Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Obstacles

 Just came back from a two week training back at the college.  It was great to hang out with everyone again. We even walked up to a nearby place that was showing a replay of a Redskins vs Cowboys game, it was awesome to watch. 

Coming back from the training I felt rejuvenated and encouraged.  PCV's wear many hats, but the training emphasized the role of a trainer/facilitator, and so I was motivated to be that person. 

So getting back to the village was just like arriving home.  Everyone was excited to see me again, and people were coming to me looking for solutions to obstacles in their projects.  I finally felt like I was being useful.

The first man I started working with is a Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA).  He's set up a small beekeeping project near his house to benefit the HIV/AIDS group he works with by selling the honey and providing the group with additional income to attain ARV's and a more nutritious diet.  But shortly after leaving his house, I found out that his project stagnated because the HIV/AIDS group wasn't receiving any of their money from the project.   

Another group I was helping out also had similar problems.  A women's group was receiving funds from a foreign sponsor through a lei-son in the village, they would then ship their product back to the sponsor's country, sell the product, and ship the proceeds back to the group.  They recently sold their first round, and the lei-son received money from the donor, bought materials like she was supposed to, but only gave the women's group half the materials they were owed, and started another women's group in another village with the other half, unbeknownst to the foreign sponsor.

In this second case I'm still deliberating whether or not its beneficial to confront the lei-son and risk losing the women's group and let morality prevail, or let the lei-son do whatever she's doing and leave the women's group short-changed.  I'm also feeling pressured to accomplish something with these groups in order to show people and future interviewers that I've done something -- a common problem to aid as pointed out in Dambia Moyo's book Dead Aid.

Switching gears to more exciting news though, Polar Bears and Bob (and his sister) are going to Natties again!!  Best of luck guys, that's really awesome!  I miss you all!