July

peas, onions, tomatoes, peanuts, cutting board 

A family friend sent me some money to buy six soccer balls.  I gave one of them to the maternity ward. 

 

pregnant women playing with the soccer ball

Youth club with donated soccer ball and books.  A group of girls and a group of boys from the group also wrote"daily activity schedules,"which we used to talk about gendered division of labor and also the best time to have future meetings.  

girls working on their daily activity schedule

 boys working on their daily activity schedule

A soccer team with their new ball

youth playing with their new soccer ball

Nala and Mtima sleeping on my bed

teenage boys' map of their village

teenage girls' map of their village







May and June

world map on my wall

50th Anniversary Poster

papaya tree in my yard

William, a youth from the health center youth club, cooking peanuts (called ground nuts here).  A fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, Scheller, and I taught them to make "Ground Nut Sweeties" to sell as an income generating activity.  

Maria with the finished product.

cute baby

coffee and Harry Potter

Nala with a dead mouse in my backyard.  I'm not sure if she killed it or just found it.

Tattoo on my calf of a phoenix.  I got this right before I left for Malawi.

a Rasta selling crafts at a market in Lilongwe

This is a picture was drawn by a ten year old boy from Kamsonga.  I use it for HIV prevention activities.  The extended metaphor is that there's a flood in the village (HIV prevalence) and people can prevent getting eaten by dangerous animals in the water or drowned by using one of three boats: Abstinence (A), Be Faithful (B), Condom Use (C).  

This is Anna.  She's Japanese and works for World Relief in Lilongwe.  I stay with her when I come to town.  I met her through Nana, my close friend from college, who now works for World Relief in Japan.  

Some youth with sugar cane, which Malawians like to rip with their teeth and eat straight from the stalk. 

The primary school.  We wrote a proposal to repair the bore hole here. 

Students and teachers near the borehole we want to repair.

children coloring at my porch

bales of tobacco 









  

















April

Here are some Form 3 students in their classroom.  

Robert, who works at my favorite tea shop at Kamsonga Trading Center

cooking pea soup on my coal stove

Me with my friend Scheller's two dogs - Sahara and Sophie.

My cat, Mtima, with a milk goatee.

Youth from the Health Center Youth Club in front of their new bookshelf.  Thanks, Anna!!! 

From April 10 - 15 I participated in Camp STAR: Scientific Thinking Achieving Results at Gwangwa Community Day Secondary School in Ntchisi.  There were about 70 Form Four students participating, including two girls (Maria and Maggie) and two boys (Victor and John) from the secondary school in Kamsonga where I teach Life Skills.  The point of the camp was to expand student's interest in the science subjects and also to prepare them for their national examinations. Gwangwa CDSS has a full science laboratory with things like microscopes, skeleton models, lots of chemicals, beakers, burners and the like.  Most CDSSes in Malawi do not have science labs.  Gwangwa CDSS also has a computer lab with about 12 computers.  Morning and afternoon classes included: electricity lab, titration lab, career planning and CV writing, coordination, HIV/reproduction, biology practicals, pendulum practicals, organic chemistry, computers, mathematics, and genetics.  I taught Reproduction and HIV.  Afternoon activities included: tree grafting, goat dissection, and environmental science.  Evening activities included: a film, a jeopardy game, a talent show and a disco.  The camp was very well organized and run by Peace Corps Education Volunteers Kelly Petrowski and Jen Ludvigson.  It was an inspiring and enjoyable experience for both the students and the Peace Corps Volunteers (who taught the classes and activities).

Goat dissection at Camp STAR.

The teacher's lounge at Gwangwa CDSS.

Kelly's backyard.  Peace Corps Volunteer teachers at Camp STAR slept in her back yard and in her house.  It was mighty crowded!







March

bike repair

my library

cooking nsima, the staple food, made with corn flour

little boy in a suit

my friend Rasheed eating green beans with salt

a shop keeper in his shop

a tailer in his shop

This student and many others want a pen pal.  Please let me know if you are interested!

This student also wants a pen pal.  Please let me know if you are interested!

tying tobacco













February

One of the shop keepers at my trading center outside his shop with his baby.

Selling "chips."

Youth selling meat.

A woman selling pastries called "mandazis."

A man selling small fish called "usipa."

Clothing and fabric for sale

My friend Rasheed.  I just taught him how to play chess.

Youth from the youth club at the health center playing a dancing game.  They're happy because we just got donated books for a library and decorated the room with health posters.  Next step - table, chairs/benches, and a bookshelf! 

Some of the form 4 students.

Nala with a new friend.