Nancy Habarta will be spending Christmas in Kalundo, Zambia in Sub-Saharan Africa as s a Crisis Corps volunteer who is helping with various community projects relating to the HIV/AIDS pandemic
Habarta heads to Zambia
By Faith Tomei/ ftomei@cnc.com
Wednesday, December 1, 2004
Caption: Nancy Habarta posed with her host family in Zimbabwe, school teachers Milton and Mary and their son Moona (out of picture,) as a Peace Corps volunteer five years ago. (Courtesy Photo)
Nancy Habarta will be spending Christmas in Kalundo, Zambia in Sub-Saharan Africa. The daughter of Denise and Joseph Habarta of Court Lane, Ipswich, Habarta is a Crisis Corps volunteer who is helping with various community projects relating to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Working with the city's Mtengo Family and Child Project, she is spending six months in the country developing programs for a new counseling, testing and resource center. Since arriving in Kalundu three weeks ago, Habarta has been preparing for her mission of planning and conducting HIV/AIDS awareness meetings, workshops, and training sessions, as well as making home visits to affected members of the community.
Harbarta is part of the first group of Crisis Corps volunteers funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which focuses on prevention and provides treatment for those living with the disease.
This is not her first experience living in Africa. During a Peace Corps assignment in Murombedzi, Zimbabwe, she conducted first aid workshops, educated community members about HIV/AIDS, and organized sports opportunities for young people.
Habarta said in an e-mail to theChronicle from Zambia that there are differences between her Zimbabwe experience and the one she is now involved in. The Zimbabwe village had no running water or electricity. What's more, the political climate was volatile in Zimbabwe.
In contrast, Zambia has a stable government. Living in Kalundu, the country's capital, she has more modern conveniences.
HIV/AIDS is taking a terrible toll in both countries, she said. "Poverty is rampant. Zambians are good people who are going through a bad time, but the world should not turn a blind eye."
"Service is something we should instill in our children so they can see how interconnected our world truly is. It's important to lessen the fear out there of going to different places," Habarta said.
Habarta graduated from Brandeis University in 1998 with a general science (pre-med) and psychology double major. Following her Peace Corps experience and time as an instructor in Outward Bound, Habarta enrolled in a graduate program at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, focusing on international public health issues.
Habarta's Peace Corps experience in Africa led her to the Emory program, where she received a master's degree in public health in June.
"I saw the Crisis Corps as a good opportunity to be working from the ground up, rather than from the top down. I hope this can provide me with some insight on some of the problems with the epidemic and how small groups are trying to deal with it," she said, adding that the experience should make her a better public health professional and at the same time give her a chance to improve a tragic situation.
In Zambia, the HIV prevalence rate is 16 percent among adults and as high as 23 percent in urban areas, according to the 2001/2002 Zambia Demographic Health Survey. The number of children orphaned due to AIDS increases daily, and the average life expectancy at birth in Zambia has dropped to 37 years.
Habarta married Canadian James Rhynold in a ceremony in Gloucester in June. He will join her in Zambia this month.
Habarta is one of nearly 550 Peace Corps volunteers since 1996 who have taken the opportunity to use their skills and experience in the Crisis Corps. Crisis Corps volunteers work on short term projects in over 30 countries, using the skills they learned as Peace Corps volunteers.
To find out more about the Peace Corps and the Crisis Corps programs, visit www.peacecorps.gov.
To reach Habarta
While she shares a computer with other volunteers and her access is somewhat limited, Habarta said she would be happy to hear from any readers interested in finding out more about her assignment. Her address is nhabarta@yahoo.com.
