Peer Support Network update

The past few months have gone by wildly fast. It seems like I just got back from Christmas vacation in America!

The reason the past 3 months have gone by in warp speed has been because I spent then in my most natural state of being busy. I try not to glorify being busy - relaxing and the going v with the characters flow is also important - but I find I'm happiest when I'm occupied with activity! 

What has been keeping me so busy you ask? Well as I mentioned in previous posts, I've been working with another volunteer to bring a positive change to peace corps Madagascar in the form of a Peer Support network. Over these last three months we made big steps forward in making this happen - working with the training staff to increase the inclusivity and allyship to training sessions and creating a larger focus on stress management and mental health as well as emotional well being. 

Most recently, I attended a training with the Regional Mental Health Officer for Peace Corps. We discussed issues with support here in Madagascar and made plans to improve the amount and level of support volunteers receive. This is a project I'm passionate about because I've often felt unsupported in country and I think volunteers could have more successful services if they were emotionally and mentally strong and supported by the staff and their peers. 

The next steps are continuing to improve training and getting started on formalizing a network of volunteers trained to provide support and direct volunteers to the correct staff member of more support is needed. It should be an exciting end of service! 

Vaky bol

Saturday morning I woke up early to go clothes shopping.

Now, as you may have guessed clothes shopping here is a little different. We call it fripping. Plastic-wrapped 2ft-2ft balls of gently used clothes come to Madagascar and get distributed to sellers. These sellers make little lean-to store fronts and sell the clothes,usually in not so organized piles, for anything from 50¢ to 5$. Bargaining is not only permitted but encouraged.

Saturday, I was invited to experience a "vaky bol" - an opening of as new ball of frip. With my sitemaps, our counterpart, and another volunteer we walked briskly to the frippery that was opening. When we arrived we started making a plan - once the ball is open everyone grab a bundle of clothes and put good things over your shoulder and throw the not so good clothes back in the pile.

As the circle of women grew larger, the my nerves started to fester. These women meant business. It was like black Friday but much more confined. Finally, after what felt like an hour of waiting but was probably only 10 minutes, the woman who owned the ball declared it was time to open it up. The crowd of women circled in tight and pushed to get a good footing. With every snap of plastic the tension rose until finally a item of clothing escaped and arms went flying in to grab it. I abandoned the plan and stepped out of the circle and watched from a distance.

EH HEY! MIJAMA! ANDRASO! NO STOP IT! WAIT! Yelled the seller. The women settled down a bit but with each fall of cloth the grabbing for more fierce.  A man watching from the outside with me joked, ,"tsy mahay miady bol anao? You don't how to fight for the frip ball?"

Once my team got out of the circle with there piles of clothing we searched for patterns and styles we liked. After narrowing down our options we tried things on over our clothes. Unfortunately this ball was from China and all the sizes were very small, which made for funny pictures but not great purchases. I found one dress I liked. Got it for about 2$.

Safe to say next time I will wait until the ball is opened and picked through a bit next time I go shopping.

A New Normal

Blog Challenge Day #12
#Bloggingabroad

Written on 2/12/2016


My New Normal

“Miandry fa Gasy” We wait because we are Malagasy.

When I first heard this phrase, it was my second month at site (5th month total in Madagascar) and I was rolling my eyes at the phone store because I had been waiting for twenty minutes with my counterpart to get a new phone. My counterpart looked at me and said “I’m used to waiting. Miandry fa gasy.” I laughed and said I don’t think I will ever be used to waiting forever for something that usually only takes a few minutes.

I was wrong.

My patience today is similar to the patience I would assume Buddhist priests have. I could wait for hours for something that takes five minutes to produce. I count on waiting, I plan waiting into my day. Waiting has become a part of my everyday life.

This coming from an American who would get frustrated if my Starbucks coffee was taking longer than 5 minutes..oh..how times have changed.

I first noticed this change when I went home for the holidays. My family and I were at a hotel in Chicago and it was taking a while for our name to be called to check in. My dad was getting frustrated and said he was going to go up and talk to the woman at the counter, “Dad, it’s only been like fourty minutes!,” I said. He and my brother looked at me like I was crazy. I thought about it, laughed and thought to myself, “Miandry fa gasy”

This new found patience has made me much more comfortable here in Madagascar. Instead of impatiently tapping my foot in a line, I stir up a small conversation. Waiting happens, waiting is a part of life. But that time waiting doesn’t have to be wasted time. You can make a new friend, learn a new word, ponder life and all its complexities...

It’s just waiting. Miandry fa gasy.

Training of Trainers (TOT)

Training of Trainers (TOT)

Written on 2/7/2016

This past week I experienced Training of Trainers for the first time. The next group of Trainees are coming in next week and I will be one of the people at their training.

Over the last 6 or so months, few other volunteers and I have been working with Peace Corps staff here in Mada to introduce a Peer Support Network to our Peace Corps community. The goal being that volunteers create a community of support and that all volunteers feel included and supported in this community. It is still in development processes, but is on its way to becoming a part of training and then tangible thing in Mada. Its been wonderful to work on this project and I was so excited to be a part of this training and see this network take its first baby steps to becoming a part of Peace Corps Madagascar.

It was a interesting experience as I was the only English Educator at the training, all of the other PCVs were either Community Health Advisers or Agriculture Advisers (the new words for our volunteer positions as "volunteer" doesn't accurately represent our work here in Mada). I learned later in the week that I was the first Education volunteer at a Health and Agriculture TOT. This meant I spent most of the week learning new agriculture techniques and discovering more of what the other sectors do - an enlightening experience. I am basically a SRI (a rice farming technique) expert now!

I also expanded my knowledge of coaching techniques from my time working with Housing and Residential Life at UMN and the Rothenburger Institute and worked on my facilitation skills. The best part, though, was getting to know the Host Country National (Malagasy) staff a little better. Some of the Agriculture and Health staff I had never met so it was great to get to know them and start a cross-sector dialogue.

My roll in the training of trainers was still a bit fuzzy, as we were creating the role of Peer Support and Inclusion in training while we were there. So basically I was creating my purpose and working on fulfilling that purpose at the same time. That left for some frustration, but it was great to be a little bit of a path maker for Peer Support PCVs to come!

It was a great week and I learned a lot! I am excited to meet the new Trainees in March and introduce the Peer Support and Inclusion idea to them. Hopefully, they'll feel connected and supported!

And I ended the week taking the GRE (Graduate Readiness Exam). I'll see how that went in about 6 weeks...but it felt like it went pretty well! 

Meeting the PC Director, Carrie.

Meeting Director Carrie

written on 1/29/2015

Since I've been back from the states, its been a bit of a whirlwind.

Mostly because I had the honor and privilege to meet with the Director of Peace Corps (International) and present to her an example of what Education Volunteers do in Madagascar.

When I was first asked...actually, looking back I was more or less told that I would be presenting to the Director...I was thrilled. What an amazing opportunity to meet the head of the organization I work for. My next feeling was nerves. I was presenting the biggest project I had done here in Madagascar - the Teacher Training I had worked on with my community in the fall - and I was one of 5 volunteers to meet her representing all of the Education volunteers in Madagascar. Also, I was a million miles away celebrating the holidays at home and was wondering if I'd have time to prepare.

But, prepare I did. That meaning I found a new romper on sale at Kohls and bought it to wear for my presentation. And that was about it.

The days before Director Carrie's arrival it was a madhouse in the Peace Corps Office, and a mad house in my brain, for that matter. So many preparations to be made! So much cleaning and polishing! The volunteer I was presenting with and I got together to plan our presentation. We picked out pictures and tried our best to intertwine our two teacher training experiences into one cohesive statement about how Teacher Trainings are a great way to make sustainable change for Education volunteers.

We pre-presented it to our Education head and other volunteers, tweaked some parts..and then..the day was here.

The presentation went well, I only accidentally spoke Malagasy instead of English a few times, AND THE DIRECTOR (or probably the Director's assistant) EVEN TWEETED ABOUT MY PRESENTATION! It was so wonderful to have the opportunity to meet her, but even greater to hear her talk about why she loves Peace Corps and her job and remind me that, I too, am great. It's always nice to hear that you're doing a good job at work and that you are doing what your organization wants...and its especially nice when the director of your organization says so...and she did!

The next day, however, I was terribly ill with some kind of day cold/flu situation and spent the night battling a fever. The next morning (great timing) the director was suppose to come visit the Peace Corps house..where I (and two other volunteers who had become ill) were basically lumps on the couches. I decided I would hide in the med unit and see the doctor during her visit. So, naturally she visited the med office and ran into my sad, sick self.

So, thank goodness my first impression was good because my second impression (although probably a more realistic representation of how I look everyday) was not the best.

She, none-the-less, was warm and cheery and wished us all to get better soon.

To sum up - I met the director of Peace Corps and it was beautiful and inspiring and I can continue on with the last 7 months of my service now.

OH, and FYI, I am feeling much better!

Christmas Vacation in USA!

Christmas Vacation and back again!

1/14/2016

Being back for Christmas vacation was well needed time with my family. It gave me the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief that everyone was doing okay. To get the hugs I so needed, to see the smiling faces of the people I love. It was a wonderful Christmas present to be able to come home and see everyone, and I am so grateful my father brought me home.

So far, being back in Mada has been a little more difficult than I had anticipated. I was hoping to come back refreshed and ready for the next 8 months of my service, but instead - for the first few days - I had an overwhelming feeling of longing to be back with my family. Life here, although its simpler in some aspects, is much more challenging on a daily level. I struggle daily to express myself, and often have to hold in how I feel. No one here really knows - or talks about - the passing of my mother and some days its difficult to put a brave face on and continue my work.

Its been a year of bravery and pushing through and its been exhausting! And I know it will be a similar fight for the last months of my service. Its safe to say I had a little breakdown when I returned to site - wanting too badly to already be finished with my service so I can be in the comfort of my family again.

Fortunately, I can report that my attitude has been adjusted and I feel prepared for the next 8 months. I am sure some days I'll want to go home again, and some days I'll be perfectly content where I am. But I know that the time will travel more quickly if I'm busy living and working and happy here than if I am sitting alone in my house sadly counting the days until I am finished with my service.

Looking back at the past year I know I have done great things - and I know I can continue accomplish things with my community in the months to come. Time will fly, but time will only fly if I am enjoying my time. So thats what I must focus on doing. Living each day with a purpose and continuing happily on my service until its completion. 

I'll be home for Christmas

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Written on 12/19/2015

(2 DAYS LEFT!)

As anyone who has been following me on social media knows already knows the news - I am going home for Christmas. I've been counting down the days since my Dad bought the tickets six months ago in July. The day I am reunited with my family for the holidays is almost here and I couldn't be more excited to spend time with the people I love.

I want to be clear. I love Madagascar and I love my work here, but being away from my family in this difficult year has been the most challenging thing I've experienced in my life. It was heartbreaking not being there when there was bad news, and still, painful if the news was good and I couldn't be there to give a celebratory hug.

The honest truth is that at some point during Peace Corps service you realize that the world in the eyes of the people you love is changing - evolving - without you and it hurts a little when you feel like its impossible for you to be a part of these changes, and sometimes you don't realize things are changing until everything is completely different. 

It's easy to say you're okay, and that everything is going fine, and hearing that other people are is always comforting. Even from half the world away you know its not all rainbows and unicorns in the states...or here. But, knowing that I will be able to see my family thriving in their "fine-ness" has been keeping me going. Times are tough, but me, my family - we are tougher - and I can't wait to be " just fine" with them in a few short days.

I am so incredibly thankful. I'll be home for Christmas...and I won't even be dreaming.