Missing America on Its Birthday
Hello Everyone-
It's been quite sometime since the last posting, and quite a bit has happened in these almost 2 months (wow, two months...time is flying.) Tomorrow is 4th of July and I'm in West Africa---not in Philly. Sometimes, I think I feel even more homesick, or maybe reminiscent, at this time of year than I do during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. For all of you in the Philly area, or in the great outdoors somewhere this weekend, please know I'm thinking of you. Enjoy the fireworks and think of me when the cascading gold ones fall into the Delaware.
In the next few weeks, I'll be posting a few things about my thoughts on development (I've been doing a lot of thinking and actual 'working' these past months). Some postings may be not as jovial as usual, but don't think that that is my attitude now. The comments, thoughts, ideas are just raw conclusions that one forms after living and working in 'development' for over a year. I'm happy here, and I'm enjoying myself while I can and trying not to look too far ahead, although it's starting to freak me out about what my next step will be.
---
Musings from a late rainy night sometime during the week of June 22nd:
So many thoughts going through my mind as of late. The first thought is about home: I think about home all the time. Today, I was riding to a friend's house, 15 km away, and I realized when I was on kilometer 12 that I rode the entire way, thinking about 'America'. Now granted, I ride on a road that takes me to where I want to go as there are only 2 paved roads up-country. There is one junction where I must turn to get to the river crossing (where my friend lives). I traveled the entire way without even thinking about where I was going---on kilometer 12, I realized that this is place is just like home, in the sense that I do daily activities, mindlessly...just like traveling to the grocery store in America, without even thinking twice about putting on my right turn signal, and then my left, and stopping at the stop sign. I am here and I am living in the now.
My time here is fleeting and so I become somewhat bothered on those days when I become preoccupied with thoughts of home. (Of course, I love home and would teleport there everyday if I could), but I want to focus on the now. Focus. On. The Now. For the most part I do, and I have. But lately I just can't stop thinking of 'that place' where things are organized, simple tasks take little time, and people respect each other, their property, and rules. Maybe these thoughts have been conjured up by the change in weather. The rains have started and that immediately transports me to rainy days at home. The smell of honeysuckle (or something similar) as I pass by the monkeys while riding my bike reminds me of my 30 mile bike rides on the D & R canal.
Lately, I've been thinking about what life will be like post Peace Corps. I'm already anticipating experiencing some difficulties readjusting (to all of you out there, let this be your first gentle warning). But, I'm finally realizing that for the first time in my life, I haven't a clue as to what I want to do after Peace Corps. I've always had direction, and that direction has led me here, doing something I've always wanted to do. But my view of the world has shifted a bit. I still remain fairly idealistic and hopeful that things could change, albeit slowly, but a part of me adheres tightly now to the notion of what doesn't work.
'Development' is a tricky thing to discuss as part of me wonders, why, after all these years...are we still trying to get basic needs fulfilled for millions of people in the world? Shouldn't we find that appalling? Unacceptable? Disheartening and even depressing? I'm a first year Volunteer at my site and quite honestly, I've tried my best to go slowly... to assess what the community needs and wants and that they already have. 'Development', in my opinion, sometimes skips over this key step. Many Volunteers (both PC and non-PC) come to the developing world, thinking they're going to make radical, life-improving, and in some cases, life-saving changes in villages and communities. However, they're fooling themselves, giving false hope to villagers, and feeding culture that has become accustomed to receiving and taking.
If I were to ever head an NGO (non-governmental organization) or an international aid organization (in my dream world), I'd require it's non HCNs (home country nationals) to live for a least one year in actual village or community before they could do any development work. People can be appropriately helped if only they first are properly assessed. It's like going to the doctor in the States...if he doesn't give you a thorough exam, asking you your symptoms, their duration, medications, stresses, etc, then he could potentially misdiagnose your condition. You don't improve, get sicker, and before you know it, it's too late and all the efforts by the doctor were in vain. If only he had asked the right questions before giving you medication that had horrific side effects with another medication you were already taken. This type of 'haphazard assessment' happens, more often than not, in development. And as a result, failure after failure of development projects get added to the list. Aid agencies (not all, though) don't ask the right questions, observe, or even make an effort to understand the culture first. What worked in Kenya may not necessarily here? What worked in one village, may not work in the other. One can't ignore social structure, cultural norms, or political issues in order to just add another 'project' to the list.
Cultural integration is not taken seriously, but I feel it is the most important. Those who bypass it, have a total disregard, and therefore, an utter lack of respect for the people of that country. It is no better than ignorance.
Here money is a problem, which is what is said to me at least once daily. And many people ask me (and pretty much any other white person) to give them money or they ask 'Where is the money?' My usual reply is, 'I don't know...you tell me.' My initial reaction is to slap the person across the face, but deep down, I want to scream 'Money is not the answer.' Everyone needs money and they're preoccupied with it when they don't have it and again when they do (Human nature at its best, I suppose. It happens in the States, too...and probably even moreso when people do have money.)
There is money being poured into this and other countries, but it's not always used properly or appropriately. And that's where the problem lies---with the givers and the receivers. There is a lack of research by the donors and their dependency of 'giving because it feels good' . These actions only create a dependency on part of the recipients, as they receive something they say they want, or even in many cases, things they don't want OR need, and nothing ever becomes sustainable. Dependency continues to be encouraged by both sides and progress remains only short-term, or worse, non-existent.
Development should be based on what 'they' want, but more importantly, what they need and what they can use appropriately, according to their culture and their strengths as individuals and communities. Assessments should be based on interviews, observations, and being integrated with the community. Where their ideas and the development worker's knowledge and skills meet, then that's when and where development...slowly, slowly...can begin, or in rare cases, continue.
It's been quite sometime since the last posting, and quite a bit has happened in these almost 2 months (wow, two months...time is flying.) Tomorrow is 4th of July and I'm in West Africa---not in Philly. Sometimes, I think I feel even more homesick, or maybe reminiscent, at this time of year than I do during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. For all of you in the Philly area, or in the great outdoors somewhere this weekend, please know I'm thinking of you. Enjoy the fireworks and think of me when the cascading gold ones fall into the Delaware.
In the next few weeks, I'll be posting a few things about my thoughts on development (I've been doing a lot of thinking and actual 'working' these past months). Some postings may be not as jovial as usual, but don't think that that is my attitude now. The comments, thoughts, ideas are just raw conclusions that one forms after living and working in 'development' for over a year. I'm happy here, and I'm enjoying myself while I can and trying not to look too far ahead, although it's starting to freak me out about what my next step will be.
---
Musings from a late rainy night sometime during the week of June 22nd:
So many thoughts going through my mind as of late. The first thought is about home: I think about home all the time. Today, I was riding to a friend's house, 15 km away, and I realized when I was on kilometer 12 that I rode the entire way, thinking about 'America'. Now granted, I ride on a road that takes me to where I want to go as there are only 2 paved roads up-country. There is one junction where I must turn to get to the river crossing (where my friend lives). I traveled the entire way without even thinking about where I was going---on kilometer 12, I realized that this is place is just like home, in the sense that I do daily activities, mindlessly...just like traveling to the grocery store in America, without even thinking twice about putting on my right turn signal, and then my left, and stopping at the stop sign. I am here and I am living in the now.
My time here is fleeting and so I become somewhat bothered on those days when I become preoccupied with thoughts of home. (Of course, I love home and would teleport there everyday if I could), but I want to focus on the now. Focus. On. The Now. For the most part I do, and I have. But lately I just can't stop thinking of 'that place' where things are organized, simple tasks take little time, and people respect each other, their property, and rules. Maybe these thoughts have been conjured up by the change in weather. The rains have started and that immediately transports me to rainy days at home. The smell of honeysuckle (or something similar) as I pass by the monkeys while riding my bike reminds me of my 30 mile bike rides on the D & R canal.
Lately, I've been thinking about what life will be like post Peace Corps. I'm already anticipating experiencing some difficulties readjusting (to all of you out there, let this be your first gentle warning). But, I'm finally realizing that for the first time in my life, I haven't a clue as to what I want to do after Peace Corps. I've always had direction, and that direction has led me here, doing something I've always wanted to do. But my view of the world has shifted a bit. I still remain fairly idealistic and hopeful that things could change, albeit slowly, but a part of me adheres tightly now to the notion of what doesn't work.
'Development' is a tricky thing to discuss as part of me wonders, why, after all these years...are we still trying to get basic needs fulfilled for millions of people in the world? Shouldn't we find that appalling? Unacceptable? Disheartening and even depressing? I'm a first year Volunteer at my site and quite honestly, I've tried my best to go slowly... to assess what the community needs and wants and that they already have. 'Development', in my opinion, sometimes skips over this key step. Many Volunteers (both PC and non-PC) come to the developing world, thinking they're going to make radical, life-improving, and in some cases, life-saving changes in villages and communities. However, they're fooling themselves, giving false hope to villagers, and feeding culture that has become accustomed to receiving and taking.
If I were to ever head an NGO (non-governmental organization) or an international aid organization (in my dream world), I'd require it's non HCNs (home country nationals) to live for a least one year in actual village or community before they could do any development work. People can be appropriately helped if only they first are properly assessed. It's like going to the doctor in the States...if he doesn't give you a thorough exam, asking you your symptoms, their duration, medications, stresses, etc, then he could potentially misdiagnose your condition. You don't improve, get sicker, and before you know it, it's too late and all the efforts by the doctor were in vain. If only he had asked the right questions before giving you medication that had horrific side effects with another medication you were already taken. This type of 'haphazard assessment' happens, more often than not, in development. And as a result, failure after failure of development projects get added to the list. Aid agencies (not all, though) don't ask the right questions, observe, or even make an effort to understand the culture first. What worked in Kenya may not necessarily here? What worked in one village, may not work in the other. One can't ignore social structure, cultural norms, or political issues in order to just add another 'project' to the list.
Cultural integration is not taken seriously, but I feel it is the most important. Those who bypass it, have a total disregard, and therefore, an utter lack of respect for the people of that country. It is no better than ignorance.
Here money is a problem, which is what is said to me at least once daily. And many people ask me (and pretty much any other white person) to give them money or they ask 'Where is the money?' My usual reply is, 'I don't know...you tell me.' My initial reaction is to slap the person across the face, but deep down, I want to scream 'Money is not the answer.' Everyone needs money and they're preoccupied with it when they don't have it and again when they do (Human nature at its best, I suppose. It happens in the States, too...and probably even moreso when people do have money.)
There is money being poured into this and other countries, but it's not always used properly or appropriately. And that's where the problem lies---with the givers and the receivers. There is a lack of research by the donors and their dependency of 'giving because it feels good' . These actions only create a dependency on part of the recipients, as they receive something they say they want, or even in many cases, things they don't want OR need, and nothing ever becomes sustainable. Dependency continues to be encouraged by both sides and progress remains only short-term, or worse, non-existent.
Development should be based on what 'they' want, but more importantly, what they need and what they can use appropriately, according to their culture and their strengths as individuals and communities. Assessments should be based on interviews, observations, and being integrated with the community. Where their ideas and the development worker's knowledge and skills meet, then that's when and where development...slowly, slowly...can begin, or in rare cases, continue.
posted by Stephanie at 4:42 AM
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