In Zim at last!
on Z for Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), 08/Jan/2011 23:38, 34 days ago
I'm finally in Zimbabwe! (so the name of my blog is no longer deceiving) :)I arrived in Harare on Tuesday, January 4th. All my bags arrived with me too, so that was a good start :) I was greeted at the airport by one of the VSO Zimbabwe employees - Sam. He took me to the guesthouse - my temporary home for the next few weeks, while I go through training with VSO and until they find me an apartment closer to my placement.As mentioned before I'm the first VSO volunteer in Zimbabwe since 2002. VSO has been in Zimbabwe for quite a few years but the international volunteer program was discontinued in 2002 because of security concerns. Now that things are stabilizing again the program is being restarted.I've been going through In-Country Training (ICT) with VSO the past several days. It's been a very helpful exercise for me since we are going through cultural, social and political issues as well as safety, security and health topics. Unlike in Maputo there isn't major risk of malaria here, so I won't have to sleep under a bed net while I'm in the city. I'll continue to take my malaria medication however until I can consult with my new medical advisor (who I will be meeting next week).U.S. EmbassyI went to the U.S. Embassy last Friday. I wanted to register and also start creating some contacts. It took a good 20 minutes to get in! There was no line of people, just too much security :) I spoke with a nice gentleman who said that I could schedule a meeting with some of the USAID people since that agency will be most in line with the work I'll be doing at the National AIDS Council. I think I'll do that within the next few weeksHarare GardensAs of today, my computer is officially connected to the internet! This is the first time I've had internet at home since I've come to Africa. I bought a wireless modem and internet service from a local company called PowerTel. The service is not very fast or reliable, but this is not something that should be surprising :) I am enjoying it - I was able to video Skype with my parents and my brother today.Also today, I finally got to wander around Harare and take somepictures. It was a great walk. Harare is a well developed African city with good infrastructure. I was impressed by the many stores, shopping centers and banks, as well as the number of tall buildings in the city center. I also very much enjoyed the Harare Gardens - the main park with many trees, flowers and other plants.I'm looking forward to experiencing all that Harare has to offer...