I've just met a town called Silibwet

First, A Few Bullet Points
- I really am trying to post pictures but haven't had the facilities to do so yet.
- I can carry on a very introductory conversation in Kiswahili.
- I FINALLY saw some African wildlife (as in, not cows, goats, or chickens)! Zebras and baboons on the side of the road.
- This past week we all split up and went to our future sites (where we'll be working for the next two years, starting August 6th!) and I just got back from that on Sunday, so it's the hugest development in my life right now.
- I have a new mailing address for both packages and letters, as well as new tips for how to "decorate" your letters.
- Decided a couple of days ago that this entire Peace Corps experience is the product of the highest amount of bravery I have ever exhibited in my life... it's been rough.

Mail Things
I no longer feel modest about asking for packages. I LIVE IN RURAL KENYA. Feel free to spare a little expense on me. All care sent my way is much appreciated (and HUGE THANKS to people who have sent me letters. They get me through the week, no joke.)
You no longer need to use the other mailing addresses I've posted because I have one for the community I'll be working in for the next two years. Before I start, let me explain that there are a couple of tricks that you are supposed to employ when sending me packages so that people don't try to cheat me with obscene and unreasonable customs charges. Even a padded envelope with, say, a fun size bag of peanut m&ms (hint hint) is still a valuable package.

1) Mark it with Christian phrases, maybe even some bible verses. Maybe, as our training director (a Kenyan) suggested, "Jesus is watching you."

2)Write the address as follows:
Sister Jennifer Lee, PCV
P.O. Box 82
Silibwet, Bomet
KENYA

3) Declare everything as educational materials and don't put a high value on it. Heck, write EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS all over it. This is especially true of food items. I don't know why. Some PCVs have paid $40 in customs for $20 items.

I think letters and postcards are making it here just fine, in just 1-2 weeks, so all the previous warnings were a little exaggerated, but that was before I knew what life would be like here.

OMG BTW (oh my god, by the way)
DID YOU GUYS READ HALF BLOOD PRINCE YET I FINISHED IT ON SUNDAY AND IT WAS SO GREAT. Some of my friends here are in line to read it but after they're done I'm gonna re-read it. AGAIN AND AGAIN. And YES I DID PLAN MY SITE VISIT AROUND BEING IN NAIROBI TO BUY IT ON THE DAY IT CAME OUT AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ALMOST BROKE ON MY MODEST PCV EARNINGS.

My Site
My site is a small town called Silibwet, in the district of Bomet. The people who live in the area are called the Kipsigis, a subtribe of the Kalenjin. I'm starting Kipsigis lessons tomorrow morning. It's hilly, wet, and very green, covered in tea plantations that make the view from certain places just breathtaking. I saw a firefly for the first time while coming out of a pit latrine and look forward to that happening many more times. The stars are brilliant at night and in general I'm really looking forward to living there.

The people there are very friendly and have a positive attitude towards volunteerism. We've been trained to be on our guard for people who just want us to give them things because outside aid usually functions that way (we don't and that's one of many reasons why Peace Corps is so awesome), but in my town people actually volunteer their own time and have successfully set up and are running their own library. The organization I'm working with is a community bank that lends out micro-loans for farming, bee-keeping, & bio-filter endeavors, among other things. It's run by members of the community who have a stake in the wellbeing of the community, and some had been volunteers for many years before working with the financial association.

What I do when I'm at site is going to be somewhat open-ended, but there's tons of work available. Promoting safe water practices is just one of the many jobs available for me in Silibwet. There are many schools and community groups that are interested in HIV/AIDS education and training. The stigma there is very high and the Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center (free and confidential HIV testing facilities that require every testee to be counseled about the implications and how to live with HIV - very cool) doesn't get many visitors, so I hope very much to be able to help promote all the benefits of getting tested and knowing your status. I plan to go on some surveying trips with some of the officers at my district Ministry of Agriculture as well to get a sense of what people need and how various MoA programs are working or need my input. Same with the district MoH (Ministry of Health).

Anyway, that's what I've been up to. I've been really happy and my group is awesome. They make me laugh a lot, and even though my homesickness is pretty high and I've had a rough week, I'm so grateful to be here, and am really excited about finally moving to Silibwet.

As usual I hope everyone's having a spectacular time. Please take care of yourselves and keep me updated on what's happening in your lives. Even hearing about mundane everyday things like traffic and office gossip really cheer me up and remind me of home. And I miss you all like CRAZY, more than I can express.