Lists

9-2-08
I love lists. I've always lived by lists. Things to do at work, things to do at home, things to remember to pack, things to remember to throw out. Perhaps it's the antithesis of my mother coming out it me, a reflection of my neat-freak, crazy organizing and aligning self. Here I have a lot of lists too. A list of who I've written letters or postcards to and how many I've sent, a list of who I need to write to (yes, it's long, I'm sorry, I'm working on it I promise!), a list of books I've read (I'm only on number seven) and a list of what I need to buy next time I go to my favorite place in Lesotho - Shoprite. I also have another list, a list of projects I would like to work on during my time here. It's sadly a somewhat short list at this point but I'm sure will be ever expanding once I'm able to get started on some of it. So while I'm observing and waiting for the time to come when I can finally get the ok to do some work, the list helps keep me sane. I thought I'd share it with all of you, to give you an idea of what I hope to accomplish while I'm here.

Primary Projects (things that apply to working with my host organization, PSI/New Start Mafeteng)

• Assist in establishing post-test clubs for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative clients - I'm hoping to get a list of existing support groups from the National AIDS Commission and visiting some of them to learn best-practices. Hopefully I can identify some of them to work with and help strengthen instead of starting new groups from scratch. I also would like to use the list to refer clients to groups in their area instead of just one that is in town.
  Host annual partner conference - PSI/Mafeteng would like to start an annual meeting with all their partner organizations in town (World Vision, Red Cross, Lesotho Planned Parenthood, etc.) to discuss how they can more effectively collaborate.
• Assist PSI/New Start Mafeteng in identifying and providing effective voluntary counseling and testing services to high-risk and under-served populations - There are many groups of people in Lesotho who really need the service but are really hard to target. Some of the groups I'd like to focus on are teachers (students have many opportunities to test but teachers are a high-risk group and, I've found, many times don't have all the correct info about HIV/AIDS), taxi drivers, prison inmates, heard boys along and very remote schools and clinics.
• Promote couple's testing at area high schools - This was one of Nichol's ideas and I hope to get to work with her on it before she leaves. This is a great idea because it not only targets teenagers but will help them to build trust with their partner...something that can be really lacking in relationships here.
• Increase cooperation with sporting event organizers to provide counseling and testing at their events - Sports are huge here, which means there are assembled groups of people who can be targeted. PSI/New Start already does this at many events, I just want to help them expand the reach.
• Conduct a coloring contest, sponsored by PSI/New Start Mafeteng, at area primary schools - This sort of thing happens all the time in the States, but I've not seen it done here. I want to have primary (elementary) age children participate in a coloring contest where the topic will be HIV/AIDS awareness. PSI/New Start Mafeteng will pick a winner (maybe one from each grade level or something) and the winner will get a small prize. I also want to talk to Shoprite (really, it's the hub of town) to see if they will hang the winners' drawings in the store.
  
  Secondary Projects (things that are community or personal-interest projects)
• Start a creative arts club with area youth - Kids here don't have things like art, dance, drama or creative writing in school. Having a creative outlet (writing, in my case) has always been really important for me, both as a teenager and now. I'm not totally sure how I'm going to organize this just yet, but it's something I'm really passionate about trying.
• Paint Africa or world maps at area schools - Ok, not really a good artist, but there's a project in one of our PC books on how to do this. Knowledge of geography here is so lacking...my ausi and abuti couldn't even find Lesotho on the world map in my house.
• Teach a life skills class at an area school - I'm not sure if I'll actually do this one, but I found the workshop at Becky's school really rewarding...
• Provide rubber gloves and/or First Aid kits to schools - I've had a few teachers tell me they need more rubber gloves at school. I mean, they're kids, they get hurt and with the prevalence of HIV here, it's really necessary to protect both students and teachers. Ashley had the idea of going one step further and trying to give each school a First Aid kit. I am going to try approaching Red Cross about this one.
• Establish a library at Mafeteng Hospital - Since PSI/New Start Mafeteng's office is in the hospital compound, I see every day the lines of people and children waiting, with not a thing to do, for hours. I want to approach the hospital administrator about establishing a small collection of children's books (mostly pictures), magazines like National Geographic, health books and books in Sesotho for people to check out while they are waiting. If I can get them to go for it (and have a staff person who I can train to keep up with it), I want to try to get a cart donated so that the staff person can also take the library "mobile" a few times a week to the patients who are staying there. I just remember how boring it was spending hour after hour sitting in hospital rooms...and that was with cable t.v.
• Contact the Baylor Clinic in Maseru to see if there's a way for the Mafeteng ARV clinic or PSI/New Start Mafeteng to work with them - Baylor Medical School has a clinic in Maseru where they do work with HIV-positive children. Mostly I just think it's an amazing thing and want to learn more about what they have going on there, but if I can also promote better cross-cooperation between medical facilities, that's even better. And they're from Texas. :)
  

9-7-08
What have I been up to lately? Honestly, I haven't updated the blog because there just hasn't been that much to write about. Things at work are slow so I've had some time to go around town and learn more about the community. Last Wednesday St. Gerard's, a secondary school where Lizzie helped set up a garden, had a ceremony to show off six sets of uniforms they were able to purchase for in-need students with the garden's profits. It was great to see a successful PC project and Lizzie was honored at the ceremony for all her hard work. I'm going to check up on them monthly now that Lizzie is leaving and I hope I can encourage them to keep up all the work she started. I've also gone to another Kick4Life session and actually participated in some of the activities this time. While I feel really uncomfortable (my participation usually causes crowds of students to stand and gawk) it's better than just sitting and watching.

On to my social life, which is much more exciting to talk about. The last weekend in August Lizzie threw her going away party...a sad occasion but a great time! Andre, a PCV from my group who is working with weavers in TY, came down on Friday for the party and it was great to see someone from my group and just catch up. On Saturday Julie and Lorian, two other PCV's from my group who are in Quthing and Mohale's Hoek respectively, came into town for the party too. The party was great time with PCV's from all the groups in the country, good food and lots of dancing!

This past weekend Trish (in my group and working in Leribe) came to visit Ashley and they both stayed here in town with me Friday night. Trish also works with PSI/New Start and it was good to hear about the projects they've had her working on. Apparently her branch has a youth group with a radio station in Ladybrand, South Africa that she's been working with. She's also been working a lot with students on HIV/AIDS education and helped out with a debate at schools in her area. My branch doesn't have any of those activities but that doesn't mean I can't start them! :)

On Saturday I went with Nichol to a going away braii (bbq) for Lizzie thrown by her fiance, Max's, family here in Mafeteng. Traditionally here, when people get married, the man's family slaughters a sheep for the woman. I guess this happened a couple weeks ago but there was still half the sheep left, hence the braii. While I'm not a huge fan of Basotho food, the papa and moroho were amazing thanks to Lizzie's American spices! Nichol and I got a ride home with one of Max's co-workers, but before coming to my place he asked if we could stop off briefly at a “club.” I use that term VERY loosely. This club was sort of like a house with a bar and blaring house music (everyone here seems to love that stuff!). Nichol and I were dancing but the rest of the people there (except for the guy who drove us and another Masotho who had come with us) just sat in chairs staring. Guess I should be used to that by now, but at least I found the situation much more amusing than annoying. The weather here is finally getting warm and all in all it was a good weekend of sitting out in the sun and spending time with Lizzie. I've only known her for a month but am going to miss her so much. Best of luck hun!

So that about does it, bringing me to week 5 of work and hopefully beginning some projects. Yeah, life here is a lot like home sometimes, just the day-to-day which just isn't that exciting for you all to read about. As always, I miss everyone back home and send all my love to you!