And so the wheel turns...

September 22, 2013

I’m not usually one to complain but I feel like writing about some of the challenges I face working as a Peace Corps Volunteer. But first it is important to remember that one of the goals of Peace Corps is basic cultural exchange (I had to refrain from using the word “simple” because cultural exchange is not simple). Partially by default I am spending more of my time in this area. Yesterday is a nice example. In the morning I went with fellow PCV Devin and a well-known local man who he is working with to a woman’s home here in Goba that had a bee colony located in the gap between the window and shutter of her home. It was perfect to view an active hive through the window without disturbing the bees at all. The woman was very nice and insisted that we stay for buna, which turned into eating a meal of injera and ciga wat (spicy meat in a red sauce). A common, classic example of the kindness Ethiopians show to strangers here. As we were leaving the told me to come back at any time, which I think I will, partially just to see the progress of the bees.

The afternoon was also filled cultural integration meaning drinking buna, eating kolo (roasted barley), and baso (a barley powder). My friend Tigist took me over to her sister’s house, and then later to her neighbors house where there was a gathering of 10 women socializing. I enjoyed mostly listening and watching. I was able to understand that a young female teacher had just died and they all donated some money to help the family. At end of the gathering the hostess brought out a tray of huge slices of bread and everyone took one to bring home. I did too and made a delicious grilled cheese sandwich for dinner, and lunch today. (Again thank you Erik for your package of cheese!!!)

So on the social exchange part I feel like I’m doing a good job, and truly enjoying it, especially as my language skills get a little better. On the “work” level things continue to be an up- hill climb. I really am seeing how crucial it is to find and work with another motivated person, like Devin has done in finding a guy to work with bees. Ato Gossa has several bee hives living inside his house and has become the “Bee King” of Robe. Devin is now helping him to purchase some transitional bee hives and start a training center for teaching people how to raise bees with a transitional hive. The transitional hive is a simpler version of the “modern” hive that most people use.

On the other side of the spectrum last week I went out into field 10km with some guys from the Agricultural Office to “help” them give training on using modern hives. It was a beautiful area, full of native trees and flowers and a small cluster of Gojo bet homes, classic mud and thatch roof. The sad part was how these very rural, very poor, people invested a lot of money for this fancy new hive, brought it in by horse back, and won’t be able to use it to its full potential due to additional expensive equipment and technical expertise that is required. The Ag office gave a 2 hour training talking about the hives but did not address the topic of how to get bees to use the hive, and how to process the honey at the end. Now the hives are sitting waiting for an expensive wax mold and sheets to be made so that the hive is functional. I am tempted to play the rich ferengi role and just purchase the wax to see if I can help save this project…

Sigh. I will keep following the process and see how it turns out but sadly I am highly skeptical…

Another example of disappointment and frustration in potential good projects is the tree planting along the main road in Goba. I had actually attended a training on “Project Design Management” and worked with Gobezie to strategize how to do this project. Once we got back to Goba we talked to the city municipality to present the idea and they essentially said that since I did not have any money to provide that they did not need my help. The university in Robe had plans to do a community development project and ended up providing lots of trees. It is interesting to simply observe how this project evolves, with fences of every shape and form being erected before the trees are planted… In a way it is humorous to see what happens (a funny example is the toilet seat cover being painted to advertise a hotel- this is especially funny because it is rare to find toilet seats on actual toilets but I guess they work better as decoration…). On the other hand it is sad to see a project that I feel like I could have helped with, teaching how to plan and carry out a project, unfold so haphazardly. Certainly it is a lesson for me in the value of recognizing when to be assertive, forceful and maybe obnoxious in promoting myself vs. sitting back and letting things be done the Ethiopian way. (And a personal lesson in confidence and arrogance. Judgment of a culture that is so different from what I am used to.) At least in Goba the trees will survive, in Robe they planted a ton of trees, without fences and within a few days all the trees had been eaten by the ever abundant roaming goats, sheep and cows.

One more disappointment to report: I met with the default leader of the Bale Beauty Nature Club today to discuss its fate only to hear him say that the club members don’t care anymore, as shown by the fact that he was partially high and spacy from chewing a local drug Khat. Last week I went up the property of the club and talked with the guard, a very nice, hard- working guy, a retired soldier (with nasty battle scars to prove it). He was discouraged because he had not been paid for the past month and therefore had no money to buy food for his family to celebrate the New Year holiday. So sad. 

So these are a few of my frustrations. Luckily today I got a package from my Dad that had a “Life is Good” t-shirt that said “Powered by Optimism”. Hopefully when I wear it I can walk the talk. On a positive note walking through town today I met a student who invited me to come back to the Youth Environment Club and help lead a discussion on environment. Perfect lesson in following the energy and going with the flow. And so the wheel turns in the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia. 

Bee Training in rural village

Gojo Bet, traditional home

Bee habitat in the Bale Mountains