Monday, May 28, 2012

Trial and error


22 May 2012

Peace Corps project #1:
Tree nursery establishment and management for local schools.
Sesbania seedling growing strong!

This project was given to me by my supervisor who casual asked if I would help prepare the schools establish individual tree nurseries. He told me that I was assigned to 6 different schools and that I should report back to him in 1 week. Even then I knew that he was under estimating the workload, but I gave it my best shot. Four months later, I have successfully help to build tree nurseries at 4 schools and have been working to manage and advise 6. Daily I average 5 miles of walking back and forth across town and to nearby villages to visit schools and help motivate them. Most of my time is spent talking about instead of physically working in the nurseries. That’s the culture here. It has taken a long time to get to know the teachers, school directors and students. Getting acquainted is equally important as each tree seedling that survives.


My high schools girl students helping to fill poly pots to transplant.
For a while I began to feel deeply discouraged by the lack of progress I was making. After the seeds were sown I felt a big sigh of relief, only to discover that the teachers thought the work was over and neglected to water and weed the seed beds regularly. Some schools never built a proper fence as they promised. Others began to remove fencing and shade structures after they were built because they didn’t understand how they helped to protect the seedlings. They told me they thought the shade structures were blocking too much sun and water; when in actuality seedlings need shelter from excessive sun (which will burn them and desiccate the soi)l and direct water (which can uproot and drowned them). GRrrrrr! For a while I considered abandoning certain schools whose nurseries were failing. It seemed logical to devote my time only into the schools that were more invested. After a few afternoons of isolation I calmed down and realized that if I lost motivation how could I expect the schools to stay interested?

Lesson #231 of my PC experience: Set the example you want others to follow.

High School boys filling poly pots at the tree nursery.
I returned to the schools and have been working a few hours in the morning at one school and a few hours in the afternoon at another. If teachers and students help me I am grateful, but I don’t expect them to. I’m making progress and I’m hoping that the outcome will impress people enough that they’ll be more motivated next year. We’re going to sell out seedlings for 2 or 3 birr each. Students have suggested that we can use the money we earn to help less fortunate students purchase books and uniforms. Worst case scenario: If only enough seedlings survive to earn enough money to help 1 student (roughly 70 seedlings at each school: around 170 birr) then I will consider it a success.

Lesson #232: “success” is a subjective term and its standard of measurement changes frequently.

A day in the life of this PCV


8 March 2012

Early morning walk to work. 


It’s 5:00am, 11:00 Ethiopian time, and I’m already awake. Though I lie in silence, it’s the noise I anticipate which keeps me from falling back asleep. Soon enough roosters, mosques, horse hooves and loud radios create a chorus which brings me closer to a conscious state. Finally I surrender and climb out of bed and into my clothes. I stretch, slip on my running shoes and begin the best part of the day. As I run south down my street I watch closely for rocks that wish to trip me and dogs that might bite. I greet sleepy church go-ers wrapped in their white cotton scarves (“natalas”) as the Orthodox Church’s megaphone beckons them. Up the hill miles from town the sun overcomes the mountain range making my shadow as long and lean as the Eucalyptus trees I pass.

Dhena adesh Nagga boultanii

Salam no Akkam jirta

Good Morning                                      “Dhena adarachuu

It has only been 1 hour since I left my home, yet I’ve shared greetings with at least 20 people. I return home to shower, dress, eat breakfast and walk to work. Going to the office, or anywhere public, is the same performance of smiling, shaking hands, removing my hat, waving, greeting and making small talk. When I have the energy I am good at it and even enjoy it. I am always given the opportunity to meet new people each time I walk outside my compound. The trick of it is that Ethiopians are all better at socializing than I am (believe it mom!). They will often remember your name, talk to you as if you had nowhere else to be and then invite you to have coffee with them. When I explain that I have a destination, work, they smile and offer to accompany me. So we continue together, hand in hand, having a conversation that I may or may not be following. Today a man chased me down to ask me if I knew how soldiers were commanded to salute the flag in America…what? There is really no way I can best prepare myself for these encounters.
I caught my neighbor boy on his front porch pretending to wash clothes. 


At work there is another parade of people to greet as I creep closer to the office. After 3 months at site I only remember a fraction of their names and faces. They quiz me occasionally, which results in crowds of laugher and some embarrassment on my part and that of the person I can’t recall. Normally I am honest, but occasionally I mumble “...Mohammed?” and 50% of the time I’m correct. Then I give them a taste of their own medicine and ask if they know my name… silence. Now we can all laugh without embarrassment.

The woreda (district) natural resource, agriculture and vet offices. 


The office is full of friendly faces. People busy heading out to the field or writing reports. I appear to make the attendance roll but often leave within 2 hours to meet with school directors, friends or buy food from the market. If I have work to do I find an empty desk and get to my business. It won’t be too long before some bored co-worker from another office drops in to say hello and stare over my shoulder. I answer questions until I make it clear that I am interested to work and not shoot the breeze. So we will sit together in silence, me writing away, he staring at me writing away. After some time I may ask “you don’t have any work today?” and I’ll hear “yes, I do have work. That is why I am here at the office.” This confuses me because he is not from my Agriculture office, but his duties are next door, and so how could he be working if he’s not in his office…? My thoughts manifest themselves on my confused face and he goes on to explain “in Ethiopia culture it is common to be idle at work.” So that is that. Some days I have left work to find a group of 20 people standing under a tree outside the office. When I ask if the electricity is out, thinking that would explain things, they smile and say “no, the lights are on. Why do you ask? Never mind, come chat with us!”
More government offices. Made with local clay soil, manure, straw and cement. 


I return home and cook up some lunch. This normally involves some combination of kale, tomatoes, lentils, beans, rice, carrots or beets. Afterwards I read, write letters or work on computer documents (school work, proposals, PC reports) until my next appointment with friends, organizations or schools. After lunch I prefer to stay around my compound because with the warming temperature, the wind starts to rush through the streets bringing dust and stirring people up, making some of them too obnoxious for my patience. If I do go out at this time I walk with my head down to avoid dirt in my face and eye contact with socially aggressive individuals.
My walk home from work at the end of the day.


By the time the mosque calls at 6:30pm I’m normally in my compound preparing dinner and winding down from the day. Often I cross the street to visit with Zewditu. Her home frequently has guests and we sit comfortably watching Ethiopian news and making small talk. Zed’s house feels like home to me and I rarely go a day without a hug from her. When I leave to return to my house she follows me out to make sure I get inside my compound safely even though it is only 30 feet from her home. We remark about the ceiling of stars that float above us and identify the few we know. The stillness of night mollifies me and I am ready lie down. Usually before 9pm I’m already snug under my blankets working through my latest book.

It’s a comfortable life that offers frequent rest and relaxation. However, please believe that the down time is well earned. Though I may not be working steadily for 8 hours a day the few public activities I am engaged in are exhausting because I am listening to 2 different foreign languages and having to play the part of a spunky, carefree and competent individual, even when sometimes I feel just the opposite. Each day I am making strides, enjoying the culture and developing project ideas. At the very least I will be in good running shape for the duration of my volunteer service and teach people that freckles are not dirt, but a permanent part of some white people’s complexion.