I've been slacking

Saturday, June 20th,

Has it really been a month since I’ve written anything? I’m sorry guys. Things have been crazy!

Tomorrow marks 2 months in country 25 to go!

I finished up my practicum at Diamond, and many of you have already seen my SOCA project in the video I posted on FB a while back. 

When we presented to our fellow trainees, we really had a sense of pride. Not only in the work we did and the outcome of the room, but also in our school. We truly came together as a team and I think it better prepared us for more projects at our schools.

It wasn’t exactly easy, and we hit many bumps along the way, but we managed to do something for the school that we were excited about. The school not only has a beautiful new space, they have new hopes and ideas for the room too. We as peace corps volunteers aren’t here to make things easy for others, we can’t just give resources. We have to work with our communities to make it better collectively. We start movements that the community can continue to work towards, we are catalysts for change, not the creator and it’s quite humbling. Our teachers had ideas for the space, our students, had ideas. And their ideas continue even after we’ve moved on. That’s what is so beautiful about what we’re doing here. We work together for the bettering of a community, we want sustainability. 

We were invited to the graduation of the school on July 1st, so we plan on going. It’ll be exciting to see what they’ve done to the reading room. 

Okay other exciting news……

WE FOUND OUT OUR SITES!

So for the next 2 years, I’ll be facilitating a literacy program at Lochaber Primary, in Region 6, Berbice.

I’m really excited because I’m close to a lot of other volunteers. So we head to Georgetown for trainings with our counterparts. Our counterparts are the people who guide us through out our two years at site. My counterpart is my Head Master (principle) and grade 5 teacher. There are 4 other teachers, a Nursery school teacher, a grades 1 & 2 teacher, a grades 3 & 4 teacher, and a grade 6 teacher. Lochaber is a village of 350ish residents, with about 90 primary school students.

My counterpart is uber busy, so he was unable to come to the second day of training which I was disappointed about, but more than understanding of. I just hope I feel supported from PC and my community through out the whole two years of my service.

Day 1 at site. I spent 7 days here.

My counterpart wasn’t able to travel with me so my girl Missy (another trainee) and her Counterpart, Lucie, took me to Berbice. It took about 2 hours I’d say, maybe a little less to get here. Wain my CP, picked me up and we picked up Jon Michael (another trainee) and is CP. We went to Wain’s, Jon Michael lives below him so Wain is his host family, then we drove to my school. I said hello to the students and teachers quickly and we headed to the neighboring village where another PCV is training. Miss Patty showed us her school and we then went to my apartment. I live alone. I have one bedroom, a tv, kitchen, bathroom. Kinda.

I also have like a million creatures, cockroaches, lizards, frogs, spiders, other strange bugs, ants, mosquitos…. so Wain took me inside, didn’t acknowledge the creatures and had to run. He told me he’d be back in a little for dinner and that he’d send over Auntie Jackie. This hasn’t happened. So to bed I go, hungry and alone. 

Today’s not a good day.

Overall this trip to site has been tough. I’m told many people struggle at site at first. You know, that it is just part of the madness we signed up for.

I’m learning things.

I’m learning things about another culture, about patience, about what I am and am not capable of. I’m learning about myself. Which is exactly why I challenged myself to do this in the first place.

My biggest fear on this whole planet is being alone. It’s always been my biggest fear in life. I just hate feeling alone. Probably because I know what I’m capable of. And this week at site I felt very alone. I didn’t feel a whole lot of support. And it scared me. 

But…. the other PCVs and PCTs helped me more than they know. So did my host family in Soesdyke and in America. 

I have an overwhelming support system. That I’m extremely thankful for. So be mindful. Some days I really need you. Some days I just need to figure out what’s going on inside my head myself.

I love my kids. They stayed with me after school. Sometimes longer than other teachers would stay. We would read. I think they just wanted to spend time with me. They wouldn’t have cared if I made them clean the yard, sweep the floors, or even read. It was beautiful.

A few facts on my site…

Low-kah-vah (this is how you pronounce it)

Lochaber is a small community of 350 people Mostly East Indian, some Afro Guyanese

There is one school, with 90 students (not all from Lochaber, some from neighboring villages too)

Located about 10 minutes by car from NA

There is one small Lutheran church, with a Hindu worship center in a neighboring town

Most mothers don’t work

Men drive cars, farm, work in factories nearby, some don’t work or are searching for jobs

Most parents and community members are illiterate 

There is one little house market where you can purchase drinks, snacks, and bread, but I have yet to see anyone ever go there. If you need anything from the market you have to catch a car out of the community or call a taxi, or BIKE!

L ots of animals; goats, cows, sheep, dogs, frogs, lizards etc.

O ne big road, one scheme

C lose to New Amsterdam and you can see sugar factory

H as a ball field

A lways quiet

B eautiful

E xtremely small

R ice fields nearby

My students help me come up with this, they love their little village.

FAST FORWARD: I’m back with my host family and I’m sorry I never posted the other blog but here’s more!

June 27th

Saskeia's husband Jason showed up for a surprise visit from America for their first wedding anniversary which is tomorrow. He's only staying 3 days, but I'm glad I get to meet him.

June 28th

Sunday. CHURCH.

TOUGH. Let’s just say gay marriage still isn’t accepted here and the preacher made me realize that.

What’s tough is that I haven’t been able to fully express my thoughts on this issue. No one knows about my family here. Or let me clarify, many volunteers and my new found friends are the only ones who may know. 

July 3rd

We had a great day at the US Ambassador’s house. I enjoyed the pool, underwater camera, gaining green hair, meeting Barrack Obama, eating vegetarian meat, eating quality cheese, and eating cake with real live strawberries. It was like like a dream. A day of beauty. Happy 4th America!

July 5th 

Best day with the host family thus far. We were hot. Jenny was cooking, there was a black out and jokingly Saskeia said “lets go to the creek.” Jenny turned and said “let’s go to the creek!” and I said “AHH LET’S GO TO THE CREEK!” and off we went! Jekeia joined us and off we went. On our drive back the rest of the downstairs family was coming to meet us. So we went to another creek. Just like that,  I was a tree climber. I was a rope swinger. I was a black water swimmer.

July 6th

Proof that there are also negative days on this journey. Today was hard. Today wasn’t easy. BROKEN CRAYONS STILL COLOR. And this has thus far been the biggest challenge of my entire life. And somewhere, deep inside I’m proud. Because I’m challenging myself in ways people couldn't imagine or dare to do. I’m glad for days like today. I’m thankful of days where I feel like pure ‘hell.’ They make me want more days that feel like ‘heaven.’ So here’s to the many more tough days, I can’t wait for you to remind me how much I appreciate the good ones.

PS maybe once a month I'll throw out an update. Maybe that'll be more realistic. Although I do love and miss writing. It is good therapy. Sorry for slacking.

Signing out for now.

xoxo, Frances Anna