Friday, October 23, 2009

Project Rx Garden Begins!




We are so floored to have started to break ground on our community garden! We have two permanent farmers, hired to oversee the mini-farm we are cultivating. They have been busy working in between construction of a new church building and preparing the land by hand--literally.

The farmers hack at the ground using hand-hoe/hand-axe like tool. It makes for back breaking work. They are very accustomed to these short-handle tools. We went to purchase new tools from the ones below, which were necessary to replace the overly used tools that made for a lot of effort with little result. Unfortunately, our lead farmer disliked the long-handle hoe, because he said he "didn't get enough power out of it". He was used to his bent-over posture, hacking at the ground. I was in no way going to change his opinion on the matter.

We, I should say "Americans", are so accustomed to our long-handle tools, it seems crazy that we would bend over and bend our backs to swing a pick. I have even begun to read articles of the adversity Western organizations have faced for trying to introduce our Western tools.



Staying on the vein of introducing new things, I got the group together to explain our plans for on-site composting. We have gotten our large family and the community members that live on the church property to begin collecting all of their compostable waste and taking it to our compost pile. We will be using locally purchased chicken manure (strume, in Portuguese, one of the words that has taken me a century to remember) and the excess grasses and leaves to start it out. It's so great to use small ideas to produce delicious and nutritious veggies.

So far, we plan on growing cabbage, corn, beans, cucumber, onion and pumpkin. The community members decided collectively what they would like to have. We are still brainstorming what will be done with this food once it's full grown.

We're thinking we can start a small microcredit program, allowing community members to sell the veggies in the market. We're also thinking that we could use some of the food for expecting mothers lacking proper nutrition, for the orphans adopted by the church or for the children's new health education program.

So many ideas!! I'll let you know what turns out!

THIS IS ALL HAPPENING BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT!

Friday, October 16, 2009

How my 30min oil change turned into a 5-hour lesson in African negotiation





I've just arrived back home after what was considered a fantastical method of learning the African language of negotiation.

This morning Eric, (the other American missionary), and I woke up knowing we would have to get the oil changed on my new/used Nissan. The first place said it would take two hours to see the car, so our escort thought it might be a good idea to go to another
place that he knew well; a place Pastor João had used on previous occasions.

When we arrived, the mechanic, a boy name Manuelito, no older than 17, got
to it. He began pulling out my air filters and dumped out my oil--right on the dirt below us.

Manuelito said, "Trinta minutos", meaning we would only need 30mins until the oil change was done. Eric and I went to window shop at the grocery store across the street. When we returned, the oil was completely gone out of my car and the removed parts, already sliding around in a greasy bag.

Manuelito let me know we would have to walk to the store to buy the new parts we needed so he could complete the oil change.

We walk through the dirt, grime and trash. The outdoor mechanic shop is no place for flip-flops. My first recognizable mistake.

We arrive to the "store" which is a small shack filled with car parts of all shapes and sizes. They begin measuring my oil filters and run from shop to shop to locate what it is I need.

An hour passes.

Finally, when all of the parts arrive, we add up the tab and he tells me it's going to be 3950 Meticais, (the Mozambican currency). I began reaching for my wallet, counting out the money, when the conversion hits me like a 10K bag of rice.

They want to charge me $133 for the supplies for an oil change.

This can't be right. I continually do the math in my head and tell them that this price is ridiculous. Never in my life have I paid over $40 for an oil change, (and $40 was a rip-off, really). They proceed to drop the price until I finally get my wits about me and call Eric, to call Pastor João and ask him how much a friggin' oil change costs here.

We wait and wait. Pastor João's recommendation is to 'take all of the parts back, don't buy anything, what the are we doing at that place(!?), get in the car and drive away!'

We now have no oil.

So, this other shop owner tells me, "don't worry, I can give you what you want to pay. Only 1500 MTN, ($50), for everything."

DEAL! Please just get me out of this so we can get out of here and ensure that we get all of the right things we need.

Manuelito had already put the old filters back on. He then proceeded to remove them, yet again, so we could measure each of the filters, yet again.

It takes another hour+ to locate all of the parts at the new car parts shop. I realize he purchased the air filter from the store that just tried to dupe me.

His new price, 1800 MTN, ($60).

WHAT!?!?!?!

Pastor João is already on his way to rescue us.

DANGIT, I didn't want to worry him.

He arrives. Still no oil change. No new parts. No new oil.


We go into the "real store" (a corporate gas station), to buy oil that we "can trust".

Seven quarts of oil, one filter and $80 later, we have oil and one of the filters we need.

Eric and I sipped on our Coca-Cola after the longest 5-hour negotiating period and concluded, with a, "what could we have done? We didn't know any better". An entire day lost and my oil still hasn't gotten much cleaner.

Oh, but did I learn. Of course I did.

Each of the photos are of the area that we decided to get our oil changed; the shops, the area, and the people we talked to.

This includes Uche, a native-Nigerian who studied PoliSci for 2-years and now works selling car parts so he can make enough money to go back to school. He wants to use his intellectual capacity to contribute to society. He's extremely articulate and has an acute knowledge for African politics. I hope he continues to follow his dreams. He wants to one day travel to America to follow so he can have the means to give back to society, while his goal is to help Africa politically.

The red car is actually the mechanic's tool shop. As an added bonus, it offers free loud music (BYOCoca-Cola).

Thursday, October 15, 2009

What looks to be my day-to-day

I have undergone a drastic lifestyle change since my move over to Mozambique. After moving in with my adorable nuclear Korean family (husband, wife, two children), plus Eric, Korean born, California raised kid, I now have a daily schedule.

I don't think I've had a "daily schedule" for like at least five years.

Morning:
  • 6:30a - Wake up
  • 6:40a - Family prayer
  • 6:45a - Eat breakfast
  • 7:05a - Prayer for children who go to school
  • 7:10a - Daily preparation, devotion
  • 8:00a - Complete work, tasks
  • 1:00p - Eat lunch together
  • 1:45 - Complete more work
  • (3:00 - Children arrive home from school)
  • 5/6:00 - Try to get in a workout
  • 7:00 - Eat dinner while watching the Korean soap opera, Jolly Widows
  • 7:45 - Chill
  • 8:30/9p - Family reflection time, prayer
  • 10:00 - Down time, work, whatev
  • 1am - get to sleep

Jolly Widows ad. I'm actually so addicted already. I already feel how sick it is to say that...

Yeah, so I know, practically without any opposition to my thought process, that this lifestyle cannot be kept up. As you can easily calculate, the time I go to bed and the time I get up cannot be sustained.

I've ended up sleeping sometimes after I have breakfast, which is the worst waste of my daily instant coffee.

However, in the process of managing this schedule, I've been able to get my visa situation sorted out, buy a new-used car, visit several farms in the area, attend several local church events, learn essential words in Shangan, (the local language; i.e. kanimambo = thank you), read through Hornby's novel How to be Good, and create a Korean soap opera addiction.

All this in just over a week!

http://images.automotive.com/reviews/images/96pathfinder.jpg
This is a glorified version of my car in somewhere like Sedona, AZ. My car has a lot more dust and fog lights, to start.

Needless to say, time is going by fast; ridiculously fast.

I'm learning and growing so much.

Sigh.

My next post will be all about our plan of execution. For now, I go to sleep knowing I have an extra two hours to sleep! Finally, 6.5 hours!

Note to self: Fix schedule.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Picturing my first few days in Maputo


View from my bedroom window.


Saying goodbye to Pastor Ohm



Children playing at Sunday School


Aranha (spider) found on our property.


See me hiding back there? hahaha.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I'VE ARRIVED.


Playing with the Everite kids in the Brackenfell projects.


Nosipho and I pose on a Khayelitsha roadside.


Oh boy, I've arrived, alright.

Where do I begin? Well, to start: I'm home. Here, I'm home.

I finally feel whole again. All I've really wanted to do is get to work, and get to work I will. I have met incredible people throughout the week who have expressed great faith in the project and what we will do, step by step.

What I've done this past week:

- Moved a year's worth of my possessions (and Project Rx supplies) to Cape Town, then to Maputo

- Met with members of African Leadership board of directors to fully describe our intentions in Mozambique and received their blessing.

- Reconnected with the Khayelitsha African Leadership leadership staff of the Educare Children's Churches and Preschools.

- Secured a yearlong budget for Project Rx and my own living expenses.

- Moved into my (possibly temporary) Indian Ocean view apartment, equipped with a beautiful Korean missionary family, added missionary and me. And, it happens to be the tallest building in Maputo. :)

We received the letter below from the Director of the Ministry of Health of Mozambique. It essentially endorses what we're going to be attempting, therefore providing us a GREAT safety net for our work. AMAZING!



I have to kindly thank the Santa Fe Council on International Relations, especially Jeff Case and Carol Robertson-Lopez for all of their help making this connection.

Yebo!!


Possibly my favorite domestic encounters thus far: The South African version of the Snuggie--IT'S THE SNUGGET!


Our climb involved climbing heavy chains with no safety nets on Lion's Head. :)


Climbing up a foggy Lion's Head