Post Cards

This past Sunday, after an amazing walk and a visit to a church, I wrote some post cards. It was a cool feeling that I didn't experience much during my first two years.

I would like to write you one. Send me your address.

39 Days

This one is going out to all those who are thinking about doing international work. I am thinking about little Ohio State Sean.

I just wrote this email to my good friend, Zack, the one who got married in an earlier post:

"I had great internet access everyday for 5+ weeks. Did I Skype anyone? No. I had free calling all day, everyday. Did I call anyone? No. Sounds like I had a Brick City of a time at home but that is where one would be wrong. Home was fantastic. Since I graduated from high school, I have never spent more than two weeks at home. I just spent 39 days at home. Pretty crazy. I don't mean I spent a week at home then went down to my university city or to Nashville for the weekend, I mean for 39 straight days I was at home with the exception of a few nights. I could not think of any other way to spend my leave time. I didn't do anything in particular. Just a lot of Cleveland and family stuff." 

It would be easy to say, "Oh, that's sweet. He wanted to be home, blah blah blah." I think that would be robbing the scenario for what it is.

Yes, I did all of this at home -----

Decorate the house with Patrick, my brother.

Go to a Christmas play with my family.

Babysit my niece, Aubree, and nephew, Aiden.

I spent 2 years, 4 months and 6 days in South Africa. This may sound long, but I have spent long stretches away from home before. A few of them were spent in European countries and others were spent in what seemed to be a totally different country (the South). During all of these different trips away from home, I was always antsy to keep traveling, see more. When I returned from South Africa, I didn't have this urge.

I think I know why.

America is sweet.

At home, I can get in a car and go anywhere at anytime. If it is 3am, I can easily go to the toilet. I just ate, can I wash my hands? Heck yeah I can. Oh my shoe laces broke, let's go to the store and get some. You don't want bread? Have a bagel. You speak English? Yep. Want to visit two friends in a day and still get home the same day? Not a problem. I do like sleeping to the sound of nothing. I would like to swim in that pool without fear of catching something. 

I never thought I would be so happy to be so much of what I thought was a wasteful person 2 years ago. I had absorbed some of the South African way, I suppose. No one in my village would pass up the chance to take a car to visit friends, if they could. No one would pass up taking a long, hot shower after walking through the cold Cleveland weather, if the opportunity was presented to them. Definitely no one would pass up a new pair of clothes, if they were given to them.

Does it make it right for me to do this?

Probably not.

One thing that I have definitely come to realize is that we do what is easiest and most natural. In college and my first job, it was easy and natural for me to different. The majority of folks are embracing x, y and z, I'll go for k. Instead of supporting this football team, going to that party or missing those classes, I enjoyed this city, volunteered at that school and hung out with those strangers.

Did this mean I was one of the few who made good decisions in college?

I don't think so.

We could try to boil down the benefits of every decision, but I think we would come down to everyone making about the same good/bad balance on decisions. In the Peace Corps, the majority of folks are really great, volunteer oriented, help first people. I had someone cook for me everyday, kicked kids out of the yard if they were annoying, scared off animals for the same reason, traveled all over and often dreaded having to sit in crammed spaces. Much different behavior than my college days.

I caught up with people back home, that during college, one may say they made bad decisions. At the time, they were happy but, on paper, you could connect the dots in a mad scientist way and find a trajectory that wasn't favorable. Yet they are rocking the present still and folks still may say they are making bad decisions.

I think we'll always do what we want to do. I'm just thankful I have been positive and confident throughout all my decision making. I think that is all you need to do. Stay positive and confident.

I was just hit with an image of Todani and Azwifaneli's father. This man is a donkey cart driver. He shared a brief bit of his life story with me on one of the hottest days I can remember in the village as I walked alongside his cart. It was too hot to run his donkeys and his wife was also walking alongside because there was no space on the cart. This was an idyllic scenario for story telling. Thankfully I had lathered up the sunscreen and was rocking a big hat.

Growing up, he always tried hard and enjoyed going school but never performed well. I can imagine, though he never said, that people gave him a hard time for trying. They probably said he would never have the same test results as the top students, as is the common approach in rural villages when dealing with students with low test results. He must have gotten to that stage where he wasn't going to pass a certain level and was socially considered too old to be in school, so he decided to buy a donkey cart. He told me people said he was silly for buying a donkey cart. They said they are dumb animals that cause nothing but problems. I imagine these are the same people that told him he would not reach the top of the class, so there is no sense in trying.  

At this point of the story, he laughs and points to the back of the cart, "But look, I have water. Donkey is good. My family has water." He had just returned from a borehole that is about a mile and a half away because the government taps in the village had been broken for 6 months due to flooding. Most people have to walk this distance. When they get to the borehole, they carry a 25l bucket on their head or push 3 25l buckets in a rickety wheelbarrow. This father was hauling 12 buckets by means of his "stupid" donkeys.

This father stayed true to himself. The decisions and his thought process certainly changed with time, but he never denied his inner person, always remaining downright jolly while doing so. As I grow to make further decisions, I hope I can be like Todani and Azwifaneli's father. Though these little kids may roll their eyes at their father when he is riding his donkey cart, they will one day realize he is one of the most successful people in the village.

The University of Venda

I don't know what I was thinking in February 2013 when I decided to extend. I guess I didn't feel like I had explored this area enough. I didn't know enough about development. I really liked eating large amounts of fruit on a daily basis. Not sure what did it, but I agreed to extend for another year at the University of Venda and am pretty pleased with this decision.

I came in not knowing what I would do. There was an assumption that I would work with a group of secondary schools in a rural community. My impatience quickly changed this. I am now developing a program to gain a better understanding of first year students. We are developing an extracurricular program for 60 first year students and will be tracking them throughout their University of Venda career. Hopefully there is more to come.

Not sure where this will lead to. I am sitting in an A/C room and purchased lunch at a grocery store this morning. When I want to take a mental break from work and am not posting blog posts, I am checking my fantasy football team. I am sure in January, when the season is over, I will start job hunting. Yet, I am going to be much more productive in the traditional sense than I was in the village.

I wake up at 5, go workout, get to the office by 8, work til 430, play basketball with the university team, get home around 730, cook, eat, sleep and repeat. Way different than my former life but interesting being normal in an unfamiliar setting.

Goodbye?

Sometime in September, I packed my stuff, got in a Peace Corps vehicle and traveled 70km south from Pfukoni to Sibasa, my new home. The driver came 2 hours early and I was six hours ahead of schedule with my packing. No emotional departure, just a wave and a promise to return.

After traveling through Lesotho (need to make that a separate blog post), putting in two weeks at my new assignment and unpacking half of my junk, I was back in Pfukoni.

Oh, you had to go back and monitor your assignments, right Sean? Right...

I went back and observed a Scouts meeting and talked to the new volunteers, especially the one running the library. Yet, I really just needed to eat a real meal again, so I crashed with my old host family. It was great and plus I could cross of the promise to return off my list. Jk?

After serving two years, I always wanted to sneak out of Pfukoni quietly. Looking back, I think I accomplished that. My school had a going away celebration with the chief showing up, great gifts made by local folks, speeches and delicious food, but I think this was more for the village. For me, I just wanted my work to not have an end mark to it.

How does it not have an end mark?

Quiet you. My projects, in their weak existence, will continue on (non enthusiastic cheering). I will continue to talk with my host family, guide my host brother and visit. I extended for a year at the University of Venda to work with an office that focuses on getting resources into communities like my village. I am in constant conversation with the new batch of volunteers in the Venda region who just started working in similar schools and my former schools this past September.

A lot of romanticism with the Peace Corps is this sweep into a village, make a change and then sweep out. This exit is usually marked with a clear note whether that is a celebration (like my own), a public demonstration (funny stories I could share) or something else with symbolism. To me, this symbolic event always felt like saying, "Time to wash my hands."

I was recently talking to a fellow volunteer who finished their service and was reflecting on development. We talked about the need for people to work in the field. So much of our lives are spent theorizing, which is good and helpful. Yet I can't help but think about all the positive things that non-native people are doing in the corners of the world in countries with poor performing governments. The simple connection to the outside world these people provide is immeasurable. By outside world, I don't just mean foreign countries working with impoverished communities. I mean non-native people connecting impoverished communities with wealthy communities that already exist in their country.

Many Peace Corps Volunteers end up being these non-native people. They fall in love with a country and rock it out. I love coming across these people. They are deeply integrated, fully committed to their work and making a difference.

Stay or go, Peace Corps people are great. After two years, I leave my village not knowing much more than any other Returning Peace Corps Volunteer. We all leave with faces on our minds when people bat back and forth concepts about how to improve the state of countries. We all cringe when we see resources being misused, especially water. We all have a deep respect for circulation. We've all left. I don't feel like I've said goodbye, but I don't think I'll ever live in a hut again.

Ha-Lambani Science Camp

I'm going to pat my back a little bit here. In development work, there are a lot of buzz words thrown around. Sustainability. Investment. Stakeholders. Counterpart. I have held firm to most of these words and feel that my work has been sustainable and filled with community investment. Good job, Sean. Now I want to do something that no one in my community has talked to me about. I want to do a science camp.

Growing up, I was always bad in science. I lacked patience and wasn't curious in that way. I owe my high school success in biology and chemistry to Jon Oram and Matt Boron's paper placement. I don't believe a knack for any subject comes naturally, there is a catalyst in every case. From this catalyst, the individual's motivation is what turns a great moment into consistent practice and eventually the work becomes second nature. I want to be that catalyst in a joy for science with my Grade 5 English class.

So I marked July 5-12 for the camp. To keep costs down and make things real and relevant, I decided to have the camp at school. I asked 4 of my fellow, more intellectually inclined Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) to assist in leading experiments. I contacted the University of Limpopo, Tshilidzini Hospital and Gym4You to come and speak at the camp. I went to the two local secondary schools to send out applications for Scientists in Training (SITs). The result is a fun-filled week.

The first two days, the PCVs will teach the SITs how to do the experiment, explain the science behind it and allow them to do a practice presentation. After these first two days, 60 grade 5 children will be broken into 4 groups. Each day they will learn a new experiment but the first day they will learn how to do an experiment by learning the scientific method. With the scientific method at their disposal they will tackle density, mass, volume and states of matter, in a fun-filled, hands-on way. In the afternoons, after lunch, local businesses and institutions will come and share their practical application of science. Children will learn about nutrition and exercise, electricity, impact of local diseases, bird identification and receive career guidance.

It's a great chance. A great chance for these kids to learn the sciences in a way that is usually only seen by the wealthy city dwelling people of South Africa. A great chance for local businesses to uplift their community intellectually and instill in them a sense of hope for future employment. A great chance for the PCVs to share in the common bond of curiosity. It is also a great chance for you to get involved with my work in South Africa. Check out http://halambanisciencecamp.blogspot.com/ to see how.

October 2013 to October 2014

Distance is nothing. I am a firm believer in keeping your spirits high no matter what the situation is. As I look at the last few months in my village and the massive amount of work that is left to do, I'm alright. Though I've decided to extend for a year in South Africa, I will be okay with walking away from the work I've done. Just like the efforts I've undertook in the past and the ones that lie in front of me, I gave it my all and loved every moment for what it was. 

South Africa has not been this mind expanding experience or anything supernatural. It has been fun, relaxing and conducive to productive, healthy work. My thoughts on my career and life path have certainly altered, though. There is a real inner push to explore the question of how to increase the effectiveness of teaching outside of the United States. For me, I'll continue to answer this question for at least another year in South Africa.

Peace Corps South Africa has developed a position with the School of Education at the University of Venda. The faculty in the School of Education has requested assistance with a grant that works with a cluster of secondary schools. I decided to apply for the third year extension position and was fortunate enough to be accepted.

I will be on a university campus, which means more internet and hopefully more, better blog updates. Also, I will be back in the Land of the Free from Thanksgiving 2013 to New Years 2014. Cleveland is where I'll be, but I need to get to Nashville and see my students. I also need to visit Zack and Marion in North Carolina and properly congratulate them on their marriage!!!!! 

May 4th is the big day. Send your congratulations to zackoliver423@gmail.com. No need to know who they are, it's a wedding - send your congrats. Zack and Marion did Teach for America with me in Nashville. I knew this was going to happen since their first date at Georgia Tech during Institute. A simple break from the  hellacious workload of lesson planning led to two awesome years in Nashville and a fruitful future. I can't wait to see you two again and wish you congratulations. Though, sorry Marion, I'll have to take Zack from you to go play basketball and eat burritos. Haha!

Got to Save it Somewhere

Hey loved ones,

I've been doing pretty solid. Scouts troop is nearing what I would classify as functioning. I need to make a separate post from our camp. Maybe I'll copy and paste the article I wrote for the Peace Corps newsletter? I've been teaching English and, after a year of more observation than teaching, I am realizing how much of a difference a committed teacher makes in the classroom. Thank you teachers! Keep smiling. Keep working your butt off. Tomorrow I am heading to my shopping town to pick up around 500 books to put them in the abandon building and get the ball rolling on the library. Entering the unknown. I've decided to stay in South Africa for another year with Peace Corps, working with the School of Education at the University of Venda. That should be a separate post too. Oh, but the reason I started this!

In July, we are doing a science camp in my village. The idea is to have my really smart Peace Corps friends come to my village for a week, spend two days training some secondary students (mostly the Scouts) in experiments, then run a 5 day camp with primary school kids. This way the secondary kids are learning and leading while the little ones are learning and experiencing and it all is under the supervision of solid people. I may even get one of the teachers to volunteer some of their vacation time! Don't worry, I'm making a separate site for this whole effort. Ah, the actual reason for this post!

So I needed to save some images somewhere of shirts that I have designed for the camp. There really isn't much funding that I have found for science stuff at the primary level. Learning science in a fun, hands on approach could make a world of difference for my learners. There is no Great Lakes Science Center like there is in Cleveland and most of the teachers lack the equivalence of anything beyond a high school degree, so there is no real exploration of science. Students exposure to science is copying notes from the board after a teacher copied the notes from a book.

Enough babbling. I'll save that for a more formal site. The shirts are below. Do you like red, grass, slate or navy? Let me know your vote. Ask your co-workers. Ask you granny. Yell at someone from your house, have them come in, give them some tea and let them choose one.






The quote on the back is, "Science does not know its debt to imagination. Emerson."

The plan is to charge a price for the shirts that matches the cost of a shirt for a learner and some of the camp's expenses. Super excited!

Enjoy