Settling down nicely

My name is Jane Davis, I am 27 years old and from Australia. I have just spent 10 weeks working as a volunteer with Volunteer Africa and have had an amazing experience. Hereafter is what I wrote to my family and friends and that made the first part of my trip so special.

Things are going great here and African life is starting to feel normal. sights that were so weird and novel a few weeks ago are just part of my days now. Such as 5 year old hearding cows, carrying water and their younger siblings, kids in clothes better explained as rags, being contsantly stared at, the beautiful and welcoming African smile (only if you smile first mind you), mudbrick houses that the big bad wolf could blow down, unsafe scaffolding and general scary building practices which seem to work quite well and other countless things. but do not think the novelty has worn off entirely. I am still experiencing new things all the time.

For ease of writing and reading, I will list some highlights so far.

* African wedding where although we did not know the bride and groom, were given the only chairs and fed the first (very kind but kind of embarrassing).

*the church singing.

* finding a hedgehog in camp and learning how to pick it up without spiking myself too badly.

* finding out how little you need and how much you can do with little.

* being welcomed into people's homes and the respect and kindness we are shown. We even receive gifts from people who can't afford to give them. their sacrifice is not lost on us.

* the genuine friendship i have received.

* getting really dirty.

* getting kind of clean with cold water under the sun.

* the kids and how interested they are in us.

* learning more bulding skills and the elation when I get it right.

* vivid and wild dreams due to my hard core maleria tablets.

* the volleyball matches (sometimes quite competitive).

* chezza chezza (african dancing when there is a group to say goodbye to) its the older women who do this and they are great. Some of them even with faded face tattoos from the tribal days. Might get one mum. Ha.

* my mumma Mvae and her hugs. she also taught me how to grind flour. harder than it looks. No wonder all the African women are so tough.

* being fed by people who eat twice a day if they are lucky.

* Trying to figure out what part of what animal you have just been fed. think I ate some toungue and intestine the other day.

* the other volunteers and how much i learn about myself from living so close to them.

*bumpy rides too and from town to camp.

* acumulating building scars.

*borrowing bikes with no breaks and dodging the ditches, cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, people, motorbikes, sand and spiky bushes. What a rush.



But there are things that are good for us to see but not so enjoyable such as.

*the more we are invited into homes, the tougher we realise their lives are.

* seeing old men with their very young wives they bought. i know it's the culture but doesn't take away the fact that women here have little power and choice.

* being asked for money and gifts and school fees etc. You would be surprised at how hard it is to say no. And if you don't it builds an idea in their heads that white people just give out things and money and that they should. We just need to keep hold of the bigger picture i guess and what help we can give.

* cold water showers when you left it too late and have to wash in the cold wind in the dark.

* scrubbing the toilet hole. will never be fun but definitely a character strengthener.

* being in a fish bowel: our fence has holes in it and children often just stand there and stare after school, calling out that the want a bottle of a football over and over until we tell them a very stern Hapana (no).

* snoring, farting, happy people disturbing sleep ( may have been me once or twice though).

* missing friends and family. didn't think I would this much. wish you could all see what i am seeing ( yes will get photos on soon.)

*wearing my traditional African clothing. white people just don't look cool in it. I don't look anywhere near as black as I feel and am almost surprised that people still stare at me. don't I fit in yet?