Homesick

Work was fast and busy for awhile but now it’s kind of lagging. The EveryOne Campaign launch was supposed to be Friday (Oct 15th, Malawi’s Mother’s Day) but it has been postponed. We still don’t know when the launch will happen because we’re still waiting to hear back from the First Lady. I really hope it happens before the 15th of November. I somehow got suckered into being in charge of the logistics committee for the launch, ie planning for refreshments, transport, fuel, chairs, and tents. You know, the not-so-fun-stuff that no one else wants to do. I am not allowed to take my 1 month home-leave and go home-home (California) until the launch happens so keep your fingers crossed for me!

I really want, no, NEED, to be home for Thanksgiving this year. This NEED to be home for Thanksgiving is not because everyone in my family gets together and has a huge feast or anything. I chose Thanksgiving to give myself something to look forward to, a short-term goal set in September to hold onto my sanity with. I have come to the end of my mental and emotional capacity to properly function in Malawi. I have never been away from home and America for this long (17 months) without at least a short visit. I am trying everything I can to keep my cool like hiking, going to the lake, going out with my friends, playing volleyball. But everything I do is in vain because at the end of the day, I still feel discontented and nostalgic.

This homesickness is manifesting itself into frustration, agitation, impatience, and desperation. Frustrated with the people I work with. Agitated with the littlest thing that goes wrong. Impatient with the lack of progress of the campaign. All this is entirely normal for Malawi: people in Malawi work on their own slow pace, things go wrong all the time, and due to the slowness of the Malawian pace everything else that depends on them also happens very slow. So why should I be so irritated?! I know this. I am (or should be) used to this.

I feel completely desperate for anything that is American… just the other day, I overdosed on SPAM. I ate an entire can of SPAM (serving size? 6) in a span of 5 hours. WHO EATS THAT MUCH SPAM, EVER? Am I crazy? Most definitely. Don't get me wrong, especially you Anh Tu, I like Malawi and I like my job and I want to be here. I just need a breather.

Another contribution to my sour mood lately is that my best friend in Malawi, Hannah, is leaving at the beginning of November. She's finished and will be going back to Australia and probably not coming back. What am I going to do without her?! =(

This Energizer bunny needs to be recharged as soon as possible.

New Phase of Malawi

I am terribly sorry for not updating in so long! It's been so long.. I can't even remember what happened between January and now..

Let me give you a brief highlight of January through August..

• January- Fell into a ditch in front of my neighbor's house in the village and ended up with a cast and crutches for 6 weeks; attended an Australian and Malawian wedding (in cast and crutches)
• February- Not much due to lack of mobility. Brought/taught/worked with HIV support group on peanut oil press/IGA (income generating activity). My English VSO (volunteer service overseas) volunteer finished his contract and left me.
• March- Worked on Guardian Shelter project, Oil Press project and did a tree planting exercise in the village. Partied a little. Decided that I wasn't ready to go back to America in July
  
• April- Went to Nyika Plateau for 1 week over Easter with 4 Aussies and another PCV. Absolutely beautiful and amazing. Spent a week in Zambia on a safari in South Luangwa with friends (French couple and another PCV). Pretty freakin' awesome (expensive but totally worth it)- Saw a lion and leopard along with the other more common animals like elephants, zebras, giraffes, hippos, birds, etc.
• May- Had my close-of-service conference on the lake and met with Save the Children's country director and confirmed my stay in Malawi for 1 more year and working with Save the Children in Lilongwe. Decided that when I go back home, I want to get an MBA.
  
• June- Finally hiked Mulanje all the way to the top with some PCVs and my favorite, Tessa! Finished up building the Guardian Shelter. Watched World Cup games at my neighbor's

July- Staying between Chikhwawa, Blantyre and Lilongwe. Looked at potential flats/apartments in Lilongwe. Went to lunch with the PRESIDENT at the STATEHOUSE which was pretty cool. My Tessa left me =0)

• August- Waited hung out and waited for paperwork between Save the Children and PC to finalize and my triplex to be ready =0) Started working at Save the Children on August 18th.
  

ANNNDDDD.. you're updated! =0)

So anyways..

Right now, things are pretty hectic for me. I just moved into my new place in Lilongwe last weekend. My place is brand new so there are a bunch of issues with it that needs tending to. But overall I'm pretty excited to be living in Lilongwe and having a super awesome house with electricity, running hot water, tiles, 2.5 bathrooms, 2 bedroom, front and backyard! The place is awesome but I don't have much to fill it.. I've got 2 beds, a dresser, and 1 wicker chair. Sad huh? Oh well.. Pang'ono Pang'ono (little by little) I will accumulate them. My neighbors are really awesome.. to my left is Maureen who's 29 years old and to my right is Juliet who is 45. I'm really relieved that they're both women =0)

As for work... I am loving it! Things are so different here. Not just different but a completely 180 degrees from the village. I am now working at a 2nd floor office from 8-5 with over 50 staff members. The corporate Malawi is so different from what my Malawi used to be... I've been going to meetings in buildings where I have to go through a metal detector and/or wait in an elevator to go to the 6th floor. Thatched roofed mud huts to this..

Anyway.. the reason I've decided to stay a third year in Malawi is that I want to do NGO (Non Governmental Organization) work for awhile and this is my chance to work with one of the largest international NGOs in the world and get work experience in the field. I am still a Peace Corps volunteer but instead of working with the village community, I'm working with Save the Children instead. I am now a campaign assistant for Save the Children's Every One campaign to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality rates in Malawi. If you would like more information on this campaign, please visit www.everyone.org We're currently planning the campaign launch on October 15th, which is also Mother's Day and Rural Women's Day in Malawi and also events leading up to the actual day. So from now until then, it's crunch time!

It's such a great feeling to have a set schedule again even if I'm exhausted everyday =0) A friend said to me "I've never met anyone who is as excited to go to work as you".. to him, thanks! Isn't this exactly what EVERYONE is looking for? A job/career that makes me happy and excited to go to work?! There are people out there that spend their whole life searching for that 1 job that completes them, that drives them, that makes them feel alive. I am too fortunate to have found it so early..

Big things are happening in the next few months! Now that I have fast and consistent internet, updates will be more frequent, PROMISE! Also, pictures of my new place will come as soon as I finish settling in.

Sometimes, just a small event here in Malawi results in an epiphany of life. Like today, I was sweeping out my kitchen and found a small dried dead bat on the floor. Normally, for the last 17 months at site, my neighbors or their children have always come over and taken care of the bats for me. But today was different. It startled me and I panicked a little. Thought about going to my neighbor’s house but decided not to. I mustered up enough courage and swept out the bat all by myself. I know it sounds so miniscule to most people but if you know me, you would know that I’m scared to death of mice and bats are just flying versions of.

As I reflect on my life in Malawi, I am very proud of myself for how far I’ve gone. I have had many trials and tribulations. Not just physical or exterior hardship but mental and internal. But the most important realization is that I am still here, stronger than when I came. I struggled with myself and with the fact that I am in Malawi and all that is Malawi- dealing with being called Azungu (white person), China, Japan, being stared at like a circus animal, getting ripped off for not being Black, or facing near impossible “hiccups” (problems) that Malawians manage to create all on a daily basis. I have become unfazed by life here. My skin has become thick (though not as thick as I need it to be!) but thick enough to survive here. As a note, though I always complain about the problems I face, for every 1 bad experience; there are about 100 good experiences that are unmentioned.

I wanted to give up several times in the course of my experience here. But in the end, I stuck it out (with the help of so many people I’ve had to privilege to meet and get to know) and I’m glad I did. I am finally to the point in my Peace Corps service that I love it here. Maybe not everyone gets to this point and maybe I don’t always love it here but I don’t want to be anywhere else at this moment. This may be Love. Not because Malawi is perfect or I am perfect but because we have accepted one another, faults and all. Though the cultural differences are great, I could still see myself living here. Not forever but for awhile.

I don’t know what I’ve done before to be fortunate enough to meet such wonderful people; people who not only prop me up but hold me up. I wonder if it’s all luck or just a shift in attitude. I feel that when you have a positive or optimistic view on life, things tend to go your way. But is it going your way or your positivity makes even bad experiences not so bad?

I am thankful for everyone that I’ve met in Malawi for helping and strengthening me. In the last 19 months, I have grown about a decade in wisdom and strength. I am grateful to my friends and family at home for their continued support and love. An important lesson this experience has taught me is to be grateful for everything I have. I truly lucky to have the people I have. I am happy, healthy, stronger, and more independent and exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Happy New Year’s! 2010 will be great. I’ll be coming home in about 8 months! Get ready! =0)

On we go!

I have been at my site for about 3 weeks and must leave for my mid-service training in Dedza, central Malawi. I still can’t believe that I’ve been at my site for 1 year already and am halfway through with my service. It’s kind of a strange feeling… It’s a combination of many different feelings. I feel like I haven’t done anything in my community, things have been moving exhaustingly slow (Malawian time) and there’s just no way of speeding things up. I’m excited that I’ve survived this long and excited that I’m on my way to being home-home again. I’m also kind of sad that I will have to eventually leave this place. I also feel like time is running out to accomplish everything I want and need to accomplish before I go. Then I fall into the perpetual problem of idling, waiting for the Malawians to meet me halfway. Well, here are a few good and bad updates.

I gave Alindiyani the clothes and she fits most of them so well! The clothes stayed cleaned for about 2 minutes on her and then it was covered in dirt and snot. I gave Lumanda a thick jacket I bought from Old Navy. They were super excited and danced as I took pictures of them in their new clothes. Also, I finally know what the kids’ mom’s name is, Mary. She’s always been referred to as Lumanda’s mom. The dresses that my mom and Mrs. Shinar donated to their mom fits her perfectly. She was very grateful. The donations that were going towards this family is being planned. First and foremost, I will be having a pit latrine constructed so that they do not use the bushes nearby as a bathroom. A bath structure will also be constructed so the mother does not have to bathe at night in the dark. I am also in the process of seeing about getting her started in raising chickens for eggs and food and also a piece of land so she can farm and feed her kids. More updates on this family to come.

I arrived at my site and discovered that A, my village dog, died while I was in America. B is still around and was pregnant. She just recently (June 18th) had 1 boy puppy, C. C looks exactly like B and is the most adorable thing ever! My friend from the library committee came and helped me make a cave like hole in my backyard for mom and pup to stay. He is also helping me feed her while I’m away.

A ground laborer, Maxwell, for the health center passed away in February. He was HIV+ and was receiving ARVs from the district hospital but continuously fell ill of pneumonia, TB, and Malaria. For some reason, everyone at my site knew about it but all assumed that I knew also. Last week, I sat in the outpatient clinic and realized I hadn’t seen him in a long time. I asked Henry (medical assistant at the health center) where Maxwell was and he told me.

The most exciting update is the roof of the library is finally finished! I used some of the money that was donated to purchase building materials in Blantyre. We purchased the roofing timbers locally to help the local carpenters and also eliminate the transportation issue. My library committee told me they would replace the rest of the roof of the library on Saturday (June 20th) and they did. 8 committee members came early Saturday morning and finished at 2pm.

We never really fully understand the extent of how truly lucky we are until we live in a developing country like Malawi. So I went to visit my 2 VSOs (Volunteer Service Organization), Gemma and Andrew, in the district town. They have been building a playground for the kids in their community. The playground is practically finished, 3 tire swings, obstacle course, a soccer field, netball court, and 4 swings. Gemma and I were appalled at the fact that these kids did not know how to use the swings. They don’t know how to use their legs and their bodies to swing themselves. They sat on the swings and held on for dear life as the other kids continued to push them. I thought again at my childhood and the kids at home; all of whom if put on a swing, would know exactly what to do. It hit us that these kids have NEVER had a playground. So Gemma and I had to get on the swings and show them what to do. By the end of the day, maybe 2 kids understood and attempted the maneuver. It’s really amazing how many trivial things we take for granted.

One other thing that we take for granted is the quality of care and customer service that is available to us in America that is not available in other parts of the world. I see first hand the lack of care and customer service that the people here do not receive on a daily basis at my health center. Patients will wait for hours to be seen while the health workers sit around and talk or the nurse goes and buys vegetables or cooks her relish for lunch. It’s even worse when they’re in the labor room, being yelled at by everyone. I decided that I couldn’t stand to see that anymore so I haven’t spend much time there. But the other day, I decided that I was going to sit in on the labors. It was June 19th and the health center already delivered 34 babies. There were 4 women all in labor and it was a race to see which was going to deliver first. One of the 4 was an 18 year old girl with her first pregnancy. She was scolded by a neighbor and the nurse. Then the nurse slapped her. I have never seen anything like that. It was horrible! That may have been the last day that I will spend in the labor room. I couldn’t say anything because I was in shock. I can’t believe the nurse SLAPPED the 18 year old girl as she’s suffering from labor pains! I just could not believe it. That wouldn’t have happened in America, right? It’s no wonder many of these women choose to have their babies at home in the village. I would too!

Back in Malawi!

Hello!

Just letting everyone know that I made it back to Malawi with no problems. I have not returned to my village yet as I am exhausted and jetlagged with many technical issues to take care of at the Peace Corps office in Lilongwe.

I wanted to let everyone know... I submitted a proposal for my guardian shelter project right before I left for America. When I arrived in Lilongwe... I discovered about 469,045 Malawi kwacha ($3311 US) in my bank account. I was approved for the guardian shelter project building materials!!!! How exciting!!!! I can't wait to get this project started. =0)

Also, I would like to thank everyone who has donated something towards my Africa cause. Please rest assured that 100% of what you've donated will benefit the projects and the people. Check back later for updates and pictures on what your donations have done!

I never realized how much of an American I am until I came to Africa. Now, I will never take my life in America for granted or complain about anything, especially customer service! We should realize how good things are in America and know that the rest of the world does not live how we live and does not have what we have. Be thankful!

Being in America for a month was amazing! Thank you everyone that made time to see me and for those I didn't get to see... don't worry! I will be back next year before you know it!

I am taking this week to adjust to being back to Malawi and will be going back to my village early next week. Plus, the new health volunteers are arriving in Lilongwe on Sunday and I will be going with my health group to greet them at the airport!

FYI: They have added numbers to my phone numbers:
(265) 995-502-166
(265) 884-483-258

Who's GENEROUS? Please help!

Hi all! The time has finally come for you to step up to the plate and participate! So you’ve all heard me ramble on and on about my experiences here in Malawi but you’re probably still left wondering… what exactly is she doing over there? After almost 8 months at my site, I felt defeated and useless with no successful projects to show for. But now I finally feel like things are finally happening! Whew! We were just moving on Malawian time! No worries! =0) Now I’m feeling overwhelmed with multiple projects in the works. Here is your chance to help! Help me help my community. The following are current projects that need any “M” support you can give: moral, monetary, or material. Please rest assured that 100% of your donations go directly to the projects and the community.

1. Mfera Rural Library and Adult Literacy – I am working with the library committee to fix the library’s structure. The roof is made of thatch and leaks very badly when it rains. With the current funding situation, we can only afford to replace half the roof with iron sheets. The library also lacks bookshelves and books due to last year’s theft. Once the roof is fixed and the books go back into the library, we will be starting an adult literacy program to teach the adults how to read and write. All this is possible through the motivated volunteers of the community.
*Estimated amount to complete project: $250.00 (35,000 mk)

Here are your options to help:
a. Donate money towards the purchase of building materials or office supplies + chalk board
b. Donate office supplies for adult literacy class: pencils, pens, notebooks, paper, chalk, etc
c. Donate books, especially children’s books or dictionaries

2. Mfera Green Eagles Football Team – We’re talking soccer here. There is a local men’s soccer team that I’m working with to include HIV/AIDS awareness into their activities. They are the high risk group of becoming infected with HIV. There is a youth radio program on Thursdays that talk about HIV/AIDS. We listen and discuss the issues of sex, HIV/AIDS, condoms, etc. I am also trying to motivate and encourage all members to get tested to know their status. The problem is that they don’t want to know for fear of being positive. We are also trying to raise funds for various expenses like equipment and travel. As you may have concluded with all my travel horrors, transportation is a nightmare here. I am trying to get them jerseys from a website back at home called passback.com. Think about this: people live on less than 140 mk ($1) a day, and a quality soccer ball costs about 3000 mk (little over $20.00).

Here are your options to help:
a. Donate money to start their savings account or purchase equipment
b. Donate equipment: soccer balls, cleats, socks, net, equipment bags, anything!

3. Mfera Guardian Shelter Construction Project – This is the biggest and most expensive project I am working on. I live at a rural health center, meaning we are surrounded by villages and farm land. If I wanted to go to the boma (=district center) on public transport it would take about 1.5 hours one way (bicycle taxi, minibus, bicycle taxi) and costs about almost 200 mk. The boma is also where the district hospital is, with 1 actual doctor. For everyone else in the district, they are seen at their “local” health centers. My health center services more than 27,000 people from 70 different villages. The village furthest away almost 20 km. We are trying to build a guardian shelter because many pregnant women come to the health center sometime during their third trimester to wait for labor. If they wait till labor comes, it’s too late to get to the health center in time. These women usually comes during their 8th month with a guardian (mother, sister, in-law, neighbor, friend, whoever) to help with the cooking and help when the baby finally comes. Our health center does not have a facility for these people. During the day, they sit outside next to the pit latrines and my house. They also cook on a 3 stone fire on the ground next to the pit latrines. They are not allowed to hang out at the health center as the health center gets congested with outpatients during the day. At night, they sleep on the ground in the maternity wing as we only have 5 beds for postnatal mothers. The problem with this project is finding funding. I tried one grant but was denied because they don’t fund that much money. *Most expensive project: about $4600.00 (644,000 mk) for building materials and feeding the builders.

Here is your option to help:
a. Donate money, money, money! Any amount will help!

4. Mfera Primary School Safe Water Club – A big health problem in my community is diarrhea. Especially during the rainy season (now) because we are in a cholera zone. When it starts raining, the seasonal rivers fill up and people become lazy. They don’t want to walk all the way to the bore holes to fetch water. Kids also swim in very dirty and contaminated waters. We are at a 0 elevation and get the runoffs of the rain from Thyolo and Blantyre. By the time the water gets to our rivers, it looks like clay. This doesn’t bother the villagers at all. They bathe, play, wash clothes, and even collect drinking water in the river. We are hoping to teach the kids how to decrease diarrhea and encourage them to always use safe treated water. *Cheapest project to fund: maybe $50.00.

Here is your option to help:
a. Donate money for materials: cups, Waterguard (water treatment), storage buckets
b. Donate materials for the club members: toys, games, art stuff, etc.
c. Donate ideas for activities the club can do

5. Lumanda and Alindiyani – 2 malnourish kids that live next to my house. They are living with a single mom (recently divorced) in a mud hut and thatched roof with no pit latrine, bath, or kitchen. Lumanda is the older brother who is 5 years and Alindiyani is the younger sister who is 3 years old. This family has absolutely nothing and the mother has no way of properly taking care of her children. These 2 kids often go to bed hungry even though Alindiyani is on a supplemental feeding program with the health center. Alindiyani does not ever share food and cries at night because she is hungry. I have given them bread, dried fish, fruits, biscuits, corn, and even bought the little girl a used dress and her brother a used pair of shorts. I also have their mother do my laundry (thought I can hand wash my own clothes) so that I can pay her. I don’t like to do handouts because then people will think I have a lot of money (which they already think so but which I don’t have). However, on my meager volunteer living allowance, I’m not much help.

Here are your options to help:
a. Donate old used clothes or shoes for the children or mother
b. Donate money to help feed the children or as startup for an income generating activity
c. Any other way you think can help!

6. Dogs A and B – I know this is a little sad because there are children that are starving but here I am asking for help to take care of stray dogs. But if you know me, you know how much I LOVE dogs. There are tons of dogs running around in the villages. However, these are called village dogs (untamed, undomesticated, and scared of people, possibly with rabies). No one feeds these dogs and they roam around looking for anything to eat. They are so scrawny that their heads are bigger than their bodies; you can count all the ribs they have and even their hip bones. So I’ve basically “adopted” two dogs. A is a tri-color female mutt and B is a black with a few white spots (kind of like my Wop and Ally). My friend Kristen calls them ugly, but I think they’re only “ugly” because they’re starving plus I think they’re adorable. I don’t do anything with them except feed them my leftovers. Now they sleep on my front porch or on my back steps. I call them A and B because I do not want to become attached to them. Fleas/ticks are a very big problem for these dogs.

Here are your options to help:
a. Donate money to help feed them (and feed me!) or to buy flea/tick meds
b. Donate flea/tick meds (I only brought enough for 1 dose each)

7. Kelly – I take all non-perishable foods like beef jerky, chocolate, candy, Spam, drink powders, Jelly Belly, Ramen, canned items, cheese, etc =0)



I am coming home April 22nd and will be in California through the first week of May. If you have material donations, please make time to meet with me or send it to my parent’s house. Please specify which project you would like to donate to. If not, I will choose. Here are a few ways you can contact me:

You can mail donations (material or monetary) to my parent’s house where I can pick it up when I’m home:
Kelly Nguyen
4613 42nd Ave
Sacramento, CA 95824

You can also mail these donations to Malawi. Use "flat rate" boxes from the post offices, they're the cheapest and you have no weight limit. Please do not send cash and also on the customs declarations form don’t put anything of value (these boxes tend to get opened):
Kelly Nguyen
c/o Catherine Levy, Peace Corps
PO Box E652
Post Dot Net
Blantyre, Malawi – AFRICA

OR, you can simply email sillykellynguyen@gmail.com, facebook, or call me (on skype is cheap) 265-550-2166.

Thank you so much!!! You guys are the best! Can’t wait to see you!

The Worst Day in Malawi, thus far

So January was not a very good month; February has not been either and to top it off, I had the worst experience thus far in Malawi.
To start off the month, all the volunteers in the South were on “standfast” which means no traveling or leaving your site. There were election activities and rallies in Blantyre and Peace Corps was afraid of riots and violence. We’ve been locked down for 2 weeks, basically prisoners in our villages. I guess we should all be prepared for stuff like this to happen this year since it is election year in Malawi (May 19th).
Then Monday (February 9night, I woke up to chills. Mind you, I live in one of the HOTTEST districts in Malawi. I was shivering and ended up with a sweater and 2 blankets (I haven’t used a blanket since I moved to my house!). On top of that, my body ached badly. With the combination of chills, sweat, and body aches, I did not sleep very well but was too weak to get out of bed. Somehow I managed to fall asleep for a few hours and woke up the next morning feeling worse. I took my temperature and it was at 101.9. I took Tylenol like Jason told me to and started to feel a little better. In Malawi, if you have a fever, you have Malaria. I refuse to believe that I had Malaria since I take my anti-malaria prophylaxis diligently daily, and am in my mosquito net bed before the sun goes down every night. Also, signs of malaria are also signs of a common cold in America. So unless someone took a blood slide from me and checked it under a microscope, I will believe that it was just a cold. It is really sad and depressing to be sick here. Not only are you really are alone but you actually FEEL alone. It worked out well though since Kristen was coming to my house that day (though she’s not allowed to travel). It’s been really nice having her here.
So Wednesday, February 11, 2009 will go into my history book as being the Worst Day in Malawi (so far) ever. Wednesdays and Sundays are market days in my community. Since I haven’t been to Blantyre in about a month, I was running out of food. First thing Wednesday morning, Kristen and I walked to the market. On the way to the market, we took the “shortcut” through the villages and stopped at the chief’s house to say hi. She said to come back to chat with her but I told her I wasn’t feeling well so she said she’d come in the afternoon. We went to the market and bought some fruits and vegetables. Then we walked along the dirt road back instead of going through the villages. We were about 1000 feet from my health center when we saw a woman and 2 young guys (probably between 16-20 years old, a short one and a taller one) in front of us on the road. We continued to chat and walk but slowly catching up to them (Malawians walk slow). All of a sudden, they both started hitting the woman. What the h*ll is going on? I thought. Then they pushed her into the ditch on the side of the road and started to kick her everywhere. They brutally kicked, punched, and stomped on her as she laid there crying. I began screaming and yelling at them, urging them to stop. “Stop! Stop it! It’s not okay! Stop it!” I screamed repeatedly. There were a dozen people around but NO ONE did ANYTHING! I had one thought in my head- Stop these guys from beating this woman. The way they were beating her, she would have died if we ignored it. This poor woman was getting beat and was not defending herself at all. After awhile of screaming with no success, I did what I thought was the only way to stop them. I pushed them. First I pushed the smaller of the 2 off her and he stopped. But the taller one continued to beat her as if we weren’t there. I was so angry and upset that I was shaking. So I pushed him. He got angry and was yelling at us and tried to punch me. Luckily, he missed. The whole time Kristen was trying to stop them also. He also yelled at us, telling us to leave. “Go! You Go! She not your mother!” The woman finally got up since there was a pause in the beating. When she got up, that was when you can see her injuries. Her eyes were bruised and badly swollen. She was bleeding from everywhere- mouth, arms, feet, face. Then she walked across the road crying. They followed her and continued beating her. By then there were about a hundred people that gathered to watch and even more along the road. We followed the woman and continued to stop them from beating her. Kristen pulled the taller guy off the woman and I grabbed her and walked away, towards my health center. I brought her into the clinic so she could get treatment. But the nurse said no. She said that they couldn’t treat the woman unless she had a police report. So they sent her to go to the police without treating her. Oh my god! Are you serious?!

I'm so sad about my community... it's disappointing to know that they would just let someone die while they watched. I talked to my neighbors and the nurse at my health center, asking why people didn't do anything. She told me that i shouldn't have gotten involved. Then i said... what? you would just let her die in the ditch? And the nurse said "if she died in the ditch, it's not your problem." WTF is that about?! I don't care that they think i'm wrong for intervening.. i just couldn't let someone get beat like that and just walk away. I like to think that i was raised better than that. It would be contradictory of me to volunteer my time in Africa to help people if i just walked away from that. I dunno... i'm having a really hard time getting out of bed and facing my community with this newfound knowledge. Hopefully things will get better... or i move.

Update: the woman did come back with a police report and got treatment. i also heard that they went to court and stuff. Apparently the woman is a 2nd wife and those guys beating her were sons of the 1st wife. I really don't care what the reasons are... IT'S NEVER OKAY.