Update #14: Hard Work Pays Off

Dear Reader,

I am hoping that this message will find you doing quite well. As I write this to you, I am tired. I have just finished a marathon week - and am sitting in this Internet café in Chimoio reflecting on my life here as a Volunteer. Before coming to any uplifting conclusions (I can feel one coming on...) I do think it is important to say to you that I am happy, healthy, and had cheese twice yesterday. [Cheese, of course, being an indicator of the luxury I have enjoyed here in the city, as well as being an indicator of my satisfaction with my own hard work - resulting in a dairy-related treat.] So, in a nutshell, I am feeling satisfied.
Let me get right down to business though by telling you about this last week. Last year a number of Peace Corps Volunteers organized a large conference of young men and their teachers in the southern region of Mozambique. This year, the second annual JOMA (Jovems para Mudança e Acção) [Youth for Change and Action] conference was being held in the central region, here in the city of Chimoio. Most of the Volunteers are either involved in the planning and implementing of this week-long conference, or they are teachers around the country who accompany two of their students and one of their professor peers to sessions regarding mainly Gender concepts and the planning and implementing of Microprojects (projects that schools start and run in their communities with their students, etc.). This year the four microprojects involved were Community Art (mural painting), Journalism, Theatre, and Photojournalism. Students spent sessions being introduced to concepts in these areas, and throughout the week got a chance to start honing their skills [by taking photos, writing articles, sketching and ultimately painting a mural, writing and participating in theater pieces].
In particular, a main focus of the training was focused on incorporating a discussion about gender roles in the community into these vehicles of expression. For example, the photojournalism group talked about poverty and gender roles after going out into the city and letting the participants take photos of what they deemed interesting subjects. The theater project too discussed what role a theater piece could have in helping people reevaluate some expectations that are placed on men and women - and came up with a brilliant one-act play about questioning modern and traditional stereotypical gender roles in Mozambican society. There are other examples I am leaving out, but for the sake of time...
Well originally, Reader, I wasn't going to be involved in this training, because as a health worker (not a teacher, who, by the way, are some of the hardest working Volunteers and incredibly dedicated to their students) I don't necessarily have consistent access to a group of youth that I would be able to go back to my community with and help them implement a program. A few weeks ago, however, after some seemingly innocent conversations about what kinds of activities the students and teachers might participate in in the evenings, I was asked to develop a week's worth of evening activities to help keep the group motivated, learning, building their relationships, and having fun. I did that, still under the impression that someone else would be there to run these activities. That was naive. I was asked, and I came down to implement this portion of the training. As matter-of-factly that I am expressing the idea, it was very exciting!
What I'm trying to tell you Reader, is that the organizers of this huge event let me come up with games and activities to do every evening - and I got to dive right back into that now-comfortable field of youth work, teambuilding, and giving youth an opporutnity to express themselves in a safe environment. In other words, it was more or less like going back to summer camp. Except, I suppose I am obligated to say, it was like going to summer camp with participants who had never ever seen anything like it, nor ever heard of anything like it. How incredible!
Reader, I'm going on and on about this because what they let me do was play one night of trust-builing type games, and then launch into a four-night ridiculous competition that incorporated all sorts of wacky activities taken from years at Seeds of Peace, among many others. [photo scavenger hunt, egg drop (!!!), bat spins, banana eating relay race] We split 40 students into two teams, based on the idea that by putting students from vastly different parts of the country on the same team, they would have an opportunity to make friends from places they have never been before (Mozambique is big and transportation is tough). For those who read the first entry on this blog, or are already familiar with my life before the Peace Corps, it was a sort of toned-down Color Games. The kids LOVED it. I can say with confidence that these teenagers got to experience something completely new and take home new ideas, friendships, and memories.
On a personal level, it felt wonderful to be able to bring another element to this program that helped them reach their overall goals. I was left with that feeling - - how lucky am I to be living in Mozambique, learning at every turn, playing games with kids and laughing hysterically - - and it's all what I'm supposed to be doing!? And, I should mention, the fact that during these wild evening activities we got to incorporate messages of teamwork, honesty, introspection, self-worth, creativity, and identity... well that is simply the glaze icing on the sour cream chocolate chip cake of being a Volunteer.
[ok my birthday is coming up, I can't help it - - my biological clock is simply in tune with such things.]
Anyway, with an unbelievable amount of work and patience, everyone involved made the JOMA training a big success. I am exhausted but feeling great about going home to go back to my life of supporting HIV information and programs in our community. That feels wonderful.
Well I did say that I was going to eventually come up with some rosy summation of my recent work, and having done so, am ready to pick up two packages from the post office (my second and third to arrive!!!) and get on a chapa headed first east, then north. Reader, thank you for your support - without which I would not be motivated to push as hard for the people that really deserve some support. You are in my thoughts constantly.

PEACE (of mind)

Kevin

ps. I wanted to also mention my personal favorite part of this week's conference. The organizers brought in for two afternoons a HIV testing counselor to give our participants the opportunity to get tested. They foresaw that doing so in a safe environment would perhaps for some give them an opportunity to learn of their situation away from prying eyes of their community. more than 50% of all participants got tested, and many of them (especially teenage students) for the first time. All throughout, teachers were accompanying their students for moral support. Also, because we had these two teams for evening activities, some brilliant volunteers and participants were going around rallying support for all the Pirates and Ninjas (long story) to go get tested. I was approached thursday evening by a young man - he said to me "eu sou pirata negativa" - "I am a negative Pirate". Tell me this isn't worth it...