Surviving a Tropical Depression

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It has been a month of ups and downs for me.  The highs have been very high, and the lows have managed to get pretty low, even making me think that I was going through a tropical depression internally while a tropical depression raged just outside my door.  The one year mark of service has been cited as a low point for many volunteers, and that makes sense.  We watch as those in the cohort that arrived one year before us start to go back to the United States, which is both inspiring and disheartening for those of us remaining in country.  I look at all I have accomplished in the last year and am both amazed and proud, but then I see the mountain that is year two looming just ahead of me…and I feel too exhausted to continue some days.

When I moved to my current village I was placed with an organization that focuses on victim empowerment.  I worked with them for about three months before leaving to celebrate my Christmas holiday in the United States.  In that three months I established relationships with my co-workers and started planning projects that we would implement together upon my return.  When I returned from my holiday I learned that my co-workers were on what sounded like a strike, and as I write this they have yet to return.  The disappearance of my organization forced me to become a self-starter in order to manage the copious amount of free time I suddenly had. 

Before leaving for holiday my organization and I planned an afterschool program for girls at the secondary school in my village for term one (January-March).  Luckily, the school was more than happy to have me implement this intervention so I was able to continue, albeit without a counterpart.  It would have been nice to have a counterpart from my organization with me for Zazi, but despite the lack of an adult counterpart many of the girls in my program have emerged as leaders among the group.  I have high hopes for them, and will conclude their program by teaching them about giving back to their community.  It is my hope that these girls will step forward to act as my counterparts for future interventions both at their school, at the primary school nearby, and throughout the community.

The relationship that I established with the drop-in center through red rover and duck, duck, goose has been invaluable during this moment of uncertainty.  The caregivers learned about my Zazi program at the school and asked that I conduct a similar program with them so that they can learn about gender empowerment.  They have also asked for more programming at the drop-in center so I will work closely with them during term two to teach the children about different countries, Grassroots Soccer, and assist with homework and language skills.  I absolutely love going to the drop-in center, as they say that I am one of them and that I cannot leave next year.  Some have even offered to help me to concoct a plan to bring my niece over here, as they think she is the only reason I want to return home and that if she were here I would stay forever.

I also had the good fortune of a solid foundation with the Home Based Care in the community, which is in large part due to the great legacy left by previous Peace Corps Volunteers in the village next to mine.  The project manager has gone out of his way to help me to find things to do with his organization that allow me to use my technical skills, and also provide the intellectual stimulation I find so necessary for personal fulfilment. Currently we are working with the drop-in center on a grant application.  I love working with the project managers from both organizations because we really do have a team effort, and I get to combine the information that they are providing with my sales experience to try to “sell” the organization to the potential donor.  I love that I am learning and that I am privileged to watch them learn as well.

There have been many challenges since my return from holiday, and I would be lying if I said I never think about how quitting would be so much easier than staying.  One thing I have started doing to prevent myself from taking that easy out has been to schedule things far enough in advance that I can’t quit at the moment because I have a pending event.  Currently on the schedule is my GRE, which I will take on May 5.  Studying for the GRE has been a great way to use all of the free time afforded me in the past month, and I am hoping that this will mean a score stellar enough to apply to some very sought after graduate programs.  The best thing I have learned, and continue to learn each day, is just how resilient I am.