Update - schedule - bibliotheek

Hello everyone,

First of all, I want to apologize for the late update of the blog. As I told you before, by car (which goes every wednesday) it takes me approximately 2 hours before I'm in Mzuzu which is the nearest place to get internet. Now unfortunately 2 weeks ago the car broke down, so we couldn't go to Mzuzu and the week after that I got sick (diarrhea and vomiting) , so I couldn't go to Mzuzu again. But I wish I could, because reading your messages makes me very happy!
Malawi is lovely, but the culture here is so different, that it is hard to talk to people.... it is also difficult for people to understand me (English level) and to understand why I am having trouble adjusting.... And there is nobody here, who, like me, enjoys the sunset, the people and the lovely nature!!! And as Marijke has rightly said: Things go very slow here, which is difficult for me to adapt to...
Mariska, thank you so much for the message! I'll look right into it :)
Thank you everyone for the cards!! I put them all on my wall and my room looks much better now! But it can have many more cards :p Esther, we laughed really hard because of your card!! Typical for African women as well!! For everyone else it said: Behind every great women is her bum...
I also have to tell you that because the internet is sooooo slow here, it is not possible for me to upload any pictures. Not to the blog and not to facebook.... so you will have to wait for the pictures till November, or you can go to the Eva Demaya website!

Today I wanted to tell you all about my schedule here and my project :)
So here it comes:
Every morning from 7:30 to 12 I'm in the nursery. The children are lovely and me and an other women (Nelleke) are trying to stimulate the women to do more with the children, but in general, they are already doing a lot!! The day starts with singing, dancing, learning english and then they play outside (there are swings and a see-saw (wipwap), balls) and in the end they get porridge. Nelleke bought them a rope to play with (skipping and they also turned it into a bus) and I made 2 balls with youths, from pieces of fabric left from the tailoring shop and dried grass. you get very creative in Africa :p We are also working with the youth on a puppet show and already made one puppet, it is lovely!!!!!
On monday and friday from 2-3 I have tumbuka (local language) lessons.
On monday and thursday from 15-17 I have youthclub meetings. Last week we had a fundraising disco with the youthclub. It was fun and weird at the same time, but I'll tell more about that next week. With the youthclub I am also working on my project, which is to start the library. We are using the youthclub building to store the books, and we are now trying to fix the building so that it is burglary proof. We also already have a sponsorship of 250 books from a high school near Lilongwe (capital of Malawi), but these are all novels. Now we also want to get educational books (main priority actually) and these cost around 2000 Kwacha (10-15 euro's depending on the rate), so I was hoping you would all be willing and able to buy a part of a book, or a whole book. These are the types of books they want:
Environment
HIV ( skills in counseling)
Business
Agriculture
Parenting
Culture/Anthropology

The first three are most important for them. Well if you want to support it, you can send the money to: 8844903 (Postbank) t.a.v. N. A. Verhoeks te Rotterdam.
If you don't or can't, no problem :)
It is a challenging project and I am working in close contact with their coordinator to make sure the books stay in the library and will not get stolen. And the youth club will be fully responsible for the books. They are also the once who are paying for the cement (10000 kwacha) and the community based organization (whole of luviri) is paying for the sand, labor and bricks to fix the building. But we still need 25.000 kwacha (around 160 euros). So, I'm trying to figure out how to get that amount.... funy how expensive this can still be all the way in Malawi :) Never thought of the costs related to it, but luckely one of the youth is a builder!
It is just great to work with them and the way they are looking forward to the library, so I really hope I can help them as much as possible. But they also know that it is not all on me, and that I expect them to also buy some books per year!

On wednesday (if I'm not in Mzuzu), thursday and Friday evenings I train with the Netball team. it is a lovely sport and the girls are great!!! again language is a problem, but my tumbuka is slowely progressing and the girls learn a little bit more english :)

I'm also giving a class a week to the vocational students (tailoring, tinsmit, woodworkers) about english and business.

Lastly, I'm trying to set up some english classes, this is africa, so it is slowely progressing :) I'm patient.

In the weekend there is always something to do. Either to work on the puppet show, or last saturday there was a vimbuza festival (traditional dancing). It was so special to see the dances!! try to find it on youtube and otherwise I will show you the pictures and film when I'm back. I'll also try to make a special piece concerning vimbuza some time later.

Well I hope you all have an idea of what I'm in too. Its tiring at times to adjust, but it is worth it! I'll have to learn to stop asking so many questions, be lower then man and like the dark.... not my best qualities, but it can only make me a better person!!!
The nature is wonderful, I've already seen a 'bidsprinkhaan' (praying grasshoper?), a cameleon, and many beautiful birds/butterflies/lizards! Oehhh and an alive and dead snake.... they have black mambas here, but I try not to get out after dark so that I won't see those! The sunset still amazes me and the people as well.... owh you should all come and see!!!

love and a big hug
nienke