The Daily Grind

It’s been a while since I last wrote because I have actually been busy working the last two weeks. I know, weird. I thought I would take a break from the internal self-analyzation of the last few weeks and give an update about the work I have been doing here in Katima for the last two and a half months.

Pardon the cliché, but the last two months have been full of ups and downs. Hardly a week has gone by when either Brian or I have not seriously considered packing it in and going home. The reasons are varied but ultimately tied up with the project – feeling like we are not making any progress, resistance or internal problems within management, or just being sick of the drama that is the result of poor organization and communication. Throughout it all we have tried to maintain focus on our goal of getting the job done and have tried to do this by being as open and honest as possible, a strategy which has often come back to bite us in the proverbial ass. As a last resort before giving up and leaving the project we have had to write to the head office on two separate occasions, once with serious concerns about the project and once with a set of constructive steps to take in order to get the project in working order again. These emails ended up causing a whole lot of drama and stress but I think in the end succeeded in clearing the air and kick-starting what I hope will be some concrete improvements.

As I have said before Brian and I were brought to Katima to help sort out a failing program, build the capacity of the management, and improve some of the statistics. On top of trying to focus on what have turned out to be some really hard tasks, for the last two months the project has been in a state of flux starting sometime in August with the news that the project would be closing in September instead of February. The reality that we understand now is that the CDC (American funding) is ending our 3 year funding as of tomorrow, 30th September and sometime in October we will start receiving a new set of funding for a new 5 year program. This is somewhat exciting as the TCE program in Namibia is the first TCE program to ever go past its usual 3 year timetable – a sign that we are being effective enough for donors to want us to keep going. Suffice to say, however, that getting information about this new program is like pulling teeth and the way that it was presented to the Field Officers was abhorrent and unprofessional to say the least. Enter the drama, uncertainty, and confusion of the past month and a half.

But the past is the past so let me explain the future. This TCE Phase 2 funded by the CDC is much more focused than the TCE Phase 2 funded by the Global Fund that Brian and I worked with in Omusati. Starting in October, our 50 Field Officers will go through some fairly intensive training to become government certified Community Counselors who can do field testing. TCE will be the first nonprofit program allowed to do field testing in Namibia, something which the CDC has been pushing the government to allow for a long time. It’s kind of a big deal. It will make a huge difference on the ground, since bringing HIV testing and counseling to people’s homes will remove many of the barriers to getting tested that exist today. It’s also a huge responsibility and incredibly important that we get this right. Because of this Brian and I pushed for a review of our current Field Officers, since after three years the motivation level amongst our Troop is at an all time low while the cheating level is at an all time high. The result was that yesterday after our End of Year Celebration Anna, Fortune, Brian and I sat with each Field Officer individually and had to fire 15 people. It is certainly a new experience and skill set but I have to say not a nice one.

The new program starts in mid October leaving us with just two weeks to advertise, interview and hire 16 new Field Officers, learn about the new system and develop a transition plan, and develop systems to work out the kinks in the old way of doing things. I have been working hard to stress to management the importance of these last two things and we will soon see if my badgering will pay off. The next month therefore is hugely crucial to the successful implementation of the project over the next five years – we have to start strong and organized. Unfortunately, our Namibian visa expires next Wednesday and we still do not know if our extension application (which we submitted over two months ago) has been approved. So there is a good chance that come next Wednesday Brian and I will have to leave the country and there is also the chance that it will be for quite a bit of time. If this happens then we will not be here to guide the transition. It is an exercise in letting go of control.

On the positive side, despite stretching my patience and frustration boundaries to the limits, I think I can unmodestly say that after only two and a half months in Katima we are starting to see improvements in the way things are run here. Perhaps fitting to the way Brian and I view the world, our impact here in Africa will not be in the number of toilets built or projects started but in the improved running of one single project that has the ability to touch the lives of 100,000 people.

After two and a half months here we are starting to see a difference in how people approach things. Anna is finally starting to trust us and work more closely with us, which, if we end up staying here for the next six months, will make everyone’s life easier. Fortune, our Troop Commander, has proved incredibly open to learning new things, takes our advice on board and runs with it. As a result his manner with the Field Officers is becoming much less gruff and more productive. The staff here has warmed up to us and our working relationship is much, much better as a result. We have started doing basic computer courses with the management here and most of them actually complete the ‘homework’ we give them to practice their powerpoint, excel, etc skills! In general Troop Meetings are less excruciatingly painful because with Brian and I to both intervene and lead by example there seems to be less yelling and lectures, a leadership style that seems to be very common in Africa (I can’t wait to do some teambuilding activities and leadership courses). Slowly statistics are starting to become more realistic (I think). Field Officers, who were afraid to speak during Troop Meetings for fear of being scolded like children or flat out yelled at, have started to trust us, Brian especially, and come to us for help and advice. (This is a start but we have to work on getting them to trust their actual management – we have leadership courses planned for October if we end up staying here). At our urging, they have also started to form more Support Groups, Trios, Men’s Clubs, etc. something that I am very passionate about. This month we all managed to do 6 Trio trainings, teaching about 300 people – most of who are HIV + - about the importance of getting support, adhering to their ARVs, and having strong bodies, minds and spirits.

These things aren’t earth shattering developments but in their own small ways I think they will make a lasting difference. While I still do not love Katima, I think that it is important that we stay here for the next six months if we can. The next six months will be crucial to the next five years of this project and to our ability to change people’s lives in this region that has an HIV prevalence rate of 39.1%. If we can cement these small changes and build on them over the next six months I will leave feeling like I have accomplished something. It will not be as personally satisfying as say, watching a child shower for the first time ever, but I think it will be genuine sustainable positive change and hopefully will renew my confidence in this thing called sustainable development.