Integration

I recently had a conversation with some PCVs about integration and how integrated each one of us feels in our communities. Ever since arriving in Ethiopia over a year ago Peace Corps has stressed the importance of integration in our sites. At meetings, conferences and in surveys we are always asked about our level of integration. It’s difficult to measure. I asked the PCVs what exactly integration means. How do I measure whether or not I’m integrated? It’s really easy to compare yourself to other volunteers. You see their pictures and statuses on Facebook and hear various stories at meetings that make you feel like what you’re doing is nothing compared to everyone else. When I hear about another volunteer’s life in their town, all the people they know and the work they are doing I feel like if that person is integrated, I’m not integrated at all. It’s really hard not to compare yourself to everyone else. But I constantly have to remind myself no to do it.

            So as I was saying, I was discussing integration with some friends and I told them that if I look at how other PCVs are doing, I’m probably not very integrated. Or the level at which Peace Corps wants us to be integrated is not where I’m at. But integration is different for everyone. A big part of it has to do with the size of your town. And after speaking to the PCVs I realized that it’s normal for me not to feel integrated when I’m walking through the middle of town in Butajira. Butajira is big compared to a lot of other PCV sites. If you check online, Butajira’s population is 30,000, but I feel like it’s much closer to 50,000 or 60,000. So it’s impossible for me to know everyone and for everyone in Butajira to know me. I don’t expect everyone in Knoxville to know who I am so why should it be the same here? I think it’s because we are a very small community of PCVs, even if we are the biggest PC country, and so when we are with one another, it’s easy to compare yourself to everyone else. We pretty much all have the same job. So when you meet up with people and you hear about life at their site and how they are doing, you start to look at your own and ask, what am I doing wrong? But that’s not healthy! I shouldn’t do that! Every site is different. Every PCV is different. Integration in my entire town is impossible whereas for a volunteer living in a town of 3,000, it is a much more attainable goal.

            A volunteer explained integration to me as people living around you knowing your name, who you are, where you live, and what you’re doing there. It’s not your entire town. It’s the small circle of people living close to you, people who are going to help you if you need anything. So for me I would consider that to be the people in my compound, my neighbors, people towards the end of my road (because I live on one of the bigger streets in Butajira), and the shop owners around my house. And all these people do know me. When I walk down the street they stop me to say hi and ask my how I’m doing. I’m most comfortable in this area of town, as it should be since this is where I live. So after discussing what exactly was meant by being integrated, I do feel integrated. I’ve had a couple incidents where I felt unsafe. The first time it happened was right when I moved into my home. My host family was a monumental help in solving the problem. They took care of the situation immediately and I felt a million times better. The second incident was about three months ago in my compound. It was nothing serious but it did worry me. My landlady apologized for the incident and called the police the next day to get the man that was bothering me kicked out. So when I remind myself of these situations, I feel like I am a part of the community. I always feel safe and if anything were to happen I know I have people that would drop everything to help me. That’s a really great feeling and it has proven to me that I am integrated.