Reflections on Week 2 of work

As I'm going into my third and final week of work at the Women's Shelter, I want to take some time to reflect on my second week.

Many parts of week two were frustrating. The internet was (and remains) dysfunctional. For an entire week, the organization has been working without the ability to send or receive emails or use the world wide web. I've asked multiple times if the internet provider has been contacted, only to hear, "I'm sure somebody has called." It seems everyone is waiting for somebody else to handle the situation.

Additionally, structural issues within the organization have become more apparent. In a Friday meeting, one of the volunteers--who has been working there for over a year--had to ask, "What is our chain of command here?" Also, the lack of paid staff and reliance on volunteers sometimes creates an unsteady dynamic between the people in the office. It seems that unpaid volunteers are often much more enthusiastic and productive than their paid counterparts.

On the other hand, however, I've also experienced some really heart warming moments with the women who live at the shelter. Lauren and I created a basic computer hardware lesson for them that we presented on Thursday morning. Edna, the housekeeper/phone operator for the drop-in center also participated. After the lesson, we allowed them to experience what typing on a keyboard was like.

It was the first time most of them had ever typed their names on a computer. Watching their faces light up as the letters appeared on the screen made me realized that, despite our frustrations, we are making a difference at work. Basic computer skills are essential in most jobs, so teaching these women to understand and use computers will make them much more employable.

Today, upon hearing about last week's computer lesson, Joyce--one of the survivors who is in charge of the craft projects that the women do--asked me to teach her to touch-type. We started with the home keys and went from there! She practiced all day.

The computer lessons, in addition to the gardening that we did today to provide fresh veggies and a hobby for the women at the shelter, have given me a better appreciation for the little things that can really brighten someone's day. This is one of the many new understandings that I will bring home from Botswana.

Demonstrating how to use a mouse.