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So these are kids from around. They can either make or break my day, but usually, they are pretty great.
Monday, March 30, 2009
My BFFs
So these are kids from around. They can either make or break my day, but usually, they are pretty great.
Working with Teenagers is like Herding Cats, and Other Stories of 'What the hell am I doing?'
Whoa, busy lately. After a few weeks sitting around, chatting, and reading lots and lots of books, I feel like all of a sudden people are approaching me with all sorts of ideas. I must say I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed. How do I know what’s a good project to put my energy into? How do I know if someone is full of bull? All of a sudden people seem to have all these expectations, and while I may be enthusiastic, and I do fancy myself mildly creative, but I’m not magic! Anyway, here is a short overview of what’s going on, and how things have changed from my last “what are you doing?” update.
I know I mentioned a local headmaster who wants to build new pit latrines. It is an issue, the current pits are nasty, and there are far too few of them for the population of students that the school serves. However, we really do have very different ideas on how to accomplish this goal, and I’m not sure if we can work together. He wants to ask the American Embassy for money (and they do grant money for such projects), and is so sure that because I’m involved the embassy will give him the funds, that he sees no reason to get the community involved, either to donate money or labor towards the project. I’ve explained over and over that the embassy will not give any money unless the community contributes as well. He insists over and over that the community will not contribute, and its pointless to ask, and even so, if they did do some labor, they would undoubtedly mess it up. So I don’t know if I should be focusing on community education on why proper waste disposal is important, or what exactly, but often it seems as if the headmaster actively DOES NOT want me to talk to parents…which feels weird. So, while it is a worthwhile venture and I‘m going to keep my ears open, I want to work with someone, not in spite of them.
On the other hand, a teacher from the same school approached me about doing a school wide project around pollution and proper trash disposal, including lessons and activities, that culminates in a community-wide used-battery collection and disposal. This is a great idea, used batteries are all over the place, kids seem to love to put them in their mouths. This teacher apparently did a similar project with another PCV in the Central River Region, they educated on water and soil pollution, as well as conservation, and I’m not sure what all else. I think its great that the teacher has already begun teaching his students, but he doesn’t seem to realize that he doesn’t NEED me to organize this. In fact he is far more knowledgeable considering he has already taken part in a project of this kind. And quite frankly I don’t have all the answers (is it better to burn your trash, or bury it? Kill your lungs and the ozone, or leech things into our water?), but I’ll try to find them. And he also wants all this done IMMEDIATELY, and I think that if we w=put more time into the planning, it would be more successful, but I don’t want to wait around too much and have him lose enthusiasm. Anyway, I’m going to see if I can coach him along to seeing his own potential and power on this project.
I visited another school earlier this week, and they had so many ideas! I was impressed and frankly overwhelmed. They kept asking for help, but honestly, they were a really well organized, seemingly well-run school. Yes, they have their list of needs (and it was such a well-organized, itemized list!), but they also have so much going for them that I was just in awe. They have a library that is well-used, and valued by the students, although they are in serious need of some shelves. Actually, in need of furniture in general, many of the children bring their own chairs to school. Incidentally, they also need new pit latrines. But when I asked about income-generation at the school, the headmaster replied that they were currently in the process of planting an orchard behind the school, also a woodlot, also a vegetable garden, the produce of which would be sold and the proceeds benefiting the school. I saw the land, its already fenced, there are some water spouts, there is great potential. Anyway, I’d like to help them get as much money out of their agricultural venture as possible, and help in any way I can, we’ll see. It was just refreshing to meet someone who says, ‘Here are our goals, here is how we have begun addressing them, any guidance you can offer would be welcome.” I wanted to give them, like, 50 high fives.
And then there is the Peer Health Club. It‘s my favorite thing to work on, probably just because I see in children the most potential for growth and change, but also the most frustrating. The club’s premise is that it’s members educate themselves on health issues, then present them to the school in lectures or drama presentations. All well and good, but from what I can see this does not happen often, and even when it does, it is only a very few number who are actually involved. Much of their weekly meeting, which is only 15 minutes long, is spent arguing. So. They did seem excited when I just began hanging out, which was a good step. Changes have been slow, but I should count my victories as well as defeats, I suppose. I proposed we meet outside school hours, the first week only three showed, the second week 23 people came. Our agendas are a little different, and I have to remind myself to slow down. My agenda is to not only disseminate information on health topics in order to encourage behavior change, but also to encourage critical-thinking, help foster better communication skills, discussing decision-making, etc. Their agenda appears to be to plan health talks and such, without much regard to whether they are ready, or how effective(or not) they have been or could be. So, when I ask that we get together to talk about some issue, they drag their feet, but when they want to plan an outreach event, they want to run away with it and do it tomorrow! Seems a little bass-akward.
Another challenge for me has been cultural. The students that I am working with are so used to formality, their teachers lecturing from on high, that when they asked me to give a “presentation” and I did an interactive activity, that they didn’t know what to think of me. Pulling discussion from the group was like pulling teeth. I felt like I was tap-dancing up there, and people were just staring. Usually with a tough crowd, I can get by with dorky humor and usually they warm up. My jokes don’t seem to translate…I’ve got big plans to cover more sensitive topics such as sexual health later on, but only if I can make good trusting relationships with these kids starting now. After today’s meeting of blank stares it will be months before that can happen.
Anyway, slowly slowly. I need to support and guide the student president of the club in his leadership skills, rather than taking over (which is my tendency), and slowly hopefully we can fulfill everybody’s goals…..and maybe I can trick them into learning something, and they won’t even know it.
I know I mentioned a local headmaster who wants to build new pit latrines. It is an issue, the current pits are nasty, and there are far too few of them for the population of students that the school serves. However, we really do have very different ideas on how to accomplish this goal, and I’m not sure if we can work together. He wants to ask the American Embassy for money (and they do grant money for such projects), and is so sure that because I’m involved the embassy will give him the funds, that he sees no reason to get the community involved, either to donate money or labor towards the project. I’ve explained over and over that the embassy will not give any money unless the community contributes as well. He insists over and over that the community will not contribute, and its pointless to ask, and even so, if they did do some labor, they would undoubtedly mess it up. So I don’t know if I should be focusing on community education on why proper waste disposal is important, or what exactly, but often it seems as if the headmaster actively DOES NOT want me to talk to parents…which feels weird. So, while it is a worthwhile venture and I‘m going to keep my ears open, I want to work with someone, not in spite of them.
On the other hand, a teacher from the same school approached me about doing a school wide project around pollution and proper trash disposal, including lessons and activities, that culminates in a community-wide used-battery collection and disposal. This is a great idea, used batteries are all over the place, kids seem to love to put them in their mouths. This teacher apparently did a similar project with another PCV in the Central River Region, they educated on water and soil pollution, as well as conservation, and I’m not sure what all else. I think its great that the teacher has already begun teaching his students, but he doesn’t seem to realize that he doesn’t NEED me to organize this. In fact he is far more knowledgeable considering he has already taken part in a project of this kind. And quite frankly I don’t have all the answers (is it better to burn your trash, or bury it? Kill your lungs and the ozone, or leech things into our water?), but I’ll try to find them. And he also wants all this done IMMEDIATELY, and I think that if we w=put more time into the planning, it would be more successful, but I don’t want to wait around too much and have him lose enthusiasm. Anyway, I’m going to see if I can coach him along to seeing his own potential and power on this project.
I visited another school earlier this week, and they had so many ideas! I was impressed and frankly overwhelmed. They kept asking for help, but honestly, they were a really well organized, seemingly well-run school. Yes, they have their list of needs (and it was such a well-organized, itemized list!), but they also have so much going for them that I was just in awe. They have a library that is well-used, and valued by the students, although they are in serious need of some shelves. Actually, in need of furniture in general, many of the children bring their own chairs to school. Incidentally, they also need new pit latrines. But when I asked about income-generation at the school, the headmaster replied that they were currently in the process of planting an orchard behind the school, also a woodlot, also a vegetable garden, the produce of which would be sold and the proceeds benefiting the school. I saw the land, its already fenced, there are some water spouts, there is great potential. Anyway, I’d like to help them get as much money out of their agricultural venture as possible, and help in any way I can, we’ll see. It was just refreshing to meet someone who says, ‘Here are our goals, here is how we have begun addressing them, any guidance you can offer would be welcome.” I wanted to give them, like, 50 high fives.
And then there is the Peer Health Club. It‘s my favorite thing to work on, probably just because I see in children the most potential for growth and change, but also the most frustrating. The club’s premise is that it’s members educate themselves on health issues, then present them to the school in lectures or drama presentations. All well and good, but from what I can see this does not happen often, and even when it does, it is only a very few number who are actually involved. Much of their weekly meeting, which is only 15 minutes long, is spent arguing. So. They did seem excited when I just began hanging out, which was a good step. Changes have been slow, but I should count my victories as well as defeats, I suppose. I proposed we meet outside school hours, the first week only three showed, the second week 23 people came. Our agendas are a little different, and I have to remind myself to slow down. My agenda is to not only disseminate information on health topics in order to encourage behavior change, but also to encourage critical-thinking, help foster better communication skills, discussing decision-making, etc. Their agenda appears to be to plan health talks and such, without much regard to whether they are ready, or how effective(or not) they have been or could be. So, when I ask that we get together to talk about some issue, they drag their feet, but when they want to plan an outreach event, they want to run away with it and do it tomorrow! Seems a little bass-akward.
Another challenge for me has been cultural. The students that I am working with are so used to formality, their teachers lecturing from on high, that when they asked me to give a “presentation” and I did an interactive activity, that they didn’t know what to think of me. Pulling discussion from the group was like pulling teeth. I felt like I was tap-dancing up there, and people were just staring. Usually with a tough crowd, I can get by with dorky humor and usually they warm up. My jokes don’t seem to translate…I’ve got big plans to cover more sensitive topics such as sexual health later on, but only if I can make good trusting relationships with these kids starting now. After today’s meeting of blank stares it will be months before that can happen.
Anyway, slowly slowly. I need to support and guide the student president of the club in his leadership skills, rather than taking over (which is my tendency), and slowly hopefully we can fulfill everybody’s goals…..and maybe I can trick them into learning something, and they won’t even know it.
The birth of a baby is a really big deal around here. The official naming of a baby is also highly celebrated, and it’s a big community event. If any of you visit me, I hope we can go to one. ;-)
In Mandinka, the baby-naming ceremony is called a “kunliyo” (head-shaving). The whole community attends, including extended family from other villages. Kunliyos can be all day events, people get all dressed up and gather at the house of the family who had a child. There is lots of food, people sit around and chat forever (this part gets boring when I run out of vocab). The traditional story-tellers and musicians, called “griots” circle through the crowd during this time. Griots sing songs praising the greatness of your family, then you have to give them money. In my opinion, this is a pain, I felt targeted for being the only toubab. Really, you sing me a song that I did not ask for, then I have to give you money? Then later, the Imam and village elders gather, everyone prays, then the Imam shaves the baby’s head and announces the name. Then more food and tea-drinking. Sometimes, if the family is well-off, they will rent a DJ and there will be dancing long into the evening.
I have included some pictures from a kunliyo from one of my host mother’s family. The pictures include the huge amount of food that has to be prepared, everyone’s pretty clothes, plus this big suitcase of gifts for the mother. Speaking of pretty clothes, the mother will often change clothes many many times throughout the day. I went to a Kunliyo up-country where the mother put on a new, beautiful outfit every hour or two, resulting in at least 5 changes. The big suitcase of gifts was something I’d never seen at any other ceremony. Apparently, it either happens at the marriage or at the birth of the first child. It was kind of ridiculous, the females of the husband’s extended family all came in singing and presenting this suitcase, then the griots announced it’s contents, piece by piece, over a megaphone. it went like this
One compete outfit.
One complete outfit!!!
Two complete outfits.
Two complete outfits!!
…
Five complete outfits.
Five complete outfits!!
…
Three sets matching bra and underwear.
Three sets matching bra and underwear!!
…
12 bars soap.
12 bars soap!!!
…
Three pairs matching shoes and purse.
Three pairs matching shoes and purse!!
It was ridiculous, this itemizing of swag. But apparently if it doesn’t happen at the wedding or at the birth of the first child, then the wife refuses to go live with her husband. Anyway. After seeing that no one can convince me that there isn’t money in this country. Its here. Priorities are just whack.
And in other news, I’m told that if the baby-of-honor pees on you at the kunliyo, its good luck. So at least I’ve got that going for me. ;-)
so this was a little frustrating...
I went to a play today, put on by a drama group at the local high school. The play was written by the vie-principal, and the student actors really were very good. They were very entertaining to watch. The frustration was the play itself. The take-away message was “God has a plan for each of us, if you try to do more than God has planned for you, bad things will happen.” So, in other words, if things aren‘t better, its because God doesn’t want them to be, and its wrong to try to change that, so sit tight and accept the status quo. Wow. No wonder this country isn’t developing.
I’d encountered fatalistic attitudes here before, I guess I’d just never heard them outright preached. And its hard….because I consider it my job to be a cheerleader for change(nice alliteration Whitney, and not the least bit cheesy ;-)
I can’t change a whole culture all by myself. I don’t even want to try to do that. I need to find the people who are already trying to do big things anyway, despite the social mores against it (ooh vocab word, its called “positive deviance”), and really make an example of them and help them be successful in any way I can, therefore encouraging other people to do big things too. Those people are certainly here, they are just hard to find sometimes.
I’d encountered fatalistic attitudes here before, I guess I’d just never heard them outright preached. And its hard….because I consider it my job to be a cheerleader for change(nice alliteration Whitney, and not the least bit cheesy ;-)
I can’t change a whole culture all by myself. I don’t even want to try to do that. I need to find the people who are already trying to do big things anyway, despite the social mores against it (ooh vocab word, its called “positive deviance”), and really make an example of them and help them be successful in any way I can, therefore encouraging other people to do big things too. Those people are certainly here, they are just hard to find sometimes.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Hey all,
here's just a quick series of photos of my house, and my neighborhood. i think of my house as really cozy, but i feel like on film it looks really stark...anyway, its home sweet hut for awhile, and i like it! the walls look really white, but i've been drawing on them and writing poetry and favorite song lyrics up in marker, but that didn;t show on the camera.
love to you all
Did You Know?
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Hey! Did you know how cashews grow? I had no idea! They’re just coming into season right now, and I was surprised at how they look on the tree, so I thought that I would share.
On the tree, a sort of smallish fruit grows, then dangling from that fruit is a sort of bean-shaped thing, and that’s the cashew! It’s a funny little fruit…the juice and flesh are very tart, and despite being very juicy, it sort of dries your mouth out when you eat it. I don’t know how else to describe it. I do think its yummy to eat fresh though, and I know that some people make a wine or liquor out of it, though I’m not sure where to find it in this country. The juice is very caustic, and I’m told that if you leave it overnight on clothes that it will wear a hole in them. The nut itself is encased is sort of a leathery skin, you burn this, then crush it with a rock, then you can eat the cashew! I’m told that if you don’t burn it, and just open it up, the juice inside can give you some itchy blisters. Here are some pictures! Enjoy!
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