Whenever I purchase something in the grocery store or someone sends me a food item from home, I have a habit of looking at the expiration date (if you grew up with my mom, you would understand how such a habit gets formed).In the beginning of my service, I would note the date and think to myself, I will still be here after that thing expires.Now that I'm only remaining with a couple months, I find myself realizing, I will have been home for two months by then! ...

Upon my return to the village after our week in Cape Town, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise:the chicken "khola" had been completed!My push to secure the iron sheets before I left had paid off.The AIDS support group I'm working with had finished the roof, installed doors, and cemented the walls and floors.I was extremely impressed by their initiative.Not wanting to waste any more time, we booked baby chicks from a farm in Blantyre and within a week...

My projects were all stalled.Construction on the henhouse was at a standstill because of a dispute over materials; the oil-pressing equipment I'd ordered was not being allowed through customs in Lilongwe.My counterparts at the health center started skipping my meetings and once, even an important event.I spent all my time pleading and cajoling - but ultimately, everything was outside of my control.Meanwhile, I was trying to reassure those community members who we...

In the beginning of the week, one of our guest speakers told us that despite being a reputable businesswoman in her community, men still frequently come to her tailoring shop to offer her money in exchange for sex. The anger she felt at their impertinence was palpable. Yet a girl in the audience raised her hand at the end of the presentation. “Why did you refuse those men?” she asked. In a culture where sleeping with the head teacher gets your (otherwise ...

Right now, I'm feeling a bit as though I have some sort of neck injury and ought not to move for fear of paralysis. Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but Alex just left yesterday, and I'm trying desperately hard not to dwell too much on either how meaningful his trip was for me or on what a loss I'm experiencing.Just as it would be foolish to risk further injury for the sake of immediate movement, it would hardly be wise for me to try and "kick" this sadness...