Little Moments

Since I last wrote I’ve had a handful of special little moments.  Little things from each day that I’m grateful for as there has also been a lot of downtime and something I’m struggling with a bit lately. 

Little moments like this morning when the choir broke out with a couple new songs that had the most beautiful harmony I’ve ever heard from a choir. Strong, bold, beautiful.  The Catholic church I attend here celebrated the confirmation of about a dozen people.  The church was packed and I had to share half a seat with my nurse friend from the Hospital.  I tried to not let the moment be ruined by the swarms of children at my feet in the packed, three hour service.

Little moments like yesterday at the weekly market when Aposto and I hung my mosquito in an empty stall and talked to the crowd about sleeping under their mosquito net.  Yes, this sounds like an easy concept, but when it’s too hot, people sleep outside and leave their net inside.  Our point was that you can hang your net outside too as I demonstrated by laying on a mat under the net. We made signs in the two local languages and in French.  Some people asked questions, some people gave their testimonies of how their net had kept them healthy, and lots of people wanted to buy a net.  The other cool moment was walking to a little store in town with my little friend Wren and her brother Abadu Baba.  Wren is 7 or so and we joke that she is my Togolese daughter. These two live in the same compound as Aposto and I as I was waiting to go to the market I asked Wren if she wanted to walk to the store with me. Abadu, who likes me on some days and other days just screams when I appear, decided he wanted to join us and so it was quite the site to so many people from out of town who don’t know me.  It felt like they were my kids as we held hands and sang Abadu’s favorite song and I bought them a treat on the way back.

Friday the little moment was in the hour I got spend helping weigh and give the Polio vaccination drops to the dozen or so new babies who were there for their ‘check-up.’  I’m so thankful for such a capable nurse at our hospital.  She is smart, confident and speaks very clear French – and she trusts me and gives me stuff to do!  Later, I checked my email and had some very sweet messages from a couple of mentors back home.  One reminding me that, “not many people would give up two years of their life to help kids half a world away have a better life,” and “your work is never easy, but always important.” So encouraging, so uplifting. Thank you to those special people!

Thursday the moment was at the last girls club of the year as I taught the girls some American relay games (wow, they’re competitive!) and then enjoyed some candy from America as we talked about what we had learned throughout the club.  Returning home, exhausted from the heat of the day, I had some quiet time with the new baby (still not sure of his name) as the evening cooled down and then sat with him and my host mom as she gave him his nightly bath.

Wednesday morning the moment came when I was at the monthly meeting with Lama-Tessi’s local health agents.  One of the more capable group I’ve met with, I really felt like these were my people; my team. I told them about my goal of spending time with each of them when they have their meetings in their neighborhoods and do their home visits.  Not only as a way to keep them accountable to their action plans, encourage them in their efforts, but also to support the discussing of Family Planning at their various events.

Another cool moment came as I watched my English Club kids head home with armloads of books for the summer.  Being the last session for the year, I wanted them to be able to use the books that we have throughout the summer, so they each checked out (all on their own!) a handful.  It hit me that while it doesn’t seem like much, it’s pretty neat that these 15 kids have something from the generosity of my hometown and what’s more, something to read this summer. I was watching and thinking this as we were walking back to my house (they love to carry my things and walk me the 2 minutes to my house) and I let them come in and look around for the first time. (Something in the culture here; people don’t go into people’s houses much, everything is done/discussed outside).  They were funny; staring at new things in wonder: rice in a box? A giant ball that you can’t kick or throw but you use to ‘work out’ with? And trying to identify me in the many pictures I have decorating the walls.  It was funny; they make me smile.

Tuesday I attended the other local health agent meetings in the small villages north and south of LT.  The village to the south where we met in the morning has a really nice hospital. Why, I asked, is there electricity, a real table for women to give birth on, a full pharmacy (things the LT facility lacks)? Why? Because the hospital was built and is funded by a world Muslim association; not the Togolese government. Learning/understanding more things all the time.

Tuesday’s moment came in the afternoon when we were visiting the village to the south, Yao Kope.  Set back in the woods, there is a beautiful rehabilitation center for people coming out of prison, run by nuns.  That sounds scary/not exactly a friendly place to hang out, put the center was virtually empty and Nima and I wandered around the large summer camp like facilities.  They have real trades like chicken and pig raising, and two giant gardens with and one dark room growing mushrooms for the people to learn and use to readjust back to civilan life.  To appreciate this beauty, you have to know its rarity in Togo. First, the rehabilitation aspect in itself is pretty unusual here. Second, the place was so incredibly peaceful; no churches or mosques ringing at all hours, no hoards of animals or children running around, no loud trucks and cars zooming by. Third, real programs, real trades- properly raising animals instead of letting them wander wherever- and large, organized gardens are really really impressive. I was so happy; so excited to have discovered this place!

So there were special moments sprinkled throughout my week.  I realize this may sound ‘cool’ and it is and I have to remind myself of it- just hard sometimes when that moment is 20-60 minutes and leaves you trying to fill the rest of the day! Reminding myself this is Africa, you’re in the Peace Corps Taylor.  No, this isn’t a 9-5 desk job.  No, no two days are alike and no there is no predictability. This is what you wanted. Yes, I know I sound like a broken record; believe me I’m just as frustrated with constantly telling myself this as you probably are reading if for the tenth time.  Perhaps this will be/is my biggest vice; the battle I fight throughout my service.  “Never easy; always important…”