New Home in Ulongwe

To mark the end of our homestay Peace Corps organized a large village appreciation ceremony with speakers, government officials, chiefs, and of course music and dancing! The village showed their appreciation to us by inviting the Nyau to perform the Gule Wamkulu ("Big Dance") - the dance performed at important ceremonies by the Chewa tribe. Up until about 60 years ago this dance was not practiced publicly, and the secrecy surrounding it made it a mystery to all except those who "entered". I'm happy to answer questions if you have any, but I'm also going to post a link below to a cool CNN article that talks about the dance. To show our appreciation toward the village we decided to do something much less reflective of our own culture (not my decision, but we had a good time haha). We did the "Thriller" dance (Michael Jackson), performed "Three Little Birds" (Bob Marley; I played banjo alongside ukuleles and a mandolin), and danced to some Shakira I still don't know. Peace Corps printed out certificates to give to our host families (Malawian's LOVE certificates) and we spent the afternoon playing outside sports against our families. That night I went home and gave my family a few small gifts from America (calendars, candy, playing cards, and pictures from Washington) and we spent some time together reflecting on the last 2 months.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/06/africa/gallery/infiltrated-african-nyau-cult/index.html?sr=fb050715africansecretsociety7pGalLink

The next day we all boarded a bus early to arrive at the US Ambassador's house. We all agreed that it didn't even feel like we were in Malawi anymore - the house was HUGE and was complete with swimming pool, tennis court, gazebo, cheese, sliders, flush toilets, air conditioning, and even a small fish pond. Representatives from the Ministry of Health, Parks Department, Ambassador, Peace Corps staff, and over 50 RPCV's living in Malawi attended as we were sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers! We took the same oath the president of America takes upon being elected to office (seemed like a big deal, "defend the country" kinda stuff) and got to shake hands with some of Malawi's top government officials. It was very clear that what we are doing here is very important, and the respect we received from the local government was an honor. Oh yeah, and I got a new suit custom tailored for me here in Malawi (see picture below).

The rest of the day and following morning had a much different tone, but for the sake of keeping this blog positive I'm not going to say much about it here. All I want to say is that I hope in the future Peace Corps takes more time in planning how we leave our host families, and I hope to return to them so that I can apologize for the manner in which we left home - it wasn't how I wanted it to be done, but it was how Peace Corps required us to move.

For the next two years I will be living in the small city of Ulongwe (located in Balaka district) working at the Kalembo Health Centre! I found out where I would be placed in mid-April and shortly after went for a quick visit, but only 5 days later I returned to Chisazima to finish my training. On May 8th I made it to my new house and have been making it home ever since.

My House - I'm living in a small compound of about 11 houses inside of a gated (but never locked/guarded) cluster. Its right in the center of downtown, which is good (close to all the stores/stands, close to a water hole, and very close to a main road) and bad (very loud, lots of drunk people late at night, and higher crime rates). All in all I'm happy with my site though! The house itself is a small house with two 'bedrooms' and one main room (~30'x20' total, maybe?) with an outdoor kitchen, bathing area ('bafa'), and toilet (aka room with a hole in the ground). My yard is extremely small, but I want to try to grow a small garden! Oh and I also have electricity!! Wasn't expecting that, but its a plus! Rent is 14,000mk (which is about $31.82/month)

I HAVE A NEW ADDRESS: (if you want to send a package, please see previous post)

TREVOR BIDSTRUP
BOX 43
ULONGWE, BALAKA, MALAWI

My Health Centre - Kalembo Health Centre is one if the most busy health centers in Malawi. Usually, health centers are smaller and they work with a larger district hospital - however my health centre is bigger than some hospitals. On average the hospital serves between 500-800 people daily with a staff of only 2 "doctors" (not by our standards) and around 40 other staff. Many don't show up for work consistently, but that's just life here in Malawi. The main issues I've been requested to help with are malnutrition, HIV/AIDS (extremely high in my area), and malaria (over half the patients here come for Malaria treatment).

For the first 3 months at site I will be observing the hospital and building relationships with the staff before beginning projects. Also attempting to find things for my house (as of now I have nothing but a cement floor). People in America are asking me "when do you start work"? The answer is complicated. The first 3 months at my site are for INTEGRATING and OBSERVING. I will not be working on any projects in this time, and despite having a health center I am not going to be doing medical work. The goal of this is to assess the community's needs and build relationships BEFORE trying to change anything. After the first three months I will begin organizing small projects, workshops, and community outreach activities (ex. cleaning mosquito nets, building hand washing stations, HIV/AIDS support groups, and/or anything else I feel the community could benefit from). I'm not a trained doctor (although I have more schooling that most doctors here), so I will not be doing any medical work like shots, medications, or anything like this. My job title is community health advisor, and as such I will only advise - not practice medicine or anything like this. So far I've helped out around the hospital weighing babies at under five clinics, checking for malnutrition in different groups, and working with pregnant mothers.

^ All the health and environment 2015 guys in our swear in suits

^ Gule Wamkulu dancer

^ Some shelves I made for myself (moving things off the floor!)

^ Even in Malawi I can make good food (spicy chinese stirfry!)

^ The newspaper article that was printed the week after swear in

^ It's currently cold season, yet temperatures are in the 80s daily (and it doesn't cool down much at night

^ Digging out the garden, its hard work when half the soil is rock or buried bricks/trash

^ Our entire health and environment group at swear in

^ My yard, this is where my garden will be. It's the worst soil and extremely small, but hopefully I can get something to grow - and then use it as an example for others in my community

^ Front porch of my new home

^ The door frames in my house only go up to my neck..

^ My Abambo ("father") and I dancing our way to get our certificate

^ My new suit

Pre-Service Training in Chisazima

PST

The first week ("week zero") was spent at MIM - a small collection of rooms, conference halls, and cafeteria. The whole time there felt like vacation; nothing like the weeks to follow living in the village. During the day we would learn about what to expect in the following weeks as well as Peace Corps basics. After class I played hackie sack ("whack sack") with friends or played banjo with the other volunteers that brought instruments. We all got a crash course of Malawian food during meal time (and a special surprise of "pizza" and ice cream one night!) and had cold soda available multiple times a day.

However, after week zero life changed dramatically. We arrived in Chisazima (a small village about an hour or so outside of Kasungu) to all the mothers of the village singing us a song of arrival. The moment we heard their voices was magical beyond words - never have I felt so welcomed! We sat inside our "School" (the Roman Catholic Church) across from the Malawian families that would be our future host families, and one by one names we read and we left the church for our new home. After my name was called there was a roar of laughter as I was paired with parents over a foot shorter than me. They warned us that the first night would be the most difficult, but I found the first night to be the beginning of a great friendship with the family - especially my "abambo" (father).

The weeks between then and now have been filled with classes from 8am-5pm, a hike up the nearby mountain, hours of hackie sack, laughing, and building friendships with people as crazy ("adventurous"?) as me. Typically pre-service training (PST) is 3 months, but in Malawi they like to cram it all into a little over 2 months. 

My abambo, Hamitton Mbeta, has become one of my closest Malawian friends so far. I'm going to be sad to have to leave him in May, but I'm sure I will come back to Chisazima to visit him. He's 70 years old, has worked as a brick layer (currently is a farmer), and is a devote member of the local church. Although he dropped out of school at a young age (about the equilivant of middle school in the US) he's by far one of the smartest people I've met here. He's lived all over Malawi, and is fluent in Chichewa, Chiyao, Portuguese, and English. Although he's 70 years old every day he gets up early to go work in his gardens - he says it's what keeps him strong (and he's right!). Most nights after school I sit on the porch with him and the rest of the family (3 boys, 3 girls, and a seemingly endless number of other relatives) and practice chichewa or swap stories about life in America/Malawi. As the sun sets we sit together and eat dinner (usually nsima, a protein, and a vegetable - as requested by Peace Corps). Usually families like this would not get a protein every meal, and often times nsima might be eaten alone. Nsima is a staple in Malawi made from ground maize mixed with water (it comes out slightly firmer than mashed potatoes, and shaped into patties). By itself there is almost no flavor, but I actually like it with other foods. Everyone in Malawi knows how to make nsima, and a meal isn't complete without some nsima ("nsima is food, and food is nsima"). 

I've just visited my site for the first time (I will be living in Kalembo!) - but more on that will come in the next blog post!

Here's a list of my accomplishments so far:

- Hitched a ride on a broken down truck being carried on a bigger truck ("truck-seption")

- Cooked the Malawian favorite, nsima (in Malawi nsima IS food, a meal without nsima isn't a meal)

- Made soya milk by hand

- Planted a garden

- Navigated a market and bought things using Chichewa

- Learned EXTENSIVELY about HIV/AIDS, malaria, nutrition, and more'

Here's a list of my failures so far:

- Said "I am food very much" on accident to my family; they couldn't stop laughing

- Tried to explain that in America we eat tacos ("taco" in chichewa means butt cheek)

^View from the top of a nearby mountain we hiked up

^Me and some of the local kids that hiked the mountain with us

^Frogs in Malawi are super cool looking

^Early morning at MIM

^ (Blurry; sorry) My room for week zero at MIM

^After class we would spend a lot of time at the local soccer field.

^ My walk home from class everyday

^ On market visit days we would always try to grab some food and drinks at KJP's

^ I spent 7.5 hours at this church. ~200 people; I was the only white person (took communion in Malawi!)

^ This is how the announced our sites; we were blindfolded and placed where our future homes would be.

^Me teaching about building handwashing stations

^Me and my homestay family (one brother was missing - he was away at school)

Staging/ Departure

The first small group of volunteers (9 out of the 41 total) arrived a day early and we were able to meet up at the airport and get to the hotel together; only ~$10 per person for a shuttle that we were all able to ride in together. After we got checked into the hotel we were able to head down the street to the "Prohibition Bar" were we got Philly cheesesteaks ("when in Philadelphia...") and some cold beers.

The next day the other 32 volunteers arrived (mostly on time; only a few flights were delayed) and at noon we started a 8 hour staging event were we learned the history of the Peace Corps, what is expected of us, and some of the bare basics of our service. The two women that lead our staging had never been to Malawi, and knew nothing about the specifics of what any of us would be doing. After a very long day of ice breakers, information, and excitement we were given debit cards loaded with $120 to use that night and the following day at the airport. We split up into groups (some going to Chinese, some to an American grill, and some to other restaurants) where we had our final meals - with a few drinks of course. Myself, along with about 15 others, decided to go to "Smokin Betty's" and get burgers and beers for our final meal - which ended up being a GREAT choice if you ever happen to find yourself in Philadelphia. After we went back to the hotel to find that a current Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) had sent money to his brother in Philadelphia to buy us 2 cases of beer. The rest of the night was spent sharing stories and drinking warm beer in a small hotel room. Great relationships were formed and the stress of leaving began to disappear. Knowing I will be spending the next 27 months with such great people made me even more excited for the adventure to begin!

With no sleep we all made it onto the bus at 2:00am and arrived early at JFK for our 10:00am flight. There was a moment of stress when we realized that our carry on baggage had a a weight limit (18lbs), but other volunteers with available space graciously offered us room to lighten our bags. When all was said and done we all made it (despite some volunteers having to check bags that had hope to bring as carry on), and now we wait for the plain to board.

This will be my last post for 10 WEEKS - so expect an update mid June! Love you all, and wish me luck! Don't forget to send letters (see my first post for the address)

Departing

Although it was extremely hard saying goodbye to the people and places I love I'm happy that my last few weeks at home were more fantastic than I can even begin to describe. A few days before I left home I invited a bunch of friends I had made over the last few years out for a night around Bellingham. I've made many friends living in bellingham for 5 years, but it wasn't until they were all in one place that I realize how fortunate and loved I really am. I feel like people always strive to surround themselves with great friends, and that night I realized I've more than achieved that goal.

The realization was bittersweet; because just 2 days later I was packing up my apartment and moving all my things into storage. One of the hardest things about leaving Bellingham was saying goodbye to my girlfriend, Devan. We had spent the last month together going on adventure after adventure (bowling, eating all the good food, going to Canada, and watching horror movies and food network together until we fell asleep) trying to make the most of the limited time we had - and I know these are some of the memories I'll miss most while I'm away. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I'm confident we have many more adventures yet to come

After leaving Bellingham I got to spend a day with my mom and Gary going out on their new boat and spending time together (see above picture). Mom even made me my favorite apple pie and ice cream for dessert! Gary, my mom, and myself spent nearly 9 hours organizing my bags trying to get everything to fit / making sure everything was the right weight (see below picture) only to wake up the next morning and realize one suitcase was too large - so we had to do it all over again! Once the bags were packed I went to see my Dad, Elaine, and younger brother Simon. We went out and had a sushi feast (hopefully enough to hold me over for two years!) and got to spend some time together. Both my parents have given me the most loving support the last 22 years, and I wouldn't be the man I am today without them. I'm hoping I can share some of the love they showed me with the people of Malawi as I begin my next chapter in life.

** Stay tuned - another post is on the way with details about staging/ preservice training (PST)/ and more~

Applying to the Peace Corps

I decided I wanted to apply for the PeaceCorps a few weeks before I graduated from Western Washington University (Psychology major/ Philosophy minor). After finishing school there were two things I really wanted to do; find a place to volunteer and to travel. PeaceCorps seemed like a perfect match, and although I was a little intimidated by the application process I'm happy to say I made it through the worst of it! If I had a dollar for everytime my parents asked "have you heard back from the PeaceCorps yet?" I'd probably be rich - the whole process is very drawn out with minimal communication. For this reason I thought it may be helpful to share my application process; I wish I could had seen something like this back then! I hope this can be useful to those of you who are considering volunteering with the PeaceCorps. It's hard work, but very possible if you're motivated!

• Jan 2014 - Began talking with WWU's PeaceCorps representative and researching volunteering options.
• Feb 2014 - Completed application paperwork and collected letters of recommendation. Originally I was applying to volunteer in Morocco, not Malawi.
• Mar 2014 - Had my interview early in the month, and a couple weeks later got a call saying I was nominated to serve in either Ghana or Malawi (I chose Malawi). Graduated from college!
• April 2014 - Completed legal/passport paperwork
• May 19th, 2014 - Almost missed the local PeaceCorps potluck (showed up late), but was surprised with my invitation in front of the whole group. I was the first volunteer accepted.
• June 2014 - Sent my first documents to the Malawi PeaceCorps office, continued to work on paperwork
• July 2014 - Had dinner with a local RPCV (returned PeaceCorps volunteer) who served in Malawi and had other family that had served there too.
• Sept 2014 - Began my final medical tasks (shots/physicals/dental/etc.)
• Nov 2014 - Received my first email from the Malawi PeaceCorps office.
• Dec 2014 - Completed the last of my medical paperwork.
• Jan 2015 - First phone call to Malawi PeaceCorps office, began setting aside supplies
• Jan 29th, 2015 - Got my staging information and plane tickets
• March 2nd, 2015 - Began the journey to Malawi

A bit of advice for applicants:

• Buy a cheap printer/scanner or make friends with someone who will let you use their's - I probably spent more than $50 at Kinkos scanning/copying/printing all the things I needed
• Schedule a dental appointment ASAP, I had to get a couple cavities filled and this would had caused me trouble if I had waited too long
• Save everything in 2 places (I prefer online and on a flash drive). I lost a few documents that took me hours to complete because I didn't do this
• Share emails with family/loved ones; my parents really helped me stay on top of things and helped noticed things I might had missed
• Make an email folder to keep track of PeaceCorps updates
• No news is good news - don't be afraid if it's been a couple weeks and you haven't heard from anyone
• Wait until you are invited to serve before buying anything - many stores give discounts to PeaceCorps volunteers!

All in all it's been nearly a year of applying/preparing, but the departure date is quickly approaching! Stay tuned for more!

-Trevor

A Long Trip Ahead

My departure details have finally arrived, along with information about the first part of my journey to Malawi, the "warm heart of Africa". I will be leaving the beginning of March 2015 and returning April 2017 to work in the Health sector of the Peace Corps. My projects will focus around malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and improving the general health of people in Malawi.

March 2nd - Seattle, WA to Philadelphia, PA [5h3m]
March 3rd-4th - Philadelphia to New York City, NY (via bus), then New York City to Johannesburg, South Africa, and finally Johannesburg to Lilongwe, Malawi. [8h10m bus and airport + 17h20m]

When I arrive I will be staying with a family in Kasungu, Malawi (a couple hours north of Lilongwe; the capitol city) for 3 months as I learn the local language, culture, and skills needed for my service with the Peace Corps. I WILL NOT HAVE INTERNET/PHONE ACCESS DURING THIS TIME. So If you'd like to communicate with me (I would love it!) send me a letter!

The follow information might be helpful to you if you decide to send me a letter (faster) or package (slower, but appreciated!). If you decide to send me something "valuable" (food/drink/etc) try to hide it inside of a less valuable package:


"Please be advised that packages can often take 1-2 months, but sometimes as long as 4-6 months. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. Be advised that most items with a declared value of more than $20 will be opened and may be charged for duty. You may want to try sending inexpensive items through the mail, though there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend sending costly items through the mail. It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more heavily. The following address may be used during Training, but after their Swearing-In (May-ish) Volunteers typically get a Post Office box near their site:

TREVOR BIDSTRUP, PCT
PEACE CORPS/MALAWI
BOX 208
LILONGWE
MALAWI 

For lightweight, but important or time sensitive items, we recommend using an express mail service (ex. DHL). If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to:

TREVOR BIDSTRUP, PCT
C/O U. S. PEACE CORPS MALAWI
AREA 4 PLOT 70
ACROSS FROM OILCOM DEPOT
LILONGWE
MALAWI

**Please include the Peace Corps/Malawi phone number: 265-1-757-157 on all express mail service mailing labels."

-Trevor