Dreamer or Realist?

Dec. 27 2011

I sit here reflecting on my experience so far in Ghana with only a little over a week left to go. I knew that I was not going to change the world by coming here, but just make a small impact in a few children’s lives. Most activities in the orphanage setting are in a group setting so having access to one on one attention is something the kids love. I feel like I have been very successful in creating relationship with many of the kids and giving them one on one attention. In thinking about this, I think about how many times Susan Ballard told me “It is all about the relationship”. (Thanks Susan I will never forget this fact). Here this fact is so true, showing a child you care for even a short time can show a child that they matter and someone cares enough about them as a person to invest time into them.

I think it may be true what many people say, I have gained more from coming here than I was able to give. This experience has given me an opportunity to experience a completely different culture and observe different child rearing strategies. I know my experience both here and in Cambodia will forever influence the way I approach clients clinically and my life in general. I know this experience has increased by ability to think critically about the needs in other countries and how to meet these needs efficiently and effectively. It was interesting last night as the volunteer group was talking about the orphanage’s needs and we became focused on the need for money to be managed more effectively. I felt like a true social worker when I talked about the need to seek input and to educate the owners rather then tell them the problems and fix them for them. This led to a detailed conversation about helping to teach versus financial support. I felt like I was channeling my inner social worker when I talked about the need to get the owners perspective about the current financial needs rather than assuming he and she sees things from our western perspective. Even if the western way appears to be more correct and effective we need to remember we come from a completely different country and culture and need to respect the impact this has on our perspective and our perceived needs. If I learned nothing else in my first two year as a social worker it is that people need to feel change is warranted and want change or it is almost impossible to make change happen. Without the investment by the client or in this case the orphanage owners change is very difficult (Jen Gambill how often did we talk about this exact topic on our perspective couches).  This is a simple fact that I have thought about a lot in working as a social worker and it has helped me here too. Change is often slow and small but always worth the effort made to achieve this change. You need to be both patient and determined when attempting change in Africa because you are working with a system that is so different from our own. The impact I make as volunteer here many only plant a seed but I hope this seed can be nurtured by future volunteers and adults in the children’s lives.

  

One of my current struggles is that I am feeling somewhat jaded lately. Many of the volunteers around me have these big ideas and my internal thoughts are “this will never work”. I am unsure whether I have just become cynical or whether I am just realistic. Many of the ideas have been coming from volunteers that have just graduated high school and are taking time off before attending college. I feel like at one time I was the dreamer that they are now, but I am not sure what has happened to that part of me. I think I still am a dreamer and have tons of ideas to help the orphanage, but I filter them and think realistically before I say them out loud. I guess this is something that comes with age and experience, but I am not sure if I like it. I feel bad constantly saying is this realistic and will it fulfill a need we have identified or is it a need the owners see as important and will be invested in. As I think about this dilemma I know my ability to think critically about an idea is a good skill and I am happy I have this skill, however I hope I never lose the part of me that is a dreamer and thinks big rather than realistically. I guess I would not be on this trip if I was not a little bit of a dreamer.  As you all know this trip felt a little crazy when I was planning it but I could not be happier that I have done this.