PDM Trainer:
I had the pleasure of spending the past week as a trainer in
the counter-part workshop training (PDM).
I was a bit nervous beforehand because I didn’t really know people from
the 1st year group too well, and I had had a bad experience
thanksgiving… But it went really well and I liked getting to know everyone! PCV
Rachel and I tried really hard as trainers to mold all sessions to be as useful
and interactive as possible. In the end,
we got really positive feedback from PCVs and HCN homologues (their work
partners- for EGE, all were English teachers this year). We also replaced the practical activity of
MAP with Odyssey of the Mind/English club activities, and that seemed better and
more practical for the EGE’ers. One
thing that we tried that went really well was the brainstorming session on
Classroom management and the use of alternative punishment. Up until recently it was legal in Togo to use
corporal punishment. The government
finally ruled it illegal but didn’t give teachers any alternative ways to keep
control of students, so many teachers still use force to correct students, but
keep it under wraps. This issue was
brought up to us separately by both the PCVs and the Togolese counterparts, and
so we came up with a constructive way to have a session on the matter. Rachel did a great job facilitating and
guiding the groups into making a list of positive reinforcements, negative reinforcements,
and general class/school rules (each group was assigned one category
each). After presenting the lists, we
went through the negative reinforcements that were illegal and explained how
although one should opt for positive reinforcement first, you can still use
some (the legal kind) of the negative reinforcement techniques (especially for
large class sizes, some are easier). We
also made sure to point out that they should lay out the rules ahead of time, make
the punishments match the “crime”, and be consistent!
I really like the new group of EGE’ers… They are pretty
chill and hardworking.
Desk Project:
As stated previously, all PCPP funding has been collected
and received! We are awaiting the “community contribution” now. We held a meeting with the parents of the
students and it went really well. The
purpose was to motivate them and get them on track for funding and
organizing. I told them bluntly, that
the money making up 75% of the project was donated by my friends and family
(who aren’t rich), and that they will never step a foot in this village but
were willing to help perfect strangers.
And then I asked them if they thought they could make up the remaining
25%. One man stood up and said that they
couldn’t say no. The answer I was
looking for. In the end, I was thanked
by this old man who made me tear up… He asked what I was getting out of helping
because everyone in that room was either directly benefiting or his/her
children were. It took me a moment to
answer but then I found the words. I
said that the smiles on the kids, parents and teachers faces is my benefit, and
seeing students with space on his/her desk enough to write during class. Following the translation, one of the loudest
shrills and applause followed, and even though we haven’t started yet, I can’t
wait to finish and give them this gift.
About a week later, there was a Togolese woman from Dapaong
who donated 100,000 CFA to the cause!
We are also changing carpenters because I found out that the
man who gave us the quote is more a construction guy, who would do the
rebuilding of the school more so than desks.
We have collected the proposals of three carpenters and visited their
shops to see example work. Director
Daniel and I meet this week to make the final decision.
Women’s Group:
3 women have finished repaying their microloans! And one of
those has started the “savings” program! She says that now she is used to
putting money aside from the week and that we can guard the money for her and
then one day when she needs it, we can give it back to her… SHE LEARNED! I’m so
proud of them all, I love my women.
Also Doc Stephanie came to visit! She came to my village and
we threw a welcome party, complete with homemade rice pate that my women all
threw down to pay for. And when she
asked them to introduce themselves and say what their occupation was, every
single woman had an occupation to say! Idk if you all remember but last year
only 1/3 of the women could say they had a job and most women couldn’t even look
me in the eye. Now they’re doing “bonc d’amour”,
making soap, and raising money on their own!
It’s one of the hardest jobs that I have ever had… It is up
and down, and sometimes sideways and backwards… On its “up” days, I consider
teaching as a serious professional path; and on its “down” days, I question my
presence in Togo in general.
The week before last, I spent surveying exams, grading
papers and filling out the report card titles for 5ieme. I didn’t catch any cheaters this time around
but the exam for my class was super hard! And my students didn’t do too well…
It was a rough week.
School Clubs:
“Scientifique” (science club):
We set up handwashing stations at the school using plastic
bottles, large sticks, string and rocks! Then we had the students do a training
the next morning to all the other students at the school about how to use the stations
and the importance of hygiene and washing hands! A week or two later, my host
brother Boris replicated and set up a station at the house! He’s so awesome!!
In this group, we have done health and hygiene sessions and
try to get students involved and acting as leaders in the school
community. We try to get them to do
sketches every group meeting.
School Health Trainings:
My Plan Togo partner, Komi, and I invited the Major at the
hospital to do a joint health session with the 4ieme class. This was in response to rumors going around
about a girl contracting HIV. We wanted
to nip the rumors in the bud and educate not only that class but all
classes. We talked about general
HIV/AIDS info, like what it is, how it’s contracted, what to do if you think
you may have contracted it, how to avoid/prevent contracting it (and other
STDs) and how to help diminish the stigma of HIV positive people in the
community. The session went pretty well
and we hope to do this same session with all classes and with the apprentices
as well in the future.
English Teachers Training (Conseil Pedagogique):
On February 7th, I spent the day brainstorming
with 7 other English teachers in my area.
We discussed where everyone was in their lessons for each level, and
what difficulties we were having teaching English. We then chose a difficulty, which was teaching
writing and came up with a great list of ideas to facilitate writing activities
for each level! In the end, when we were waiting for refreshments, they were
all quizzing my American English accent and pronunciation of words. Each person took turns writing a difficult word
and having me pronounce it. I thought it
was a successful training. I always say
that I learn more than I teach here, and I’m pretty sure that day proved it.
CPN Tami (Tami Clinic):
I’m still weighing babies and helping with vaccination
paperwork! And I keep the guys on track about the purpose of weighing babies,
and the importance of talking to the mothers whose babies are moderately to
severely underweight. And I get to play
with babies =)
GAD:
I held a successful silent auction at the PDM training, and
sold a bunch of the GAD merchandise too! I also may have recruited a few people
to take over the GAD committee when my stage leaves. Oh, and we are finally done with all the
Vacation Enterprise paperwork! So PCVs can start requesting applications to
start the new program. We spent weeks
drafting and editing all the paperwork and hopefully it makes the next step of
the process that much easier!
House Manager:
Winter and I are still holding down the fort! We held a
joint meeting with our VAC representative, Ku, and were able to get everyone on
the same page and talk through some house issues. We are responsible for a monthly manager
report now (by security Peter), but other than that there aren’t too many
responsibilities to worry about. Well
besides keeping track of bills, payments, repairs, post office stuff, and
making sure someone is here for our cleaning lady on Fridays…
Dal Wak (pilgrimage):
I got invited to this Christian pilgrimage to a place called
Dal Wak, or the source of water for Dapaong.
There were hundreds of people that showed up, and it felt like a mix
between fashion show and church service.
We sat through a 4-5 hour service in French and Moba, then walked to the
source to take photos, ate food and then carried on with our day. Although the service was longer than I would
have liked, I’m glad I went. It was
definitely a unique cultural experience that can only happen once a year.
Random Choses:
- · New Togolese boyfriend! ... Things weren’t working out with Eman, and shortly after I started dating my best friend from village, Djato (pronounced Gateau) Albert… We cook, clean, drink tchakpa, ride around, play cards… I just enjoy his company and there are much fewer problems J
- · There is an owl living in teacher’s lounge roof (it has a drop ceiling)… After all this time we had no idea what got caught up there and makes tons of noise throughout the day, one day a feather poked its way through a ceiling crack.
- · Zebra meat?? … So I thought I was eating Zebra one day with my new boyfriend because of how he was describing the animal whose meat was on my plate… The name was “biche”, and is apparently an antelope, not a zebra… haha. But I was so excited I was eating a zebra that I called my friend Winter and told her that she needed to rush over and eat it with me. Then she asked the question, “Wait, where would they find zebra in Togo?” And that’s when I began to question the translation. The food there, at Dapaong Soir, was really good though and only serves “bush meat” (rabbit, bushrat (agouti), and deer).
- · Rachel, my 2nd host mom, moved out. It was pretty dramatic as she rode away in the back of a truck, rented by my host dad, with all of her belongings. She moved to his parent’s house in Nanergou (so not very far). Although she was one of my favorite people in village and I miss her, the house is definitely more peaceful this way…
- · I’m still “gaming” people in the Togolese card game and building my “street cred”. It’s the best when I beat a group of old Togolese men at the only card game they’ve been playing for years…
- · I don’t think I’ve mentioned this, but I lost my Togocell sim card when I was in Ghana. After that it took two weeks for Togocell in Dapaong to get “reseau” (service) to recuperate the number (PC Togo started a family phone plan and recuperating that number would be much easier than adding a new number to the plan). Then when they did get service, it took over an hour and a half in waiting to solve a five minute problem (because everyone for the 3 weeks prior came in to solve their issues). And I’m still trying to get back numbers that I lost. Ca va aller…
- · 3 day training in Pagala?? Yes, I went down (about a 7 hour trip) on a Monday, had training on Tuesday, and then left Wednesday morning. This was training for the new format of our VRF (Volunteer Reporting Form)… And most questions that I had couldn’t be answered by PC staff… Needless to say most second year PCVs were just as happy leaving Pagala and they were coming (sarcasm of course). But at least I got to spend time with my PCV friends!
Closing thoughts…
The more I keep busy and work, the more fulfilled and happy
with my service and with myself I am.
On rough days, all my projects seem like failures, people
can be rude, I can’t seem to speak English (let alone French or Moba), and I
grow pimples thinking about post PC (what to do after my Completion of Service)…
But on good days, I feel like Belle from “Beauty and the
Beast” (greeting everyone in village), people are grateful and so appreciative
of my projects and presence, I’m so confident in my language skills that I
think I can be a professional translator, and I dream of all the places and possibilities
awaiting me after service…
Less than 6 months to go in Togo!
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