Manjo

Well, I wrote this blog update a few weeks ago thinking I would get to the internet. However, that didn’t happen as soon as I thought it would but yet since I am here today and will post it anyway and will try to post another update with more stories as soon as I get the chance. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have the internet in my village which has made communication a bit challenging, but know that I think of everyone often and wish I could talk to each of you but will continue to update whenever I get the chance.

“Well, now what?” my friend Ben said as the van carrying us and everything we owned arrived in his new town. The doors opened we unloaded his few items into the empty walls that comprised his new home. He spoke exactly what I was feeling. The question is something I ask myself several times a day and each time the answer comes… keep your eyes wide open and be ready for anything.
What does Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Enterprise Development really mean? One thing I can tell you is it is a title left incredibly vague, but I am coming to realize it is left vague for a reason as we were taught in our training as volunteers “your Peace Corps experience is what you make it” (I would add, as with all things in life). That applies to everything from the personal attitude, your personal characteristics and your personal skill sets and ideas that you bring to the community where you live over the two years. Through our training we were taught and given many different tools as far as what as business volunteers we can possibly do within the community. We were also given the very good advice of take your time and get established in the community learn first off just how to function as a member of that community which includes everything from learning to live on your own in a completely different society (can’t begin to capture all of the details of this but I will say I am just beginning to get the “hang of life” here after just over a month), continuing working on language skills, meeting people and examining the current social and economic climate of the area. We are also each given a partner within the community as a basis and an entry into the business atmosphere, mine is a micro-finance institution. So currently my time is spent with several days a week at the institution understanding how they function, continuing taking language lessons with a tutor who is a teacher in the local high school and my favorite project thus far creating a young girls sports group.
I don’t know how to capture all of the details of this last month but everyday is a something new and I never truly know what will happen as I step outside of my door but I guess that is one of the things that I love the most.
Here is what I wrote in my journal while sitting on my front porch...just to give you an image of what I see.
I have a balcony with a view that is incredibly serene tremendously large palm trees stretch from the rolling green hills into the tropical jungle routes that line their way to family’s fields where they grow all types of fruit, vegetables and tubercules. To my southwest the clouds are breaking slowly revealing the summit of Mount Kupe, the sun is hitting the top at this very minute and highlighting the clouds floating in behind. Yes, sitting up on my second floor balcony seems like a dream site, and it is, it is a welcomed respite but as with all here I am living in a world of contrasts for at this very moment I am also looking across at two older men who seem to be having a peeing contest on the wall of the house in front of mine. This isn’t just any house it is also a palm wine shop (bars that only sell one drink the fermented juices from the palm trees) and from what I can tell there are typically about 15 people within the small wood paneled shack, this includes about 7 kids who range in age from around 6 months to 7 years old. This is just one of 4 palm wine shops that line the other side of the route to my house. While I hope that I have visitors here in Manjo from the states, I know that not many of you will get a chance to sit on my balcony with me. Anyway, hope this gives you somewhat of a visual.