MIA

One person can only do so much. I understand that being a PCV comes with a lot of responsibility. But I can’t do EVERYTHING. Training alone is turning out to be a handful, and I’m not quite sure how they expect us to get everything done. Since Tom and Barbara left, Mavis asked me if I could possibly help out with his organization as well. But my main worry is the work they expect us to do with our school attachments. There are four aspects that we need to prove competency in, but the school’s don’t really understand so in order to get work in any of these aspects done, you pretty much have to start a new project. So where does that leave us or the schools after swearing in? Am I supposed to keep carrying out these projects? I don’t have the capacity to possibly work on all my projects AND carry out all this extra work with the schools. I’m definitely going to have to talk to someone about this.

Update: Scratch that. I’m not so worried and overwhelmed anymore. I started writing this entry a couple of nights ago but because of my limited internet access I haven’t actually gotten to post it until now:

As NGO developer’s we don’t have our demonstration with our school attachments (I believe we have separate presentations with Abdul-Karim). We do still have to display competencies in four areas: Remedial reading, extra-curricular activities, IT training, and a life skills program. But we don’t have to start actual programs. Which brings me to this past Tuesday. I went to my primary school attachment, but all the teachers were too busy for me before the assembly. So I went over to a group of kids, mainly 2^nd graders with one or two 1^st and 3^rd graders tossed in the bunch. One of the boys decided he was too cool for me and started copying everything I said. Then we all started playing tag. But they all wanted to ‘catch’ me so as soon as I tagged someone they basically tagged me back. The girls held my hand and showed me their classroom. They all wanted me to teach their class, but I told them I was assigned to work in the library today. They begged me to take them with me, but it was my remedial reading day. I have been assigned to six boys. Four from fourth grade and two from third grade. Originally I was supposed to take each student and work with them for half an hour. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried working with 8-9 year old boys before, but you can’t get anything done in half an hour. And because their teacher wasn’t there, the four fourth graders were really curious and wanted to sit in the library with me at the same time. After the break, the four boys came together. So I improvised and pulled out an old box of scattegories. I handed them each a blank sheet of paper and a marker. We sat in a circle on the reading rug. I chose different categories and had them write out a word. My favorite was ‘things in your room’. One of the boys wrote- ‘girl’. Gosh they start early! I told him the only girl that should be in his room is his mother or sister and he laughed at me. I think it was just the easier word he could spell. At lunch time, they decided to bring some of their other 4^th grade friends. So I had around ten 9 year old boys sitting around me while I read them different story books like Pinocchio and the Ugly Duckling. Surprisingly the boys were fascinated by my hair too, so they pet my hair while I read. Somehow they discovered my fear of monkeys and love for penguins and thought it was hilarious to jump around acting like monkeys. Not cute.

Now if you’ve read any basic statistics about St. Kitts & Nevis, we claim to have an insanely high literacy rate. And according to the ‘evaluations’ of the teachers, these remedial students were able to read certain level books. So you can imagine my surprise when one of the boys couldn’t even write out the entire alphabet without my help. Over here, there is a system of automatic progression. Regardless of your academic ability, you are sent into the next grade according to your age. So you can get up to the last year of high school and never learn to read. The reading recovery program used to begin at 3^rd grade, which is already way too late in my opinion. But in my school, since I have come, they are now spreading their resources and trying to include 1^stnd graders so they can catch the problem earlier on. Now I have to deal with the issue of starting from the basics and teaching these boys basic phonics before moving on. The problem is also that within the current remedial reading programs, they are still being pushed beyond their means because the school wants to rush them to catch up and boosts their evaluations so they can weed them out of remedial classes. So I am starting at ground one with these boys. And I’ve already formed a soft spot for these six, so in all likely hood I will continue to work with them for the next year. Perhaps it will be part of the after school reading program instead of the reading recovery during school hours, but I just know that I can’t abandon them, and I know the school doesn’t have the resources to work with them. and 2

Going backwards, on Sunday I moved to my new host family. It was also Eid, however the place that Eid namaaz wasn’t easily accessible by bus, I can’t afford a taxi on this stipend, and I had to get ready to move and didn’t have enough time either. So I had a very uneventful Eid =( but I did get to call some important people and say Eid Mubarak so that was nice. And ironically, I went to an ordination at the Anglican church with my new host. The sweetest old woman you will ever meet, Mrs. Delaney insists I call her Granny. Granny Olinda. She’s made me fish twice already since I told her I absolutely love sea food =) Including the salt fish I told her I really wanted to try! She’s going to teach me how to make those and Johnny Cakes. Yummmmy =) We sat and watched the Emmy's together the other day. I’m not big on tv watching, but she lies in bed and watches before falling asleep every night. So it’s just something we do. The other night I read my book on her bed while she watched some movie. She eats breakfast later in the day and dinner earlier (after I leave and before I come back) but she still prepares food for me and sits and talks to me. And I come home and sit with her at the table while she has her tea as well. We talk about all sorts of things, and I’ve told her about our modified baking workshop idea. She thinks its an awesome idea that she’d actually like to take part in herself and she says she knows more women that would want to participate too =) Point being, I love Granny. She is awesome. And instead of thinking, oh man a whole four weeks left till we move into our homes, I’m thinking oh wow less than four weeks and we’re already moving. 

I don't have internet at my new host house, so I have to wait till I can come into a cafe and grab wireless. I have been trying my hardest to bring my laptop and come into town as often as possible, so I haven't been too bad. But I can't make any promises.