On My Way

We've been on the plane for about 6 hours now... 8 to go. All I can say is that yesterday and today having been this crazy, exciting blur! Yesterday we had our staging event, where we all met each other and did a basic overview of the Peace Corps... What's expected of us, what we can expect, etc... I learned some things I didn't know yet.

For example, everyone in our group (Namibia Group 35, meaning the 35th group to go to Namibia) is a Health Volunteer like me. I think that is so cool! Talking with the people of all different ages and backgrounds, I know we will all be able to bring different things to the table.

Also, I learned that all of us get bicycles at our sites to get around! I am so excited for that. From what I hear, we get pretty decent ones, too, as well as helmets.

I learned that everyone will spend the training period living with a host family, and most people will live with host families for the duration of our stay. I think that's awesome because you truly get to experience the culture that way... You live with a real Namibian familya who speaks a real Namibian language and cooks you real Namibian food. Talk about complete cultural immersion!

I found out that many volunteers take in stray dogs or puppies and take care of them during service (they take them to get their shots, of course)... Some even bring their doggies back home with them once their service is up! I've heard that the concept of a pet the way we have it in the states is not present in Namibia, but that many Namibian families keep and care for dogs as protection. Sounds like an interesting cultural point to share with a host family. "Yes, host Mom, back home the dogs are considered family members!" Ha ha can you imagine?!

Staging overall was a really wonderful experience, everyone seems really cool and super excited to be going.

Last night I slept in a comfy American bed for the last time in a loooong time, and today we woke up and checked out at 2:15 am! Got on a bus and left for JFK. We arrived SEVEN HOURS early for our flight... I guess it was just in case but it did seem a little excessive lol!

Right now were on our way to Johannesburg, it's 5:30 pm at home but it's dark here. We're over the Ocean and just barely grazing over the western edge of Africa as we cut down to the southeast, though I can't see anything out the window. According to the trip estimator on the tv screen, we have 7091 km (4405 miles) left until our destination, and we've traveled 5828 km (3622 miles). I'm more than 3000 miles away from home right now!! And more to go...

One thing that was new for me on such a long flight... They give you lots of little necessities... A sleeping mask, a blanket, a pillow, a toothbrush and toothpaste, socks (wait, socks?! Yes, socks), and multiple meals. For lunch we had lamb (I think it was curried) with rice and cooked veggies. It was pretty good! After your meal you get dessert and tea or coffee... I asked for tea and they gave it to me with sugar and lots of cream. It was really neat! Never had anything like this on a domestic flight (do they even feed you meals on those anymore?)

I've been napping for the majority of the trip, and I think I'm going to go back to that state now; the last two nights I only got 3 hours and that just does not cut it for me :-P

Anyway, signing off for now! Stay tuned for updates and feel free to share this blog with anyone who may be interested.

All my love!!!

Tash


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Over the Atlantic Ocean

My Assignment

So I'm really starting to get excited/nervous... These last few weeks in the states have just been flying by! I leave for Namibia a week from Thursday and have been in a frenzy to spend as much time as possible with my friends, family and fiancé. Last Saturday was my surprise going away party... My whole family and all of my friends were there and it was just awesome!!! There were people I hadn't seen in years, people from all areas of my life and it was almost overwhelming. I could really feel the love and support for me from everybody. As I'm getting ready to depart, I'm realizing how truly blessed I am to have so many people rooting for me, wishing me luck and praying for me. I love all you guys and it meant so much having you all there showing me love!

I decided that after giving a little rundown of the place, I should give all you guys a little idea of what I'm going to be doing in Namibia. The truth is, I don't totally know! A lot has yet to be determined during training. I do know a little bit, however...

My program is called CHHAP... That stands for Community Health and HIV/AIDS. My job title is Health Extension Volunteer. I'll be in training from March 16, 2012 to May 11, 2012 and my tentative dates of service are May 12, 2012 to May 11, 2014. I'll be gone a total of 26 months.

Namibia gained their independence in 1990. That same year they asked the Peace Corps to begin sending volunteers. One of Namibia's most devastating epidemics over the years has been HIV/AIDS. Namibia has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world; about 15.3% of the adult population (ages 15 to 49) are HIV positive and 61% of those infected are women, according to the assignment pamphlet the Peace Corps sent me with my invitation. AIDS is one of the leading causes of death in Namibia, crippling the country both in health and economy.

My program, CHHAP, is made of three assignments. There's Community Development, Youth Development, and my assignment, Health Extension. The three assignments take different approaches but work toward the same goal of "working with communities to improve their general health practices and promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention" according to my assignment pamphlet.

The details of my assignment have yet to be decided and can vary greatly. I could be the first volunteer to work with a particular organization or may be continuing the work of another volunteer who has recently left, for example. I could be forming HIV/AIDS awareness clubs in schools, working on community health issues like drug and alcohol prevention, nutrition, or dental hygiene, liaising with national level officials to coordinate and implement health activities, among many other things. The specific job I receive will be determined through my training depending on my skills and interests. However it all works out, I'm super excited to begin my training and service... I know it's going to be a great adventure and learning experience.

Two years is a long time to put my life at home on hold, but I know it will be worth it. I'm hoping to learn a little something about the way the world works from another point of view, learn another culture and language, and hopefully get to help people along the way. One of the Peace Corps slogans is "For dreamers who do," and that sums up my feelings about it. This is a life dream for me, and I'm finally putting it into action. Thanks again to all my loved ones for their unconditional support in all of my endeavors, past and present. I love you all and it means everything to me!

Xoxo
Tash

Location:New York State Bicycle Route 17,Endicott,United States

Namibia 101

Hey everybody! So I'm less than a month away from my departure to Namibia (in fact, I'm 18 days away from my staging in Philadelphia). Time since quitting my job at the Atkins House has flown by! Dan and I spent a wonderful 12 days in Puerto Rico; after he proposed I told him that one day we will have a house in Puerto Rico... That's non-negotiable so he better get acquainted with the island! Of course he loved it and so did I. Now I'm back in Binghamton spending some time with him and my family and friends up here until I go. I decided it would be a good time to write another post in my blog to get my readers familiarized with my soon-to-be home of 2 years! So here goes...

Most people, when I tell them I'm going to Namibia, say "Oh..." with a semi-blank stare, then after a moment, say, "Where's that?" When I got my invitation letter from the Peace Corps telling me I would be going to Namibia, I must say that I knew nothing more about the country than that it was in Sub-Saharan Africa and Angelina Jolie either gave birth to or adopted a baby there. But in that time I've been doing my research, trying to learn as much about my country of service as possible, and thought I'd bring you all a quick summary of all the basics... (Source: www.wikipedia.org)

Namibia is located in Sub-Saharan Africa (this just means south of the Sahara Desert). It is on the south-western edge of the continent, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West, then, going clockwise, Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. The capital city is Windhoek (pronounced vihnd-hook or vihn-took), which is also the largest city with a population of around 268,000 people. It is the second least densely populated country in the world (around 2.1 million people), after Mongolia. The population is 93% black and 7% white, the white being mainly Afrikaners (Afrikaner is an ethnic group in Southern Africa descending from Dutch, French, and German settlers to the area in the 17th and 18th centuries). The official language is English, but other recognized languages include German, Rukwangali, Silozi, Setswana, Damara/Nama, Afrikaans, Herero, and Oshiwambo. Namibia is 318,696 square miles, roughly twice the size of California.

Namibia's President is Hifikepunye Pohamba, of the Southwest African People's Organization (SWAPO). Their Prime Minister is Nahas Angula. Namibia first became its own country in 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence where it gained independence from South Africa. Namibia is a member state of the United Nations. Before its independence, Namibia was a territory of South Africa (1920 to 1990) where it was subject to Apartheid from 1948 until independence. Before being a territory of South Africa, it was a German Colony from 1884 until the end of World War I (when it was mandated to South Africa by the League of Nations).

Agriculture, herding, tourism, and mining are major industries in the country. Mining is the biggest contributor of revenue; commodities include diamond, uranium, copper, gold, lead, zinc, cement, and petroleum. Namibia's coastal deserts are some of the richest sources of diamonds in the world, including Skeleton Coast and Diamond Coast. Half the population in Namibia is below the poverty line, making the equivalent of less than $1.25 USD a day. It was estimated in 2007 that approximately 15% of the population is HIV positive, which is a huge problem for Namibia both health-wise and economy-wise.

Namibia is named for the Namib Desert which runs through it, considered to be the oldest desert in the world. You can visit this desert and even go sandboarding there! (This is basically snowboarding but on Namibia's giant sand dunes). Namibia is mostly very hot and dry, with a small rainy season from September to November and a large one from February to April. Namibia has more than 300 days of sun every year.

Religion in Namibia is mainly Christian. 80 to 90 percent of Namibians are Christian and about 10 to 20 percent hold indigenous beliefs. About 50% of the Christian population is Lutheran, the largest denomination. Namibia has fairly decent freedom of media, on par with Canada according to Reporters without Borders statistics. The most popular sport is association football, known in the U.S. as soccer. Other popular sports include rugby and cricket.

And as of March 16, 2012, it will be my new home for 2 years! Hope everybody reading learned a little something, apologies if I blogged your eyes off! Thanks again everyone, my family, friends, and my fiancé Dan, for your awesome support for me doing this! It's getting close now, and I'm really excited but also a little nervous. It's a big change... it will certainly be an experience to remember my whole life!
Stay tuned for updates! I love you all!! <3


A map of Namibia. You can see the capital, Windhoek, in the center.

Less than 3 months away!

It's been two years since I initially applied to go in the Peace Corps. So much has happened in that time! I graduated from Cornell, I got engaged, I got nominated to go to Sub-Saharan Africa, I went through all kinds of medical and dental tests, had my wisdom teeth removed, had two jobs, got invited to serve in Namibia in the Peace Corps, and accepted my invitation! 2010 to 2012 has definitely been a crazy couple of years... and the next two are going to be just as exciting, if not more! The Peace Corps has been one of my dreams for a long time now, and I can't believe I have actually persevered long enough that it is really happening. Like, it's real! I'm going to leave the US and live in Namibia for 2+ years, working with the people and learning the culture, and sharing with them my culture. I can't deny that it's hard to put words to my emotions about it... I'm elated, excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful, determined... all in one. I decided to make this blog partially as a different kind of journaling experience, but mostly as a way for family and friends to hear my stories and see pictures from my journey. Writing and reflecting on my experiences is therapeutic and fun for me, and I hope it brings you all something of value. To all my friends, family, and my fiance Dan... thank you so much for your unconditional support in all of my endeavors. This is a big one for me... a huge goal and landmark in my life. I love you all and I hope you enjoy my Peace Corps blog!

Me with my invitation to Namibia