August 18, 2014

I’ve upgraded from apples and have moved onto carrots. On my walk to Setswana class I look like Bugs Bunny chomping down on carrots. All I need is some ears and whiskers to complete the look. Today would be the start of a long week. We have officially moved away from orientation, introduction sessions and will be getting into the nitty-gritty part of Peace Corps. 

Our first session of the day was “Peace Corps’ Approach to Development.” Once again I found myself back in my foundations of social work class talking about the importance of people-to-people interactions, bottom-up approaches, inclusion, and empowering people. It was a great session until the very last slide titled “Homework!” I thought this was a joke. The slide asked questions about personal philosophy of human development, challenging aspects of the project framework, and basic thoughts on the Peace Corps’ approach. The last line read, “Please bring your answers to tomorrow’s session on this topic titled Roles of the Volunteer in Development.” I successfully finished elementary school, high school, and college; if I wanted homework I would have gone straight back to school to get my Master’s Degree. Not only did the session run 20 minutes into our lunch, but now we have homework on top of the cooking, cleaning, and studying already on my agenda for the day. I felt my inner fire slowly burn out as I prepared for lunch and then the next session.

I found the next session about accomplishing the first goal of the Peace Corps particularly helpful. The Peace Corps’ first goal is “Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their basic need for trained men and women.” One by one we went over the goals and objectives of youth in development and provided concrete examples of ways to meet each goal. The three major goals we would be working towards are youth development, healthy behaviors for HIV prevention, and capacity building. By the end of the day I had a better understanding of what my job description entailed and what I could expect in the next two years. One of the final slides before my brain officially checked out for the day included the quote, “In your Peace Corps service, you will help plant trees whose shade you will not get to sit under.” This profound quote put this two year experience into perspective. I may not see the initial outcome or impact of my work; however, I will make a difference.

Elise, zero. Water, three. I’m obviously losing against water and can’t seem to master the art of showering or bathing. I was sad to come home to no running water. I couldn’t put off washing my hair any longer than I already have, so I prepared for a bucket bath. I had a 50:50 ratio of hot water to cold water, but it was still scalding hot. I continuously burnt my hands and head as I tried to thoroughly shampoo and condition my hair. I could have easily walked back outside to get more cold water, but that would require redressing and walking around to the back of the house with my bucket to refill cold water. I weighed my options and decided on burning my scalp, unfortunately changing my mind after my hair was already soaking wet. The lightless bathroom was slowly dimming with the sunset and I was beyond ready to finish my bath, at least I was somewhat clean.

We had home fries, beef, coleslaw, and corn for dinner. Everything was salty, just how I like it. Slowly, I conjured up the energy to complete my homework. I don’t remember the last time I hand wrote an essay to turn in. For the past 12 years it has been 12 point font, Times New Roman, and one inch margins. It was obvious how dependent I have become on my computer because my hand started aching after the first paragraph. It is a wonder I actually completed the paper in its entirety. Considering I had less than 24 hours to complete the assignment, I can’t dwell on the adequacy of material.

Roles of the Volunteer in Development

The University of Vermont Department of Social Work has core philosophical tenets focused on the strengths perspective and the empowerment model. The strengths perspective seeks to reinforce the basic qualities of a person and to provide something strong and positive to hold onto - a strength. Social workers use the strengths perspective to empower clients to create achievable goals, reach these goals, and have a more positive view of themselves. 

My social work education and career drives my personal philosophy of human development which is why I identify closely with the Peace Corps’ approach to development. Officially labeled as a capacity building framework of sustainable development, there are many instances where this framework identifies areas where a volunteer helps to empowers their community to take charge of their dilemmas, problems, and issues, ultimately leading to development. 

My long-term career objective is to work one-on-one with youth in a clinical or counseling setting. I often focus solely on building relationships that I forget to connect to the greater organization and community. I am excited about implementing the objectives of youth in development with children, but it will be challenging for me to bridge the gap between my individual work and the greater organization or community. In order to successfully bridge this gap I will use my counterpart, fellow volunteers, and Peace Corps staff as resources and for further support. I will also continue to be organized and meaningful in my work, taking note when something is working well.

Peace Corps’ approach to development is in line with my social work guiding principles and I will continue to consider points of impact on varying levels of a community when accomplishing tasks. In addition, I will consider the sustainability of my projects, my potential to serve the community to the best of my ability, and set goals that will help me accomplish these tasks.