Staying Motivated in Africa- Peace Corps Perspective

I though this girl summarized very well the daily struggle of living and working in rural Africa, for the newly arrived, and sometimes for the seasoned pro too.

"Volunteers spent a lot of time thinking they "deserved" little treats because life was hard. And life was difficult, but by choice. We had chosen to be here because we wanted to help and to grow. But amongst the latrine battles and the discipline battles and the intestinal battles, the festivals, the grand bieres, and the loneliness, it was difficult to remember to learn, difficult to remain open enough to learn. It was hard to push aside the mosquito net every morning and slide into underwear, stiff and holey from the local soap and hand-washing, to reread letters from friends talking about email mishaps and jazz concerts, hard to walk down the hallway to greet the maggots, and say, "Wow! Today I'm going to have the opportunity to learn." I constantly searched for the mind tricks to turn it all into a sitcom, marveling at the fact l had to have so many coping mechanisms. I had thought I was invincible."

(Last Moon Dancing: Memoir of Love and Real Life In Africa. Monique Schmidt. Pg 93)