Joe's Six-Month Reflection: Assumptions Have Been Challenged

Michelle and I originally thought about writing a joint-piece about our first six months in South Africa, but it became apparent after some discussion that we were having similar, yet distinct experiences. Michelle’s reflection about her first six months can be read here. My reflection is below.

Six Months in Review

Six months have come and gone since I landed in South Africa. It’s the longest amount of time I have spent outside the US, and about three times as long as any other time I’ve been abroad. It’s humbling for me to think that this time encompasses a little less than one-fourth of the total time I’ll be here.

As I reflect upon my time in South Africa, I am humbled for many reasons. First of all is the ways in which my assumptions have been challenged. Despite my tremendous attempt at not having any expectations about what I was going to experience when I came to South Africa, I still had assumptions buried deep with my subconscious that I carried with me as I boarded the plane to cross the Atlantic. These assumptions have become more apparent to me as time has passed.

Assumption #1: I pictured a dilapidated school building that was overcrowded with students, understaffed, and/or lacked formal leadership.

The first assumption is that of the state of the school at which I was assigned to volunteer. While I hoped that none of this was going to be true, a part of me was mentally prepared to deal with at least one of these, if not all three, issues. What I discovered in the few months since I arrived at the school is that it was functioning not only well, but above the Department of Basic Education’s standards. Although the school is indeed overcrowded and understaffed, the school is actually high-performing. The teaching staff is very dedicated, and they willingly fill multiple positions in addition to teaching fulltime in the classroom. Their hard work, as well as those of the students whom they teach, has helped them achieve success in these circumstances.

Assumption #2: I know how to handle adjusting to living in a new place.

Having worked for universities and having had an interest in intercultural experiences (i.e. experiencing people and places different from my own upbringing), I have been educated about and led several trainings pertaining to this very issue. While I understood conceptually about how to manage my thoughts and feelings, it has been an entirely different matter to actually put these concepts into practice. For example, with the language barrier that exists between others and myself, I know I should show them and myself grace. However, I find myself getting frustrated at times about the amount of effort it takes to convey even simple messages. The thing I try to remind myself in these situations is that I am human. The various strengths, weaknesses, virtues, vices, hopes, fears, dreams, and nightmares that make me who I am have helped and hindered me throughout my adjustment. Thankfully, family and friends in my life have been a huge support for me with messages, stories, emails, videos, music suggestions, pictures, cards, and care packages, and they have helped remind me that the tough times will pass and that I should do the best I can to enjoy the good ones.

Assumption #3: I am going to make positive changes at my school.

Prior to and throughout the application process, I heard from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and I read literature that talked about the size of the impact volunteers have on their projects. The main takeaway is that volunteers typically have a very small impact. Having heard this message time and again, I braced myself for making small, positive changes. This assumption lacked dimension in two significant ways. The first is the way in which change is measured and the second is when the change shows itself.

Examining measurement, let me begin by saying that Peace Corps South Africa and the country of South Africa have metrics that are used to measure the accomplishments/progress made by Peace Corps Volunteers. But, the kind of change I’m talking about is the stuff that is hard to measure. As I mentioned above, it became apparent during the first few months at my school that there were many things going well. At one point, I even had the following question circling in mind, “Does my school even need me?” The answer was, of course, yes because the school’s principal applied to receive a volunteer and the school was vetted by the Peace Corps. If both the school staff and Peace Corps thought a volunteer should be there, then I was supposed to be there. This meant I had to look closer.

Upon further examination, I realized the kind of changes I was going to make at the school related to the seemingly regular interactions teachers have with each other and with the students. For example, I could influence teachers to try a different teaching technique or I could morph the classroom management techniques I learned in the US to work in a rural, black South African context. I say these kinds of changes are difficult to measure because where one person may say there is progress another may not see anything at all. How can I quantify or qualify the behavior exemplified by the teachers?

The second way in which my assumption lacked dimension was when the change shows itself. I remember reading a blog a long time ago written by a current PCV whose parents had both served in the Peace Corps in Kenya in the late 1960’s. Part of the parents’ role was to educate the village about gender equity and the harmful nature of female circumcision. When her parents came to visit, they went back to the village where the parents served. While they were visiting the village, the chief thanked them for their influence on him when he was a boy. They had a profound impact on his view of female circumcision and he decided not to have his own daughters go through with the procedure. Now, he is working to dismantle the practice entirely. The parents were amazed at how their interactions with the boy who would become a chief could have such an impact decades later. (To read the story in full, visit the following webpage: Family Affair).

Now, that I’m volunteering, I can’t help but reflect on this story. I wonder, “What question or comment, however small or large, will I make that could have a significant impact perhaps months, years, or even decades from now?” There’s a lot of power in this kind of influence. The thought of this kind of question is intimidating and scary, but it’s also invigorating because I hope to make positive changes while I’m here. But then again I realize the changes that I influence quite possibly will continue to happen even after I’m gone. Hopefully this change will be positive and sustainable.

Education can be, and most of the time is, slow. I would love to see changes happen while I’m here, but I’m preparing myself to be ready to not see the larger impact those changes will have on the state of the school and the lives of the students in the long-term.

The Next Six Months

The next six months are sure to be exciting because the new school year is going to start on January 21st. I have a few hopes in mind as I step into this next set of time. I hope I continue to show gratitude for the experience that I get to have by being able to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa. I hope I continue to discover my assumptions and have the humility to explore them. And I hope I do an adequate job at a minimum at conveying my experiences to my family and friends back home.