Saturday, May 26, 2012

Social Media Activism

Malawi: Social Media Activism Takes Root

Interesting article on how social media is shaping change in Africa.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201204130303.html

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Our tailor

Claudia* is our age, early to mid thirties.  She is strikingly pretty, petite and slender with a ready smile and a sparkle in her dark eyes.  She lives in and works from two rooms in a neat little duplex in a shared compound, off a dirt road on a hill and down a dirt path between planted crops.  The compound shares water.  She puts her stove under a table during work hours, and puts her work under the table when she cooks for her small family.  She has two little girls, Joyful and Grace, 4 and 18 months.  Joyful is exactly as her name would imply, seeming to find utter delight in every breath she takes, constantly laughing and making her sister laugh too.  Grace toddles around, sharing her discoveries of the world with her sister and her mother.  Claudia does not send Joyful, with Grace tied on her little back, to run errands, or send the girls away until their needed for work.  She’s attentive and loving, and they thrive in the utter confidence of her care.  Joyful goes to nursery school, and Claudia always says customers can come by at any time, except when she goes to pick Joyful up from school.  They are delightfully under foot and ready to share their fascination and enjoyment and games with customers who come to drop off or pick up orders.  Claudia sews beautifully, creating unique, made-to-order clothing from the fabrics we bring her.  We try things on in the bedroom, sometimes asking for the fit to be adjusted here or there.  Some volunteers say she is a little expensive.  The little girls love each other and are growing up as sisters, but they don’t have the same parents.  Joyful is Claudia’s granddaughter.  Joyful’s mother is in Claudia’s village, going to school.  Her father acknowledges that she is his child, but he’s young too, and his family does not recognize his daughter.  And children - feeding, clothing, housing, schooling – are the sole responsibility of the mother in this culture.  Fathers give gifts, and it’s nice when they do, but not required.  Now we’ve seen many men carrying babies, holding the hands of small children, in complete adoration of their children, but it’s accepted and even expected here that men will have different families in different villages, and they can just as easily say that those children are not their responsibility.  Claudia makes sure her oldest daughter and her granddaughter go to school.  Claudia is our age.

*Names changed.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Updated Recommended Packing List

A year later, here’s what we brought and wish we’d brought, with a few things taken off the list that we didn’t need.  Happy packing to the new volunteers!


3 tank tops
3 T-shirts
7 shirts
1 sweater
3 skirts
4 pants (1 capri)
bathing suit and rash guard (diving shirt)
jacket/sweatshirt
belt
assorted underthings and socks
hat
sunglasses
umbrella
headlamp
travel towel
hammock
camp mirror
iPod
insect repellent
Benadryl gel
toothbrush and paste
shampoo
soap
deodorant
moisturizer
Japanese washcloth
razor and replacement blades
mask and snorkel
shoe polish kit
dress shoes
flip flops
Vibram five fingers
neti pot
Gatorade powder
kitchen knife
pour over coffee basket and filter
assorted spices
vitamins and prescriptions for three months
sandwich size Ziplock bags
journal
mini travel sized bible
laptop
flash drive
external hard drive
Peace Corps Volunteer paperwork and handbooks
chapstick
bobby pins and hair ties
measuring cup
measuring spoons
travel Scrabble, Uno, and a deck of cards
underwater camera housing
camera
sunscreen
extra soap, shampoo, sunscreen, toothbrushes and make-up (3 months worth)
passport/money belt
can opener
hair cutting scissors
speakers
duct tape
straight razor and strop
shaving brush and cup
combination padlock
hand sanitizer
wash cloths
travel sewing kit
favorite junk food
tea/hot chocolate
calendar
crossword/sudoku books
ear plugs
hashi (also known as chopsticks)
sleep mask