Wet Clothes and Other Complaints

Richard, another volunteer, helped me formulate a list of challenges and rewards that we’ve encountered while living in Namaacha so far.  Moz 19, if you have additional ones, feel free to add.  J

Challenges

Frequent power outages

Mosquitoes=Malaria concerns

Limited food options- Where’s the Mexican food?

It’s rainy season in Namaacha.  In other words, clothes may never get dry because they hang on the clothesline and get drenched

The volunteers have little free time- We have training from 7:30am-5pm Monday-Saturday L

Missing out on national/family news and events

There’s little control over what host family will cook and how they will cook it

Roosters crowing outside of my window at 3am

The neighbor blasts dance Angolan music at 5am

It rains incessantly and my host mother gets angry when I have matope (mud) on my shoes

The anti-malaria pills can make it difficult to fall asleep at night, induce vivid nightmares, can make me urinate often, and can make me feel like I’m the happiest person on earth one minute and wanting to choke the crowing rooster at 3am the next minute

It’s hard not to confuse Spanish with Portuguese. 

Everything takes longer to do

Punctuality amongst Mozambicans is almost nonexistent

Excessive drinking= Excessive drinking and driving

Riding in a chapa (public transportation): I had no idea that 20 people and 15 chickens could fit into a mini-van

All of the volunteers are expected to communicate with their friends and family using only  one public computer with internet in Namaacha.  Not only is the computer about 20 years old, the internet is slow as molasses.

Although it was flattering for the first week, I don’t think I can stand another marriage proposal.

Corruption in the schools: It’s not uncommon for the teachers to have sex with their students and for the students to give their teachers money to increase their grades

Rewards

Learning how to speak Portuguese

Nice beaches/beautiful scenery

Food, clothes, and everything else is very inexpensive

Making friends with other volunteers

Looking forward to moving to our sites and living independently again

Little to no financial worries

Learning about a new culture

Good dance music

Great dancers

Cute guys

Boleias (hitchhiking to obtain free/inexpensive rides)

Cute babies

The women are strong.  They balance gallons of water on their heads while their baby is tied to their backs

Capulanas can be used for everything- bath towel, blanket, wall art, beach towel, skirt, tying a baby to the mother’s back, etc...

*People have been asking what my experience has been like here in Mozambique so far.  It's really hard for me to describe my experience, but there are things that I'm enjoying and other things that I'm finding overwhelming.  Despite the laundry list of challenges, the rewards that I’ve received have been invaluable.