Hey again! First off, an exciting new blog change. Okay, so probably not really that exciting. I made my first twitter account and added a feed from my blog. It's under "Sasa Hivi..." (Right now). This has all come about because of lots of work (big thanks!) from my mom and a friend's mom who brought it over, I now have a Kindle with working 3G internet! So I'll be able to check email, facebook, etc. from my house kule kijijini (there in the village). My plan is to give some more frequent small updates between blog posts. Also I added some pictures of my Mafia trip, MSC, and some random pics around my school, so check out the photo stream.
Not much new since my last post, but a few weeks ago my school received some very exciting news! One, out of 60 or so, of our Form IV students from this past year scored high enough on his NECTA exam to continue on to A-level high school. I think I've mentioned Karimu in a past blog post. He used to live with my counterpart next door and just might be the most driven person I have ever met. He literally studied day and night, and when he wasn't studying he was helping to run the school and his house. And he's always smiling which wins big points with me! He scored a C (40-60%) in all subjects except Biology (B) and Math (D). It may not look like it, but this is incredibly impressive considering he didn't have an English, Math, or Physics teacher during most or all of his high school education. Only a handful of other students in the district also scored Division II. Because he moved back in with his mom in a neighboring village right after exams, I hadn't seen him since October. The afternoon after the results were published, I heard a piga hodi (kind of like a verbal knock) at my door, and there was Karimu, with an even bigger smile on his face than normal! Everyone is so proud of him, and rightfully so! He'll likely go to A-level in Ndanda, at a school where a fellow PCV, Mikey, teaches math. So that's also neat and I'll be able to keep an eye on his progress in math :)
If you actually looked at said twitter feed, then you'd know I'm currently in Dar. I've had some meetings the last few days for Peer Support and Diversity Network (PSDN). We met to review the past year and to talk about the transition for the next group of PSDNers, who will be applying in the next couple of months, as well as conduct a training with the PC staff. The majority of what PSDN does is act as a network that other PCVs are able to call when they are going through a tough time or just need someone to listen. Calls are confidential, so a lot of people frankly use it to talk about things they just don't want to jump on the PC gossip train (it is truly insane how fast information can travel from PCV to PCV here, particularly if it is juicy, people are bored, etc.). We record simple statistics on types of calls that then help staff better know what issues PCVs are facing in the field; maybe not suprisingly, romantic relationships are the theme of the majority of calls. PSDN-led sessions are also a part of every PC training, be it sessions on alcohol and drugs, relationships and sex, mental health and happiness, or safety and security. Recently there has been an emphasis on the diversity aspect of it all. Our PSDN group reflects the diversity in Americans and PCVs in general, whose backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, and religions may differ a great deal. This can translate into very different PCV experiences because Tanzanians generally have a very narrow stereotype of Americans: rich, white, Christians. For example, an African-American PCV often faces different challenges than a Caucasian-American. Out of 20 or so PC Tanzania staff, there are only 3 Americans. Although the Tanzanian staff are extremely educated Tanzanians, speak fairly good English, and may have worked with foreigners and/or Americans for years, there are occasional issues/misunderstandings between volunteers and staff arising from cultural differences that leave all involved feeling frustrated. This year PSDN has become much more of a liaison between staff and volunteers, and for the first time PSDN has been involved in staff trainings. Our new Country Director (an American) has been particularly encouraging, and asked us to come this week for a training with the entire staff. Unfortunately I can't say much beyond that the staff was able to hear very candidly from PCVs about issues ranging from alcohol, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, and gender relations to just general frustrations with Tanzania/Tanzanians. It turned out to be a suprisingly powerful experience for all involved; they were both shocked and thankful for our honesty in sharing some very personal challenges and it was touching to see how much the Tanzanian staff truly care about volunteers and want to know how to better support them. Once again I am reminded how lucky I am to be a PCV in this country. Goal 2 of 3 of Peace Corps involves promoting cultural sharing and understanding, which its much easier to think about when your kijijini, so this week was a wonderful reminder that our Tanzanian staff, supervisors, etc. can be an equally valuable source for these exchanges.
Welp, off again. Headed back on a bus down south tomorrow morning and should be back to my site by Sunday afternoon, ready to start off the next school week. Oh and my counterpart who left in October for university is back at my school during his break to teach biology and chemistry for a month or so. I'm excited to have him back and excited for the students to have some more science!
Not much new since my last post, but a few weeks ago my school received some very exciting news! One, out of 60 or so, of our Form IV students from this past year scored high enough on his NECTA exam to continue on to A-level high school. I think I've mentioned Karimu in a past blog post. He used to live with my counterpart next door and just might be the most driven person I have ever met. He literally studied day and night, and when he wasn't studying he was helping to run the school and his house. And he's always smiling which wins big points with me! He scored a C (40-60%) in all subjects except Biology (B) and Math (D). It may not look like it, but this is incredibly impressive considering he didn't have an English, Math, or Physics teacher during most or all of his high school education. Only a handful of other students in the district also scored Division II. Because he moved back in with his mom in a neighboring village right after exams, I hadn't seen him since October. The afternoon after the results were published, I heard a piga hodi (kind of like a verbal knock) at my door, and there was Karimu, with an even bigger smile on his face than normal! Everyone is so proud of him, and rightfully so! He'll likely go to A-level in Ndanda, at a school where a fellow PCV, Mikey, teaches math. So that's also neat and I'll be able to keep an eye on his progress in math :)
If you actually looked at said twitter feed, then you'd know I'm currently in Dar. I've had some meetings the last few days for Peer Support and Diversity Network (PSDN). We met to review the past year and to talk about the transition for the next group of PSDNers, who will be applying in the next couple of months, as well as conduct a training with the PC staff. The majority of what PSDN does is act as a network that other PCVs are able to call when they are going through a tough time or just need someone to listen. Calls are confidential, so a lot of people frankly use it to talk about things they just don't want to jump on the PC gossip train (it is truly insane how fast information can travel from PCV to PCV here, particularly if it is juicy, people are bored, etc.). We record simple statistics on types of calls that then help staff better know what issues PCVs are facing in the field; maybe not suprisingly, romantic relationships are the theme of the majority of calls. PSDN-led sessions are also a part of every PC training, be it sessions on alcohol and drugs, relationships and sex, mental health and happiness, or safety and security. Recently there has been an emphasis on the diversity aspect of it all. Our PSDN group reflects the diversity in Americans and PCVs in general, whose backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, and religions may differ a great deal. This can translate into very different PCV experiences because Tanzanians generally have a very narrow stereotype of Americans: rich, white, Christians. For example, an African-American PCV often faces different challenges than a Caucasian-American. Out of 20 or so PC Tanzania staff, there are only 3 Americans. Although the Tanzanian staff are extremely educated Tanzanians, speak fairly good English, and may have worked with foreigners and/or Americans for years, there are occasional issues/misunderstandings between volunteers and staff arising from cultural differences that leave all involved feeling frustrated. This year PSDN has become much more of a liaison between staff and volunteers, and for the first time PSDN has been involved in staff trainings. Our new Country Director (an American) has been particularly encouraging, and asked us to come this week for a training with the entire staff. Unfortunately I can't say much beyond that the staff was able to hear very candidly from PCVs about issues ranging from alcohol, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, and gender relations to just general frustrations with Tanzania/Tanzanians. It turned out to be a suprisingly powerful experience for all involved; they were both shocked and thankful for our honesty in sharing some very personal challenges and it was touching to see how much the Tanzanian staff truly care about volunteers and want to know how to better support them. Once again I am reminded how lucky I am to be a PCV in this country. Goal 2 of 3 of Peace Corps involves promoting cultural sharing and understanding, which its much easier to think about when your kijijini, so this week was a wonderful reminder that our Tanzanian staff, supervisors, etc. can be an equally valuable source for these exchanges.
Welp, off again. Headed back on a bus down south tomorrow morning and should be back to my site by Sunday afternoon, ready to start off the next school week. Oh and my counterpart who left in October for university is back at my school during his break to teach biology and chemistry for a month or so. I'm excited to have him back and excited for the students to have some more science!
look at you fancy with the twitter action! youre so 21st century now. i heard very good things about the psDn sesh. k bye!
ReplyDelete