New Job.

It’s really just like any other new job.  For the most part, I am feeling a bit lost and unsure of myself but terribly overeager.  I want to make a good impression but am not really sure how to impress anyone yet other than to show up on time (on my trusty bike wearing my fabulously trendy bike helmet which causes me to stand out even more than I already do as the only white person in town because no one wears a helmet but the kids seem to like me in any form really so I suppose it doesn’t matter), read countless reports and documents, ask many annoying questions and help out in any small way I can.  But, I can’t tell you how good it feels to just be working again!  I’m in an office with other people who are all quite good at what they do?!  How can I not love my job and feel very lucky even if I am mostly just trying to figure out the difference between a health post and a health center.  

Anyway, I’ll be leaving Mongu this weekend to participate in my first M&E (monitoring and evaluation) trip with my fellow PPHLO (this is my newly appointed title which stands for Provincial Public Health Logistics Officer).  We are going to be visiting Senanga District which is to the South of Mongu.  There are 7 Districts in Mongu (soon to be 8) and I am learning that some of them are quite remote and challenging to travel to (we have to use a pontoon boat to cross over into some of the more remote areas!) but I believe Senanga isn’t too far removed – we’ll see.  We will be visiting the District Health Office and then throughout the week we will be going to rural health centers (and health posts, I presume) to check the supply of HIV drugs and other health commodities at each center.  I am looking forward to learning more about my new role as well as getting to see additional parts of the Western Province.

These are the 7 Districts in the Western Province (they will soon be dividing Sesheke District into two separate Districts).

And, dare I say, congratulations America!  Welcome back, Obama.