trash project completed

In less than one week the village of Garly constructed eleven trash consolidation sites out of cement, metal poles and fencing. This same project took another PCV over a year (and she's still not done.) Go team Garly!

Why so fast? Because there was no choice in the matter. I gave the village one week to complete the construction and spent my days running to various contacts carrying different messages and generally being a sanitation cheerleader. I called many meetings and plainly stated deadlines.

This all seems like a very simple and an effective way of running things. Why didn't I take this speedy quick approach for my lengthy latrine project? Or why is my fellow PCV given up on hers ever being completed? Projects here, simply put, are difficult not in a monetary sense- usually just a small donation is collected from each family. Nor is the manual labor difficult- carrying a few loads of sand a couple hundred meters ain't no thang.

It is unbelievably difficult, however, to get a group of workers together at the same time working toward a common goal. There are no calendars on which to set a date two weeks from tomorrow. There is no system of punishments or rewards for those who work hard or do not show up. (My women's cooperative has a fee for anyone who shows up late or doesn't give an excuse for absence ahead of time.)

That being said, Garly pulled through, and even personalized some of the sites to boot! (Check out the picture)