2014 Breakthroughs

Dear Everyone,

There is no getting around it—I need to be in better contact with everyone back home. I have to make more time to share what is happening “this side”. I have neglected my blog, long update emails and even facebook messages for far too long. So to make up for it, I’ve decided to write a few short updates on neat things that have happened over the past few months.

Towards the end of my three-week trip back in December and January, I started to feel intense pressure and anxiety about starting my second year of service. Reflecting on my first year meant acknowledging that time works differently here. I also had to accept that staff changes at work, lack of time and apathy would make some proposed projects not feasible for 2014. Now that I’ve acknowledged these unavoidable constraints and limitations, a weight has been lifted. Given all of this, one more year just suddenly doesn't feel like enough time. I spent much of my first year building relationships and wrapping up the previous volunteer’s projects. I have just over 12 months left in my Peace Corps service, and there is so much left to do.

Around that time, I decided that unless something disrupts my service, I completely and totally want to extend for a third year. I love living and working in Ezakheni, KZN, South Africa. And despite the challenges, frustration, and slow pace of “getting things done”, I love being a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa.

I also started working through what I want to do and where I want to be after I return to the States. It has taken me awhile to arrive at this point, but I have decided that I want to return to the States to pursue a Master’s of Social Work. I have been always been inspired by my mother’s work at Sutter and motivated by what I have seen in my township. Social work feels like the natural fit. I have begun looking at six different MSW programs throughout the country. All of the schools currently on my list are outside of California. After moving to South Africa, moving to a different state feels like a great opportunity and the right move. My tentative plan is to study for the GRI and apply for grad school during my third year in South Africa. I hope to begin grad school in Fall 2016.

So, my dear friends and family, this is my current/tentative/feels right plan for the next few years. It I most likely won’t return to the States as planned in March 2015, but will return home with purpose the following spring.

I continue to love the challenge of grassroots-level development, and the unexpected joy that tiny, seemingly insignificant breakthroughs with people can bring. I’m looking forward to 2014 here in Ezakheni, 2015 in someplace new, and hopefully 2016-2018 in a great MSW programme.

Siyabonga kakhulu / thank you very much for all of your support.

Much love,

Hannah / Thandiwe