Mostra-m ki bu ten

1/13/07

So IST was rescheduled for the end of March. So stupid. Not only am I impatient and don’t want to wait to see everyone, but that leaves only a month and a half before the new group comes and we have PST on our hands. Plus the second year PCVs are going to start closing their service around August, so that leaves them with an in-service training like 4 months before they leave. Genius. Oh well. I guess that gives me more time to get back into shape before I see everyone, haha:).

Work at the ICCA Center (I keep forgetting to call it ICCA, which is what the ICM was changed to) has been quite the roller coaster this week, as usual. One day I’m elated and so glad to be there, feeling good about language skills, loving the girls, and getting excited about the work I’m doing or going to start. The next day I’m crying to Andreia about how it’s just too much, not a second free during my day, which is filled with fighting, screaming, mentally disturbed young girls. Aracy, one of the other girls with “diminished mental capacity” has been upset and difficult since the holidays, when she realized she couldn’t be with her family on Fogo for Christmas. So she got more and more agitated since then and began to take over Zelda’s role of fighting with everyone, screaming, breaking windows, and trying to run away. There wasn’t a moment’s peace, she would bang incessantly on the doors every few minutes, screaming insults at everyone, and generally making work difficult. Then we took her to Trindade (the institution) for her monthly consultation, where she realized if she kept it up, she would end up being institutionalized. This sufficiently scared her and ever since she has been almost her great, old, hilarious self. On her good days, Aracy is one my favorites. Unfortunately, the minute Aracy improved, Zelda took over, starting fights with all the girls, harshly insulting everyone, and aggressively attacking anyone who tried to calm her down. Two days in a row we had to tie up her ankles, legs, and wrists so that she couldn’t hit, slap, and fight with all of us. Most of the staff now has deep scratch marks where she dug her fingernails into us. It was awful to have to do, I hated holding her down while they tied her up, I hated watching her try to bite Andreia, I hated hearing her insult all of the girls and workers of the Center, and I hated hearing her call me names and tell me to go back to America. Most of all I hate admitting that we’re going to have to send her away from the Center. We can’t keep her there anymore, we don’t have the resources or the manpower, or the preparation (mentally, professionally, etc.), and the other 37 girls are suffering for it. Girls that are already aggressive and in need of attention and love can’t deal with a mentally ill girl screaming heinous words at them all day. A few ugly comments, and the girls have their fists up, ready to fight. They’re fed up with it, and they all want her to leave. At first they were good at trying to understand Zelda’s illness, trying to befriend her and be patient with her, but it’s too much now. They’ve reached their limit, and now the environment of the Center is suffering. If she stays, any number of things could happen, and eventually someone would end up getting pretty hurt. So on Monday we have to send notice to Praia that we no longer believe she should stay in the Center. Sucky, but necessary.

On a more positive note, I’m starting my English classes for the older girls on Tuesday, and they’re pretty excited about it. I have never taught before, so it will be interesting, but I’m eager to get the experience. And the girls I’m teaching are great girls (well they’re all great, but you know…), so hopefully they’ll be the easy students, willing to try and to participate. We’ll see, wish me luck:). It’s one more thing to add to my days, but I think it will be worth it. Today we decided to go to Tarrafal to hang out at the beach and go to their Saint’s day festival tonight, so I’ll get a day of rest, which I need. Yes, technically I just got back from vacation, but it wasn’t the vacation I thought it would be, with IST right afterward. I didn’t get my week at the beach with PCVs that I thought I would. So I’m about to leave for the beach. That said, I’m leaving you all to go slather on sunscreen and soak in the gorgeous island rays. Have a good weekend, everyone.