This project was two years in the making and there are a lot of notes to go through. While I am currently out of the village, there are still variables I am unsure about such as what the laws are regarding sharing the information that I have. There were suicide attempts, violence and spousal abuse, there were claims of misappropriation of funds on part of staff, threats to sue and get the village closed down that were made by the villagers themselves. There was theft by board members and there was a death that went unreported while staff ignored requests for a wellness check. The young mans body languished in his tiny "home" for 10 whole days before anyone finally listened and found his body.
By the time I left, the village had fallen into a sort of chaos that I was blessed to be able to leave. During my time there policies were readjusted, overblown or ignored, then they disappeared entirely unless supporting a specific agenda. Council was disbanded, effectively taking away any voice villagers ever had other than in mandatory weekly "meetings" that were proven to be non-productive and a pointless waste of time and energy. No real guidance was being given to new arrivals so there was a lot of confusion and acting out. Both staff and villagers alike were experiencing and causing problems.
I witnessed fights and varied forms of abuse there. I myself was threatened, robbed more than once, and assaulted while I was there. The experience became a lens through which to see the true effects actual struggle can have on people. I see with even greater clarity than my unique experience already predisposed me to in seeing the true effects of what dehumanization does.
Of course there's nothing quite like being dehumanized to create a self-reflective state. In the circumstances I work best in, including but not limited to my time at the village, there's so much more to contemplate than belly-button lint.
*UPDATE* As part of the October 2023 update I can report that the village is no more, I guess I called it. The people there were relocated and hopefully, since in the time I've been away the pandemic happened, they've learned some things and will improve how they run the place in their new locale.
By the time I left, the village had fallen into a sort of chaos that I was blessed to be able to leave. During my time there policies were readjusted, overblown or ignored, then they disappeared entirely unless supporting a specific agenda. Council was disbanded, effectively taking away any voice villagers ever had other than in mandatory weekly "meetings" that were proven to be non-productive and a pointless waste of time and energy. No real guidance was being given to new arrivals so there was a lot of confusion and acting out. Both staff and villagers alike were experiencing and causing problems.
I witnessed fights and varied forms of abuse there. I myself was threatened, robbed more than once, and assaulted while I was there. The experience became a lens through which to see the true effects actual struggle can have on people. I see with even greater clarity than my unique experience already predisposed me to in seeing the true effects of what dehumanization does.
Of course there's nothing quite like being dehumanized to create a self-reflective state. In the circumstances I work best in, including but not limited to my time at the village, there's so much more to contemplate than belly-button lint.
*UPDATE* As part of the October 2023 update I can report that the village is no more, I guess I called it. The people there were relocated and hopefully, since in the time I've been away the pandemic happened, they've learned some things and will improve how they run the place in their new locale.
