Show of hands. Who here has heard of "The North Face"? You can check it out there if you're not familiar. Wonderful products, nice quality, nice style, functional, yet sometimes costly. But you're paying for quality, right?
Imagine you are on a bus and see a kid with a nice backpack. The logo looks familiar but the words next to it are all wrong. Now imagine how this product is completely unfit for American consumption because the words aren't correct. Where is this scramble-worded bag sent? A place where consumers don't care what the label says as long as the bag is practical and costs less than $20 in their currency...
You answer Fiji. Good call. Or maybe Zambia, as I recall the myriad shirts that read Nile instead of Nike. Or shoes where the NB for New Balance was embroidered backwards.
These are the same products sold in America. So why are they so much cheaper here? It's the same bag, same shoe, same shirt, same sweatshop maker, same quality. Makes me consider our consumerism in America and how label oriented we are. Also manufacturers are completely ripping us off and we still buy into the mania that is a popular brand.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
the more you know...
Here are some photos of the February Village Health Worker workshops. Each village in my district has a village health worker (nasi ni koro = nurse of the village). The first Tuesday of every month we are meeting in a different village to do basic first aid training and to give them guidance on creating an action plan to improve the health of their villages. Some villages need to focus on environmental health and trash disposal. Some villages need to focus on clean, safe water. Each village has unique needs and different resources so each action plan will be different.
It's crucial that the nasinikoro have a support network in me and Lo, but also between each other. They work alone in their villages and often feel the work is stressful or they aren't capable of making good decisions about what to do in what situation. Lo and I hope to change that.
In Feb, we explained the role of the nasinikoro and how important it is. These women were chosen by their communities to be the first person on the scene in any case of injury or sickness in the village. We have one nurse for the whole district and she's a half an hour bus ride away for some of the villages. If they come on the 6 or 7 am morning buses, they can't return home until the evening buses at around 530 or 630 pm. Plus bus fare is a problem. For this reason, it is so important for the nasinikoro to be educated on how to tend to wounds and minor ailments.
So we taught (and learned) about burns, cuts (deep and shallow), fevers (adult and infant), head injuries, nose bleeds, etc. The women learned how to use a thermometer, count respirations, and take the pulse of their 'patient'. They also practiced cleaning and dressing wounds. To close wounds, we use a butterfly dressing, which you can see one of the women cutting the medical tape into the right pattern to stretch over a wound to close it.
Next month we will probably focus on non-communicable diseases (NCD's like diabetes, cancer, heart disease) and diseases like dengue and typhoid. Lo, my counterpart and co-facilitator and the nurse of the district, and I have not discussed what the topics will be, but we'll be working on that either this week or next and preparing the activities and such. We'd also like to start making the action plans for each village or at least identify more specifically the problems in each village so that we can make more informed action plans. So that by the end of March, the villagers will have started on health improvement programs in each village.
It's crucial that the nasinikoro have a support network in me and Lo, but also between each other. They work alone in their villages and often feel the work is stressful or they aren't capable of making good decisions about what to do in what situation. Lo and I hope to change that.
In Feb, we explained the role of the nasinikoro and how important it is. These women were chosen by their communities to be the first person on the scene in any case of injury or sickness in the village. We have one nurse for the whole district and she's a half an hour bus ride away for some of the villages. If they come on the 6 or 7 am morning buses, they can't return home until the evening buses at around 530 or 630 pm. Plus bus fare is a problem. For this reason, it is so important for the nasinikoro to be educated on how to tend to wounds and minor ailments.
So we taught (and learned) about burns, cuts (deep and shallow), fevers (adult and infant), head injuries, nose bleeds, etc. The women learned how to use a thermometer, count respirations, and take the pulse of their 'patient'. They also practiced cleaning and dressing wounds. To close wounds, we use a butterfly dressing, which you can see one of the women cutting the medical tape into the right pattern to stretch over a wound to close it.
Next month we will probably focus on non-communicable diseases (NCD's like diabetes, cancer, heart disease) and diseases like dengue and typhoid. Lo, my counterpart and co-facilitator and the nurse of the district, and I have not discussed what the topics will be, but we'll be working on that either this week or next and preparing the activities and such. We'd also like to start making the action plans for each village or at least identify more specifically the problems in each village so that we can make more informed action plans. So that by the end of March, the villagers will have started on health improvement programs in each village.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
tick tick...boom
I have a nervous tic that pulses in my lower right eye lid. Only when I'm stressed though so that's like never...
Also my little sis performed "Therapy" from the show tick tick..boom at a cabaret and apparently it was phenomenal. I believe it. I'm so proud of that cherub and bummed I missed it.
Also my little sis performed "Therapy" from the show tick tick..boom at a cabaret and apparently it was phenomenal. I believe it. I'm so proud of that cherub and bummed I missed it.
Friday, February 13, 2009
FRE-7s
I know I just posted, but I'm totally excited about the new volunteers. They come in May! That's so soon. In fact, less than 100 days. I remember what I was like around this time last year. I was freaking out inside and reading blogs and stalking volunteers on facebook about what to pack. I was so concerned about WHAT I packed that I didn't really prepare myself emotionally for the PC experience. But looking back, there's really no way to prepare yourself for this. "You know exactly what you're getting into until you get here," says Dave. So true.
Here's what I wish I would have done differently. I should've brought more underwear and at least 3 pairs of durable shoes (Keen's are great, Chacos are favorites of PCV's and some Birkenstocks because I love them). I wish I would've forgotten about the packing list and packed what I would've for any other vacation, including some long skirts and t-shirts since that's all I wear in my village. I stressed too much about packing and didn't believe that you can get all the basics here in Fiji. I wish I would've brought some of my scrapbooking tools and paper, so I could get started on a rockin scrapbook while still in Fiji. Some watercolors since I've always wanted to learn to paint.
The absolute best thing I brought: music.
I only packed one suitcase and a small backpack and I've been fine here. (Especially because I had amazing friends and family that send me ridiculous care packages. So if you don't have these, well that sucks for you, but also you might want to pack more. haha)
I guess my advice to the newbies is have a great time in the States before you leave and eat your favorite foods and see your favorite people and get ready for a topsy-turvy adventure. Do all that and you'll be set.
Here's what I wish I would have done differently. I should've brought more underwear and at least 3 pairs of durable shoes (Keen's are great, Chacos are favorites of PCV's and some Birkenstocks because I love them). I wish I would've forgotten about the packing list and packed what I would've for any other vacation, including some long skirts and t-shirts since that's all I wear in my village. I stressed too much about packing and didn't believe that you can get all the basics here in Fiji. I wish I would've brought some of my scrapbooking tools and paper, so I could get started on a rockin scrapbook while still in Fiji. Some watercolors since I've always wanted to learn to paint.
The absolute best thing I brought: music.
I only packed one suitcase and a small backpack and I've been fine here. (Especially because I had amazing friends and family that send me ridiculous care packages. So if you don't have these, well that sucks for you, but also you might want to pack more. haha)
I guess my advice to the newbies is have a great time in the States before you leave and eat your favorite foods and see your favorite people and get ready for a topsy-turvy adventure. Do all that and you'll be set.
Leaky pipes and books galore
Wow so much has happened. We started the water project! Finally. It was originally scheduled for December 9 and we just did it Feb 10-12. Two months late and exactly right on schedule for Fiji time. Aside from the tardiness, the workshops went very well and we identified some major water problems in our village.
Before the spring/dam/pipes we use now we installed the villagers used 4 wells for water. When the wells dried up in the 1970s, the government came in a built a dam from a spring about 2 km up a mountain from my village. The fact that the wells dried up should be a clue that our spring is a natural resource and could dry up as well. That's why it's so important we use it wisely. However, we have many leaky or broken pipes that gush water on a consistent basis. They never turn off. The amount of water wasted is devastating to consider so I try to forget about it.
Next week, we start construction on the new dam. This one will protect and cover the spring and dam. As of now, our dam is uncovered and during heavy rains, our water is muddy due to mini landslides. Then we will have enough money to fix the broken spouts in the village and even some of the underground pipes that leak. This makes me extremely happy. I'm excited to get started on the construction. It should take 2-3 weeks for everything to be completed and for our new water tank to be installed. It's 10,000 liters and a puke green color but it will help conserve water and filter it for us too! Awesome.
I've started working on a library for both the primary and secondary schools. They have maybe 200 books between the 2 schools making it virtually impossible for the secondary students to do research and the primary students to have any library visits. I've already received some books from the Rotary Club in Suva and am anticipating that my contact will donate more in the future. I'm looking for overseas donors too. Anything would be better than what we have.
At the secondary we have one small set of science encyclopedias, a guinness world book of records, a thesaurus, an outdated australian encyclopedia set, and about 50 fiction books. At the primary, the books are missing pages, dirty, and scarce. Their most recent encyclopedias are from 1975 and the fiction at the primary are books like "Brave New World" and "Cat's Cradle" by Vonnegut. So I'll be doing some necessary rearranging between the schools.
Since English is their second language, the kids love easy books with pictures. Comic books are great too. I'm just trying to locate everything I can for them. The teacher/part-time librarian for the secondary is really excited about filling her already-existing shelves and I'm excited to help her do this. I'm also looking forward to doing story time with the kids at the library once we have some more resources. As of now, these projects are keeping me super busy, but I'm glad to be back and working hard.
Before the spring/dam/pipes we use now we installed the villagers used 4 wells for water. When the wells dried up in the 1970s, the government came in a built a dam from a spring about 2 km up a mountain from my village. The fact that the wells dried up should be a clue that our spring is a natural resource and could dry up as well. That's why it's so important we use it wisely. However, we have many leaky or broken pipes that gush water on a consistent basis. They never turn off. The amount of water wasted is devastating to consider so I try to forget about it.
Next week, we start construction on the new dam. This one will protect and cover the spring and dam. As of now, our dam is uncovered and during heavy rains, our water is muddy due to mini landslides. Then we will have enough money to fix the broken spouts in the village and even some of the underground pipes that leak. This makes me extremely happy. I'm excited to get started on the construction. It should take 2-3 weeks for everything to be completed and for our new water tank to be installed. It's 10,000 liters and a puke green color but it will help conserve water and filter it for us too! Awesome.
I've started working on a library for both the primary and secondary schools. They have maybe 200 books between the 2 schools making it virtually impossible for the secondary students to do research and the primary students to have any library visits. I've already received some books from the Rotary Club in Suva and am anticipating that my contact will donate more in the future. I'm looking for overseas donors too. Anything would be better than what we have.
At the secondary we have one small set of science encyclopedias, a guinness world book of records, a thesaurus, an outdated australian encyclopedia set, and about 50 fiction books. At the primary, the books are missing pages, dirty, and scarce. Their most recent encyclopedias are from 1975 and the fiction at the primary are books like "Brave New World" and "Cat's Cradle" by Vonnegut. So I'll be doing some necessary rearranging between the schools.
Since English is their second language, the kids love easy books with pictures. Comic books are great too. I'm just trying to locate everything I can for them. The teacher/part-time librarian for the secondary is really excited about filling her already-existing shelves and I'm excited to help her do this. I'm also looking forward to doing story time with the kids at the library once we have some more resources. As of now, these projects are keeping me super busy, but I'm glad to be back and working hard.
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