Village Analysis

Right now, I’m supposed to be completing my Mid-PST evaluation (attention, future PCVs: Take notes on everything; it will be on the test) but I stalled out on the question, List the assets (strengths) and constraints (weaknesses) of your village, as based on your environmental assessment. I’m doing well with listing strengths: strong and proven association. Universal appreciation of green space and living things. Large population of youths with ample time on their hands.

I’m having more trouble with the “constraints”. The lack of western toilets is certainly a weakness in my eyes, but it’s hardly a developmental constraint. Ditto for the lack of hot showers and dish soap. (Yeah, that one was a bit of a shocker for me: they used Tide for everything. Tide. As in, the laundry detergent. They use it to clean clothes, dishes, tables and counters…you name it.) I guess the lack of paved roads limits the amount of equipment that can be brought in, but the main road is only half a kilometer away, so it’s not prohibitive. I think mentioning the moqaddim or the mudir (school director) would be politically incorrect. (Because the people reading my midterm, unlike any of my lovely anonymous blog readers, know which of the thousands of mountain villages I’ve been living and working in.)

After reviewing my notes from the discussion we had after CBT week 1, of the “resources” and “problems” (yup, yet another way to avoid saying “strengths and weaknesses”) of all 5 CBT villages, I have a few more ideas: poor infrastructure (not only are there no paved roads, there’s also no permanent bridge over the river – large rocks in one place and a log nestled in mud a mile upstream do not a permanent bridge make – and the school only goes to 5th grade), dependence on outside resources and support, and inaccessible schools. That last could be interpreted as a dig against the mudir, but it’s really just a statement of fact. Two facts, really: we couldn’t access the school, and the local junior high and high school are 5 K away, which is prohibitive for all but a very few families.

Grateful for: walking to our SouqTown (aka our regional ecological survey); the unbelievable beauty of this place; getting to talk to Mom and Dad yesterday; going for evening walks with my aytma (siblings); finding Santa-shaped chocolates in the taHanoot (little market) in our SouqTown; the infinite resources of Soul; Love meeting every need; the baby falling asleep on my lap. Kulshi bikhir. It’s all good. :)