Hello all, this will be my final blog entry on my adventures in Ghana. I decided to leave the Peace Corps early and am now back in the States. First of all, I wanted to thank everyone again who donated to my project. I promised to put some pictures up on the web of the weavers and others from my project for everyone to see and I was able to do that. I also promised a long time ago to put pictures up from my local festival that happened in October so those are up as well. Check them out at:
http://flickr.com/photos/lmihp
Fyi LMIHP stands for Lawra Methodist Integrated Health Project. I wanted you to look at them so you can see how healthy and strong the women are, and how with your help they are able to stay that way.

It was a tough decision to make to leave early, but I know I made the right choice. Ultimately for me it boiled down to the fact that I went into the Peace Corps to do sustainable development work and the work I was doing was in no way, shape or form sustainable. Most of the work I did for the project was office work—writing their grant applications, writing their quarterly and annual reports, helping them with reporting to the various required agencies. Time and again I tried to figure out ways to impart my skills to the staff, but it was made clear to me by the manager of the project that my role was to do the work and not to train others on it. I was not allowed the staff’s time I needed to train them. Because of this, I realized that rather than helping the project, what I was really doing was creating dependence on a volunteer/foreigner. So I did what I could for them before I left and exercised tough love. With help from you and Ghana AIDS Commission they should have money for the PLWHA’s antiretroviral therapy for the next year and a half. With your help I raised the money for the smock maker to come and teach the members of the PLWHA association how to make their weaving business more profitable. Since I left I know the project will be forced to allow one of their staff to learn computer and proposal writing skills, making the project ultimately as self sufficient as possible.

I am very happy for the lessons I learned about development work from living and working in Ghana. Ghana is oversaturated with foreign aid, and I learned a long list of what not to do in terms of development projects. At the same time, I got to work with Action Aid International Ghana and got to learn lessons about the amazing things that can be accomplished in communities with sustainable, community based projects which are monitored accurately. Okay, that is the last you’ll have to read of my development soap box, but hey it is my career and my passion so I should be excused this once. :)

So what is next for me? Naturally living in rural Ghana I had some time to think and I realized that I do want to continue living and working with HIV/AIDS abroad. But my family and friends are incredibly important as well so I am spending a few months in Central Illinois with my family and a few months in San Francisco this summer before moving to London for graduate school in the fall. I hope to reconnect with many of you as I am once again accessible. Anyway I will definitely miss the women and kids at my project and all the great Ghanaians and fellow volunteers that came to be a part of my life there.

I do have to say a quick “don’t try this at home” about my experience in the Peace Corps. Honestly, I had an incredibly difficult time working with the bureaucracy that is the Peace Corps administration and would not recommend it to anyone. Maybe if you are straight out of college and have no work or travel experience then it would be a good program for you. But I went there to development work, and was treated the entire time like I was on a high school cultural exchange program. If you are in your thirties especially, no way. I know other people have a different experience but I do have to say that was mine. That being said, I would recommend an organization called Volunteer Services Overseas, (VSO) if you are looking to gain a couple of years international experience. VSO is basically Peace Corps for Europeans and the rest of the world without all the bs of working with the American government. VSO requires 2 years of prior experience in your chosen field of volunteering and places you in a professional position. They also do things like furnish your house (concept!) and provide you with transportation so you don’t have to ride the minivan death traps that pass for public transportation in most of rural areas (shocking!) Although it also has its ups and downs, I had a lot of VSO friends and have to say if you or someone you know are thinking about a change and are contemplating international work, go for it! I would be happy to answer any questions for people.

Anyway I look forward to getting to reconnect with people again. I will be attending my 10 year reunion for Grinnell College at the end of May and then I will be coming out to the Bay Area after that in June. In the meantime, I hope things are well for you in your corner of the globe.