Job Description and Nyanja

Hey folks!


Work and Approach
So, as you know, I'm moving to Malawi in about two weeks and the excitement builds every day. Right now, I'm knee deep in documents trying to get as prepared as possible for pre-departure training which starts on the 10th. If you'd like to join me, there are all kinds of resources at this website.

So, as this website alludes, I'll be working on a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project. This means that I'll be working on the sanitation side of things, mostly to do with the health effects related to open defecation. CLTS is "an innovative methodology for mobilizing communities to completely eliminate open defecation (OD). Communities are facilitated to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of open defecation (OD) and take their own action to become ODF (open defecation free)." I'm not yet sure of my exact partner organization or job description but I will be doing some of the following things:

-Peer-coaching a district officer counterpart
-Attending lots of CLTS meetings in the village with district extension staff
-Running workshops for teams of extension staff before and after meetings – repeatedly – to facilitate max. on-the-job experiential learning
-Supporting districts in improving planning, execution, and human resource management processes
-Helping counterpart write an article for S.H.i.T.S. or a longer stand-alone article about a special/personal aspect of their CLTS learning (esp. management techniques)
-Organising a district’s CLTS “data” (quantitative and qualitative). Help the team set goals based on what’s been accomplished (and failed with) so far. Taking inventory (participatory) of what the district doesn’t know about its CLTS but wants/needs to know. Coaching to find a feasible way to collect this info.
-Helping counterpart write a profile of the overall district’s CLTS program to help them (a) build support among key people in the district – Members Parliament, Traditional Authorities, District Commissioner, District Planning Director, District Education Manager, District Community Development Officer, District Health Officer, etc. and/or (b) get additional funding for CLTS if they want to.
-Interviewing field staff about their experiences with CLTS
-Strategising ‘next-step’ interventions for their district, or for the CLTS support program as a whole – e.g. ideas as to how UNICEF could better support the district


Connecting to Malawi
I'm also about to dive into some language learning. The languages spoken in Malawi are English and Chichewa (aka nyanja). I hope to get a nyanja tutor when I get settled but for now, I hope these phrases will help me on my way.

Ndipunzera Chinyanja: I am learning nyanja
Sindilankula maningi: I cannot speak a lot

Go ahead, say it out loud! You can also learn at this amazing website. More language updates to come!

Also, if you're looking for more ways to connect to Africa, please check out the tab with African jams and film recommendations. I filled it up with mp3s and trailers to some awesome movies.

Keep eating the fruit!
love kate

Malawi/WatSan!!!

I'm going to Malawi to work in the Water and Sanition sector!!!!!!!
I found out 5 minutes ago and I can't contain myself!!!!!



some quick facts about the sector:
-over 40% of the water points in Malawi don't work
-water points are are not well mapped causing them to be installed very close to one another, leaving many without a source of water
-poorly functioning wells are common, as they are installed without considering local variables
-when wells do break, the community does not have access to repair training or equipment, so access to clean water is eliminated

-EWB is working to decrease the number of faulty water points from 40% to 10%
-this has required us to get involved in water point mapping and pump repair
-using an innovative tool we created to monitor the lifecycle of hand pumps, wells and boreholes, EWB volunteers have documented the location of water points across the country
-we are also providing knowledge, training, and research support to our partners to develop and pilot a solution to provide spare parts and training for the repair of faulty water points

(retrieved from http://www.ewb.ca/en/whatwedo/overseas/projects/wateraccess_malawi.html)

WOOHOO!!!!!! I can't wait to learn more.

jumping off the walls,
kate

News of our placements is on its way!

Trevor has been trekkin' African soil to pair us all up with our partner organizations and will be home shortly with news of our placements. Soon, I'll be able to delve into focused preparation for my work this summer.

For the Chapter
Since we last talked, I've become up to date with all my vaccinations. I have also completed the Level Two and Level Three of the Foundation Learning. Hopefully by the time Trevor returns, I will be on Level Five (Project and Sector Specific Learning). I've also been having some great conversations with Tony (return JF from Zambia) about hygiene, culture, things to bring, things to carry around, living with a family, tips and tricks for integrating into my community and I'm getting really excited. I have a lot of work to do before departure, but there is plenty of time and it can be done!

When it comes to feelings, sometimes I drift into fear of the unknown (being alone in another country for 4 months) but it isn't 30 seconds before I am giddy about working for EWB and exploring a new horizon. To prepare for those lonely moments, I bought some awesome fiction last weekend (The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Great Expectations, Raise High the Roof Beam Carpenters) and have been downloading albums like a mad man! I've also been dreaming up my social change project.

I've always been interested in documentary filmmaking so this summer, I'm going to make my first doc and use it to connect Canadians to Africans. I've been following EWB overseas blogs for some time now and I've noticed that video is much more powerful than photos. It can capture personalities with stories. I don't want to develop the content until I'm there (I know it will be about livlihoods), but I've been watching documentaries with every opportunity I get and have been taking notes. I'm looking for a video camera and hope to do some trial interviews before exams hit.

I'll let you know as soon as I find out my placement.
Until then, hope you're endin' up on the downtown side.
love kate