From Nampula to Niassa

Moz19ers, the 19th group of Peace Corps Volunteers in Mozambique, became official volunteers on December 4th, 2012.  Though some of us Cape Verde Transfers who swore in as volunteers in September 2011 might have felt like the swearing-in ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique was just another superfluous formality, I think most of us were glad and happy to be at the U.S. Ambassador's grand residence, glad and happy PST 2.0 was at an end. 

On Dec. 5^th, volunteers going north left Maputo for Nampula City, the eponymous capital of the province.  It was difficult to say goodbye to certain people—some of whom I ended up not even saying goodbye to because, well, I suck at it. . .  So let me just say here, now, that I’m sorry.  Sorry not because I’m to be blamed, but sorry because I really miss you all, and I’m not sure we ended amicably because it was as if I just ran away.  I’ll do better next time, I hope.  Though next time could very well be 12 months from now!

In Nampula we stayed at Hotel Milenio, a lavish hotel in a not so lavish city.  For two days we participated in conferences with our supervisors.  A couple of volunteers ended up staying a few more days at the hotel after the conference because their site was not quite live-in ready.  In retrospect, I somewhat wish now that we could have stayed a couple of days more, too, because our site also was not yet move-in ready (and who wouldn’t want luxurious lodgings for a weekend?!).

On Dec. 8^th volunteers going to the town of Ribaue in Nampula, and to the cities of Cuamba (my site), Mecanhelas, Lichinga, and Macaloge, the latter three in the province of Niassa, all rode in Peace Corps Jeeps to reach their new home for the next year, or two.  But wait, I skipped the worst part:  the car ride from Nampula City to the town of Cuamba is over 8 hours, over 350 kilometers, all dirt road.  It was a horrendously rough, bumpy ride.  Despite the well-equipped PC vehicles, it was a bum-numbing experience.

There is, however, that popular train from Nampula to Cuamba, for those wonderful people thinking of visiting us Niassomes.  The train is even a highlight in many guide books on Mozambique, one of those must-see, must-experience tourist attractions.  I did see some of the scenic views of stunning rock formations, mountain half- and full-domes.  I’m excited to take this train myself to Nampula, a trip that will make another future blogpost, no doubt.  

Sierra Mitucue, a 2.5 hr bike ride from our IFP

So we get to the Instituto de Formação dos Professores (IFP, a teacher training institute) in Cuamba.  We were told that our apartment is not yet ready, not yet cleaned, and the person with the keys is supposedly not even present on campus.  We stay at the campus guest house for, not one, not two, but three days and three nights.  Thanks to our PC program manager for contacting the director on our behalf, so that on the fourth day we finally move in to our own place.  Moving in, however, did not equate to finally living in the apartment, as we were not ready to stay or eat there because the windows were broken, and we didn’t have a stove, nor cooking utensils, nor food. . . So we pretty much mooched off of PCV Zackaria, a Moz17er, who has been living and working at the IFP for over a year now. 

Those first couple of weeks were hellacious in our new apartment.  The broken windows and ripped screens let in a plethora of insects after one heavy rain.  The variety of pests from termites to moths to other alien critters carpeted the living room floor!  It made one think of the plague of locusts, a swarm of bugs biblical in proportion, for Christ’s sake.

The next day we put plastic bags over our windows and taped them up, ghetto-style.  So things got a little better.  Till my roommate found a scorpion in his room one morning.

So far since we’ve found three scorpions in our humble abode.  So we’ve been covering up the gap under our doors, and things got better.  But then somehow a mouse got in the house one night, and my roommate and I ended up playing hockey with it.  So again, things got better.  Till the next night when somebody’s kitten decides to hangout outside our front door, incessantly meowing to be let in.  Seriously.  Where this kitten was when the mouse came, I don´t know.  The kitten actually did penetrate the plastic bag barriers of our windows at one point, but we did not play hockey with it.  Health volunteer Laura from Lichinga, along with PCV Jamie from Mecanhelas, helped get the poor kitten out of the house.  Thus, with much help from so many fellow volunteers, slowly but surely things are getting better.  Special thanks and shout-outs again to Zackaria and PCV Colin for helping us settle in.

Niassa is the biggest province in all of Mozambique, yet it is the poorest, according to my roommate (y’all tell me if this factoid is wrong, and I’ll be happy to correct him).  The literacy rate is very low, and most of the people in Niassa work the fields.  The town of Cuamba is the second largest “city” in Niassa, yet it has no paved roads.  While it’s very doable to boleia or hitch a free ride in the southern provinces, it’s nearly impossible here in the north because there are very few private vehicles going in and around town on a regular basis.  We are isolated not just from the rest of the developed world, but also from most of Mozambique.  The isolation is rough out here in the north. 

So, “Norte Forte,” as we say here in the north.  We’ll go strong and keep on going strong.  We have to.