"Extreme Age"

Hello from hot Beira. Hope you are all WELL!!

Peter lost his camera so have not been able to take pictures. I am forwarding some beautiful pictures taken by an Austrian colleague of Peter’s. These are from just outside the city. Look at the loads of charcoal on the back of the bikes! Every one cooks on little charcoal grates. What ever happened to the solar cooker idea?? The world needs some smart students to figure it out and market it.  Hey Orono science classes?!

The following is for those 50 plus....One of the med students was doing the problem list for a patient here. He listed as a problem, “extreme age.”  The patient was age 51!!! Huh!!

Hope these photos can be opened OK. All the Best, Emily

Gerald's Photos

Spare Stethescopes?

If anyone has an extra stethescope that they would like to donate, I am collecting them for a hospital in Zimbabwe.
I am also collecting embroidery thread for projects in Beira.  Please email me if you are able to help! Thanks!
You know, Peter lost his camera so have not been taking photos. I will try to send some beautiful photos taken by an Austrian. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We start our journey on Fri...via NJ to see my Dad. Back to Orono around the 8th. Love to all, Emily

World Aids Day

Greetings on World Aids Day..December 1st.  The day was well noted here in Beira, with parades, theater,  and speeches. The theme at the Medical School this morning was Domestic Violence, how it is involved in the spread of HIV, and how to prevent it.
 The ARV drugs are very good and really prolong life, which is the good news.

World Health organization  (WHO) made  a groundbreaking recommendation  today...that is that HIV positive mothers take medication and  continue  to breast feed if conditions don’t allow for safe bottle feeding. Not breastfeeding is  a death sentence for babies in Mozambique. Previously they recommended nursing 6 months , then stopping. A baby can not survive, as formula is not affordable or safe. (The Pediatrician living downstairs is dancing for joy at this reassessment.)

This disease has touched so many, but many are now surviving with medication.

It is raining just now such that many houses in the slum area will have a foot of water in them tonight.

Hope you are all fine . Many Greetings!! Emily

Diapers and Stethoscopes and Rain, Oh My!

Dear Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving for Thursday from Beira.

It is raining in Southern Africa, the mangoes are ready, and everyone is planting!!
It is POURING. The  roof of the new clinic is leaking all over the receptionists. The clinic driveway is a quagmire and will require 10,000$ US to shore up. And the sheet metal roof blew off the medical school when a big storm came through. All the slums are like a lake around the peoples’ homes. It is supposed to be sunny tomorrow.

The news from Zimbabwe is, “It is a little better. It is picking up. We are still surviving.”  All through the ‘80’s  till 1992, Zimbabwe was full of Mozambiquans seeking safety, food, jobs and shelter.  Now Mozambique is full of Zimbabweans looking for the same.
Last year when the inflation peaked, there was no money, no food or goods in the shops, everyone lost their savings in the banks, and their pensions. Can you imagine, the nurses, teachers, and everyone, had to walk across to Mozambique, try to sell something/anything, to get a little money to buy some food.

Our old hospital on the border between the two countries (in Zimbabwe) has held on and we saw many old friends. They are not complaining. They are hoping for a change in government and economics. The school at Mt. Selinda had to shut down last year due to no food, salaries etc.
Now the official salary for everyone..nurses, teachers, doctors, staff, is 150$ US per month. Education is not free and universal so school fees must be paid. Food, electricity and everything is expensive. So no one can get ahead. Zimbabwe was once described as the jewel of Africa!

The Mt Selinda orphanage had 25 children when we were there. Now there are 46 children- 8 infants. At night there is only one staff on duty.  Diapers are few and now they don’t dry because of the rains.

I am now going to start a campaign to raise some money for diapers for the Orphans at Mt Selinda. I will also try to collect stethoscopes and BP cuffs for the hospital as they have all broken.  And I am still collecting embroidery thread for the nun’s project here in Beira.

Will be back in Orono mid December briefly. Look forward to seeing you all.  Have heard Naomi has the nurse’s office computerized!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break. 
All the Best to you all, 
Emily

Visit to Zimbabwe

Dear Friends, 

Greetings and hope you are all fine, no flu, staying strong!!
Peter and I are in Zimbabwe for the week. We lived here from 1985-1988 and are revisiting (and renewing my visitor visa for Mozambique). This comes to you from the Outward Bound- Zimbabwe, in the Chimanimani Mountains. These are mysterious looking, BEAUTIFUL sandstone mountains, forming the border between Zim and Moz. You can pick them out on the map, straight west of Beira.

In 1985 one US Dollar bought 1.50$ Zim dollars. Inflation started and we were dismayed to see it go to 13 zim for one US, then 50, then 100. Last year, the government printed a 3 trillion dollar note that was worth 50cents US by the next day. This country has experienced the worst inflation ever in history in the world, with devastating effects on the people.  After that 3 trillion dollar note, the country switched to the dollar economy and US dollars are in use. ....there is no more Zimbabwean money. There aren’t any coins
 so they give you matches or candy to make up the change in the shops. Things are slightly improving. But MANY of the professional and educated Zimbabweans have left the country.

Then there are the commercial  white farm seizures by the veterans of the war of liberation from the Rhodesians. It is complicated and hard to explain in this letter....but the land did not end up with the poor people, but rather in the hands of judges, politicians, and President Mugabe’s friends. (President since 1980!).

The director of Outward Bound  here was a farmer for 40 years. He bought his farm, recently paid it off, grew flowers and crops for export, thus employing many people and earning foreign currency for Zimbabwe. Last year it was seized; house, land, farm equipment, everything, the workers turned off the farm, and he and his wife turned out. So at age 68, he has started a new career as director of Outward Bound, a job he was really lucky to get. His farm is lying fallow..no one is growing anything. This is the story all over Zimbabwe and it will take years to recover.

Our friends in Mutare grew roses for export. They had acres of greenhouses. Their farm was seized 2 years ago, the plastic is in tatters and nothing is being grown. They also have started a new career of making wine. They are sticking it out.

The many hospitals that had doctors in the ‘80’s when we were here now have no doctors. The university in the capital, Harare, is mostly shut down. The roads aren’t being repaired...and so on. People are just bearing it, waiting for change, and feeling this year is a tad better than last.

This is  such a beautiful country with wonderful people throughout.The greed of a few has had such an impact on everyone . In 1985, new hospitals, clinics, schools were being built. There was tremendous optimism and hope after the liberation from Ian Smith’s repressive white government.  But the rebuilding will have to start again after  TOM (that old man, Mugabe ) goes.

Meanwhile, everyone is doing the best they can. And it is a spectacular country.
Muswere Zvakanaka!! Stay Well!! 
Emily

Outward Bound, Zimbabwe

Dear Friends and family, 


Hey , we are at Outward Bound, Zimbabwe...way up in the Mountains of Chimanimani.  Went on a serious walk with an instructor. Had to wiggle through a hole in a rock over a gorge. Couldn’t fit my bum through!!! Had to go around and swim for it.
Gave a lift to a Mom with a baby...baby’s name was...Boston Miami. Isn’t that a great name!!

Zim is really struggling...really difficult for people here.  No development in 25 years. There is wireless here at the Outward Bound directors house, but the electricity is going off any second. Bye for now.


Love, Em

Young Africa: Agri/Vocational School

Hello, Everyone. Hope you are all fine and enjoying school and work, and life!!

Here in Mozambique the ruling party, Frelimo, won the elections, surprising no one. There were many observers from the UN, different countries and each of the parties. It was peaceful and everyone had the day off. We saw very crowded voting stations at schools.

We visited the most wonderful vocational school called Young Africa. This school, started by a remarkable Dutch woman and her  equally remarkable Indian husband is just outside of town. It is (almost) as fabulous as our Vocational School on Hogan Road!  They teach cooking, sewing, building, computer repair, music production, auto repair, plumbing...all those skills essential to keeping society functioning. What was just bush 3 years ago is now a 3 acre campus with lovely buildings, all buzzing with good work. The students run a beautiful outdoor restaurant, where we ate Portuguese specialties.

The really neat thing is that Doreen and Raj started Young Africa in Zimbabwe 10 years ago. As soon as it was sustainable, well established, and running seamlessly, they handed it over to the Zimbabweans. It continues to do well. They hope to follow that model here and then start an agricultural vocational school on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

If anyone who goes to Voc is reading this, can I trouble you to tell Mr. Adams to google Young Africa? I’d love the teachers there to see their Mozambiquan counterpart!   (Perhaps someone could forward this email to Voc? Thank you!!)

Learning skills, getting a good education, staying healthy, trying to get a job, is the pursuit we all have in common. If anyone at Voc could write a little piece about their course, how it is going, and what you hope to do with the skills, I could share it with the students in the same course at Young Africa. It would be so exciting to compare courses.

The students speak Portuguese, one of  their own local African Languages, and are learning English. I can finally get a few words out of my mouth. If our AFS students have trouble with fatigue, depression, feelings of inferiority in discussions, shyness, all due to struggles to speak English, cut them a LONG LINE of slack. I am getting a first hand dose of all of that!!
Sending many Greetings!!     Emily/ Ms. Wesson

Election Day in Mozambique

Dear Friends, Hope you are all doing fine!

Here in Mozambique there is a lot of excitement as the Presidential elections are  this Wednesday!! There are a lot of Parades, dancing, loudspeakers, and campaigning. It is peaceful.

Of the many parties and candidates, we are quite sure that the ruling party, Frelimo, will win. The current President of the country- and of Frelimo- is Armando Emilio Guebuza, the wealthiest man in Mozambique(or one of them.)

Don’t know why we all seem to want to elect the wealthiest people in our countries who are so removed from the everyday concerns of regular people.

I hope Ms. Goodalls’ classes are following this African election. Perhaps you will get results before we do here. Let me know.
You know, there is an award given to an African leader each year who shows democratic leadership, perhaps steps down in a timely manner, etc. It is not being awarded this year.

ALL THE CANDIDATES PROMISE TO END POVERTY!!
I’ll introduce you to a  25 year old woman we visited last week. A medical student and I walked through a huge neighborhood to reach her. We went through garbage, standing water, tiny cement block houses, no plumbing, pit latrines, a press of humanity. This woman is HIV positive. Her husband died last year of AIDS. Her 4 month old baby is in an orphanage, as she can’t nurse him. Her 2 and a half year old is with her in a one room, hot cement block house. He’s had malaria and looks malnourished to me.
She depends on her brother who has a small Kiosk in the neighborhood selling small food items.

The Med student, Edy Nacarapa,, got her into a HIV support group where she gets beans, cooking oil, powdered milk, and emotional support.  He got the toddler to the hospital when he was sick. But she can’t work and is lethargic, as is the child. Her sleeping net to prevent malaria is all ripped up. She needs a lot of help. Multiply her by millions and where to start??

Each medical student has 3 families assigned to them in the “ghetto”. They are supposed to visit them once a month. Edy is doing a terrific job, but some of the students make up reports and don’t visit their families.

If anyone hears first as to who wins the elections and majority in Parliament, let me know. Meanwhile, take care!

All the best, Emily/Ms. Wesson

The Beira Corridor

Greetings All,

Hope this finds everyone doing super.  Almost half way through 1st Semester!!

I want to try to describe the Beira Corridor to you. This is a 300 Km road straight from Beira, across Mozambique to Zimbabwe.

When we lived in Zimbabwe, I  just itched to go down to the ocean from Zimbabwe to Beira on this road. But the civil war in Mozambique was full on and there was no way. People were ambushed and convoys blown up on the corridor. It was never a possibility to go. So now, living at the Mozambique end of the Corridor and traveling back to Zimbabwe through a peaceful country was profound and deeply encouraging that people can recover and have school, agriculture, safety, and life!!

This is the end of the dry season...rains start soon. People were burning the fields, everything was brown, on fire, smoky. Like Dante’s Inferno! It was pretty grim looking.

Along the way were many small villages...always  round mud huts with thatched roofs or cement block houses with metal roofs.  Today, Sunday, the road was full of people...walking, sitting, biking, driving. There is lots of truck traffic, too.

The bikers! On their single speed, they are carrying MASSIVE, HEAVY loads of wood or charcoal or their wife and baby, or friend, or chickens. It’s serious.

The women are carrying loads on their heads and babies on their backs. They are filling large water containers and carrying their families’ supply home on their heads.

Lots of people are selling tomatoes, bananas, green peppers, cashews, etc. Lots of little kids do this job.

There were many people heading back from church, walking a very long way. Also people sitting around visiting, as Sunday is a day of rest.

The trucks are loaded high and then there are people sitting on the load or on the cab roof, hurtling along at 60 miles an hour.

There are goats, cattle, dogs and chickens along the road, too. The Mango trees are loaded with fruit that will be ready when the rains start.

And potholes 1 foot deep, randomly scattered along the entire way. (We got a flat.)

You can easily find this road on the map. Find Beira on the Indian Ocean and you will see it is a straight shot to Zimbabwe. 

Sending many greetings and hope you are all fine.

Sincerely, Emily/  Ms. Wesson

Early Bike Ride

Greetings!!! Hope all is well at school, work,home!!

Due to jetlag, I was off on my shiny bike at 6AM last week. I headed along the sandy beach road of this city of half a million. For 15 minutes the street was empty, then at 6:15, it was suddenly flooded with elementary school kids,headed for school. They wear school uniforms..navy blue shorts and skirts, and light blue button down shirts. Everyone looked pretty tired, but one managed to shout,"Ola, Blana ! (branca in Portugese)

I passed the big orphanage for babies. The HIV Infection rate is 35 % in pregnant women, and women are infected at twice the rate as men.

Out on the ocean I saw hundreds of dugout canoes and larger, double ended dory-like boats headed out for fishing. It was quite a sight! A few have sails made of tarps, garbage bags, etc,, some have motors and many are paddled.

Beyond the fishing boats were quite a few huge freighters. This is a big, busy port and route from and to the East, and up and down the coast of Africa.  So exciting! My husband was friends with a captain from the Czech Republic and got to go out to his vessel. But alas, he was fired for being drunk on the job, so I missed the chance to get out on a freighter!!

Sending all the best. It is getting hotter by the day, as summer approaches.
Emily /  Ms. Wesson

Welcome to Peephole on Africa

Greetings, Friends!! Hope this finds EVERYONE doing fine!! I hope I am not
too presumptuous to write now and then to the conferences, but I would love
to share my time in Africa with you and have you feel like Beira is a
familiar place to you,too. And we have an extra room if you can get here!!

POA...PEEPHOLE ON AFRICA...as this is a tiny view of a vast, varied
continent. It's like writing on behalf of the United States from downtown
Orono.

I brought a new, shiny 7 speed bike to get around. Everyone has old, heavy,
very beat up bikes. I hate to have every one on the streets look at me an my
bike, but that's the breaks! I just try to sit up straighter!!

Next time I 'll write about my first bike ride. Have been looking for the
babies who sat in the sidewalk with no parents in sight last April. I think
they are mobile now..
Sending you all many greetings and wishes for a strong year!! Emily
Wesson....