After about 9 months of detailed, monotonous
paperwork, endless dental and medical appointments, immunizations/vaccinations,
questionnaires, volunteer work, emails, and an interview, I am proud to say I
will be serving for the Peace Corps in Zambia,
Africa for 2 years and 3 months beginning June 12, 2014!
What
sector of the PC will I be serving within?
There are six different sectors of the Peace Corps
in which volunteers serve in including education, health, youth in development,
environment, community economic development, and agriculture. I will be serving
within the health sector in a program called CHIP. CHIP stands for “Community
Health Improvement Program.” My main duty will be to work with rural Zambians
to improve their health and to empower them to promote sustainable strategies
that mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS and Malaria and improve maternal,
neonatal, and child health. In addition to my main role as a health volunteer I
may also have time to work on secondary projects such as teaching at a school,
promoting girls education, farming, etc. All of my work in the village will be
based on the community’s wants and needs.
Where
will I be living?
I will be living in a remote village in Zambia (TBA
halfway through training) with no electricity or running water.
Volunteers of different projects will be within +/-
20 km radius. More than likely I will be the only Peace Corps volunteer in the
village I will be permanently stationed at. That being said, a large part of my
“job” will be biking within a 20km radius with an all-terrain bicycle provided
to me through the Peace Corps.
Training
For the first three months of my service I will take
part in intensive training. There are nine languages spoken throughout Zambia.
Upon arrival, Peace Corps training leaders will assign each of us to a
particular language where we will then be placed in specific villages with a
host family close to other volunteers learning the same language. Each day we
will train from 8-5pm focusing on language acquisition, technical health
skills, and cross-cultural skills. After three months of training I will be
placed in a village where I will spend the next two years of my life.
How
can you contact me?
Mail typically takes 2-4 weeks to reach volunteers
in Zambia. Sending a package usually takes a bit longer ranging from 2 months
to 6 months. Many current Peace Corps Volunteers recommend that individuals who
send packages write religious symbols on the outside by including such things
as cross symbols or the saying, “God is watching.” Theft can be common and this
is a way to detract many from tampering with foreign letters and care packages.
At this point I am not sure how much internet access I will have. I will try to be in touch and update this blog when possible. I will not
have my same phone number and the best way to reach me will be via Facebook,
skype, email, and mail.
Email address
Mailing address
Hannah Trigg
Peace
Corps Volunteer
P.O.
Box 50707
Lusaka,
Zambia
Blog Link
hannahtrigg1.blogspot.com
Zambia
Here I Come!
As I approach this next chapter of my life I have
invited myself to embody a mindset of flexibility, curiosity, open-mindedness
and a willingness to learn and integrate myself into the community I will be
surrounded by. Although I have traveled a tiny bit, I have never lived within a
completely different culture, not to mention a completely different language! I am
looking forward to seeing how far my mind, soul and body can go.
 |
| Victoria Falls bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe |
Questions?
As I write this blog I know I will naturally be leaving
out information and experiences due to a multitude of reasons. Feel free to ask
any questions you may have. Don’t be shy! ;) For example you may be wondering….Will
I have a shower? No. Well at least not like the “Western” world would define a
shower. I will most likely be “showering” from a bucket of water….or…..Will my “toilet”
be a hole in the ground? Most likely.
*A gigantic hello, thank you, and I will miss you to all who have given me love, support, kindness,and strength throughout this intensely transitional time. My gratitude is everlasting.
As the Zambians say, Mwabonwa!! In other words, Welcome! Enjoy!
Awesome Hannah we will look forward to hear and see more of your adventure. Good on ya mate :-D <3 love from ruth and will
ReplyDeleteRuth and Will!!!! Hello mates! ;) So awesome to hear from you! I hope all is well with you two :)
DeleteSo glad you're doing a blog, Hannah! Can't wait to hear more...we are thinking of and praying for you and those around you! Mama
ReplyDeleteMutina I am blog stupid - for some reason my comments are not being included?
ReplyDeleteMutinta,
ReplyDeleteSuch an amazing world you are in now! Do the Zambians use the same little camp stoves you are using or do they use fire? What are you eating and is it the same as the Zambians? Do they grow the food they eat? Are their crops individually owned or communally owned? Where do you get drinking water from?
Wow what an adventure, love Sandra Towne
Dear Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI have been eating mainly with my host family which is typically nsima (a maize type mush cooked in water), vegetables and SOMETIMES a protein of some sort. While in training I have been given a balanced meal from my host family although I know this will not continue when I reach my actual village which is why I plan to cook for myself. Many Zambians grow maize (nsima is LIFE here) but less have gardens of their own so many must purchase those items at markets, or sometimes not at all if they cannot afford them. Many have land only for the family, although I have seen some community gardens in which people share. Drinking water typically comes from man-made boreholes or wells or sometimes streams or other bodies of water. In my future village I will be gathering water from a borehole about 500m from my hut. Thanks for all the great questions! Feel free to ask anything and everything! :)
Congratulations you are now an official Peace corp volunteer! Miss you and love the photos and stories! Sandra
ReplyDeleteBa Mutinta.
ReplyDeleteYour life sounds challenging wonderful. So much to share. So much to learn. So much peace to embrace. I am now thinking of accumulating cows. :-). Love you much. -baz