I enjoyed my experience so thoroughly that I formally requested to host Practicum Week for the next health group. Thankfully, my request was granted.
That was almost one year ago! Today we are just days away from a group if trainees traveling on their own all the way to our site; a five-hour trip! I had the pleasure of meeting with them last week to share the schedule and plans for their days here. The group of seven trainees expressed excitement, interest, and some nerves.
Their visit of six days starts with a daylong bus ride, ending in a homemade meal at our house. The following day we’ll relax at a nearby pool and river venue. This is Peace Corps gift to all of us; a chance to unwind after weeks of preparation and before the following three intense days of training. The training consists of providing opportunities for trainees to practice giving short talks on a variety of topics to various community groups in different settings. The seven trainees are divided into three groups and each group is provided a mentor in the form of a current Peace Corps Volunteer. All in all the trainees are each giving eleven short talks in three days. The last day consist of packing up and heading back to their training towns.
One of the venues where trainees are giving talks is at a local billiards club. Peace Corps has developed a strategy to reach men about HIV prevention and condom use through billiards tournaments. The trainees will provide short talks about HIV and condom use throughout the tournament. The last two players need to answer questions about the information shared in order to retain points earned. Therefore, the winner needs to not only good at pool, but also needs to pay attention and demonstrate knowledge learned. There will be a first and second place prize and we will also pass out condoms. We were first introduced to a billiards tournament during our practicum week, but this will be the first one we do in our site. I wasn’t sure how to put it all together!
In speaking with my counterpart, a nurse at the hospital, she mentioned how the director of the hospital plays pool. Before I knew it we were in his office, and I was agreeing to meet him at the hospital the following morning to visit the pool hall together. The owner was not at the venue, but luckily she lives next door. The director of the hospital knocked on her door and after a few minutes a sleepy eyed owner welcomed us into her home. We had both forgotten she works nights and had called on her a little too early! She was gracious with us.
The director introduced me, I explained the situation, and asked if she could donate the use of the pool hall, four tables, and not serve alcohol or allow people to smoke for this tournament. She hesitated a bit but quickly enough agreed to support the event.
It felt great to have a venue for the event. Now I just needed to plan it, advertise it, and get players. The only glitch is that I don’t really know how to play pool! No biggie. One of the trainees that is coming to our site for practicum week has done several billiard tournaments and was gracious enough to explain a few key details to me. For instance, there are many types of pool, and one method needs to be agreed upon for the tournament. With this important information I made headway in the planning process, but many details still needed to be nailed down.
A few days ago I bumped into a leader of a youth group and asked him if he could help me with the tournament. He enthusiastically agreed and proposed we get 8 youth from the youth group (ages 16-25) to play against 8 men form the pool hall. Great idea! He explained the game; we co-planned, visited the pool hall, and created a flyer. Later that same day flyers were hung and the pool hall owner agreed to collect names and entrance fees! The event will be all ready for when the trainees get here.
This event, along with many others, was planned with the help, support, and collaboration of the community. I know that Practicum Week is for the benefit of the trainees and those receiving the information taught, but I admit that I have gained so much from the experience of planning and preparing for them. My plan is to enjoy the unfolding of the week. – Caressa