If you don't seal a crack, you will have to rebuild the whole wall.

 

The first time I heard this Swahili proverb was in a meeting with Wilter, a facilitator of Coping Together in Kenya, and Justin, a PhD student in the lab. We met twice weekly in May to give Wilter the space to practice each session and give us feedback on the intervention. Did the content and slides notes make sense? Did the slides flow well together? Were the metaphors and positive emotion activities relevant to her community?

 

Wilter shared this proverb with us as an appropriate adaptation to an activity in the intervention, and it resonated with me beyond the slides. Moving forward, I made it a priority to pay attention to the details of my project and what I wanted to accomplish. I challenged myself to be reflective in my personal life as well, embracing rather than shying away from any cracks I felt could grow into more catastrophic outcomes. Meeting with Wilter and Justin was extremely meaningful and set the tone for a summer of reflection, growth, and a commitment to community-engaged work.