Two Stops Past Siberia

Everyone tells the Community Developer to be patient. “Development is an Art,” they all say. “Don’t rush it,” they all say, “or you’ll always be on the cutting edge of the wrong idea.” This is great advice, but in practice, it can be a little frustrating.

See, when I arrived here in Sunny Naryn back in June, if I knew one thing, it was how miraculously much I didn’t know. At the end of training, my language ability was low, and my skill-set entirely academic. I contented myself to watching, helping, observing, and meeting with anyone who would take the time to talk to me.

But now, fast forward five months later, and you’ve got one volunteer really wishing he had something concrete to do. And that is just about where our story begins.

In my aggressive dilettantism, I’ve befriended both the local UNDP and the rural community development NGO they built, Tangdesh Zaman.  UNDP is eventually going to cut them loose, and beforehand, the group had identified the need to do some strategic planning. And this is where, yours truly, Kyrgy Carl, the doe-eyed tenderfoot came to the rescue. “I can do that!” I proclaimed.

Naturally, “I can do that!” doesn’t exactly mean what it sounds. Having only the academic training involved with Strategic Planning at my disposal, I could hardly be called an expert. And my “intermediate high” language skills mean I can (clunkily) say just about anything I want, but my understanding is not to par.

To solve these inadequacies, I partnered with a 2 year veteran SOCD volunteer named Martin. Martin in tow, 10 hours and 2 days later, Tangdesh Zaman, this grassroots, community developing, rural NGO had a bonafide, American, strategic plan.

It took us an hour to write the vision statement. This single sentence is meant to be a huge goal that, if solved, would put you out of business. When it became clear that “Eliminate Poverty in Kyryzstan” was this NGO’s vision, at first, they wouldn’t have it.

Summed up in the curious idiom of a new language, lacking any hyperbole, the Tangdesh Zaman director told me, “But that is impossible! If you see one boy who is naked, then there is poverty!” Once we assured them we knew the goal was unattainable, they treated us with a little more confidence. Once we convinced them we should strive for it anyway, their excitement was palpable.

“This is our mission!” they seemed to say, inspired. “This is what we are working towards! Maybe we can’t do it, but by God, we can try.” The grandeur of the goal moved their very souls, and we could feel it.

With the belief in their mission solidified, the rest, for these guys, was just cleanup. They were already doing great work, and just needed it clarified. Martin and I helped them do that, folks. Eight months in country, and, at least a little bit, I’ve done some of the work I’ve been called here to do. And it feels so good.

Originally Written November 22nd, 2009