My big project, Finishing the Ward 4 AMICAALL/Nhlangano Town Council Social Center, the PCPP

ITS FINISHED

Peace Corps Partnership Proposal (PCPP) with the Nhlangano Town Council (NTC)


http://swazilandreflections.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-big-project-finishing-ward-4.html

First application draft submitted Feb, 2011
Approved & Funding Begins on PC website May 17th
IT WAS COMPLETELY FUNDED on Sept 8th.
Construction started on Oct 24th.
All exterior construction done by Dec 20th.
Grand Opening Jan 5th, 2012
Round 2 of the Funding arrives in early January.
Interior Only Construction Restarts Jan 16th.
Construction all done Feb 16th (minus a million tiny To Do's)
Project Officially Closed May 4th, 2012

Let the children play, learn & be safe.


As of Aug 25th, 2012, I am no longer a PCV, I am now RPCV (Return Peace Corps Volunteer). This blog is my experience in Swaziland between June of 2010 & Aug of 2012. Enjoy.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Spontaneous African Camping

So for months I had been training as a player with the Town Council team and then I discovered that when it came time to register the players they hadn't registered me. Frankly, since I am not that fast anymore and then certainly didn't understand how I moved around on the field. Nor were they interested in having me help out coaching. Their regular coach is a moron. I was disappointed but since soccer has fallen out of favor with me currently. I was actually fine with the snub.

So Friday rolls around for the Municipal Games (ie the Olympics of the different cities of Swaziland workers), a fellow PCV Kris had asked to borrow my sleeping bag and we were going to meet in Mbanbane so he could get it, I didn't really know what he had planned other then he was going camping. So I planned to do a movie weekend and got up at 5:30am to catch the bus to the games. I had a couple pair of underwear, a pair of shorts, 2 books, long johns, an extra shirt and was wearing the brand new just sent to me wonderful thermal under shirt with that great water absorbing material that keeps a person warm. Plus, my jacket and tennis shoes.

So instead of going to watch the soccer team, I decided to watch the female members of the town play Netball. I had never seen a game and didn't know anything about it. Google it, but it is a no backboard version of basketball and here in Swaziland it is a female only game. So after watching my town's team get slaughtered twice in walked Kris and 2 other of my fellow PCV's to pick up the bag. It turns out that most of the guys from my Group along with 1 Group 7 member were going camping in Malololja Game Reserve. And they had an extra tent space and didn't need to borrow my sleeping bag so it was like God was planning on me going camping this weekend

So I joined them, walked out of the games without saying good bye and left.

We camped Friday & Saturday night hiked in about 4 miles and did a great hike on Saturday to some water falls the water was super cold so no swimming. And then took the long hard way hike out that kicked most of our out of shape hiking asses but it was by far the more beautiful hike. I camped & hiked a lot in America but hadn't done it once since getting here. We all had a great time and its was a very nice spirit lifter after the disappointing last month of soccer.

I now have free weekends and I am very much enjoying them.

And on the way home stopped off and saw Adjustment Bureau and Green Lantern got a couple of hot showers and was back to work on Tuesday.

By the way if you really want to see a great movie that makes you think about life go rent, netflik, watch Adjustment Bureau. It is the best movie I have seen all year and I saw it on the plane in May and its 10x better on the big screen which is why I am so in love with watching movies the big screen. And I am now able to go each weekend, instead of just thinking about going.

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