Sustainability? What is that?

A few weeks ago, the group of us in AZ7 had our Mid-Service Conference. It was the first time we have all been together since we completed our training in Sumgayit over one year ago. It was a big deal; a huge indicator of our time here. After this conference, we have one more, and then we're home. It's hard not to think about the progress I have or haven't made here; to analyze and evaluate the work I have and haven't been able to do. If you've been keeping up with the blog, you'll find that adaptation is the on-going theme here and a motto I continually refer back to. I have shifted and adapted my goals, perceptions, and sentiments about my service so many times, that's it hard to remember and compare how I felt about it in the past. Coincidentally, our bi-yearly Volunteer Report Forms (VRFs) were due and we were forced to sit back, reflect, and process our services in a way that was tangible to headquarters in DC. We were asked to list our projects, the number of participants, to recount cultural adaptation strategies, and success stories. This may seem like a, though tedious, menial task. It's just basic paperwork. But for us PCVs, whose work is a constant ebb and flow of personal relationships, cordial greetings, and the constant maintenance of our reputations, this paperwork was a frustrating and impossible act of recounting our service through the checking of boxes and fill in the blanks. Needless to say, there was some tension at our conference.

Without going into detail, a discussion of what is considered a "success" (yes, this word "success" again) by PCVs and our VRFs  was brought into debate. For the entire organization of Peace Corps, sustainability is the greatest goal. This is the reason why we're all here. We don't become members of a community just to build houses, give computers, and walk away. We're all about skills transfer. Peace Corps is definitely founded on the basis of, Give a man a Fish and you have fed him for Today. Teach a man to Fish, and you have fed him for a Lifetime. I'm all about it. Sustainability is the ultimate achievement. This is why my relationship and the work I do with my counterpart is the most important to me: skills transfer. However, in Azerbaijan reality, the large majority of the work we do will end when we leave. It's the sad truth. Many of us begin our service seeking for the one big project we can leave behind. Many of us leave without accomplishing it. And the few who do leave something, often learn later, when they have returned to their snug homes in America, that the project collapsed immediately. I've seen it happen. We've all seen it happen. I'm painting a depressing picture, I know and you might think, Then what's the point of it all? I used to sit at home and go over in my mind all the different projects I could try to start and they all ended in a dead end. It used to depress me as well. But then a friend said the wisest words I've heard yet: Memories are Sustainable. 


And so I leave you with a snippet of my VRF. It's about my most sustainable work here which, as it turns out, has been the easiest. The work consists of chatting, watching romantic comedies on Friday afternoons, shopping for birthday presents and of course some English teaching. About my wonderful counterpart:

My biggest success is my relationship with my counterpart. Since the beginning of this school year, we have built a strong friendship. We often spend time together outside of school, share personal interests, and have worked more diligently on a supplemental curriculum for our students. She is the person I am closest to at site and is a true counterpart. Neither of us would be able to achieve the kind of work we are doing without the other. She has a broader view of what is possible within and outside of our classroom and is in the practice of asking for more. This is a person that I already know I have had a positive reaction from. I can already tell that she is becoming a better teacher due to our joint progress. 

Last but most certainly not least... Auntie Liza, we will never forget you. Not only did the you make the average height of our group taller by at least 10%, you were hilarious and caring in a way that all people should be. You'll always be a part of the Four. I'll be sure to share a Corona with you every Valentine's Day... <3