The Good
It is amazing being here.
There are so many good things I am learning through this experience. Let me
tell you a little bit about the staff here in PG. First there is Olivia, who
I’ve already talked about quite a bit. She is from Belize, 24 and has two
ADORABLE kids. She laughs at me a lot and has been my tour guide (more like
lifesaver) on my internship so far. Then there is Noemi. She is also a local
Belizean who is 28 and has 3, also adorable, kids. She is always in a great
mood and I love talking with her. Next there is Sarah. She works for ProWorld
in the U.S. during the year talking to Universities about ProWorld and then
gets to visit the sites during the summer (I think I want her job!) She is very
sweet, smart, and reminds me so much of Chelsea it’s crazy! I enjoy hearing her
transition to Belizean life as well. Then there is Akeisha, who got her like 2
months ago. She will be here for a year and it the volunteer coordinator here.
She is awesome and has made me feel comfortable here from day one! Next is
Perlina. She is quite but super nice. She is 23 and helped me with my project
as well. She is also great with nails so I am hoping she will do mine at some
point. Lee is the only guy at the office. He and I had a GREAT conversation the
other day about changes in Belize. Nicole is the country director and has lived
in PG for 20 years. Hearing many of her stories are unbelievable (like the fact
that she lived in the Jungle and didn’t see anyone for a year). The staffers
are awesome and so is my internship!
.
The Bad
Ok I guess it isn’t bad, but
there have been many cultural barriers to overcome while I’ve been here. First
there is language. I cannot understand Creole, but I am learning new phrases
(The only one I remember is Weh You Deh? Meaning where are you). Almost
everyone here speaks English and at least one other language (mostly Creole and
Spanish). They also say reach instead of arrived. “When did you reach” They say
refridge, instead of refrigerator or fridge. They say “excuse” instead of
excuse me. The food is interesting too. They eat beans constantly! I have had
it for breakfast every morning and almost every night at dinner. (FYI Beans and
rice are not the same thing as rice and beans). They make authentic tortillas,
and eat them almost everyday, especially in the villages. I am not the biggest
fan of tamales, but I’m willing to try it again. And finally, they stare at me
pretty weirdly. In the hospital, because I am white, they don’t say much to me
when I am wandering around the halls. In villages however, people often stare,
since I am quite the outsider. Also, Belizeans often tell you a miss
representation of distance. When Olivia tells me something is 10 minutes away,
I know I will be biking for 20. A good distance = at least a mile. My favorite
phrase is “Right Now, Right Now.” It’s pretty much the same response as “in a
second.” I love it, just like I loved “I’m on my way coming” in Ghana.
The Ugly
The further I get into this
community mapping project, the more excited and upset I feel. I am excited
because I am the first one to do this. This is public health at its core.
Finding out what a community needs and what should be done to address them. And
they often already know what their communities needs are. I had some resistance
in the beginning, and especially with NGO’s wanting to know what I was going to
do with the information. But they tend to work with me in the end. The part I
have come to realize though is that they expect something from me. They expect
me to give them information or help in return. And while I know that help is a
long time from now, they might not. Or maybe they do. While I have hopes of
making a difference, in the end, I am just another foreigner coming to gather
information and leaving them with nothing. I can see now why they don’t like to
give up their information. They have no idea what I am going to do with it. I
know I will have to follow up, if I ever want to know what really has become of
my work. But, I believe in ProWorld enough to know my information is worth
something. And while it may be slow, this is making a positive outcome in the
end.
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