Glamorous I Think Not
I've always wondered why there are no TV shows and few movies about development workers (aid workers? i don't know whatever the hell you call my current profession). Well when things go bad they are on the news or in documentaries but not as entertainment. I mean there are shows about police officers (law and order, nypd blue etc), criminals (sopranos, prison break etc), doctors (ER, scrubs, grey's etc), lawyers (law and order, ally mcbeal, the practice etc), bankers (most rich people tv shows), teachers (boston public, etc), crime scene investigators (CSI, Cold Case), interior designers (will and grace), barely employed 20 somethings (friends, etc), stand up comedians (seinfield), psychaitrists (fraiser), bar tenders (cheers, etc), astronauts (i dream of jeannie), delivery truck drivers (king of queens), nuclear plant employees (simpsons), priests (seventh heaven etc), news reporters (both tv and print) and the list goes on but not what everyou want to call this. Then when it comes to movies the only time you show this line of work is when they are discovering some horrendous plot (the constant gardener etc) or it's some sort of heroic bio-pic.
Well I wonder no more. They never show development workers because it is impossible to make this job appear glamorous!!!! You spend tons of time in the car/land rover/pick-up driving around the countryside, you are almost always dirty, hot and tired, there are mountains of paper work and not to mention things like huge cockroaches, holes in the ground masquerading as toilets, and bad bad food.
Take today for an example. It was my ninth day in the field out of the past ten days. After getting the morning paper work and talking to Kampala done, the driver Alfred and I headed out to Pader (the headquarters of the district to the east of Gulu where we have another office and where one of the youth groups is). Had to wait in the car for twenty minutes in the baking hot sun while Alfred dropped something at the bus park then we headed out. The drive was over 100 kms over dusty, windy, potholed dirt roads passing at least 8 camps on the way, avoiding the huge lorries that carry WFP food and the pick-ups full of people. Arrived in Pader, went to the office to drop off some money and we had to spend 15 minutes counting it because due to our collective inability to count 200 000 shillings was missing (it was there just we seem to have difficulty counting past 10). Went to the training there and had to deal with administrative stuff eg. transport allowances, the upcoming events etc. Ate an atrocious meal of miscellaneous meat, posho (maize meal), beans and cassava plus about 2 bottles of cooking oil per plate (can't really complain - at least it's not WFP food that's only posho and beans). Then walked in the oppressive heat back to the office. Did I mention there is a distinct lack of trees and vegetation in Pader TC? It's just a giant camp, though what it lacks in vegetation it makes up for in dust. Then some more admin stuff then it was back in the car to drive back to Gulu. Did I mention it had to be at least 35 degrees out? Got back to the office at like 430 with my hair an absolute mess, all sweaty and gross, my dust covered skirt sticking to me and was greeted by phone calls and the need to sit in on the closing of a training. Now I'm blogging to avoid finishing my training reports and my self-evaluation before heading to bed so i can be up early to repeat the whole thing tomorrow only going to Anaka this time so it's 50 kms in the opposite direction.
I do love this job but I will never say it is a glamorous way of life. I need to go have a shower....
Well I wonder no more. They never show development workers because it is impossible to make this job appear glamorous!!!! You spend tons of time in the car/land rover/pick-up driving around the countryside, you are almost always dirty, hot and tired, there are mountains of paper work and not to mention things like huge cockroaches, holes in the ground masquerading as toilets, and bad bad food.
Take today for an example. It was my ninth day in the field out of the past ten days. After getting the morning paper work and talking to Kampala done, the driver Alfred and I headed out to Pader (the headquarters of the district to the east of Gulu where we have another office and where one of the youth groups is). Had to wait in the car for twenty minutes in the baking hot sun while Alfred dropped something at the bus park then we headed out. The drive was over 100 kms over dusty, windy, potholed dirt roads passing at least 8 camps on the way, avoiding the huge lorries that carry WFP food and the pick-ups full of people. Arrived in Pader, went to the office to drop off some money and we had to spend 15 minutes counting it because due to our collective inability to count 200 000 shillings was missing (it was there just we seem to have difficulty counting past 10). Went to the training there and had to deal with administrative stuff eg. transport allowances, the upcoming events etc. Ate an atrocious meal of miscellaneous meat, posho (maize meal), beans and cassava plus about 2 bottles of cooking oil per plate (can't really complain - at least it's not WFP food that's only posho and beans). Then walked in the oppressive heat back to the office. Did I mention there is a distinct lack of trees and vegetation in Pader TC? It's just a giant camp, though what it lacks in vegetation it makes up for in dust. Then some more admin stuff then it was back in the car to drive back to Gulu. Did I mention it had to be at least 35 degrees out? Got back to the office at like 430 with my hair an absolute mess, all sweaty and gross, my dust covered skirt sticking to me and was greeted by phone calls and the need to sit in on the closing of a training. Now I'm blogging to avoid finishing my training reports and my self-evaluation before heading to bed so i can be up early to repeat the whole thing tomorrow only going to Anaka this time so it's 50 kms in the opposite direction.
I do love this job but I will never say it is a glamorous way of life. I need to go have a shower....
posted by Erin at 8:34 PM
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