ABDF

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Well, for better or for worse, for good or bad, for sure, for real, this year’s work is now finished. And I for one am quite relieved. In particular because it looked like our last project, the one at St. Cecilia’s Girls’ School, wasn’t going to happen while I was still here.

In many ways, this particular project was a lot more complex than the ones we typically run. First off, it involved computers, the technical aspects of which I know very little. When I read the computer specs my mind goes numb half way down, usually around where GHTZ are mentioned. Remember all those Peanuts specials when we were growing up, and whenever an adult spoke it was always “Wa wa wawa wa?” That’s what happens to me when I read these computer specs. Thank goodness that Angela, the funder of this, is an engineer and can asses the specs at a glance.

Anyway, the original request from St. Cecilia’s was quite ambitious. To tell the truth, I don’t at all blame them on bit; the simple truth is that if you don’t ask you don’t get. So I had told Sister Elizabeth, the schools’ principal, to make a wish list for their computer room. And boy, did she. Not only did she ask for a doubling of the number of computers, she requested a multimedia projector / laptop system, and a scanner. In addition, our friend Kala, who has helped on several projects, is an English teacher at the school and runs their English Lab. She requested a desktop computer for the room.

The most difficult thing about doing these sorts of projects isn’t, surprisingly, getting good estimates. Getting decent estimates takes a lot of time because everyone automatically raises their prices when they smell the moolah. So you end up running around and around, comparing, and cajoling until the price is semi-reasonable. No, that’s not the heard part.

The really hard part is discerning the difference between what the recipients want versus what they actually need. Sometimes these are two very different things. Getting specific information is an extremely frustrating process in Sri Lanka, where the story and its details change each time you ask. I don’t think its blatant dishonesty. I think a lot of it is that people want to tell you what you want to hear, and so they are trying to figure out what you want, not realizing that simple facts and explanations are the goal, regardless of personal wishes. This comes from a political and social landscape where Important People fit the facts to their desires and aren’t really asking the people below for information but for confirmation of their own ideas. It’s what folks here are used to.

It took a long time. Angela has a lot of contacts with teachers and parents of students, and I, being here, had access to Sister Elizabeth and the man, Mahendran, who is in charge of the computer room. After more than a month, and countless emails between Angela and myself, and us talking talking talking with our contacts, we finally got a good grasp of the situation, and were able to develop a priority list for the project.

Essentially, we concluded that right now, today, the computer room is being underutilized. There are an assortment of reasons why this is so, some of which we can address, others which are up to Sister Elizabeth and Mahendran to solve. So we felt that doubling the number of computers is premature at this time. On the other hand, we saw the utility of providing the multimedia projector system, as well as the desktop computer for the English Lab. So on Monday I put in the order for the equipment, and on Wednesday I was on hand to help deliver the projector/laptop, the scanner, and the desktop computer / computer table. Mission accomplished. Well, sort of.

During her conversations with teachers and parents, Angela found out that the school’s music program is sadly wanting. There are barely enough instruments available for the students, and those that they have are old and need replacement. For example, the schools’ piano is over 100 years old! The school has a popular and highly regarded music program, especially the marching band, so we knew that new instruments would actually be used. Thus we have decided that for the immediate future we will concentrate on bringing the music department up to standard, and the rest of the computer room project is on hold.

Now I’m going to self-promote for a minute.

This project perfectly illustrates what ABDF is about, and why it is so important for me to be living here. Most agencies here consist of staff who signed on for a six-month or one year contract, and as a result they develop few contacts with the larger community. Normally, if they had agreed to fund such a request as this, there would be much less background investigation; they don’t have the time it takes to really get an accurate picture nor would they, for example, know parents of students. They would not spend a ton of time negotiating prices, and believe you me, it can take hours. So is it any wonder than when someone from an NGO walks in, the recipients get very ambitious, or that merchants see the chance to make a killing? Frankly, I don’t blame either, and I place the responsibility square on the shoulders of the NGOs for creating this scenario, as they adhere to a business model of speed and “efficiency,” and don’t seem to realize that things are done differently here. Or perhaps they have so much money they don’t care.

So I am here. I have the contacts, I have the time. I have the patience, mostly. I also have a familiarity with the culture, and how things are done, and I’m getting to the point where I can sense if there is more to a story, or if someone is holding back. All of this is essential if you need to, as in the above, figure out the difference between want and need.

Additionally, one part of our Mission Statement is that I am here as a service for foreigners, to help them with their own projects, and this is the perfect example. A conduit, as it were. Given that Angela actually has a lot of personal contacts with St. Cecilia’s and Batticaloa at large, I have no doubt that she could have gotten this done eventually. But I would like to think that I helped her accomplish this a lot quicker than if she had relied solely on the helpfulness of her friends (not to put them down). I was able to communicate with her about the situation in Western terms and from a Western perspective, which helped her understand. True, she had to walk me through the computer specs: “What the heck is wa wa wawa wa?” But I think that Angela and I complimented each other in this way.

So ultimately, although the project didn’t turn out as originally planned, I am happy with the results, and I hope Angela is as well. I look forward to continuing to work with her; it’s a joy to work with someone who has a personal connection with Batticaloa (she grew up here) and yet has both perspectives; the American, and the Sri Lankan. She “gets it.”

So that is that, and now I’m ready to leave Batticaloa.

I have a ticket for the day train Monday (19th) to Colombo. So these last few days are busy with cleaning and packing up, and trying to fit in all the invitations to lunch, dinner, tea, drinks, etc. that I’m getting.

As I said, I’m ready to go. Eight continuous months is about my limit for Batticaloa. I suppose that if I were an expat living in Colombo or Galle it would be much easier; more conveniences, a more cosmopolitan environment (Apparently there’s now a German restaurant in Colombo!), and plenty of other Westerners to socialize with. To tell the truth, I’m not particularly interested in that lifestyle; I much prefer the one I have now, even if it is a little harder in some ways. But I do need a break.

(Ok. I admit; the above isn’t completely true. I do long for a washing machine, as laundry in a bucket can be hard on the lower back and knees, and it can be hard to rinse all the soap out. They sell this sort of small washer (no dryers) about the size of a mini-refrigerator. SOME DAY when I have the money for it, I’m gonna buy one.)

Although this isn’t my last dispatch of the year (I’m going to write at least once more from Colombo, just because) it IS my last from Batti for the year. So I think a quick summary of our work here is appropriate. I’d also like to comment on the changes I’ve seen here since tsunami times back in 2005.

In terms of work, we’ve been able to accomplish more than twice what we did last year, thanks to the generosity of folks back home, and we’ve done it with less overhead cost and living expenses. Here is the list of projects finished:

Three water tanks (Mangikkadu, Palakkadu, and Shalampailkerny)

One school fenced in (Mangikkadu)

A ronio machine (Kaluthavalai)

One computer lab (Vantharamoolai)

Computer repair for last’s year’s computer lab (Kaluwankerny)

A years worth of transportation for students of a school for the mentally handicapped (Batticaloa)

A sewing machine for a seamstress way out in far Mamunai West (Unnichchai)

Education fees, text books, and supplies for three people; two preschoolers and one medical student (Kallady and Batticaloa)

The replacement of cadjan roofs with tin sheeting and the reinforcement of walls with concrete on three houses. (Chenkalady and Valachchenai)

A day of fun and games at Zahira refugee camp (Batticaloa)

All the equipment for St. Cecilia’s, as I describe above (Batticaloa)

Furniture for the new Math Room at Hindu College (Batticaloa)

English As A Second Language workbooks for kids at an after-school tutoring program (Kattankudy)

Fiscal oversight for the restoration of a school (Periyapulmalai)

Almost all these projects involved a lot of time and effort; things here are not as simple and straight forward as you would imagine. It also took a lot of work by the small group of local partners that I’ve cobbled together over the past few years. They do this stuff without any personal gain and represent the hope for Batti’s future where the people come together and help themselves rather than rely on others to do it for them. So thank you, Prabha, Balan, Easwaran, Kala, Vive, Suhi, Marliya, Sasi, Shathan, and Rajani over in Colombo!

There were several friends from abroad who funded specific projects, often with a substantial amount of money. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish half of what we did. Honorable mention goes to: Ray, Mareeni, Heather and Dave, Jerry, Albert, Gene, Lara, and Angela. Thanks guys – you rock!

There have been a lot of changes in Batticaloa District since 2005, both physically and with zeitgeist of the place. Mostly they have been positive, and most have begun this year, now that the fighting is over.

Compared to times past, particularly last year, the number of abductions and political murders has dropped precipitously. I mean, in 2007 and the first part of last year, you could hear gunshots at night. The provocations of certain militia groups against the Muslim communities, particularly Kattankudy, have largely ceased, at least for now. People don’t seem afraid to go to the police now, and now most police work seems to be more about traffic violations and disputes between neighbors, not hunting down terror sleeper cells. Almost all of the security checkpoints on the roads have been dismantled, including the two biggest between Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa. They’ve even shaved down most of the speed bumps near public buildings, except at schools, where they are necessary what with all the kids running around.

This is not to say that the security situation is completely fine, but the measures now taken in Batti more closely resemble those of other Sri Lankan towns, rather than intensity of the recent past. In fact it seems to me that Colombo is more of a fortress than Batticaloa right now.

There is now a lot of building and reconstruction going on. There are some massive projects underway; there’s a large road repair and widening scheme going on which, while causing chaos on Batti’s streets right now, will ultimately have a lot of benefit. There is also an enormous project to bring water from the interior to the coastal strip; this should help with the current water difficulties. Even the lagoon across the street from me isn’t immune. As I type this, the lagoon is being deepened and a retaining wall built around it. This will help prevent the flooding that happens during the monsoon. So it seems that the government is trying to improve things. Of course this is all being done with foreign money, particularly Chinese, and being carried out largely by foreigners. I wonder if the government would be similarly generous if someone else wasn’t footing the bill.

And that’s the contradiction. While there is physical development going on, there has been no real reform of the way things are done. Certain militias are still in power and while they have supposedly disarmed, no one really believes this. Contracts for projects are still being given to favorites rather than those who make the best bid. If a politician wants something done, he issues orders without consulting anyone, and no one dares object. Most people in Batti feel that while there may be calm, there isn’t freedom or honest economic opportunity.

I think it may be unrealistic for Sri Lanka to immediately switch from 30 years of brutal war to an open and honest democracy. Nothing can be changed overnight. I think everyone understands this. But the people are looking to the central government and in particular the President, to start positive changes. It is up to them to communicate, concretely and not just with words, their commitment towards bringing Tamils and other minorities into the nation as free and equal citizens. The country is at a tipping point. There can either be future peace, or future war. Will the Powers that Be gracefully allow peace and freedom to grow, even if that means giving up their own power, or will they fight loosing power tooth and nail and plunge this nation into war and dictatorship?

These questions, while they seem remote and lofty to the average Joe Blow, actually do have an immediate and profound impact on the lives of people here, particularly Tamils and other minorities. Some examples: As a direct result of these very issues, I’ve had friends abducted and tortured, one of whom I helped ransom out. Some friends have moved abroad permanently, while some, desperate for work, have gone to the Middle East and will stay for a number of years. I’ve had friends loose work because the company they worked for didn’t have the proper political connections or didn’t pay off the guy who decides who gets the contract. The power in Tamil areas experience frequent blackouts whereas the lights in other areas manage to stay lit. These are just a few examples.

I don’t know what’s going to happen here. But I do ultimately have hope, even though the situation seems bleak at times. It just might take a really long time, probably more than our lifetimes. But there is always hope.

Here’s a quote from the movie “Gandhi.” For years it’s been one of the main inspirations in my life. I don’t know if Gandhi actually said it, but I’m sure he would have. Personally I expand the quote beyond its obvious political meaning to include all the brutish aspects of human nature, including greed, power-hunger, and cruelty. Anyway, I’m ending this dispatch with the following:

“There have always been tyrants and murderers – and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it – always. When you are in doubt that that is God’s way, the way the world is meant to be… think of that.”

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