Site Placement

November the 6th, 2009

I had my site placement meeting today, and talking to other volunteers I have the impression it went really well. The head guy in charge of placement, Enos, seems to be using these meetings to size people up, to see if we are really up to the challenge, as I assume a few of us are not. Apparently one girl burst into tears during her interview, though I’m not sure exactly what was said. But hey, if you can’t handle a conversation, I wonder what the rest of service will be like?

As for me, we discussed my anxieties… not being able to cook. And then Enos began to describe two potential sites. The first is a school next to a road in a hot humid climate that enjoys a breeze from the lake (to which I responded “You mean Lake Victoria, so this must be Nywanza province,” and his look told me I was correct, little know-it-all that I am). But the condition is that the house is part of a compound I would share with other men, and we would could and clean communally. I’m not completely opposed, but I have always fancied the idea of having my own house, which is why the second option sounds better.

Picture a walk from a school, about 2 km, through woods and over a small brook into a clearing that sports a walled in compound home to several “Old Mamas” and children. And just outside the wall is a small house originally built for one of the older sons who is now living big in the city.

Also in the room were two volunteers one year into service, Kelly and Carly, who were assisting Enos with the interviews. When asked my opinion of the site, I replied “Sounds charming,” which put them both into stitches of laughter.
Let’s hope I get that one.

Now off to the club (Gipsy) with Christy and some others. Yay Tusker!