See ya later, Quelimane

Today, I found myself in need of a business card. I attended a meeting held by a group of researchers from Johns Hopkins, designed to share the outcomes of their 3 year project that collected information about teenage girls and the prevalence of youth pregnancy and HIV-AIDS. The African counterparts present at the meeting were very curious about the goals and outcomes of this three year project with no tangible results other than manuals and information regarding trends among African youth. To be honest, I was wondering myself, but the researchers reassured us that this was research for research’s sake, and that this information will aid those who, in the future, have the time and resources to conduct projects designed to decrease the occurrence of teen pregnancy and HIV-AIDS infection.

Africa really throws poverty and the distribution of wealth into your face like no other place can. Walking home from a luxuriously sized dinner of shrimp curry, with abundant beer, I passed two teenage boys sitting on the sidewalk and eating out of a cardboard box they clearly pulled from the dumpster, right outside the front door of my walled and gated hotel. The same hotel that, thanks to its hot water and AC, has made my transition from America to this provincial African capital impressively smooth. But tomorrow we say goodbye to Quelimane on our way to Mocuba, for a 3 day conservation farming training. We’ll be outside all day, so thank god for African dead-of-winter weather…60-80 degree range.

An astonishing number of bicycle taxis, while undoubtedly not the most comfy way to travel, make this city considerably quieter than had everyone motorcycles instead. Also, I have walked down the street alone now on several occasions, and an inappropriate word hasn’t been so much as breathed my direction. Just as I get used to this city, it’s time to leave. After training in Mocuba, it’s to site for the first time, staying in the World Vision “compound” (whatever that means) until I can find satisfactory housing. I'll have 2 days to settle in, and then it's off to Zimbabwe for a 2 day training. After that, I look forward to unpacking my suitcases and starting this new life.