In the Field

Today was the first day of the surveys. The plan was that I meet a few of the groups to videotape them and take some pictures. I'm trying to document all the steps of PACE on film so that I can show all the PACE supporters exactly what they are supporting.

 

I rode my bicycle up and down almost all of the center of Zone F, which is called Village 68. I got some serious practice with my Swahili greetings. I probably greeted some people five or six times, zigzagging all over the place. I met most of the PACE participants out in the field. It was really exciting and encouraging to see them hard at work on conducting the surveys. They've only been a part of PACE for a total of four days now, and already they are willing to take their afternoons and evenings - the only time of the day when they really have any time to relax - and do some serious work.

 

I was trying to imagine what would have happened if I had come to them with a survey that I had already prepared on my own and told them to go out and administer it to 200 people in the community. I can't picture them working with such enthusiasm. Even Charles, my translator, said that he was really impressed with them. "They are just coming along very nicely." He told me that he was listening to how they were conducting the surveys as we were videotaping. "The way that they are asking the questions, it is just fine. I was thinking yesterday in the class that they might not be ready; they might have some problems. But they are just doing very well." I was glad to hear that because I had felt the same way. I told Charles that it seemed that most people had a tendency to rise to the occasion in such circumstances. It's hard to be confident when you are studying something academically in the classroom, but then when you are out actually doing it, things just click.

 

In just four days they will have talked to 200 people. My head spins at the thought of doing that on my own - especially when you consider translation. Translation - ugh. I've got a love/hate relationship with translation. Without it, I'd be nowhere. But my inability to speak Swahili makes everything I do take about three times longer than it would otherwise. Everything I want to say or present to them has to be translated into Swahili - the agenda for each class, directions, guidelines, questions, everything. And everything that they produce in class has to be translated back into English so that I have a record of it. I'm no longer considering learning Swahili to be something fun that I'm doing on the side. It's a part of my job now. I'm studying an hour a day, and trying to find people to speak to who don't speak English or French, so that I have to speak to them in Swahili.

 

In less than a week we should have the results of the survey all ready. I'm interested to see what they find. I'll let you know.