To Explain My Work

I finally thought about how I have done a really bad job about describing my work on my blog. I thought for a long while about why I did such a bad job of recording my work successes on my blog. Here’s what I came up with…

The process of having a project idea, project planning, finding resources and then completing the project (only to see that the work is REALLY just beginning), MIGHT be the MOST frustrating thing in the world. After thinking about and working on a project for so long: 1.The last thing I want to do is then WRITE about it and 2. It is so much a part of me that I forget it should be news to some people.

I want to take one minute to describe some of the steps to completing a Peace Corps Project. They sound simple enough, but to a type A, do it now, instant gratification North American, the experience can be trying.

Steps to Painting Recycling Bins:
1. Wait for 40 minutes on the bus into town.
2. Twenty minute bus ride to town.
3. Walk to first paint shop.
4. Wait in paint store a good 20 minutes to be helped.
5. Figure out appropriate paint for recycling bins.
6. Price paint.
7. Realize that the specific paint needed is ridiculously expensive.
8. Walk to second paint shop.
9. Wait in second paint store for a good 20 minutes to be helped.
10. Realize paint is just as expensive there.
11. Decide paint cannot be afforded and must be donated.
12. Wait for bus.
13. 20 minute bus ride home.
14. Write donation letter Spanish.
15. Have Spanish donation letter proof read (by native Spanish speaker).
16. Wait for bus.
17. Twenty minute bus ride to town.
18. Enter internet café.
19. Print letter.
20. Leave internet café.
21. Enter copy center.
22. Make copies.
23. Wait for bus.
24. Twenty minute bus ride home.
25. Hunt down President of the PTA to sign donation letter.
26. Spend time socializing with President of PTA before can ask for signature.
27. Receive signature.
28. Wait for bus.
29. Twenty minute bus ride to town.
30. Go to first paint store.
31. Wait an hour more or less to be attended by the person in charge of donations.
32. Explain project. Turn in letter. Told to come back in a week for the answer.
33. Go to second paint store.
34. Repeat steps 31 &32.
35. Wait a week.

You get the idea that it has taken me two weeks to do something that with the correct resources in the US could take three phone calls (or at least not so much bus riding). While the process in the US of pricing, donation letters and waiting on an answer might be the same, it would be significantly easier with a car, a telephone, a computer, a printer, and a copy machine...

Keep in mind also that this is one VERY small and comparably EASY step to the whole project that probably took three and half weeks to complete. And it held up all the other steps to the project.

Furthermore while this step was long and just annoying, at least no one was FIGHTING against me in this step. In some of the other steps, the people of the same school do their best (unintentionally) to make the project more difficult. For example, in a school of 400 students there is ONE printer (bought and owned by the school), but only the director has access to it. With good reason he takes good care of the printer and not just anyone can use it; however, when I needed to print the 60 color labels for the recycling bins I had to wait until HE was available to oversee the printing. Could I have gone to an internet cafe? Yes, and I could have also paid $12 out of my own pocket for the printing! (That's like half my peace corps salary!) So instead, I was at the mercy and the schedule of the school director who (honestly) has more important and urgent things to do than oversee the printing of recycling lables.


I know its my job, but even the simplest parts of projects require a lot more waiting and time than I am use to. And finally, when the project is "complete," really, its just begun. The recycling center is built and had its grand opening! The school is using it and the community knows about it. However, the project is nowhere near being finished because now we have to teach the 5,000 inhabitants of this community how to use it! So begins PHASE 2: Education and Promotion of the Recycling Collection Center.

As soon as one step to the long process is completed, another step is revealed – usually bigger and more complicated than the previous step. For those reasons and more, I never write about my work, starting right now, I'm gonna give it a shot!