I wander through a village called Messica and head on health brigades with a counselor and other nurses, testing and counseling locals about HIV/AIDS, STDs and nutrition. What is my job like? Well, just as with health clinics in the United States, many of the health services here are offered at a free or low cost option to patients. Additionally, I have two youth groups in the community that perform skits, make jewelry and give talks about important health topics at the local high school. My home is relatively close to the main plaza, where ceremonies and holiday festivals take place.
Transportation from my rural site is somewhat reliable but uncomfortable at times. Your comfort zone is destined to be stretched in more ways than one, whether it be sitting alongside chickens on a crowded bus, having a stranger ask you probing cultural questions, or having a stranger entrust you with her baby. The community atmosphere is alive and well here in Mozambique, and friendships are easy to make and difficult to break.
I recently celebrated my one year anniversary of service in Mozambique, with one victory lap year left. I hope to make the most of it. My time so far has led me to do things I would never have thought possible for myself, let alone imagined. I remember looking at National Geographic magazines as a kid and wanting to go to Africa someday. I can now say that my life reads and looks like a National Geographic article. What an adventure to be a Peace Corps Volunteer! I think I will forever compare every other experience with this journey. There are too many memories to fit into a quick blurb, but I’m glad to have shared something with you about my little slice of heaven.
