Little Things

 

Second term is up and running…actually the term itself , the part where the teaching goes on…is half over. The term started on April 24 and is slated to end on July 20^th. But that calendar includes what is called the “Exam Period and Marking Periods”. That means I have classes that I teach from April 24^th-June 25^th. And then classes are over. I get one week to prepare my exams. The students take their exams for the first two weeks of July. Then they are finished and I have one week to mark the exams I have given. If I hated teaching, it would be awesome. But I love teaching and all that time during the term when I am not teaching just seems like a waste to me. It also makes me feel like I am cheating the students of at least another week of English education. Not that they mind finishing when they do, I’m sure. It’s not easy to learn a third-or for some of them- a fourth language. But I really do love walking into the classroom and getting that communication going with my students. When they get excited about learning, it gets me excited about teaching and vice versa. It’s like this happy circle (instead of a vicious circle) and I appreciate all the work my students do for my classes. As it is, I now have less than four weeks from today to stuff them with information before my  time with them is up for this term.  Once June 25^th rolls around it’s all studying for them and it’s all prepping and marking and proctoring for me. And believe it or not, that doesn’t take up a huge amount of time. At least not a full month’s worth of time. My exams are already written and ready to go. I wrote them last weekend. So there’s going to be a lot of thumb-twiddling for me the last weekend in June…sigh.

New developments have occurred at my school, some good, some not-so-good. Two large owls have taken up residence in the rafters above the Secretary’s office. One owl is black, one is white. We think they are married. In spite of this, I have christened them “Paul McCartney” and “Stevie Wonder”. They sit on the rafters about twelve or fifteen feet up and sleep all day. We assume they are sleeping anyway. They leave at dusk and return the next morning after eating their fill of isombe and ubugali or mice and lizards…whatever Rwandan owls eat. They also poop a lot. I first discovered their existence when I was found staring at a large amount of owl excreta in front of the office door. I was trying to figure out what it was and then once I did, where it had come from. The Secretary looked at the poop, then at me. She pointed to the rafters so I could spy the owl and said, “This creature…this is a bad thing…look there are two!”  It seems the owls are there to stay as we have no way to scare them off or get them to abandon their new perch. We even discussed it in a staff meeting. No one has any ideas of how to resolve this situation, we just have to watch our heads when we walk by the office..

There has been a “pink-eye” epidemic in Rwanda and it has spread like gangbusters. It seems like in Rwanda, any ailment, major or minor warrants a trip to either a health center or a hospital. So we have had gaps in our classes where a fair amount of students have gone to said facilities to be treated. There have also been a good amount of phonies and even some girls that faked it so effectively (I have no idea how) that they were sent home to their parents.

One of the girls brought a wooden gun to school. It was obviously a toy but in a country that still has the memory of killers going through military exercises with wooden guns, this was serious indeed. She said she brought it to illustrate a “religious point” in one of her club meetings. I am really glad I am not the Prefets de Discipline. I don’t know how that one was resolved.

There is a boy who has started to sell candy and cookies to the girls just outside the school on the road leading away from the school. Consumption of candy and cookies is forbidden during the term and it’s also leading to more trash on the school grounds from the wrappers. The Headmistress is very displeased and there was even a school meeting convened to address-along with the “pink-eye” phonies- this culture of dishonesty that seems to be springing up and how disappointed the Sisters were in the girl’s behavior. This hasn’t stopped the girls who wait stealthily for the Sisters to walk by before darting out to make their purchases. Some of the other teachers are cracking down pretty hard on any girl found eating contraband in the classrooms. I haven’t. There have been many mornings when I’ve smelled coconut oil (the flavoring in the cookies) in my classroom. It just makes me hungry.

Speaking of food, my introduction of a parade of American hot sauces sent in care packages from the U.S has made me quite popular in the Teacher’s Lounge. So far, the concensus seems to be: Siracha was a thumbs up, Tabasco was just okay, the chipotle pepper sauce was too smoky-sweet, the Buffalo sauce was a winner, and the  green chili sauce was not spicy enough.

There has now been the following animals in my bedroom:  a baby mouse who ,creepily,grabbed a granola bar wrapper that had fallen to the floor and ran out of the house with it, a large cicada who kept buzzing me, spiders the size of half dollars, black ants as big as pencil erasers, a large yellow toad that I caught in a bucket and dumped outside, and the always dependable kamikaze crickets.

The school is now serving the students breakfast and so have incorporated a “bathroom break’ into the school day. As it stands, the school day begins at 8am and lasts until 430 pm with a 15 minute break at 1030 and a break for lunch and rest from 1230-2pm. Now there will be another 10 minute break from 940-950. Don’t ask, I have no idea how this is supposed to make sense. Traditionally, breakfast is not a part of the Rwandan culture. In the past the school had offered porridge with sugar to the students as a breakfast but discontinued it this year when teacher’s complained that students were taking too much time going to the bathroom. I guess having them crabby and falling asleep due to low blood sugar was not much better. As of this week, porridge at 630am is back on the menu.

I broke my stove again and had to take it apart to ascertain the problem. At one point I almost cried, it was so not coming together. I almost gave up and called the Minnesotan to help me. But in a final burst of ingenuity and the assistance of an orange stick, a safety pin, and a bobby pin, I did it myself.  I am proud to say, it took me three hours to take it apart, fix it, and put it back together again. I also got extremely dirty in the process and was covered in kerosene residue, soot, and sweat…but I got it fixed, dammit! I guess I am “handier” than I thought.

I would like to thank Dr. Dre,  and  Messieurs Eminem, Favor-Flav, Jay-Z, and  Snoop Dogg for helping me teach my Creative Performance class how to express themselves through song and dialogue. Rwanda is a culture of “Everything’s fine until it isn’t”. So translating the works of the above artists was a lesson for the students  in the idea I was trying to communicate that “Art doesn’t have to be beautiful but it does have to be thought provoking or inspire emotion.” They were having a hard time wrapping their heads around that. Next week the groups that translated the rap songs I played for them, are performing their own rap songs that they wrote themselves on a topic of their choosing. It’s very exciting!

During an extremely boring meeting I counted two teachers wearing red socks, one wearing pink socks, and three wearing white. I also discovered by accident that the crucifixes in the classrooms glow in the dark. Furthermore, I found out, thanks to a staff member  and much to my surprise that my favorite song in Kinyarwanda is about two cousins who are in love with each other but of course, cannot consummate that love. Gross. Finally, I was told by another staff member that “ Your culture is rude and selfish but they have very good ideas related to the economics, the education, and the hygiene.” Hmph.

Self-Assessment

 

• I think I am mutating. I think I might be changing into something different from what I was when I came to Rwanda. It started with my feet. I’ve noticed that the bottoms of my feet have become somewhat tougher and no matter how much I pumice them, they are still a bit harder than I seem to remember them being.  Also, when I wear gym shoes or “closed- toed shoes” for a while I notice that for an hour after I take them off my feet become red. As if they are angry with me for fencing them in and have gotten used to the increased oxygen flow of my usual attire of sandals and flip flops. This is strange to me because I don’t go barefoot here and back in the U.S as long as it wasn’t snowing or raining out I was known to have worn more than a few pairs of “open toed shoes”. Hmm.
• Another thing is that I really like teaching English. I do. I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud. I actually like teaching English grammar and style. This is coming from a person for whom diagramming sentences in 5^th grade was a fate worse than death.  I have taught History and Conversational English but neither of those requires teaching grammar. Some vocabulary but never grammar. I’m surprised at myself. I’m actually having fun grading my students work and taking the time with them to go over their homework changing “I go at school” to “I go to school” and “How many years do you have” to “How old are you?”. There’s something quite satisfying about it. It’s even…fun. I can’t figure it out. Teaching English grammar requires a certain “finickiness” of character in my way of thinking. Was I wrong? Or have I become more of a stickler for details in my thirties?
• Recently the PCMO  made a comment to me that, quote, “You are a very social person” unquote. It struck me as odd for him to say that. I guess we never stop learning about ourselves. An offhand statement someone makes can make you stop and think about your own ideas of who you are as a person. Me? I’m a “social person”? But…I like being alone. I like to read and cook and take baths and write…alone. I don’t even like the television or the radio on when I am by myself unless I happen to be actively watching or listening to a program. Too much noise, too many things going on scatters my thoughts and makes me lose my concentration. I mean, it’s different if I’m at a party or with my family or at a crowded restaurant. I was more extroverted ten years ago, that much is true. And I don’t like to be alone all the time, yes. I don’t get it…my favorite mornings are spent drinking tea and reading mystery novels with my dog. My favorite evenings have me at the kitchen table going through paperwork with a glass of wine, humming to myself.  So, then, what exactly makes me a “social person” from an outsider’s perspective?
• I am becoming one of those people I always hated when I was in high school and college. The ones who say things like, “Why do __? I know how it’s going to end” or “What you should do is___” or “ Are you sure you want to do __?”. The grownup who warns a person not to do something and then the person goes and does it and the thing you warned them about happens  and they come back to you all sad and upset and bewildered and you have to bite your tongue because you just knew that was going to happen. And how did you know that? Because it happened to you ten years before exactly the same way. Or you tell people things like, “Do you have a flashlight to take with you? A sweater? A can of mace? Did you brush your teeth/go to the bathroom/remember to lock the door?” Apparently and according to other PCV’s I have graduated from “Older sister” to “Mom”.  The other day my colleagues laughed at me because they saw me take my handkerchief out of my bag and wipe the umukozi’s little girl’s nose with it. Urgh…
• I am becoming, or (horror) have already become…uncool. At least to the younger generation. Meaning anyone under the age of 23.  Not uncool like “I listen to the wrong music” uncool or “I wear last year’s skinny jeans” uncool.  But terminally uncool. No turning back uncool. In my opinion I am still seriously cool…maybe so seriously cool I have blown past regular coolness and arrived at “plaid” coolness. For my age group I think Matt and I are a pretty cool couple. We drink beer from  microbreweries no one’s ever heard of and read the New York Times magazine. We live in a neighborhood with just the right mix of the “stroller set” and the urban hipster. We spend our weekends at street festivals and art galleries.  We shop at organic markets, buying things like soft tofu and chocolate with 70 percent cacao. We wear classically tailored yet trendy clothing appropriate for our age group and socioeconomic status. We are able to discuss politics and art and new music without looking stupid. That’s cool, right?  But try telling that to the PCV’s just out of college. Did I party this much? Did I stay out this late? And two or three nights in a row? Did I sound like this?  I find myself thinking things like, “They’re wearing that?” or “ He/She wants to date him/her…but he/she is…!” as I sit watching other people get ready to go out, happy to be wearing my comfy pj’s and watching “Bridget Jones Diary” on my laptop. I get asked to accompany people and I think about a hot, crowded smoky nightclub and having to deal with undesirable people and situations and I decline happily foregoing the ensuing headache from too much bass, the inevitable transportation nightmare, and the exorbitant entrance fees. So yeah…my tolerance level for the shenanigans of the youth I spend time with has made me question what exactly had happened to me. When did I become the “coolness equivalent” to a ratty bathrobe and house slippers?
• I have a sneaking suspicion that maybe, just maybe…I can’t cook after all. I grew up in a family of cooks. Not chefs, cooks. Women usually, but the occasional man, who could take anything edible and turn it into something delicious. My grandmother could have nothing in her kitchen but oxtails, a few cubes of bouillion,a can of crushed tomatoes, some herbs, a pound of over-ripe veggies, and the barley leftover at the very bottom of the Quaker cardboard container to work with. Two hours later we would be eating the richest, most delicious oxtail soup you’ve ever tasted. Sometimes I can mimic that magic. At home, in the U.S.A. here in Rwanda I have been able to successfully turn out a handful of really good stuff. But when I hear about what other PCV’s are managing to produce on their tiny kerosene stoves and in their colonial era kitchens  I am in awe and feel slightly insecure. Chili and garlic green beans, bread, yogurt, apple pie…apparently someone is even making cheese.  I have been, these past 6 months at site, on a  rotation of Pancakes, Curry, Fajitas, Tacos, Guacamole, Veggie Stew, Soup, Chili, A variety of pasta dishes, and Eggs.
• I think I am slowly becoming less attractive. I don’t know if that statement is actually true or not. But it feels like it. My weight keeps fluctuating depending on whether I am eating someone else’s cooking or my own. The African sun on my face is producing “smile lines” if not full-blown wrinkles and even though I moisturize daily, I fear after 27 months I won’t look 34 but instead 54. No matter how much yoga I do, the slight stomach, hips, and thighs inherited from a thousand years of Mexican DNA  are not budging. On the upside, due to said yoga I have become a hugely flexible guitar-shaped girl instead of just a guitar-shaped girl. And forget about the boobs. Unless I go on a starvation diet, there’s no way they are going to get small enough to allow me to comfortably add cardio to a fitness routine. I also have a sneaking suspicion that my upper arms are becoming tiny bat-wings. Shiver. Aging doesn’t freak me out but coming from the life experience of a woman who from the age of 17 on was considered none too shabby in the looks department…it’s a paradigm shift.

 

The Jubilee Pt. 2

 

So, I went to IST. And the day I returned, a Saturday, Rwaza was a changed place. Everything that was supposed to be done, got done.  The school was sparkling with a new paint job, holes in cement floors repaired, new light fixtures,  flowers planted where there were none the week before, …even a new computer in the Secretary’s office!  Many of the students were lined up in front of several furiously working “umudozis”-seamstresses as last minute alterations to their outfits were made. Other students were occupied happily hanging homemade paper chains, stars, hearts, and posters around the school. It was positively a festive atmosphere and I was sorry I hadn’t been there that week previous to join in the fun and the sense of pride everyone had in the school.Of course I would find out that little teaching and even less learning had gone on in the week  I’d been gone but the students seemed none the worse for it when classes resumed later that week after the Jubilee celebration. I got my lessons planned for the week, did some cleaning and unpacking, swept the spiderwebs out from the corners of my house(man those guys get busy when I’m gone), and was told I would have to be at the Secretary’s office at 8am on Monday morning to start in on my Jubilee duties. I texted one of the Sisters about my “umushanana” which I had never been measured for. No answer. I texted the other female staff…no answer. I resigned myself to possibly having to wear one of the dresses I’d brought with me as it looked like with me gone, my outfit for the celebration had been forgotten about. And then on Sunday night one of the female teachers knocked on my door. In her hands was my dress. I put it on the table in the front room and went to sleep.

I woke up at 7am and did my thing to be all clean and Rwandan for the partay. I did my makeup and rejoiced in the fact that a fellow PCV had given me a very tight French braid the Saturday before I left IST. It was still “in” and looked great. And then I tried to get dressed. The slip went on and the exercisey looking top. But I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to put either of the two pieces of the “umushanana” on. I tried for a good twenty minutes and then called a female staff member to rescue me. For the first time in my adult life, I was dressed by another human being. She put everything on me, step by step, showing me exactly what she was doing in case I ever wanted to wear the dress again. I owe her big time. Once she’s finished dressing the hapless “Muzungu”, she threw on her dress and we walked to the Secretaries office together. The Secretary and some of my fellow teachers and even some students were waiting near the door and let out exclamations of appreciation at my appearance. The school secretary gave me the best compliment, “You wear Rwandan clothing very nice, beautiful.” The girls couldn’t believe their English teacher from America was wearing an “umushanana. I felt less like an idiot after that and more like a member of the team as we walked to the Parish Church for the 3 hour Mass led by the Bishop. Everyone was there from the parish, the school, and the surrounding community, so it seemed. The place was packed and the Mass progressed with its eleventy billion songs, benedictions, drumming, dancing (this is Rwanda after all)and pronouncements-the incense waving was a plus. The girls looked beautiful in their emerald green and black tea length dresses-if a little like inhabitants of the Emerald City in “The Wizard of Oz”. I stared at the Bishop and tried not to think of Futurama’s “Spacepope”. People stared at me and I didn’t know if it was because I was “Muzungu” or because I was a “Muzungu” in an “umushanana”. The Sisters had hired a cameraman and everything that could be filmed was filmed.  I had to go to the bathroom halfway through and one of the ushers led me to the rectory bathroom where with the precision of a surgeon, I managed to go without soiling my dress in any way.I was very pleased with myself.

After the service, it was time to go back to the school for the speeches, the food, and the student performances. I was not a spectator in all this remember: I had a job to do. So I put on my best “Betty Draper” smile and directed people who came through the school where to go, saying hello to them in Kinyarwanda to their surprise. I didn’t see many of the student performances: songs, thank-you speeches and tributes to Rwaza, the Sisters, teachers, donors, and alumni for all they had done in 50 years, traditional dances,and last but not least a poem in English the girls had written themselves. It sounded like it went over very well. There was a presentation of gifts to the major officials at the assembly and more speeches, always more speeches, interminable, unending, repetitive speeches. I didn’t hear most of them since I and a number of the other teachers were starving by 2pm and had snuck off from our duties to hide in the infirmary where all the beer was being stored. Some things are just so international.We helped ourselves to an Amstel or three and somehow that influx of grain in liquid form assuaged our low blood sugar exhaustion and simultaneous wish to kill someone. The meal was served at 3pm and my job at that point was to open and serve Fanta, beer, banana beer, tonic, bottled water, and straws. They even gave us bottle-openers from a large box. Each bottle opener had a different scantily-clad model on it. It was amusing. As I served I exercised my mad Kinyarwanda skills and thrilled a large group of old ladies. They spouted something off I didn’t understand and a fellow teacher translated: “They say it is strange for them, a Muzungu who serves Africans and not the other way around!”. I passed out toothpicks after the meal was over and collected empty bottles and trash. The teachers still hadn’t eaten. Slowly, around 430pm, everyone left. Everything had gone so well, so smoothly, everyone was happy and full of good wishes and compliments. The good mood was infectious. The head of MINEDUC had been there, the Mayor of Musanze, the Police Chief, the Bishop, and numerous other dignitaries had come to congratulate Rwaza for being one of the best schools in Rwanda and to wish it and the Sisters and Staff another successful 50 years. I couldn’t have agreed more.

Finally, the last of the guests filed out of the school and the girls set about changing their clothes and being the final cleanup crew. They had gotten to eat with the dignitaries. I was ravenous and by the time the food made its way to the Teacher’s Lounge, I was almost in a swoon. We ate and I was never so happy for a plate of goatmeat, potatoes, green beans, tomato sauce, rice, cabbage, and beans. It also turned out that there had been a slight miscalculation of beer and there was a ton left over that would have to be drunk before the trucks came to collect the empty bottles. It was already paid for, after all. The cases were brought to the Teacher’s Lounge and two open ones were placed in front of me without me even having to ask. I sat there digesting, tired, and enjoying the banter of my equally exhausted colleagues. It felt so good to eat that I didn’t even care when the Sisters said we would now have an “evaluation meeting”. For 90 minutes we sat about thinking of ways we could have made the Jubilee better, what we failed to do, and what we could do at the close of the Jubilee in a year’s time. Finally, I stood up and said how proud I was to be a part of this school, how pleased I was with the way everything had gone and what we had been able to accomplish with comparatively little resources, and how lucky I felt that of all the schools in Rwanda, I had been placed at Rwaza with such caring staff, such great students, and such a supportive administration.. Everyone clapped. I guess I am becoming a little Rwandan after 8 months in. The girls had no bedtime on this special night so they ran around like banshees and we teachers hung out and traded anecdotes while we finished the case of beer. I promised to write a special article about the Jubilee in English for the website/newsletter. Later, I walked back to my little house with an escort of teachers carefully picking my way between the bricks, mindful of my dress. The moon was bright and full and I was happy…very, very, happy.  The next day was “Rwandan Labor Day” so nobody had to teach. I slept in.

The Jubilee Pt. 1

 

This year-2012- is the year of the school’s Golden Jubilee. That means, it’s been 50 years since G.S.N.D A  Rwaza has been established.  Yep, the Sisters of the Assumption have been plugging away on the side of this mountain for half a century. 50 years of educating the flower of Rwandan womanhood. 50 years of providing a constructive and appreciative work environment for its lay staff. 50 years of alternating meals of rice and beans, kawunga and beans, or sweet potatoes and beans. This calls for a celebration, yo.  Preparations for the Jubilee, according to the Minnesotan, started last academic year. That was when the Jubilee celebration was supposed to happen. But there was a “color guard” change in the form of a new Bishop coming to the diocese and the school thought it best to wait for the changeover before proceeding. I don’t know how the whole timing thing was supposed to work out or whether the school being founded in 1962 vs. 1961 matters in this sort of thing. The Sisters explained to me that a Jubilee is supposed to last an entire year. It’s not just a one-time celebration…it’s an extended year-long thing. The day it starts you throw a huge party, the day it ends a year later you throw a huge party. I have no idea what’s supposed to happen in the middle.  That being said, it is a sort of party. But it’s a Rwandan party and one sponsored by the Catholic Church. And every Catholic knows that yes, alcohol will be involved…and good food and fabulous costumes and incense and plenty of flashy plateware…but  the Rwandan element will ensure  a pretty good amount of super long boring speeches and everyone thanking everyone interminably until you want to stab yourself in the ears if only to hear something different than the million, “Murakose’s, murakose’s” that you just know will extend every remark well past the allotted time for proper etiquette.  I knew what I was in for, I even promised to help in January when the term started and the Jubilee was first mentioned. Sometimes I think I should be committed as a form of self-protection against the decisions I make.

The new academic year started with one of the Sisters taking a large portable chalkboard and dividing it up into several sections using colored chalk. This chalkboard would serve as “command central” for the next few months as the entire staff of the school was dragooned into performing a variety of tasks in preparation for the event. The committees were ‘Media”, “Technical” “Liturgical “Protocol” and “Service”. I signed up for “Service” which I think meant that I would be smiling a lot and directing people towards food and drink. I can do that…that’s how I paid for grad school. A week later after we’d all signed on to our respective committees, another chalkboard was out up next to the first and this chalkboard had all the duties of the different committees spelled out in detail. Oh, and did I mention it was written in French?  I translated my section as best I could. Just as I thought. I had signed up to be a “hostess with the mostest”. I knew the weekend before the Jubilee I would be at IST for Peace Corps, so I was relieved that what I had committed myself today wasn’t going to be anything really that would require my participation in tons of mini-meetings in the 3 months we had to prepare nor would I be expected to accomplish a slew of last-minute doo-jobbies. Other teachers and Staff, including the Sisters, had a shit ton more responsibility in all of this. It was like the President was coming to Rwaza and all the stops would have to be pulled out. The website would be updated, fancy invitations printed, food and drink ordered-enough to choke a horse, extra staff would be hired to help with the cooking, the girls all needed to get new dresses to wear, the school had to be ajaxed like nobody’s business, repairs and touchups had to be made, new materials had to be bought, media had to be contacted, and landscaping had to be done. My role in the Jubilee would for the most part begin and end the day off the event itself. I was more than fine with that. Soon after we were all given our assignments during a four hour meeting led by the sweet but long-winded head committee of Sisters. I tried not to fall asleep heavy as I was with kawunga and beans, while they droned on in mostly French and Kinyarwanda. I, as usual, sat next to a fellow teacher who translated everything and inexplicably would casually start rubbing my arm at intervals until I most definitely moved it under the table and a foot away from him. What I got out of all of it? This Jubilee was a big deal, lots of important officials would be present, and G.S.N.D A Rwaza was bound and determined not to make asses of ourselves. I could do that.

Then there was the matter of what we all would be wearing. This took days to resolve. First we couldn’t agree on what the men would be wearing. Some of the teachers wanted to wear “shiny suits”, some didn’t. Some wanted to wear all white shirts, some wanted to choose their own shirt collar. Some teachers questioned whether they might agree on a style of suit but each teacher could decide how best he wanted to wear said style. Some teachers wanted a  3 button suit and a vest, some wanted a 2 button suit, no vest. Shoes with laces or not? Bow ties, cravat-style ties, or plain old regular ties? Could they be shiny? Did they have to be the same color and pattern tie? There were actually raised voices in the teacher’s lounge over this. Everyone wanted to look good but no one could agree what that meant. I asked the Minnesotan to clarify what had been agreed upon in the end. He shrugged and said he wasn’t sure but he would just wear what they told him to.

The girls had an easier time of it and I was the focus of much speculation. As the only non-Rwandan woman in the bunch, there was a hesitancy I found when it came down to deciding what we would all wear. No one thought that a “Muzungu” would want to wear a traditional Rwandan woman’s fancy occasion dress. I told them I was hoping I would be asked to wear a traditional dress.  In fact, I was looking forward to it.They were tickled and confused all at once. A “Muzungu” wants to wear an “umushanana”? How odd! But once they were sure I wasn’t kidding, they ran with it. I even got to throw in my opinion about color and fabric and pattern. I voted for something a bit on the darker, jewel-toned side thinking it would complement their darker skin and my olive-complexion nicely. They shook their heads woefully. ‘Stupid Muzungu”..they seemed to say, “We cannot wear dark colors because we are dark” is what they actually said. I internally disagreed. They finally decided on light, voile like fabric sprinkled with demure pink roses. It looked a bit like something out of a colorized version of “The Grapes of Wrath” but I wasn’t paying for it, the school was, so what did I have to complain about, really? No one measured me for it. They just told me I would be wearing one at the Jubilee. I remember thinking, much like the “suits” conversation, this could go either way for me style-wise. I could either look beautiful, sweet, demure, and culturally sensitive, or like a demented  and ghostly hippo wrapped in my grandmother’s bedsheets.

An “umushanana”is like a sari, only less complicated. There are two pieces: one goes around the waist over a floor-length slip and falls to the top of the shoe. It is secured by a tie-belt like thing that wraps around your waist and is invisible to anyone else. Then you put on what looks like an exercise top-it can be any color, mine was white. It’s made of a stretchy fabric and is like an undershirt. It covers your bra straps, is all I cared about. Then the second piece of the dress goes over one shoulder and hangs down and around the other shoulder at waist level-think fancy toga style. You can wear whatever shoes you want under it. It’s possible to walk in it, you just have to be really careful, kind of mincing along and holding the fabric up a bit as you go. And knowing how clumsy I am, I was skeptical how clean my “umushanana” would be by nightfall.

PC Policy Pt.5

 

Last but not least, the question everyone’s been waiting for: What if there is an emergency? What do I do? What does PC do? Well friends, this very question, these types of situations…this is why there is the (fanfare)… EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN (EAP)!!!!

The EAP administers direction under the theory that anything that could possibly go wrong can and will go spectacularly wrong and just so you know that in Rwanda is highly unlikely but just to be on the safe side….(breathe)…The EAP is the manual for when everything goes “pear-shaped’ as they say in England.It is the primary crisis planning and response tool for PC Rwanda staff and volunteers. So, when something goes wrong…mudslide, flood, fire, civil unrest, no tornadoes in Rwanda really…the EAP should be in your left hand while the phone is in your right. The official types of Peace Corps emergencies are as follows:

• Unstable Political Situation-Rwanda is a politically stable country.
• Genocide Related safety-Sporadic grenade attacks can occur around transportation stations around election time and during the Genocide commemoration months
• Armed Conflict-The FDLR(Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) a group of ex Rwandese Army Forces, Interahamwe, and other extremists occasionally launch small scale attacks from across the border from Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi where they are based.
• Natural Disasters-Mudslides and roads being washed out due to heavy rains are most common but intermittent volcanic eruptions have occurred in the past. Small earthquakes can also happen in the region and floods can prevent travel on the Kigali road at times.
• Strikes and Work Stoppages-Rare. Protests fall under this category as well
• Technological/Environmental Hazards-Poor electrical wiring or accidents involving candles can cause fires
• Crime- PCV’s are always cautioned when traveling after dark to be especially cautious and to not travel alone when possible. Pickpocketing and small scale theft  is the common form of crime in Rwanda.

In the event of an emergency, each PCV is expected to have identified a primary and secondary means of communication with those “in the know”: Cell phone, check. Landline, check. The PCV is also supposed to identify a non-telephone means of communication in case phone service is interrupted. Um..I haven’t done that yet. Also, each PCV, when they were installed at their site, was given a “Site Locator Form”. This form, due to be returned to the PC office within two weeks of the PCV’s site installation gives an exact and excruciatingly detailed method of locating the volunteer should an emergency situation arise and the volunteer contacted or removed from their site for any reason. I turned mine in immediately(smirk).

There are stages to the EAP that correspond to different communication by PC Staff to the PCV and the actions they are requested to take:

1st stage ALERT:  PCV’s are instructed to maintain vigilance and monitor media sources. They are instructed to keep in contact with other PCV’s and avoid unnecessary travel. Anytime there is an emergency and the PCV is contacted, the PCV should respond to the message with the PCV’s exact location. The PCV should then respond to the directions given by the PC/Rwanda staff member and confirm that said message and direction were received and are being followed.

2^nd stage STANDFAST: Upon notification by PC Staff, PCV’s will remain at their site or wherever they happen to be until further instructions are given or until the pre-determined STANDFAST period ends. I have been told by PCV’s who are now on their second tour having been PCV’s in a different country, that STANDFAST is usually as far as EAP’s go unless something truly extraordinary happens. Usually, they say, when you are put on STANDFAST you just sit around your site for a few weeks until whatever happened blows over. Very rarely does it ever progress to the next level. But, just in case… Unless otherwise instructed PCV’s are to begin packing an “emergency bag of essentials” in case of CONSOLIDATION. In this bag they must include:

• Your PC Passport and visa- To get back to Rwanda if you need to once you leave the country
• Your personal Passport- to leave the country and get home to America if its where your going
• Money-To buy stuff or bribe people if it comes to that
• Your personal Medkit with your Malaria meds- So you don’t get malaria while your hanging out
• Your WHO card- To prove you’re not diseased if you have to travel another country
• Inventory of property-So you can know what stuff was stolen when you go back to site
• PC Rwanda handbook and EAP- So you know what to do next and who to call when you get there
• Toiletries- just because you might be in for a bumpy ride doesn’t mean you can’t look fabulous
• Sturdy shoes- For walking long distances or through mud(darn flipflops always come off)
• Water and Purification Tabs- You don’t want to have to drink river water
• Food and snack items- You might want to eat and odds are you won’t be able to cook
• Clothes- Those are important
• Outerwear- You can use your jacket as a pillow or a blanket or something to sit on…very versatile
• Keys- The keys you used to lock up your stuff when you left
• Candles and matches- You’re going to need them if the electricity goes out
• Flashlight and extra batteries- To find the toilet or the end of your phone so you can charge it
• Phone and Charger- To keep in contact
• A Radio- To monitor the natural or political situation
• A Towel- On the off chance you’ll get to bathe
• Reading and Writing materials- In case you want to make a historical record of what’s happening or take your mind off of it with a little P.G Wodehouse or Cosmopolitan magazine
• Personal Paperwork- Letters from home, photos, etc.
• PC ID- Necessary to prove you belong to the organization amongst other things

They must make an inventory of all personal and PC property that may have to be left behind-making two with the idea that one copy will leave with them and leaving one behind at site. They must at this time formulate a personal plan for leaving their village or worksite if needs be. At this time if a PCV feels it is unsafe to remain at their site they should contact PC Rwanda Staff for guidance and assistance. If the PCV is unable to establish contact with PC Rwanda Staff, they should move to their PRIMARY consolidation point by the most direct means possible. They should leave word with a supervisor or a neighbor indicating their destination, the date and time they left, the travel route, and a means to contact them. Upon arriving at the CONSOLIDATION point, the PCV must again attempt to contact PC Rwanda Staff.

3^rd stage CONSOLIDATION: Upon notification by PC Staff, PCV’s will proceed to their designated consolidation point (mine is Musanze). Before leaving they must make sure that all property is inventoried and packed. They must lock and secure their home. They must bring their “emergency bag”. They must try and notify someone of their leaving. They must then proceed to their CONSOLIDATION point. If you cannot reach there, you must attempt your SECONDARY consolidation point. Once there you must check in with PCV coordinator. You must remain there until contacted by PC Rwanda Staff. You will either be instructed to return to your site or to proceed to another location. There are a number of PCV’s located around Musanze and it is a comfort to me to know that if push came to shove, I would be huddled around a candle listening to a radio with them.

4^th stage EVACUATION: Upon notification by PC Rwanda Staff, PCV’s will be instructed when and where to meet the transport during evacuation. If there is no transport, PCV’s will be instructed as to their next move. PC Rwanda Staff will make sure PCV’s will receive their WHO cards and your Passports before leaving Rwanda. PCV’s are NOT in any circumstance, to attempt to leave Rwanda without specific instructions from PC. This is the somewhat scary one. I can’t imagine what could happen and happen so quickly so as to require an entire pull-out of the program in a matter of days. Okay, so I can…but its too frightening to think about so I won’t. If this happens, and the program is terminated, PCV’s have a choice: You can choose to continue your service in a different country or you can choose to take “Interrupted Service” and go back to the U.S. It’s your choice and the first one of course depends on if they can find a country program where they can stick you with a minimum of fuss. I think I would go home. I don’t have the stomach to go through training and adjustment all over again. But hopefully, I’ll never have to make that decision.

So, that’s that. That’s Peace Corps Policy in Rwanda. And I pretty much have had to memorize it. It’s a good system.

Peace Corps Policy Pt. 4

 

And then there’s everyone’s favorite topic: Money. PCV’s don’t have a salary per se. they have a “Living Allowance”. This is a certain amount of money put into their account every month to cover such expenses as …oh I don’t know…food, petrol, matches, a bus ride, etc. For some volunteers it’ s more than enough money to see them through the month and for some PCV’s it’s woefully inadequate. It all depends on what you choose to spend your money on and then of course, circumstance.

The “Settling-In Allowance” for a newly minted PCV just going to site is about 350,000 Rwf or the equivalent to $700 USD give or take depending on the exchange rate. The “Settling-In Allowance” is meant to give you a leg up when you first get to site by allowing you a full two-ish month’s worth of money with which to set up housekeeping. You can use that money to buy anything you might want or need for your life at site for the next two years. Now, that money can either go a long way or a little. You might have to buy a stove, food, curtains, bedding, furniture, an electric kettle, cookware, tableware, mats for the floor…the list goes on and on. If your site for example, is kind enough to furnish your house, then there’s a whole lot of extra money. If not, you might have to stretch those Kinyarwanda muscles bargaining for a base price on that bed you need to buy to get your mattress and yourself off the floor. I was lucky enough to have had a previous volunteer at my site who left me everything when she went back to America. I love her. All I had to buy that first month at site was an electric kettle, a new petrol stove, a thermos, and food/household supplies. After your “Settling-In Allowance” is dispersed, you will then expect monthly disbursements of your “Living Allowance”. Your “Living Allowance” is not a salary: it is meant to cover ‘subsistence costs” and provide you with enough money to live adequately within Peace Corps’ philosophy of a  modest lifestyle while not compromising the PCV’s health or safety. It’s calculated based on the local living cost within each country PC is in and it’s paid to you in the local currency. It’s intended to cover the following items: food, clothing, transport, utilities(if you have to pay them),household supplies, recreation and entertainment, incidental personal expenses, communication expenses, and reading materials. PC considers the amount you receive sufficient for daily living expenses and does not allow the supplementing of your “Living Allowance” with outside money.

Part of Peace Corps is to live as a member of your community lives. To experience what it is like to live within the means of a person of your standing within your community. So, if you are a teacher in Rwanda and you make “X” amount of money, your PC “Living Allowance” will reflect something akin to that Rwandan teacher’s salary. When I first got to site, I had to disabuse my colleagues of the notion that I was being paid two, count them…two salaries. I had to explain that as an “umukorerabusake” I was not paid even one salary but had a “Living Allowance”. And without giving them any numbers I explained what that meant. It’s a difficult concept for many Rwandans, it seems, to understand this. Part of it is the difference between the definition of a “volunteer” in Rwanda and the definition of a “volunteer” in America. See, in Rwanda a person who “volunteers” gets paid. They have a contract like anyone else who works. So, they make money. Maybe not a ton, but they do make a salary. Also, many Rwandans I have talked to have said that in their minds a ”volunteer” is someone who is rich enough to take time off of their job and go to work in a foreign country for no money. Of course this is not helped along by the fact that many expats who work in Rwanda do in fact make a pretty good chunk of change. Whichever organization they work for is in effect, ‘compensating” them for their acquiescence in leaving the home country and going to work in Rwanda for however long their company sees fit to employ them or how long the employee can bear the separation from wherever it is they have come from. So many Rwandans, when they hear you are from the U.S and you are working in Rwanda for an extended period of time immediately assume that you have cash to burn. Sigh. Very different definition of “volunteer”.   It can be very frustrating. You can explain to a Rwandan over and over again that you pretty much have the same amount of money to work with that they do every month(if it’s a colleague) and they will still think  “arabeshya”- he/she lies. That you are trying to be polite but really you have a giant vault of money at your house that you like to swim in at the end of the day a la Scrooge McDuck. Or they will insist that you have money back home in some form or another and that you can draw on that if your “little African adventure” becomes costly. It’s an uphill battle trying to understand this attitude. I blame the French.

The way my ‘Living Allowance” is broken down month by month is more or less something like this:

Food=45%  Vegetables are cheap, so is rice and tea, while luxury items like pesto and pasta are a bit more.

Utilities=5%  I have to buy kerosene for my stove and  pay extra if I go over on electricity for the month

Household Supplies= 6% Bleach, soap, nails, a knife, a clothesline etc.

Clothing =4% So far, I haven’t had to buy clothing here in Rwanda

Recreation and Entertainment=10%  I think I spend the clothing budget on this category…Twix, Oreos….

Transport=12% Buses, moto rides…cheap but it adds up

Reading materials= 5% I think this one goes under entertainment as well…Cheese, Crackers, Whiskey

Incidentals=5%  Deoderant here is really expensive…and razors are crazy expensive

Communication=8% MTN minutes and letters home, mostly

The total is about 160,000 Rwf or the equivalent of $300 USD. For me, it is more than adequate since I have most of my meals at the school and my site is so remote I only leave every week or so to go to Musanze.  Musanze is where I spend my money. I buy MTN minutes for my phone and laptop. I buy food, cleaning supplies, writing materials, toiletries, and little things like matches and nails. I also treat myself to pizza and beer  at a restaurant or hot chocolate and croissants at one of the nicer hotels/cafes. I have to keep money back for transportation and for any emergency that might arise. I am able to save a decent amount and I hope to use the money I do to buy some really nice cloth(igitenge) and have some clothes made for myself before I leave or to buy some really great souvenirs for people back home when I’m on my way back to the U.S. All, in all when it comes to my salary and how I ration it out over the month, I think I do a fair job of it.Like I said, what I make, it’s not much but for a volunteer, I am not complaining.I have everything I need and a bit extra. There are a lot of Rwandans who would do anything to make what I do as a volunteer, they are so poor. Plus, the way I see it,if I was back home right now, I might still be waiting tables waiting for a teaching job. So, I count myself pretty lucky.

Also, during your PC service a monthly amount accrues in a separate location that, totaled up, will be your RA(Readjustment Allowance) to settle back into American life once you leave PC and go back home. That’s about $6,000 after taxes divided by 27  months. If you have an emergency you can request a chunk of that money be taken out of the account. This request must be approved as valid by the higher-ups. I plan to leave mine where it is: It’s something to look forward too since when I get back I’ll be unemployed and exhausted for the first month or so.

on �hh
��ets to drive to your site and tell your Headmistress that “Yes, in fact, they are supposed to be teaching English, not serving as your personal secretary.” Or your Superviser ‘No, they are not a doctor. Stop trying to make them give examinations.”

 

 

• PCMO’s(Medical Officers)-  These extremely good-looking, I mean competent medical professionals  have the job of ensuring that you, the PCV receives adequate medical care when necessary. They are available to you for consultation at the PC office in the capitol or by telephone if you have questions or concerns 24/7. They can prescribe medications, give examinations, and recommend further inquiry and treatment when necessary. In other words, they fix your boo-boos and make sure you don’t get them in the first place.

 

 

• Director of Management and Operations- This person is in charge of all administrative tasks for PC in-country. Budgeting, accounts, contracts, inventory, personnel management, property management, and motor pool management. They are also responsible for allowances, reimbursements, settling-in, and living allowances. She also supervises other employees in these areas: verifying expenditures, and managing property and resources. This job involves a lot of money and a lot of Math. I would not want this job.

 

• Safety and Security Coordinator- Working in conjunction with the rest of the Senior Staff, the SSC oversees PCV safety in-country and ensures that PCV’s comply with PC safety and security standards, rules, and regulations. They make sure that incidents are addressed and violations are dealt with. They also keep an open line of communication with PC headquarters in Washington D.C if there are any incidents that need to be reported, monitored, or evaluated. This person  also drafts the EAP(Emergency Action Plan)..more on that later. This person has to be a total badass. And you can take it from me, they are.

 

 

• Training Manager- the TM is the person responsible for the coordination, management, and implementation of all PC training events including conferences listed above, language, technical, and cross culture training. They are the ones who get to listen to all the moaning and complaining firsthand at the HUB.

 

As far as immediate, site specific things that come up, you are expected as a PCV to marshal your character and straighten things out as best you are able without calling in the troops. Your local organization, school or health center accepted responsibility for your housing, materials, and logistical support when they requested and agreed to accept a PCV. Your Headmaster/mistress or Supervisor is your immediate higher-up on all work-related decisions and issues. You deal with them first. If you have a problem with them, you try to work it out. If that’s impossible, only then do you call PC. Though PC has a full staff available to help you, part of the process of being here is to find it within yourself to call upon your own resources to solve the problems that come your way, if at all possible.

Support-wise, there are a variety of outlets for the PCV to share any concerns they might have or any wish they might have to express themselves. There is a monthly newsletter for PC Rwanda, an online PC newsletter sent out from Washington, D.C., and a quarterly newsletter which focuses on PCV activities in-country and creative works. There are a couple of standing committees in PC Rwanda:

• PSN (Peer Support Network)- 10 PCV members elected regionally by their peers and approved by the PCMO, PSN offers peer support for fellow PCV’s in the form of phone calls, visits, and email communication.

 

• VAC (Volunteer Advisory Committee)- 10 PCV’s elected regionally by their peers with final approval by the CD, VAC serves as a liason group between fellow PCV’s and Staff. They advise PC leadership of relevant concerns and issues.

 

And speaking of personal responsibility.  appropriate volunteer conduct is taken very seriously in PC. High standards of personal behavior and cultural sensitivity, and a good reflection on the organization as a whole is expected of each and every person in the employ or connected to PC. So, without further ado- “the short list” of things you can be “Ad-Sep’d” for-Administratively Separated(head hung down in shame)…

Things that can get you sent home either immediately, after consideration, or after repeated offenses:

• Driving a motorcycle or vehicle- You don’t have an international liscense while in PC. And people here don’t drive like they do back home. Meaning, they drive all over the road. Plus there are mudslides, goats, other drivers, kids carrying jerry cans on their heads. Driving in Rwanda is like a game of “Frogger”.
• Riding on a moto/bicycle without a helmet -Big “non-no”. And for good reason. There are a billion moto accidents a year here. Well, not a billion but you get my point. The CD doesn’t want to have to drive out in the PC jeep and scrape your brains off the road.
• Drug Use or Trafficking- It’s illegal in both countries, surprisingly enough.
• Failure to take malarial meds, refusal of immunizations, non-compliance with treatment- PC doesn’t care if you are a hippie, homeopath, spiritualist herbalist. If you signed on to PC, you signed on for medical compliance.
• Crossing an international border without prior approval- That’s just stupid as all get out. If you cross into another country, especially into one on the “watch list”, there is no guarantee that if you were to get stuck there, PC could help you. Plus, if they don’t even know your there…
• Investing- Sorry Mr. Moneybags…this is just a big rat’s nest. You want to help finance a railroad in Rwanda? Wait til you get back to the U.S to write that check.
• Accept employment in-country while serving in PC- Sounds tempting but if I’m going to make 30,000 a year working for a school or health center and be rushed off my feet every day of the week trying to juggle two separate and distinct responsibilities, I’m going to do it in Chicago with my kids.
• Sell PC property or engage in any business dealings involving PC- Now your just asking for trouble.
• Abusing their official documentation for illegal purposes(allowing someone else to use your passport, visa, or PC ID)- Again, you want to spend a year in a Rwandan jail because someone has used your info to bring illegal firearms into the country? Be my guest.
• Alcohol Abuse- I think we can all agree we got the “sloppy drunk” out in college.
• Participation in local or national politics or activities that foment dissent in-country- Thanks but no thanks, I’ve got enough on my plate trying to gauge the American political climate from here.
• Sexual abuse of any kind- sex with a minor, keeping a kid as a slave, rape..yeah, that’s bad and you are a terrible person who I hope goes to jail in both countries, Rwanda first.
• Ownership or use of a firearm or radio transmitter-  Hopefully not both at the same time.
• Contact with the media without express approval-Unless you just want to say, “Rwanda is awesome, have a nice day” say nothing. Ever. Really.
• Innappropriate usage of IT and administrative tech systems and services-Thou shalt not hack nor create viruses nor steal identities
• Use of the PC name, logo, or other official item without prior approval-Don’t use it or you could lose it…your status as a volunteer that is.
• Being a filthy beggar(poor hygiene, dirty clothes, dirty house…just being dirty all the time)- Take a bath. And use soap. Brush your teeth at least 3 times a week. If you can’t wash clothes, hire an umukozi. Don’t be gross.
• Proselytizing their faith- We know you love Jesus. A lot of Rwandans love Jesus. That’s where it ends.
• Repeated and prolonged absence from site-Where are you going? What’s so bad that you can never be at home? Why don’t you call the PM if you have a problem?
• Being an asshole on a consistent basis to everyone- Really? C’mon! If you don’t want to be here, go home! How did you even get into PC with that bad attitude?!

 

To be continued….

PC Policy Pt. 3

 

•  Fraternization with PC Staff or Contractors(and its not a great idea to get involved with your work colleagues either for obvious reasons)
  • Sexual behavior that is considered…um…flagrant and may not bode well for your safety and security at site.
  • Pregnancy- You have a decision to make. Good luck.
  • Paternity-Once again, you have a decision to make.
  • Marriage-You need permission from the CD before you even think about making any plans. So you met someone…what’s so urgent that you can’t wait until you get done with PC? Unless its…see above.
  • Abusing your position as a PCV to extract favors locally, exert influence in decision-making, or to furnish information to non PC staff.- Too Machiavellian for words. We’re not that important, people.
  • Engaging in risky sexual behavior compromising your health and your mission in PC- Last time I checked there was this disease called HIV. And it can kill you and cause you to be responsible for other people’s deaths. Don’t go out in the rain without your raincoat.
  • Arrest or conviction of a criminal offense-Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa. Let’s keep it that way, shall we?
  • Violation of any PC policy- there are many but if you read the handbook..or just aren’t an idiot or a jackass, you should be alright.
  • Lying on any portion of paperwork related to PC- You lied to the government? Wow. I don’t even have balls that big.
  • Basic laziness, incompetence, or unwillingness to do your job- You can do all that at home where they have hot showers and McDonald’s everywhere. Don’t waste everyone’s time and energy supporting your lazy butt here. Go back home and move in with your mom.
  • Engaging in behavior that has a real risk of physical injury or destruction of property- try to keep the bungee-jumping and sky-diving to a minimum
  • Failure to comply with PC travel policies- Permission…don’t leave home without it. And text the travel phone. Don’t(or think you did but because of poor site reception or general forgetfulness you didn’t) and you could be confined to site for 3-6 months(Sarah weakly raises her hand on this one)
  • Accepting money or gifts for performing your job or for anything related to you position- You won best teacher of the term and the honor comes with a cash prize? You can’t accept it.
  • Participation in intelligence or counter-intelligence activities while in PC- Euhhh…that’s so un-PC

 

Whew! That’s a lot. And then…some important points to keep in mind…

• You get two vacation days per month that can accrue if you so choose. You can get up to three vacation days added on for presentations you may choose to do about PC while on a visit back to the U.S intra-service. PC will not pay for you to travel home for a vacation or anywhere else for a vacation. That is you responsibility. Volunteers must request official permission to leave Rwanda for any reason.
• Your Rwandan visa is good for the entire period of your service in-country. If you want to travel outside the country you, after getting the dates cleared with the CD, you will buy your ticket and then pick up your no-fee official PC passport which technically is your residency permit from the PC office. If you attempt to use your personal passport(assuming you have one) it may impede your ability to leave and/or re-enter the country.
• You are helped to establish a local bank account .Volunteers are paid their living allowance monthly and all reimbursements for travel, medical, and tutoring are deposited in this account.
• You are given a PC password to use the computers at the PC office when you are in the capital.
• PC encourages visits from family and friends but for not longer than 30 days and not if the visitor interferes with the PCV’s mission while at site or contributing to absence from site. All vacation days must be approved by the CD and must be taken during periods in which the volunteer will not be missing training or any job-related activities at site.
• PCV’s are not allowed to travel in the first 6 months in-country or the last 3 months to allow time to adjust  to their new site and then  time to prepare to leave their service, respectively.
• Taking pictures of governmental or military buildings is not allowed.
• You are issued a PC ID card which allows you access to the PC office in the capital. PC will provide the volunteer with a means to obtain an absentee ballot for any state or national election-Yeah! Barack Obama 2012!!!
• In the event of a family emergency, there is a number where family can reach the volunteer. Leave to go home is made at the discretion of the CD and in consultation with the PCV and possibly others.
• While in PC your student loans can be deferred.
• You are required to pay taxes while in PC and information to do this is provided to you.
• PCV’s must reimburse PC for any materials furnished to them by PC that are damaged or destroyed during the PCV’s PC service.
• Mail is the responsibility of the PCV but certain small letters may be dropped off at the PC office with domestic stamps attached. If possible, they can go with the next diplomatic mail run. Elsewise, they will be taken to the U.S by the next person who travels there and delivered by USPS.
• Upon successful completion of service PCV’s get about $6,000 after taxes, a trip home to the U.S, and partial payment of some student loans. They are also eligible for non-competitive status in federal jobs, Returned PCV resource banks, and an insurance package.

So that’s the byzantine, bureaucratic stuff. Now’s the fun part. Medical. You are expected to comply with any and all medical  treatment and care while in PC. Most of the time this is easy. As a PCV you must adhere to certain policies:

• Food and water preparation- Remember to wash your hands and cookware. Food and water must be sanitized and prepared according to safety standards. If you choose not to boil your water you must add a sanitizing tablet to your filter. Be careful when consuming meat, eggs, or raw veggies. In other words:  if you can’t boil, peel, sanitize, or cook it, don’t eat it.
• Taking your malaria meds- Doxy, Malloram, or Mepholoquine. Whatever one you’re on, stay on it. Malaria’s no joke. It never really leaves your system and it makes your eyes yellow…ewww.
• Immunizations- Flue shot, Hepatitis, Rabies, etc. Just show up and get it over with. It’s over in 10 seconds, you wimp.
• Reporting of illness-If you’re sick, call.
• Reporting of injuries- If you get hurt and it’s not something you can fix with antibiotic cream and a band-aid, call.
• Exposure to rabies-That cute little fox-like creature you see in your backyard sometimes? Don’t touch it. And if you do, get to Kigali asap or you’ll be foaming at the mouth before you know it.
• Using birth control/condoms- How old are you? You know better! And if you don’t or there was an unfortunate incident…get to Kigali right away.
• Compliance with prescribed medications/therapies- What are you, 5? Just do what you’re told. The docs have your best interest at heart and they went to medical school. You didn’t. If you did, you’d be them and not you

Each PCV is issued a “Med Kit” to take care of small injuries and small bodily complaints. Otherwise, you take your malaria meds and if anything bad happens you call the PCMO. If it’s serious or you need a consult you get to come to Kigali. What constitutes a valid reason to visit the Med Unit and see our “House” hunks? One might ask this question. And the answer would be:

1. Fevers-You’ll be delusional all the way to Kigali
2. Diarrhea-Ugh…that will be a fun bus ride
3. Injuries-You have a bike accident, get bitten by a spider
4. Assaults- Physical, Sexual…serious business
5. Booked appointment A.K.A “I have a lump on my…”

PC recommends PCV’s not use local facilities to obtain medical care if at all avoidable unless it’s an emergency and even then, every effort will be made to get the PCV to a PC approved facility. If you have a persistent or routine problem (rash, acne, etc.) the PCMO’s can help you with it. For personal problems or emotional issues, the PCMO can put you in touch with a phone counseling session with the Office of Special Services at PC HQ in Washington D.C. If you have serious medical problems, PC directs you to come to the capital immediately after speaking with a PCMO. In keeping with the PC heath plan, PCV’s see the dentist twice during their service and get medical exams twice. They receive all immunizations they need during their service. They are eligible to receive replacement eyeglasses if the ones they brought from home are damaged. Dental Emergencies and Medical Emergencies requiring a higher level of expertise  like a compound fracture or cracked teeth involve the PCV being “Medi-vac’ed” to S. Africa or Washington D.C. There are incidences when you can be “Psych-evac’d” as well, the slang term being “Whack-a-Vac’d” for issues that may have occurred impacting you emotionally that you require outside help to deal with. If you are really in a bad way medically you are “Med-Sep’d”-Medically Seperated and you finish your service with full props.

PC Policy Pt. 2

 

And then there’s the…

 

• DPM(Director of Program Management)- Responsible for the integration of program and training activities in-country, the DPM supervises all program and training staff and provides program and training assistance along with the PM. They are the contact person for a large number of reporting and process tasks such as Status Reports, Approval of Grants, and coordination of various other activities. I have a feeling there is a lot of headache medication, stomach upset, sighing, and “head-in-hands” in this position.

 

 

• PM’s(Program Managers of Health and Education)- The PM is the volunteer’s first contact for any and all program related matters. They perform site checks, make PCV placements, and may address problems in the areas of cross-culture/language/projects etc. They serve as liason with numerous governmental departments, officers, and partners to the organization. They provide input for training designs and are responsible for project implementation and evaluation. They provide site support for PCV’s and address related concerns. This person is the one who gets to drive to your site and tell your Headmistress that “Yes, in fact, they are supposed to be teaching English, not serving as your personal secretary.” Or your Superviser ‘No, they are not a doctor. Stop trying to make them give examinations.”

 

• PCMO’s(Medical Officers)-  These extremely good-looking, I mean competent medical professionals  have the job of ensuring that you, the PCV receives adequate medical care when necessary. They are available to you for consultation at the PC office in the capitol or by telephone if you have questions or concerns 24/7. They can prescribe medications, give examinations, and recommend further inquiry and treatment when necessary. In other words, they fix your boo-boos and make sure you don’t get them in the first place.

 

 

• Director of Management and Operations- This person is in charge of all administrative tasks for PC in-country. Budgeting, accounts, contracts, inventory, personnel management, property management, and motor pool management. They are also responsible for allowances, reimbursements, settling-in, and living allowances. She also supervises other employees in these areas: verifying expenditures, and managing property and resources. This job involves a lot of money and a lot of Math. I would not want this job.

 

• Safety and Security Coordinator- Working in conjunction with the rest of the Senior Staff, the SSC oversees PCV safety in-country and ensures that PCV’s comply with PC safety and security standards, rules, and regulations. They make sure that incidents are addressed and violations are dealt with. They also keep an open line of communication with PC headquarters in Washington D.C if there are any incidents that need to be reported, monitored, or evaluated. This person  also drafts the EAP(Emergency Action Plan)..more on that later. This person has to be a total badass. And you can take it from me, they are.

 

 

• Training Manager- the TM is the person responsible for the coordination, management, and implementation of all PC training events including conferences listed above, language, technical, and cross culture training. They are the ones who get to listen to all the moaning and complaining firsthand at the HUB.

 

As far as immediate, site specific things that come up, you are expected as a PCV to marshal your character and straighten things out as best you are able without calling in the troops. Your local organization, school or health center accepted responsibility for your housing, materials, and logistical support when they requested and agreed to accept a PCV. Your Headmaster/mistress or Supervisor is your immediate higher-up on all work-related decisions and issues. You deal with them first. If you have a problem with them, you try to work it out. If that’s impossible, only then do you call PC. Though PC has a full staff available to help you, part of the process of being here is to find it within yourself to call upon your own resources to solve the problems that come your way, if at all possible.

Support-wise, there are a variety of outlets for the PCV to share any concerns they might have or any wish they might have to express themselves. There is a monthly newsletter for PC Rwanda, an online PC newsletter sent out from Washington, D.C., and a quarterly newsletter which focuses on PCV activities in-country and creative works. There are a couple of standing committees in PC Rwanda:

• PSN (Peer Support Network)- 10 PCV members elected regionally by their peers and approved by the PCMO, PSN offers peer support for fellow PCV’s in the form of phone calls, visits, and email communication.

 

• VAC (Volunteer Advisory Committee)- 10 PCV’s elected regionally by their peers with final approval by the CD, VAC serves as a liason group between fellow PCV’s and Staff. They advise PC leadership of relevant concerns and issues.

 

And speaking of personal responsibility.  appropriate volunteer conduct is taken very seriously in PC. High standards of personal behavior and cultural sensitivity, and a good reflection on the organization as a whole is expected of each and every person in the employ or connected to PC. So, without further ado- “the short list” of things you can be “Ad-Sep’d” for-Administratively Separated(head hung down in shame)…

Things that can get you sent home either immediately, after consideration, or after repeated offenses:

• Driving a motorcycle or vehicle- You don’t have an international liscense while in PC. And people here don’t drive like they do back home. Meaning, they drive all over the road. Plus there are mudslides, goats, other drivers, kids carrying jerry cans on their heads. Driving in Rwanda is like a game of “Frogger”.
• Riding on a moto/bicycle without a helmet -Big “non-no”. And for good reason. There are a billion moto accidents a year here. Well, not a billion but you get my point. The CD doesn’t want to have to drive out in the PC jeep and scrape your brains off the road.
• Drug Use or Trafficking- It’s illegal in both countries, surprisingly enough.
• Failure to take malarial meds, refusal of immunizations, non-compliance with treatment- PC doesn’t care if you are a hippie, homeopath, spiritualist herbalist. If you signed on to PC, you signed on for medical compliance.
• Crossing an international border without prior approval- That’s just stupid as all get out. If you cross into another country, especially into one on the “watch list”, there is no guarantee that if you were to get stuck there, PC could help you. Plus, if they don’t even know your there…
• Investing- Sorry Mr. Moneybags…this is just a big rat’s nest. You want to help finance a railroad in Rwanda? Wait til you get back to the U.S to write that check.
• Accept employment in-country while serving in PC- Sounds tempting but if I’m going to make 30,000 a year working for a school or health center and be rushed off my feet every day of the week trying to juggle two separate and distinct responsibilities, I’m going to do it in Chicago with my kids.
• Sell PC property or engage in any business dealings involving PC- Now your just asking for trouble.
• Abusing their official documentation for illegal purposes(allowing someone else to use your passport, visa, or PC ID)- Again, you want to spend a year in a Rwandan jail because someone has used your info to bring illegal firearms into the country? Be my guest.
• Alcohol Abuse- I think we can all agree we got the “sloppy drunk” out in college.
• Participation in local or national politics or activities that foment dissent in-country- Thanks but no thanks, I’ve got enough on my plate trying to gauge the American political climate from here.
• Sexual abuse of any kind- sex with a minor, keeping a kid as a slave, rape..yeah, that’s bad and you are a terrible person who I hope goes to jail in both countries, Rwanda first.
• Ownership or use of a firearm or radio transmitter-  Hopefully not both at the same time.
• Contact with the media without express approval-Unless you just want to say, “Rwanda is awesome, have a nice day” say nothing. Ever. Really.
• Innappropriate usage of IT and administrative tech systems and services-Thou shalt not hack nor create viruses nor steal identities
• Use of the PC name, logo, or other official item without prior approval-Don’t use it or you could lose it…your status as a volunteer that is.
• Being a filthy beggar(poor hygiene, dirty clothes, dirty house…just being dirty all the time)- Take a bath. And use soap. Brush your teeth at least 3 times a week. If you can’t wash clothes, hire an umukozi. Don’t be gross.
• Proselytizing their faith- We know you love Jesus. A lot of Rwandans love Jesus. That’s where it ends.
• Repeated and prolonged absence from site-Where are you going? What’s so bad that you can never be at home? Why don’t you call the PM if you have a problem?
• Being an asshole on a consistent basis to everyone- Really? C’mon! If you don’t want to be here, go home! How did you even get into PC with that bad attitude?!

 

To be continued….

PC Policy Pt. 1

 

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is sometimes like being in a minimum security prison:

1. You had to do something to get in here and you had to “arrange your life” before you got here
2. There are rules you have to follow if you want to have a decent time of it
3. There are opportunities for publicity and self-promotion
4. You have the opportunity for a “conjugal visit”.
5. You aren’t really in a traditional prison, but you’re not really free either.
6. There are benefits you get that you may not have had in the outside world.
7. You can choose to engage in a  variety of leisure, career, and academically-minded pursuits
8. You have days when you forget what it was like in “the world”.
9. People can send you things.
10. You can’t wait to get home once you’ve put in your time here.

 

Now, in this prison you have entered of your own free will, there are important things to remember:

1. It’s not a prison, not really. It just feels like it sometimes.
2. The medical care is more than adequate for your needs
3. In the event of an emergency there is a plan to get you out safely
4. It’s relatively safe to take a shower
5. Most of the people in charge want to help you.
6. Your colleagues won’t try to harm you.
7. You do have a limited amount of time here.
8. When you get out people will think you’re a badass and maybe buy you a drink
9. There’s the opportunity to accomplish some good things while you’re here(like work out or organize the library or teach a class or study for the GRE)
10. It could be way worse.

So…that being established I have decided to spend the rest of this entry detailing the various policies and procedures of Peace Corps life for your edification. In previous posts I have told you, gentle reader, about facets of the administration here at the local level and also about the bureaucracy in Washington. I have enlightened you as to the history of the organization and what the general rules are in Peace Corps regarding Homestay situations, travel policy, and the like. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. As with all good administrations and bureaucracies, unless you can produce copious paperwork to prove you did what you say you did or that you are planning to do what you say you are planning to do or that you didn’t do or didn’t plan to do something someone else says you did…no one believes you. In 7,500 words or less I will regale you with pencil-pushing tales from the inside of this amazing adventure as best I can from my limited vantage point. And without hopefully ending up in a federal prison for spilling governmental secrets. Or brought to heel in a court of law for infringing on copyrighted material. But I ask you, if the policies were not for public consumption, why would they give it to us in a collated binder or on disk to share amongst ourselves?

First and foremost, Peace Corps is a guest of the Government of Rwanda. The Government of Rwanda must request Peace Corp’s presence and Peace Corps must officially respond to that request. This takes the form of a surveying of what the country in question needs according to their own official estimation. This is then balanced by our own assessment within the organization of what Peace Corps can provide the potential host country. Many things have to be taken into consideration: the relationship existent between the two countries, recruiting realities, budgets, development needs and assessment, the priorities of both countries, the future sustainability of proposed projects and programs as a whole. The areas a government can request assistance in are: Agriculture, Natural Resources, Youth and Community Development, Business, Education, and Health. All of these programs can take many forms: from well-digging and soil conservation to women’s cooperatives and HIV prevention to Secondary Education and Micro-loan organizations. Peace Corps works out a plan with the potential host country. The next step is to establish a base in said country and a means of connection and contact with both the host country government and our own country’s offices. Then the host country staff working with the Peace Corps staff must determine in which areas of the country it is feasible to set up sites for individual volunteers. This involves relationship-building, calling on contacts, and making sure that the appropriate resources are available or can be made available. Once a program is up and running, only then are individual volunteers requested for assignment in the new program. They are brought to the host country and trained and then only after are sent off to their “site” to begin their two-year long contribution to the organization and the host government.

Site assignments for PCV’s are made with the following considerations in mind:

1. The needs of Rwanda.
2. The needs of Peace Corps in Rwanda.
3. The needs of the individual PCV

Peace Corps will be the first to tell you that the life of a PCV anywhere in the world is not a 9-5 one. The hours can be long, unpredictable, and results can be slow to achieve. The responsibilities at times can be overwhelming and the distance from home and culture un-fathomable. But as many of the staff here in Rwanda, they themselves RPCV’s(Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) will assure you, if you come in with the right attitude  it truly will be “The toughest job you will ever love”.

Although Peace Corps is a U.S Federal Agency, PCV’s are not officers or employees of the U.S Government, except for limited purposes and as such do not have diplomatic immunity. They are subject to both U.S and host country laws while overseas. All PCV’s are expected to partake in community activities in addition to their primary work assignment as a natural extension of the Peace Corps Mission. It is mandatory that all PCV’s attend all training events and conferences. The major events include: IST(Inter-Service training) held 6 months into a volunteer being in-country, MST(Mid-Service Training) held midway through a volunteer’s service, and COS (Close of Service) held 3 months prior to the date a PCV leaves their host country and is returned to the U.S. There are also other training events for in-country projects that PCV’s may choose to participate in. Barring extraordinary circumstances, volunteers are expected to complete the full two years of service at the site to which they are assigned. There are grants available for any PCV who would like to initiate a project that requires some funding. These are subject to scrutiny by the Grants Coordinator at PC headquarters and are distributed based on viability. Three times a year volunteers are expected to report on the progress of their primary and secondary projects.  After a volunteer has successfully completed their 27 months of service, a volunteer can request an extension of their service in-country. If a volunteer chooses via wish or circumstance to terminate their service before the term of the 27 months is completed there is the option of what is called “Early Termination” by which the volunteer will leave the host country and will be returned to the U.S.

Those people employed in the Peace Corps office have the Herculean task of keeping the program here in Rwanda running smoothly. There are too many titles, jobs, and acronyms to name without causing you to fall asleep so I will suffice to say that those in a position of Volunteer or Program Support are the ones who:

• Provide direction and strategy for PC activities in Rwanda.
• Carry out program and PCV support activities.
• Provide administrative and medical support.
• Monitor existing and develop new projects.
• Organize training events.
• Communicate regularly with the Rwandan government and counterpart organizations as well as PC headquarters in Washington D.C

And so much more. While they are the guiding body for policy development and implementation, strategic planning, and program implementation, they are also awesome people. They are kind, caring, interested, dependable, and competent at what they do. I know that at any time if I have an issue or a problem, PC Admin can set me straight.

The Senior Staff consists of the:

• CD(Country Director)- This person has overall responsibility for the program in-country. They are the final authority on everything. The “Big-Muhuffah” as my Dad would say. They provide staff with the necessary tools and training to do their jobs. They visit PCV sites and training events. They are the official liason with Washington D.C, the host-country government, the U.S Embassy, USAID, NGO’s, and others. They have direct delegation of authority from the Director of Peace Corps. If this person calls you into their office, bring an extra pair of pants.

 

IST Pt.5

9pm-? : Free time after dinner, all of us were too stuffed, bloated, mentally exhausted, and just plain tired to do much. We watched football (as in soccer), sat by the lake with our card games ,and attempted to do whatever online and with each other we hadn’t had time for during the day. Matt would call a few times during IST and I would be happy to hear from him but sorry to take time out of whatever activity I was engaged in. It was a whole new experience getting to know my fellow PCV’s all over again and in different ways than before when we were all pressed up against each other like sardines in a can or rats in a too small cage.There were so many things to get in order before we would all go off again to the four corners of the country. So many plans to make, to see each other again now that the 90 day travel ban was lifted. We had projects to consider now and deadlines to initiate as we scrambled to assign parts of projects to whomever we felt could make the best contribution. I signed on to be a part of the team to make a new technical training manual for future PCT’s in Rwanda. One that was more in keeping with American learners and set up in such a way as to be more user-friendly than the Rwandan-style technical guides we had been given and the somewhat cobbled together bits of advice we had received from older volunteers. There was also a movement to continue a project started by previous PCV’s that was formulating a content-based curriculum  specific to Rwanda and the Rwandan Educational System. Divided into years and levels and in keeping with what MINEDUC (the Ministry of Education) had as it’s goals. This curriculum was meant to serve as a Holy Grail of sorts to new Education Volunteers who may not have much previous teaching experience. With this new curriculum, the PCV had the freedom to supplement or exchange ideas within the curriculum and classroom knowing that if his/her ideas fell flat there was still a guide for him/her to call on, one in keeping with Vision 20/20 for Rwanda’s future. It was all very exciting. Conversation continued until a comparably early hour when the terrace and the restaurant began to thin slowly with the darkening of the ink-blue vista and people drifted off to an early bedtime in preparation for the next full day.

The last day before leaving the conference, we had a free afternoon. I decided to go on a boat ride to the two islands I had seen from the bar terrace. One of them supposedly was filled with bats. Interesting. The boat was a large pirogue, like a canoe but bigger and with a roof and open sides. A  handful of PCV’s decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day and get out on the lake for the afternoon. If we couldn’t swim in it at least we could be as close to it as possible. Our skipper had been hired by the hotel and we left at 3pm, beers stowed under the seats and life jackets on. The lake water gave up its spray to those of us at the sides as the skipper guided it between the islands, eventually docking on the shores of what turned out to be the Island of the Bats. Well, that wasn’t its official name but it was full of bats. Our skipper forged a path ahead of us after we tied up the boats and we made our way to one side of the island. We passed guava trees and wild blueberry bushes (I ate one, it was sweet and warm from the sun) , We picked our way over rocks and tree branches speckled with guano and finally, our guide, telling us to wait…went off into the brush. Minutes later we saw the trees shaking as the guide beat the branches. And what looked like a blanket of black rags flew into the sky. A thousand bats or more were suddenly above us crying and shrieking like a thousand flying mice with leather wings. It was beautiful and repulsive all at once. I never remember to take my camera but in the digital age, everyone else does. I’ll post pictures once they do. The next Island we visited had a cantina, a couple of hammocks, a wooden swing, and a picnic table. We watched a crested crane and a dog compete to see which one of them was laziest while we ate French fries and drank Coke. We swayed in striped hammocks and talked about home and family as the sun sank lower on the horizon. On the trip back, in spite of the beauty of the fast-approaching,cool  indigo night, I was cold. I looked around and there was no one to care about that small fact. It made me feel for a minute, quite insignificant. And  I wished that Matt had been on the boat with me. He would have cared.

And then it was evening. And the next morning we would all leave the conference center, scattered to the four winds and our individual missions. But first there were the “Superlatives”. I had never done “Senior Superlatives” at my high school but I had heard of them so when a table was set up with envelopes and categories, I knew what to do. The categories were interesting, “Most likely to become a Country Director”, “Best Smile” “Prettiest Hair”, “Most likely to domesticate a goat”, “Most likely to bring home a Rwandan child”, “Most likely to Cross an International Border and Not Know it” “Most likely to get Schisto”etc. The last evening, the winners were announced: I got the goat one. It was interesting to see what we had become, individually and as a group in the 7 months we had spent in Rwanda. A few couples had formed and were still together. Friendships had begun and deepened. Respect had been found and given. Everything is a process, it seems. 7 months in, I still felt like everyone’s Mom or older sister…but now I was okay with that designation whereas before it had somewhat irked me after a time and worn on me.

The next day was Saturday and the last Saturday of the month-“umguanda”. The buses wouldn’t start running until 11am. We had buses slated to pick us up from the center to the capitol every hour from 11am to 2pm. I took the 11am bus wanting to get home in time to get some lesson-planning done for the next week. Once again, no peanuts. A PCV handed me a banana, another PCV passed back a square of chocolate. Together with the Meclizine I said my perennial prayer to Our Lady of Firm Insides and we started towards Kigali, Lake Kivu disappearing as we heaved back and forth and up and down the many hills. Some of us would exit the bus early,amid a chorus of goodbyes, taking motos and side roads to get back to wherever their sites were rather than go all the way to Kigali to have to backtrack. On my trip back to Musanze a woman would rudely touch my hair and skin attempting to show her child how odd Muzungu were. Upon my arrival home I would be told that due to preparations for a festival none of my classes had done any of the lessons I had prepared for them. The flu shot was making  me feel snuffly. Later I would discover a baby mouse in my bedroom as I fell asleep. But that late morning in April, I was on a bus in Western Rwanda with some very special people. People I may never have met back home, people whom I might have met and not liked back home, people I may never have more in common with than this experience…but it was enough. I think we were all ready to go back to site that day, ready to begin the next chapter of our PCV experience, bolstered by what we had already done, what we dreamed of doing, what we could do if we trusted each other enough to be there for each other. A Rwandan woman sitting next to me asked me if I knew all the “Muzungu” who were on the bus. I explained to her about Peace Corps(much thanks to my teacher for making me memorize it in Kinyarwanda!). She looked over at one of the other PCV’s, a man in his 60’s with grown children back in the States, and said in English, “He is old, he must stay in his country.” I thought about how many people had said similar words to me before I left, how many had said similar words to my fellow PCV’s. They don’t understand us. I looked over at my fellow PCV and smiled.