On track

The upcoming big event (for us) is still
on track. As anyone who has ever worked
as a volunteer can tell you ... nothing is sure
until you've arrived back after the plan went
off.
But, I am especially concerned about the trip
to the lodge coming out somewhat successful.
Basically, if we go, that's success. It is the
simple criteria we are striving for.
The main reason being is that last year the kids
were promised that would have the chance to go
to Botswana. They were to attend the 'Kuru Festival'.
A big cultural event that attracts many groups.
They had money to go to the event donated by
an NGO that works with indigenous minorities. The
kids were pumped and another organization that
promised to supply the transport, didn't even show.
The kids were just plain ... well ... best said ... their
little hearts were ripped out.
As a result, they lost confidence, interest and
... so ... if one wants a group together for reasons
as to develop or help or support, things like
disappointment is not going to bring any kind of
good results.
So, what we've done is confirmed, confirmed,
confirmed, confirmed and re-confirmed. But still
doesn't mean that we're going to be in business.
But, this time, it seems that it could actually happen.
The guy providing transport is the best we can find.
The lodge is really top notch. The owners are quality
and have an interest in supporting the San within the
National Park.
So, with a week to go all the stars are lined up and
hopefully they stay that way.
On the kids side, as you can see in the picture they
were lining up to do their routine a second time.
The kids are working hard.
It surprised me as I have been involved with that
group for over a year an a half and I have never seen
them this way. I am impressed with their effort.
Back to the picture ... on the left in the red shirt is
David the group's leader. He's been involved with
the cultural group project since 2005.
These kids are what you could call of the second
generation.
This is a good project and it keeps young kids
occupied (especially out here in the bush) and it
has had a positive affect as all the kids in the group
are attending school.
They are really just a great group of kids.
Yesterday, they put on a show during their practice
sessions. David told them that with a week left
it was time to buckle down, get serious and try
their best.
They also motivated a few elders to come and
participate.
The elders have the knowledge that's not getting
passed out due to the different way of life.
One of the goals with this group is to do just that.
Try and keep the 'Old Ways' alive by handing down
the knowledge, just as it used to be.
Again, the elders just talked about participating
and if the old saying goes ... if I had a dollar for
every time ... then we'd be pretty much set.
But this volunteer thing is a lot of time hoping and
praying that things will work out.
Stars, stars ... don't move at least until 7:00 p.m. next
Saturday night.
This way their little hearts won't be broken again..

We're almost there ... finally

It has been oh ... let me think ... something like
a year since I've talked to the lodge owner about
our Young San Cultural Group going to his lodge
to perform. I mentioned a bit about this being a
possibility in the prior blog post. In fact, if they
go they will be the first San group to have performed
at any of those lodges along the Namibia side
of the Okavango River.

Since posting that article we've been working on
making it come to fruition. The main problem we
had was transportation as the lodge is about 75 km
or 50 miles away.

We've received a promise of being transported by
the village school's assistant principal. He's about the
most reliable person in the joint, so, if it don't go with
him ... then ... it's about impossible to get that sorted.

So that is good, then we have an agreement with the
lodge owner who is noted as a reputable man so the
two biggest issues are ... on paper, solved.

It ought to be pretty interesting and the kids are going
to basically get thrown out of the boat and have to
tread water. Sounds bad, huh? What I mean by that
is it will be the first time for the kids to perform at any
lodge. Plus, the owner wanted them to show up on the
5th of November because he's having a full house and
supposedly they are going to be important guests.

Man, got to admit, I really don't know how the kids are
as far as anxiety about it goes but, I got a little. Well anxiety
seems to be kind of a negative thing, I guess. I really have
concern or more like, I am really hoping that it goes so
well.

Right now the kids are going nuts practicing which is the
goal of it all is to keep them engaged in activity. As it has
been said: " Idle mind is the devil's playground". Really
holds true out here in the bush.

We have to nail down a 45 minute program and the group
has a mixture of traditional songs and some new ones of
their own.

As for my work goal in all this ... it's to really get the group
to get their first plunge into a new world.

The other day I thought back to my time in El Salvador and
how we did the 'plunge' only with girls soccer. In the campo
(word for bush, rural area) it was unheard of. It took 14
months of cajoling, pleading, begging and finally just plain
demanding. But we had one game and we were ... out there ...
pushing the envelope so to speak. But two years later I
received an email from the volunteer that replaced me and
in it was a picture of a girls soccer team with full uniforms.
I felt pretty ok when I saw it.

So, I guess it is getting easier because this time it was only
12 months to get the activity happening. But I do hope that
at least, if they never go again to another lodge to perform,
that they will have had one good experience that they'll
never forget. Or, I'll get an email with a picture of them
tearing it up with the crowd going crazy, can lightning
strike same place twice?

Oops, almost forgot, in my enthusiasm I am leaning towards,
this is all going to work out and we will go. But, through
experience it is better to think of the glass as half empty.
This way if there is a let down, there's not too far to fall.

But, we will get there ... this time ... for sure ... again.

New season

The other day we received our first rain of
the upcoming rainy season.
It is really remarkable how the plants spring
to life with little humidity. They are what survives
and thrives in these conditions.
In the picture is one of those plants that flower
after receiving it's first watering/rain. The picture
is kind of bleached out and my first thought
was to shade it a bit to make it look a little prettier,
but I decided to leave it the way it is. The reason
being is I feel that it gives a good example of the
light and ambiance at this time of year out in the bush.

This volunteer work is something at times and it
really is simply, working with people and not much
more complicated than that. The simple and logical
way to put it is ... if the people want to, then it will go
and the chance of it being actually anywhere close
to sustainable, may happen.
This is the intro to an update concerning the work with
the San Young Cultural Group. I've mentioned it prior
blog entries that one of the underlying goals is to get
the kids out of the village and give them the opportunity
to see and experience some new things. The purpose
is to combat the tendencies of the youth to drink alcohol
out of what they call 'boredom'.
So, to get them out and about will hopefully open their
minds and give alternative visions as to which direction
they may want their lives to head to.
A year ago I met one of two owners of a lodge 80 km
or 50 miles from here.
At that time I mentioned to him that we had this San
Culture Group and is there was any way that they may
have the chance to go to his lodge and perform. He said
that he was trying to encourage San groups to come to
his lodge but hadn't had much success.
I returned to the village and told our group's leader what
I was told. Well, nothing happened and despite probably
bugging the leader once every two weeks, it took the
leader's per chance meeting of the lodge's owner to
look like ... the show may actually hit the road. As men-
tioned above ... if they want to, it will probably work out.
We have to begin to work out the details this week and
trying to keep the 'glass half full' mantra ... am hoping
that it finally will be
.
I added on one more year here and one of my main
goals before I finish is to at least ... once ... see the
kids have (as of now) probably the biggest experience
of their lives.
It could open the door to a fantastic opportunity to have
an ongoing working relationship with the lodge. If not,
it will be a life skill experience and it is a no lose
situation.

It is kind of funny but after one lives in a place for a while
we seem to get the feeling as how things are flowing.
In this village there have been some problems like
anywhere else, I guess.
Mainly alcohol, a confusion in leadership and throw in
a few tricky people ... and ... it all just adds up to a
situation that holds everything and everybody back.
This has been the circumstance almost ever since I've
arrived here but the crazy thing is ... that over the last few
weeks some of the people are beginning to stand up
and take back some control.
The place actually feels different. Maybe there is more
than one change of season going on.
As the Dalai Lama said; "the true development is the
development of the character".
I found this to be so true, as if the people have good
intentions then things work out fine. Maybe they will
even make better life choices.

This is good for me as people are coming up to me to
help them write reports, proposals and even add two
cents of my opinion to it all.

It only took two and a half years for this energy to come
to life.

I have 8 months left and I know that the rainy season is
sure to come. I just hope that the motivational season
has also just started and lasts till I am finished.