Going through Pre-Service Training a second time around has not necessarily been easy. Sure, I’ve enjoyed learning a new language again, bonding with my training class, and spending time with my host-family, but there is too much repetition, and the general sense of ‘been there, done that,’ to not suffer at times from boredom.
This past week, we had some training that did not fit that mold. On Monday, my training class took a three-hour ‘matatu’ ride north of Loitokitok to the city of Machakos. There, we found ourselves in rather posh accommodations as we spent a week in training sessions dedicated to HIV/Aids and PEPFAR (The United States President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief). Because HIV/Aids is not widespread in Mali, our training there did not address the issue, nor is PEPFAR present within Mali.
On Tuesday we toured the local Level 5 District Hospital. Specifically, we interviewed workers within each department of the Comprehensive Care Clinic, a center set up in 2003 in order to provide comprehensive care for HIV/Aids-afflicted individuals under one roof. The center is efficiently run, and the men and women whom we spoke to were both intelligent and proud of their work. PEPFAR and the United States Government heavily fund most of the HIV/Aids-related services found in Kenya, including this clinic.
On Wednesday, we were treated to performances by a couple of local advocate groups. The first was a support group for HIV/Aids individuals made up of older adults, primarily women. They performed song, dance, and poetry meant to educate people on HIV/Aids prevention, the importance of getting tested, and the support available to afflicted individuals.
The second was a mixed-gender youth group started at a nearby church. They performed a skit that told of a vulture problem in a community. The vultures proved to be a nuisance to the community and brought with them only death. The community struggled to find a solution to the problem.
But they then found that if they could destroy the eggs of the vultures, eventually the vultures would be no more. The group explained that this story was a metaphor for HIV/Aids. The HIV/Aids epidemic can be halted by preventing the virus’ ability to spread. Their solution is to abstain from sex until marriage. Being a church group, they don’t support the use of contraceptives.
On Thursday, we heard from two amazing individuals who had battled drug addiction, and now spend their time working with an NGO, which works alongside the government on programs to prevent drug use/abuse, rehabilitate current users and addicts, and reduce harm to society as a result of drugs (such as distributing needles to drug addicts to discourage needle sharing, thus helping prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases. This program is a major point of controversy within the country at the moment).
The two individuals, a man and a woman, emotionally told gut-wrenching stories of how they began marijuana use while in primary school, then later began smoking, then injecting, heroine. The man told of horrendous episodes throughout his life that eventually led to him being arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison due to dealing.
The woman told of how her mother, lacking the means to pay for rehabilitation, had actually called the police on her daughter, thinking that that was the only way to help her. Due to this, the woman ran away from home at a young age, finding refuge with friends in a large city. Here, she was introduced to prostitution as a means to support herself and her addiction. She told a dramatic story about a particular client, who’s apparent disease made her question her way of life. Up to that point, under the influence of heroine, her only concerns in life were immediate – how to get high. She was later picked up by the cops, who then placed her back under the care of her family.
Both of the speakers spoke of individuals and support groups who intervened in their lives at these times and helped them to quit heroine and rehabilitate their lives.
They both spoke of how, during their childhood, they had lacked the facts on what effects drugs have on a person, and if they could have been informed before being confronted by drugs, they would not have made the choices they did. So they recommended that, even though parents are often concerned that speaking to children about drugs and drug abuse may actually introduce their children to drugs, and by speaking about the chemical effects on the brain, may actually encourage them to try drugs, it is better to give children all of the facts early. Because it’s not a question of ‘if’ they will be confronted with drugs, but rather ‘when.’
On Friday, our week concluded with an overview of the PEPFAR program, and how we, as Peace Corps Volunteers, can make use of it’s funding in tackling local projects within our communities. PEPFAR is specifically aimed towards ending the Aids epidemic, but its projects can be fairly broad. They can involve any local initiatives which will improve the livelihood and self-sufficiency of the local, underserved population. And by improving access to necessities such as food and water, and/or by providing an additional source of income, the local population will be more protected from disease and less likely to fall victim to acts of desperation that can compromise their health.
We learned of many great projects which current and former volunteers have undertaken in Kenya. One example is a project in which a volunteer used funding to buy boats for women in her community. It was commonplace there for women to be driven to sell their bodies in order to get fish from the local fisherman. So by procuring boats and training the women on how to fish for themselves and manage a business, the women become empowered and no longer have to rely on dangerous behaviors for their livelihood.
There were also several examples of large events, drawing thousands of people, which alongside sports or entertainment, educate masses on safe sex and HIV/Aids prevention, or other health issues. Camp GLOW is another very successful initiative – a week-long empowerment camp for young girls designed to train and empower the girls to become leaders and health advocates in their communities.
As we listened to these projects, it occurred to me that these projects are all very impressive, and are generally of a larger scale than the projects us volunteers had undertaken in Mali. But I soon realized why.
One major concept does not vary between countries. Peace Corps is never a donor organization. Its focus is always on educating and training the local population in such a way that, with newfound skills, the local population can work for themselves to improve their quality of life.
In this vain, Antony, the PEPFAR coordinator for Peace Corps Kenya, began to emphasize that projects should come from the community, not the PCV. If the idea is the volunteer’s, then the community will let the volunteer leave with that idea.
Therefore, these projects were all undertaken in conjunction with existing community groups – something that is not prevalent in the smaller, poorer villages of Mali. The health infrastructure of Kenya and the different community groups I described above are all examples of this. This permits a volunteer in Kenya to tackle larger projects.
So I have come to understand that my Peace Corps service in Kenya will likely be much different than that in Mali. In Makili, my primary task involved working with the community to start and sustain three local committees: a Water and Sanitation Committee, a Fish Farm Committee, and a Women’s Garden Committee.
But it is very likely that here in Kenya, the local committees required in my new community will already be established and active. My role, therefore, will likely be to help improve their practices and expand their impact within the community. I will hopefully be able to accomplish a good deal at my new site, and if I do, it will likely be on a different scale than what I had accomplished in Makili.
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