Latrine Project up on Peace Corps Website

The surrounding communities have asked for a latrine project for my entire service. Organized by family groups, they will work together to build latrines in their groups. If you would like read more about the project and possibly donate, go to this website: www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=525-134

El Mes de Patria

November and December are a continuous stream of holidays. Independence from Columbia, Independence from Spain, Uprising of Los Santos, Mother´s Day (which is celebrated VERY differently here) as well as others are all packed into a one month period.

One of my closest friends in my community, Diocelina. Her, her brothers and sisters hang out\ bother me every day. Here, she is reciting a patriotic poem that she memorized for independence from Columbia day.

Emilia. She found some scissors and decided to cut her hair.

The school´s independence from Columbia ceremony. Pictured is Maestra Paz and Director Mario.

Reciting a poem.

A Kinder student reciting his poem.

Mrs. Paz´s class writing their letters.

An art project that Mrs. Paz´s class did

More art from Mrs. Paz´s class

The director´s 4th and 5th grade class

Things are going well.

Water seminars are done for now. Everything went great: participants learned a lot, had fun and are motivated to teach other community members. Government agencies have shown interest and may incorporate this into their water infrastructure work, maybe.

Latrine budget is in the paperwork phase but should be up on the Peace Corps website by Christmas. If anyone has money that they don´t want and would like to help out, check back later for the link.

School letters are all done. This month, I will have time to translate the 70 letters that the students wrote. The letters are great. Each kid worked very hard to try to explain their lives. I hope you like them. They should be done and delivered to Rutland, VT by the time school starts in January.

Happy Holidays,

Chöti

School Letters

Thank you to the students of Rutland Intermediate School for writing letters to the school here in Laguna. The 60 kids that read the letters really enjoyed hearing about you. They aspecially loved seeing the photos you sent! Many things that they saw and read were very new and different, so it took a good deal of explaining. Just helping them to pronounce your names was quite a challenge!
Many of you wrote about video games that you play. I don´t think the students still know what they are.
Some of you talked about in your letters about your pets, which included rabbits. The students were surprised to know that people care for rabbits in the house (aspecially since they are eaten here).
One of you sent in a picture of an amusement park with a person in a Joker costume. A student pointed out to me that it was the devil.
Many things you talked about are unknown here: skateboards, skiing, snow, lacrosse as well as many others.
It was great for the kids to know that there are many more crazy gringos like me. It was also great to show the similarities between the American and Panamanian students.
I am getting the last of your letters responded to at the moment and translating the ones that have been written. You should have the letters ¨soon.¨

Here is an example letter from a 3rd grader:

Hi

Cody Perry

E.S.M. (in your hands. This is a common way to start a Panamanian letter)

My name is Alexis Flores

I live in the community of Laguna.

I am in 3rd grade.

I like to play soccer and other games.

My favorite food is rice with chicken.

My school is small and rural.

My house is made of grass and Wood.

In my house, there are 14 people.

My teacher is named Rosaura Paz.

My dad Works in the mountains, planting rice, corn, beans and yuca. In my house, I have a black dog named Perdida (Lost) and we play a lot.

In my community, we don´t have light (electricity) but in the school, there is a solar panel and in the evening, w ego to watch a movie there.

In the community, there are latrines and a wáter system. In the past, there wasn´t a water system, but Peace Corps helped us with this necesity (note: Peace Corps did not build their aqueduct).

I say goodbye to you with much love to my new friend,

Thanks

Alexis Flores

Mrs. Rosaura Paz's 2nd and 3rd grade class writing their letters

The school cafeteria

This is the school. No picture in Panamá is complete without a chicken.

Mrs. Paz's class

Again, thank you for writing.
Jatwoida,
Chöti

September 2009

Hey all,

Been very busy lately trying unsuccessfully to get communities together for water projects. It doesn´t seem like it will be able to happen, but there are always other things to keep me busy. Water seminars are going well and will most likely continue as long as we can find interested communities. Mud oven and stoves are picking up and a latrine project is in the works.

One year in and one year left. All throughout my first year, I have had some time to look at what I have been able to do, how I´ve changed and what I´ve learned. The new perspectives I´ve gained over this past year is incredible and I am very thankful for the opportunity to be where I am.

I´ve done back breaking days of work for a bowl or rice, learned two languages and learned a new lifestyle. I´ve also seen how hopelessly sad and difficult life can be for my community and been amazed at their ability to live very happy lives despite hunger and poverty. The first year has had enlightening moments where I feel like I am understanding myself and the world for the first time. It has also had moments where I feel helpless, lonely and stupid, and I only wished I had a clue how to make it a little better. I have no idea what the second year will bring, but I know I won´t regret the experience.

My brother just had a baby. His name is Oskar

Left to right (Einer, Basilia, Baby has no name yet, Emilia)

Maximo taking the sand out of the oven.

Left to right (Paula, Nienami, Dionesia, Amado=

Amado, Dionesia and Maestra Rosaura Paz putting on the insulation layer to the oven.

Amado making the inside layer pretty.

Stacking the mud around the sand mold.

Building the base.

Mixing the mud.

Girls in Laguna Abajo

Jatwoida,

Choti

June 2009

I organized a water committee seminar in my community.  We trained representatives from three communities how to maintain and manage their water systems.  This is the graduation photo.  Only one person is smiling in this picture.

Alicia, teaching Mariano how to thermoform PVC.

Water conservation exercise.  This was interesting.  I asked participants to see who can use less water to wash equal quantities of dishes.  Men don't really wash dishes here.  We had to draw straws to see who would do it.  Maximo (on the right) emerged victorious.

This is Chidigon, with his "secreto de vaca."  We were sitting having lunch at the water seminar.I noticed a small ball of fur in a small chacara around Chidigon's neck.  I asked him what he had in the chacara.  He said, in spanish, "it's a secret."  Confused, I asked him again, "Really, what's in the chacara."  He then explained that special cows have secrets.  He had a special cow that displayed special characteristics, and upon slaughtering it, he found a small fur ball in the stomach.  Me and other volunteers have wondered what it is for a while, but we still have no clue.  He carries his secret for good luck and is very lucky to have it.

Maximo, brushing up his accounting skills.

People actually paying attention.

Ese todo,

Chodi

Balsaria

Me, throwing the balsa

Balseria is a very special festival in the Ngabe culture. I have heard it started when one family would invite another during good harvest years. They would share their food or else it would go bad. Nowadays, it is a large gathering of people from all over. People come to drink, fight and compete with other communities. It´s also a good chance to put on some colorful clothing and that dead cat skin that never seems to go with any of your other outfits.
There are a few things to do at Balseria, which usually lasts for about four days (I could only stand it for about four hours). They drink Chicha Fuerte (strong juice). It´s usually made from corn, it tastes sweet but has LOTS of alcohol in it. People drink this for the whole time they are there and some get very drunk. While at Balseria, you can also fight. This is a good way to mangle your face and possibly win a wife! You can also throw the Balsa, which hurts much less than bare knuckle fighting, and is actually pretty fun. During the whole festival, people will be making as much noise as possible from homemade contraptions (anything from cow horns to PVC whistles to turtle shells).

They play a game, which I tried, where one man throws a balsa stick at another´s legs. I didn´t get hit too bad, but I saw some very nasty welts.

Men wear anything from a Nagua (the dress that only women wear, see above) to colorful hats (see above) to dried animal skins, usually cats.

Fist fighting is very common among men and women.

Man ready to throw the Balsa.

Once someone throws the balsa, people rush to grab it so they can be next to throw. Once you throw, the next person throws at you.

Churches are discouraging Balseria because of the drinking, but it is an important part of their culture. Despite the gruesome violence of it, I am glad I went.

February to May 2009

The chiva ride. 34 people. I love the little child hanging on for dear life.

There´s a kind of bird that lives in those sacks.

I did a catholic pilgrimage to the Jesus of Alanje. We walked along a concrete road for four hours, got to a very pretty church and it was nice. All during this I was holding back the fury of some newly acquired stomach parasites.

Church of Alanje

For those who don´t speak spanish this sign basically mean, ¨sorry you just walked two hours to come to this meeting. We didn´t feel like telling you it was cancelled for some reason we won´t disclose.¨

Some kids helped me out with my garden.

Peña Blanca from the side.

Peña Blanca from the back.

View from Tugri.

Most recently, I did a trip to do a latrine in another community, named Guayaval. It was a little out of the way, but gave a good opportunity to see some nice scenery. It was a nine hour walk each way carrying the seat mold, but well worth the views and getting to know a different region of the comarca.

A community on the way to Guayaval.

Some of the people I stayed with.

This is a half made latrine.

View of some of the mountains in the area. This part of the Comarca is famous for its coffee.

The central group of Guayaval.