The tales of a pseudo-deportee

Again sorry for the long gap in posts. I think this time I have a really good excuse since I sorta (but turns out not really) got deported from Mozambique.

The tale starts way back when in early May before coming to Mozambique.  I had left my passport in Canada with Cowater to get my visa done while I ventured around Portugal. My passport magically travelled from Calgary to Ottawa, Ottawa to Washington, Washington back to Ottawa and finally Ottawa to Lisbon. When it arrived it had a shiney new visa and a letter from the Mozambican government, office of public works, inviting me to work in Zavala. I spoke with my colleague in Ottawa who arranged my visa and she said she had spoken with the people in Moz about which visa to get. I had a 6 month multiple entry visa that expired in Nov. I asked some questions but she said it was fine and I could use it like a normal in and out as I please visa for 6 months. That was what the embassy in Washington had explained to her.

So sad.

In August, I decided to start asking about renewing my visa because it expired at a time that was going to be busy for the program. As soon as we arrived there I knew something was wrong. The lady behind the desk left and when she came back she had a big guy with her. We were escorted to another building across the street to a small room with two chairs and a desk.

It was in this meeting where I really, truly thought I was going to be deported immediately.  But thankfully, he just wanted to give me an outrageous fine. Turns out with the multiple entry visa you HAVE to leave every 30 days. Which I did not and had not for an extra 65 days over the original 30 days. My colleague and I told him and his supervisor that we could not pay anything without speaking to our boss and left.

When we got to the office my boss said he'd talk to the director of the office of public works and we would figure something out. I also skyped Ottawa and they said they would check with the embassy. I relaxed thinking there'd be a solution.

Last day.

A few weeks went by and I had heard nothing except that the director of public works did speak with the director of migration and a reduced fine was paid (Still a hefty amount though)! I had to went until my boss was back from his holidays in October for him to tell me that unfortunately the director of migration had made it clear she was not going to give me a new visa and that I could either leave of free will before October 22nd or be forcefully removed on October 22nd. Alas, there was nothing to be done. I was in shock. I kept trying to come up with solutions but my boss said at least point it had become a "political" situation. I was done. Contract finished. I had two weeks to finish what I was doing, help plan the next phase and leave.

My baby

Needless to say, I was and am still heart broken to not continue with the program. I really hope it is successful and that the community of Zavala likes it.

Maezinha

When I left Moz for Johannesburg the customs officer said, okay your visa is now valid again, you can come back anytime. Then he gave me his number for when I came back. But seriously! After all that drama and sadness I am just allowed back anytime! So it was just the director of migration in Inhambane that was making things so difficult... politics and bureaucracy.

My customs officer

So, I stayed 9 days in Johannesburg with a friend of a colleague of mine from when I lived in Lisbon. Paul was kind enough to even pick me up from the airport, give me a lift to meet two friends and, most importantly, drove me through one of the most dangerous areas of Joburg- Alexandria- at night. I had a great time chilling, seeing old friends and making new ones.

Paul decided he needed to make a trip to Nelspruit for some business so I caught a ride down with him saving me 4 hours on a bus. Again he took me on some back roads and middle of no where Africa adventures at night. We arrived just in time (0200!) for me to hop on the bus to Maputo. After a delirious ride, I awoken at the boarder to cross at 0600. Absolutely no problems at the boarder.  In fact, I had to wait a looooong time for the bus and everyone else to cross.

Well groomed boarder.

You can buy anything at the boarder. Really, they sell the weirdest stuff.

Maputo in the distance 

Longest bus ride ever

I arrived in Maputo at 1030, hopped on a chapa for Inhambane.  Buuuuuut it didn't leave for another 2 hours so I bought cookies, a drink, an Apple and chupar an Orange. And napped. Then I continued to nap as we left. .. somewhere along the way I  realized I hadn't peed since a pit stop with Paul sometime around midnight. And that I had had a bottle of water, a latte, an orange, an Apple and a soda. And now I was really in pain. So I asked the cobrador (guy who takes the money, opens the door and finds space for the random things people transport like chairs, sacks of food, piles of wood etc) if I could go to the bathroom and he said Next stop, Macia.  I was like okay, no problem.  Except that I had already waited way past that point so I literally was sweating trying not to pee. Then I undid my belt, then the top button, then the zipper a bit, then it was hurting so bad I was breathing like I was in labour. The cobrador had fallen asleep and I so I asked the driver and he said Macia.  I said I'd try but wasn't sure I could wait. Another 55 days later (or in normal time about 10 mins) I see a sign that says Macia is 35km away. I tell the driver to stop, really, right now, I can't wait, à  sério, não aguento...! And he stops. Finally. I wasn't even out the door and I was taking off my pants and peeing right in front of the chapa on the side of the road. The driver was nice and pulled up a bit. But I didn't care. That was the longest, best pee of life.

Made it the rest of the way to Inhambane in one piece. Made it to my new home. For now.

Training Workshop (yay it finally happened!)

Olá! As I have mentioned in previous posts, our training workshop was delayed because the Specialist Facilitator for Ghana was having Visa entry problems (made more difficult by the Ebola situation perhaps?). But luckily he arrived last Monday and we began our training on Tuesday, September 30!

Day one! Healthy Play/ Jogo Saudável Training Workshop 

Again, as mentioned before, we first did two sensitization meetings with the government and members of the communities to introduce the program back in June. The government partners selected "trainers". Then with the help of these trainers we conducted numerous interviews and selected community "leaders". Tuesday started a three day workshop to train the trainers on the methodology, how to support the leaders, adult education and the program in general. It also prepared them to take an active role in the training of leaders.

Playing a game.

After the three days, we continued directly into a 6 day workshop with the leaders. The trainers facilitated many of the sessions and took on many different roles in the facilitation of the workshop.

Kakra. The always happy, energetic, amazing and knowledgeable facilitator from Ghana.

The workshop has educational sessions on communication, physical and emotional safety, gender equality, social inclusion, dealing with behaviours and sessions on planning, leading and implementing the Jogo Saudável (JS) activities. 

And obviously,  we play lots of games. We play energizer games as well as many of the games from the Games Manual.

Playing Water Wheel. Promoting team work and inclusion.

Our Games Manual has 6 themes related to health, hygiene and sanitation that the games relate to in each section. 

1. Personal Health and Hygiene 

2. Waterborne Illnesses and Diseases

3. Water Protection and Handling

4. Food Preparation and Handling

5. Waste Disposal and Sanitation 

6. Social Inclusion and Gender Equality (this is a cross-cutting theme that is to be used when implementing any game)

We use a specific Activity Format, methodology, when implementing the games to help the children and youth learn the messages of the different games.

Logistically the first day was a bit of a gong show but otherwise went really well. Because Kakra doesn't speak Portuguese, translating was always a bit of an issue but we worked around it. Kakra says this was one of the best trainings he's done because of how challenging the language barrier was. It was nice to see the participants implementing the program. There was a great community sense and unity when we finished. I am optimistic that this will be a big success in the communities. 

On the last day, we assigned the leaders pairs with one game each and then took all the leaders to a local school to play with the kids! Big learning opportunity! There were a lot of points to work on but there were equally a lot of awesome things we saw right off the bat! It was so great to see the kids playing the games and then answering questions about hygiene.  At the end a few kids came up and told us what they'd learned.

Needless to say it was a lot of hard work and long hours but the success I saw when we brought them to play with the kids made every last ounce of sweat worth it (literally as it has been so hot lately!!) The training was a big hurdle to get over before we could really start the program. We still have to do a baseline survey and Play Days in each community to launch the program but hopefully that will happen soon! Then it will be in the hands of the leaders to implement the JS Activities and the hands of the trainers to support and encourage them. It was a great learning experience working under stress and coordinating an event like this in such a different settling. Where food for 45 people still has to been cooked over a fire and people are still picky and all those other challenges. I've learned lots and hopefully am growing into a better balanced person.

Kakra! 

Trying to maintain the giant circle! 

Bringing all the groups together for a big final sing and dance

Kakra singing his songs

Our 26 JS Leaders

Things that can happen when you work in Rural Africa

Last week I had to go to the field, ao campo, to deliver a bunch of invitations for the Workshop training we are having this week. This meant a lot of motorcycle hours logged in for me. We have six different communities or towns that are part of our program and each one has a primary school. I needed to deliver the invitations to the school so they could then distribute them to each of the leaders and for the director himself to be informed of the dates.

Ah, yes the large mango trees

The delivering started off really good with great receptions from the schools and getting three done on the same day. And, most importantly, about 4 more hours of motorcycle hours.

On the last day we had to go to one community that is really, really out in the boonies. Here I am cruising along a sand road when I see a shimmery blue ribbon thing crossing the road in front of me. It's at the last second before I rolled right on over it, that I realized it was a snake so me and my colleague raise our legs as we hit it in case there was any kick back...

We continue riding along when all of a sudden the road test super sandy and I need to gear down and steer into the tracks- this proved to be too much for my brain and I didn't quite make it into the track. Hit the lip of the sand track and slid to a stop. Luckily I had slowed down enough that all I ended up with was a bruised knee, minor cut on my knuckle and a bruised ego. Nothing that won't heal up quick!

Secret paths

We continue along until we get into the real back country, middle of nowhere seen. At this point I let my colleague (this is our first outting together because I usually go with his supervisor, Bruno) Obete, drive because there isn't a road any more it's just a series of sand tracks.

Obete thought he knew the way. Apparently not.

We were lost for about 45 mins to an hour. In the middle of nowhere, only passing "the big tree" or "that part with a lot of sand". Finally we just happen to run into a lady we could ask directions from and she tells us we've gone way out of the way and the best way is to back track. Obete doesn't like that answer so he asks for the hard way that continued forward. She gave us directions to a house not far away (that we probably wouldn't have seen otherwise because they are hidden in the Bush). We find a family sitting around eating lunch, staring at the mulungu on the motorcycle. And although they spoke chope, I imagine the conversation went a little like this:

"Good afternoon,  we're looking for the primary school of Macamo. Do we keep going straight on this 'road'?"

"Ya, go on down this side path here. Hitch a right when the path divides. Keep going until it gets really sandy with the two trees. Y'all will see a house on the left with a blue caniço house if you need to ask"

"Great. Bye"

Mulungu yells from the back of the motorcycle:  "Nhabonga! "

They aren't big on manners or pleasantries here...

After a terrifyingly fast ride on super loose sand we made it, did our work and we're ready to leave after 20 mins. Although we didn't get lost the ride was still an hour half of which I drove and half Obete to get us out of the crazy sand area.

Actually so scared that I couldn't stop laughinh

Getting off so we can get unstuck from the sand

"He said right at the lone tree right? "

Needless to say I was Sun burned and dehydrated but super happy.

Moo-ve cow.

A point of view to ponder

Today someone offered me a ride from by my house to the main road (which is about a 5 minute ride).

After I got in and said good morning, thank you, how are you etc. The driver said:

"I had to offer you a ride because your race is blessed. They shouldn't walk far"

I'm not sure I handled it well but I said "I don't agree. I can walk just like a Mozambican. "

He said "I even wish I was white"

Then we arrived and I got out.

Four Month Reflect (almost)

It's almost been four months now and a lot of things have changed since my first few weeks; therefore, I thought it is about time for a little reflect and share.

Trees of Africa.

Just like I discovered when I moved to Portugal back in 2006, it takes about 3 months to settle in and start to feel comfortable. My first month was super busy with work, travelling around getting things sorted with Mary and seeing all the new sites (AKA beaches). That month was mixed with lots of hospital visits for my gross infection, trying to get a grasp on the new vocabulary I should use so they understand me (small things like saying telefone instead of telemóvel etc), understanding their way of talking, getting to know the way things work in the working world (which requires a lot of patience) and generally finding my way around the town/ market and my kitchen-- dun dun duuun!

The second month was filled with writing reports and trying to find a work space. Spending my birthday with random (but amazingly lovely) strangers at the best beach hostel ever. And getting the foot infection again. Not being able to walk around freely in a place where you walk absolutely everywhere, sucks. A lot. I was getting a bit of cabin fever and feeling a bit useless but then, as mentioned in a previous post I met Naira and was immediately invited to birthdays and get-togethers with the other volunteers of Quissico.

Isa, me, Alex and Theresa at Amizava Festival

I will admit, before meeting Naira and the group I was super short on patience and probably wasn't the nicest to be around. Those cultural differences seem amplified when you have no one to sympathize with you or you have no one to compare notes with. And, as always, I was frustrated that everyone wants to speak English with me. Although this time it's not because I am Canadian but because I am white and therefore must speak English-- which, of course, I do so I only encourage that stereotype.

Take a deep breath and relax. Life is Good. 

(Like my ringtone says...)

They also call me blonde which I think is funny. And, I have quite a few people ask me why I have so many 'pimples' on my skin or ask what's wrong with my skin. I'm tempted to tell them my Freckles are contagious.

I think one of the more challenging situations to handle (everyday, all the time) are the men. They aren't aggressive and nor do I feel scared but they are, for lack of a better word, extremely annoying. Of course, there are really nice guys and I have met lots of really cool guys that I consider friends, But an alarmingly high number of them think that saying a few catch phrases in English and being super duper insistent is appealing. Often they learn really inappropriate things to say in English just to say to us mulungu (white) women. It's nice to have other whities to talk about this with because if you just keep it inside it starts to bubble and become a big issue when really, walking away and forgetting about it usually does the trick.

Power is out as per usual. Time for romantic candle light.

Lately, I have been hanging out lots with the family that I went to the Traditional Festa of in an earlier post Maezinha and her three kids. Mana Bea is teaching me to cook (although, it's been hampered by my constantly being sick or infection footied) but I look forward to learning more seeing as I am useless in the kitchen; her brother, Dércio, started taking me to volleyball practice that have English lessons before for the little kids.

Maezinha

Mana Bea

I have also been hanging out with a friend I made in Inhambane (about 2 hours north of my town, close to Tofo Beach-- which is a perfect free place to stay ;) ), Theresa. Works out well because I come up to visit her and get my pizza fix!!

Theresa and I being awesome

I am still going to the Lagoa once a week to visit Isa's sister and do some physio exercises with her-- but Isa had malaria on Saturday so I didn't go.

That's how you cook for a party.

Work is finally starting up again! Our specialist trainer got his visa so we are scheduled to start training on September 30th. Now I really have to get my stuff in order and organize so that we have a fantastic training so that the program will be super successful! I am excited and feeling good about the month to come!

English lessons!

AMIZAVA

Hello! Sorry for the long delay… I’ve been too busy having a great time in good ol’Moz.

August 30-31 was AMIZAVA 2014 (Amigos de Zavala or Friends of Zavala) which is the local festival to celebrate the Timbila—local instrument made from an endangered tree, Mwenge, and dried masala fruit shells as resonators—a type of xylophone. The Timbila tradition was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005. Traditionally  a Timbila orchestra had 55 musicians and 25 dancers but due to poverty in the 1930s and then the civil war (1977-1992) the culture itself is also endangered.

During the festival we watched the traditional dancing and listened to the Timbila with a beautiful backdrop of the two lagoons and the ocean. There were also lots of booths selling different products and foods. The Peace Corp group gave away Mosquito Nets and were selling hammocks, head bands and nuts. The JICA group (Japanese International Cooperation Agency or Japanese Peace Corp as I call it) sold delicious ginger chicken, T-Shirts (so awesome!) and had lots of information for the festival goers. I used part of their space to show some information on my program but I also wanted to check out the festival so I ducked out early.

The Friday night of the festival JICA and Peace Corp (PC) had a party at our local JICA members house, Hide, the German group Freiwilligenarbeit and the Canadian group (just me) attended too. I helped cook the chicken and the rice (lots of rolar-ing the coconuts for the rice) with our Mozambican friends who were doing the cooking. We made Xiguinha (coconut water, cabbage, ground peanut and potatoe), Xima (corn (maize) meal but not cornmeal like in North America mixed with water, boiled and then stirred so that air fluffs it up), coconut rice, normal grilled chicken and chicken that was boiled in a special sauce and served with the sauce after grilling it (but I forget the name), salad and the cake. I made one cake called Bolo de Bolacha (Cookie Cake- a Portuguese thing) and the local PC guys made Banana Bread.  We made everything over the carvão which is a coal stove so it takes awhile to do anything.

My Cake and Maezinha or Mama Sonia

After listening to the Timbila and napping on Saturday we all went out to celebrate and I was joined by a friend, Alex, I had met in Tofo (beautiful beach town- worth a google image search) the weekend before with Theresa (Freiwilligenarbeit) and Alden (PC). He spun fire and impressed all the little Mozambican kids. It was a fun night!

Tofinho Beach (next to Tofo)

On Sunday we were in need of some chill time so after a quiet morning of Alex trying to pack all his stuff into two bags instead of four, we went over to my Mozambican friend Isa’s house and had two chicken lunches so we could try different cooking styles. During this lunch conversation Isa told us her sister was sick and since Alex is a Traditional medicine (for lack of a better term) practitioner he offered to go see her the next day.

On Monday after work we headed down to the lagoon where Isa has another house that her sister is staying at. I went to help translate for Alex as he is only travelling through here and does not speak Portuguese. After a thorough history and quick physical assessment by me and then translated to Alex, I mentioned I thought it may be Parkinson’s or Parkinson’s like, he performed a smudging ceremony and then gave her a few different herbs and such to make tea out of it. I explained it all and asked to see what medications she was on so we could look up if they are compatible with the herbs (if possible) and it turns out she was on Parkinson medication already and best to our googling abilities it was compatible with the random roots and wild garlic she was given. I promised to come back and do some physio exercises with her in the next week.

Smudging Ceremony

Alex continued on his grand travel journey back to Tofo and then onward to Zambia. I worked all week and then...

More to come soon on the next post!

Traditional Birthday ‘Festa’

Last week I received an invitation to the birthday party of the children of one of the Mamãs I’d met in town. I had only met Mamã Sónia, or Mãezinha (Mommy) as she told me to call her, the week before through my new German-also-white-also-a-volunteer Friend, Naira. Given that I hadn’t met her children yet, I was pleasantly surprised to be invited and moreover, invited to the making of the food before the guests arrived.

Sunday morning at 0900 Naira and Beatriz, Mana Bea (Sister Bea), came to fetch me from my house and bring me to Mãezinha’s house, which as it turns out is just around the palm tree from my place. When I arrive I’m introduced by Naira because she is “responsible” for me and then I’m told everybody’s names of which I only remember a few. Turns out it is Mana Bea’s and her two brothers’ (Dercio and Lorinho) birthdays. Two of them on the same day and the other 6 days later (Aug 10 & 16).

They have already peeled and cut the potatoes for French fries and for potato salad, prepared the chicken and goat, cut up the lettuce and some vegetables. After some awkward chit chat and questions about German- to which I clarified that I was from Canada and we speak English and/or French- I was put to work peeling and cutting beats, taking seeds out of cucumbers, making Xima (maize/ fine flour with water that you have to beat/mix while cooking to make it really dense. Looks like mashed potatoes but doesn’t have much taste), and helping set up the table with ribbon and such.

The festa was to start at 1200, so obviously it started at 1400. Thankfully we had tea (which was actually baking cocoa power, powered milk and sugar) and bread with jam somewhere along the way. The Master of Ceremony (MC) started off by what I can only guess was welcoming and thanking everyone for coming being as he was speaking Chope and I only know food and small pleasantries so far. We sang some songs about God, some in Chope and some in Portuguese; then the Pastor made a homily about family (again in Chope); then we sang a clapped as everyone gave presents- which consisted of a processional line for the three birthday kids and actually giving or draping them with the presents; finally, we sang and clapped as people paid money to not eat…………. Or at least that is what was explained to Naira and me. We didn’t pay ‘cause we wanted to eat!

African Birthday Party- presenting gifts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpYzDRjPxWw

Not the greatest quality :)

Apart from the 4 birthday cakes the food consisted of:

Goat stew
Grilled Chicken
Rice
Xima
French Fries
Two potato Salads
Beats
Salad

All of which was delicious and we ate with our hands.

The cake cutting ceremony was quite similar to a wedding cutting ceremony. The Godparents or parent would cut the cake with the each of the kids while we sang this song that basically said “they cut the cake”, “they drink the champagne” (which was substituted for Fanta), “they kiss” a bunch of times while clapping. We did that for each kid and the Godparents and then the Grandparents.

After cake we danced the night away. There was a lot of booty shaking, especially from one particular 7 year old girl.

It was a fantastic day with lots of learning and some new friendships. I also picked up a few cooking techniques which should make my life easier!