Since My Last Post...

Since my last post back in July, we have finished "shadowed" with current Peace Corps volunteers, Russ and Lisa in Mpwapwa in the Dodoma region, finished training, received our site announcement, bid farewell to our homestay family, celebrated one last time with our training group, and moved into a new house in a new region. We are currently setting up our house in the town of Kibakwe, in the Mpwapwa district, in the Dodoma region. The climate is similar to high desert in the US - Colorado or New Mexico - very dry, dusty, and windy. Over the next several posts, I will attempt to convey what it has been like living here for the past two months. We'll have access to the internet about once or twice a month in Mpwapwa town which is about a two hour bus ride or a four hour bike ride from Kibakwe. This first month is going to be very tough because we need to get our house up to a level where we'll be comfortable living in it for two years. The main challenges that face our village are lack of water, low crop yield, lack of knowledge of small animal husbandry, a higher HIV rate than the surrounding area, and alcoholism due to lack of work. For the first three months we are not allowed by Peace Corps to start any projects or write any grants. We are expected to get to know the people of our village and learn the language better. These first few months will be the most challenging since we need to assess our needs and the needs of the village and see what we are able to do here. I've posted a few photos depicting the past couple months to give you an idea of where we've been living. We hope that everyone is doing well back home and we miss all of you! And would it kill you to send us a text every once in a while?