PCVs are servants
Already it has been two and a half months and I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed.
The days pass slow but the weeks and months go quickly, if you get what I mean!
I have made it through training which was exhausting but informative and fun at times. And now, I am moving on to my site in Colon where I will no longer be living with other Peace Corps volunteers from my group in the same community. So this is when it gets real! For the next two years.. (O.O)
It is a little intimidating to leave the group (as well as the host family, Panamanian "suburban" life, and weekend travels) and I am feeling excited, nervous, and overwhelmed because I will be one my own and I think of all the ideas my community wants to do to improve their community. I do like that I have many project options to keep me busy, however, I feel I have high expectations I have to meet! They want a road, cell signal, and a few other services that they feel will make their lives better even though I am only here for two years (I have realized that this is short amount of time to get things done!) and I am here to focus on business and agriculture in the community. Also, I had previous volunteers in my community so as a follow-up, I feel there is more pressure to do as well as them, or better.
Just before we left this last week of training, we watched a video called, Ted Talk: Ernesto Sirolli, where the speaker shared a story of a developmental project in Africa. The point of the story was a good reminder to us that the most important thing that PCVs are here for is to be servants to the community. Meaning, we must first listen and learn what exactly they want to do to improve their community. At first, I created a list of project ideas I wanted to do to help my future community and trying to figure out ways I can improve their lives. Now I know, if a project idea is not theirs, then the project will most likely fail and not be sustainable.
The days pass slow but the weeks and months go quickly, if you get what I mean!
I have made it through training which was exhausting but informative and fun at times. And now, I am moving on to my site in Colon where I will no longer be living with other Peace Corps volunteers from my group in the same community. So this is when it gets real! For the next two years.. (O.O)
It is a little intimidating to leave the group (as well as the host family, Panamanian "suburban" life, and weekend travels) and I am feeling excited, nervous, and overwhelmed because I will be one my own and I think of all the ideas my community wants to do to improve their community. I do like that I have many project options to keep me busy, however, I feel I have high expectations I have to meet! They want a road, cell signal, and a few other services that they feel will make their lives better even though I am only here for two years (I have realized that this is short amount of time to get things done!) and I am here to focus on business and agriculture in the community. Also, I had previous volunteers in my community so as a follow-up, I feel there is more pressure to do as well as them, or better.
Just before we left this last week of training, we watched a video called, Ted Talk: Ernesto Sirolli, where the speaker shared a story of a developmental project in Africa. The point of the story was a good reminder to us that the most important thing that PCVs are here for is to be servants to the community. Meaning, we must first listen and learn what exactly they want to do to improve their community. At first, I created a list of project ideas I wanted to do to help my future community and trying to figure out ways I can improve their lives. Now I know, if a project idea is not theirs, then the project will most likely fail and not be sustainable.
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