The last two weeks since returning to Dangila from travels, have been filled with what seems like more work than the previous eight months combined. I leave my house early in the morning and come back late in the afternoon absolutely exhausted, and still not completely sure what I have accomplished. Is this what it is like to actually have a 9-5 job?
My latest project, actually, my first real project, is underway and I could not be more excited. The idea for it came straight from my year spent as Fundraising Chair in college. I thought, what if I could get hotels and restaurants in town to donate prizes, like food and soda, and we could have a town raffle… and the only way to get a ticket is to be tested for HIV! It is a project that requires no outside funding, it is a way for businesses in town to give back, many people can get HIV tested, and people win prizes!
My supervisor thought it sounded like a great idea, and was completely willing to help me organize this program, but I was also very aware that it was my project. This is the first project I’ve started in Dangila where it was my idea from the start and my initiative that is running the show, rather than my presence being an addition to an already existing program. At the same time, I am trying to teach my counterparts to create a sustainable concept that could be repeated in the future without my help. While I was out of town nobody was working on the project, so I knew it would be two weeks filled with frantic organizing.
We started by making a list of around 20 businesses in town, and visiting each one to ask the owner for a donation. As we walked around town, we also stopped to ask additional places for donations, and wound up with over 26 places in town willing to donate to the raffle program. We split those prizes up (i.e. a single donation of a case of soft drinks would be given to 24 different people) and our list of prizes tallied over 130! Only two places said they couldn’t donate, and overall I was so impressed with everyone’s generosity.
Work is hard though because I still feel somewhat helpless with communication. Even the simplest tasks are made difficult because for the most part I still need help translating my concepts into Amharic, especially to explain a program like a raffle, which is unheard of here. They do have a lottery here though, so we have been comparing this program to that concept. After securing the prizes, we moved on to promotional activities, which proved to be just as challenging. First, I created a flyer and poster in English and my counterpart helped me translate and type them in Amharic. Next, we came up with places we would start advertising, and my job became so much easier with the help of the Anti-AIDS club in town. With a borrowed speaker and microphone, the club members started announcing the program along the main road in town. A few of my friends were also willing to help me go to the market to distribute flyers. And another friend who teaches at the preparatory school allowed me to come to the flag ceremony one day to help encourage the students to go get tested!
Just yesterday, as the campaign was in full swing, we set up the speakers near the road that leads to the market, which is biggest on Saturdays, and attracted quite a crowd of on-lookers. From there, one of the club members and I walked over to the market and decided to pass out flyers, which turned into yet another ridiculous scene. We happened to arrive right as some truck with a loudspeaker began to promote a trachoma campaign, and so as everyone looked over to see what was going on, they saw me, and formed the biggest and most aggressive crowd I’ve had to deal with yet in Dangila. You would have thought we were passing out money, not HIV flyers. While I loved everyone’s curiosity, I fear that the point was lost during this promotional outing. With people yelling “give me paper!” hands grabbing the flyers out of my arms, and some flyers being ripped in half by the impatient crowd, we decided to walk back to promote via speaker with the other club members.
With a buffer created by my fellow-promoters, the speaker promotion was a hit. We even had all the little kids have a mini dance contest while we were waiting, which made for some great videos! Overall, I could not have even begun to promote by myself, or shooed away the massive crowds! I am so thankful for all the help I have received while trying to pull this project together in two weeks. And I am even more excited to begin the raffle program, which commences tomorrow!
My latest project, actually, my first real project, is underway and I could not be more excited. The idea for it came straight from my year spent as Fundraising Chair in college. I thought, what if I could get hotels and restaurants in town to donate prizes, like food and soda, and we could have a town raffle… and the only way to get a ticket is to be tested for HIV! It is a project that requires no outside funding, it is a way for businesses in town to give back, many people can get HIV tested, and people win prizes!
My supervisor thought it sounded like a great idea, and was completely willing to help me organize this program, but I was also very aware that it was my project. This is the first project I’ve started in Dangila where it was my idea from the start and my initiative that is running the show, rather than my presence being an addition to an already existing program. At the same time, I am trying to teach my counterparts to create a sustainable concept that could be repeated in the future without my help. While I was out of town nobody was working on the project, so I knew it would be two weeks filled with frantic organizing.
We started by making a list of around 20 businesses in town, and visiting each one to ask the owner for a donation. As we walked around town, we also stopped to ask additional places for donations, and wound up with over 26 places in town willing to donate to the raffle program. We split those prizes up (i.e. a single donation of a case of soft drinks would be given to 24 different people) and our list of prizes tallied over 130! Only two places said they couldn’t donate, and overall I was so impressed with everyone’s generosity.
Work is hard though because I still feel somewhat helpless with communication. Even the simplest tasks are made difficult because for the most part I still need help translating my concepts into Amharic, especially to explain a program like a raffle, which is unheard of here. They do have a lottery here though, so we have been comparing this program to that concept. After securing the prizes, we moved on to promotional activities, which proved to be just as challenging. First, I created a flyer and poster in English and my counterpart helped me translate and type them in Amharic. Next, we came up with places we would start advertising, and my job became so much easier with the help of the Anti-AIDS club in town. With a borrowed speaker and microphone, the club members started announcing the program along the main road in town. A few of my friends were also willing to help me go to the market to distribute flyers. And another friend who teaches at the preparatory school allowed me to come to the flag ceremony one day to help encourage the students to go get tested!
Just yesterday, as the campaign was in full swing, we set up the speakers near the road that leads to the market, which is biggest on Saturdays, and attracted quite a crowd of on-lookers. From there, one of the club members and I walked over to the market and decided to pass out flyers, which turned into yet another ridiculous scene. We happened to arrive right as some truck with a loudspeaker began to promote a trachoma campaign, and so as everyone looked over to see what was going on, they saw me, and formed the biggest and most aggressive crowd I’ve had to deal with yet in Dangila. You would have thought we were passing out money, not HIV flyers. While I loved everyone’s curiosity, I fear that the point was lost during this promotional outing. With people yelling “give me paper!” hands grabbing the flyers out of my arms, and some flyers being ripped in half by the impatient crowd, we decided to walk back to promote via speaker with the other club members.
With a buffer created by my fellow-promoters, the speaker promotion was a hit. We even had all the little kids have a mini dance contest while we were waiting, which made for some great videos! Overall, I could not have even begun to promote by myself, or shooed away the massive crowds! I am so thankful for all the help I have received while trying to pull this project together in two weeks. And I am even more excited to begin the raffle program, which commences tomorrow!
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