This is what I wrote this weekend:
Hey friends :)
I can't
really get over it, but I have lived in Africa for a whole two weeks now!
Do I feel
like a local? Not even close. But I'm starting to feel like I kiiiiiiind of
know what I'm doing, or at least know where I should be, and how to get there.
Progress!
Work has
been busy, busy, busy, and I am getting to see the MAGICAL impact that Stepping
Stones (www.steppingstonesintl.org) is having on the community of Mochudi. This
NGO is so so so fantastic! I am loving it.
So, what
I've been up to this week:
- I'm
really into the groove of special education reading! Every day for two hours, I
have fifteen minute one-on-ones with the students whose literacy levels are the
lowest. When I first started doing these sessions last week, the reading
abilities of the students were a little bit shocking. I would sit there with a
15 year old who was unable to identify all the letters of the alphabet, and I
didn't even know where to begin. Initially I kind of felt like I was drowning.
I felt so frustrated! How had things gotten to that point?! Why hadn't someone
intervened sooner? How did this kid get through 15 years without being able to
read? Plus, one of the tiniest, sweetest kids at SSI came for her first session
with me, and after getting stuck on the third word just up and left! I felt
terrible! I convinced her to come back and keep working, and she agreed, but I
realized I needed to be a lot more proactive than simply asking these kids to
read for me.
The good
news is: I did some serious resource hunting this week and I'm far more
comfortable working at the foundational levels of literacy. I've made things
more fun anyway. I also LOVE the kids I'm working with, and it's a pretty sweet
deal that I get to interact with them one-on-one two or three times a week.
They are so eager to learn, and totally soak up the positive encouragement I
give them (which I give out as liberally as possible). Plus, I have ALREADY
seen some tiny improvements. One kid with some heavy duty ADHD wrote out the
entire alphabet for me! Baby steps! I wish I spoke Setswana. I think it would
be easier for them to read in their first language and it would make
communication much easier. My accent can be a real challenge for them. When I say
a word like "barber", they have ZERO idea what I'm talking about.
They pronounce it something like "baba" and somehow know what it
means. We're getting used to each other though, so its all good.
- I've
been working with the Leadership group, and so far I'm mostly observing. These
sessions happen Monday-Wednesday-Friday each week. It has been harder to break
in with these participants since they're all 16-25 years old and are much
harder to impress than the little dumplings I read with. Everyone has been
friendly but almost everything happens in Setswana so I'm in the dark 70% of
the time. I just smile. What else can you do? It's coming though. I'll be happy
to start facilitating the sessions.
- I'm working on one project that is a dream come true. After one of the sessions last week, we
identified a gap in the kids' knowledge base and I spent a considerable amount
of time this week preparing a puberty/anatomy/sex
ed/menstruation/contraceptives/healthy relationships/abuse/HIV prevention/consent presentation. It was
tricky at first to figure out how progressive I could be with the information I
was giving out, but I was pleased to find that SSI is very forward thinking in
all respects. I'm trying to make the presentation as interactive as possible
since traditional powerpoint presentations don't really work here. I'm pretty
excited to do the sessions. I'm doing one presentation for the girls, and
another for the boys. Knowledge in this department is definitely lacking so I'm
more than happy to fill the kids in. I'll let you know how that goes!
- Speaking
of sessions, Wednesday was a really, REALLY intense day for me. One of the
leaders, we'll call him R, came in first thing in the morning and was like
"Shila, prepare yourself, this session is going to be heavy!" He was
NOT kidding. I finished watering the tomatoes with the leadership group and we
went to the hall. When we got there, all the lights were off, the curtains were
down, the gym mats were laid out in a massive square, and candles were placed
around mats. R asked the youths to lay down on their backs, close their eyes,
and get comfortable. He started by walking them through some breathing and
relaxation exercises. He got them to picture a really, really happy moment in
their lives, and asked them to visualize all the people that cared for them.
Another leader, who has a beautiful voice, starting singing this sad melody.
Then, R got them to cross their arms over their chest, and asked them to
picture their funerals. He got them to think about all the people that would
come, what their obituaries would be, and what their deaths would mean to their
families. He moved around the group and got the youths to voice the things they
wish they wished they would have said to people, to voice their regrets, to
apologize, to say their goodbyes. People were obviously emotional wrecks at
this point. He asked them to think about their current lives, who they spend
time with, who they take for granted, and who cares for them the most.
Eventually, he brought their minds back to the happy place they had envisioned
at the start of the session, got them to stand in a circle, and they all said a
prayer. After the "amen", the floor opened up for discussion.
Obviously, emotions were running VERY high, and once people started talking
about the session, a few of the youths had COMPLETE meltdowns. One girl
literally fell to the floor sobbing. I helped one of the leaders carry her out
so she could calm down and I was somehow left to console her. I barely even
knew her, so I just rubbed her back and got her a glass of water. I felt
awwwwful. It was SO HEAVY! Eventually the session ended and most of the youths
left, but there were four youths who were complete wrecks. We actually had to
call in the two counsellors to talk to them individually. It was SO INTENSE.
And the craziest part is that half of it was in Setswana, and I was still
completely rattled by it all. It's evidently unsettling to picture your
funeral. I was a little shaken up by it for sure.
I have
also started hearing about the files of some of these kids, and THAT has been
challenging for me as well. These bright, happy, marvellous kids have some
pretty rough histories. I knew this would be a part of it, so I'm working on
getting used to it/accepting it. I need to focus on the good things happening
here, like the worthwhile efforts of SSI! I kind of wish my heart wasn't so
sensitive. A really great fellow intern wrote me these words, and he was exactly right:
"Just
remember, if you start getting the feels, worry about them when you can and resolve
them. Don't be bogged down in sadness and the ugly of the world. There is
beauty in everything, and often more resilience."
Such great
words to read this week.
On a
brighter note, here are some other things that may be interesting:
-
Yesterday morning I heard the most GOD AWFUL sounds coming from the kitchen,
and my heart stopped! I thought the lovely lady we live with was in major,
major trouble, so I jumped up and literally RAN to the kitchen, only to burst
in and find our 70 something host wrestling a chicken!!! I was scared she was
killing it, which I did NOT want to witness, but she assured me she was only
tying it up. After a struggle she managed to tied up the legs, and THEN, she
left it there squawking on the counter for EVER while she casually went about
her kitchen duties. It was so hilarious and random and I also felt so bad for
this poor chicken! She was bringing it to someone who was going to "take
care of it." Hahaha such adventures I'm having!
- I was
full of it when I said I loved the climate. Their winter here is COLD! At night
it goes down to 1 or 2, and with no insulation in the walls it gets CHILLY!
Kate and I sleep with a mountain of blankets (like, 5 of them) and I'm pretty
sure I don't move at night because of their weight. It gets up to around 15 in
the day, so it's essential to dress in layers.
- Remember
how I mentioned guinea fowls? These creatures have become my nemesis. They
sound like a car breaking down/an animal dying, they squeal at volume level
1000000, and they squawk at all hours of the night! At least roosters wait
until the morning. Guinea fowls…. h8 them!
- Ohhhhh
my GOD, Nigerian soap operas. Guys. I ABSOLUTELY love them!!! I love them in an
ironic way of course, but WOW they are the BEST things I've EVER watched!!! The
music, the camera work, the characters, the PLOTLINES! It's the best thing! The
lovely lady we're staying with watches them most days and I die each and every
time they come on. So so so so so entertaining! One is called Sacrifice for
Love, I think another is called Tinsel. Maybe you can find YouTube clips or
something. What I wouldn't give to take these back home with me! They are SO SO
SO funny!
- Speaking
of TV, Big Brother Africa is the craziest show in the world! It's like the
Western version of Big Brother but on seeeerious business steroids. There are
multiple channels devoted solely to this show, all showing different camera
POVs, and it airs 24/7! Sometimes absolutely nothing is happening in the house,
so you end up watching someone just braiding their hair, sitting there,
coughing, laying in bed, chewing, whatever. Its soooo strange and SO
entertaining as well! I'm sure you can follow this online if you're curious.
- You
learn to save things constantly when you use computers in a place like
Botswana. The power will randomly go out all the time at work, usually not for
long, but I had a few "OMG I LOST AN HOUR OF WORK" scares so I'm now
top-notch at pressing command-S on a continual basis.
- My
hygiene situation is improving! Well, let me rephrase that. I'm as greasy as
ever, BUT I am getting increasingly more comfortable in my own grease. Last
week: FIVE days without washing my hair!!! I am also getting more efficient at
bathing and getting better at pouring water on my head. That sounds silly, but
it's a skill folks, it's a skill! Last week the power was out and the hot water
wasn't working, so I boiled two kettles of water, filled the tub and mixed in
some cold water. I took a bath in three inches of water with my headlamp as the
only light. Talk about resourceful! It felt creepy in the dark at first, but
then it was kind of peaceful! In an email to a friend I did say "showers
are magical, mystical things invented by gods," and then laughed at how ridiculous
that sounded, but I stand by my thoughts! Appreciate your showers. I miss them
so!
- Corporal
punishment is still a major thing here, but SSI is obviously doesn't allow it.
This week, when a group of kids misbehaved, the facilitator made them all run
laps around the building while chasing and yelling at them. It was pretty
hilarious.
- Botswana
should be renamed CARBOHYDRATE HAVEN! I'm the most anti-weightloss-diet person
you'll ever meet, but during training we had this ongoing joke about how we
were all about to go on the Africa Diet. We mostly just weren't sure what our
nutrition would be like. I was NOT expecting this! Batswana love love love
starch. Particularly white bread. Its all about warm rolls and warm bread.
Potatoes, yams, dumplings, rice, maize, corn, and any carbs are central to
meals. Veggies are SO hard to come by! We're doing great for fruit though, the
citrus is delishhhhh!
- There
are a few familiar brands at the grocery store (Fruit Loops, McCain fries, Mars
bars) but they are NOT the same as the Canadian equivalent! They are the same
idea, but definitely different.
- Botswana
has the best, most clingy and awesome saran wrap in the world (aren't I just
FULL of interesting information?)
-
Listening to music has been SUCH a comforting thing. I got a bunch of new stuff
before I left, but at the moment all I want is something familiar.
- I've
been doing yoga decently often and it has been SUCH a lifesaver in terms of
clearing my headspace. I'm SO happy I managed to pack my mat.
- Also, I
have NEVER ever EVER in my life lived such a steady existence. I get AT LEAST 7
hours of sleep a night (which is unheard of for me), and take vitamins every
morning, and drink lots of water, and it's like WHO AM I?! I love it! Such
consistency!
So that
was my week in a nutshell! To those of you who have been emailing me, I LOVE
YOU FOREVER! It's a lovely, lovely thing to read about what's up in Canada!
Keep em coming!
Last but
not least, if you want to see what the other Coady YIPers are up to, check out
their blogs!
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