June 24, 2014
When I think of Swaziland, I discover that nothing can be planned, but Universe sends me what I need. Today I was running late. There is no water at the tap, and I wanted to wash my hair and was running out of clean clothes. So I saved my bath and shampoo water and washed the most important clothes, which took a bit of time. I wanted to catch my Form 4A students at break, and was cutting it pretty fine when I started the mile walk to school. I'd just made it down the path to the road when a truck went by. As always, I waved, and they stopped an offered me a ride. YES! Thank you! When I got out, they asked if I could help in their neighboring community. Sorry, but what I can do is help you contact the Peace Corps to request a volunteer.
So - I made it to school on time, and maybe another community will get a volunteer. Somehow it's the Swazi way. Often unplanned, but - it seems to work. The other thing that is happening is that people are beginning to trust me enough to talk about things below the surface. We talk about saving, about a different way than feast or famine. We talk about family, about things that matter beyond school. It is such an honor and joy to share - from both sides.
Friday I will have been here a year. Hardly seems possible, but there it is. I've been in my community about 10 months. While some of me longs for home, some of me will miss the people here in a way that I can't even imagine...
July 7
More about the feast or famine school of budgeting. There are some books written about the difference between the approach to money in the West and here; here's my take.
Those of us who have been starving students know what it's like to wonder if our money will stretch to the end of the month, and to eat brown rice and veges or ramen noodles, etc. We get downright stingy and become excellent scavengers. When some money comes in, we tend to hoard it, at least for a little while. We know that if we splurge at the beginning of the month we'll be hungry at the end. Sometimes we choose to do it anyhow - but it's a choice.
Many folks here are living on subsistence incomes. But when they get paid, they spend it. I'm told it's expected that those who have, share, so putting some by becomes very difficult. But the concept of saving some for the end of the month seems foreign. Then, come the end of the month they are broke and borrowing from "Shylocks" (that's what the pay day loan places are called here. Honest!) for outrageously high interest rates. Not hard to dig themselves into a hole that way.
One person shared with me that another PCV had helped her start saving for school fees for her young child. She said it was really hard, but that she feels a sense of security for her child and herself. More and more often I am seeing the results of concepts so basic to us that they are hard to recognize, let alone challenge. Interesting times.
July 8
I no longer think it's unusual when...
- We start a faculty meeting with a hymn (beautifully sung by all) and a prayer.
At that meeting, called to introduce the idea of starting a GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) club. Staff concerns included:
Girls get all the attention and leadership and empowerment activities. What about the boys? How about a BLOW club (asked with a straight face by the head teacher (principal)? One male teacher said he'd never seen a girl in a leadership role. One man's concern was that if girls lead, won't the world fall apart?
In the end, it was agreed that the club would be a good idea. Oh YEAH!
- I look out the staff room window and see a cow or two strolling by.
- The head teacher tells us a black mamba snake (highly poisonous and fast-moving) has been seen on the driveway to school. He tells us to inform our students and suggests we all take an alternative route when leaving school.
- My host family is celebrating. A pump has been purchased and installed in the bore hole (well). We now have a tap and water on the homestead! No more depending on the community tap or hauling water from the spring and river!
- I'm starting to understand (let's be honest -on a few occasions) when Yes means No and Yes means Yes. But silence or change of subject is a definite NO!
July 27
It's really been more than a month since I've started this. I'm right on schedule - hard to write about what has become life. I'm more or less halfway through my service. The folks who have been here 2 years are going home, the new crew has arrived. Some days I wonder if what I'm doing is "enough" "right" etc. Other days I rejoice in the ways I see I am affecting how people perceive their world. I, of course, am constantly changing how I perceive mine. Those soon-to-be RPCV's (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) will have such altered realities. Gaining much - and losing much. Makes for interesting thoughts.
The time for contemplation and reflection, for being present, continues to delight me. I filter my water, and left my water bottle on the table in the the filtered sunlight. I took a drink and wrote this poem:
Layers of water
slake my thirst
Light and dark
made tangible
in the bottle
sharing sunshine and shade.
~July 19, 2014
I remember when I started this blog - I took so much care, and wanted a theme, a carefully crafted document. I think I gave that up when I arrived here, and gave in to stream-of-consciousness writing. What else will be different when I return?
