Damsel In Distress

Peace Corps service is a rollercoaster. 

Not one of those caterpillar rollercoasters at your local county fair.  I am talking a high-velocity ride that defies the laws of gravity, taking you around sharp turns and allowing you the chance to see the world upside down.

There are lots of sudden ups and downs.

Sometimes the ride slows and then out of nowhere it speeds up.

Sometimes you are prepared and sometimes you are not.

My service has been great and my extension in Kampala goes to show just how much I am not ready to leave. 

I mean had I not extended I would have been on a plane in 17 days.

Here is the thing though about my extension though.  I feel like the future of my organization essentially lies in my hands. 

And that folks is stressful. 

In Movement is incredible… Implementing projects with youth in such a creative and unique way compared to your average Ugandan organization or school.  The facilitators are artists, dancers, musicians, and poets who use their unique talents to teach.  The youth are empowered and inspired.  Our closets are filled with cameras, costumes, musical instruments, pastels, and tye dye to make our programs one of a kind.  The work is highly valued. 

But this all comes with a price with money that is soon to run out.

When we are not in staff meetings filled with rhythms and songs, I spend days researching grants for youth development work yet most are restricted to the U.S.  Then I Google “international youth grants” and get transferred to pages giving out money to people who are traveling abroad to kick start youth work.  I fail to find youth grants for existing organizations.

At this point fluster sets in and I usually go dance it off or make another cup of instant coffee.

I know that all I have to do is be patient and continue searching but my time is limited.

I have 132 days left, not counting the weeks spent away for camps and vacations.

I have been able to secure small Peace Corps grants for In Movement programs, including a 4-week Youth Leadership Summit, malaria murals and workshops, and a positive photography program called Kids Who Click.  All of these though will not keep the organization alive.  They will just help spread the word about our work.

Maybe that will be enough.

Maybe it won’t.

For now I just have to have faith. 

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.