As I start my second round of site
visits after a relaxing break, I am starting to re-examine how I will approach
my work. I learned a lot not just
during the first term, but also over the course of my month in Johannesburg. As opposed to last year, when I went in
almost totally blind, I feel prepared and excited. I also feel scared, because knowing more in some ways made
me see the cracks in the program, which are inevitable, but much more visible
to me now.
I’ve learned, most importantly, to
take what other people tell me with a grain of salt. Although my supervisor is more experienced and knows more
about the project overall than I do, I can’t take everything she says without
testing some of it myself. Of
course most of what she advises me on it amazing and helpful and informed, but
I have now spent more time out on the sites than she has, and I understand some
nuances that are not immediately apparent. It starts from the most simple, personal things, and carries
out to how I view the project. Its
not that there were any big hidden secrets I discovered, more of the natural
progression of becoming comfortable at a job, combined with the larger picture
of me becoming more confident as a professional and a development
practitioner.
Small thing: I was told to pack pants for work
because I would feel more comfortable riding motorbikes to work, and the
teachers would be ok with me wearing pants (female teachers usually wear
skirts). This time around I am
packing long skirts that I can wear on the motorbike and make me feel like I
stand out just a tad less in town and at school.
Bigger thing: Some of the staff members are ashamed
of their lack of confidence and skill with the equipment, so they fabricate
stories about having used it in their reports. I was told that one site needed a lot less support because
their reports and deliverables had been really good, but it turned out that
they had been relying on one teacher while most of the staff was almost
completely computer illiterate.
While this has been working fine in terms of their reports and
presenting a successful project on paper, it doesn’t sit well with me because
it is not helping achieve our broader goals. I will work much harder with that site this term.
Wish me luck as I continue my
Kenyan saga, I’m sure many more surprises, challenges, and successes lie ahead.
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