shelly bankston

Volunteer: shelly bankston

Bio:

RPCV Malawi 1990-92

M.P.H.

1990 - 1992

Contributions from shelly bankston

  1. Malawi profound moment

    I was at the local post office in my town in Balaka, Malawi. I was accustomed to speaking Chichewa, the local language, every time I went there. One day I was waiting in line and I heard a distinctive American voice; I looked around to find the white person - the other 'azungu' in the area. I looked and looked and went around the building and back and there was no white person to be seen. Finally I let my ears do the walking; I saw a telephone booth and in that booth was a young woman about m...

  1. Zimbabwe Victoria Falls Bridge

    This is Victoria Falls. The bridge crosses from Zimbabwe to Zambia.

  2. Malawi wikipolo

    This child's name is Wikipolo. He is being cared for by a very young mother.

  3. Malawi hippos

    These are hippos seen from the local Hippo Bar; a place where we could have soft drinks and watch Hippos. Never get between hippos and the water.

  4. Zimbabwe giraffe

    These are giraffe seen at Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

  5. Malawi kudu

    These are African kudu, the closest thing to American deer. They are the feast of choice for lions.

  6. Malawi wildebeest

    These are wildebeest atop Nyika Plateau in Northern Malawi.

  7. Malawi Mt Mulanje Malawi

    A friend came to visit me at my site. I thought I was brave going in the Peace Corps; my friend visited me by travelling all across Africa by herself. We climbed Mt Mulanje in southern Malawi with the help of porters. Lumber is often carried down this mountain by men hoisting slabs on their heads. At the base of the mountain were many landmines, as the Mozambican civil war was just coming to an end in 1992. The locals think that when we climb mountains we are doing it to go speak with the God...

  8. Malawi peace corps training

    This is the coed cheerleading squad we assembled at training.

  9. Malawi learning to build a fire in the bush

    This woman was my Peace Corps trainer. We are on a village visit. She is teaching me how to build a fire from scratch in the bush to cook.

  10. Zimbabwe rainbow over victoria falls

    This is a rainbow over Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

  11. Zimbabwe zambezi river elephant

    This was an elephant I saw crossing the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe while on a canoe trip for 2 weeks.

  12. Zimbabwe zambezi river elephants

    I took a 2 week long canoe trip down the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe. This was an elephant herd I saw crossing the river in front of team of three canoes.

  13. Malawi Monkey see monkey do

    This picture was taken at a place in Malawi called Monkey Bay. At this special site on the Shire River, monkeys would play and steal food from people. They constantly stole bananas from travelers.

  14. Malawi Victoria Falls

    This is Victoria Falls seen from the Zambian side. I was on a bridge bewteen Zambia and Zimbabwe when I took this picture.

  15. Malawi favorite tailor

    This was my favorite tailor shop in Malawi. There was a man here who would put my foot on a piece of paper and draw the outline. With the outline he would make me the greatest pair of leather sandals. I think I bought three pairs while in Malawi over the course of two years. Greatest leather sandals were made here.

  16. Malawi bicycles in Malawi

    These big black bicycles were the standard means of transportation in Malawi circa 1990. Sometimes there would be many people on one bike; sometimes goats and chickens were transported this way also. This man made my day with his indominatable spirit.

  17. Malawi wikipolo

    This child's name was Winkipolo. I cannot remember what it means in Chichewa. He is being cared for by his grandmother in this picture.

  18. Malawi zebras in natural habitat

    This was atop Nyika Plateau in Northern Malawi. Zebras in their natural habitat.

  19. Malawi carlsberg brewery

    This was the beginning of advertisement for Carlsberg brewery in Malawi. The local beer was called Chimbuku. Locals drank it in the courtyard behind the bar if the Carlsberg truck had not made it to town yet.

  20. Malawi learning to read in the bush

    I am truly amazed at how some people are born 'wherever they are' and where they learn to read. This child was out in the middle of the road, where there was rarely ever a vehicle to be seen, reading leisurely. Everyone is born somewhere and must make their way in the world. His journey started here.

  21. Malawi bush taxi 1990

    This is a bush taxi in Malawi circa 1990. Before the canopied trucks I see in some other pictures and videos. I hitchiked all around my country by standing on the side of the road, sticking out my hand, and waving it up and down to get attention. I waited as long as two days to get a ride out of my town. It was always safe. I never had a problem as a single 20 something yr old woman travelling around Malawi this way. Of course at times, there would be chickens squaking in the truck with me be...

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.