5 Months Down, 7 Mice Down (the mice are winning)

October 7th

Four Months have come and gone. Holy Cow! Can you believe it??? I can barely believe how quickly the time has flown by and without any warning I am nearing the second week in October.
This last week I started teaching some lessons at the nutrition center. It only takes about thirty minutes out of my day (the walk there and back home takes more time), but I am learning that despite my lack of a health related degree or background, I am still leaps and bounds ahead of some of these women. What I have taken for granted as common sense and undeniable, is new to these mothers. I am sharing the knowledge that my mother had taught me before she would even allow me to have a watch (I had to be able to count to 60 flawlessly before I could have that totally sweet crayon watch I got for Christmas one year). So far we have covered complimentary breastfeeding (breast milk + other foods = healthy child), hand washing, and vitamin A. Tomorrow we are going to discuss personal hygiene. I have been dispelling rumors about vitamin supplements causing diarrhea and making children sick. I am also trying, through constant and daily repetition, to express the importance of food variety (a child can not live on yam alone) and cleanliness (wash your food, your hands and your child's hands, its the lack of this behavior that is causing the diarrhea). The women seem to be learning or at least listening, getting them to participate is like pulling teeth...pulling teeth through a translator. The goal is to deliver this knowledge and hope they absorb it so they don't have to return to the center. Like my last job...not having any “customers” is a good thing. You want to be there for the service you can provide, not because you have to provide.



October 10th

I went to church again today. Fr. Phanuel informed me that October is the month of the rosary. (I had bought the little “how to” book two weeks prior.) Noticing today that rosaries were being offered for sale (the cheap plastic ones you get as a child), I began to ask Father how much, all the students had bought one (the congregation is now 10 people strong), and figured if the money in any way supported this church the money would be well spent. Before I could finish my question Fr. Phanuel gave me a rosary...a nice rosary with multicolored beads and chain linking them together. He explained to me that the saints on the medallion were the saints that represented the Mission he belonged to and then blessed it for me. The gesture alone moved me. While the rosary looks new and well cared for the little plastic bag it was in looks well traveled and as if it has housed that rosary for some time...I have a sneaking suspicion that Father gave me his rosary. From a church that has no ornaments, where the cross on the alter is a small plastic one, a priest that has to travel quite a distance on a bad road to do the Sunday Mass...this was a big gesture! I will take care of this rosary, probably more so than some of the others I acquired in my pre-Christer (Chreaster, Chrieaster, Christmas+Easter=?) youth. Today was a good feeling day.

Oh yeah...Has anyone ever rode their bike through the middle of a herd of cattle? I have! Thats right people I braved my bike through beef and horns and came out unscathed. (Those cows are probably used to it, but I felt brave).






October 20th

Of Propane, Cows and Mice

Those three things could probably sum up my day...probably even my week. A few days ago my propane tank changed its status to empty. Luckily empty came after my water was sufficiently warmed for my morning tea and oatmeal. When I first moved to Karaga I bought a coal pot and some coal...and sans propane I have been trying to use it with little success. I must be a sorry sight trying to light it, this morning my neighbor went to the neighboring building and borrowed pre-lit coals to help with mine (there are no easy starters—you light, pray, and use a braided palm frond fan and hope your little spark spreads to the other coals). This afternoon my other neighbor told me that I will suffer until I get my tank filled and insisted that I use his until mine gets filled. My tank/cylinder will be going to Tamale with the Carter Center/Guinea Worm guys...they are kindly taking it down for me, filling it and bringing it back. Thats right folks, no nearby corner gas stations to fill the tank, the nearest propane is a four hour dirt road journey away. I love my neighbors, though they laugh at me they take good care of me.

Today I also went with the Carter Center on their search for guinea worm cases and filter replacement/distribution in Karaga. Largely I was paired up with a local volunteer and went to several houses to replace filters-- if their filter was no good (we took the spoiled filter so they could not keep using it) or we gave filters to families that said they did not have any. Some people even stopped us between houses to grab a filter...I don't think all of them will use them and just wanted the freebie but even if a couple of people use them...Yay! At the end of the day the “volunteers” were paid with a bar of soap and 1 cedi. I tried to leave without taking either (Peace Corps already pays me to be a volunteer...so no double dipping), but the Carter Center guys insisted I at least take the soap when I told them they don't need to give me anything for my time and that I am here for them. I took the soap and the jesting from the other volunteers that I refused the money instead of giving it to one of them. But this was not even the important part of the day...during the case search my partner decided to take a small break in front of the butcher! The butcher was in the process of killing and skinning a cow! My morbid curiosity watched the whole thing...right up until my partner decided we need to go meet up with the rest of the volunteers. Throat slit to end its life (and bleed out a little) the butcher began the skinning process. Without skin/hide everything seemed to expand, it was gross and cool!

In other animal related news, I have a mouse update. I have killed seven, but now it seems I am left with the smart ones, the ones who know to avoid the traps and know I fear them more than they fear me. Today the little bastard crawled across my feet and squeemed me out! If anyone has any ideas for a better mouse trap they would be appreciated...never in my life have I had a greater appreciation and understanding of man's unending quest to “build a better mouse trap”


October 26th

Power has been out all day. I joked two days ago that I prayed for rain (on Sunday) and that my prayer was answered...I think too many people prayed for rain, it has been raining since. It is supposed to be the dry season, or at least the beginning of it. I love the rain, it cools everything down and makes sleeping at night possible. However, rain means the power goes out, my freezer defrosting all over my floor, and me stuck inside in the dark (cuz of that no lights thing). I also have not been to Tamale for about a month now, and am going a little bit stir crazy. I love my neighbors and co-workers at the center, but I need some American contact, or a least a conversation guaranteed not to be awkward, limited by language, or centered on how I am not married or should be someone's third wife!

Because of the “rain” I ditched out on the center today. Teaching lessons is fun, but getting the women to participate is still like pulling teeth and I know my translator is not telling me everything. I say one or two words and she gives a whole speech...a woman who has decided to participate gives a whole speech and I only get one or two words translated. According to the handout our training coordinator gave us during training --- my feelings of frustration are right on track =) Next month I will be project ready and motivated again!

Oh yeah, I also got my propane cylinder back today! Woot!! Though I did take it as a personal challenge to find a better method and successfully get those coals lit. I think I have it down. It is all about using the small coals and building a kind of wreath so the heat just keeps building off the other lit coals. I still have to fan a bit, but now it does not take a whole day to get it started. I win.


October 31st

Happy Halloween! I made myself a pair of butterfly wings =) What are you?

Month 5 is over, 22 more to go.

Miss you all.