Ever since returning to my village since my last trip into town I have been much happier there than I was before. This is because the break was over due and also because I have had productive things to do almost every single day. I am still very much in the PACA (Participatory Analysis for Community Action) phase, where my work is going around and talking to people about the community, what is good and works well and what isn’t. However, I am beginning to develop project ideas and start to act on them. Some of the ideas that I like and seem to fit the best are:
- Soak pits for grey water generated by “showers” that currently pools in the streets and serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes
- Teaching women’s cooperatives how to run a tree nursery as a profit making venture. People here are aware of deforestation, know that it is illegal to cut trees, and love to have them in their compounds, but as near as I can tell no one knows where to get trees to plant. This strikes me as strange since tree nurseries are pretty simple to maintain and the trees could be sold for 300 UM (~$1.50) which is very affordable. In fact it strikes me as so strange that tree nurseries don’t already exist that I am taking extra care to find out if there is a good reason before I launch into it.
- A tree planting campaign throughout the public spaces in town. With the exception of maybe 10 trees, all of the other trees in town were planted during a previous campaign financed by an NGO a few years ago. I would like to replicate that on a smaller scale, focusing on public spaces that were neglected. This campaign would be tied with an environmental education campaign, yet to be determined. Ideally, enjoying the benefits of having an “overly” green town demonstrate what the surrounding lands could be like with the proper management.
- Restarting the trash collection system that was originally financed by the PC a few years ago, but was recently abandoned. I have not fully investigated this but I believe it is an issue of management and not materials, which is good because given the amount of money the PC has previously put in; I am not going to dig the financial hole on this project any deeper.
- Promotion of the use of manure and compost. These two things just make so much sense and are so free that even though they are not easily accepted I am going to push for their use.
- Biogas! I’ll admit, this one isn’t exactly practical, but given that it is such a “perfect” environmental solution and I am happy to devote some energy to trying to make it a viable alternative to charcoal for meal preparation. I saw a simple system that another NGO is testing out and of course have some ideas of how it might be improved.
- Small enterprise projects: hammocks, potato peelers, two piece camp chairs
All of that is in the domain of the community half of my job description. School “starts” the 12th. So the teachers and school directors should be back in town on the 11th. After I go back I will begin PACA activities with them to determine what my role in the schools is going to be.
Hooray for having things to do!
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4 comments:
Wow, Zach, what great ideas! I esp like the tree nursery idea. I think I understand what you mean about the "waiting" time and feeling like you don't have enough time in the day. I so much prefer working on something that is productive or useful and to know that I'm accomplishing something that's needed. It sounds like there are many opportunities for you and you are becoming in tune with the community in order to work in a way that will best meet their needs. Listening is a great skill. Lots of love, Penny
Help me better understand why you want to devise a breeding ground for M'squitos since they are a huge carrier of Malaria.... I may not be reading it correctly.
I LOVE the nursey idea also.... I think it's an ironic beauty to have green foliage in the desert... I further enjoy the idea of having the biogas... nothing like utilizing the natural resources... That is, after all, what it's all about!
Re: school starting - why the quotes around "start?" - is that Mauritanian style??? Seemingly, the time frames of American v. Mauritanian are substantially different.... how long are the school days?
Also, as Penny remind - don't underestimate the value of listening and observation.... they, in themselves, while seemingly simple acts - will give you lots to do... just in mere processing...
Love to you Fozzie-Butt!
Zach,
Paul Krugman just won the Nobel Prize in Economics (he teaches at Princeton and writes for the NYTimes. He was interviewed on PBS. When asked how he got into this field of work, he says.....
"Really from reading Issac Asimov's books...The Foundation. I wanted to be a social scientist....and economics was the closet subject."
When asked how his career advanced he answered, "I found and did things that interested me, one thing leads to another."
When asked how the prize will change his life he says, "not much,
I suppose people who like my ideas will say....congratulations, and those who don't like my ideas will
wonder what could the Nobel Committee have been thinking?"
Life has a way of moving even when you think not much is happening....so even if life seems slow.....
WONDER ABOUT IT
FEEL THE AWE AND JOY
AND SAD OF IT...
EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY
PAY ATTENTION AND YOU
WILL BE FULLY EMPLOYED.
love,
Dad
The soak pits eliminate the standing water and it is in the standing water where mosquitoes breed.
Quotes around "start" because schools never start on the official start day here. Teachers and directors show up when they feel like it a week later and that is typical Mauritanian style.
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