Hi! My name is Priya Tekriwal and I am an Education Volunteer located in the province of Zambezia, Mozambique. I am originally from Minneapolis, MN and graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a B.S. in Neuroscience. I arrived in Mozambique in September 2017 and moved to my permanent site in December after 3 months of Peace Corps Training. Here in my town, I work at a Teacher Training Institute as a Natural Sciences Professor. This means my students become primary school teachers upon their graduation! I am one of only about five Ed volunteers to work at such an institution; the majority of volunteers teach at local high schools.
Mozambique is a large coastal country, bordered by Tanzania on the north; Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe on the west; South Africa and Swaziland to the south; and the Indian Ocean to the east. It would take about 35 hours to drive from end to end, north to south, and that isn’t taking into account the war-torn, pothole-filled, dirt roads that will definitely slow you down! I live in the north-central of the country, in a slightly mountainous region. Some of Mozambique’s best known and most touristy sites are beaches, but I love going hiking in the mountains around my town! Mozambique’s national language (and the language in which I live and breathe now) is Portuguese, but there are over 40 local Bantu languages spoken throughout the country, and these are the languages that make up the heart of the people. Here at my site, the people speak Lomwe, but just a few hours north I can find Emakhua communities, whereas I’m bordered on the south by Chuwabu people. Learning Portuguese is a privilege that many Mozambicans from tiny villages don’t have, so they often cannot communicate with people who live just a few hours away. I am lucky to live in a large town where almost everyone speaks Portuguese, but many of my fellow volunteers must teach in their local dialect because their students don’t speak Portuguese. Despite teaching in Portuguese, I’m still trying to learn Lomwe, little by little, to better connect with the people. I live in housing provided by my school for the professors so I live right across the street from where I work. This makes it so convenient for classes and seeing my colleagues. Our students also live in a dorm in this same compound, so I’ll often pass by students who will greet me with a respectful “Bom dia, Senhora Formadora.” Beyond my school, I live about 4-6 kilometres away from the rest of my town, which means I have to walk anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes to visit friends, go to the market, or go to the bank. While this is inconvenient at times, I’ve come to appreciate the walk—plus, I can often catch a ride with colleagues who take pity on me. Aside from teaching, I am also involved in various secondary projects here in Mozambique. I am working with fellow volunteers and community members to start a Community Library, where young children will have the opportunity to read communal books, practice their letters, and become literate. We have been busy finding a space, some books, and willing members to staff the library. I am also one of two Provincial Science Fair Coordinators for Zambezia. I work with another PCV and our Mozambican counterpart to plan a science fair in June with entries from across our province. The winners from each province are then entered into the National Science Fair in August. Finally, I am also in the process of recruiting high school-aged girls to start a REDES (Raparigas em Desenvolvimento, Educacao, e Saude) group. This group’s title translates to Girls in Development, Education, and Health and is made to focus on providing a support system to empower adolescent girls to make good decisions about their education, health and well-being, friendships, financial matters, etc. I can't wait to share more about this amazing country with you! |
Priya TekriwalI'm an Education Volunteer in Zambezia province in Mozambique. ArchivesCategories |