Wow it has been along time since I last blogged! Lilly, a fellow PCV wrote in her blog “there is a point in Peace Corps where it gets hard to blog, because things that used be weird or strange have become normal life.” I totally agree with her; the monkeys are overaly annoying, the language is easier to speak and understand, bananas grow in the backyard, and I have acclimatized to the crazy weather and am freezing when its 70 degrees. Overall things on my side of the world have been going pretty well. I finally am feeling good about the work that I am doing and have really been enjoying it.
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| Richem Girls Club |
In the first stages of applying for PC, I asked myself what were some of the things I wanted to do as a PCV. One of my main ambitions was to start a girls club. Well after a year of being here, I finally decided that with or without a counterpart this was something I was going to do. I have started two different girls clubs and I love it. The first one is at Richem Secondary School where I have been teaching. I have about 13 girls and they are a great bunch of girls. The second group is at Crossroads Teen Centre. I have been helping them here are there since I arrived in Empangeni, but I am so excited to be there on a weekly basis. The thing that I love about both of these clubs is that the girls are not forced to be there. It shows me that they are interested in bettering themselves and building stronger relationships with their schoolmates. I have become very passionate about female empowerment and HIV education and these girls groups are a perfect place to infuse that into each of our lessons. Each meeting we spend about a half hour discussing the day’s topics and then spend the rest of the time talking about anything and everything. Some topics include: gender roles, self-esteem and empowerment, assertive communication, a females changing body, money management, and managing emotions. The girls have also decided some of their own topics and seem really excited to continue. I look forward to keeping the clubs going!
I love working with the youth and I have decided that this is where I will focus the rest of my service. I have continued to teach Life Orientation at Richem Secondary twice a week and started a Grassroots HIV Soccer program at Crossroads. I have really enjoyed teaching and the craziness that comes with it!
I have made some friends within the Rotary Club of Empangeni and have told them if they ever needed a hand to just shout. Well they did and I was so excited about it. They hosted a Rotary Family Health Day and it allowed people to come and get health screening. Some of the screening included vitals, HIV and cholesterol testing, rape crisis, medial male circumcision, pap smears, Polio drops, MMR injections, and TB testing. They had a great system going and overall they were able to screen a little over 400 people. Another really inspiring thing they did was handed out several wheelchairs. This particular gogo had what looked like Parkinson’s and it severally hindered her walking. She walked to us using a 20-liter water container. She would put in out in front of her, walk a few steps to it, take a break, and do it again. Walking was very troubling for her and you should have seen the look on her face when she was sitting in that wheelchair. All I can say is everyone better watch out cause I bet she is still cruising the streets in her new ride.
I still have a few other updates but this will be all for now. I can’t believe I only have a little less than 10 months left. Time has flown by but I couldn’t do it without all of the support from home! Love and miss you all!
