displaced person

Peace Corps came and pulled me out of my village (temporarily) last Thursday. Take a deep breath. Here comes the explanation.

I was living in a "temporary" house. Like I should've been in a higher house with hurricane mesh on the windows and all that about 7 months ago. No big deal to me. I like my house. However we've had some heavy rain lately and my house is always the first to flood. No good considering rain happens at night too. Very scary to think I could be swept away in my bed. So the safety and security officers came for a visit and my turaga ni koro (mayor of the village) decided not to meet with us. Then we couldn't talk to the chief because he had pnuemonia, basically on his death bed. (I got teary-eyed when I saw him laying on his mat, ailing. Thankfully, he has since recovered.)

So the security people talk to our country director and together they make a decision to pull me out of my village. They plan to pick me up the very next day, Friday, and steal me away forever. Simultaneously my program manager calls and I tell her that we, me and my villagers, have found a solution to the house problem and will start building a new toilet and shower room in an already-existing house next Monday. She says great, they have 2 weeks. However this new plan didn't get back to the people picking me up.

They show up like the Child Welfare services picking up an abused child and try to take me and all my stuff away, back to Suva. I fought them and said I'd already talked to my programing manager and we have 2 weeks to build the new house. But I still had to pack all my stuff up with my family members watching, silent tears streaming down their cheeks.

None of the youth were in the village because we are finishing our dam. They got back to the village and were upset that the elders didn't try to stop PC from taking me. They have already bought the materials and have salvaged extra cement and wood from the dam work so everything will be ready to start work on my new house on Monday morning.

My tubuqu, grandpa and chief, was trying to reassure me. "Amy don't cry. You'll be back in 2 weeks. No worries." But my bubu, grandma, was crying and I couldn't stay stoic as I kissed her goodbye. Waving goodbye to the women of my village as they stood there with babies on their hips was too much. I broke down, knowing I would be leaving for good if the house isn't finished soon.

I have full faith that my villagers can do this. Everyone at PC is skeptical, as they should be, but I think my villagers will fight for me. I hope they do. I don't want to leave Dawasamu.