The Puzzles!

Those who have listened to me run at the mouth in the last year or so (particularly on my recent quick but lovely trip to Seattle – see the photos here) have probably heard me talk about how I have been learning a lot about international development work while in Lusaka. They also have probably suffered through my analogy for my learning process: It’s as though I’m working on a puzzle, and as I work along, more puzzle pieces appear. I gradually sort out parts of the puzzle, but the puzzle keeps getting bigger and bigger! Another good analogy is to one of those team building exercises that people do on ropes courses in the woods: Your team finally figures out how to get everyone across the crocodile laden stream, but then the instructor says that now you all have to do the exercise again blindfolded and with one hand tied at your waist…

Anyways, these puzzles of development work are true about life in general at some point too. I thought I would share some recent puzzles with you.

The first puzzle I thought I would share with you is the puzzle of how to help a Zambian in-service teachers’ college start IT training courses. The college has said that they want to do it, and they have a newly finished computer lab, but have few trained and available staff to work on the project. The Ministry of Education planning office has said that they want to school to do it, but they aren’t yet allotting staff to the project (due to bureaucracy and competing priorities). My friend that works for a Belgian aid organization helping the college has been already helping prepare one IT curriculum, but she is about to leave Zambia. She also recognizes that her leadership has been too strong, so the college has not had to “step up to the plate”. The college also has reported frequent power outages (due to regional problems of supply and demand which are predicted to continue for several years) and doesn’t have the funds to buy a sufficient generator to power the computer lab. My friend wants me to help out with the project, but competing priorities will limit my ability to do so. So what’s the next step? Wisely my friend organized a meeting with all the players mentioned above as well as representatives from the USAID project that has been helping the Ministry of Education. Making sure we were all on the same page was a great outcome. In addition, the head of the college promised to work on the staffing and generator problems (although I’m not sure he has the funding to deliver). The USAID project representative offered to hire a short term consultant to help the college and the ministry determine the overall curriculum and identify what additional help will be needed. I agreed to help with curriculum development and course planning, mostly after August.

That last sentence brings me to the puzzle of my future, which has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Believe it or not, I am fast approaching the two year mark in Zambia, having arrived here in September of 2006. I had put a two year limit on my volunteer work. While grateful for the generous sponsorship I have received, it is important to start earning “real money” again. But doing what and where? I certainly miss Seattle, particularly my living community, Friends meeting, friends, family and baseball. However, I have developed some great friends in Lusaka as well. Also, the longer I stay here the more useful I become in working towards the improvement of the computer education scene. So, after a bit of thinking and discussing, my sponsor and I recently made the decision that I will stay here for one more year and earn a real salary! The sponsor actually was pushing for two years, but I didn’t want to commit to that amount of time away from home. I also have taken to heart his suggestion that I look into getting a masters degree in a field that will help me find Seattle based employment in international development. There are several options that I will need to investigate! Meanwhile the priorities we have set for the next year are:
1. Formalize/organize the work of my sponsor’s organization
2. Work on “weaning” the four schools I have been working with off of my support (and partially off of the sponsor’s funding)
3. Bring on some local staff to help with the work of my sponsor’s organization
4. Consult with the teacher’s college (and possibly others) on teacher IT training
5. Write up and share the knowledge I have gained
6. Try again to get some community computer education going
7. Formalize/organize some sort of partnership between my sponsor’s organization and Microsoft

Please wish me luck with these pursuits. I am excited to have this continued opportunity to grow and try to effect change in Zambia. Meanwhile, those of you in Seattle are going to need to try to get the Mariners back on track without me. I wish you the best of luck!