Development Stew

Lately I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed. It is not so much by the physicality of tasks ahead, but more from the theoretical experience of community development. I get the sense I am lost in the jumble of academic and industry terms for what is supposed to be happening here. Some of this may be spurred on by the abstracts and grant applications recently written. I have used all of the relevant buzzwords yet have felt a growing disconnect from the process.

What do terms like "sustainable", "asset-based", "innovative", and "entrepreneurial" really mean in the field? How do you measure success of these types of initiatives? How do you effectively transverse the linguistic chasm between theory and practice? Most importantly, how do you navigate this route across cultures and languages?

For a community intern, I guess this is the entirety of my being. I am immersed in this community to develop strong, trusting relationships. I am to learn from observation and interaction. I am to sharpen my social work professional skills learned throughout my program by utilizing them in my daily life. I am learning Twi and at the same time relearning how to communicate in English. Simple sentences. Clear and succinct messages.

It is through this process I hope to find my way through the sea theoretical jargon and into a meadow understanding and connection with my community. I do not have the answers now. I learn something new every day. Mostly this happens through interactions with those around or by watching life happen here in the village.

I do not know if I will leave here with a keen sense of communication and the ability to translate those industry terms used to describe development. This is one of my goals. For now, I am focusing on the important task of human connection.