So far I haven't had the ability to post anything lengthy about my experience here in Mozambique and where I'm living until December (Namaacha, MZ). And, to be transparent, I am still simultaneously experiencing every day and trying to process this new chapter in life!
However, one thing I don't want to forget to share is a video we watched during Staging (our pre-training training in Philly) about the danger of a single story!
I saw this video many times throughout my college education and still... each time I watch it is a wake-up call. It is a wonderful reminder that we rarely see the full picture... That we do not in fact have all of the truth at our disposal. That we are lacking parts and pieces of people's lives and experiences, and therefore, we must continue to learn from one another and ask questions - especially when we are ignorant.
Watching this video in Philly was a reminder to remain open-minded and curious during my time in Mozambique... but also to continue to push people in the United States to leave their single stories of racism, poverty, police brutality, the LGBT community, immigration, and all of the numerous social justice movements behind. To learn more by reading, engaging in discussion, and most importantly listening. To seek out and identify the faces, the people, and the families who are directly impacted... to humanize the incomprehensible. To explore the topics we don't fully understand because they are not our lived experience or observed reality. To remember Adichie's words: "That is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become." And to encourage others to speak and act with kindness and compassion.
The third goal of the Peace Corps Mission is to: "help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans." Although this post is primarily encouraging my friends and family to educate themselves about current events in the United States - the purpose of this blog is to share my experience and thus educate Americans about the lives and culture of my Mozambican host-family, friends, and students! While I prepare my next post about the first few weeks in Namaacha for training - please send any and all questions you have about Mozambique!
Samora Machel, Mozambique's First President After Independence
