what do i do here?

Per request, I figured I should talk about what i actually DO here in Mozambique. Most of you of course know by now that I am a new Peace Corps volunteer, and I live in Vilankulo, and I work at Care International. But what do I really do?

First of all, I am still very new and very unproductive in the sense that I am still learning SO much about my new work and my new job! But I am learning a ton and very quickly, and hope to start being able to be productive soon. But I am working on the SEED Project. SEED stands for Sustainable and Effective Economic Development and is a seven-year project funded by Care Canada. The project seeks to reduce poverty in the vulnerable northern districts of Inhambane province which are very susceptible to droughts and floods. The goal is poverty reduction by enabling participants to diversify their means of income and provide market linkages for commercial production. There are different sectors to the project: livestock, horticulture, arts and crafts, microentreprise, and village savings and loans. All the groups work together towards the goal of the project--helping people increase their income as well as diversify it.

An important aspect of the SEED Project is integrating gender and HIV/AIDS issues into everything that the project does. Gender and HIV/AIDS are vitally important to touch on because they play a huge role in family economic situations. My job is, or will be, to assist others on the project with integrating HIV/AIDS and gender into all activities. This happens through a variety of means, such as facilitating activities that make people think about topics such as decision making, division of labor within a household, the effects of natural disasters or chronic illnesses on a family, and so on. The project operates in four districts, in many different rural communities, so I am based in the office here in Vilankulo and will travel to the field to assist with these activities.

I am still new and I am still learning, and it is a very humbling experience. But it is definitely safe to say I am really excited about my job and my placement here and really hope that I can make a difference in any way possible.

Hope this clears it all up. I will email my list soon and share some funny stories from my time here in Mozambique. :)

Até a próxima.