Sustainability...

Ask a lot of PCVs, and they'll probably groan if you mention the word "sustainability". Sustainability is a concept that is pretty high on the list of Peace Corps ideals. The premise is that everything we do should be sustainable - the people we work with should be able to do it without us after we're gone. Makes sense that that should be one of our primary goals as PCVs. I do actually believe that it is very important to what I am doing here. The concept is great. But, I have to be honest, the reality of sustainability is HARD. But like any good volunteer, I don't let the challenges keep me down. I keep plugging away. What's that old saying? If at first you don't succeed, try, try (try, try, try, try, try, try, try ,try) again.

About a year ago, I had a pretty intense conversation with my counterpart about the solar system (there's a section in the seventh form textbook about the planets.) As we were beginning the unit, my counterpart told the students that there were 11 planets. Now, science was never my strong point, but I was pretty sure that number was wrong. So, I asked her what the 11 planets were. Her answer, "Earth, Mars, Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, the Sun and the Moon." The Sun and the Moon??????? OK, I'll repeat, science was never my strong point, but I'm pretty much positive that the Sun and the Moon are NOT planets. We have a really good relationship, so instead of letting it go and letting her save face in front of the students, I challenged her. I wasn't going to touch the whole "Pluto's not really a planet" thing with a ten foot pole, but I had to address the Sun and the Moon. We went back and forth about it for the majority of the lesson. By the end of the lesson, I still wasn't completely sure I had convinced her. But I fought the good fight.

Fast forward to the same unit this year. For about a week ahead of time, I was dreading the day we got to the solar system. D-Day arrived. As we began the lesson, I braced myself to hear about the 11 planets in our solar system. I had even made the decision that I was going to let it go this year - it would be hard and go against ever fiber of my being, but it just wasn't worth it. Is that reverse sustainability - they're changing me? Anyway.

She asked the question, "how many planets are there?" The kids said 9. I took a deep breath and waited for her to correct them. And then she said, "That's correct. There are 9 planets. Are the Sun and the Moon planets?" Pause. "No. The Sun and the Moon are NOT planets."

I was shocked. I was amazed. I was incredibly proud. I helped someone I was working with to see things differently and do something differently - without my prompting. I have achieved sustainability. I am a successful volunteer.