Wednesday was the big day. We finally got our site placements! And as most of you already know, I'm going to Monapo in Nampula Province. I'll be living in Monapo, the district capital of Monapo. I don't have too much information right now, but I'll tell you what I do know. This is from the packet PC gave to me.
Congratulations, you are headed to Monapo, Nampula! You will be replacing a Moz 14 health volunteer who loved her site and is sure that you will too! Monapo is a district capital and is comparable in size to Namaacha. It is well-developed with many stores, banks, and a well-stocked market. Nampula city is a mere 2 hour chapa ride away, providing easy access to the Peace Corps office and the additional amenities of a city. Chapas run regularly from 4am-5pm. You are also a stop over point between Nampula and the beautiful Ilha de Mocambique! While Monapo does not have a very heavy presence of NGO's, you will be working for a branch of SCIP, an I-NGO (International non-governmental organization) that has a network of offices all throughout the north. You will live in a centrally located house on the main road, in a dependencia that has a water tap in the yard and offers a lot of safety and privacy (well fenced off). You will only be a 10 minute walk from the market and from your office!
SCIP is an international project that operates in 14 districts in Zambezia and Nampula provinces. It is managed by Pathfinder International in Nampula and World Vision in Zambezia. Its broad intervention areas include mother and child health, water and sanitation, and the development of youth agriculture associations. Depending on the organizations actively supporting your branch of SCIP in Monapo when you arrive, you may find colleagues working to: promote access to health care services at the basic community level; contribute to the availability of potable water; promote basic sanitation, including the adoption of healthy hygiene habits, amongst the population; increase the availability of water re-use systems in order to promote health, sustainability, and the cultivation of products; promote community empowerment; promote the training of youth agricultural associations; and establish partnerships with other organizations already working in the field to optimize synergies and maximize resources.
In addition, I have two sitemates (education volunteers) and will be living in a temporary house for my first 3 months at site. After the first 3 months, the volunteer I'm replacing will be leaving Mozambique and I'll move into my permanent house. The closest volunteer from my training class is about 3 hours away from me, but there are a lot of Moz 14 and 15's within an hour or 2 from Monapo. And, Ilha de Mocambique is roughly an hour away!!!!
I won't officially be at my site until August 17th. Our last (full) day in Namaacha is August 11th. On the 12th we travel to Maputo for our Swearing-in Ceremony. Then we leave Maputo for our Supervisor's Conference. I'll be in Nampula for the conference with the rest of the Moz 16ers with North Mozambique sites. The Moz 16ers with sites in the South will stay in Maputo for their conference. From there I'll be driven to my site! I'm so excited! These next couple weeks of training are going to drag on, but I'm definitely going to make the most of my remaining time with my family and fellow trainees.
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