Last week in photos

I'm currently in the capitol and getting ready to head back to mwaya for a visit tomorrow. I have been so happy to be in the city this weekend! I just had my computer fixed, the tech guy also gave me tons of movies, How I Met Your Mother, and Modern Family. With that and diet coke, I am one happy girl! Last week had it ups and downs and usual. Monday I tried to have community education on HIV, nobody showed up, so I went home to play with the kids. In the afternoon we had our first women and children's rights committee, some comments and views made me want to hit my head against the wall, but I am hoping they can become a bit more open minded. Tuesday I walked a total of 16 miles to see patient's in their homes, it was a good, but very long day. I gave some recommendations that I hope will be followed, I also educated some children on HIV and sex. Apparently some doctors here tell parents not to tell their kids they are HIV positive. I completely disagree with this, I told them to always be honest with their children and stop hiding things, children know when something is being hidden and then they usually imagine the worst. I told a couple of children with the permission of their parents that they have HIV, I kept it short and simple and then guided the parents on how to speak to their kids openly and honestly. I am hoping it has made a bit of a difference! Wednesday everything was cancelled so I stayed home and played with the kids. Thursday I did not feel well so I stayed home in the morning, then in the afternoon for the rescheduled HIV education session nobody showed up again. Friday I did HIV education at the secondary school in Bilia. I had one really great session! The translator I had was great! Most of them are so anti-sex that even when I say something they add in something like well abstinence is best. The kids were asking tons of questions and I felt this guy would get the message across, so I talked to them how I would hope somebody would have spoken to me about sex when I was in school. Some of the hand motions my translator had while covering topics such as masturbation and telling boys that just penetration is not always going to cut it for a girl, were even making me laugh. He was loving it also! It was so great to see them talk openly about sex, kids here have no way of knowing any of the information we all get. I have bought a Cosmo this weekend to show Mary an example of what we are constantly exposed to. I think she might be a bit surprised!

So this week  I am going to focus on the good and hope when I get back some things will progress. It is such a slow process to accomplish anything! Patience is something I am learning, I will either came home very patient or insane. Probably a bit of both.

Who needs play-doh when you have clay?

He was not exactly thrilled about me. 

My guava tree in the back yard was discovered by the kids. Linda is a much more careful climber. Clara made me so nervous, when I told her to get down she basically flung herself out of the tree onto me. I was laughing so hard I barely caught her. 

These peanut butter loving fools, left some smears all over my sheets. 

Stella learned very quickly how to do the word searches, I need to get some harder ones!

Safety first! That's your motto right Clara?

Apparently these holes are for chickens to go in and out of the house, but this goat is sticking his head through every time I walk by.

This family gave me pumpkins as my gift for coming to visit.

This mother and the twin in red are both HIV positive, I spoke with the girl about being HIV positive. 

This man has had this tumor for nine years, it already seems to be compromising his airway. I wrote a referral to Blantyre hospital, I hope they do something for him! 

The woman on the left is 80 years old and a home based care volunteer. She walked a good three miles and spent all day with us seeing patients. 

This little old lady was so cute! She had no complaints and said he feels pretty good.

With her grandchildren.

Carrying water home.

I wish I loved doing laundry this much. 

Martha and I had a pretty unsuccessful photo shoot.

I think she likes painting.

Doing some reading in the library. I always read with the kids while I charge my stuff. This is Blessings, he is very cute but also very sensitive and dramatic. 

This might be my favorite tree. 

School girls outside of their hostel. I went inside and it is so messy and cramped! I wanted to start cleaning, I guess that is what happens when about 30 girls live in one room.

They insisted on taking pictures with me too. I am supposed to print them out and bring them back. I said maybe, I know soon I will have an order for about 10,000 pictures if I do it!

I ended the week with an awesome sunset, I missed the best part of it!