Site Visit Part 1

This is part one my blog post about my last week and specifically, my visit to my permanent site, Mpora Clinic in Kavango Region. I woke up early the monng of the 13^th and skyped with my parents. I was really embarrassed because I had to bring a big suitcase, when I really needed a mid-size one. The car we drove in was really nice! On our way to site we saw warthogs, which was cool! The trip took 5.5 hours. The clinic is beautiful! There will be about 15 people working there by my second month. The thing that struck me was that it was so clean! 

My homestead where I’ll be staying for the next two years is a kilometer away. When I got there I was greeted by the head lady and some others. They danced and trilled when I got there! It was so awesome! We sat for a while and talked. I’ve been so happy that my Rukwangali is really good according to the people I run across in my village. We went back to my supervisor’s place and had lunch and hung out. My supervisor has a pretty nice house out in the middle of nowhere, so I was able to take a shower. Back at the homestead we had chicken and porridge. It was difficult to eat in total darkness so I used my headlamp. The headlamp is one thing I could not have done without at my site. My homestead is great by the way! My hut is not too bad! It has a cement floor, two chairs, a table, a desk, and a bed. Later that night my family pointed out where an elephant was crossing a few kilometers away, although I couldn’t see because it was too dark. 

The next day was a great day! I did not sleep well because I, stupidly, left the plastic covering on the mattress and slept without a shirt. My mosquito net also was not set up so it was just lying on top of me. One huge positive is that there were no mosquitos! I practiced language that morning and then went to Catholic church with my supervisor and co-workers. It was amazing! The music was acapella and awesome! It lasted three hours and I  had to get up to introduce myself to the entire 150-200 person congregation. After church we went to the main city, Rundu. My supervisor showed me where to buy everything I need. Then we went to Rundu Beach. It was awesome! The water was so refreshing, even though the river is known for crocodiles and hippos. Right across the river, a few hundred yards away, was Angola. We then visited a clinic and had some juice and watched some soccer. That night, back at the homestead, we had roast beef and porridge. I took my first bucket bath too! It was pretty good actually!  One thing I have learned is that my feet will be perpetually sandy.

The 15^th was a Monday and it meant we would spend the day at the clinic. I had a good night’s sleep, and used the restroom in a hole I had to dig, which was challenging. I have found that boiled water is not my favorite because it tastes metally. I went to my clinic and it was nice to meet some patients. My supervisor threw me into the fray right away by making me lead a pregnancy counseling session. It was a bit scary, but I loved it and learned so much! The rest of my time at the clinic that day was great! I also went to the school to introduce myself to the teachers, principal, and students.

On a side note, it has been awesome here because no one judges in the usual way. They don’t care if my hair is messed up. They also think I look much older than I am. I have decided to not cut my hair or facial hair for 3 months because of this! I don’t know when I’ll ever have a chance like this.

 
I had a great evening at the homestead; my host mother, the head lady, had walked quite a distance to buy me a huge Coke!!!! I felt so special! I showed my family pictures on my phone and gave them key chains and postcards from San Francisco. It’s amazing how they were so amazed! They just kept saying “wow”, and “it’s so beautiful.” I was shocked they had never heard of Disney, which I thought had as much brand recognition as Coke does. I can’t wait to introduce them to Disney! I couldn’t sleep well that night because of the Boston Marathon attack. I kept getting texts from friends and I woke up at 12am, 2am, 3am, 4am, and 5am.