What I'm doing

The Peace Corps has three goals:
1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women;
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people served;
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.
I am in the Small Enterprise Development sector whose defined goal is “ improve the standard of living of the population by transferring skills essential to sustainable economic growth.” I am essentially here to help people develop the capacity to improve their own lives by empowering them to be their own decision-makers and develop the skills to carry out those decisions. It is much different from a lot of NGOs who walk in and build buildings and donate machines and hand out money. I’m not saying that those are not important and great, they have just created an expectation of outsiders that I have to undue before I can be successful here. That’s what I’ve been spending my time doing lately. I sit down with the ladies and ask them to talk to me about the difficutlties they face and the goals they want to achieve and they just say, "We don't have money. If we did all of our problems would be solved." I think P Diddy might argue with that theory (mo' money, mo' problems).
One of our manuals says that people often live up to the expectations of the outsider coming in to assist them. That gives me hope. So far I’ve met the Governor of my region, the head of the police, the head of the fire station in my neighborhood, the director of the local school, directors of a bunch of different organizations that my association has/will partner with. Yesterday I toured the local hospital and school for the handicapped. Today I met… I love meeting these people because I get to tell them about Peace Corps and what I’m trying to do here and they always smile and welcome me and thank me for being here – the Governor did a lot. And then if they know someone who has served in the Peace Corps, someone who knew someone who served in the Peace Corps, someone who knew someone who traveled to the U.S., etc. they tell me about them. It is interesting;)

Monday night was my first night at my new site where I felt calm. I have felt like a boulder stuck in the middle of a rushing river. I don’t know why and I don’t know why it stopped. Maybe it’s just part of the adjustment (that I didn’t experience during the first 2 months in country), but now it’s like I’m floating along in the river and it’s so much nicer.

Judo classes are coming along nicely. My Judo teacher is the nicest guy in the world. He’s a little guy with a big smile. He is patient, repeats things multiple times (in French and Japanese), and lets me throw him around (because that’s what you do in Judo) and then tells me what a great job I’m doing – yeah right.

I have to keep reminding myself that it's Christmas time, because other than the man walking down the street today trying to sell me a blow-up Santa, there is no sign of December or Christmas or Holiday as I know it. This will be a very interesting holiday season for me not doubt. There is no snow (or cold), no hustle and bustle at the mall, no eggnog (not that I would have any if there were), no visiting family, no holiday parties. I do miss it! I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Hug and kiss your friends and family and be thankful for your blessings during this time of year!

Love you and miss you all!