“Wait they have hail here?”

So this weekend when I was hanging out with my site mates Emma and Scooter I noticed these red bumps on my body that started itching. At first I just thought that they were just bug bites but they kept popping up and then we noticed that Scooter had the same bumps. When we called the Peace Corps Medical Office (PCMO) they said that we needed to come to Maputo so they could figure out what we have. It kind of looked like chicken pox but we both have had them. We got into Maputo on Sunday and went straight to the clinic to get blood drawn.
On Monday we found out that we have tick fever. We think we got it from the cutest puppies when we were at the beach a few weekends ago. We’re fine just having some fevers and the bumps are starting to go away. We’re happy that it’s not contagious because we can go out in Maputo and enjoy all the perks of being here such as great restaurants and shopping.
While we were sitting at the Peace Corps office using internet and just getting things done that we can’t do at site it started hailing. The hail was the size of nickels. We didn’t know that it could hail here so we were quite confused. It was an interesting end to the day.

Miami!

So today I was walking through town and I saw a younger boy wearing a Miami t-shirt! I was so excited to see that Miami has made it to Inharrime! Now every time I passed a second hand clothes both I will look especially hard at the t-shirts!
After not having the best weekend and week I decided to spend the night at Scooter’s last night. I have to go to Inambane and it’s always easier to hitchike the further you are from town. I always love going to Scooter’s because you feel so loved! The girls that live in the orphanage always come running up and yelling mana ana, mana ana! And give you a huge hug! They are so wonderful they can turn any bad day (or week) into a good one!
For the past couple of weeks I have been helping to give a permaculture training to a local organization called TIVIKELI. They were all really excited about this new type of garden and wanted the entire organization to learn how to do it. We had 3 different days of trainings over 2 weeks and we just finished. It was such an accomplishment for me because one of the women who was at the original training I did pretty much ran the entire training! It was so great to see first hand that people are learning about these new techniques and are really excited about them!
After this training it made me really excited to start new programs and just in general to work. I’m excited for the next few months and to see what I can accomplish!
Love,
Ann

one year!

I can’t believe it’s already been a year…it does not feel that long.
I just got back from a trip to the 2 central provinces of Mozambique, Manica and Sofala. In Manica I got to see Catindica where my friend Kendra lives as well as the capital of Chimoio. It was so interesting to see a site so completely different from mine. The entire central area that I visited was mountainous and the “Africa idea” (what I thought Africa would look like before coming). I was also able to go to Gorongoza.
Before my trip I had given permaculture training. Permaculture is a type of a garden that uses specific techniques that anyone can do to increase the yield. It is especially helpful for people living with HIV/AIDS because it is close to the house and after the initial work is very minimal. I had created a permagarden in my yard to test it out and I now have tomatoes, lettuce and squash growing as well as just having planted watermelon, zucchini, cucumber and lemon grass.
After getting back I had a lot of work. In the past few weeks I’ve been making better connections with local organizations and have even set up permaculture trainings with them. In addition to that I have been trying to visit all of the peer educators that I work with. Emilia lives close to the turn off for one of my favorite beaches. It was great to see her everyday life as well as the permagarden she had created. One of my greatest succeses as a Peace Corps Volunteer is that after she had created her own permagarden her brother and sister liked the idea so much that they created their own.
After the initial tour she took me to meet the rest of her family. I met her brother, sister, neices, nephews and aunts. They were all making tapioca to sell later that week in Inharrime. To make tapioca you take the cassava root shave it and then in a big pan sauté it (without butter or oil or anything). They were such interesting people who had great stories to tell. I was so lucky to meet them. I can’t wait to see the rest of my peer educators home lives!
It’s starting to get hot again which means more beach time! I have decided that in the coming year my sitemate Scooter and I are going to try and go to all of the beaches. (not all but quite a few!) we have made a list and are doing pretty well so far!
Love,
Ann