COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Andrea McDowell
Week three has seen a nice and steady pace as we have all got on with our duties and found things to do. There have been some issues with placements which has been upsetting. However we have all approached it with a very positive attitude as we continue to learn that plans are not something very easily kept here in Africa. The classroom doors are always open and the teachers are more than happy to have volunteers help them with controlling the large classes and helping to answer questions as well as occasionally teaching a new game!
We have continued our efforts in the kitchen and this has been hard work as we have taken turns cooking. However it is always exciting to see what types of meals we are able to serve with eggs, rice, spinach and pasta. We are doing surprisingly well.
There were plans to climb the big mountain again at sunrise. We had baked muffins and booked a taxi the night before that would pick us up at 4.15am. However, when awoken by our alarms the African Rain greeted us on our tin roofs. We decided against walking up the hill in the dark and pouring rain and enjoyed a nice lazy Saturday where we all caught up on our journal writing, spent time cooking and playing cards.
That afternoon a large bus came to pick us up and a few other members of the Tikodane lodge. We journeyed deep into the heart of Africa on an hours drive in order to visit a nearby village. Here we were treated to some traditional dancing, which seems to be the custom when welcoming guests into a village. Some of the members from Tikondane then gave a short presentation regarding hermiculture and in particular the concept of companion planting between cowpeas and maize. This was very interesting and yet another great initiative that Tikondane has brought into the community. All these things are done in order to combat poverty and it is wonderful to see many of the locals taking the advice and making positive changes in their lives for themselves as well as their children and future generations. We have sat in on many management meetings and this has really helped us to understand the ways in which things run and the difficulties and strengths of the individuals and the community centre as a whole.
It has been great to work through all of our challenges and weaknesses as a group and we are all very aware of each others strengths and weaknesses and when someone is in need of a joke or a shoulder massage.
Australia day saw all of us reminiscing about our homes and what we were doing last Australia day. It was probably an Australia day unlike any other that we will experience again. We all woke up and had a big breakfast. We then took a mini van into a village about an hour out of Katete and had the privilege of watching the chief of the village make a drum from scratch. This involved chopping the large tree trunk to size (which we all had a go at). Amy represented the girls well and showed us all how it was done. It was great to see another beautifully authentic African village. We then came back and presented some news to many of the local children about Australia and all of the wild and wacky animals that live back home. There were then plans to watch the movie ‘Australia’ but like all things in Africa we found ourselves changing plans (these days with much grace and acceptance) and watching ice age, which the children absolutely loved.
Later that night we had a meal and then were treated by some home made lamingtons, which were kindly made by Emily and Amy.
Its hard to believe that we are entering into our last week. However it is very exciting to start to wrap everything up and plan celebrations with each other and many of the locals of whom we have formed wonderful friendships and bonds with.
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