GLOW DONATIONS PLEASE!

I recently returned from a trip to the capitol where I participated in our first annual inter-provincial sports tournament. The goal was to get a team from each of the 6 provinces and compete in various sports activities. Northern Province was a bit underrepresented along with Luapula and Northwest, so we created the “Northern Alliance”. Eastern and Central provinces both had full teams with multiple alternates. We played basketball, volleyball, kickball, and soccer and ended up having a blast. It was really great to get to see some of my old friends from training and meet new people from different intakes. The weekend we were in the capitol just so happened to be the ‘ring out’ or close of service for the RAP/CHIP intake that arrived in 2009. They had finished their two years of service and were participating in our ceremonial ‘ringing out’ ceremony where they all ring a traditional Zambian ‘bell’ of sorts (an old painted car wheel). It’s extremely bizarre to think that my intake will be the next to participate in this ceremony. We only have 8 months left of service in Zambia, so we are officially the ‘seniors’ of the group. I can vividly remember coming to country being terrified out of my mind. Now it seems so silly that I could be so afraid of this place. I am comfortable here and in fact a bit scared to return to home for good. Life in America seems so far removed from everything I know here, (even with a recent trip back to visit) and it will be a whole period of readjustment when I do get back. I also just recently returned from a “Second Site Visit” with some of the recently arrived RAP (Rural Aquaculture Program) trainees. They had just learned where they would be living for the next two years and got to visit a volunteer who stays in the same district as they will. I hosted LIFE second site visit back in April, so I knew how stressful it could be to have so many new volunteers at your site at once. Therefore I helped out my friend who stays in Mbala. The new volunteers were really excited about seeing their future district and we had a good time cooking, talking, and learning how to play cribbage. It’s really difficult for me to think back on what I was feeling when I was in their same position. To tell the truth, I think I was still scared out of mind about being here and had a really difficult time actually enjoying myself. Instead, I was just missing home and searching for reasons why I should stay. Obviously now, I know I made the correct decision by sticking it out because I am happier than I’ve ever been. Sure, the bad days get really low here, but otherwise life is great, and I love it. The national election is next week here in Zambia, and we are getting the full brunt of the campaign craziness now. Trucks with campaign posters plastered all over them drive through the villages blaring music or shouting out slogans and pushing their candidate. In the towns, people parade down the street behind these propaganda machines and flash their party’s respective hand symbol (including fists, making an L-shape with your finger and thumb, and other various hand movements), and yell at their opposition. I’m really looking forward to staying put in the village this next week, and visiting the school (the village polling place) on the day of the election. I'd lastly like to ask you to take a moment and look at our grand proposal for the Mpika district Camp GLOW scheduled for December. This is a great opportunity for girls in the village to learn how to be leaders, make good decisions, and lead healthy lives. We are funded solely by donations, so in order to make this camp a success I need your help. Any monetary amount would be a great help, and your donation will be tax deductable! https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=611-071