Youth Group Blues

Thursday February 1, 2007

I’m trying to remain positive about my efforts to start a youth group in Tacuati, but the truth is it’s been hard and not too successful and sometimes it feels like the universe is against it ever taking shape. A brief review…

(Actually, I tried to write a brief review and it turned into three pages. So we’ll do a one-paragraph review). After two months of trying my best to involve youth in the planning of this youth group so they’d take ownership, following all the PC practices of written invitations and day-of reminders and providing snacks, I’ve been thwarted sometimes by bad weather and oftentimes by people “forgetting” to come. It’s possible that they’re being polite when they tell me they’re interested and aren’t really, but I don’t think so. We’ve had about 6 meetings so far, and once we’re there (with 4-5 kids on average), it goes really well. I’m using a PC curriculum on youth development called Como Planear Mi Vida (How to Plan My Life), we’ve done activities on communication and identity so far, and the feedback I’ve gotten from the kids has been really positive. But then they don’t come back…

So this youth group has been the bane of my existence pretty much. I think it DOES meet the needs here, or could if people started showing up to it. I’m not ready to throw in the towel, but I may need to rethink this thing. Next week I’ll be in Asuncion and won’t come back til Thursday afternoon, which makes it unlikely that any kids’ll show up because I won’t be around to badger them. However, I could visit with kids over the next couple days and let them know that I will be counting on them to step up and take over.

I had planned in a couple weeks to have a sort of “state of the union” talk, stopping to evaluate the 8 weeks or so of meetings we’ve had and provide an opportunity to discuss where we want to go in the future. We have some options…
1) continue with the Como Planear Mi Vida course on Thursday nights
2) have a more informal youth group that does activities in the community, raises money to take trips and such
3) formalize a bit to elect officers and then petition the mayor’s office to recognize us as an official community group (need 15 members to do that)
4) change meeting time and place, maybe to right after school at the school so it’ll be more likely kids’ll show up
5) celebrate our summer accomplishments and leave it at that

I’m not sure what I want to do, which is fine because it’s not my decision after all. Why are the fun things such pains in the butt?????