Let me begin with a small but not grand apology for not updating my blog more regularly. This is not a very big apology because sometimes it’s just hard and exhausting writing these posts. So, I have to make sure at this point that every post counts. That way, hopefully, you will appreciate them more.

A LOT has happened over the past couple of months. I finished my first project in March; was unable to leave my site for most of February, March and April; consolidated in the last week in April. I don’t want this post to sound negative at all, but this Peace Corps thing is hard.  Apparently, we are not supposed to discuss the security situations that take place here for whatever reason. Thus, I’m not at “liberty” to go into detail about why….so just call me or send me an email if you want to know. Lol. However, I want to discuss my first project in village in this post.

For 12 days I conducted what is called a HEARTH Model. A HEARTH is 12 day rehabilitation program for children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years old who are malnourished and their mothers. Ultimately, I had ten women who were committed to seeing their children get better and following the HEARTH Model. Every day I taught the women how to make enriched porridge and about various health and nutrition topics. We spent a lot of time working on the 3 food groups and hand washing. I was also able to slip in breastfeeding and giving birth at the village clinic.

Every morning I bike about 3k to one of my neighboring villages to work these women and children; and every day I bike back home tired as hell. On the way to the village there is a huge hill that I dreaded every morning. Also, this was during the hottest month of the year so when I left my house at 6:30a.m. it already felt like it was 12 in the afternoon . When I would finally get to the meeting spot with the women, I would be all sweaty and out of breath and the women would make comments like , “You shouldn’t be tired, you didn’t bike that far!” or “But you weren’t carrying anything on the back of your bike, why are you tired?” All I could usually say was something like I’m not used to this type of heat or we don’t live like this in America.  I also became really toned because of the bike traveling back and forth for twelve days so eventually the women started telling me that I need to eat the porridge with the kids because I was also malnourished….right.

But at the end of the twelve days I can honestly say that the women learned a lot and there was a noticeable difference in all of the children and their weight. It was by far the most measurable and fulfilling project I’ve done here so far. I included a picture of the women and their kids at the bottom. At the end of the 12 days, I gave all of the women Moringa seeds….Moringa is a type of tree that produces very nutritious leaves and great for the soil….and for the women that showed up every day and on time, I gave them a copy of the picture.

I’d like to keep this post short and sweet. I hope all is going as well as possible in the U.S. To my friends and family, I love and miss you all terribly and thank you all so much for the care packages and phone calls! They mean more to me than you even know.

Peace and Blessings

Song:  Beautiful- Damian Jr. Gong Marley