So... what exactly IS lifeskills???

I feel like my cohort and I were asking ourselves and everyone around us this question all during our pre-service training. It was only at our in-service training that we got the formal answer of, training teachers on how to use some specific guidance and counseling curriculum- both in guidance and counseling classes and infusing the topics into other subjects. This was a bit weird to start with since it was so specific- most people come into Peace Corps thinking it’s all about figuring out what your community wants to do, not being an extension of a government ministry/outside agency. It was also weird because it took us so long to figure it out.

In reality though, lifeskills volunteers do a lot more than curriculum workshops. So here is my description of my job in a nutshell, mostly for future volunteers, but also for my friends and family back home.

What the assignment of ‘lifeskills liaison volunteer’ basically means is that you will be based at a school, and assigned a counterpart (cp) from that school, most likely someone involved in the guidance and counseling committee/department, often the senior guidance and counseling teacher. This is often a little bit of a crapshoot whether the person a) knows what you are here for, aka you are not another teacher, b) cares about lifeskills and guidance and counseling, and C) has time to work with you. You are by no means limited to working with this one person!! My cp is great and I’ve done a lot with her. Other people have found other teachers and people in the community to work with if their assigned cp didn't work out too well. Actually, I recommend working with multiple people anyway, because then if someone gets sick/ moves/ is busy, you aren't stuck. (Problem I’ve had this term because my cp has been out sick.)

The "liaison" part is sort of weird... at first I thought it was between the school and the community, but I think it’s meant to be between the school and ministry of education(MOE)/EDC. (EDC is an organization that with the US CDC developed the afore mentioned life skills curriculum). Most of us try to avoid everything having to do with MOE other than this curriculum, which is good curriculum.

In summary, being assigned a specific thing to do is weird, and most of us try it if we can, and ignore it if it doesn't work.

So what do we actually do? That really ranges from volunteer to volunteer. I've been at my site for a little over 7 months. I am currently trying to get/keep some clubs going- PACT (peer approach to counseling teens, aka lifeskills using peer education) club at my school and the primary school in my village (I'm at the equivalent of a middle school), and an English club. This is one of the most frustrating things I've ever done, because the schedule seems to change every 5 seconds and clubs are often cancelled or moved. But I'm learning to show up, run a club if I can, and not stress if I can't. 2/3 of my clubs I have counterparts for, and one I'm running on my own. PC -really- wants us to have counterparts, for sustainability and capacity building and honestly, things just work better when you work with locals who know how everything works. It's often tricky to find people willing to work with you, especially in the beginning. We all try to work with people, and from time to time we try doing things on our own as well. Back to things I've done: I've presented/facilitated three workshops for teachers and one all school assembly. I've also had a workshop cancelled on me twice- back to the crazy scheduling thing. I've talked to students in guidance and counseling classes, having them write questions anonymously and I'll answer them to the whole class later. I’m probably going to actually teach some guidance and counseling classes next term. I helped coach volleyball and facilitated getting a few kids at my school interviewed for a website project. I get a crowd of kids on my porch often, wanting to color/hula hoop/ play soccer. I may try to make this into an informal club.  

In the future at school I'd love to regularly have clubs, possibly tutor math/science, do more workshops/assemblies, and maybe a typing class- for students and/or teachers. Lifeskills is really broad- it covers HIV/AIDS, sexuality and safe sex, teen pregnancy, communication, decision making, drugs and alcohol abuse, goals, study skills, relationships, anger management, assertiveness, self esteem, job training,  etc. Literally it is skills for life. So, while we try and do HIV activities and awareness periodically, almost anything you are interested in can fall under lifeskills. Lifeskills volunteers do PACT club, English clubs, tutoring, teaching (although PC doesn't want us to, but it happens), sports, arts and crafts, hanging out with students, holding workshops for teachers on life skills/typing/lots of other things, working with out of school youth, and promoting awareness of lifeskills issues with big events such as world AIDS day celebrations, alcohol awareness events, and safe male circumcision campaigns. Some people with counseling experience can also capacity build their guidance and counseling departments on how to counsel students, and sometimes counsel students themselves.

Working with out of school youth is something I'm trying to start. Same lifeskills topics, but with older teens/younger 20-somethings that aren't in school. Another volunteer and I are putting together workshops for interested youth in her village, and I’m trying to see if my village youth would be interested in them as well.

So lifeskills is my primary project- written on my Peace Corps invitation and everything. PCVs also have secondary projects, although at times they can be bigger and more time consuming that your primary project. With secondary projects, the sky's the limit. You can plant gardens, work at the clinic, volunteer at NGOs/anything you can find at your village, build pit latrines, build libraries, build playgrounds, etc. You just need to make sure it’s something your community wants. I know of volunteers doing all of the above and more. I don’t have any big secondary projects right now, unless you count trying to start an English club at my school and working on permission to read to kids at the primary school. Or my volleyball coaching.

I sort of approach my service as lifeskills themed. Almost everything I’m interested in doing in my village, and that my village seems to want (besides hand-outs), can have a lifeskills aspect.

So, I try and tie in lifeskills to whatever I'm doing, but I do what I want/what my community wants.