The Dinner

by Dom on October 12th, 2007

The Summer School CampSky fundraising dinner. I heard it went well but I don’t actually know. I was holed up in a hot back room with 17 kids, age ranging from 1-13. It was a time. Can’t say I ever liked babysitting before, and this wasn’t really a change in the status quo. Still not too pleased. Jenn and Jared helped and withuot them, there probably would have been no babysitting. I would have just kicked up my feet while those kids ran around tearing up Dale’s house and I watched “The Jacket” on some 5-movie dvd we brought to watch “Robots.”

We took them outside a time or two. One kid started punching kids. He was a spaz. I almost punched him. We gave them spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner and coke. Some lady came out and yelled at us about giving coke to her kids. One of who was the spaz. I realized it was a bit late to giving caffiene only as the lady complained. I was told when I went to get them water, that she started asking Jenn if she had any experience/references and new any kind first aid. She told her dale has her CV and she’s an EMT. Apparently the lady shut up pretty quick. I was proud. I probably would have fumbled with some brown-nosing remark or just snapped. “Oh it’s definitely one or the other!” Besides that kind of stuff for 4 hours I guess it went well. Except apparently a lot of people seemed to have gotten food poisoning. Vomitting, loose bowels, and all that. I’ve been fortunate in that I was spared. I think Jenn and Jared were too. I guess that’s the just desserts for those others leaving 2 and a half people(with me involved) to watch 17 kids only to stop in once in a while to gawk at the absurdity of the situation as opposed to letting us eat or drink or something trivial like that. Oh well, bitter me. I guess there was some money made too. yay.

Days go bye

by Dom on September 21st, 2007

So I have a bit of a plan for everything for the next good while, however this month I was a bit unsure…That is until people kept showing up at my house and begging me to go to Nkhata Bay. What could I say, but “Of course!” I had kind of hoped to stay at site a bit this month, but I am at site enough I figure. I get my teaching done and those kids learn. Everyone wins.

In Mzuzu right now to meet with some others to discuss this Summer School. We are trying to work out some logistics like where these village kids will stay when they travel down to Zomba and who we can get to supervise these village kids as they come into the “BIG CITY!” You know towns like Millen…small. Anyway, it would be fun to see their reactions to things like paved roads, robots(stop lights), and the market.

Otherwise just same old same old. Finally got my hoe so I can hoe my rows. Been playing guitar and writing songs still. I think they’re getting better. We’ll see. Also, been gettin’ ready for the hot season. By that I mean stocking up on cut-off’s. Found this sweet GNR Appetite for Destruction shirt I’m rockin’ right now. I don’t usually like that verb in that context but it seemed too appropriate.

Oh and just got here from the market where I played some bao. I beat the first guy but lost to the second. Last time I played I beat two before losing. You guys get ready I think that’s the only curio I’m bringin’ home. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

CampSky

by Dom on August 25th, 2007

Here’s a letter from my education group. I thought this would be more effective than an individual email to people.

Greetings from the Peace Corps Education sector! As August comes to a close, most of us have returned from various vacations and projects to begin teaching Term 3. The weather is finally warming up and we are eagerly anticipating mango season, as well as the arrival of the new education volunteers at the end of September. It’s an exciting time for the 1st year education volunteers, as our first full year teaching comes to a close, secondary projects start to take shape, and our annual summer school rapidly approaches.

As many of you know, our job of teaching in Community Day Secondary Schools all over Malawi isn’t easy. These schools have very little money to spend, and as a result the classes are overcrowded, many teachers are under-qualified, there aren’t enough books for students to use, and most have never had access to a science laboratory or a computer.

In response to this, every year, Peace Corps Education Volunteers in Malawi host a two-week summer school. This program offers students from Community Day Secondary Schools the opportunity to attend classes that complement the subjects they are taught during the traditional school year with access to materials and resources that otherwise they would never get to use.

The theme for this year’s camp, “Tsogolo la Achinyamata,” or “A Future for the Youth” captures what we hope to give the students who attend. The Chichewa word “Tsogolo” means both “future” and “horizon,” and our planned curriculum aims to prepare students for the future while expanding their horizons. We’ll offer advanced core classes in preparation for the government exams that determine students’ options after graduation. We’ll also seek to broaden their sense of what’s possible, inviting successful Malawians from a variety of vocations to share their work and life stories.

Camp Sky is an independent creation of Peace Corps Volunteers and their communities and, as such, is not funded by Peace Corps. Fundraisers are necessary for the running of the camp so that we can buy essential items like chalk, paper, glue, and chickens. Donations from home, no matter what size, are crucial in making Camp Sky possible. $100 pays for food, lodging, and transport for one student. Donations are tax-deductible as well (doesn’t get much better than that!). To contribute, visit www.friendsofmalawi.org and click on the Summer School icon. You can donate with any major credit card via Paypal, or send a check to:

Friends of Malawi
c/o Lance Cole (FOM treasurer)
7940 SW 11th
Portland, OR 97219

If you decide to mail a check, be sure to specify that you want your contribution to benefit the Peace Corps Summer School project.

We appreciate very much any help you are able to offer our program and, most especially, our students. We look forward to sharing with you the successes of Camp Sky 2007.

General Good Times.

by Dom on May 27th, 2007

So had to come in to lilongwe. Had to do it, so I did. There were “summer school” meetings, or Camp Sky, as it’s being called. It’s this “secondary project” where we invite kids from our schools to come to like a crazy peace corps volunteer run “school” that’s only like a week and a half long where we do harder stuff than normal and offer interesting electives, like film study and star gazing. woohoo. Anyway, I’m in charge of picking where to do it at. Good times in general but nothing real specific.

There was also a “Iron Chef” competition. It was held at Dale’s. Basically we had like 4 groups with a secret ingredient of honey make a ton of food, and then we hang out. Food was good, and it was definitely fun. Ahh peace corps…

Peace Corps made me sign some paper that basically said I had to like my new site or decide to go home. I was “terribly vexed” about that. But it’s cool because I do like it. No worries. I bought this curio table that has a chess board on one side and a bao board on the other, so when I have guests we have something to do other than wait to watch the sunset. I did trade one of my pairs of camo shorts for the pieces to the chess set, but I still have another pair, and the other pair fits better so it’s all good.

Back to site tomorrow, gotta get my teach on.