PST is closing and we’re starting to say goodbyes to our families in the training villages. This past weekend we had our Host Family Celebration. Typically volunteers do a skit, a song, dance, slide show, or whatever. I’ve been learning some Swazi dance moves since I’ve been here and I really wanted to come up with something to show the families. On Wednesday I choreographed a dance to a South African song, and taught the dance to about 12 volunteers. On Saturday we performed it at the event. Before I was a little apprehensive that the attendees may find this dance horrible, offensive, and everything else; to my delight they loved it! This definitely wasn’t a super serious dance or anything that I typically perform, but a dance is still a dance to me—it’s my passion. It meant everything to me that not only did the Swazis enjoy it, but that they personally came up to me afterwards giving their appreciation and “acceptance”! The performance was mid-way through the ceremony, so as I sat in the audience for the remainder, I was overwhelmed with joy. This may sound silly or over dramatic, but honestly at that moment, I really felt like I was a part of their culture… I was no longer a mere observer.
Deep down inside we all want to be accepted. If someone says they don’t care about what people think, well they’re lying. With acceptance comes the ability to make change.
Personally I don’t need anyone’s approval except God’s
alone, and for the longest time I didn’t really pay any mind to man’s opinion.
However, now that I am living in a different place and a completely new culture
at that, I really want to be accepted by my new home—Swaziland. No one can or
should generalize a culture; in fact that is one of the PC goals—show the host
country that American’s are not what you see on the TV, but that we are all
different and unique. And by me sharing with you what it is like here in
Swaziland, I am helping complete the 3rd goal of PC, which is to
educate Americans about another part of the world. So with that said, I can’t
say that all Swazis are ‘this or that’. What I can say is that people will be
people no matter where you are. One of
the many things I’ve come to know is that if you are unhappy in your current
location because of the people, you cannot pack up and move thinking that a new
city [or country] will have better people. Where ever you are, all cultures
aside, there will always be the good and the bad.
As I mentioned earlier I don’t need man’s approval; and the
main reason is because if I tried to get everyone to like me, I would be
miserable! The two years I spend here in Swaziland will be wasted all because I
wanted people to like me, rather than spend that time doing my mission.
Alongside the PC’s 3 goals, my personal goal is that the people here will see Christ
in me. So if people reading this blog
know their Bible, then they’ll know that the Word says, “we will be persecuted
because of Christ”. Not everyone loved Jesus while He was here [and He was
perfect!] so how can I expect that everyone will love me?
My objective as well as PC’s is to let Swaziland know that
I’m not just some other US volunteer from the multiple NGO’s here in country;
but rather that I am really trying to understand their culture, their language,
and their life, so I can better help them. I want to assimilate myself into
this place. In fact, this week I finish PST, and start my 3 month integration
process. If I want change, progress, and sustainable development to happen
here, it has to come from their people, not from the Umlungo who only knows the
western way of doing things. This is why I want them to see me as a Swazi, this
is why I want their acceptance into this culture. After last Saturday, I really
feel like I am getting there.
No comments:
Post a Comment