PCSA NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

Peace Corps South Africa publishes a newsletter six times a year, with articles written by various volunteers and sometimes staff members,as well.

The most recent Oct.-Nov. edition contains an article written by a PCV whom I worked with my first few months here, I've tried to cut and paste from the actual newsletter to no avail, but here is the copy (note:  creche is the South African term for day-care/pre-school) :

INFORMAL PARTNERSHIPS

While conducting research in villages for my Response project with Operation HOPE, a financial education NGO, I had an opportunity to visit with a community leader who was PCV Laura Bramblett’s host father. He was interested in assisting with the development of a much-needed crèche for the area, and asked if I would visit with him and the woman who he envisioned to be the manager.  I think perhaps his initial purpose was to determine if I might lead him to a source of funding, but I indicated that was not my purpose here and he would need to seek other avenues for that.  Then we had a good discussion, talking about the many factors that needed consideration in starting up a new business.  We rapidly developed a mutual respect for each other.  That session generated a later confidential chat about his personal finances. To me, this is what being a PCV/PCRV is all about.  In addition to an assigned project or work duties, we are to make our knowledge and experience available to anyone who seeks it.  It was a pleasure and joy to have this opportunity to perhaps be of assistance in such a simple way.  Laura will continue the story.

Connie Genger, Johannesburg, PCRV 2014

It was great to connect my host Baba with Connie and I think both parties enjoyed the productive visit. As Connie continued with her financial management project in Joburg, my baba continued progress on getting the creche up and running. I put him in contact with a student doing her practicals at our local hospital and off they went, planning a development day for the creche that involved village efforts as well as a Rotaract club.

I really liked the fact that Connie and I only gave Baba the empowering tools to succeed. He himself utilized them in an effective manner with a terrific result: a functioning creche due to external resources as well as internal fiscal support from the community. I think Peace Corps is supposed to be about empowering them to help themselves and I'm thrilled to say Connie and I were part of a successful venture. Sustainability, here we come.

Laura Bramblett, central KZN, SA26