1 July
Posted By Sika on July 8, 2007
We found out our sites 2 days ago. I got Nkhoma, Lilongwe District. I am less than enthusiastic about it and so I’m going to talk about my reservations before talking about how awesome the site is, or you will think I’m crazy.
I don’t think I’m quite over the fact that I’m not going to be in the bush. I am very grateful that I’ll have electricity (most of the time) and running water (cold), but staying in an expat community near a city with a 7:30-5, M-F job was not what I pictured when I signed up. I’m not necessarily unhappy about it; I’m just still coming to terms with the change.
Nkhoma Nursing College is in the backyard, basically, of a Presbyterian Synod (a word, by the way, that I didn’t realize was used in real life.), which may be a problem since they are so conservative that when the night shift nurses or nursing students asked to wear trousers because they were getting bitten by mosquitos (malarial mosquitos only come out at night), the synod refused, because of course only whores wear trousers. Everybody will be speaking English; it will be difficult to improve my Chichewa.
OK so the good stuff is this: Nkhoma is about 45 minutes to an hour from Lilongwe. It’s also close to my homestay, which makes my amayi ecstatic–she was praying I’d be close. It’s in the mountains and partially forested. There is a gorgeous mountain and a path to the top starts about 50 meters from my gate. I have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths (toilet, sink, shower). There’s an established garden and shade for the watchman I’ll probably be hiring (and shall we talk about how bizarre that is?). There are friendly neighbor dogs, but I still think I’m going to get myself one, too. The College is planning on getting wireless internet, which may even happen before I go home in 2 years.
Speaking of (wireless) internet: where do you go to log these entries, etc.?
When you say you have 3BR 2BA, and then you talk about your homestay and your amayi, is that the same house? Different houses?
Is the guard for when you are not home or when you are or both? Will he live there with you (as in be on site 24/7)? Is the guard guarding you, your stuff or both? What is the need that drives it?
Geez, the presbyterians in Tennessee weren’t that restrictive! (That’s a joke!)
You don’t come right out and say this, but it seems like you’re going to be working at the Nursing College. Does that mean you are going to be teaching nursing to natives of Malawi? That sounds incredible: as in you will be making a lasting impression on not just the lives of your students, but on all the people that they care for as well.
I realize you were really hoping for an “out there” assignment, did the other health care professional get an assignment in a civilized area as well, or did she get sent to a site more like what you had envisioned? I’m working on a theory that they might feel your “skills” are better utilized where you’re going. Maybe making a larger impact on a larger number of people, y’know?
Do they have some “master planner” who decides where certain things are needed? Or like how to divy up the new folks? Or is it basically, “one green m&m for you, one blue m&m for you, NEXT!”
I’m using what I assume to be 56K at the office in Lilongwe. I write the posts before, although I’ve broken my Palm pilot and my power cord for my laptop is acting funny, so we’ll see how long that continues.
Yes, I am going to be a lecturer at a nursing college, and it is the best use of my skills. All of the nurses in our group (there are 4) are going to nursing colleges. The other people in our group go to health centers. They theoretically take in consideration our desires and needs, but in practice I’m not so sure.
Oh yeah, so Nkhoma is about 45 minutes from where my homestay village was. The cold is like 60 degrees at night or so, but there’s no heating. It was far worse in a mud hut with a thatched roof, though. During the day it stays around 60 if it’s overcast and gets up into the 70s or 80s if it’s not. June and July are the coldest months of the year. Also Dedza and Nkhoma are both about a mile above sea level and are mountainous.
I’m not really clear on how the guards work. The sleep outside your house, but some people have them only during the day while they’re at work, and sometimes they’re supposed to be awake at night. . .