For me the reasons seem both selfless and selfish. I’m supposed to be here to help others that are in the deepest need. However, I know I have already personally benefited from being here for just a month. The intangible benefit for me is hard to put into words, so I won’t try.
Nevertheless, I can describe the more concrete reasons for joining.
My main motivation to join came from both my background and personal belief system. I grew up in a white, middle class family in the most affluent country in the world. I was privileged enough to get a good education and challenging career. Many, many people invested in me to ensure I was successful and happy.
I joined the Peace Corps because I wanted to channel some of that energy invested in me into helping and improving the lives of those most desperately in need. My focus was on Africa. I would go anywhere the Peace Corps deemed me qualified for, as long as I could make an impact.
Other reasons for joining vary greatly and sound cliché sometimes. They are, however, true.
I wanted…
• to live and work abroad for an extended period of time
• to directly impact the lives of others
• to serve
• a challenge
• an experience
Surprise, surprise! Joining the Peace Corps seemed to be my next best move in life. I remember back in 2006 when my initial interest was sparked along with a few of my good friends’, and the feeling has never died. That must mean something.
I feel blessed. I believe that anyone with a similar foundation should seek to enact positive change, no matter what his or her career interests or fields of study are. Positive change can be as simple as altering your attitude towards a particular situation. Or it can be more involved, such as donating your time, money, or energy to a higher cause.
A wise man once told me, “Patience is the key to realizing any progress in the developing world”. I really appreciate these words because of the truth and reality behind them. Granted, I have only been here a little over a month, but I can already witness the legitimacy of this statement.
My patience will definitely be challenged. Whether or not I am able to adapt my mindset to these challenges will determine to a large extent how successful I am at implementing some positive change in this country. The successful volunteers I have talked to were those that were able to adapt and embrace different cultural paradigms.
The word embrace takes on a new meaning here. It’s really about altering your attitude to see the best in each situation that presents itself. To expect nothing, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.
I’m in Kidetok this week for cultural, technical, and language immersion training. From Wakiso, it Is a one-hour taxi ride to Kampala, six-hour bus ride from Kampala to Soroti, and then another 1½-hour taxi ride from Soroti to Kidetok, pretty remote. Time to practice Ateso!
Kidetok consists of a single band of dirt road plowing past two schools, half a dozen shops, and a church. Surprisingly, the roads (I should say road) here in this region are in incredibly better condition than those in Wakiso. This had made my morning runs and travelling by matatu (taxi) much more comfortable.
The weather has been dry and fairly hot with very minimal rain. The town has two boreholes where the locals can access clean water. The home we are staying in has an ample supply of collected rainwater. This saves us from having to trek 2-3k back and forth to collect water for bathing/cooking/cleaning/drinking.
We are getting some great exposure and experience working in the Universal Secondary Education system. We will begin teaching next week.
That is all for now! Unfortunately the internet cafe I'm at is far too slow to attach any pictures at this time, but I will try in Kampala the next time I'm there. I've got lots to show. Until next time...
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