An update from Kaye

Noel and I were in intensive pre-service training until the end of July. During that time we lived in a Malawian village and had no access to any communication with family, friends, US or any world news. It was quite intense with four hours of language every day and then several hours of technical training and cultural education. On July 29th we were officially sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers and moved to our site on August 1st. Noel and I live in Blantyre and will be assigned to this location for the entire 24 months. It has been a very interesting and challenging first month as we are given a subsistence allowance of $3/day. We are to live as they live in the village. So, we were provided a foam mattress, a bed frame, a table and two chairs. Everything else we are to obtain ourselves, plus buy food on the allowance. We are becoming quite excellent shoppers at the local market and live on whatever vegetables are currently in season. We do not have refrigeration so our dietary choices are limited to what we can buy and eat that day. Eggs are a major part of our diet, plus vegetables, rice, and peanut butter if we can find it, make for our dining delights. The local market is a great source of shopping for fresh vegetables, fruits and "stuff".

As we head into the hot, rainy season (Malawian summer), the early mornings and the late afternoons and evenings are cool, making for enjoyable walks to and from our work sites. During the late mornings and mid afternoon periods, the temperature can hit near 100F.

We have learned so much about ourselves, life, humility, thankfulness and gratitude. It is hard to put it into words but hopefully this gives you a brief introduction to our lives. The people of Malawi are extremely kind; they live a very family centered, simple life and have a very strong religious connection in their lives. Noel and I have found a Lutheran church in Blantyre, Beautiful Savior. The congregation is very small but it feels like we have a little piece of our lives in the US.

Noel has been placed with MANASO, an NGO, that works with many community boards helping with HIV/AIDS prevention. He is in charge of the resource center and is busy everyday with that assignment. I was placed with the University of Malawi, College of Nursing, in Blantyre. The college just started the first Master's degree in Nursing program in the country and they are in year one. So it is very exciting and certainly challenging. I just completed a one month mandatory rotation thru all of the wards at the Queen's hospital which is the major government hospital of the country. Trust me you never want to be admitted to the hospital in Malawi. Most beds do not even have one sheet, they do not do any type of emergency resuscitation, families come and cook the food outside the hospital for all the patients, and supplies are limited and often not available. It was such an educational experience. Both Noel and I are hoping that we will be able to make at least a small contribution to the lives of some people in Malawi.

Not to be presumptuous, but just as a word of caution from experience: mice and/or rats have shown to have found access into certain foodstuffs that have been mailed, usually in the paper blister-type envelopes that do not have the inner plastic lining. We presume that they can't detect edibles beyond the plastic barrier.