MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A pastor once told me that humble people have an easier time because they don’t need everything to be theirs. Well, the projects I am a part of are not mine. The community is not, in the end, mine. I talked with my program manager about this stuff and she said that the volunteers who try to start their "own" projects have a really hard time because they are not sustainable and they do not belong to the community. So, community ownership, which means the parish and priest and sisters and everything, is the main thing. I know that we cannot really move until that happens, but the exciting thing is that community ownership is what so many aid agencies, in their multi- million dollar programs, get wrong-- so I know it's not easy.
I have a friend who feels she has done very little, but she took the time to make sure that her community initiated her work. One of her accomplishments is the beginning of a vermiculture (worm- growing) project. It is done with school kids, who then learn about waste management and composting, and connects with the local fishermen who buy the worms. The whole project is completely sustainable; environmentally, economically, and socially. It is certainly not glamorous, but it is really, really good.
This week, I did a training class for incoming volunteers. I learned that there are 4 new volunteers coming to my district, and one to my town! I used to be the only muzungu (white person) I knew of in the whole place (Save some Italian missionary priests an hour away!) As we talked about doing programs together and etc, I was challenged to do so much more. Suddenly my world of myself and the parish was broadened and I was talking about all the possibilities of team efforts. I expected to be very alone in a village with no amenities, where life was hard and slow. I brought a guitar and War and Peace to site. I have not yet learned the guitar, have not finished War and Peace and sometimes miss time to blog to you—but now I think things will be a bit more busy!
I also felt inferior; will this new volunteer do more than I; will he be more successful than I? What have I really done, by the way? And that is where I need to get over myself. I am not saving the world, or Africa, or my community. I am just trying, every day, to help my community counterparts in their work and to be a positive, friendly influence on those around me. Again, I remember the rain in Uganda. Large drops fall heavily on my tin roof, and, separately, they can do little good. Gutters and tanks, however, collect them together, and then they can be used for drinking. So, my little drop will be collected with others in my community and even with other Peace Corps volunteers. May it not have the pollution of stagnant aid funds, may it not have the acid of non- sustainable work, and may it not have any toxic chemicals leached from underlying prejudices and fears.
Just to keep you updated, I usually teach, do after school activities, and do admin stuff at the vocational school during the week, which keeps me hopping. During the weekend, it is time for men’s conferences, youth talent shows, and handicapped children. When you work with six nuns, they can keep you busy! Morning mass is at 7:00 am, and after that, the day runs pretty quickly, unless I catch an afternoon nap, until 5:00pm, when I try to take some time for exercise. 7pm is evening prayer, which I like to participate in (when I can), and dinner is at 8:30pm. Now we are thinking of youth soccer in town and first aid courses with local motorcycle taxi drivers. It’s what I wanted to do and knew I could not do it alone.Here's a picture of my brother, John, and I after my brother, David's wedding. Another picture of how things are better when you are with others and appreciate their strengths!