hand washing stations

We built two hand washing stations at the Health Center: one near the toilets and one in a central location.

Health Center Midwife:

Health Center Nurse:

Other Health Center staff:

With the help of a teacher, I also did a hand-washing presentation at another primary school. We had four students rub turmeric on their hands, then have some wash their hands with soap and some without soap. Then we explain that just like the turmeric, germs that make you sick only wash off with soap. Finally, we go over the hand washing steps and when to wash your hands. We built a hand-washing station near the girls' toilet and will build one by the boys' toilet tomorrow.

You might notice that the hand-washing station is attached to a pipe and spigot. They are nonfunctional.

The station is made by heating the tip of a nail with a candle, poking it in the jerry can towards the bottom. You remove the nail to create a small stream of water when you wash your hands, then replace the nail when you are done.

Part 1: Adjustments

Site ups and downs of yesterday as a typical example of my adjustment period. Part 1. They say the first three months at site in Peace Corps are the most difficult. I'm starting month two. (This is a totally different experience (much harder) for me than Peace Corps Malawi, where several of my Malawian friends spoke fluent English, I taught at the Secondary school in English, and did other projects with counterparts who translated for me. Of course, I still spoke some Chichewa but the bulk of my work and close relationships were based on my speaking English.) So, yesterday I wake up and light my kerosene stove. I make coffee and oatmeal with soy powder and flax seeds and heat water for a bucket bath. ☺ 
It makes my place smell like kerosene 😛. 
(I have a propane stove and ran out of propane. I lugged the canister the size of a helium tank to the regional capital and found out there's no propane in all of Ethiopia right now. Bought a small hot plate and when I come back to site there is no electricity at home and it's uncertain when it will come back. So I go to a nearby town and buy a small kerosene stove.) After breakfast and bucket bath I review the plan for the day. I realize that the hand-washing lesson and station building we planned for today at another primary school can't happen because it's a holiday (Downfall of the Derg) so the schools are closed...
See part two...

Part 2: Adjustments

Part Two: Am feeling guilty and behind because my tooth broke off from eating hard popcorn kernels so I've had to make two trips to Addis Ababa in the last month to have the tooth rebuilt and a crown fitted. 🙍 
My landlords invite me over for coffee and I practice Sidamic with them. They also tell me about their daily activities schedules (a participatory community analysis tool, big part of my work these first three months). ☺ 
A friend of my male landlord's says that Sidamic is easy. I say (in Amharic and Sidamic) that it's easy for him but not for me so I have to learn slowly. LL says (in Amharic and Sidamic) "Lie/false! Sidamic is easy" and he and his friend laugh and shake their heads and repeat the phrase a few times. 😵 
See part three.

Part 3: Adjustments

Part three: am feeling discouraged so later I post to Facebook about language difficulties. I make alternative plans for the day: to meet my counterpart and plan for the week. Also to meet with the owner of a bread/tea/coffee shop who is a young mother and who I am becoming friends with. To see if she is willing to be one of the families I work with and, if so, to complete a household intake form with her. I go to my counterpart's household where her mother runs a restaurant in the front room. Outside the restaurant I meet with a health center midwife and we plan a project for Wednesday. I meet with the cheerful and friendly restaurant owner (CP's mother) and eat a delicious lunch of injira, lentils, greens and potatoes, total cost about 30¢. ☺ 
See part four...

Part 4: Adjustments

A few health center staff arrive at the restaurant for lunch and we speak together in English, Amharic and Sidamic. ☺ 
Afterwards, I go to the tea/coffee/bread shop to speak with new friend/potential work partner. She is not there. 😐 
Have coffee anyway. Walk to Health Post to meet with CP. She is not there. 😐 
Boy follows me to practice a few English phrases. ☺ 
Asks me for money several times. 😐 
Talk with PCV on the phone about site and she has similar feelings/experiences. 😊 
See part five...

Part 5: Adjustments

LLs invite me over for coffee again. They say "Hassawi!" (Talk!). I ask their visitor a few basic questions in Sidamic. I find out she has a one year old child, the age range PC wants for a nutrition survey. She agrees to do the survey and we complete it with the LL's help. (Questions translated to Sidmic by language tutor). The survey leads to a discussion about limited availability of certain fruits and vegetables locally, especially those with Vitamin A. I show all the carrot seeds and other veggie seeds and LL's guest and LL's pregnant daughter/midwife at Health Center ask me to plant veggies with them next month. 🙌 
Go back to my place and my language tutor arrives. Am full of glee as I haven't seen him since Friday, his English is very good, and he's also incredibly kind and supportive and has a good sense of humor. 🙌 
We review Sidamic terms and grammar and I feel proud to have memorized quite a bit more (in part because on Sunday I discretely used note cards to work on Sidamic during a three hour church service). 🙌 
Then, he tells me that he'll be away for a week to help with the national exams. 😞 
I express my disappointment in some Sidamic phrases like "you are running so I am grieving" and we laugh. He praises my progress in Sidamic and starting a daily yoga and exercise routine. He tell me not to be alone and names several people I can continue to reach out to. He tells me he will text me when he is away to check in. 😊 
Then the electricity turns back on after five days without! 🙌 
I charge my phone and external battery. Say goodbye to language teacher. Make dinner. Various tasks. Read Harry Potter. Talk with older sister on phone. Read Facebook posts. Today more of the same emotional roller coaster. Time to learn some equanimity.
Maybe I can do this thing...

language struggles

I'm finding language to be a very challenging issue at my site. I can get by somewhat with the Amharic I learned in training and Sidamic greetings, etc. But many people don't speak much Amharic or don't like me to speak Amharic. Every day when I pass by people I hear the words for "English, Amharic, Sidamic". People tell me all the time "Sidamic is very easy/simple" and say that the last volunteer spoke Sidamic so why don't I know more? I understand that this, along with the staring and laughing, is just par for the course/part of the job but still it's a daily exercise in fortitude. To be honest, it's exhausting and very lonely. I have to keep encouraging myself to reach out, to practice with people, to make daily, weekly monthly plans and then adjust when the plans inevitably change. And thank goodness there are people like my language tutor, counterpart and others who are encouraging and patient and helpful and kind.

Hand washing stations outside homes

Two more hand-washing stations built at two family homes! (After some health education about the importance of hand-washing with soap).

Hand washing primary school

Hand washing presentation #2 at the primary school today. We built a hand washing station for students. Here are also some photos of the school gates and resource room.

Hand washing teachers

Did a hand-washing presentation at the primary school today and we built a hand-washing station for teachers.

Video from a fellow volunteer

Beautifully shot and edited video made by an Education PCV in Ethiopia about his first three months in country. Watching this will give you a good picture of what my life is like here.