Lately it has come to my attention the many roles that I must take on as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Not that I wasn’t already aware of this, it is just that lately the roles I have been playing are so not what I expected to be doing as a volunteer. I mean lately, I have been thinking, and not in a negative way, “I came to Africa to do this?” More than anything my tasks of late have been surprising in a most refreshing way, providing excitement to this jaded volunteer.
There are the expected roles that you have to take on, things like teacher, trainer, role model, advisor, nutritionist, and etc. There are those roles we have to play in relationships involving sentiment and feeling like friendships, heck I could go so far as to include mother type to a few clueless boys. Then there are those we take on for fun, for me this means roles like hostess, chef, fashion advisor for those rare moments in Peace Corps where you need to be fashionable. And then there are a few that just blind side you and take you off guard because never in your wildest guesses did you think you would be taking on this role. For me, the role that made these notions surface was being, what I could only call, a golf tournament consultant.
A fellow volunteer was stumped, having to help organize a fundraising golf tournament for the NGO she is working with. Hearing that once upon a time, I was a golfer, she sought my much prized knowledge to find different ways to raise money through this golf tournament. Now mind you I haven’t picked up a club in over a year and I most definitely have not been involved in a tournament for probably at least 2-3 years, so I’m beyond rusty and had to dig up what information I could remember and put it to some good use. Thankfully I was able to remember a few things to help them out, hopefully they work out. Other curious work roles involve being a lunch lady where I daily hand out lunches to the patients at the clinic, an intern where I run various favors for co-workers, a therapist for fellow volunteers, I could even throw in something about how knowing about technology, but it just sounds so not like me, and at least once a week I am expected to miraculously find solutions to everyone’s problems.
Anyways, beyond that I have taken on intriguing roles not necessarily involved with my work life here. It seems as if I could also include party planning among my ever lengthening list. Lately it feels that I’m averaging a party a month that I have to dedicate some sort of planning for. Be it 5 people or 60, I’m arranging food, drinks, catering, or something along those lines, which is a role I would never peg for myself in Peace Corps. And don’t get me wrong, this is one role I am happy to assist in. I mean it generally combines a few of my very favorite things: food and a party, which in the end, especially with Peace Corps Volunteers, means dancing, one of my most favorite things. So for me to begrudge or even complain about this task would be rather off par, because when all is said and done, I get to cook, and well then my most favorite thing happens, I get praised for my culinary skills, so this role is a keeper.
Among these two there are a few others that stand out, which I will be brief with, because I still have to tie all these thoughts together to show I’m going somewhere with this. I am a purveyor of all things plastic: if you need a plastic bottle, bag, or container I’m the person you see. I am the sponsor of a small knitting group that gathers every lunchtime on my stoop, or I give excess knitting supplies to the ladies who work at the kitchen so they can knit themselves and their family and even get hired to knit things for others, it’s like my own personal sweat shop, but legit and supporting the community. I am a nomad; it seems I am constantly carrying everything of value with me to travel all over God’s good earth, or at least all over Lesotho. I am Lesotho’s own Martha Stewart, having people ask me all sorts of culinary and craft questions. Basically I could go on and on, but the roles you have to play, take on, and own are of an incredible variety and you can’t ever just turn one down without trying it out because who knows what it could bring.
It is valid to say that you have to try out all these roles to find the one that fits, but it is also valid to say that you have to be all these roles to find good and viability in at least one. More than anything, well at least this is true for me; I find that I am not here so much for the Basotho but for myself. I am here to verify with myself that people are able to make a difference in the lives of others, regardless of what that difference is. I am here to seek validation for my hope that these places have the potential to pull themselves out of their dire situation. I am here to find that all the effort in trying to improve the lives of others is at least working at the lowest levels in communities. I notice so many times that when I am working with kids I see adults in the background snickering or even the kids in a corner snickering at the message I am trying to get out there, but then I also see those one or two kids getting what I am trying to say, they are getting the deeper meaning. The message may be use a condom kid, but the meaning is you have your future in your hands and it is up to you to do something about. When I see a kid get that message it is like BOOM, and lightning strikes.
It is these lightning bolts of positivity that strike at random that makes our work worthwhile. They are random and briefly light up my day then leave forever impacting the landscape here, and to finally desert me to the darkness of a storm. As evident from these previous paragraphs these strike in all forms, they are never in the forecast for that day and as a result you cannot prepare for them. It could be something as profound as clarifying the harmful behaviors engrained in traditions here or as simple as teaching a kid a new game. All are worthy, need to be sought and pursued, and most importantly should not be given up on, making all those quirky, random, necessary roles all the more important because you never know where lightning will strike. And strike it will.
With that being said, Lesotho is diving head first into spring and soon the rains will come and summer will be in full force. I can’t wait. I can’t wait to not have to bundle up at night, I can’t wait to leave my coat behind and make the full switch to my summer scarves, they are the prettier of all my scarves. So take care, I hope fall treats you well and before you know it, it will be Christmas! Take care and salang hantle!
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