Peace Corps is full of acronyms. During my first three months in Mozambique, I was considered a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee). But after an official swear-in ceremony at the Mozambique Ministry of Education and Human Development, our group went from 64 PCTs to 64 PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers). So now, PST (Pre-Service Training) has … Continue reading From PCT to PCV
Quiz time! Guess whether the following ten actions would be considered kosher in Mozambique: Tell someone they're fat. Look down at your phone while walking and ignore everyone. Chew with your mouth open. Refuse food. Show your shoulders. Show your knees. Ask for things from a stranger. Make kissing noises or hiss at a … Continue reading Rude or Not Rude?
Hi friends! The past two weeks I was in Sitila getting to know my future home. It was overwhelming, relaxing, and insightful all in one. Here are 10 of the takeaways I left phase 2 with: 1. I will forever be dirty - My town is made of sand. The closest paved road is 40km away. … Continue reading Sitila: Sand and Sitting and Snakes, Oh My!
After much anticipation, today I got my official assignment for the next two years! I'm super excited to be teaching English to 8th - 10th graders in a small town that doesn't exist on Google! Inhambane province, here I come! On Sunday I'll be leaving Namaacha to enter phase 2 of training. During phase 2, … Continue reading Site Placement!!!
Linda is one of my host sisters here in Namaacha. I have no idea how she’s technically related to me, but there’s really not a lot of emphasis on nuclear family here. Cousins, nieces and nephews, and even neighbors are often considered siblings. Anyway, I just wanted the world to get to know Linda, 'cause … Continue reading Família Friday: Meet Linda
It’s already been a month since we left the U.S. and became Peace Corps Trainees! And three weeks since we arrived in Namaacha to live with our host families! Here are my most memorable moments from week 3: 1. Observing classes – On Tuesday my language class went to Escola Comunitaria Maria Auxiliadora here in … Continue reading Happy Monthiversary!
Before we move to our sites where we’ll be teaching for two years, all of us Moz 27-ers have 13 weeks of Pre-Service Training (PST) in Namaacha. During training we learn Portuguese, practice techniques for managing the classroom, learn about Mozambican history, etc. In addition to all our formal sessions, we also live with host … Continue reading A Day in the PST Life
A week ago, we arrived in Namaacha to begin our 13-week home stays. After a very enthusiastic welcome song, all 65 of us volunteers walked down the line of families until we saw one holding a piece of paper with our name. I was greeted by a sister, Arlete (22), and a cousin, Linda (15). … Continue reading Família Friday: Are You My Mom?
Leaving Arizona was somewhat anti-climatic because I wasn't actually flying to Mozambique yet. I still got to revel in the pleasures of the USA while we had staging in Philadelphia at a Hilton. Of course, for those two days I tried to eat all the food I could, including my first ever Philly cheesesteak (yum)! Staging was … Continue reading We Made It!
Lizambique 