"Keep your coins. I want change."

Something I wanted to share from another Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Ghana, Africa.

"I entered the Peace Corps assuming that I would spend the next two
years in a distinctly different world, full of people unlike me in
every way. Over the course of my service in Ghana, however, I learned
to see this world as one where those differences are primarily
superficial. When we define people based solely on factors such as
language, nationality, social status, or culture, we cheat ourselves
from seeing that the essence of what makes us human transcends all
borders. I am defined by many categories: I am a woman, a Native
American, and an American citizen. But, my time overseas has shown me
that first and foremost, I am a human with six billion relatives." -
Praya Baruch (RPCV, Ghana), Choctaw Nation

The good and the bad

This past weekend I found out that the burglar who broke into my friend's place (while I was there) was caught. He was caught breaking into another house and they were able to identify him. So, the police found him and made him turn in all the things that he had stolen. So my friends were able to get their computer and camera back. As you could imagine, we are all very happy about this news. Karma can really come around to bite you in the ass!

On another note though, I officially found out yesterday that one of the students that I have been working closely on reading with is pregnant again for the third time. And she is only 16. And to make matters even worse, the reason she became pregnant is because she was sexually assaulted. I wish that I could do something for her, she has had such a traumatic life already. PAM has this policy that requires girls who have second pregnancies, while in the program, to drop out. I hope that they make an exception for this girl. She was just starting to really open up socially and also starting to get the hang of reading finally. I know that if she isn't able to continue here at PAM that she will struggle with her lack of education. I hope that she will still be able to persevere and turn her life around after all this.

Giving up my rights

After hearing about the Peace Corps' mandatory vaccination for H1N1 and the flu this past week, I have become more than a little unsettled with the fact that I have apparently given up the rights to my own body by joining the Peace Corps. I contacted our Medical Officer to see if I had a choice in the matter whether I would like to receive the vaccine or not, and I was told (in summary) that yes I had a choice, but if I opted to not recieve the vaccine that I should start packing my things to go home...

I realize that my health is a matter of concern for the Peace Corps, and that if anything were to happen to me, that it would be on Peace Corps' medical tab...HOWEVER, I am pretty unpleased with the fact that I am unable to decide what injections are going into my body. This new H1N1 vaccine is brand new and scientists aren't able to know if there are going to be any lasting side effects....correct?! And yet....it is inside my body now. Thanks.