Did ya miss me?
So here I am, back again, refreshed, excited, and ready to go. I've got new colors, new features, and new adventures! In case you haven't been following along with my internal monologue of plans and such, here is the deal:
I am still a student (although sometimes I pretend I'm way more knowledgeable than that), and am 2/3 the way through with my masters degree in international public health. In order to finish up, I have to do what is called a practicum - or field experience, take a couple more classes, and write a "culminating experience" paper.
Luckily, what my school wants me to do is right in line with what I want me to do, and its really great when that happens! Being obnoxiously overacheiving, I felt that 124 hour requirement for a practicum was pure silliness, and decided that I would look for something a bit longer - like maybe 6 months longer. And so, dear friends and family, I am excited to report that I will be spending June-December of this year working in Lusaka, Zambia with an organization which will remained un-named in the blogosphere, but which I am extremely excited to work with because a)They are are a great organization, b)I believe the work they do is really making a difference in people's lives, and c)I have been very impressed by everyone I have spoken with or met within the organization.
You may now stop and ask yourself, Joni, do you really want to get all your field experience working in an office? I though you were interested in small scale programs as well? And you would be right. So in addition to going to Zambia, I will also be spending the month of May (yes, this May) and a few days of June in Uganda. If you are just catching up on my blog from previous posts, you will remember my friend Erika, who I met in Tanzania, lived in Uganda with her family and visited last spring for the first time since they moved back to the States. so this May, Erika, her mother Sharon, and I will be working with the Ugandan NGO Compassionate Ministries of Uganda (CMU) to host a three week long training-of-trainers in sustainable agriculture and nutrition.
I am nervous, excited, anxious and eagerly awaiting these upcoming projects. There is still plenty to do before I can relax and sit back on the plane, not the least of which includes a 12 page paper on the use of cell phones in tracking falciparum malaria, 2 final exams, packing for 4 seasons (Uganda, Zambia, Winter and Wedding Season), and moving out of my much beloved apartment. However, I have faith that it will all get done, and in 10 days time I will be able to sit back, and look forward to everything which is to come!
Welcome back, and thanks for coming with me on this trip!
