So it's been a while since I've posted, lolz sorry. The last month or so has been a very busy one. Last month I had the opportunity to spend about a week in the village where I will be working for the next two years. I was also lucky to spend a couple days with the volunteer who lived there currently and whom I will be replacing. She is the best and did a lot of great work which I am excited to continue during the next two years. Since my second site visit the RED intake has been super busy preparing to make the transition into the rural villages. We finished the last of our training and language classes and took the final Language Proficiency Interview, which requires a minimum Intermediate Low proficiency level to pass and be cleared to be placed in your village. Luckily, everyone passed their interview, so the 33 of us were able to participate in the swearing in ceremony where we became official PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) last Friday. The swearing in is a pretty big event; this year it was held at the US ambassador's home in Lusaka. Many current PCVs attended as well as the Zambian Minister of Education and of course the Peace Corps Zambia Country Director. The ceremony was long awaited, and we could not have been happier to be done with training, for reals.
Since swearing in, we each have traveled to the province we will be living in and have been staying at the Provincial Houses, where we have been doing the last bits of shopping for our homes. I'm already missing the rest of my intake like crazy. There are 6 of us that have been placed in Northwest Province, so we've been together through the transition, which has been great. Volunteers often become closest to the people that live in the same province, and couldn't be happier to have been placed with Gracie, Abe, Daniel, Katie, and Sharon. There have also been a bunch of current Northwest PCVs helping us the past couple of days. Not only was it great to have their advice for moving into the vil, but it's been awesome getting to know the other people that live in Northwest. The Northwest PCVs have a reputation for being kind of crazy and weird, and after the past few days I already know that I wouldn't want to be placed anywhere but here. Northwest PCVs is good people. We've already been initiated into Solwezi Mabanga (Solwezi Nighttime), a first experience I definitely won't forget. You won't find details about it here. Sorry. (I'm not sorry) Anyway, us new volunteers are one by one being placed in their villages to begin Community Entry. Some people who live in provinces closer to Lusaka have already been placed in their villages. Katie and I will be placed tomorrow (today for us). There are so many emotions. I'm excited to finally be able to move into my home and start learning about the village I am to help, but scared and nervous to be so completely on my own for the first time in the three months I've been here. It is such a contrast to training, where we were constantly with our intake, following a training schedule all day long. Community Entry is a three month long period where I will integrate into my community and establish my new home. This time is meant to learn about the village and make relationships with the people I will be living. It is Peace Corps policy that we are not to leave the district in which we live because it is so important to be in the village for these first three months, so for the next two months or so I will not have access to internet because I will not be able to travel to Solwezi and the Provincial House. Don't miss me too much.
Well, as usual, I'm sure there is much more I could write, but it's time I get to sleep before the big day ahead. Oh, and as promised, here is the address for the PCV P.O. box in Solwezi, so you can send me packages and letters. You lucky dogs.
Courtney Gandy
US Peace Corps
PO box 110264
Solwezi, Zambia
Either this address or the Mufumbwe address in my previous post are okay to use. The Mufumbwe one is much closer to me so I will be visiting it more frequently, and also if anything is sent to Solwezi during my Community Entry I will not be able to pick it up, as I cannot leave my village for the next three months.
Well, mulaale bulongo everyone, and I'll be back in a couple months!
Court
-Also, I'm getting an adorable kitty for my house to help manage potential rat issues. Pics will surely follow.
