet the new group of volunteers, and eventually, get back to my hut. I spent the next few days with a friend in town before our annual Fourth of July/meet the new volunteers party. It was incredibly fun to see all my friends again; I had been so busy at site the last few months, I hadn’t seen any of them since the end of April when I got back from Cape Town. This was also my first time to meet our new volunteers, including THREE Minnesotans! : ) I’m happy our Minnesota constituency is increasing, or as Eric says, Canada is taking over. We now have people from St. Cloud, Shoreview, Eden Prairie, and of course Tonka Town. I am excited to spend a few days over the next few weeks helping with the education/life skills portion of their training, and of course getting to know them as the year progresses!

But with the new group arriving, that means its time to say goodbye to half our friends as well. The Group 7s who arrived the year before us and helped us through our first year in the Swaz have finished their service have begun their departure. It’s a sad time for sure, but we wish them safe travels and good luck in the future!! It is crazy to think that this time next year, it will be our time to leave. And as fast as this year has gone, this next one will go by even faster, to be sure.

On a completely unrelated to anything note, I saw the King yesterday! He was in Mankayane which is near to me to officially launch the national campaign for male circumcision, Soka Uncobe (Circumcision Conquers). It’s a huge campaign, largely sponsored by the US Government through PEPFAR. So there were a lot of white people at the event. Though, I thought it was a very striking example of the Peace Corps vs our other ex-pat friends, as they all sat in the tent in the VIP section and Mike, Hannah and I sat in the crowd with our Swazi friends, sticking out like a sore thumb I’m sure. But there was a lot of hyping America in everyone’s speeches and our ambassador sat next to the King and Queen, which by association (having met him and been to his house) I felt special. Ha. But with the King officially endorsing the Soka Uncobe campaign and rocking an orange bracelet, I really hope that it helps this campaign. Their goal is to have 80% of males circumcised by the end of next year, which is a HUGE goal, but would significantly help this country. Less people would contract HIV and less money would have to be spent on their ARVs. Here’s hoping.

So, anyway, what’s lined up for the next year then? Well my counterpart Khosi who I have been working on this Community Health Project with, was hired by World Vision as I returned from my vacation, which is bittersweet. I am extremely happy for her, but sad that I have lost my community counterpart. But I have lots of things to work on at the schools in the community while I wait for them to find her replacement. I am continuing with my teaching at the Primary School, moving on to HIV/AIDS, which should be interesting. The curriculum that we are given is not made for 5th and 6th Grade classes, so there is always some surprise in each lesson, having no real idea what they’ve learned and what is too advanced. Last Friday, I taught a lesson on the immune system to my 5th Graders, beginning our discussion on HIV. I started with the basic question, “What is HIV?” having no idea what exactly they knew about this disease that was running rampant in their country. I was shocked when a boy raised his hand and said “A virus that destroys your immune system.” Thinking he was just reciting the words without knowing what they meant, I then followed with “So what is the immune system?” and was again surprised when another boy said “The soldiers in your body that fight germs.” Keeping in mind that all of this was communicated and understood in their second language, I was extremely impressed. I asked where they had learned this, to which they all promptly responded: Religious Education! Of course? Well at least they’re learning it somewhere. I then proceeded to fumble through a lesson on the immune system, learning that, although the curriculum has cute little drawings of the different parts of your immune system, doesn’t mean it is understandable to young kids. But I saved it with an activity about adult elephants (immune system!) protecting a baby elephant (you!) from lions (germs!) and what happened when I (HIV!) came through and killed all the adult elephants, hoping the idea that HIV doesn’t kill people, it kills your immune system so it can’t protect you from germs, like umsheko (diarrhea!). I’m hoping to collect all my lesson plans and all the things that worked into a Life Skills curriculum for Primary School students so others don’t have to struggle through like I have. Most volunteers teach at the High School level so I think that’s why there isn’t as much material available for the younger students.

Well, I hope everyone is surviving the heat wave that I hear is parading around the States these days. Its hard to believe, but I’m sitting here writing this in my hut, wearing almost every piece of clothing I own. It is so gosh darn cold here, its unbelievable. My hut is constantly between 40˚ and 50˚, making it warm-ish (40˚) at night and freezing during the day (50˚). It probably reaches a high of 70˚ for an hour or so around 1pm, but quickly drops and is slow to rise again the next day. Today, my computer wouldn’t turn on until I set it out in the sun for an hour, and my closest volunteer got pneumonia. Welcome to Africa.

That’s all for now. Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon from St. Lucia and Cape Town, but there are lots of pictures of both on Dad and Eric/Rob’s Facebook pages, if you’re dying to see them. Otherwise, they’ll hopefully be up here soon!

Lots of love!

Megan

Kute Gas

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates lately and sorry this one won't be longer. We're out of electricity on the homestead so the update I planned to write upon return from vaca with Mom and Dad cannot be done. But as soon as I get to some stable electricity and internet expect a long update on life in the Swaz, including my project completion and the visit from Mom and Dad, sneak peek - lots of hippos! ;) hopefully i'll get pictures of Cape Town and St Lucia vacations up soon too. But that's all for now. Stay tuned! Lots of love, Megan