Friday, February 15, 2013

If your only tool is a hammer...



“Three brick layers were asked what they were doing.

The 1st said: I am laying bricks.

The 2nd replied: I am building a wall.

 The 3rd said: I am constructing a Temple.”- Anonymous 

 Going through stacks of training materials that have been collecting dust over the last few months,  I was compelled to look through a few as I sorted  my “keep or trash” piles.

As I was reading the manual “Roles of the Volunteer in Development” some things stuck out, in my last few post I have mentioned “projects”. Reading this manual reminded me of some very basic tenets which easily become jumbled in final reports and resume updating.

“Development is a process, not a project. People cannot be developed; they can only develop themselves” - Julius Nyerere

In the scope of Peace Corps, the term development is used in the sense of the human capacity building framework (working with people and communities). This definition is a process that promotes the dignity of people and their capacity to improve their own lives.  Helping people learn to identify what they would like to see changed, by using their own strengths and learn skills to achieve what they believe is most important.

Sustainable, meaning a community is able to continue on it s own without outside support, a process where people learn to build on their own strengths and take charge of their own lives.

My call to explore the world of international development has been a catalyst for obtaining a greater understanding and expanded knowledge base of the world of community development on many levels. Although I had previous dwellings in the area of community development through my work as a mental health therapist and case manager, my roles in those communities were quite different than that of a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Words cannot fully capture what has occurred within, around and through me in the past 27-months, however I can say that I am affirmed in the notion to return back to the states with even more dedication and motivation to continue my work in the area of service, my desire has only increased during this experience.

~Sometimes there is just as much to gain from the return as in the departure~
 
 

“If your only tool is a hammer, pretty soon all the world appears to be a nail”- Mark Twain

Friday, February 8, 2013

It is more than just a make-over, it is a transformation...

I feel like I can turn in my two weeks notice...hehe jk, well kinda *wink*  This was the last major project on my "list". It feels REALLY good to see it come to such a successful completion...well it is completion in my book but just the beginning for  the students and teachers  making strides towards increased literacy rates at CEGS.

The Literacy Center is the first space of this kind developed at the school with the intentions of 100% dedication to assisting students experiencing difficulties in the area of literacy. The Head Teacher and Literacy Coordinator have committed to working with students one-on-on and small groups to address various challenges these students face.With their training, dedication, and passion I trust this center will be utilized to its fullest potential benefiting every student that enters this child friendly enviorment.

Anybody can make-over a room, but it is what you DO with the space that really matters...