Camp GLOW 2012

 This last week has been one of the best for me here in Kenya. I've been so inspired by all the girls at Camp GLOW and have really felt like I've made a serious difference in their lives.

Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a week long girls camp we hold in Kisumu every year. Each volunteer involved nominates 2 girls to go to the camp. It's an amazing experience because my girls had never been out of the village and they were able to meet girls from other parts of Kenya. Besides learning about health and business, the camp is empowering and stands up for the idea that every young woman can make a difference in their communities. The girls had the chance to do mock income generating activities, arts and crafts, condom relays and condom balloon toss, see a women's shelter and even go on a walking safari. We took the girls to the airport because many of them had never seen a plane!

 Everyday had a different health topic ranging from HIV/AIDS and STIs to Self Defence to Goal Setting and much more! There's no creative learning in Kenya so it was a great chance for the girls to learn other ways then to just simply get lectured at and memorize things. They got real life experience!

We also had a talent show which was so fun! My friend David and I were the MCs and we did our own little dance from the movie Dirty Dancing. The girls talents were really good too! Some sang songs, some did poems and others danced. It was adorable!

The best part of the camp for me was working with the deaf girls. Peace Corps has a Deaf Education sector and they mix with our camp. By the end of the week the hearing girls were using sign language and hanging out with the deaf girls! The deaf girls even did a play for the talent show. It was just so awesome to see because disabilities are not supported in Kenya like they are in America. Deaf girls get hidden away in their villages because the parents don't know what to do with them. They get denied education and normal lives just because of ignorance. So, if anything, the hearing girls learned that deaf people are no different than themselves. It was seriously incredible!

It was sad to leave camp at the end of the week! You really start to get to know some of the girls well and they've all made so many friends. My plan now is to work with the girls I brought to camp to be ambassadors with me in the village. I want to do my own small scale camp and my girls can be teachers for their friends. This was probably the best thing I've done so far and hope I can be involved more. I love working with the youth and empowering them on how to make good life decisions.


If you are interested in donating to Gender related projects such as Camp GLOW, you can make a 100% tax deductible contribution at https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=615-CFD

In the comment section make sure to write that it is for GAD (Gender and Development). Remember ALL the money goes directly to volunteers, no admin fees! Yay!

Tips for Never Getting Bored in a Rural African Village

-Exercise: whether it’s running, dance or yoga, stay active. It increases endorphins and keeps you from getting fat on all that village food they shove down your throat. Don’t be afraid to have a dance party by yourself…I do it all the time!

-Find a craft: I like making jewelry at site when I have down time. If I was a better artist I would probably try to draw or paint. My friend Henry just built a boat! Anything to keep your mind and hands busy.

-Keep movies and/or shows on your hard drive at all times: All of us volunteers share our media with each other. I’ve spent a whole day watching Dexter. Now I’m into Breaking Bad and Lost. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!

-Bring a Kindle and READ READ READ: It’s hard to find the time in America to always read what I want, especially while I was in school. This opportunity has given me the chance to read things I never thought I’d be into. And even though I will always love a fresh new book, having a Kindle with unlimited amounts of books is a plus!

-Take care of your body: After a long day in the village I like to soak my feet, do my nails and maybe even a facemask. It feels good to pamper yourself, even if it’s for no one but you.

-Have a glass of wine or two and drunk call your friends in Peace Corps and/or America: Friends love hearing from you, especially when you’re somewhat tipsy. My friends and I have made this a tradition here in Peace Corps whenever one of us goes out. And I have a few regulars back in America that seem to enjoy my calls as well (Julia! Ha)

-Learn to do the splits: It doesn’t have to be the splits, but you have two years in a small hut. Teach your body to be flexible!

-Write in a journal: I’ve done this since 3^rd grade, but writing my thoughts down really helps me stay leveled.

-Listen to music and sing loudly: It doesn’t matter if you’re a good singer or not, village people will think you are no matter what. So sing loudly and proudly to whatever song you love to jam out to. (current personal preference: Glee version of Dancing Queen).

-Make slideshows of your pictures: Most computers have some kind of windows movie maker or whatever the equivalent on a Mac is. Put together a little slideshow of home for yourself. It’s fun to share it with African friends as well!

-Plan for the future: It doesn’t have to be concrete, but thinking about what you are going to do after service can take up some fun internet browsing time (when you have internet). Or making travel plans! It’s always good to have something to look forward to.

-Write letters home: Everyone loves getting mail!

-Take long naps: hey you have all the time in the world in Africa! Take advantage of it!

Don’t be afraid to be bored. Soak it up! Remember all those times running around back home trying to get everything done. Well you have two years to finally relax! Enjoy it! Savor it! I know I do. I’m happy when I get busy here, but then I miss the days I get to sit around and do nothing. Be with your thoughts. People are so afraid to be with themselves back home. Learn about who you are and live every second, even if you aren’t doing anything at all.

Zanzibar!!!!

Tall palm trees reaching toward the sky and the Indian Ocean lapping over white sandy beaches that stretch for miles…this has been my last two weeks. After wrapping up a successful fundraising event my community put on to raise their 25% towards the maternity ward, Adam and I headed out for a few deserved weeks of vacation. We took the overnight bus to Mombasa where we taxied out to the south coast, a little town called Diani Beach. I can’t begin to describe how good it felt to see the ocean again after almost a year. I’m seriously a California girl true and true because I instantly felt myself happier amongst familiar waters. We stayed at the Swahili Beach resort which was fantastic! All we did was swim in the pool, soak up the rays and eat amazing food. I tried all kinds of seafood, I might add, and was quite pleased with myself. 

About 4 days in Diani was all we needed to get completely relaxed, but being the adventurous people we are, we were itching for some action. So off we were on our flight to Zanzibar. Never had I had a trip quite like this one. Zanzibar is so beautiful and culturally rich, all well being on the beach! The buildings stretched along side one another in rows and clusters for miles, set apart only by small ally ways to walk though. We went during the month of Ramadan so everything felt extra spiritual and majestic. We stayed in Stone Town which has an Arabian nights feel to it, with cobble stone allies lined with local craft merchants desperately trying to make a sale. I couldn’t help myself and bought a locally made wooden box, a treasure chest from Zanzibar, along with various other goodies. 

Walking through the local market you could smell the vanilla in the air and other spices as you drifted by them. Local fish were being chopped up for sale, even octopus with long gooey legs! 

One day we took a boat out to Prison Island, once used as a hospital for European boats coming into Zanzibars port. Out on the island they have a protective habitat for giant tortoises so we spent time feeding them and even holding the babies. After, we got to snorkel among the beautiful coral reef. There wasn’t many fish, but it was still a great time. 

During the evenings we usually picked a spot for a sundown cocktail and watched the majestic sunset over the water while the fishing boats sailed back into shore. Dinner was always amazing, everywhere we chose to go. Some places sported pillows on the ground so you could dine middle eastern style, others sat on the water where you could hear the waves splash in. The food I ate on this trip….well let’s just say I might have gained a few pounds.

Our last day we simply spent lounging on the beach and relaxing. I got a henna design on my hand by a nice Muslim lady. It was nice to be able to speak Kiswahili with everyone. That night we ate local food in the nearby park, all cooked kabab style on a grill. They had everything from full crabs, to lobster, tuna, falafel, and for desert we had banana crapes. Delish! 

Overall, my trip to Zanzibar has to be one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. I’m back at site now and it’s hard to adjust to after having hot showers and good food, but I’m happy to be back with Sangala.

It doesn’t end here though. I’m so busy all through August. I am heading to Pre-Service Training on Tuesday to meet the new volunteers and teach them about the Gender and Development Committee I chair. The next week is Camp GLOW, then I have mid-service medical and finally cross-sector workshops. I’m not happy to be traveling around so much and feel guilty leaving my community, but it’s nice to be busy and it keeps me going. 

Miss you all back home very much! Keep writing!

Love

Andrea

Dad's Trip to Kenya

Having my father in Kenya was like a breath of fresh air. It was so nice to share my life with him and for him to be able to experience where I am coming from. It’s hard to put into words on a blog what my life is really like here. The ups and downs I go through on a daily basis usually do not get mentioned. So being able to expose my dad to all of this feels refreshing in that he will finally be able to somewhat relate to what I’m going through and hopefully return back to America to share his experiences with you all. 

I headed to the airport to pick up my dad on June 2^nd and was met with a warm embrace. I couldn’t help but shed a tear after not seeing my dad for over a year (the longest we’ve ever been apart). After a catching up over a few beers, we got to bed early to get some rest for our upcoming journey. It was off to Tanzania the next day to climb Kilimanjaro! We were met by our guide Future and spent our first night with our 8 porters in tents at the trail head. The 4 day hike up to base camp was fairly easy and gradual. Each day after we reached camp, we would unpack and have a fabulous lunch prepared by our private chef. Then Future would take us up about 200 to 300 meters higher to help us get acclimated. Sleeping in a tent with my dad proved somewhat of a struggle because he has a “slight” snoring problem. Haha! We reached base camp on day 4 and that’s when I really started to feel the altitude. The weather wasn’t as cold as I would have thought, but I was still happy I brought hand warmers. Day 5 we attempted summit. We woke up at 2am to make the climb. The altitude was the hardest part for me as well as the weather increasingly got colder as we rose. Once we reached Gilman’s Point, I started to question if my body would let me go on, but with the encouragement of my dad (who did great by the way) we made it to summit at 9:15am! Uhuru Point is the highest point in Africa and by far one of the most special moments of my life was sharing the view with my dad. Hiking down proved to be far harder than I could have imagined. Besides feeling sick because of the altitude, when we reached base camp, we had to pack up and hike another 3 hours to a lower camp. By this time my dad as well wasn’t feeling well. We were ready to get down! Finally, day 6 we reached the ground floor once again in Tanzania. It wasn’t easy, but what an adventure! 

After a night in a cheap motel in Tanzania, we spent one night in Loitokitok (the town in Kenya where I did my training), to visit with my host mama and so I could meet the new Peace Corps Trainees. My dad was able to meet some of my Kenyan friends as well as my host mama and her children which was really special. I had the pleasure of meeting the new Peace Corps Trainees and introducing myself. I’m hoping that I’ll be going back in July to speak more with them. It was a short trip, but the next morning we headed back to Nairobi for some well deserved R&R. We visited the Nairobi National Musuem and the Maasai Craft Market, then met up with some of my Peace Corps friends for Happy Hour at Brew Bistro.

 Hannah joined us with her family and the next day all of us headed out to the Maasai Mara to start our 3 day safari. Before we even entered the park, we saw herds of elephants, zebras, water buffalo and many other animals. In the Mara we stayed in the Sarova, which after roughing it in the village, was a luxury escape for me. They had a buffet that was to die for! I’m sure I ended up gaining all the weight back I lost on Kilimanjaro. The most amazing part of the safari was seeing 14 lions eating a water buffalo surrounded by hyenas and vultures! It was so nice meeting Hannah’s family and having her meet my dad as well. 

We split ways after goodbyes and my dad and I headed out to my site in Singorwet. The first thing he says when he sees my site is, “Man! This is rural!” I told you so!!! My dad was able to see me teach one of my high school classes. I taught about Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood and let my dad stand up and talk about what it was like being a single parent raising a girl. The class really loved him. We had a traditional Kenyan meal and my mama slaughtered a chicken for him. He was polite and tried everything, even though Kenyan food is not really appetizing. My dad also was able to set up solar panels at my dispensary. He seemed so happy to be contributing! The solar panels are connected to a suitcase that has lights in it, a fetal Doppler and batteries. Since my dispensary doesn’t have electricity this will be a huge improvement for our facility and for the maternity ward we are working on building. My dad taught all the nurses how to use the case. You should have seen the smile on his face! 

My dads trip went too quick and he flew out on the 20^th after a tearful goodbye. I’m going to miss him so much, but feel so humbled that he came all this way to see me. I was able to share another world with my dad and I honestly think it will change him for the better. God has blessed us with so much! 

 

Now I’m in Nairobi for a Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) meeting. The camp is in August and I’m bringing two girls from my community to learn about HIV, family planning and health. This will hopefully empower them to teach the other girls in Singorwet what they learn. July I’ll be seeing my friends for the 4^th, then hopefully going to Peace Corps Training in Loitokitok. After, I have a trip planned to the Kenyan Coast. I’ll be going to Mombasa, Diani and then flying to Zanzibar in Tanzania. August is just as crazy. Besides the camp, I have a GAD (Gender and Development) meeting where I’ll officially be taking over as Chair, and then I have Cross-Sector. Cross-Sector is a educational conference for a week on HIV, Males as Partners and other health topics that I will be taking two Kenyan counterparts from my community to attend. So as you can see, I’m busy busy busy. It’s helping me not to be homesick though and I’m feeling good about all the work I’m doing.

Miss you all back home and keep them emails comin!

Love

Andrea

Guest Blog By My Dad!

So here I am spending my last night in Africa with my daughter. I have had an amazing time and here are a few of the highlights.     

                                                       

We both succeeded in climbing Kilimanjaro, to the top.  5 days to the summit and one day down, we had a great time.

We then went on Safari in the Maasai Mara which is in southeast Kenya. We saw 20 lions feeding on a fresh kill of water buffalo, full grown.  About 100 Hyena’s were off in about a 100 yard perimeter waiting for the lion’s to finish.  Vultures were waiting the trees for the final feeding.  The accommodations we had were also first class.

 

We then went to Andrea’s site where we hung out.  We hiked every day to other villages or towns.  It is so rural out in the middle of Africa it is hard to describe.  I then had the privilege to be a participant in bringing Andrea a solar suitcase for her maternity ward (her project).  It will offer lighting during operations as there is no electricity.  I was also privileged to use my electrical skills in setting it up and giving a class in its operation and maintenance.

I learned a lot of stuff and I hope to tell you all about it more later.   

 Love you all,  Jay

10 Reasons to Hire a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

Found this on the National Peace Corps Association website: http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/2012/05/10-reasons-to-hire-an-rpcv/

10 Reasons to Hire a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

By Molly Mattessich on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

From 2009-11, Thomas Lang served as a Business Volunteer in the country of Georgia. Photo: Peace Corps.

In this economy, businesses want to hire the most qualified, creative, intelligent, passionate candidate they can for a new position. We at the National Peace Corps Association think that people who have served in the Peace Corps – in a developing country with countless chances to develop cross-cultural skills and resourcefulness – make some of the best colleagues around. Here’s a short (slightly cheeky) list of why we think you should hire a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV).

1. We enjoy problem-solving. Need to put together a desk from IKEA, hang paintings, fix the copier, figure out that weird spreadsheet thing? There’s nothing a little duct tape won’t fix.
2. We can talk to anyone and are comfortable anywhere. Whether it’s the village chief, a market woman, a ministry official, or a cranky vendor … we have experience interacting with all kinds of people, in all kinds of settings. And often in a foreign language. Whether your business operates in Niger, Nicaragua, or Niagara Falls, we quickly get the lay of the land and get things done.
3. Save money on the staff retreat. No need to put us up in a fancy hotel on the Vegas strip. We’ll pass on the $16 muffins. Thanks to our modest Peace Corps living allowances, we’ve learned our way around a budget – and will respect yours.
4. Our contributions to the office potluck. Peanut stew, pupusas, Pad Thai, vodka … Congratulations!  Your office gathering just got more interesting.
5. We know our way around flipcharts. In fact, “brainstorming” and “creativity” are our middle names. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers know how to think outside of the box.
6. Overcoming uncertainty is second nature. If there’s one thing that unites Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, it’s this: We got on the plane. Despite the naysayers, we left all that was safe and familiar and departed for an unknown country for 27 months. That takes passion. That takes chutzpah. Teaching a class of unruly teens? Handling clients who keep changing their minds? Piece of cake.
7. We’re goal-oriented. If we can’t figure out how to get it done or who can get it done, we’ll find the kid who will.
8. Patience comes with the territory. After sitting through two years of day-long, under-the-tree meetings, drinking endless cups of tea to see our projects through, even the longest department meetings won’t faze us.
9. We’re pretty healthy. Because we’ve toughed our way through malaria, giardia, boils, schistosomiasis, scary fevers, and weird rashes in places we can’t discuss, we won’t call in sick for a “cold.”
10. We can take casual Friday to a whole new level. We have a certain … confidence.

With less than 200,000 of us in the workforce, we suggest that you hire a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer – before someone else does.
The National Peace Corps Association’s mission is to support RPCVs as they take their next step in changing the world.

Making Progress

I've officially been in site almost a month straight now which is good because I was traveling a lot and will be again when my dad comes in a few weeks. It's important for me to "show face" in my community in order to integrate. I thought I was fully integrated, but then the other day I went on a walk and 3 different people asked me for money! That doesn't usually happen with people I know because they understand that I don't make anything as a Peace Corps Volunteer. So I've been working really hard to be seen in the community these last few weeks by attending church, going to the dispensary every day and just talking with local people around the village.

Here are my most recent updates:

I HAVE ELECTRICITY NOW!!!!! It's truly amazing! You never know how much you miss something until you don't have it. It's not about the actual light, because truthfully I found candle light and my lamp soothing, but just being able to charge is a miracle in itself. I use to have to walk 2 hour round trip to go charge anything and the walk was almost entirely uphill. In the rainy season it's near impossible and keeps me out of my community more than I'd like. We are only the second home in the entire village to get electricity (even the health clinic doesn't have it). It is very much a luxury here and all the credit goes to my mama for pulling it together. Hopefully in the next few years, Singorwet will have full power!

I've finished my proposal for the Singorwet Dispensary Maternity Ward Development Plan! I have one more meeting with the chief tomorrow to go over the proposal, then we will turn it into Peace Corps who will hopefully approve it and put it up on the Peace Corps website so all you back home can donate funds! I'll let you know how to once it's up, but all donations are tax deductible and 100% goes directly to my project. Watch for updates!

Another project I've began working on is starting a scholarship fund for kids in the village. Everyday I walk through the village and see tons of kids out of school! When I ask them why they aren't in school they say because of fees. Primary education (k-8) is free, but there are still PTA fees and the uniform is about 500ksh ($6.25US). Secondary education (9-12) is 8400ksh a term ($105US) and the uniform is about 1500ksh
($18.75US). It's so saddening for me to see. I've decided to sponsor one secondary student with my own money because i work with her mother at the health clinic, but even that is a lot for me when I only make
$180 a month for a living stipend here. Obviously, not everyone can be helped, but I'd really like to start a
scholarship fund here for deserving students. My plan is to have a meeting with the parents of the students that qualify. The parents must contribute at least 200ksh ($2.50) a month to a savings account that can only be used for the students education. They must provide receipts for fees paid, grade marks per term and students must provide register attendance to show that they attended 95% of classes. I'm trying to reach out to teachers in America that might want to do a fundraising for these children with their class. I think it would be a great way for kids in America to connect with children in Africa to gain mutual understanding of one another's cultures. My students in return will send thank you cards to each class, talking about what school
is like here etc and I will provide pictures. Education in a 3rd world country is so important where uneducated children remain a part of the poverty cycle. If you know of any teachers that might want to participate please let me know: aflynnschneider@gmail.com

I have received about 30 solar cookers from Peace Corps and am planning to do a nutrition day in July. I'm going to sell the cookers for 300ksh ($3.75US) each and the money will go toward the maternity ward. I'll be writing a blog update about this when the time comes!

Finally, I've been chosen to be a part of the National Peace Corps Association's Serving Volunteer Advisory Council! The NPCA (http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/) was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in DC. It's a nonprofit organization that supports Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community through networking and mentoring to help guide former volunteers through their continued service back home. Over 50,000 members serve on NPCA. The Serving Volunteer Advisory Council connects NPCA to volunteers that are currently serving all over the world. My responsibilities are as follows:

• Communicate with NPCA staff via Skype at least four times per year
• Suggest topics to address in WorldView magazine and provide general feedback to the NPCA about issues and concerns of currently serving Peace Corps Volunteers
• Answer questions from NPCA staff as they arise
• Share information about the NPCA with the serving Peace Corps Volunteer community

I'm excited to be representing Kenya because I see very little mentioned about our country in WorldView magazine and other social networking sites. I'm hoping by Kenya being involved in the SVAC of NPCA, we will be able to showcase our accomplishments and promote ongoing projects. I'm the first volunteer from Kenya ever to serve on the council and look forward to the work!

 Last update: My dad comes in t-minus 10 days!!!!! Hopefully I can convince him to write an update with me when he gets here!

Cheers from Kenya!

Andrea Chepkosgei