Update #30: Reflections on Two Years of Service

Dear Reader,

I write you this from my dining room table. It is late afternoon and quiet. I am unaware of the temperature outside. Correction: it is whatever temperature at which the adhesive I have used to post photos on my wall loses its sticky quality - - making my friends and family curl up and drift to the floor one by one in an untimely autumn. It’s way too hot for autumn.

I hope that this message finds you in good health. I hope that you are happy and aware of the good you have in your life. I always need to take a moment to think about such things.

Reader, my intention is for this message to inform you as to the goings on in this, the final quarter of my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique. Much has transpired since last I wrote. I am pleased to tell you that there are many wonderful things happening here. Well, for example:

§ One of the small businesses I consult, a man who runs a private plant nursery – was recently contracted to germinate native trees (20,000 actually) by an organization based in the central region of Mozambique. We worked hard to come up with some sample budgets, making sure that his business would profit and potentially grow with this project. I recently got word from him (and some fresh produce) that the price we came up with was agreed on and that he stands to make a considerable profit while also increasing his ability to do more business in the future (by building a water tank, acquiring a diesel water pump, and building additional shelter to shade plants from the strong sun). That is very encouraging!

§ Also, the young man who sells phone credit (who has worked with me on budgeting and math skills since last year some time, for those just tuning in) continues to turn solid profit. He is quite the businessman now at 16 years old, and has plans for well into the future. That is perhaps the most rewarding part of the many hours we’ve spent together - - hearing his ideas about what’s next. I so admire his hard work, honesty, and vision. It inspires me to work harder.

§ Unrelated perhaps, but two days ago I was offered some hippopotamus meat. It was tasty. Something I have failed to mention up to this point is that the area where I live is home to many hippos. Unfortunately, they are known to leave the water in the evenings in search of grasses to eat. Sometimes they end up eating out of people’s fields and cause quite a lot of damage. Hippos are also quite dangerous to humans. This leads to the occasional killing of a hippopotamus by the local government, in the name of protecting citizens and their crops. As a result one such event, I was offered about a kilogram of an animal that had been shot near the Zambezi river. Hearing about hippos eating people’s crops has lost its novelty to me, but I realized that I had not yet shared that aspect of my life here with you. [NOTE: Reader, there are many stereotypes about life in “Africa”, one being that big wild animals roam the streets and are easily spotted. For the record, I have never seen a live hippo in my two years in this community. This is simply to keep things in perspective.]
[NOTE: Also, I put the name Africa in quotations to remind myself that this is an enormous continent of 50+ countries and countless cultures and languages. I try to keep that in mind – it’s a bit like saying “America” without taking into account that we are 300 million people with all sorts of ideas, backgrounds, and dreams.]

§ Also in August I was presented with the opportunity to plan and implement a training to 11 Peace Corps Volunteers who arrived in late 2007 in the area of Peer Support. I may have previously mentioned that I am a member of PC Mozambique’s Peer Support Network (PSN). Our goal is to support fellow Volunteers and help make sure that people are healthy and happy - - and thus able to do the incredible work that Volunteers do. Reader, as I have also previously described, the stress of being far from your family, friends, familiar culture, native language, comfort foods, holidays, media, pets, climate… you name it! - - this stress is an active factor in our day-to-day ability to function and be productive.
After a lot of preparation, I am quite pleased to announce that the training was a wonderful success. We spent 2 and a half days in Maputo learning about stress and various techniques that can help in relaxation and focus during difficult times. We discussed at length how to support our peers, despite the constant risk of exhaustion and burn-out. This includes dealing with stress and guilt issues related to poverty, HIV and AIDS, overall lack of resources, gender inequality, and corruption. I am further pleased to tell you after this training, I have full confidence that the group of Volunteers that constitutes the new PSN will have no problem helping guarantee the success of Volunteers here and the amazing work they do for their communities.

§ Another positive aspect of late is that for my work with FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), we were recently granted a fund to do an exchange visit with another district (county, if you will) in another province to give 12 of our stakeholders a better of idea of how it is that our program can effectively support children who have been orphaned. The exchange visit was a big success. We got lots of positive feedback, and have already seen some results in terms of energized facilitators and school directors. It was also a chance for me to take a back seat and encourage my colleagues to supervise. I am quite set on making sure that after I’ve moved back to the U.S. the program continues its success and goes on to support our participants even more. More on that in a minute.

§ Related to that also, Reader, was a visit we received here where I live from FAO Maputo (the headquarters in the capital). Mostly it was meetings and visits to schools, but we received praise for our efforts. The coordinator of our program even took me aside and told me he could see how hard we’ve worked and that he liked what he was seeing! Hey, a little acknowledgement goes a long way - - don’t you think?

§ Lastly, as Peace Corps protocol dictates, all of the Volunteers from my group that arrived in Mozambique in 2006 gathered together for a Close of Service Conference in August. At this conference we got a chance to talk about what it means to close up two years of service in a community - - how to begin saying goodbye and making plans for the future. Processing all of these thoughts and feelings is a monumental task.
You see, when I first set foot in my community there were only about two people who had prior knowledge of my arrival. No one knew who I was or why I was here. From that day to this, Reader, I have spent all of my energy establishing a life: a home, friends, colleagues, work, acquaintances… filling in all the details, from scratch. Every greeting in the street, every piece of furniture, every knowing smile. Now, to pack two suitcases and leave that life is an extremely daunting task. [not unlike leaving you to come here in 2006, as a friend pointed out to me yesterday]. I will continue to share my thoughts on this in future entries.

That is to say, that as I write you now, in about six weeks I will be headed back to the United States. I am taking a lot of time to process this transition and what it means to me.

I feel two emotions at once. I am heartbroken to leave my community – I have poured myself entirely into life here for two years, and the idea of not being here to greet a friend or teach a child, well, is unbearable. Simultaneously, I am so excited and energized to be amongst those I love and care so much about (YOU, Reader) - - those who have inspired me and supported me throughout this and many other journeys. I am determined to keep focused on the positive. I will take with me many rich experiences and wonderful friendships (that I will work to maintain). I will bring them back to the U.S. and share them with you. I will use them to inform my life and career, both in the service others.

So in the spirit of that which I have just written, I will tell you the following two items:

1. My plan as of now is to move to the Washington DC area to work and be near my

family come late November. I have already started my job search (despite limited access to internet). I am interested in working in the fields of youth development and/or conflict resolution. I am, perhaps even more importantly, interested in working for a wonderful organization with good people doing good work. (I suppose that means I am somewhat flexible.) Reader, if you know of available positions, have contacts, or ideas that might be helpful to me, would you please let me know? Email me at kevinskolnik@yahoo.com. I have a résumé ready to send to you if it would help.

2. If not job related, please do feel free to contact me. You may have questions or insights about this phase of my Volunteer service – and I want to hear them. Would you like to know more about my community? Should I take photos of something I’ve mentioned in past entries? I would be happy to oblige.

So, in closing, I want you to know that you are very much in my thoughts. Among other things, I am wishing you health and perspective in the weeks ahead. Let’s be in contact - - I will let you know how I am and what is going on here (and I’ll try to post photos if at all possible). In the meantime, do take good care of yourself and those around you.

PEACE (of mind)

Kevin

Ps. I would like to thank these musicians for their inspiration: Beethoven, the Resophonics, my brother Benjamin, Cephas and Wiggins, Djaaka, The Who, Kansas, Kanye West, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, and Stevie Wonder.