The Hump Stage

As each day brings us closer to our one year mark, so too does the realization of how long we’ve truly been here and our work to show for it, thus far. It seems like most of my training class is in “the hump” stage – the point in service where frustrations are high and questions of whether or not Peace Corps is the right thing for them surface. I’ve found the best way to alleviate these feelings is to keep on pushing through, spending time with fellow PCVs and focusing effort on developing my primary project.

I spent the last weekend in Kigali. I hadn’t been to Kigali in a while and would by lying if I told you I wasn’t looking forward to a few days of hot showers, electricity and good food. Proving once again that my mental health is tied directly to food, I was overjoyed to find Lay’s potato chips stocked at a popular supermarket in the city. The weekend was exactly what I needed – laughing with my friends, reading ridiculous stories about ants, creating a Peace Corps soundtrack set to Glee music and watching the most excellent and Oscar-worthy movie, “Beastly”. One night, we (well, not I – I helped set the table) even cooked an Asian meal, complete with homemade kimchi and bulgogi. Needless to say, a great, great weekend.

My time in Kigali wasn’t just fun – I did throw a little business into the mix. I met with a Peace Corps staff member to go over ideas for my primary project and clear up some lingering questions I had. I thought my project proposal would either go over really well or not at all, so I was quite relieved when I got the stamp of approval. Essentially, I am planning a short training for the CHWs, community health workers. CHWs are unpaid, local members of the community who volunteer to assist health center staff with providing a more streamlined approach to healthcare. Their duties range from dispensing medicine, to visiting homes of the sick, to leading small health-focused presentations in the field. While the CHWs contribute much to Rwanda’s healthcare system, most receive very little technical training necessary to effectively carry out their expected tasks. Hosting a training for the CHWs was an idea that my counterpart and I developed, and we decided to focus on two districts in Rwanda – Nyamagabe (my own) and Nyaruguru (a neighboring district). Both districts consistently score the lowest in the nation on numerous health issues, especially malnutrition. So, that will be our focus. The training will have sessions ranging from food security/kitchen gardening to positive deviance models of good eating and meal preparation to proper chart management and tracking of malnourished children. While only a handful of CHWs from various health centers will be able to attend, afterwards, they will be expected to teach and share what they learned with the rest of the CHWs from their respective areas. This project is just in its infancy stage – I haven’t even started writing the grant yet. But, it’s something I’m getting very excited about and also, even more importantly, something that will keep me busy.

When wondering why so many of us Health 3ers have been struggling lately, it’s easy to point a finger at a number of issues as the cause that’s the source of our grief. Rwanda is such a new Peace Corps post that staff and volunteers alike are still working out the bumps in the road. I sometimes find myself jealous of the education volunteers, who seemingly have an established and clear job and an immediate role to play upon their arrival in their communities. I think for most health volunteers, there’s a lack of immediacy in our jobs and the feedback that we receive. Often, when teaching, it’s apparent whether or not the lesson was successful and you can interpret smiles on your students’ faces as direct, positive feedback. Almost all the things I’ve done thus far at my health center lack that element of direct, immediate and clear feedback. What I’m doing, and what many other Health PCVs are doing, is a little less tangible. Yet, the most important thing Peace Corps is teaching me is about managing expectations and continuing to find work in an ever-changing framework. While I know it seems like we are in a constant uphill battle, I hope my fellow Health 3ers say strong and keep on pushing. In the wise words of my fellow friend and Health 3er Lindsay, “turikumwe, bitches”. Komera.