Recap

I don't really know if there is any continuity in my blogging, so I thought I would do a little recap. I've been in Zambia for about four months or so. I work for an organisation supporting community schools, hence why I obsessively write about community schools. Most of my work currently involves developing school monitoring/evaluation systems, HIV and AIDS workplace policy, and training modules for teachers, school committees, and parents. There's a lot of potential in building the capacity of the organisation, but the catch as I've discovered is it is crucial that my colleagues are also be interested in building their own capacity. I believe in bringing out local solutions to local problems, but sometimes people are more interested in receiving aid or external assistance. In a way, I feel people expect NGOs and donors to hand out the solution. This brings up many questions with development work. I would even go as far as to wonder if development programmes perpetuate poverty by creating a dependency on handouts. Many big questions flow through my head and while I feel dazed thinking about the possible answers, I would be more concerned if I didn't question what I'm doing.

Outside of work, I'm still taking part in the same old stuff: yoga (only once in while because it costs money and I'm cheap), volleyball and football each once a week, and maybe a movie every few weeks. I've fallen into the company of good people. Last week was remarkably social, thanks to power cuts. In fact, I'm still feeling the withdrawal from the excitement of dinners, parties, and concerts. The next big upcoming event for me is a quick five day trip to Malawi. It's not really enough time, but we're headed to the lake and I could use sometime to chill out on a beach. I guess I should have taken more seriously that Zambia is a landlocked country.

I can't say that I love Zambia, but things are okay. I wonder about people who make sweeping statements like, "I love Africa." I almost don't believe them. There have been some great experiences mixed in with some pretty crappy instances. I think it depends on your level of exposure. Working in shanty compounds takes getting used to. I think very little phases me anymore because sometime I see Zambian flipping out at things I don't even notice. I would feel extremely under stimulated if I went back to Canada tomorrow. I recently put up a map of Africa in my bedroom and looking at that makes me marvel at the fact I'm here. A year ago, I would never have guessed that I would be in Zambia.