Laissez les bons temps rouler...

Things are picking up here and getting quite busy!  I am learning a lot about both the administration of public health in resource poor settings, but also much about office politics; both are experiences that will no doubt serve me well wherever I end up working in the future!!

  Last week I week I was given my first actual assignment, something that I am working on finalizing today.  I went up to Muyinga, the province that is closest to the Tanzania border, and also at the highest elevation in Burundi.  There, I was charged with assessing and reporting on the process of a MCH nutrition project that has been in place for 4 months now.  The Mama Lumière project identifies indigenous helpers within the community - women who have demonstrated a capacity to raise well-nourished children.  These women are trained and are then charged with training other mothers within their community.  Over an initial 12-day training, they learn basics of nutrition, i.e. the 3 (yes, 3 here) food groups, basic food safety and general hygiene.  After that, they meet about once a month to review and cement the things they have previously learned.

  Of course, none of these meetings take the shape of what we might consider educational meetings in the US.  In fact, I have to say, the Burundians really know how to run a meeting! They internalize their lessons through a combination of song and dance that are a pleasure to both watch and participate in.  You can truly see the joy on the women’s faces as they recall what they have been taught; pride that comes not only from having learned and remembered information that will help their children, but also because of the growing bellies and happy faces of those children themselves.  How they mnage to dance with their children on their backs, I have no idea.  

So now, I am charged with writing a compelling article to demonstrate both of these things, to show the success of the project in pounds, confidence, and healthy years gained.  

Overall the trip was great: 

I got to carry a baby on my back, a nerve-wracking but surprisingly secure means of carrying one’s young ... 

... I danced (a lot) with the mothers, a move that gained me some street cred with the group...

... and also got to go to the Tanzanian border:

 Although I will be back there in just over three weeks, it was still pretty cool to be at the border between Anglophone Tanzania and Francophone Burundi.  Perhaps the most interesting, and laughable part of that experience was the transition that takes place at the border, from driving on the left in Tanzania, as per English tradition, to driving on the right in Burundi, as is done in France.  

This is not, however, facilitated in any organized manner, and the signs are in the language of the country you are going to, which doesn’t really help if you don’t (as many don’t) speak English or French.  Let’s just be thankful it isn’t a very heavily traveled road…and remember that sometimes we just need to shake our heads and laugh.

This weekend was the busiest one yet, and hard to believe sometimes that I had so much time on my hands at the beginning of my time here.  On Thursday night, I went with my boss, Tanou, to an Independence Day party at the US embassy, albeit a little early.  Pretty low-key event and not much to report, except that, of course, I was asked to rub elbows with some of the higher-ups in the US government and USAID staff here.  Then, on Friday and Saturday I went out in the evening with some people from work and had a great time, except for the mosquitoes and really late nights!!  

Raissa and I at a really cute outdoor bar with a stage, band, and billiards to boot!

Below find a picture of a sign posted at the club we went to afterwards, right in the entry way no less.  I have no idea, really what this means, but apparently this is the kind of place where whatever he says, goes, ladies!   HILARIOUS....

Also, a highlight of this weekend, was the manicure/pedicure date that my new friend, Claudine, and I had this weekend.  I know I am supposed to be roughing it, but come on, a 2-hour manicure/pedicure for less than $10?  Yes please!!  Also got to go over to Tanou’s house to watch both Wimbledon finals, a welcome break from my usual fare of CNN, CNN, and more CNN.  The William’s sisters rather lack-luster match was more than made up for today by the nail-biting, albeit heart-wrenching men’s final between Federer and Roddick.  All in all a rather patriotic weekend, as I celebrated Independence Day and watched the Williams sisters and Roddick at Wimbeldon. 

This week is shaping up to be a relatively busy one.  I have been pegged as the local translation service, so no doubt there will be more of that, as well as finishing this article for the USAID website.  On Wednesday, I am going up-country again to begin work on my next article, on a project looking at advanced strategies for antenatal care.  

If you are confused by what that means exactly, you are not alone, and I will be sure to fill you in as soon as I understand what exactly I am doing there.  My neighbors, Lillian and Josh (whose wedding I went to last weekend, and are pictured here) are moving out on the 8^th as he returns to the US and she awaits her visa and can join him there.  Looks like things might quite down around the apartment, but they are picking up elsewhere, with more people to hang out with and places to go.  

All in all, having a great time here so far.  Have found a couple of places to go and eat that are close to my house, so I don't have to walk around much alone at night.  Safety was the first thing I was concerned about when I found out I was going to be coming to Burundi, but I have to say, it is like any other place in the world that you travel too: you just have to be careful and mind what you do and where you go.  There are very few reminders of the civil war, and most people are very friendly, even to the strange mzungu, for there aren't a whole lot of us here!

Lots of love, until next time....

xoxo