It was a dark, rainy night in a quiet village, the only kind of sounds were raindrops drumming against tin roofs and the distant murmur of laughter from homes still buzzing with the excitement of the new year. Just hours earlier, the village had been alive with celebration singing, dancing, and the crackling of bonfires marking the arrival of 2025.

Now, the festive energy had settled, and I found myself huddled in a small, smoky kitchen with my host brothers. The air was thick with the comforting scent of woodsmoke and the lingering aroma of the meal we had just finished cooking. Rain poured steadily outside, trapping us in the warmth of the little hut. We chatted, laughed, and soaked in the simple joy of togetherness.Then, a sudden realization hit me. I still had to compile my weekly report, which was due the next day. The thought of shifting from this cozy moment to work made me sigh, but duty called. We bid each other a warm goodnight “Usiku wabwino” and I left the kitchen, making my way to my small house.

As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I heard a faint rustling sound coming from my bedroom. At first, I dismissed it as the wind, but then I heard it again louder and more distinct this time. My heart started racing. I cautiously switched on my phone’s flashlight and moved toward the bedroom door. As the light cut through the darkness, my stomach dropped a large snake, known as Njoka Dzuwa, slithering toward my bedroom.Panicking, I rushed outside to find a stick. I grabbed the first one I could find, hurried back inside, and with a surge of adrenaline, managed to kill the snake. I let out a deep breath, relieved. After cleaning up and disposing of the snake, I finally felt ready to focus on my report.

I sat on my bed, phone in hand, about to start typing when my eyes caught movement. Another snake. Bigger than the first.Terror shot through me as I watched it slither toward my clothes rack. I jumped up and slowly approached. Carefully, I moved the rack aside, but before I could react, the snake darted toward the sitting area and disappeared.Heart pounding, I grabbed my phone and called my host father. He arrived moments later, armed with a thick stick. Together, we searched for the snake.

“There it is mbuvi!” he suddenly exclaimed “Ndaiona ndi mbuvi!”  My blood ran cold. Mbuvi was one of the most dangerous snakes.

With one swift motion, my host father struck it on the head. But it didn’t die. Instead, it writhed violently. He turned to me urgently. “Hold the torch!” he ordered, while rushing to find a panga knife. But he couldn’t find one.

We had no choice but to finish it with the stick. By the grace of God, after several blows, we managed to kill it. My host father turned to me and said, “It’s over. You can sleep now.”

But sleep? In that house? After what had just happened? I hesitated, but with his reassuring words, I forced myself back inside. He took the dead snake away, and I locked the door behind him.Just as I sat down, trying to calm my nerves, my worst nightmare unfolded a third snake appeared. This one was even bigger than the last two.

I froze. What is happening? I asked myself. Somehow, I gathered my courage, grabbed the stick, and attacked. It was a fierce battle, but I managed to kill it. My hands were shaking as I called my host father again. He arrived, eyes wide with disbelief.

“It’s strange to kill three snakes in one house on the same night,” he muttered. We searched the entire house to make sure there were no more lurking in the shadows. Finding none, he reassured me once more. “Sleep. Nothing will happen.”

But I couldn’t. I spent the whole night wide awake, feeling like a guard on duty, my mind replaying the terrifying events. As the first light of dawn crept through my window, one thought settled in my mind: Indeed, Corps Africa service is not for the faint-hearted.

Yet, as I stepped outside and breathed in the crisp morning air, another thought followed. Challenges like these unexpected, terrifying, and testing every ounce of my courage were exactly why I was here.I had come to serve, to grow, and to embrace the unknown. If I could face three deadly snakes in a single night and live to tell the story, then perhaps I was stronger than I had ever imagined.

With a deep breath, I smiled to myself. A new day had begun. And with it, another adventure awaited.