Hospitals and the End of Camp

My two favorite children. It is hard to say goodbye.

Hospitals and the End of Camp

Well those who know me know that any trip I am on is not complete without a trip to the hospital. Luckily, being in Africa, the only thing wrong was a ear and sinus infection. I definitely did not want to fly 27 hours with sinus pressure!! So after to days of taking medication I now have a voice back, can breath and am not coughing every 5 minutes. It was definitely worth the 4,500 kw it cost (about $26). It is amazing that I can see a doctor, from the states, and get medicine here for a little more than my co-pay back home.

The last camp ended yesterday. Everyone really loved the school. The job of the team leader, my job for the week was just OK. I guess it was good for me to see the organization of the program but I really missed working with the kids. From talking to the other volunteers and listening to the presentations It seems as if some of the teachers were very hard to work with because they had been drinking or where drunk. Two teachers even wrote a presented a poem during the presentation and they were definitely under the influence. It is sad that these people choose these behaviors. Teachers are so important especially here where they could provide such needed guidance and assistance to the young people. I know that the Malawian government has a difficult time requiting and retaining teachers because it is such a difficult position, but it is hard to see people who are not dedicated or do not make good choices left to the education of any child. The head master and deputy head master seemed to like our curriculum and support World Camps ideals. They let us present the donated condoms at the presentation, in front of the community. I think that this small gesture shows forward thinking and acceptance of the problems. And this is a good start for sure. If the adults are not willing to talk about sex and how it causes AIDS kids will continue to have no knowledge and therefore the problems will continue.

Many of my blog readers have asked about the ease of getting condoms once World Camp leaves. In many villages it is not easy. Hospitals and clinics will give them for free but the villages we have worked at are between 8-20 km from the nearest one. Now this does not sound far but with no car, few bikes and bad roads many villagers have never taken a trip that far. Condoms are often for sale at the local market areas but many people either don’t have the money to buy them or are embarrassed to ask because then people will know they are having sex. This is I believe it is so important to discuss sex with many villagers here. In public it is viewed as a taboo subject. People do not talk to their partners or the children about it because it is this hush hush thing that shouldn’t happen, yet im many villages children are starting to have sex between 10-12. I see a real disconnect there between the ideas on sex, and what is occurring. It seems that hiding it is not helping, but instead the lack of knowledge is making it more prevalent.

There are a lot of things I am going to miss about being here. I have really enjoyed learning about a new culture and way of life. It is impossible, even from my pictures and videos to really understand the number of challenges that these children face, some just to go to school each day. But I find so many people here who are warm and open and want to change they just need the skills and knowledge. I hope that my being here, World Camp being here has helped. I am excited about the governments role in wanting to change and from hearing that many NOGs are looking into forming networks so that a wider range of needs is covered by all the groups working in Malawi.

I am not sure who this trip has effected me as a person or as a teacher and I am not sure I will know for a while. One thing that it has shown me is that the kids in the states are very privileged and have been given so many tools to succeed. They have all this opportunity at their fingertips and as their teacher I cannot let it slip away because somewhere there is a child without all those things struggling to reach his or her dreams. Although I cannot help every child all over the world I can make sure that my students find success in everything they do.

Yesterday after camp we acted like the azungus that we are. We had been joking about celebrating Obama’s birthday. So Jaren, the only Canadian here, brought a bunch of Malawian fire works (bottle rockets) and gave us a surprise Obama party. It was a lot of fun and our neighbors probably thought we were crazy shooting of rockets yelling and singing.
Tonight we are going to to dinner to celebrate and out to the only bar in Area 3 called Diplomats. Three people leave tomorrow morning. I have to make one last trip to the fabric and craft market. I have lost of random stuff to try to trade with the market vendors. We will see how good my bargaining really is. And I am hoping to maybe play with the babies at the nursery one last time. So now I am ending my trip. Hopefully I can talk to most off you all in person and I will post more pics on Facebook.