The first year of Peace Corps is essentially a learning and observing experience. Most people say that no real, substantial and sustainable development can happen on the grassroots level until one has at least been in village for a year. I would have to say from my experience that this is unquestionably true.
In my first year I fumbled through a slew of projects that I more or less forced on my school and community. This year I have taken a more relaxed (Basotho style) approach and waited for people to approach me to aid in their own development. That is how the HIV Soccer Tournament was started and executed as elaborated in my previous post.
This year we have a few projects that have started, and or are currently in progress. In this blog post I will elaborate on some of the smaller projects, and in future posts I will dedicate larger projects their own post.
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Libraries
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Borehole (Clean Water Project)
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Chicken Coop
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Write-On Competition
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Condoms on my Desk
1. Libraries
Last August we submitted two applications to the African Library Project from the High School and the Primary School. Unfortunately due to bureaucratic issues, the High School application was lost and only the Primary School was provided over 1000 gently used school books. Fortunately the Primary School and the High School have a very good relationship, and the Primary School offered half its supply of books to the High School as long as the following year the High School would return the favor.
The Primary School decided to make 10 separate classroom libraries while the high school has decided to create one large school library. So far the Primary School has completed their individual libraries and have started effectively using and sharing the books. The kids are very thankful, as before they had fewer than 5 books per class (50 kids) to share. It has been shown that schools in Lesotho with libraries generally perform better in their English exams, and we hope to see that trend in Fobane.
In the High School we have been a bit delayed as we have been waiting for our contractor to build shelves. Students and Teachers have been helping with organizing the books into categories based on difficulty, and we predict that shelves will be complete in August along with our new staff room.
The minister from our village allowed me to get the books in his car and his driver drove me back personally to my village almost 3 hours away. Private Rides are phenomenal. I forgot how great it was to use AC, or plug in your iPhone to listen to music, or have heated seats! But I am still fine with public transport now that I have downloaded Pokemon Platinum on my phone.
2. Borehole
Our school periodically goes through droughts. Among the many volunteers who have visited me, my village may be in 1st place for the dustiest and sandiest village. We are always bombarded with dust storms and mini twisters here, the other day my chewing gum was quite gritty. Because we have over 500 students, our taps run dry and students are often fainting due to dehydration (Although they may argue with me that it is the devil, to which I respond that I am a Satanist and they just giggle but simultaneously keep their distance).
Our issues do not come from unsanitary water; they come from having no water. Therefore our community and school raised over 30,000 Rand ($3000) to dig another tap and raise a 2000L water tank.
This was also to make sure our school gardens can be properly irrigated so our food costs will go down, and our agriculture exam scores can be improved through hands on training.
It was started two months ago, but is now complete and ready to go. Funny enough the main individual helping the school with the Borehole project was a local Indian man. My students were convinced he had to be American and my brother. What’s nice is that my students and community here see me as American first before they jump to my skin tone and then say I am a different kind of American because I look like and Indian.
3. Chicken Coop
In February my counterpart (we worked together on the library) asked for my help to manage a chicken coop. The purpose was to raise almost 60 chickens and sell them by Easter to raise money for student funds for double orphans who cannot seem to get government funding. Double Orphans are those who have lost two parents, and if the student can prove their status, (with legal documents such as death certificates and birth certificates) they can receive full government sponsorship through high school. Unfortunately that process can be quite difficult, even with the School’s help, therefore our community saw a need to seek aid elsewhere. Primary School is free up until Standard 7 (7th grade) but the rest is about 1350 Rand per year ($135). This can be quite difficult even for students with working parents. The chicken coop ended up have 5 chickens die, but still made a large enough profit to help 3 students and still have enough money to start another chicken coop in August. It was a very ingenious and simple Income Generating Activity with a lot of future potential and provided families with a very fresh and healthy protein source.
4. Write-On Competition
In February I gave information on an initiative from our Ministry of Education about a creative writing competition to the school English teachers in the Primary and High School. The teachers and students loved the idea. Creativity is not exactly encouraged here. Basotho culture has a very strong emphasis on equality, and forces its students to wear school uniforms that way students who cannot afford proper clothing do not feel any worse for coming from a poorer family. In addition, because school performance for students is often lower than desired, (passing is 45% and yet we still only have a 10% pass rate in Maths and Science) time is not allocated for nonessential studies such as Art and Life Skills. This competition gave students a 1- hour period to write on an assigned creative topic and encouraged them to not focus on grammar or structure, but about ideas. While most students could not reorient their trained English skills to this new style of competition, there were some students that shined through. Out of almost 400 students who competed at the High School, in the district we had 9 district winners and 1 national winner. At the Primary School we had 2 district winners and 1 national winner (only 2 classes competed). Each student received certificates and the national winners compositions were shared over the Internet. Check out the link.
http://www.writeonlesothoblog.wordpress.com/
My favorite composition was our national winner in the high school student who wrote about the world’s most important invention. He discussed the importance of Tar road, and how a tar road can help connect the country better by reducing travel time and reducing the use of petrol. What was great about his essay was that it was truly from the perspective of a village child, who wrote what they have observed in the world as most important. While we in America may say the Internet, or individuality as our culture’s most important invention, this student revealed what we may indeed take for granted.
5. Condoms on my Desk
Without asking for permission, I decided this year to always be fully stocked with Condoms. This may not be the best Peace Corps approach to HIV/AIDS prevention, but I banked on the fact that I have a perfect friendly relationship with almost all my co-workers. Whenever I go into town I grab a bunch of free condoms from the Hotel Bathrooms (I could get the free ones from my village clinic but it is more about the thrill of stealing free condoms; I can’t stop). They are always chaotically spread on my desk, but for some reason almost every two weeks I need to restock.
My teachers all ask why I have condoms, and ask if I am promoting sex to which I respond in Sesotho (people love it if you speak Sesotho) that I want people to love each other regardless if its students or teachers. Also I usually through a racy sex joke while doing it, and therefore dodge any opposition. What’s great is that the staff room isn’t so busy, or my desk isn’t always monitored so people who want/need condoms for safe sex know where it is, and take a few discreetly. Everyone thinks it is very funny, but when I tell them how many condoms I have gone through they all understand its importance, but just eye the pile from a safe distance.
These are some smaller projects that I have been working on and with my community. The next blog post will discuss the following items which are probably some larger, perhaps more impacting projects.
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Tuition Assistance Program
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Solar for Breakfast
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Literary Life Skills Magazine
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Peace Corps Volunteer Replacements
It's time for a replacement...I'm getting too local...
