The New Normal
I have been at my site, which is in Gobabis, for three weeks now. Everyone warned me that I would be excruciatingly bored for at least the first little while, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I have worked 10-12 hour days almost every day, and still have plenty to do by the time that I get home.
As a workaholic, I hit the jackpot. My would-be counterpart got a promotion, and transferred to another region; thus I’m picking up his responsibilities on top of the things that I am trying to start. Primarily, I work with OVC’s (orphans and vulnerable children). This comes in the form of soup kitchens, after school programs, and much more. There are a lot of other projects that we have discussed starting, amongst them is starting a backyard garden program in an area called Gae-Tama Oas!, which is an informal settlement. Essentially, people in this area put a house together out of whatever materials are available on government land, and live there. Some houses are made out of scrap metal; others mix materials, and can be cardboard, cloth, or really anything else that can be pieced together. The poverty level makes food and water security a serious concern, thus starting gardens will drastically help their situation.
My job allows me to travel a lot, especially within my region, which has been very nice. It gives me a chance to breathe, a chance to get out of my own little world, and a chance to experience more of this country without having to pay money that I don’t have. In the morning, I’m leaving for Swakopmund, and get to visit one of my Peace Corps friends while I’m out there. It’s ridiculous how excited I am. Everyone tells me that I have to see Swakopmund, and I have found a way to go, see a friend, and work all at the same time. It’s on the coast, which will be amazing (and amazingly cold this time of year).
Last week, a storm hit Gobabis that in under an hour did 2.3 million Namibian dollars worth of damage. As I am trying to work towards a career in disaster relief, this was great experience for me. I went around the community doing damage assessment, taking pictures, and talking to people about what happened. Roofs were ripped off all kinds of buildings, water flooded houses, and life was severely disturbed in a very short amount of time. All that said, I am safe, nothing of mine was damaged, and for all of that I am incredibly thankful. For many people, it made life more difficult, and for just as many it seems that life has remained normal. As a volunteer, I am certainly looking to help in whatever way I can.
As far as my sanity goes, it’s been up and down. Basically every time I start to feel used to something, it changes. It’s practically a guarantee at this point. Of course I take it day by day, and I know that in comparison to what life could have been, my transition and culture shock is very minimal. It’s funny because sometimes I kind of wish that it had been harder, but at other moments, I really enjoy the fact that it has been similar enough to be easy on me. My saving grace has been that much of this experience hasn’t been new. I’ve lived away from home, moved away from everything I know, had an ocean between my girlfriend and I, and had to operate primarily in a language that I really don’t speak. None of this is foreign to me. At the same time, the degree of change has been so much more intense than I’ve experienced before that it has been shocking at times. I’m just glad that I have enough experience to take this in strides, and not be overwhelmed all at once.
I miss everyone of course! With the constant state of change, I have needed my friends more than ever, but have also been living a life that makes that very difficult. Certainly, I have no complaints, but I still miss everyone horribly. There are moments when it’s hard to bear, but the crazy work hours make things a lot easier. It makes it possible to distract myself, and then, and sometimes only then, can I bring myself back to a state of reality.
There of course will always be more to say, but honestly, I’m hungry, and food is winning over my will to write. Thus, I will write more at a later date.
And of course, as I won’t have internet for the next few days, let me just say happy Mother’s day to my mom, and any other mom who happens to be reading this! Being this far way really does make me think about how much was done right growing up, by my mom and all the adopt-a-mom’s that I’ve had. It really means a lot. Know that you are loved, and thank you for everything.
1 year ago - read more...
