The Survivor Show

So Peace Corps is very much like the show of the title of this entry.

In June of 2010, we started of on an adventure of lifetime to quote the PC phrase the "Hardest job you will ever love."

And now it has come for time when people are going home.

We arrived in Atlanta June 23rd, 2010. Even before we arrived one person didn't show up, we were supposed to be 40 PCV's. So it was down to 39, one girl I don't even meet left in the first session at the Atlanta hotel. Down to 38. We fly here this is when the show really starts kicking in. We had a quitter in the first 2 weeks, 37. We had a favorite literally kicked out for BS reasons. 36 finished training. 2 More quit during the first 3 months. 35,34. Then in Jan other quitter 33. At the one year mark almost exactly we lost a retirement age couple, the lady wanted to go home for grand babies & felt ineffective, her husband was happy having a great time but as couple the left. 33,32. Then a long stretch until Jan of 2012, when one of our own was kicked out for breaking the rules, 31.

Which a leaves PC Swaziland Group 8 with 30 members. Surprisingly, no one was sent home for medical reasons, which is pretty normal both Group 7 & 9 have had those.

So next week we have are COS conference (Close of Service) where they tell us how to go home. In February, I passed on the option to stay, life is calling in another place. Plus, I had just finished the Social Center, so a major part of my service was complete & won't be topped & was not interested in going back to coaching, although I will do that again in the future.

We have 2 closing there service a little early so by next week down to 28, #'s 30 & 29 on to grad school & just home.

Most of use will be leaving between July & Aug. We have all picked our dates & seem very much ready to go.

I believe 6 PCV's are extending for another year (2 married couples & 2 early 20's guys). By the way there are only 4 Group 7 left, and Group 9 has lost more then our group has at the same point in their service.

So my final scheduled day as a PCV will be August 25th. August 26th is my 40th Birthday. How about that for timing a huge transition in my life?

No idea yet, where I am headed, it all depends on the job. No plans for any serious travel post PCV, its job time. That leaving date is even flexible. But there is a mass exit in the last week of July.

Anyway, still got 3 months & a project to complete so can't get all sentimental yet, there is still work to do.

Ok, one sentimental note. I will miss the "hello how are you? I'm fine." crowd of kids that ask this everyday as I walk past. Not so much the them individually but there everyday often more than once greeting. Just the happiness of their greeting. It started out annoying then became routine now it just makes me smile.

Art Classes & Painting Part 2 (Approved)

APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So after numerous drafts, a massive budget reduction due, a time restriction, my PC VAST proposal has been approved.

YEAH.

Now starts my final project here in Swaziland.

So the plan & some details how I got the approval.

The original idea was a 7 day art class with HIV/AIDS sessions mixed in the the students would learn art & HIV & then at the end get to paint an art piece on one of the Social Centers. Plus, a world Map started by a PCV from 2005 that has sat unfinished til very soon. Plus, the Centers were getting complete new paint jobs.

Well the idea is still the same but due to a time technicality (we are not allowed to open large new new projects within the last 5 months of our service). So the budget had to be reduced to the acceptable number which was about 75% less then the original plan. So I went from a project completely painting 2 Social Centers with art work & fresh paint & 25 students getting 7 days of art classes to painting a world map & just one Center, 2 days of classes & only 15 students.

It does make life easier, but would have preferred the bigger project.

So next week the planning starts.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Art Classes & Painting Part 1

So since the beginning of March I have been basically been doing 2 things (other than hanging around waiting for my service to end in August).

These 2 things are:

#1 Closing the Social Center's paperwork. (See the previous entry for the pictures). Since it was such a big project with literally hundreds of receipts it took several weeks for the PC to close out the project. (Partially the long delay was due to holidays both in Swaziland & the US ones the PC office closes and several of the staff that need to approve took there holidays) But it was mostly due the size. So that closed right around the end of April.

#2 The next project.
The idea: There are 2 Social Centers left here that both need a paint job. These Center's are finished & functioning, so the major construction of the previous Center is not necessary. So I came up with the plan of mixing in several different methods of instruction to clean up the Centers. A full blown free art class where the students learn real art & learn how to paint a building just normal which are both skills that can be used to make money. Also, we will be doing HIV sessions to educate the students. The age range is 15 & up with the hope of adults who want to improve. We will also be doing a class session on how to make money using found materials (ie trash or the plastic bottle in the gutter). But one must have a general understanding of creating art, whether it be painting, drawing or abstract, it still has to have some kind of structure. So the project will be bringing back the artist Joseph Mushipi, who did the wonderful artwork on the Social Center. As well as we will be working with the Yebo Art Gallery to help promote art here in Swaziland.

So Part 1 of who knows how many to come.

Some personal comments about art:
When I first arrive in Nhlangano in August of 2010, I noticed that the town which is growing fast had no artwork anywhere, in fact most of the town stores signs where dirty & old the only real bright color in town is the KFC signs. So when I was evaluating the options for things I could accomplish, putting up art on walls was high on the priority list for me. In my opinion, Swaziland doesn't have a terribly creative culture, sure there are artists working making tourist items, but when you walk around the markets most of the artistic stuff comes Mozambique or South Africa. Several Peace Corps Volunteers have started craft groups which make all kinds of things that are then sold, some even on the internet, So its not that Swazi's can't be creative, of course they can, it is just not something valued in this culture. In fact, keeping everything the same is a big value with the older people here and I have seen (my soccer coaching is an example of) how things get sabotaged to keep them the same or even from succeeding. Art is a very decisive issue because generally artists push boundaries. It is just kind of the general nature of art. Especially when telling a story (ie books, movies, TV, non-abstract art). A very interesting reaction has happened to the pre-school that is now operating in the finished Social Center, the enrollment shot up so much they had to decline students or send them to other Centers. A common phrase I heard in several variations was that the parents wanted there kids going to school in the beautiful Social Center, even wanted their child there because of the artwork. Certainly, if the Center didn't have the mural it would not have gotten the attention that it gets now.

So for this project, I am hoping to add more art to the city of Nhlangano. And maybe, just maybe, some child in the future will be inspired to draw and maybe, just maybe, they will find a way to turn it into a career.

At the least, the artwork will turn a run down looking building into something beautiful & prove to a culture that doesn't value art. That art is actually some very valuable & the artists that do this work are also valuable & deserve to be encouraged & supported.

More to come as this project heats up, including details of the process, some history and the work it will take (plus pictures) So enjoy.

Social Center Part 37 (Paperwork)

So its been around a month since the Social Center opened. I have visited several times but it is no longer my responsibility.

But the one thing left has been the final paperwork. The budget is huge and thank God I have the experience of managing those movie budgets since I basic brought the project right in on budget. After a few accounting mistakes were cleared up. It is almost time for the the final step. The Peace Corps closing the paperwork, which completely completes my work on the Ward 4 Social Center.



The paperwork being sorted, filing, collated, collected, organized and headacheized (I know that is not a word)





The final assembled paperwork.



There is another project coming but this one has to be completely completed before the other can even start.

Social Center Part 36 (School is Open!!!!!!!!!!!!)

So today, I went to the Center.

And it was the first time the kids where able to use it since construction began back in October. And its official I have turned over my keys to the Center to the Social Center Manager for her to be in control of from now on.

So SCHOOL IS OPEN.

And this is how America, the Peace Corps, its programs & people & its dollars really can make difference in the world.

The garden is a work in progress that is the responsibility of the Caregivers. But today I wacked weeds with a slasher and got couple of blisters as last day of work thank you.

So its all done. Thank you to all who have followed and contributed in some form.

Some time next week just for the heck of it I will post a before & after post to wrap it all up.

Anyway, now its find a job doing maybe something similar but in another part of the world.

The blog will continue but certainly there will be less news to report.


This is the last of line of students entering the School for the first time as it is all finished.



Some students at the school.

Social Center Part 35 (The Cleaning Crew)

So what is left is cleaning to make the center so it can be open for business and school





Pictured here are the 2 pre-school teachers & the Center's Manager they now have the keys and the future of the center in their hands. My responsibility for the Ward 4 Social Center is now officially over.

There is one part left to this and that is when the get to actually start school. The Center has already attracted more than the normal amount of children for enrollment. (technically, the PC paperwork is left also.)

I cleaned the toilets which where still covered in paint & then went home. It was nice to walk away knowing that the building will have a good life.

Here are some better photos of the mosaic (I had called it a mural, but I have been corrected murals are painted)



Before Grout



After Grout
















The Whole Thing.

Social Center Part 34 (ALL DONE)

So February 16th is the official ending date for the construction of the Ward 4 AMICAALL/Nhlangano Town Council Social Center.

Back when I was in the movie business projects always came to an end often times I was like great done what is the next job, other times I was sad that the project ended generally cause it was good one with good people. Well, this project has come to an end. And I am mixed, very happy to be done and completed since its been since October & the teachers are ready to move in, so that is the positive but this closes chapter of my life. Its a major accomplishment no doubt & something that is the highlight of my service. So now it is just marking time til I leave. With no more big projects in the works.

And so goes life.

But at least on Monday, I will be back since the Caregivers/Volunteers who benefits the most from the Center will be there to clean the whole place.

But Its done.

So really there is nothing left to do but smile.


And as for the last days activities, they finished tiling the kitchen & small store room. I paid the guy doing the floors, the last of money & expenses. I have one more payment left to make to his assistant that stayed late to help me finish a tile mural that I created for the area in the kitchen that they will be serving food out of.

For this mural, I got for free a bunch of busted tile pieces from the local hardware store, added bunch of our own pieces, painted quite a few Jackson Pollack style and spent the last 2 days putting it together cementing and grouting it and the assistant helped finish it off and make it look great.

But I guess as so goes the timing yesterday I busted my camera that has been with me daily. So I was forced to take the below pictures with my crappy cell phone camera.

So enjoy and thanks to all who have followed this blog, its not quite done yet. Since there are still some more updates to come. But for me all the hard work is DONE!