Week from hell!
Have 423 surveys to conduct, 4 people conducting focus group qualitative surveys, an implementing partner program to help coordinate, 8 data collectors who I have trained multiple times and they still act like 5 year olds, 18 sites to cover- yet due to rain many of our young men have migrated to other towns where they can garden and the rest are in their fields until 2 pm- which is right when the rains come- oh yes, did I mention that since we are now 4 months behind schedule, our baseline is in the rainy season? This may not seem like a big deal. . . but when you have been working 5 weeks of 12 hour days back to back, and you get stuck in a car where only you and the old man can help push. . . this happens. Stuck 2 times on Tuesday, pushed for a total of 3 hours. Stuck again on Tuesday night heading to get dinner (a typical 5 min. drive) and Friday stuck in the mud for 40 minutes and covered in mud. Other horrific encounters included our pregnant data collector sitting on her stool and a snake passed her by, causing her to leap from stool fall on her side/stomach on the rocks! Calmly had to address the situation (once I was made aware of situation--field research manager didn't think it was worth getting me out of my focus group apparently, so I came upon her in the vehicle in shock- well done partner :( ) Called people in town to triple check that acetemataphine was oK for pregnant ladies-- she can only take tylenonol (or panadol as it is called here) and then sent her immediately to clinic- she is ok. Another enumerator on Friday pushed the vehicle and got mud in her eyes and went into shock, it was a bit scary for her as her face was completely covered in muck and inside her eyelids. My purple pashmina is no longer purple. Pretty positive the word "thank you" was never uttered. And lastly, when the team got close to collecting all of the surveys needed for one village, I said I would treat them to a beer back in town. By the time we reached town, the driver was telling me that they all just wanted the money, and they would buy their own drinks. Classic. I told them forget it, it was my money anyways and if they want to be rude to a gift giver fine. They didn't turn down the beer. So instead, they guzzled it in 20 minutes. Freaking worst celebratory drink ever. Can't wait for this to end.
On an upshot- had an excellent neighborhood taco thursday and a birthday party for Cormac Friday night. Worked 14 hours Saturday but forced myself to take the day off on Sunday. Desperately overloaded, but luckily some of the team I manage will be in another vehicle today (we are dividing and conquering) and two of the qualitative people have gone back to Kenya.
No comments:
Post a Comment