Getting stuck in, or trying to...

I've a meagre 20 minutes to write a quick update because, as usual, this Essex library computer is being temperamental. But here's a rundown of how things have been going. Actually, I managed to bag another 25 minutes so this is quite a long post!

Last Monday was a momentous day in the programme as all of us toddled off to the local charities and projects where we will be volunteering for four days a week for the next two and a half months. I turned up bright and early at 9am at the Realife Trust in Bishop's Stortford (I had to leave the house at 7:30am in order to get there in time) to find that nobody was in the office. I waited a while before wondering off for a hot chocolate and returned to wait some more, by which time Kassym had also turned up (he has to travel up from south of Epping every day so was allowed to be late). Eventually at just after 10am, Tony, a director of the Realife Trust appeared and we got let in. Admittedly it had just been a mix-up over timings but according to Ali, and from our experience over the last week, the Realife Trust is flexible in all respects regarding time, and the projects it gets involved with. So long as it sees a need within the community then it will try to meet this need. But specifically its remit is with disabled people and those with learning difficulties.

Over a cup of tea, Tony sat us down and filled us in a bit on what he had in mind for us to do. We knew that it would have something to do with the 11th Stortford Music Festival which happens on the Saturday and Sunday of the 1st May Bank Holiday weekend, and of which the Realife Trust is the primary organiser. So, Kassym and I have two main aims: to organise some "community outreach" to schools and the different ethnic minorities within Bishop's Stortford in order for them to be included in the music festival, whether by taking part or by just attending. Our other aim is kind of bound up with this but also goes beyond the music festival in that we are going to produce a "community map" of Bishop's Stortford, listing details about any local activities/groups/venues etc to do with music, arts and leisure.

It all sounds a bit wishy-washy, which it is, so over the last week Kassym and I have been having difficulty getting our heads around this and working out how we will go about it and actually make a contribution to the community. It's not what we had been expecting as we are being left to take our own initiative. I suppose I'm just worried of the danger that by the end of 11 weeks we won't have achieved very much at all. This week has been very slow but then again, as it's our first, maybe we're allowed some time to find our feet. We wrote a letter to the local secondary schools (six in all) asking if we could give them a presentation about GX and the Stortford Music Festival, and sent out two and delivered four by hand. We've also been involved in producing our GX team's fortnightly newsletter. And we've been researching a few ethnic minority contacts but as yet, have not contacted any of them as we're still unsure exactly what we'll say! Tony says that the leaflets and other publicity for the music festival should come back from the print office very soon so maybe it will be easier once we have something on paper to give the people we meet. As for the schools, well, today they break up for the next 2 weeks so we're not expecting to hear anything from them very soon.

On Monday we also met a couple of the social work students who are on placement at the Realife Trust. One of them, Joel, chatted to us about the work of the student unit which is primarily involved in one-to-one support with people with disabilities and learning difficulties. It was really interesting to hear about how they get involved and the different models of social work which are followed by statutory bodies and by independent social enterprises (of which the Realife Trust is one). Whilst statutory bodies classify people as "able" and "disabled", independent organisations often agree with the principle that it is society itself which sets up barriers which make people disabled - people aren't classified as "disabled", it's just that they are less able to do certain activities etc because we have made it difficult for them. Definitely a point for consideration. It was encouraging that even on our first day of placement we were being challenged in our ideologies.

Joel also explained how Realife works from his point of view. He explained that we would quickly realise just how easy-going and flexible it is so the onus is most definitely on us to make of our time here what we will. I think we will definitely need to take some time to think carefully about how we will progress. At the moment I feel that maybe there is something bigger for us to tackle, maybe with the same aims as outlined above, but which really will make an impact. It's time to get creative! Any ideas, let me know!

Yesterday, we attended a meeting of the Inclusion Partnership, kind of the umbrella organisation under which the Realife Trust, along with a load of other mini-projects which work in the same office, operates. For the most part (it was 2 and a half hours long!) it was pretty boring chat about financial matters although it did give us a better idea of what else is going on around us. When we finally gave a very brief speech about who we are and what we are doing here, we had a few awkward questions about what resources we were using (demand for the computers in the office is very high) which Tony fielded but which made it sound as though we'll be more of a burden than a help....?! I'm probably being far too sensitive about this and reading back, I am sounding rather negative about our placement but I'm not entirely!!!!! Just still a little unsure about whether we are really needed there... I think the next couple of weeks, and especially the music festival will reveal how things will work out. I have another idea about what I would like to do in Bishop's Stortford but it doesn't really have anything to do with either the music festival or disabled people/people with learning difficulties so I'm not sure if it would be OK to follow it up under Realife. Anyway, chat about my placement will end there!

As for life outside the placement, for the most part it's going well. A few of the others are also taking a while to get used to their placements - it sounds like a lot of our expectations were very different from the way things have ended up. Socially, there've been a couple of minor tense moments within the team but I think those are inevitable within a group of 18 as we try to make decisions and all rub along together! Today we decided on different sub-committees within the team. I am on the Mid-Phase Review committee which will be responsible for organising a couple of days where the whole team leaves the community to evaluate how things are going so far and whether anything needs to be changed. I'm looking forward to doing this and I think it will also be a bit of a break from the norm so I want to help make it a positive experience!

OK, 8 minutes left now so news in brief now. We had our first Global Citizenship Day today where we learn about different development issues. Usually it would be led by different couterpart pairs in the team but as it was the first one, Ali and Malika, our two programme supervisors led it. It was on the topic of HIV and AIDS which, for me, was very educational - I never realised just how ignorant I was about the topic so I definitely feel it was worthwhile and interesting to discuss our different attitudes towards it.

Life back in our host home also continues on well - Efua and Kofi are always loving and friendly. Our African drum and dance lessons are a lot of fun as well as good exercise. We've had two now and have learnt a whole dance and the drum accompaniment!

I think that's all I can say right now. A few prayer points for those interested, many thanks as usual:
Praise:
- For all that I, and others on the team have learnt so far - I definitely feel that I'm gaining new perspectives on issues which perhaps before, I had assumed I knew my own mind about.
- For the friendship between Dinara and myself - we're getting on really well which is such a blessing when we're in each others company so much!
- For the potential opportunity of mine and Kassym's placement. I might not be sounding too convinced at the moment but I really think we can make something of it if we get the inspiration.
Prayer:
- For team relations - the novelty of the experience is wearing off and the reality is setting in so it's not always easy for all 18 of us to make decisions. Please pray that all will continue along on peaceful and friendly terms.
- For Kassym and I as we try to work out what we should be doing.

More next time, but thanks for reading! Much love, B xxx :)