Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Mr. Daniel Amoah (One Danny)
Wait until I tell you why. After I had settled in my community, my home visits and community transient walks (as ways of integrating), were uncountable. Aside from the fact that the visits and walks were uncountable, the reception from community folks was so great. At this point, I felt I had nailed it, so I thought it was time to begin facilitating meetings………. Hmmm! It was there I got to know that I had not gotten anything right. Why? Because I had 95% of the arranged meetings fail as a result of low patronage. Due to this, I had to reschedule, and I mean reschedule meetings not once, not twice, not thrice but uncountable times.
My series of failed meetings got me thinking. As if that was not enough, I took a deep breath and said to myself, “Let’s see where I got it wrong”. While I was thinking of how to be the Volunteer CorpsAfrica trained by empathizing more, asking relevant questions, observing more, and listening attentively, the feedback I got back from my community got me lost in my thoughts. This was because on average my community’s ratings on the following were 99.9%:
- Lack of commitment toward development
- Loss of hope in their community
- Prophecies of doom
At this point, I had a mindset that I could give up and I would not be blamed. But upon second thought, I told myself, “You cannot fail humanity.” So, I started to talk myself out of giving up. I started reading my handbook and notes taken down from my Pre-Service Training (PST) and this action empowered me. The support of my Volunteer Liaison with his words of encouragement, “We can do it”, and “let’s make it work guys”, really motivated me. His encouragement anytime we had our weekly check–in calls gave me the push I needed to continue my service. At this moment, all I can say is that I have conquered.
The decision not to fail humanity or myself made me come back stronger and harder. I took every moment to be a CorpsAfrica moment and also fed myself with daily doses of positive talks, not forgetting how I looked closely for community dynamics in:
Power
Gender
Youth interpretations
Seeing rural living as a normalcy that I had to refuse.
CorpsAfrica/GHANA, G1!!!!!……… The originals, make an original and lasting impact.
