The 1st PC Volunteer in Nacaroa

[Written by mom and dad after speaking with Jess on Thanksgiving]

I found out yesterday that my service site for the next two years is in Nacaroa, a rural district in the province of Nampula, in northern Mozambique. I will teach English to students in 8th to 10th grade, probably seven classes with about 70 students per class.

I will be the only Peace Corps Volunteer in Nacaroa, and the first one ever to serve there. This is exactly the type of setting that I was hoping for, so I am really excited about it! I want to become part of the local community and culture, speaking Portuguese as much as possible, so I like the idea of being the only Volunteer there. Other Volunteers from my training group have been assigned to nearby districts in Nampula province, close enough that we should be able to visit each other occasionally. Nampula city, the capital of the province, is about 3-4 hours from Nacaroa. Nampula is the third largest city in Mozambique and is known as a business center.

I will not see my living quarters until I move there on Dec 10, but here is what I have heard about it: I will have a Mozambiquan roommate, probably a teacher from the school where I will teach. The main living quarters has two bedrooms and a common living room. The kitchen is in a hut outside the main living area, and the bathroom also is outside. There is no running water. The nearest water source is about 600 meters away, so I probably will pay someone to carry water for me. There is electricity, but it is only on from 6:00 -10:00 PM. I don’t know what we do for food storage – with only four hours per day of electricity, we won’t have a refrigerator. There is cell phone reception in the area, but I don’t know how good the reception will be at my house and school. I don’t know if there is internet access at the school or anyplace nearby.

I can’t wait until training is finished and I head to Nacaroa! I am sooo… looking forward to seeing my new home, meeting my roommate, and becoming part of Nacaroa!