This past weekend 2 kids from my Brigada Verde group and I headed to a conference about an hour outside of Santiago in Los Montones and spent the weekend listening to presentations on the environment and sustainability. We also visited a coffee distributer on the very top of a mountain called Karoma Cafe to learn about sustainable coffee growers. We learned about different qualities of coffee and about organic fertilizers. The weekend was great, my youth really enjoyed the conference. So much in fact that one of them was in tears when we were getting on the bus to head back to Dajabon. I was surprised because I was a little worried to whether or not they felt that they were learning new things and having a good time. I realized when I saw my muchacha crying that I had helped to have a positive impact on at least one life since I have been here. It is amazing how much for granted I took things like cheer camp, church camp, and the many other opportunities that I had as a kid. She told me how she had never been to a conference and enjoyed it so much that she didn't want to go home. Kids need other kids, they need to go places where they meet new people and have new experiences outside of their comfort zone.
I'm sure everyone is dying to hear about my latrine project. My masons and I learned how to build a new form of the composting latrine that is similar to the water tanks that water volunteers build. We are have now build 6 more latrines and are building 4 more this week. The plan is to build 4 every week! At first I was using my house as the warehouse but realized that I can not continue living like this because work is constantly in my face. Too stressful. I will now be using the health promoters houses at warehouses. :)
10.04.2010
9.05.2010
Where to begin. Life is just passing me by here in the DR and it is difficult to create a summary of all of the successes and problems that have unfolded since my last entry. First and foremost, I took a trip home at the beginning of August which to my own surprise went very smoothly and was very revitalizing. Much different than my study abroad experiences where returning home was very difficult and frustrating to readapt to my life before. Of course, I was on vacation..it wasn't as though I was going back for good. I spent two weeks spending time catching up with family and friends, eating great food and enjoying some good quality American cerveza. :)
Lets rewind to before I took off for the states. Before I had left, the director of the Water and Sanitation volunteers, Tim, and a few other volunteers with more construction experience than myself had been helping me to plan and prepare for my latrine project. They had all come out right before my trip to the states to start putting together our first latrine (you can find pictures are on facebook). We put down a slab of cement and gravel for the bottom and built a wooden mold for the latrine walls, taking measurements of where the "pipiducto" (pee tubing) would fit in and ventalation tubing would go. We also built "la loza" which is the top part of the latrine where the toliet bowl will later sit on top. (remember, there are two sides to the latrine, but only one toliet bowl...the actual toliet bowl will be moved when one side of the latrine is filled and it is time to use the other side..). After my trip to the States, we stood the walls up to fold together like a match-box. Well, sounds easy right? Not quite... cement was cracking...piecing were breaking... it was super heavy and no one was happy with the ammount of work it took to produce 1 latrine. SO, now we will be trying something completely different on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of this month. Water volunteers construct circular water tanks using the same method of ferrocement with chickenwire and steel to strenghthen the walls of the latrine. Instead of constructing in a rectangular way building the walls first of the ground and afterwards doing heavy lifty that requires far too much manpower, we will be building in this same circular form as the water tanks, which allows for us to already have the wall standing and just throw and smooth cement onto it. I will better understand the new model and be able to explain furthur when we are training later this month.
My construction workers (Maestros) STILL have not completely finished this first latrine. I am getting quite frustrated after the 7 days that they have spent doing a little here and a little there instead of just getting it done right away. I created a contract describing their responsibilities for the project and detailing how and when they will be paid for the work that they have completed. They are being paid by latrine completion, not by time spent on one latrine. Of course they need to produce quality work, but what could have been done in 2 days has been stretched into 7+ (+ because it still isn't finished). I could rant and rave all day about the problems I have faced with this latrine project. I plan to hold a meeting sometime this next week to discuss with them OTRA VEZ (again) their responsibilities and explain to them that if they can not commit to this project that I will not hesitate find other people within or outside of our community who can handle the job (yep...Jefe (boss) Andrea.)
My health promotors are continuing there presentations to each family on the health and sanitation of latrine usage and how to maintain this type of latrine. The education factor is the most important of all in this project.
Besides latrines...
I just got a Kids to Kids grant for US$500. My Brigada Verde group (a group of youth learning about the environment) plans to decorate trash cans to put around the community, do trash clean-ups and paint wall murals with this money. Also, I plan to start a group of young female readers to read in the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. I read the book in English and I think that it will be a great way to discuss feminism and get them thinking of how they can become leaders in the community although they are women. The book is about 3 sisters (Las Hermanas Miribales) that rebelled against the dictator, Rafael Trujillo who ruled the DR from 1938-1961 (ish). It really puts you in the shoes of these women in a point of history that has had a huge impact on the economic and social development of the country. Also, this book is a great choice for young readers being here on the Dominican-Haitian border where Trujillo massacred thousands of Haitians during this time period because of the increasing population of Haitians in the DR.
Last but certainly not least..my women's group and I have started making jelly. We haven't sold any yet BUT we have made some with pectin that I brought from the states. Unfortunately, pectin is very expensive here and there is not really a market for jelly. We had an experiment the other night on making pectin from oranges and it was very successful. We made passion fruit jelly with pectin from oranges. All you do is cut up the oranges and boil them until there is a white foam at the top and then strain it through a colander with a piece of cloth of the top and it gives you pectin. We have a ways to come before we get a little business going...but it is a start. We are thinking of making wine as well...stay tuned.
:)
Lets rewind to before I took off for the states. Before I had left, the director of the Water and Sanitation volunteers, Tim, and a few other volunteers with more construction experience than myself had been helping me to plan and prepare for my latrine project. They had all come out right before my trip to the states to start putting together our first latrine (you can find pictures are on facebook). We put down a slab of cement and gravel for the bottom and built a wooden mold for the latrine walls, taking measurements of where the "pipiducto" (pee tubing) would fit in and ventalation tubing would go. We also built "la loza" which is the top part of the latrine where the toliet bowl will later sit on top. (remember, there are two sides to the latrine, but only one toliet bowl...the actual toliet bowl will be moved when one side of the latrine is filled and it is time to use the other side..). After my trip to the States, we stood the walls up to fold together like a match-box. Well, sounds easy right? Not quite... cement was cracking...piecing were breaking... it was super heavy and no one was happy with the ammount of work it took to produce 1 latrine. SO, now we will be trying something completely different on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of this month. Water volunteers construct circular water tanks using the same method of ferrocement with chickenwire and steel to strenghthen the walls of the latrine. Instead of constructing in a rectangular way building the walls first of the ground and afterwards doing heavy lifty that requires far too much manpower, we will be building in this same circular form as the water tanks, which allows for us to already have the wall standing and just throw and smooth cement onto it. I will better understand the new model and be able to explain furthur when we are training later this month.
My construction workers (Maestros) STILL have not completely finished this first latrine. I am getting quite frustrated after the 7 days that they have spent doing a little here and a little there instead of just getting it done right away. I created a contract describing their responsibilities for the project and detailing how and when they will be paid for the work that they have completed. They are being paid by latrine completion, not by time spent on one latrine. Of course they need to produce quality work, but what could have been done in 2 days has been stretched into 7+ (+ because it still isn't finished). I could rant and rave all day about the problems I have faced with this latrine project. I plan to hold a meeting sometime this next week to discuss with them OTRA VEZ (again) their responsibilities and explain to them that if they can not commit to this project that I will not hesitate find other people within or outside of our community who can handle the job (yep...Jefe (boss) Andrea.)
My health promotors are continuing there presentations to each family on the health and sanitation of latrine usage and how to maintain this type of latrine. The education factor is the most important of all in this project.
Besides latrines...
I just got a Kids to Kids grant for US$500. My Brigada Verde group (a group of youth learning about the environment) plans to decorate trash cans to put around the community, do trash clean-ups and paint wall murals with this money. Also, I plan to start a group of young female readers to read in the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. I read the book in English and I think that it will be a great way to discuss feminism and get them thinking of how they can become leaders in the community although they are women. The book is about 3 sisters (Las Hermanas Miribales) that rebelled against the dictator, Rafael Trujillo who ruled the DR from 1938-1961 (ish). It really puts you in the shoes of these women in a point of history that has had a huge impact on the economic and social development of the country. Also, this book is a great choice for young readers being here on the Dominican-Haitian border where Trujillo massacred thousands of Haitians during this time period because of the increasing population of Haitians in the DR.
Last but certainly not least..my women's group and I have started making jelly. We haven't sold any yet BUT we have made some with pectin that I brought from the states. Unfortunately, pectin is very expensive here and there is not really a market for jelly. We had an experiment the other night on making pectin from oranges and it was very successful. We made passion fruit jelly with pectin from oranges. All you do is cut up the oranges and boil them until there is a white foam at the top and then strain it through a colander with a piece of cloth of the top and it gives you pectin. We have a ways to come before we get a little business going...but it is a start. We are thinking of making wine as well...stay tuned.
:)
7.06.2010
10 months went fast...time to get to work!
I just spent the last few days in the beautiful Samana Peninsula celebrating the fourth of July in Las Galeras. It was amazing, by far one of the most beautiful places on this island. A bunch of us volunteers rented houses to stay in, which was a great idea because we saved a lot of money just cooking at the house. Unfortunately, I stepped on broken glass during the last night there and Peace Corps had to send me a driver to come into the capital to get stitches. I am fine now, just a little crippled and stuck here in the capital for the next week. :) We also had another volunteer get his front tooth knocked out playing football. Peace Corps probably wasn't too happy with our injuries this weekend, especially being so far away front the capital to have to come and get us on probably some of the worst roads in the country. I am extremely grateful to have great, around the clock medical help and care here in this country. :)
This was not the best time for me to be cooped up here in the capital. I have a lot of organizing and work to do before July 21st, which is when Peace Corps is sending out a crew to help us put together our first latrine. I have trained 7 health promoters to give charlas (presentations) to families in their homes about sanitation, the way that the fertilizer latrines work and how to take care of them. The education factor is more important than the actual latrine construction because if the families do not understand that the urine and feces are separated and the dried feces have to be taken out of the latrine after the latrine is filled, then the latrine will NOT have the potential to last a lifetime, as it otherwise could if they take proper care of it. (If anyone would like more information on the actual latrine construction and how a fertilizing latrine works, I can give more information and pictures later).
Before beginning the presentations with the families, I want to give more information to them about the project so that we are all on the same page and any confusion that exists is eliminated. I told each promoter to invite 5 families that are in need of a latrine who will be able to provide labor, food for the workers and also have the materials for the top house of their latrine. The top part of the latrine may be costly, so it is important that only the families that are able to do this part are committing themselves to this project. Although some people who are in desperate need of a latrine will not be part of the project, I think more value will be put into the latrines if the community members are taking more responsibility and ownership in the project. Today I was supposed to have a meeting with all of the beneficiaries of my project to explain their responsibilities of the project so that there is no confusion. As much as I have explained to people that these are not hole in the ground latrines, the same people ask me over and over why I am doing hole in the ground latrines. It gets very frustrating because I KNOW that my Spanish is not the problem, but that they are simply not listening to me when I am explaining the project to them over and over.
Besides my latrines, I was doing a business plan class for youth in my community. Unfortunately after the first 5 classes they have all stopped coming. Better luck next year I hope! It is a really good opportunity because they have the chance to enter a competition to win money and start their own business. I have also started a group called Brigada Verde, which is an environmental group for youth in the community. We made group t-shirts by painting leaves from trees and using a rolling paint brush to leave the leaf stamp on them. I learned this activity during my in service training in Febraury and it was a huge success for us. My youth really enjoyed the activity, so hopefully I will be able to find more art projects for us to work on as well. This Saturday, although I am not sure because of my foot, we have plans to plant 500 pine trees in a high point in my community called Cerro de Juan Calvo. I hope my foot doesn't stop us! :)
This was not the best time for me to be cooped up here in the capital. I have a lot of organizing and work to do before July 21st, which is when Peace Corps is sending out a crew to help us put together our first latrine. I have trained 7 health promoters to give charlas (presentations) to families in their homes about sanitation, the way that the fertilizer latrines work and how to take care of them. The education factor is more important than the actual latrine construction because if the families do not understand that the urine and feces are separated and the dried feces have to be taken out of the latrine after the latrine is filled, then the latrine will NOT have the potential to last a lifetime, as it otherwise could if they take proper care of it. (If anyone would like more information on the actual latrine construction and how a fertilizing latrine works, I can give more information and pictures later).
Before beginning the presentations with the families, I want to give more information to them about the project so that we are all on the same page and any confusion that exists is eliminated. I told each promoter to invite 5 families that are in need of a latrine who will be able to provide labor, food for the workers and also have the materials for the top house of their latrine. The top part of the latrine may be costly, so it is important that only the families that are able to do this part are committing themselves to this project. Although some people who are in desperate need of a latrine will not be part of the project, I think more value will be put into the latrines if the community members are taking more responsibility and ownership in the project. Today I was supposed to have a meeting with all of the beneficiaries of my project to explain their responsibilities of the project so that there is no confusion. As much as I have explained to people that these are not hole in the ground latrines, the same people ask me over and over why I am doing hole in the ground latrines. It gets very frustrating because I KNOW that my Spanish is not the problem, but that they are simply not listening to me when I am explaining the project to them over and over.
Besides my latrines, I was doing a business plan class for youth in my community. Unfortunately after the first 5 classes they have all stopped coming. Better luck next year I hope! It is a really good opportunity because they have the chance to enter a competition to win money and start their own business. I have also started a group called Brigada Verde, which is an environmental group for youth in the community. We made group t-shirts by painting leaves from trees and using a rolling paint brush to leave the leaf stamp on them. I learned this activity during my in service training in Febraury and it was a huge success for us. My youth really enjoyed the activity, so hopefully I will be able to find more art projects for us to work on as well. This Saturday, although I am not sure because of my foot, we have plans to plant 500 pine trees in a high point in my community called Cerro de Juan Calvo. I hope my foot doesn't stop us! :)
4.21.2010
More thoughts on life in the DR
It has been awhile since I wrote my last blog, so I am sure those who I haven't talked to are dying to know the progress of things in my community. Things are so slow-paced here in the "campo" life in the DR that I wish I had great accomplishments to share with you all already. Elections are on May 16th, which means that things are getting pretty heated with politicians all over the Dominican Republic. Aspiring mayors, governors and senators are dumping resources left and right throughout the underdeveloped Dajabon province, which means I have to dip my hands into some of the hand-outs for my latrine project. So far, I have gotten 18 meters of sand delivered to one of the mother centers in my community. Tomorrow another truckload or two is on the way. All of our sand for the project deserves a huge gracias to Magasin, who is running for mayor in Dajabon. The cement is hopefully coming from City Hall, but we are going to have to go to some follow-up next week to be sure. My latrine committee and I also have to finish up interviews with everyone in the community to decide who we be part of the project and then I will be trained on different presentations on the latrine maintenance to train the committee so that they can educate the families individually on the organic fertilizer latrines. Besides that, I am still waiting for my grant to get filled that is up on https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-363 for all of you that would like to donate. Donations are tax-deductible and you will be able to see the project progress online.
I have started a business plan course for youth in my community, which I had around 30 people sign up for and 6 people actually showed up. I told the 6 that were there to each try to get 1-2 more youth to come with them to the next class. I will give a series of 14 classes to educate the youth on how to write a business plan, which they will then turn in to judges in the capital to review. If their business plan is well prepared, they have the opportunity to attend a competition in the capital and win money to start their own business.
The attendance to my English class that I started during my first 3 months here has dwindled down to about 5 students. I think that we might have to take a break for awhile and then start back up and do a class that meets more often. Having class once a week just is not enough for the students to really grasp the basics of a foreign language.
This weekend I am going to the Brigada Verde (Green Bridge) conference in the capital. Brigada Verde is a group that volunteers start to give environmental presentations to youth to grow awareness in communities about the growing importance in our world of our environment. I am able to bring two youth from my community to the conference where we will be educated on different environmental concepts and also take trips to the national park and aquarium. I will then use the two youth to start a Brigada Verde group and start doing activities like trash clean-ups and recycling in the community. I also gave a presentation last week in the middle school on the difference between Organic and Non-organic trash to start building interest to have a group like Brigada Verde and hopefully get a larger group formed than in my English and Business classes.
Work is slow, and I am realizing the importance of being here for a full two years. I am beginning to realize how impossible it is to do work alone. Now I think I understand why there were so many group projects in college, because in the world we really can't accomplish much as individuals. I have come to terms with the fact that as one person, I can't save the world but that at least I can make a little bit of an impact on a community. Sometimes I wonder if I am actually doing any good, or if the people here are just fine as they are. People complain about how poor they are, but at the same time I kind of enjoy the slow paced culture here. I feel like I have time to enjoy the company of others more and get to know my neighbors rather than go to work at an 8-5 job. Really, if this country were developed like the U.S., they would be having to live that kind of life. Would they really want that instead of spending time with their neighbors and family all day? I question this everyday..
I have started a business plan course for youth in my community, which I had around 30 people sign up for and 6 people actually showed up. I told the 6 that were there to each try to get 1-2 more youth to come with them to the next class. I will give a series of 14 classes to educate the youth on how to write a business plan, which they will then turn in to judges in the capital to review. If their business plan is well prepared, they have the opportunity to attend a competition in the capital and win money to start their own business.
The attendance to my English class that I started during my first 3 months here has dwindled down to about 5 students. I think that we might have to take a break for awhile and then start back up and do a class that meets more often. Having class once a week just is not enough for the students to really grasp the basics of a foreign language.
This weekend I am going to the Brigada Verde (Green Bridge) conference in the capital. Brigada Verde is a group that volunteers start to give environmental presentations to youth to grow awareness in communities about the growing importance in our world of our environment. I am able to bring two youth from my community to the conference where we will be educated on different environmental concepts and also take trips to the national park and aquarium. I will then use the two youth to start a Brigada Verde group and start doing activities like trash clean-ups and recycling in the community. I also gave a presentation last week in the middle school on the difference between Organic and Non-organic trash to start building interest to have a group like Brigada Verde and hopefully get a larger group formed than in my English and Business classes.
Work is slow, and I am realizing the importance of being here for a full two years. I am beginning to realize how impossible it is to do work alone. Now I think I understand why there were so many group projects in college, because in the world we really can't accomplish much as individuals. I have come to terms with the fact that as one person, I can't save the world but that at least I can make a little bit of an impact on a community. Sometimes I wonder if I am actually doing any good, or if the people here are just fine as they are. People complain about how poor they are, but at the same time I kind of enjoy the slow paced culture here. I feel like I have time to enjoy the company of others more and get to know my neighbors rather than go to work at an 8-5 job. Really, if this country were developed like the U.S., they would be having to live that kind of life. Would they really want that instead of spending time with their neighbors and family all day? I question this everyday..
2.19.2010
Hopefully getting some things started around here..
Our CED In Service Training was at the beginning of this month. We stayed at a Catholic center right along the Caribbean in the capital. Our project partners stayed with us the first 2 nights, which proved itself to be quite the experience. I brought Dora, the president of the Centro de Madres, who has turned into one of my best friends over the last 4 months at my site. Although she is unable to read and write, she is quite intelligent. During IST we presented my community diagnostic together which went well. We also formed a game-plan/timeline for a latrine project and discussed various other potential projects for the community. After our project partners left, us PCV's stayed for another 3 days to learn about grant writing and various other topics. The 2 best ways to get grant money is to go through USAID, which is called a SPA grant (Small Project Assistance) and PCPP (Peace Corps Partnership Program). I can apply for $USD 5,000 for both. The PCPP will be posted on the Peace Corps website and will be used to solicit donations from friends and family from the states. I plan to use both of these grants for my latrine project and also solicit the city hall here in Dajabon. Hopefully I will raise enough grant money to build latrines for 25-30 families in my community.
Since arriving back at site, I have formed a comittee of 8 members in my community and myself to begin working on this project. 4 are from Los Miches Arriba (the upper part of my community) and 4 from Los Miches Abajo (the lower part of my community). I will be acting as a facilitator and let the group do the decision making for the project. The tasks that I have undertaken this far include making the list of materials for the latrine and going 3 different places to get pricing estimates. I have started the SPA grant budget section and am doing some negotiations for labor to try to get it as cheap as possible so we can build as many latrines as possible. The committee helped me to form a list of questions to interview each household in the community and will help me decide criteria to determine who will be included in the project. The next step is that each member of the committee will be coming with me to conduct the interviews and after we compile this information we will be deciding those who will be part of the project. They will also be helping me write letters to the government here to solicit for funds and materials for the project. The community members receiving the latrines will have to provide for 25% of the project which will include the labor they are able to do, cooking lunch and dinner for the workers and proving wheelbarrows and shovels.
This is going to take a lot of effort on behalf of the community to get this project accomplished but I know we can do it! I hope that you guys back home who are able to help out with donations once I get the grant up online will do so. Every dollar counts and you will be able to see the progress of the project online as well and photos once we are in action. Wish us luck!
I am trying not to start too many things at once because I don't want to get myself in too deep and get unorganized. So, in addition to the latrine project, I will be doing an income generation project with the 2 Centro de Madres (mother's groups) with Mistolin, a floor cleaner. I plan to teach them basic business skills on how to price and market the product and make a profit. I also will be continuing my English class on Sundays and hopefully be starting a youth group to work on issues with the environment. My fruit producers are finally forming their cooperative so hopefully I will find ways to work with them as well.
Other news? I am all moved into my house and it is amazing living on my own for the first time in my life! I can't wait for everyone to visit and enjoy a bucket bath or two. :)
Since arriving back at site, I have formed a comittee of 8 members in my community and myself to begin working on this project. 4 are from Los Miches Arriba (the upper part of my community) and 4 from Los Miches Abajo (the lower part of my community). I will be acting as a facilitator and let the group do the decision making for the project. The tasks that I have undertaken this far include making the list of materials for the latrine and going 3 different places to get pricing estimates. I have started the SPA grant budget section and am doing some negotiations for labor to try to get it as cheap as possible so we can build as many latrines as possible. The committee helped me to form a list of questions to interview each household in the community and will help me decide criteria to determine who will be included in the project. The next step is that each member of the committee will be coming with me to conduct the interviews and after we compile this information we will be deciding those who will be part of the project. They will also be helping me write letters to the government here to solicit for funds and materials for the project. The community members receiving the latrines will have to provide for 25% of the project which will include the labor they are able to do, cooking lunch and dinner for the workers and proving wheelbarrows and shovels.
This is going to take a lot of effort on behalf of the community to get this project accomplished but I know we can do it! I hope that you guys back home who are able to help out with donations once I get the grant up online will do so. Every dollar counts and you will be able to see the progress of the project online as well and photos once we are in action. Wish us luck!
I am trying not to start too many things at once because I don't want to get myself in too deep and get unorganized. So, in addition to the latrine project, I will be doing an income generation project with the 2 Centro de Madres (mother's groups) with Mistolin, a floor cleaner. I plan to teach them basic business skills on how to price and market the product and make a profit. I also will be continuing my English class on Sundays and hopefully be starting a youth group to work on issues with the environment. My fruit producers are finally forming their cooperative so hopefully I will find ways to work with them as well.
Other news? I am all moved into my house and it is amazing living on my own for the first time in my life! I can't wait for everyone to visit and enjoy a bucket bath or two. :)
1.22.2010
Earthquakes and aftershakes
I am still alive and kickin´ as most of you already know! We felt about 20 seconds of the earthquake here in Dajabon and some of the aftershocks, but fortunately there was no damage here. The earthquake and damage in Haiti was the talk of my community for a solid week, as you can imagine. Red cross has set up tables here in the Dajabon marketplace with microphones yelling at people in the market on Mondays and Fridays to donate money and supplies for our Haitian brothers and sisters. Boxes are being packed with food, medicine and other supplies. A few volunteers and I tried to help out this past Friday but were running around with our heads cut off for awhile and then finally got sent to work taking inventory of medicine but it was almost time for me to head back to my site by then. I wish that there was a way to help more. A crew from Peace Corps headquarters in the DR and a few volunteers have headed west to evaluate the situation and how they can provide asistance. I hope that all of you back in the states that are in a position to help out have taken the time to do so. I find it disturbing that a number of Haitians were already eating cakes made of mud and water to take away hunger pains, and now a 7.3 earthquake decides to pass through.
I will be spending the next week wrapping up my community diagnostic. It has been coming along slowly but surely. Given the fact that my mango producers have not had a meeting since my first month here, most of my diagnostic is focused on the needs of the community and the interviews that I have done. I am 99% sure that a latrine project will be top on the list. I have found that nearly 40% of my community does not have a latrine (one of those outdoor bathrooms for those that don´t know there is a picture in my facebook album of one). It is going to be a huge task but the first thing I will have to do is to begin looking for funds and creating a budget of how much making a latrine will cost. Right now, many people in the community that have latrines are having problems with them filling up with water because of the way that they were constructed during a past project. This means that I will have to find the cheapest way to build a latrine that will not fill with water.
Another project that was mentioned more than others is for a basketball court and-or park for the community. Currently, there is no real place for kids in the community to be active. My community is heavily populated with youth, and not having much for them to do has created a huge delinquency problem within the community. I also plan to start the business plan curriculum with the students in the spring. This will provide an inspiration among the youth because if they enter the competition they have a chance to win full funding for their business idea.
Besides the diagnostic, my house is coming around. They poured cement floors yesterday and also have put a cement type bar for my stovetop and kitchen area. I can´t wait to finally start cooking for myself and have privacy. I feel like if I have too many more days of all 3 meals being fried in oil I will die of a heart attack before I make it out of this country in 2 years. I can´t wait to feel healthy again and maybe even fit into my jeans again, haha! I have had an all around great experience with my host family for the last 3 months, but I am ready to be a big girl now.
I am finally allowed to get visitors starting next week! Some of my family is coming down at the beginning of March and I can hardly wait. This is the longest I have gone without seeing my family and friends. I know some others are already starting to plan their visits and are saving. It means so much to me, you have no idea! Life is not easy here at times and sometimes just knowing I am going to have visitors keeps me going. If you have anything you would like to have brought down to me contact my sister or my mom as they will be here in March. (If anyone wants to get me a computer...mine is broken so I can no longer skype)..
I will be spending the next week wrapping up my community diagnostic. It has been coming along slowly but surely. Given the fact that my mango producers have not had a meeting since my first month here, most of my diagnostic is focused on the needs of the community and the interviews that I have done. I am 99% sure that a latrine project will be top on the list. I have found that nearly 40% of my community does not have a latrine (one of those outdoor bathrooms for those that don´t know there is a picture in my facebook album of one). It is going to be a huge task but the first thing I will have to do is to begin looking for funds and creating a budget of how much making a latrine will cost. Right now, many people in the community that have latrines are having problems with them filling up with water because of the way that they were constructed during a past project. This means that I will have to find the cheapest way to build a latrine that will not fill with water.
Another project that was mentioned more than others is for a basketball court and-or park for the community. Currently, there is no real place for kids in the community to be active. My community is heavily populated with youth, and not having much for them to do has created a huge delinquency problem within the community. I also plan to start the business plan curriculum with the students in the spring. This will provide an inspiration among the youth because if they enter the competition they have a chance to win full funding for their business idea.
Besides the diagnostic, my house is coming around. They poured cement floors yesterday and also have put a cement type bar for my stovetop and kitchen area. I can´t wait to finally start cooking for myself and have privacy. I feel like if I have too many more days of all 3 meals being fried in oil I will die of a heart attack before I make it out of this country in 2 years. I can´t wait to feel healthy again and maybe even fit into my jeans again, haha! I have had an all around great experience with my host family for the last 3 months, but I am ready to be a big girl now.
I am finally allowed to get visitors starting next week! Some of my family is coming down at the beginning of March and I can hardly wait. This is the longest I have gone without seeing my family and friends. I know some others are already starting to plan their visits and are saving. It means so much to me, you have no idea! Life is not easy here at times and sometimes just knowing I am going to have visitors keeps me going. If you have anything you would like to have brought down to me contact my sister or my mom as they will be here in March. (If anyone wants to get me a computer...mine is broken so I can no longer skype)..
12.17.2009
La Navidad is here!
Right now I am in the capital and am dealing with some sort of allergic reaction on my mouth and face. It has calmed down a bit, but now my lips are just really chapped. The dermatologist that I saw on Tuesday told me that the reaction is either from 1) mangos 2) my toothpaste or 3) some other unknown source that enters my mouth. So, coincidentally, I have had several mangos that have popped out of the trees randomly even though it is not mango season (mango seasons is May and April). I am not completely sold that that is the case but for those that do not know, mango trees are from the same family as poison ivy, so this is why some people get an allergic reaction to them. What I have been told by other volunteers with mango allergies is that you can still enjoy mangos as long as you peel the peel off and wash and cut the mango off of the seed that is in the middle. I was relieved because mangos are pure deliciousness...so plan those visits in April and May if you want to enjoy unlimited mangos for virtually free (because of the Haitians selling them for dirt cheap in our market).
Things have been a little frustrating for me lately out here in the campo (countryside). My project partner is talking about quitting and selling his farm and it makes me feel very lost as to what my roles are as a Peace Corps Volunteer with the association/cooperative. Meetings are canceled frequently and when they do meet they discuss matters dealing with them forming the cooperative and nothing makes much sense to me as it is. So, when my project partner told me this I just wasn't sure what to think. The good news is that I talked to Joy, my APCD, and she said to focus my diagnostic on the community instead of on my organization. She said just throw in a slide or 2 about my organization but don't let it get me stressed out. She said if they need something, they will get it together and I am not there to hold their hand. I think that this made me feel a lot better about things because I know there is a magnitude of projects that I can work on in my community!
As for moving out in February, things are looking good. My host dad built the doors for my house and he helped me plant tons of Batata (which is delicious, kind of like potatoes but a little sweeter) and chick peas. My host sister and I planted tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, papaya and pineapple. So, I am super pumped for all of this deliciousness right in my backyard! It will be great to finally just be able to cook my own food and have my own place for the first time in my life. It is so crazy for me to think that this is the first time that I will ever live on my own and here it is in the Caribbean. There is still a lot of work to be done on my house before I can move in, but hopefully we will get all of the necessities required by Peace Corps for me to be able to move in right away in Febraury. :)
Other news would be La Navidad! Christmas is here and it feels nothing like the holidays. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the snow. I have never been away from home for the holidays because studying abroad always worked out so that I left right after Christmas. I don't understand the holiday without the cold weather and snow..it is beyond me when people are all excited that it is Christmas. So what makes Christmas interesting here in the DR..first of all, there are people of all ages (2 years old to 80 years I'd say) and loud music at my house on Saturday and Sunday nights (which are the fiesta nights here) and lots of dancing merengue and bachata. Bottles of rum (Brugal specifically, a brand of rum here) being passed among old men playing super intense rounds of dominoes. The reason why they are able to splurge a little on the rum during the month of December is because most people receive a double wage during the holidays (I am not sure if this is true in my community because most people are unemployed...). We end our nights drinking a warm drink (non-alcoholic) that they make over a little fire in the ditch with boiling water, a spicy leaf called "inebre", cinnamon sticks and sugar and little touch of dona power. It is a sweet beverage with a unique spicy aftertaste you could say. Besides the weekend fiestas, my host family, several neighbors and myself are all doing an "angelito" which translates as "little angel" but is the equivalent of a secret santa. It will be nice to give a gift to someone at least to make it feel a little more like Christmas. I wish that I could have sent presents back to the U.S. for each and everyone of my friends and family, but with the cost of mail that is clearly just not feasible but I do want you guys to know that I love and miss you all and wish you a VERY Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Things have been a little frustrating for me lately out here in the campo (countryside). My project partner is talking about quitting and selling his farm and it makes me feel very lost as to what my roles are as a Peace Corps Volunteer with the association/cooperative. Meetings are canceled frequently and when they do meet they discuss matters dealing with them forming the cooperative and nothing makes much sense to me as it is. So, when my project partner told me this I just wasn't sure what to think. The good news is that I talked to Joy, my APCD, and she said to focus my diagnostic on the community instead of on my organization. She said just throw in a slide or 2 about my organization but don't let it get me stressed out. She said if they need something, they will get it together and I am not there to hold their hand. I think that this made me feel a lot better about things because I know there is a magnitude of projects that I can work on in my community!
As for moving out in February, things are looking good. My host dad built the doors for my house and he helped me plant tons of Batata (which is delicious, kind of like potatoes but a little sweeter) and chick peas. My host sister and I planted tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, papaya and pineapple. So, I am super pumped for all of this deliciousness right in my backyard! It will be great to finally just be able to cook my own food and have my own place for the first time in my life. It is so crazy for me to think that this is the first time that I will ever live on my own and here it is in the Caribbean. There is still a lot of work to be done on my house before I can move in, but hopefully we will get all of the necessities required by Peace Corps for me to be able to move in right away in Febraury. :)
Other news would be La Navidad! Christmas is here and it feels nothing like the holidays. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the snow. I have never been away from home for the holidays because studying abroad always worked out so that I left right after Christmas. I don't understand the holiday without the cold weather and snow..it is beyond me when people are all excited that it is Christmas. So what makes Christmas interesting here in the DR..first of all, there are people of all ages (2 years old to 80 years I'd say) and loud music at my house on Saturday and Sunday nights (which are the fiesta nights here) and lots of dancing merengue and bachata. Bottles of rum (Brugal specifically, a brand of rum here) being passed among old men playing super intense rounds of dominoes. The reason why they are able to splurge a little on the rum during the month of December is because most people receive a double wage during the holidays (I am not sure if this is true in my community because most people are unemployed...). We end our nights drinking a warm drink (non-alcoholic) that they make over a little fire in the ditch with boiling water, a spicy leaf called "inebre", cinnamon sticks and sugar and little touch of dona power. It is a sweet beverage with a unique spicy aftertaste you could say. Besides the weekend fiestas, my host family, several neighbors and myself are all doing an "angelito" which translates as "little angel" but is the equivalent of a secret santa. It will be nice to give a gift to someone at least to make it feel a little more like Christmas. I wish that I could have sent presents back to the U.S. for each and everyone of my friends and family, but with the cost of mail that is clearly just not feasible but I do want you guys to know that I love and miss you all and wish you a VERY Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
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