Getting ready to volunteer in Mozambique
on Karen in Maputo (Mozambique), 13/Nov/2008 11:29, 34 days ago
I just found out yesterday from CUSO-VSO that my likely departure date for Maputo, Mozambique in now November 28, 2008. I will fly Ottawa-London, hopefully see my son David there, and then likely fly London-Johannesburg-Maputo.There are five of us from England, the Philippines and Canada arriving in-country around this time for six weeks of Portuguese language training together. Yes, this is the official language of the country - inherited from its historic colonial days. It will be very nice to make contact with these new volunteers and learn more about Mozambique and cross-cultural issues. I have no idea what the housing will be like but that is provided by the institution you work for in Moz, in my case the University.The selection and training process with CUSO-VSO is very well-organized but the paperwork required by many countries, in order to issue appropriate work visas etc., can be very time-consuming. The old cliche "patience is a virtue" is not far off the mark. You just need to go with the flow. Not only did Mozambique require my original university diplomas but also official transcripts of my marks. That was a blast from the past!! I have a Police Security check dated from September but Moz now requires a more current one. So, another wait at the Ottawa Police Station - hopefully completing the proper blue (or is it green) form. The day I applied virtually everyone had filled out the wrong form. Luckily CUSO-VSO reimburses you for the expenses incurred in volunteering.I have almost finished the round of shots I need for Moz and, since it is a malarial area, I will start taking my malarial pills one week before I leave Canada. We will be provided with chemically treated mosquito nets in Maputo and are advised to use Deet and wear light coloured clothing (long sleeves and pants) at night. Anyone who knows me is aware that "black" is my favourite colour - so that will have to change!! We are only allowed about 22 kg of baggage weight (around 50 lbs) so it will be quite a challenge to fit clothing, electronics, medication and first aid supplies, books and sentimental items into one suitcase and a backpack.I am actively fundraising for CUSO-VSO and my longtime Womens' Group held a pot-luck dinner for me last week. It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with everyone and they were incredibly generous and supportive of my project in Maputo. The law library community in Canada, of which I am a longtime member, has also been very supportive.I will be working at the English Department of the Universidade Pedagogica Maputo developing the resource centre there, print and electronic resources, and also ensuring more computers with internet access and other equipment necessary for a university educating teachers. Mozambique is in desperate need of trained teachers. The objectives are to provide quality education focused on distance teacher training (there are four other satellite campuses in the country), building human resource capacity and working on advocacy. In terms of resources– it is my job to provide more equipment and resources and fund-raising is a key component of that role.