Community-Based Training (CBT)

After completing the first week of CBT (i.e. home stay), we’ve returned to Lelydorp to take our language proficiency examines and find out the location of our future sites. Needless to say, I’m very excited! 

Thus far CBT has been an amazing experience (the second part of CBT occurs in about three weeks from now after a visit with a current volunteer and one to my future site). I stayed in Company Kreek, an Aucan village near Brookopondo. My host mother, Fernanda, was wonderful and cooked for me throughout the week. I actually stayed in her mother’s home and was pleased that she had electricity and the associated appliances. The homes in Company do not, however, have running water. Instead, the inhabitants use duro tanks (rain catchment systems) and water from the creek to satisfy their washing and cooking needs.

The people of Company Kreek have been wonderful—they’re extremely kind and welcoming and have been very patient with my language (or lack thereof). I feel I’m made tremendous progress in terms of what I can speak and understand in Okanisi, though I am still struggling with trying to explain myself on a regular basis. The kids in particular have been a huge help in terms of language learning. Their patience and explanations have made my experience so much fun.

There are, of course, a few things that have been noticeably different from the U.S. that have me pondering potential future projects.  The first of which is the apparent absence of waste management. Although some of the residents of Company Kreek do collect and burn their trash, many through it directly into the forest or river. I was appalled to see plastic bags and soda bottles all over the village and in the water.

Second, there appears to be very little understanding of health and nutrition. Men and women do get exercise from various manual tasks (i.e. working at grounds, husking rice, walking to and from the creek), but they do not exercise voluntarily and/or for recreation.  All meals are prepared with excessive amounts of salt, oil and Magi (a meat bullion cube loaded with MSG). As far as I can tell, residents do not drink water throughout the day and much prefer a soda or “strop” (sugar water that tastes similar to Kool Aide) over juice or milk. Not surprisingly, then, most of the adults are significantly over weight. I continue to try to find ways to talk about nutrition and health without insulting my hosts or devaluing their culture, but it’s a huge challenge.

Lastly, I’ve noticed that there is little to no early childhood development. Children of two have few if any words and no real capacity to communicate. I have not seen parents play with their children, count with them, help them to speak. Rather, parents tell their children to go play and speak to them only when giving instructions about chores or disciplining them. They ask their children whether their homework has been completed as opposed to helping them with it.  In many cases this is largely due to high adult illiteracy rates, but it also seems to be cultural.

I don’t want these observances to caste a negative view of the community—It’s a really wonderful village and people seem genuinely content with their lives. Rather, these are some areas that I see as opportunities: Opportunities for me to provide an alternative viewpoint and, ideally, to promote positive change.   

More to come. Stayed tuned!