Thursday, November 12, 2015
mozamechanic
the project car got a flat tire this week. we paid 150 meticais to change the tire and fix the flat one. that is $3.57.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Peace Corps Home
The volunteers who live in my old house are now preparing to leave. They are both going back to the United States and had a goodbye party yesterday. I went for a bit - obviously giving them their space to say goodbye to our mutual friends and community.
As soon as I got there I found this project beneficiary with his tablet and his friends! I have to do a lot of encouraging and technical support, but the format of the project was thought of with the context of the local culture in mind. It's very cool to see something working with relatively little foreign intervention.
It's a weird feeling. I've already said goodbye, but I'm back. This time, because the goodbye feels more permanent...it's harder. There is no way to keep in touch with the majority of my students, and the neighbor kids aren't old enough for cell phones. Even for my students and friends who have cell phones - robbery is common, many live without electricity (therefore not having a phone that's turned on very much) and they lend phones to other people all the time (so when I call, sometimes I talk to someone I don't know). Leaving is going to smash my heart into a million little pieces, but I keep having to remind myself that it is time to go. My wise aunt Janet and I were talking about being of public service while I was at home and she had a very good point for mental health: it's important to do things for fun, to do things that aren't in the service of those you are helping. Go swimming, not to teach anyone to swim, just to hang out in the water. Go out to dinner - not to start a new project, not to fix current issues, just to have a pizza (and beer). It's time for me to do that - but it doesn't mean that I wont miss the mountains every day.
As soon as I got there I found this project beneficiary with his tablet and his friends! I have to do a lot of encouraging and technical support, but the format of the project was thought of with the context of the local culture in mind. It's very cool to see something working with relatively little foreign intervention.
It's a weird feeling. I've already said goodbye, but I'm back. This time, because the goodbye feels more permanent...it's harder. There is no way to keep in touch with the majority of my students, and the neighbor kids aren't old enough for cell phones. Even for my students and friends who have cell phones - robbery is common, many live without electricity (therefore not having a phone that's turned on very much) and they lend phones to other people all the time (so when I call, sometimes I talk to someone I don't know). Leaving is going to smash my heart into a million little pieces, but I keep having to remind myself that it is time to go. My wise aunt Janet and I were talking about being of public service while I was at home and she had a very good point for mental health: it's important to do things for fun, to do things that aren't in the service of those you are helping. Go swimming, not to teach anyone to swim, just to hang out in the water. Go out to dinner - not to start a new project, not to fix current issues, just to have a pizza (and beer). It's time for me to do that - but it doesn't mean that I wont miss the mountains every day.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
It's October?!
Yes, it's October. After a whirlwind trip back home to see my brother get married (Success!) and a week waiting around New York for the Mozambureaucracy to get its act together (with a brief and lovely encounter with Amtrak, Philadelphia, and my grandparents), I got back to Mozambique with just enough time to...sit around? Since I'm still working on transportation I've been more or less stuck in Gurue.
I'm still battling to get a car for the project (definitely making progress) and in the last week, I've managed to put grates on my new house (pictures forthcoming), install new locks (when the house sitter lost all of the old ones), hire a wonderful woman to wash my clothes (because it is really no fun to hand wash jeans), get a contract for a new project driver, almost get my company to pay back salary to the previous driver, and eat a lot of wonderful mountain samosas.
It's been quite an African week and in order to be completely honest (because the internet needs more honesty) I am very proud of myself (and grateful to all of the moral supporters and africa magic intervention that helped make all of the above happen in a week of being back.
In the next few weeks, there will be beneficiary training, maybe a business trip or two, and more pictures!
Thank you to everyone who made my stay in the United States such a success!
I'm still battling to get a car for the project (definitely making progress) and in the last week, I've managed to put grates on my new house (pictures forthcoming), install new locks (when the house sitter lost all of the old ones), hire a wonderful woman to wash my clothes (because it is really no fun to hand wash jeans), get a contract for a new project driver, almost get my company to pay back salary to the previous driver, and eat a lot of wonderful mountain samosas.
It's been quite an African week and in order to be completely honest (because the internet needs more honesty) I am very proud of myself (and grateful to all of the moral supporters and africa magic intervention that helped make all of the above happen in a week of being back.
In the next few weeks, there will be beneficiary training, maybe a business trip or two, and more pictures!
Thank you to everyone who made my stay in the United States such a success!
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Cecil the Lion
The news of Cecil the Lion's passing has indeed reached me in Mozambique (through American media outlets, of course). This article explores the typical African response very well. (And mine too, maybe I've been here too long)
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/opinion/in-zimbabwe-we-dont-cry-for-lions.html?mabReward=A5&action=click&pgtype=Homepage®ion=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine&_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/opinion/in-zimbabwe-we-dont-cry-for-lions.html?mabReward=A5&action=click&pgtype=Homepage®ion=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine&_r=0
Friday, July 17, 2015
Theft
I had a long, complicated blog post all set up to post and then...
I read something on another blog: theft is actually wealth redistribution. So you will get a slightly shorter, slightly more direct post.
As communist as that statement sounds/is, it was an interesting thought for me - my house was broken into during my first year in Peace Corps, dozens of other little things were stolen throughout the 2 years, and I said goodbye to Invinha by realizing that the student who had been helping me with house stuff for a year (and getting paid, given food, and was told he was allowed to ask for what he wanted but couldn't just take it) had been stealing things big and small for awhile.
I won't say much more - although I think in the purest form, theft is forced wealth redistribution. Not that it is fair, not that it creates a nice ambiance in which to live - but the students who broke into my house and took everything from an electric iron to laptops were definitely much poorer than I am or ever will be. The positive? Maybe they took those things and made a better life for themselves. Probably not, because they're teenagers with an underdeveloped frontal lobe, but maybe. The negative? It was the only time I seriously considered quitting Peace Corps and I completely lost trust in everyone in my community and only got it back for a special few. I try to offer things when I can and be perceptive to need - generosity is the only thing I have come up with to deter theft. It didn't work out very well with my student, but it might in the future. For a change, I'm not offering a solution. I don't have one.
Anyway, what do you think? Is there a moral certainty regarding theft? Is it always wrong?
I read something on another blog: theft is actually wealth redistribution. So you will get a slightly shorter, slightly more direct post.
As communist as that statement sounds/is, it was an interesting thought for me - my house was broken into during my first year in Peace Corps, dozens of other little things were stolen throughout the 2 years, and I said goodbye to Invinha by realizing that the student who had been helping me with house stuff for a year (and getting paid, given food, and was told he was allowed to ask for what he wanted but couldn't just take it) had been stealing things big and small for awhile.
I won't say much more - although I think in the purest form, theft is forced wealth redistribution. Not that it is fair, not that it creates a nice ambiance in which to live - but the students who broke into my house and took everything from an electric iron to laptops were definitely much poorer than I am or ever will be. The positive? Maybe they took those things and made a better life for themselves. Probably not, because they're teenagers with an underdeveloped frontal lobe, but maybe. The negative? It was the only time I seriously considered quitting Peace Corps and I completely lost trust in everyone in my community and only got it back for a special few. I try to offer things when I can and be perceptive to need - generosity is the only thing I have come up with to deter theft. It didn't work out very well with my student, but it might in the future. For a change, I'm not offering a solution. I don't have one.
Anyway, what do you think? Is there a moral certainty regarding theft? Is it always wrong?
 |
| Me, a tin roof, and my trusty almost thief proof purse. |
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
The Catch-22 of INGOs
I will first qualify this post. I am a young development worker, which is to say, I'm not very old or experienced. I have professionally worked for longer than 6 months in one country - which is to say, not very long.
Mozambique has been called a "Foreign Aid Darling" in recent publications, and this moniker does indeed represent a lot of money being thrown to Mozambique in the name of projects. It's seen everywhere - the big pagoda-shaped resort being built in Maputo by the Chinese, the number of Mozambicans who say "Oh yes, I know a lot of Germans and Danes" and as I'm told, most notably the increase in the number of foreigners both in grocery stores and the offices of Immigration.
This represents money. Lots of Money. And as far as for-profit companies go, it's understandable. Come to a new, rapidly growing market, make a profit, employ more people, continue profiting. It's how the system works. In terms of International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), this gets more complicated. They have a mission to "help people." The problem is this: how can you help people if you don't know what they need? There is so much infrastructure in international development attempting to help well-meaning INGOs figure out what the local population actually needs. I'm not convinced this works though. I've seen how much reports can be manipulated without ever actually telling a lie.
These INGOs are rich. They've been in Mozambique for anywhere from months to decades, and continue with noble mission statements and dedicated staff. The problem is this: their programs are good. Mostly worthy of the billions of dollars in funding received. But not good enough to put themselves out of business (sustainability).
In a recent conversation with a new colleague, a Mozambican who has spent decades working with everyone who is anyone in the foreign aid business in Mozambique, he clearly laid out the culture of dependency created by these programs. Farmers had unions. Then big organizations came in with projects that treated the farmers as babies. Farmers became dependent on these organizations for money, infrastructure, and ideas, and he we are, decades later, waiting for them to become independent as they are waiting for us to come up with the next idea and pot of money.
Does this mean that the world would be better without the programs? I'm not sure yet, to be honest. I think there are good and bad programs, competent and not competent people, good and bad ideas. Looking back at my older posts, I think the main problem is this: it's not that we can't build good programs. It's not that we shouldn't not try to help people because of this fear of dependency. It's that there is a history and structure bigger than any one program, any one person, and I'm starting to think that we got most of that part wrong.
HOWEVER. Mozambique has seen record development since the civil war ended. So just because a system is wrong or not perfect doesn't mean that it doesn't achieve. It's complicated.
Mozambique has been called a "Foreign Aid Darling" in recent publications, and this moniker does indeed represent a lot of money being thrown to Mozambique in the name of projects. It's seen everywhere - the big pagoda-shaped resort being built in Maputo by the Chinese, the number of Mozambicans who say "Oh yes, I know a lot of Germans and Danes" and as I'm told, most notably the increase in the number of foreigners both in grocery stores and the offices of Immigration.
This represents money. Lots of Money. And as far as for-profit companies go, it's understandable. Come to a new, rapidly growing market, make a profit, employ more people, continue profiting. It's how the system works. In terms of International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), this gets more complicated. They have a mission to "help people." The problem is this: how can you help people if you don't know what they need? There is so much infrastructure in international development attempting to help well-meaning INGOs figure out what the local population actually needs. I'm not convinced this works though. I've seen how much reports can be manipulated without ever actually telling a lie.
These INGOs are rich. They've been in Mozambique for anywhere from months to decades, and continue with noble mission statements and dedicated staff. The problem is this: their programs are good. Mostly worthy of the billions of dollars in funding received. But not good enough to put themselves out of business (sustainability).
In a recent conversation with a new colleague, a Mozambican who has spent decades working with everyone who is anyone in the foreign aid business in Mozambique, he clearly laid out the culture of dependency created by these programs. Farmers had unions. Then big organizations came in with projects that treated the farmers as babies. Farmers became dependent on these organizations for money, infrastructure, and ideas, and he we are, decades later, waiting for them to become independent as they are waiting for us to come up with the next idea and pot of money.
Does this mean that the world would be better without the programs? I'm not sure yet, to be honest. I think there are good and bad programs, competent and not competent people, good and bad ideas. Looking back at my older posts, I think the main problem is this: it's not that we can't build good programs. It's not that we shouldn't not try to help people because of this fear of dependency. It's that there is a history and structure bigger than any one program, any one person, and I'm starting to think that we got most of that part wrong.
HOWEVER. Mozambique has seen record development since the civil war ended. So just because a system is wrong or not perfect doesn't mean that it doesn't achieve. It's complicated.
 |
| Things have gotten better for this family. |
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
The Traveling Hannah
I'm back! And, with the orders of Fred Kyle, about to be much better about my blog posting.
I have moved from program manager of a library (www.livroaberto.org) to program manager of a short term project. I'm in Maputo for about a week to get everything we can set, and then I go back to the city in the tea fields.
The flight over was as fun as most 15 hour flights are, meaning that I watched a lot of movies, was blessed to sleep a solid 4 hours, and was very happy when we touched down in Johannesburg.
Johannesburg happened so that I could meet with the South African team who is implementing the same project in South Africa that we are in Mozambique. The meetings were really helpful and it was absolutely the coolest experience of my embryonic life as a development worker to be in a meeting about development in Africa as the sole non-African.
After 2 days wandering around the chic neighborhood where I stayed for my first business trip, Rosebank, Johannesburg, I took a quick 45 minute flight and I was in Mozambique! My Blackberry worked immediately, meaning it really was as if I had never left. However wonderful it is to have 21st century technology on your side, the best thing about returning to Mozambique has been realizing how wonderful the 2 months at home were. I was nervous about going home the first time - it had been a long time since I had been home, it had been even longer since I had stayed with parents for more than the length of a vacation, and I was jumping into the depths of possible unemployment and a bank account ruined by Mozambican immigration fees. At the same time, I went home because I wasn't happy in Mozambique anymore, and it truly didn't have anything to do with Mozambique. I just wasn't happy. It was time to go home. Right about as my Blackberry powered up, I felt content. Happy to be back, happier to have been home, and yes, already missing all of my family, friends, and American steak (the Portuguese and Mozambicans both have their versions and it just isn't the same).
As I type this, I'm sitting in the offices in Maputo. A driver comes to get me every morning to bring me to work (this will only happen while I'm in Maputo, my project is based in the tea field and the city where I will live is not big enough to have any public transportation and therefore no need for a private driver), I enter a building and take an elevator (!) to go to an office where they have graciously given me desk space. The project is intimidating because so much depends on how Mozambique does along with the other countries participating, but I'm slowly getting a better understanding of the task and thoroughly enjoying the human resources employees who are taking care of my visa, renewals, and work authorization.
So far so good. I also just realized I didn't take any pictures while home, and I don't have any yet from this trip. So, pictures from the end of the last Mozambique tour:
I have moved from program manager of a library (www.livroaberto.org) to program manager of a short term project. I'm in Maputo for about a week to get everything we can set, and then I go back to the city in the tea fields.
The flight over was as fun as most 15 hour flights are, meaning that I watched a lot of movies, was blessed to sleep a solid 4 hours, and was very happy when we touched down in Johannesburg.
Johannesburg happened so that I could meet with the South African team who is implementing the same project in South Africa that we are in Mozambique. The meetings were really helpful and it was absolutely the coolest experience of my embryonic life as a development worker to be in a meeting about development in Africa as the sole non-African.
After 2 days wandering around the chic neighborhood where I stayed for my first business trip, Rosebank, Johannesburg, I took a quick 45 minute flight and I was in Mozambique! My Blackberry worked immediately, meaning it really was as if I had never left. However wonderful it is to have 21st century technology on your side, the best thing about returning to Mozambique has been realizing how wonderful the 2 months at home were. I was nervous about going home the first time - it had been a long time since I had been home, it had been even longer since I had stayed with parents for more than the length of a vacation, and I was jumping into the depths of possible unemployment and a bank account ruined by Mozambican immigration fees. At the same time, I went home because I wasn't happy in Mozambique anymore, and it truly didn't have anything to do with Mozambique. I just wasn't happy. It was time to go home. Right about as my Blackberry powered up, I felt content. Happy to be back, happier to have been home, and yes, already missing all of my family, friends, and American steak (the Portuguese and Mozambicans both have their versions and it just isn't the same).
As I type this, I'm sitting in the offices in Maputo. A driver comes to get me every morning to bring me to work (this will only happen while I'm in Maputo, my project is based in the tea field and the city where I will live is not big enough to have any public transportation and therefore no need for a private driver), I enter a building and take an elevator (!) to go to an office where they have graciously given me desk space. The project is intimidating because so much depends on how Mozambique does along with the other countries participating, but I'm slowly getting a better understanding of the task and thoroughly enjoying the human resources employees who are taking care of my visa, renewals, and work authorization.
So far so good. I also just realized I didn't take any pictures while home, and I don't have any yet from this trip. So, pictures from the end of the last Mozambique tour:
 |
| In my favorite city (Beira), cooking my favorite Mozambican food (Cassava leaves with coconut milk and peanut flour and in this case, shrimp) |
 | ||||
| She almost didn't let me go to the airport. I almost let her let me not go to the airport. |
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| Inside the classroom where they called me teacher |
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| At the high school where they called me teacher |
Sunday, February 8, 2015
I live in a city?!
And so, I have missed yet another month. I have a good reason. I swear. "Settling in..."
Maputo is different. My first week here all I could tell people was that Maputo is so cool because it has dental floss in the grocery stores. And MOUTHWASH. what?
I can't lie and say that the novelty has completely worn off. I still can't believe the food variety available (and often make exactly what I made in the tea field because I don't know what else to do), I still wander around big grocery stores slightly lost (the little ones are more manageable), and I still can't quite believe how Maputo relates to the rest of the country.
It is the capital city. There is opportunity - many different schools, medical clinics, business opportunities. One of the problems of rural poverty is proximity to the rich - where I was, there weren't any rich people to speak of, and so business was hard. How do you sell to people who don't have money? Things worked out - my village is able to support a few local stores and every once in awhile people come with new goods. In the city - there will always be rich people buying bottled water, which means there will always be bottles for poor people to sell. As stifled as an opportunity as this may seem, it is a lifeline. Although I am privileged, I have seen far too much what lack of opportunity, any opportunity, can do to someone.
Maputo feels untouchable. There was flooding in the beginning of January (an understatement, I believe it was the worst in 44 years) in my home province. Electricity is still out, and the biggest bridge in the province connecting north to south is still broken. But my (hot) running water has stayed on, my electricity has not gone off once, and food/transportation prices remain the same. I don't wish I were still living there - being witness to such destruction and desperation isn't fun, nor do I wish misfortune on anyone - it makes me uncomfortable that the leaders of the country do not feel the suffering as everyone else does. Maputo is of its own.
And to make matters worse (or just different?), this is really the first time I've ever lived in a city for longer than a few months. To be honest - I'm having many conflicting feelings, but it is pretty great to be able to order takeout (for the first time in my life), call taxis to take me places and catch buses (because I live inside the city limits!), and live in a city that has zones where people don't stare at me ALL THE TIME. Even after 2 years living in the same small town, there were people who stared at me while I did all of my food shopping. Or just walked around. I did visit a friend today in a neighborhood today that was exactly like being back in Peace Corps. You can just read people's expressions: "Is this girl lost?"
There is so much more to say, but I definitely need to organize my thoughts before I ramble past the point of no return. Maybe next time I'll post about my job?
Maputo is different. My first week here all I could tell people was that Maputo is so cool because it has dental floss in the grocery stores. And MOUTHWASH. what?
I can't lie and say that the novelty has completely worn off. I still can't believe the food variety available (and often make exactly what I made in the tea field because I don't know what else to do), I still wander around big grocery stores slightly lost (the little ones are more manageable), and I still can't quite believe how Maputo relates to the rest of the country.
It is the capital city. There is opportunity - many different schools, medical clinics, business opportunities. One of the problems of rural poverty is proximity to the rich - where I was, there weren't any rich people to speak of, and so business was hard. How do you sell to people who don't have money? Things worked out - my village is able to support a few local stores and every once in awhile people come with new goods. In the city - there will always be rich people buying bottled water, which means there will always be bottles for poor people to sell. As stifled as an opportunity as this may seem, it is a lifeline. Although I am privileged, I have seen far too much what lack of opportunity, any opportunity, can do to someone.
Maputo feels untouchable. There was flooding in the beginning of January (an understatement, I believe it was the worst in 44 years) in my home province. Electricity is still out, and the biggest bridge in the province connecting north to south is still broken. But my (hot) running water has stayed on, my electricity has not gone off once, and food/transportation prices remain the same. I don't wish I were still living there - being witness to such destruction and desperation isn't fun, nor do I wish misfortune on anyone - it makes me uncomfortable that the leaders of the country do not feel the suffering as everyone else does. Maputo is of its own.
And to make matters worse (or just different?), this is really the first time I've ever lived in a city for longer than a few months. To be honest - I'm having many conflicting feelings, but it is pretty great to be able to order takeout (for the first time in my life), call taxis to take me places and catch buses (because I live inside the city limits!), and live in a city that has zones where people don't stare at me ALL THE TIME. Even after 2 years living in the same small town, there were people who stared at me while I did all of my food shopping. Or just walked around. I did visit a friend today in a neighborhood today that was exactly like being back in Peace Corps. You can just read people's expressions: "Is this girl lost?"
There is so much more to say, but I definitely need to organize my thoughts before I ramble past the point of no return. Maybe next time I'll post about my job?
 |
| The group with our big boss, Custodio - saying goodbye (and of course my ultimate Maputo welcome) |
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