Thursday, June 23, 2011

Correction

Correction on my address:

William Blakely Ruble
Box 3470
Mahalapye, Botswana

NOT Private Box.

Also, hand sanitizer is another great thing to send!

Blake

Monday, June 20, 2011

Finally a PCV!

Well, I’m officially a PCV now.  I moved into my house in Mahalapye about a week and a half ago.  And, as I suspected, everything has changed.  I’m no longer subject to the ‘go, go, go!’ mentality of PST, and I no longer feel like I’m being treated like a twelve year old.  I have time to do things that I enjoy now (reading, writing, socializing within my new community, etc), and I’m much happier.  I suppose I’ll start with work and then move on to play…

I’ve just started my second week working at the Xhosa 1 clinic.  Our first two months at site are dedicated to doing a community assessment, so the tasks start off very basic and the more complex programs come after In-Service Training.  So far, I’ve done a lot of data entry, as I’m the only one at the clinic (that I know of) that is fluent in the use of computers.  I’ve spent a good deal of time entering results from lab tests, primarily CD4 cell counts and viral loads, and filing the hard copies of this data.  Apparently these results have just been piling up over the last year or two, because a few of the results have dated by to ’09.  This goes to highlight that monitoring and evaluation is not one of Botswana’s strengths.  This may also explain why there are so often problems with issues like funding and adherence.  The levels of accountability are very low.  Aside from data entry, my counterpart has spoken with me about helping them with some upcoming project, but the details are a little sketchy at the moment.  Also, I have a friend/colleague in the community named Mpumi who has approached me about helping out with a safe male circumcision campaign.  Outside of the clinic, I’ve met with some of the major stakeholders within my immediate community.  In particular, I met a local Kgosi (headman) who publicly introduced me to a large group of community members (which is why at least once or twice a day I hear ‘Hey Bakang!’ from someone I don’t really know…).  I also had a brief meeting with the staff at the Xhosa Primary School.  I’m particularly interested to check out the state of their Life Skills classes and see what programs they have in place to address prevention and support for children affected by HIV.  The headmaster mentioned to me that the school has a large number of OVC’s (Orphans/Vulnerable Children), so there is definitely a lot of potential for programs at the school.  I’ve only been at my site for a few weeks, but I already see a lot of potential for strong programs.  Now I have to see if I can find passionate people to work alongside, and also a little bit of funding. 

As I just moved to Mahalapye, I don’t have a whole lot going on outside of work yet.  That’s been a very good thing for me, though.  The pace of life has slowed down a lot, and I’ve had a lot more time to focus on myself.  I’ve gotten a good bit of reading done over the last couple of days, and I feel more relaxed than I have since the day the Peace Corps called me to tell me that I had an invitation on the way.  There are a number of volunteers in close proximity to me, which is nice, but I’ve been able to make a few non-PC friends in the community, which has been encouraging.  I suppose that makes it feel a little more like home.  My house is on a family compound, which I was very opposed to when I was in PST, but I’m actually very thankful for now.  Different family members have come to check on me multiple times to make sure I’m settling in well and that I have everything I need.  They also invite me into their home occasionally to share a meal with them.  I’ll never turn down a good home-cooked meal!  They also respect my privacy, which goes a long way with me.

Over the years, I’ve spent a vast amount of time thinking about Peace Corps service.  PST was a really rough experience for a variety of reasons, but it really challenged my preconceived notions about what Peace Corps service would be like.  Luckily, PST is a thing of the past and I’m finally a volunteer.  My service is different than I anticipated in a lot of ways, but the essentials are a lot like I had hoped.  The people at my clinic seem to appreciate me being there, and are very excited to work alongside of me.  We’ve established relationships based on our individual strengths and the realization that we can be mutually beneficial.  Although I’ve only been doing data entry so far, the work itself means a lot more in the bigger picture.  Having that data on the computer means easier access and quicker assessment of ARV regiments.  The clinic becomes a little more efficient and, in the end, can take on a little bit more.  I’m not saying this to boast in myself in any way, but to just point out that something simple can be much more fulfilling because there is a bigger picture.  Being so far away from home can be so incredibly challenging sometimes, but a sense of purpose goes a long way in making it manageable.  Don’t get me wrong, I would hate to be stuck entering lab results into a computer for two years.  But, I think that if data entry can feel a bit more meaningful, how much more meaningful will bigger projects be?  I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.

Some people have asked about care packages, so I figured I would address that now.  First off, I have a new address for my site:

William Blakely Ruble
Private Box No. 3470
Mahalapye, Botswana

Now, for ideas of things to send:

-Magazines of anything I’m interested in (Travel, Snowboarding, Martial Arts, Outdoors/Adventure, etc…) 
-Easy Mac/Doritos (awesome combination)
-Books (Just ask what I want at the moment, I’ve got tons in mind)
-Sour Parch Kids (delicious)
-Mixed CD’s with good new music
-Socks (SO HARD TO CLEAN BY HAND!!!)
-Things to decorate my house (pictures, notes, things that remind me of home, etc)
-Trash bags (hard to find here…)
-Dried fruit
-Any other kind of delicious food
-Multi-vitamins
-Cold medicine (I’m not sick, but it’s hard to find good stuff here)
-Ask if you need any other ideas, I’m sure I’ll think of more…

Thanks in advance to anyone who sends anything.  Getting a care package is a huge morale booster! 

Please write me.  I want to hear from everyone about how everyone is doing, etc.  It should be really easy for me to get back to you quickly IF you send an email to me via RubleWB@gmail.com.  I can’t access Facebook all that often, and I can’t usually access my Wofford account, so make sure you send things to my gmail account. 

Ke itumetse, sala sentle!

Wolf Like Me-TV on the Radio

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

[insert witty title]

Have you ever had the feeling that time is standing still?  For the past 8 weeks, I’ve been trying to get past that very feeling.  Day by day I’ve been subject to many of the same frustrations.  It hasn’t been all bad, but the frustrations have a way of piling up when they are repetitive and constant.  Essentially, I’ve been subject to my own purgatory.  This idea of ‘two years’ looms over me every time I feel the weight of my frustrations.  Fortunately, in one (hopefully) short week, I’ll be upgraded from a trainee to a PCV.  Our swearing in ceremony will be conducted next Tuesday, and I’ll be freed from my metaphorical purgatory.  I understand that this probably sounds slightly dramatic, but I’m thousands of miles from home.  I think I’ve earned that right.

My hope in pointing this out is to give some insight from what I’m coming from and where I’m headed.  Last week, I spent a few days on Mahalpye, my home for the next two years.  I will live in a ward called Xhosa 1, which is just a short combi ride from downtown Mahalpye.  I’ll be working in the local clinic, and living about 1.5k away.  I’ve met a few of my co-workers, and even received my first task.  The staff in my clinic would like to learn how to use computers, and especially learn how to type.  Given that some of my first memories are of using computers (back in the days of DOS for you old folks!), I think I can do this.  These kinds of tasks aren’t typically primary tasks for PCV’s, but it’ll be a great introductory project that will help me get to know my staff and build a rapport.  Conceptually, my goal within the clinic is capacity building.  I want the organization and the people within it to acquire skills and systems that will help promote the operations of the clinic long after I’ve gone. 

I also have responsibilities outside of the clinic.  I’ll pick up at least one secondary project within the community.  Given that I have a background of working with youth, that may be one potential outlet for my secondary project.  However, both my primary project and my secondary project are subject to a needs assessment.  During my first two months at site my job is to meet stakeholders in my host organization and community and find out what the primary needs of each are.  After that, my task is to find ways to mobilize the community to solve their own issues.  Essentially, I want to act as a catalyst within the communities.  I could do my best to solve their problems, but then things would collapse when I leave in two years.  Successful PCV’s are able to push communities to not only solve their own problems but also improve their own systems and highlight new opportunities within the existing infrastructure. 

On a personal note, the challenges of being in Peace Corps and starting a new life have really pushed me to confront facets of my own personality that I’ve overlooked.  During my training we’ve talked a lot about the concept of sustainability.  Recently, I’ve been taking that concept and looking inward.  I’ve begun to realize that I have changes to make in order to promote my own sustainability.  Hidden within America’s Puritanical roots, there are certain concepts that have become societal norms that are very unhealthy.  The idea of charity is beautiful example.  Our concept of charity leads some overly-sympathetic people to self deprivation and borderline masochism in efforts to appease some needs within the community.  While this may be noble, it’s certainly not sustainable (except for your occasional saint).  Personally, I’ve found that I’m often easily burdened with what I feel are other’s expectations for me.  So much so, that I will sacrifice time I’ve set aside for myself to make sure that I complete what I feel are obligations.  This often leads to compounding stress and a lack of general well-being.  Lately I’ve had to force myself to set those expectations aside and do what I think is best for me.  Since then, I’ve felt more equipped to handle the daunting 2 years ahead of me. 

It’s funny how it’s so easy to learn about concepts like sustainability (or utilitarian concepts in general) and take them to heart in every way possible except for individually.  It almost feels as if we’re creating double standards within the construct of society.  It’s so easy to know what’s best for everyone and everything except ourselves.  In the past, I’ve considered myself the type of person who is ‘in touch’ with himself.  I’m just now realizing that there are a multitude of things that I really don’t know about myself yet…

I always wanted to be the type of person who always had more questions than answers.  And until now, I never thought about that in the terms of oneself…






Joseph Arthur-In the Sun