A Welcome visit from Cuso

Me, Sister Margaret & Roberta

This week our Program Manager, Roberta Ellis, came to visit us (Myriam, Linda and I) in Grenada. I know we were all grateful for her visit. I was probably the luckiest because I had only been working one week and then got the opportunity to receive some needed support.

There are always challenges when you have three or more parties communicating. Add in Magic Jack, Skype and a few thousand miles and there are bound to be miscommunications. My placement at NEWLO was exactly as expected, although I was not quite prepared for what they were doing with so little! <Remember- try to round up some old computers and laptops for the staff and students. The sea barrel will leave in October!>

PAM was a bit different. Cuso's philosophy is that you are there to build capacity not to do direct line work. So I was surprised that I would be instructing the girls there in a personal development program. Even more surprised to learn I was to be in Grenville, which is not a far distance-  but a long journey from St. George, each week. When I checked in with Roberta she was concerned as this was not her understanding of the placement either.

We had a really good brainstorming session (even though she was getting over Chikungunga) about what I should be doing and how I could be doing that work. Her approach is - it is all about the girls and how do we get the best outcomes for them? I couldn't agree more, and once we had a meeting with PAM to clarify expectations I think we are going to do amazing things as a team of learner & child centered professionals!

The next night all the volunteers got together for dinner at Coconuts. It was "nice" to know that the other volunteers were also facing situations that they weren't expecting. Roberta is just an amazing woman who so deeply cares about improving the outcomes for youth in the Caribbean that I think we could not get a more articulate and capable advocate for moving forward positively in all of our placements.

I really hope Roberta comes back to Grenada, she is so amazing to be around. I am almost afraid of what she would be like when she is at 100% not 50%!! But I say bring it on. We need more powerful black women transforming the world- forget Oprah, we should be following Roberta!