It Just Got Real

It just got real. Last night, we had an informational session with trainees and host families all together. This was the first time meeting the families that will host us for the next 8 weeks. I think I scored! I have a host mother (Evelyne), host father (Gerhard) and three host siblings Usama (girl, 7yrs), Menthos (boy, 8) and Junior (boy, 2). I only got to meet my mother tonight but she was awesome. In the fifteen minutes we spoke I learned that she has her own business and works out of the home. From what I can gather she wholesales beauty and hair products and some clothing from South Africa to stores in Namibia. My father works for DeBeers diamonds if I heard her correctly! I will have my own bedroom and bathroom at their house and will walk about 25 minutes to the training center every morning. I will eat breakfast with the family; my mother will pack my lunch and then I will return home in the evenings to eat dinner with the family. She seems very laid back and eager to please. This is their first time hosting a volunteer so they are really excited. And – they have a dog!!!! A “fluffy” one to be exact so that should be fun. The homestay is part of the cultural exchange during our training. During the homestay, our family is responsible for teaching us basic lifeskills for Namibian life, such as: cooking (we have to learn how to cook a minimum of 4 Namibian dishes, bake bread and make fat cakes), how to wash clothes by hand, practice our language skills, and how to light a gas stove and a paraffin lantern. My mother told me that we will watch the news every night so I can hear the language and learn about what’s going on in Namibia, and then we might watch a “soapie” together – Namibian soap operas!

I will admit walking into the room filled with the Namibian families was a bit scary tonight. We have been confined in our bubble of training here at the center for the last week and now we have to leave our roommates and move into a house with people we don’t know at all and from a completely difference culture. Our hands were sweating and stomachs filled with butterflies until our host mothers hugged us like their long lost children. Now we are all excited for the next part of this training! While still a little weirded out about moving into their home, it’s nice to know I am being welcomed with open arms. Once I have pictures of my host family I will be sure to post them!

Typical Day So Far....

Well training continues and I received which language I’m going to try to learn over the next two years – Otjiherero! It is spoken pretty widely in Namibia – mostly in the central region from coast to coast and in the northwest corner. For language lessons, they split us up into very small groups which are very helpful – my group only has 3 in it. My teacher is Joko and he has been a teacher for the past 20 years in Namibia. We meet for about 3 ½ to 4 hours per day outside for our lessons. It’s proving to be difficult already but it’s only day 2 of language instruction so there is a long road to go. For instance, the letters and sounds of C, X, L, Q, and F simply do not exist in Otjiherero and the S and Z are spoken as if you would say the word “the” with a lisp. Best way to describe it. Other people here are learning Afrikaans, Oshingdongo, Silozi and a few others.
I thought you might be wondering what we are actually doing during the day for our training. We cover many different subjects to ensure we are ready to live with a host family and eventually live at our permanent site on our own. So for the next 8 weeks we will be in a very intense PST (Pre-Service Training) six days a week.

Here’s what a typical day is like for me:
7:00am – Wake Up
7:00-8:00am - Breakfast
8:00-8:15am – Assembly of the entire training group and training staff for announcements and songs (we sing the Namibian and American national anthems every morning and are learning some native songs as well)
8:30-10:00am – Otjiherero Language lessons
10:00-10:30am – Morning tea break
10:30-12:30pm – Otjiherero Language lessons
1:00-2:00pm – Lunch (after lunch I’ll usually walk to town with others for internet, grocery store, etc.)
2:00-3:00pm – Medical/Safety & Security/Cross Cultural training
3:00-3:15pm – Afternoon tea break
3:15-5:00pm – Medical/Safety & Security/Cross Cultural training
6:00-7:00pm – Dinner
8:00pm – Shower
8:30pm – Journal, write postcards, hang out with others, watch movies, etc.
9:30pm – Go to sleep

As you can see, we are training constantly. And while it’s a pretty draining process we should be fairly prepared for site alone. We’ve been given more “guides” and “manuals” than I can count but all seem to help in one way or another. We’ve received a PC Cookbook that is specifically for our region on Africa using items we can buy in the Namibian grocery stores. We also have several language books and an Otjiherero dictionary. In addition to these, we have a lovely medical handbook that explains in detail every disease or medical issue we could possibly run across while we’re here and how to treat, self-diagnose and when to know to call the PC Medical Officer (PCMO). We also received a fancy PC Medical Kit with everything under the sun. Good thing I packed most of it from the states.
Thanks to everyone for the encouraging emails and blog comments! I promise I will return personal emails once I get some time on my hands – which I’m told we’ll have plenty after training. Right now 33 volunteers are trying to use the same internet café that has only five computers so it’s a bit rushed. Hoping to get a cell phone next week!

Alive and Well in Namibia!!

new friends Caitie, Julie and Sarah in Okahandja

had to learn how to put up a mosqioto net

first Namibian sunset

training center

training center

my room at the training center

landing in Namibia

airport in Namibia

airport in Namibia

Where to begin?!? So I’ll try to bring you up briefly since my last post however I’m certain I’ll leave out something. We arrived in Namibia on Friday, August 21st after what was essentially 3 days of travel from DC. We deplaned to the most beautiful weather I’ve seen in a long time (no humidity, 80 degrees, sunny, with a light breeze) – welcome to Namibia’s spring weather! We were met by the PC Country Director, other PC staff and 2 current PCVs. We claimed our luggage and loaded onto a bus that took us to our training site where I am now. Our luggage all arrived – some had been rifled through in the Jo’Burg airport but the only thing taken from mine were some pens and sharpies – I can get more of those. Our training site is about 45 minutes outside of Windhoek, the capital city. We will be at the training facility until Friday and then we move in with our first home-stay family. The facility is great – hot water, western toilets, twin beds and a communal shower/bathroom facility and dining area. I’m going to liken it to going to camp at Transy? I definitely feel like I’m walking down the Chi-O hall on my way to the shower carrying my shower caddy and rooming with three other girls. We got to unpack and get settled for a few days so we’re making it feel like home as much as possible. In order to keep the mosquitoes away while we sleep we were all given mosquito nets to hang up ourselves. This proved to be a hilarious and frustrating task but somehow they are up. Mine is currently rigged with an extra scarf I brought and random string. But no bites yet so I guess its working!
Our days have been scheduled from 8am to dinner for the most part filled with training. There is a group of about 12 Namibians who work for Peace Corps as our trainers in technical skills (teaching methods), language, health, cross-cultural and safety/security issues. We will have these sessions every day until October when training is over and we become real PCVs!
As far as my shots and meds go, before we left DC we all received a yellow fever vaccination and upon arrival in Namibia we got our first rabies shot along with our first dose of Larium (malaria medicine that is supposed to make you have very crazy lucid dreams – haven’t had any yet). More shots to come are typhoid, meningitis and two more rabies shots. Hopefully that will be it!
On our first day we were taken on a tour of the city where we are training and living for the next 8 weeks. Probably similar in size to Harrodsburg – about 8,000-10,000 people is what I’ve been told. Our trainers took us around so we could get our bearings - the post office, internet café, grocery stores, etc. Essentially there’s basically everything we need or could want – for the most part. The food has been good – but just what I expected. Lots of fatty meat, rice, pasta and potatoes with veggies. It’s good though and I haven’t gotten sick yet so that’s a good sign! Oh! And the best part is you can drink the water straight from the tap in Namibia unlike many other African countries. I have been drinking it since we’ve been here and feel fine. Sickness is bound to set in soon but for now I’m feeling great, just always a little tired.

Tomorrow we have our interviews with the English teaching group (there are other groups that came with us to teach math, science and computer science). These interviews are where we will learn about the potential sites for our permanent sites which we will move to in October. This will determine what language we will begin learning over the next few weeks. We’ll see if I luck out and get chosen to learn a “click” language :)

Well that’s about it for now. There’s just so much and I’m not at a point where I feel like I can properly put everything into words. Hopefully in the future my posts won’t be so random. Everyone here is so welcoming and so nice and that has really made this transition a bit easier. It’s still not easy – but it is getting a little easier every day. I’m making some good friends here and that’s made all the difference because everyone is going through the same thing.
People have been asking what they can send me in care packages (thank you to those who have offered!)…….I don’t really need any toiletries and probably won’t for awhile but maybe in the future. For now, just something that reminds me of home – magazines, newspapers (especially the Sunday NY Times), maybe some crossword puzzle books, something sweet that won’t melt, and anything else you would want to get if you were in Africa thousands of miles away from family and friends.

Hope to be back on here soon, but not sure when exactly.
Thanks for reading!

PS. Enjoy the pictures! Only have a few to share so far and it takes awhile to upload them here. They are bit out of order but they are from our arrival and first few days here in Namibia.

Namibia or bust!

Currently I'm sitting at the airport awaiting our flight to South Africa that departs at 5:40pm. We've had two pretty long days of Staging (orientation, shots, policies and procedures) and while none of us feel "prepared"...we are prepared as we can be. I am part of Group 30, meaning the 30th group of PC Volunteers to serve in Namibia. We are 33 strong and come from a variety of backgrounds. Some with plenty of travel experience, some with very little, some with none. The West is represented with a married couple from Seattle and others from L.A. and Colorado while the East and Midwest are pretty heavy with volunteers from New York, and a few from Pennsylvania and Ohio, Virginia, Illinois and Indiana. There is one other girl from the South here so Georgia and Kentucky should be proud of their southern ladies. We even have someone from Hawaii. Needless to say, people are from all over and that's what makes it so interesting. We do feel a bit as if it's the first few days of college as you try to figure out your surroundings and make new friends, but we're doing pretty well.

Tonight..tomorrow? sometime we land in Johannesburg, South Africa after our 17 hour flight. At some point during the journey we stop in Dakar, Senegal to refuel but we won't deplane. We finally land in Jo'Burg at 5:20pm on August 2oth where we will tranfer to a hotel for the night. The following morning we will board a plane for Namibia. FINALLY.

The last 2 days have been filled with emotions that I might not ever be able to describe to you. I won't lie...I had the feeling of "what am I doing?"..."its not to late to go home" last night after orientation. And I was on the verge of tears for most of the day. BUT. Today is a better day. Everyone is anxious, nervous and excited but we just want to get there.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and luck sent my way. I will need it. There is no doubt.

Not sure when I will be able to post again but keep checkin!

Hugs!

(Above is a picture of our arrival at the airport earlier today and all of our bags)

Peace Out

Well it's about that time. I've said goodbye to my parents and many friends over he past few days and now it's really time to go. This post has been a long time coming, to say the least. I was ready to type this in mid-June as I prepared to travel to the French speaking Muslim world of Mauritania. But, plans change. Due to elections, coups, visa issues and most likely other factors that we’ll never know about, plans changed and my trip to Mauritania was cancelled.

Surprisingly I was only bummed for a night or two….realizing that everything happens for a reason so there must be something great waiting for me around the corner. My patience was tried for one whole long week before I learned that I would be spending my next 27 months in Namibia, Africa.

Now that my departure date is finally here I’ll admit that August 18th managed to creep up from behind and tap me on the shoulder faster than I ever expected it to. It’s the day that I leave the comforts of home behind and head to Washington, D.C. to meet up with my fellow trainees, also known as Group 30, I believe – meaning we are the 30th group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Namibia. From D.C. we’ll fly together on a never-ending flight to Johannesburg, South Africa where we will overnight before boarding a final flight to Windhoek, Namibia.

Who knows what I’m about to endure and enjoy, but I’m as ready as I’ve ever been.

Sometimes you just need a good break from the everyday monotony of what we call life and while some people might just take off and go to the beach or sneak away to read a book…I’m taking a different route. Why? I wish I had some profound answer for that question….no, I’m not looking to save the world one child at a time and no, I’m not having a pre-turning-30 crisis. I just needed a change of scenery and wanted to see the world from a completely different perspective than I have before. I want to try my hand at something that I have never done and be successful. I want to live simple and take a deep breath. And for the first time in my life I will love to not wear makeup and fix my hair every day! I’m leaving my pearls behind as well as my party dresses, peep-toes and weekly pedicures. And while many of you wonder how I will survive without these gems that I’m known for…….who knows…but I’m really looking forward to finding out.

People ask me everyday how this “Peace Corps thing” came to be and why I was leaving the guts and glory of campaigns and politics. Well here’s the answer that I’ve finally coined nearly one year in the making: I chose to serve in the Peace Corps because I need a break. Not a break to relax and recoup. And not a break to revive my senses in the day spa either (however I have a strange feeling I’ll be craving that at some point down the road). I merely need to take a break from the world I’m living now and see what else I can become. I want to see what else is out there and make a difference in someone else’s life along the way. That’s it. Nothing profound, nothing to be printed in the Herald Leader….just a simple new take on life is what I’m after.

So here I go….

To the people who my memories are made of, thank you. To those of you have challenged, questioned or dared me, thank you. If you’ve loved me, cared for me, or picked me up when I was down, thank you. Those of you who taught me to really love and really laugh – thank you. You have all, in your own unique way, prepared me for this 17 hour plane flight and the world I’m about to discover when I deplane in Namibia.

Here’s wishing the best for each of you! PLEASE PLEASE stay in touch!

Stay classy Kentucky,
Amy


PS. To all of the birthdays I will miss: May they be filled with plenty of laughter and lots of bubbly. To all of the brides and grooms I won’t get to see walk down that aisle: Kick up your heels to “Mustang Sally” and toast a glass of champagne for me – I want pics ASAP! And finally, to all of those babies on their way into this crazy world (Jones, Bostick,& Lankster): I can’t wait to meet you! Crazy Aunt Amy will be back before you know it. And to Will Jones – you keep fightin’ my friend.

Hint Hint...

"Another suggestion for helping you adapt upon arrival is to have friends and family send you letters and packages even now, before you have left. That way, these things will arrive after you are here and there is nothing that lifts the spirits of a PCV more than receiving mail and goodies from home."

(From the PC Volunteer Support Network)

Packing for Namibia - almost done!

Can I Fit In Your Bag?

Clothes
5 ankle length skirts
3 pairs of shorts (2 regular, 1 athletic)
3 pairs of capris
1 pair of jeans
2 pair of khacki pants
3 dresses (2 casual, 1 for dressy occasions)
3 sweaters
1 thin fleece pullover
4 long sleeve shirts
1 short-sleeved cartigan
3 t-shirts
12 short-sleeved tops
6 tank tops
60 pairs of underwear
6 bras (2 reg, 4 sport)
2 pairs of Pj's
1 pair of lounge pants
1 swimsuit
1 winter hat, gloves and scarf
2 pair of winter socks
3 pair of athletic socks
5 pairs of shoes (trail, sport sandal, rainbow flops, J-41 Aquarius, black sandals)
1 hat

Electronics
1 travel alarm clock
1 Solio charger
1 headlamp
1 clip on reading light
1 adapter plug
1 flashlight
6 packs of batteries
1 Kindle
2 cameras
1 Ipod + Speakers

Miscellaneous
1 sewing kit
1 Leatherman multi-purpose tool
1 micro-fiber hair towel
1 camp towel
1 pack of Ziploc gallon bags
1 all purpose drawstring bag
50 notecards and envelopes
1 address book
1 photo album with pics from home
2 journals
1 guide to South Africa travel
1 laptop with webcam
20 DVD's
Gifts for host family members (UK garb, USA buttons, KY State Senate pins, bubbles, crayons, jewelry, stickers, KY postcards)
2 Nalgene bottles
1 pillow
2 flat sheets
1 sleeping bag
1 map of the world
1 roll of duct tape
1 first-aid kit
1 calendar
1 bag of pencils, pens, sharpies, scissors and push pins)
8 ID photos
Clif Bars
2 pairs of sunglasses

Personal
Toiletries for 2 months (Lush shampoo bars, sunscreen, toothpaste, Venus razors, Dove deoderant, body soap, tampons, etc.)
Makeup bag with 1 tube of mascara, 2 compacts of face powder and 2 pots of lipgloss (insert sigh)
Lots of hair clips, bobby pins, hair rubberbands
1 BIG ole' bag of meds n' such (cold meds, immodium, Aleve, Neosporin, vitamins, etc.)
1 pair of hair cutting scissors

What it's all going in:
1 internal frame backpack
1 rolling duffel
1 regular backpack (carry-on)
1 small messenger (carry-on)

Peace Corps on YouTube

Just in case you have some free time on your hands, the Peace Corps has launched their own YouTube channel where you can find 50+ videos about Peace Corps life, history and programs. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/peacecorps

Texting for Health

Ever wondered what exactly Peace Corps Volunteers do? Well here's a great example of what some of the Health Education volunteers are doing in Namibia.

Volunteers in Namibia use text messaging for health education

Innovative project provides answers on many health issues, including HIV/AIDS

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 22, 2009 – Health Education Response (HER), software developed by Peace Corps Volunteers Rashid Khan of Phoenix, Ariz., and Jennifer Moore of Gillette, Wyo., has revolutionized health education in Namibia. HER utilizes software designed to provide health information through mobile phone-based SMS, also known as text messaging, permitting the program to operate nationwide. The HER program distributes health information through pre-written content on major topics, and also forwards user questions to a pool of Peace Corps Volunteers prepared to field a wide array of health-related inquiries including topics related to HIV/AIDS and birth control.

In June 2009, the system exchanged 2,382 SMSs with 325 unique clients. Peace Corps acting Director Jody K. Olsen said, “The Health Education Response program is a great example of Peace Corps Volunteers who are working with local partners to find creative solutions to solve local problems. It is a wonderful innovation to harness widely available technology in the fight against HIV/AIDS."

The program launched in February as a completely automated database consisting of only pre-written content and a listing of ARV clinics. The program later expanded to allow callers the option to speak with a “real live person” who is knowledgeable on a broad range of health subjects.Said Peace Corps/Namibia Director Hannah Baldwin, “The beauty of the system is that it permits people to ask questions they would not ask directly, and provides excellent information in a non-threatening way.”

Currently, HER is staffed by 11 Peace Corps Volunteers and a counselor from Childline/Lifeline, a non-profit counseling hotline that fields user questions. The program is constantly being updated as conversations with Volunteers are tracked and analyzed, and common discussion themes and keywords are identified. Khan explained, “We can track down to the occurrence how often a theme, such as condoms, HIV, or pregnancy is brought up. This data can be assembled into reports that can be used to create other programs.

Other organizations are also taking an interest in this initiative. We’ve managed to secure the support of MTC, Namibia’s largest mobile phone provider, who will be providing us no-cost service.”

As the Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary, its service legacy continues to promote peace and friendship around the world. Historically, over 195,000 Volunteers have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries in which they have served. Currently, 7,876 Peace Corps Volunteers are serving in 76 countries. Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment.

Source: www.peacecorps.gov

2 weeks to go!

More info continues to roll in as my departure date draws near! Over the weekend, I received some information providing details on my arrival logistics and training schedule for the first 8 weeks.

The formal Pre-Service Training begins August 22, 2009 and ends October 15, 2009. My schedule will be heavy on Community Based Training and home stay activities. Sessions will generally be held from Monday morning to Friday, with some evening meetings and an occasional Saturday morning session to end around noon. During this training, I will study one of the following languages: Afrikaans, Rukwangali, Silozi, Otjiherero, Khoekhoegowab, or Oshindonga - all from the Bantu family of languages.

My first six nights will be spent at the Andreas Kukuri Center in Okahandja about 45 minutes outside of the capital city, Windhoek. For the rest of our training I will live with a host family in Okahandja. Below is a tentative schedule of my first 8 weeks of training.

August 21 Trainees arrive in Windhoek and travel straight to the training center in Okahandja

Week 1 & 2
August 21 - 29 Orientation at Andreas Kukuri Center, Okahandja
August 28 Move in with host families
August 31 – Sept 5 Intensive training (all components)

Week 3
September 7 – 12 Intensive training (all components)
September 12 Meet your Supervisor & sessions

Week 4 & 5
September 13 Travel to permanent sites
September 14 – 19 On-the-job training
September 20 – 25 On-the-job training
September 26 Return travel from permanent sites

Week 6
September 27 – Oct 3 Classroom observations at local schools

Week 7
October 4 – 10 Intensive training (all components)

Week 8
October 11 - 16 Final Language Proficiency Interview
Final Evaluation of PCTs Sessions

October 16 Swearing-in ceremony at NIED, Okahandja
End of PST
Depart to permanent sites