it's only been a week?

i've been here for a week and in some ways i feel like i've been here for months.  if i left this evening i'd leave with a lifetime of knowledge and observations.  i have so much going on in my head; there is so much i need to process.

**this is a conservative blog entry**

when i first arrived i had trouble seeing what this zim crisis was all about.  our fridge we stocked, we had water and everything seemed great.  now it's our turn to find food and well, it's harder than we thought.  we are finding difficult to get bottled water and are worried we are having problems with our well.  today was the first time we couldn't wash.  meat/fish, dairy products and bread are hard to come by.  it seems certain stores have certain good on certain days.  it is making me rethink my eating habits and total lack of respect for what i've had in the past.  the countless plates of food i've thrown out.  most gas stations report $000 outside of their stations as there is little fuel.

today i attended my first conference.  it was called 'young women leadership development' and its focus was on sexual health.  it was  a very interesting conference.  the women were discussing myths that are still prevalent in today's society regarding HIV/AIDS, STDs and pregnancy.  I couldn't believe some the things I was  hearing.  The fastest growing rate of HIV/AIDS is among women 16-25 years of age.  While there was a sense of hope in the air, I got the impression that people are at their wits end - it is time for action.

I found it hard to participate in the group discussions as  I don't know enough about Zim culture yet.  We were discussing how to make sex ed. fun and I gave the suggestion that girls  learn to put condoms 
on bananas.  They all looked at me like I had two heads - why would they put a condom on a man?  It's a man's job!  Earlier they had been discussing the fear the condoms weren't being used properly yet women learning how to use them wasn't an option.  hmmmm.  Another cultural clash.

Send me emails!!!  I'm getting homesick.