PACA: 1 down, 7 to go

Saturday, 20 November 2010

Woke up later than I originally planned, 5:30 instead of 5:00, but had breakfast (oatmeal to go) at the CSPS and ended up waiting an hour and a half for women to being showing up and then ten more minutes for Alisone (my translator) to show up: appologizing and saying he was rounding up the women.

So – I successfully completely my first PACA tool today with the help of Alisone and about 25 to 30 women of the Gourounsi ethnic group. It was good practice – the information gathered is useful, but only proves what I had already known: these women work from day up to day end. It was, I will say, a little nerve-wracking because there were so many women there – I wasn’t expecting a group like that. Nor was I expecting all the questions to be directed at a small group of them – nor did I want just a few of the women to only answer. This is why it was a good first round: only room for improvements in the next 7 PACAs. Gourounsi men, Mossi women and men, Feulfeuldé women and men, and the CoGes/Staff of the CSPS.

I only did the daily schedule with the women this morning, which means that’s the only PACA I’ll complete with the community. I’ll also be doing a needs assessment with the Staff of the CSPS and then one again with the CoGes. I would really like to do community mapping with the three ethnic groups, but I don’t know how I would set that up and who I could invite – becauce I would not be able to handle 25 men and 25 women from each ethnic group. No!

One thing that bothered me the most about this PACA was that I felt uneasy – I felt as if the women didn’t want to be there – but at the end of the activity all the women clapped and said thank you. I jus wish there were something I could do at the end of the sessions to give closure: or a good reason for them being there and not be a waste of their time. Maybe I just don’t know and am reading the group wrongly. Maybe they just don’t know how to openly show they don’t mind being away from their work?

Anyway: I’m getting more comfortable with my hair the way it is. I still don’t think it’s the best look for me, but it will do – and I will say it doesn’t look half bad now that I give it a chance.

I sill find myself slip into thoughts of “why am I here” and “I would be better off at home going back to school.” But I know nothing is there for me: except family, vagabond and beak, and DEBT! So I then find myself halfway releaved to be here – but still can’t fathom being here for 2 years.

On a brighter note: I’ve got a complet (shirt and skirt from the same material) in the works at a local tailor. Depending on how he does – I’ll stay with him or find another.