Vita ny Stagey

Training is done! All that awaits is our official swearing in on Tuesday, April 27th. I'm thrilled to be done with the rigorous schedule and endless and marginally beneficial courtesy visits to every tom-dick-and-harry environmentally related bureaucracy and NGO (non-governmental organization) in the country. I will miss my host family very much, especially my sweet and fetsy-fetsy (witty, coy, sketchy, funny, sneaky... almost every word mean lots of things here) host mother.

While I've been in the capital (yesterday, today, and tomorrow) I've been running all over the city on a supply easter egg hunt. So far I've found everything but the pink and blue hardboiled egg and the chocolate bunny. It feels like an easter egg hunt because there is no wallmart, home depot, mall, or any sort of aggregated economic activity besides the multiple open air markets around the city. Otherwise, everything I need is scattered all over the sprawling, hilly 3rd world city. However, I've become quite good at negotiating taxi fares and asking people for directions.

I'm looking forward to moving to site with a mixuture of excitement, aprehension, and apathy, and neurosis. I'd explain further but that would be difficult and I've haven't really had time to process my emotions yet. To stay sain, I focus on the first projects I'm going to start at site. I'm going to start by modeling simple technologies such as composting, vegetable gardening, tree nursery-ing, improved (mud) cook stoves, rain water catchment (i.e. gutters) while at the same time fixing up my stick hut and outhouse. If anyone has some expertese in Feng Shwey (sp?) especially related to squate-toilett outhouses, I'd appresiate some advice. I was thinking I'd start with an olive green trim with some rose wallpaper. Thoughts?

Ok, I must be off. If all goes as planned I'll post again within a week. I miss you all (except anyone reading this who I don't know, in which case- stop reading this and start sending me a care package to introduce yourself).

Rehefa Avy Eo

Comments

[azn butt]

it's Feng SHUI, you cracker. You can't employ it unless you know how to spell it.

and also it's
'sane', 'apprehension', 'expertise', 'appreciate', and apparently, 'squat-toilet'...

and write back so I know what to send you in a care package, ass.

love you, miss you, and hope you're happy.

hugs,
K

[gleb]

"I'm going to start by modeling simple technologies such as composting, vegetable gardening, tree nursery-ing, improved (mud) cook stoves, rain water catchment (i.e. gutters) while at the same time fixing up my stick hut and outhouse."

So you will be doing this for the village or for yourself? I am a little confused, if this is what you are doing what is the long term mission?

love,
gleb

[Shawn Peabody]

Well first I do them for myself, as an example of what is possible to the villagers (they need to see it to believe it usually). Then I show them how the technique works, then I help them to get started, provide troubleshooting support as they learn, and encourage them to teach others. In this way the techniques can be propagated through the larger population without me needing to teach everyone on the island how to do something. In principle it is sustainable, technology appropriate, grasssroots development. In practice, it's my vegetable garden.

These aren't the only projects I will do here, but they are a place to start. Long term I'm thinking about attempting to tackle some of the endemic problems which are most responsible for obstructing development. In my view (and many others, although there is disagreement) these problems are land tenur (clearly defined propety rights, "deeds"), and a lack of access to capital. How can I do this? The short answer- I have no idea. The long answer- also no idea. The medium answer- encourage and support villagers to begin the land registration process (which is currently trying to be improved) and setting up a small micro-credit village bank (not a savings bank like you might be used to thinking, a lending bank).

Or maybe I'll find something else to work on. Who knows, its hard enough to plan my grocery list, let alone a massive project.