HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

4 days till Christmas…. 3 fully constructed latrines, 17 to go. The process has been a whole lot slower than I had imagined. Although there are no real organizational issues, we have come across many problems with work ethic. It may have to do with the fact that this community is not my own, not being acquainted with everyone and/or that I am a young female. All I know is that getting the men to follow my directions is unnecessarily difficult.

For example, when I see the cement ratio off, I may ask to either add more water, sand or cement and receive a blank look and a reply that usually goes “We have always done it this way” (our way). It’s a constant battle to have to explain why the ratio has to be exact; I mean the last thing I would want is for the concrete to crack and someone falling into a latrine pit, right? A poopy way to go.

I asked a fellow water volunteer who has had some experience building these latrines to hang out a few days at my project site. Honestly, I do not know if I would have had completed any latrines properly if he didn’t come give my volunteers some guidance. There is a basic manual (which we all use) to guide Peace Corps Volunteers through the process which apparently needs to be revised. I basically spent the majority of my time sharing my concerns with my friend and he would speak to the community members about it. He even had some trouble getting them to follow direction but according to him and other volunteers this is the way things are in the DR when it comes to construction of any kind. This is not meant to negatively judge anyone but it is part of their culture and frankly their education. So after the initial frustrations we accept it as it is and just smile and move along (sometimes I laugh hysterically, then move on).

Work stops on the 24^th then continues on the 27^th. We hope the first ten latrines will be completed by the 30^th, which will complete our work for the first community. We can then begin the second half of the latrines in the New Year in the second benefitting community. I would like to have all latrines constructed by the end of January, so I can finalize the legalization of my assigned community’s association and begin my search for funding to construct a library, since I have several boxes of donated books lying around in my host family’s home.

In between all of this, I continue working with the Peace Corps Health Supervisor, with the national health consortium project, which is still in the initial planning stages. The consortium is comprised of ten health NGO’s from all corners of the country that work with local rural health promoters as well as youth that need education on safe sex. These NGO’s are still a bit unorganized, so I’m working with the PC Health supervisor and creating a team of business volunteers to tackle administrative problems. Each NGO has an assigned health volunteer whose primary concern is to teach them basic health practices and such. Hitting in both directions with the help of PEPFAR funding, we all as a team feel that this could be a very successful sustainable health project.

At the moment, most rural health promoters and youth are taught and managed by volunteers, which is great but not sustainable. Peace Corps has been in the DR for 50 years now, since its start. I don’t think this represents our work negatively per say, however if PCDR ended tomorrow, projects won’t necessarily run sustainably. Communities are still in need of a lot of guidance. The consortium calls for many leadership roles and many new responsibilities. The plan is for the health side of PCDR to begin allowing these organizations to pull their own weight while we sit back and supervise. Volunteers will then have more room to pick up new projects in issue areas that are not getting as much attention.

If I do decide to stay in country and serve a third year, this will be my main project as Executive Director of the National Health Consortium. It’s a really exciting opportunity and most certainly a big challenge. As you may see, my plate is a bit full at the moment, however this is how I like it…I have a big appetite for this kind of stuff. So cheers to all my friends and may this New Year open windows/doors to many opportunities.

-M

MY CREW

THE BEGINNING....LATRINE PROJECT

Let’s Count Down Now…..10 More Months

Yeesh… Ten months left? Really? Honestly very little has been accomplished within the last 16 months. Granted I’m way more knowledgeable in various new areas, which might be seen as pointless knowledge to many. I’ve come to terms with that. Hopefully whatever is next will need some expertise in fields such as poopers and working with rural health promoters. Quién Sabe?

Last week was composed of my one year in service training as well as Thanksgiving. Both were fab. Training just helped us focus in on our current problems and come up with plans and tools for the remainder of our service. We were even set aside and asked if we were planning on extending our stay as volunteers. This is still something I think about regularly and is pretty plausible at the moment. 10 months can bring about a lot of changes, so I’m not really setting my mind on anything at the time. This IST definitely brought the remainder of our cohort closer. Good times!

This year’s thanksgiving was quite different from last. I participated in the cooking committee so as soon as we were done with IST I headed over with a few other volunteers to an Embassy Home and stayed with a Foreign Service family, who were AMAZING. They even treated us to massages the following day for the work we did. So unlike last year there was a lot of running around and setting up to do. This year was also so much better because our PC group has grown to be a family which made things feel more like home.

Starting Monday, my communities, volunteers and I will begin latrine construction. Finally everything has been organized in hopes of having a smooth and successful experience. We have estimated that up to 23 latrines can be constructed. This project may last until mid-January, so I’m crossing my fingers that everything goes well.

Pictures soon to come of all events.

Kudos to Jen Macy for getting Green Valley HS in Nevada to donate Uniforms and VB equipment to our youth.

One Year + Consolidation

October 27^th, 2010, made our cohort’s one year mark as sworn in Peace Corps Volunteers. The majority of the crew spent the weekend celebrating our anniversary as well Halloween in Playa San Rafael and Bahia de las Aguilas. During this time there was not one waking moment where we were not cracking up over something ridiculous from the past or from that very moment. Our party could be picture as the most successful organized chaos ever.

Prior to our planned festivities, Cholera broke out in Haiti and we were informed within a few days that all volunteers were required to consolidate in order to receive up to date information as well as some training to pass along to our communities. This consolidation affected our party plans for a few hours until some members of our party committee took responsibility into their own hands and arranged for our training to be held a few hours before other volunteers in order to keep our original itinerary. Needless to say all went well; Success! There was perfect weather in the South although there was a tropical storm approaching.

A day after our return from our R&R, again we were informed that we must consolidate again due to Tomas’ approach on the island. So this past week was spent in a hotel in Santiago. Not much got done but most volunteers benefitted from some quiet peaceful Z’s, real showers, as well as hearty food.

Now I’m back at site where it is really chilly and showers are pretty unbearable (I know…At least I have water…its ice water though).

My priorities are getting more cholera info out there although I’m pretty behind on things. All I know is that if a storm hits and there is a bad water supply or cholera spreads in DR, people need the basic preventative info. A volunteer told me that some Dominicans along the border don’t want Haitians traveling with them on public transportation. Some nationals believe it’s a Haitian disease. I’d like to correct some of these erroneous beliefs if I do come across them. If there were ever a breakout here in my site, it could easily become chaotic considering how difficult transportation is and the nearest hospital is located 23 Km away down a spiraling mountain road.

My latrine project should begin in December, si dios quiere! And legalization of my villages association continues progressing slowly.

Most of the time is spent on organizational and administration stuff for health promoters and Health NGO’s working with youth on AIDS Prevention. I have a team of 17 health promoters that are spread across all 8 communities in this municipal district. These ladies are your best bet if in this region and find yourself in need of medical attention. At the moment I’m trying to get information together from all 17 promoters in hopes of having some kind of file system or database of all the patients currently benefitting from their assistance. Like this some of these patients who rarely ever see professional help if at all, have some sort of medical history to take with them. So I have spent a number of hours making digital copies of countless numbers of people and their information from pages of indecipherable handwriting. I don’t say this to be rude but keep in mind the majority of the woman I work with maybe made it to high school and have dedicated themselves to house work and being health promoters.

There is something called ‘one year blues’ for some volunteers. I translate this as being the realization that a year past so quickly with little done and the next year may fly by faster and we still have a long to do list that we hope to get done. Granted this may not be every volunteer’s definition of ‘the one year blues’ however this is what I’m feeling right now. I can’t say ill get all I want done but if I have learned anything at all during my time on this island, is to take the path of least resistance and not to fret because it all ends up working out (while working towards the goal of course). More updates to come

XOXO

M

CELEBRATING CIBAO 2010: SLIDE SHOW YOU TUBE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYahS85_shQ.

CELEBRATING CIBAO 2010: DIVERSITY CAMP

AUGUST RUSH

One would think that August would be particularly slow. Everyone would be getting some beach time; relaxing. This is not the case for many volunteers on this island. Summer means lots of camps; youth group meetings, normal day to day business and activities up the wooha!

Those who know me well will say to themselves, eh Marite likes busy, well…..you are absolutely right J I can’t imagine sitting around not doing a thing. I’d probably consider shooting myself. Granted there are a few days where I find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed but I just keep telling myself that it will only make me stronger and better for the next time around or at least that’s what my mama tells me….. Moms are always right so I’ll take her word for it.

Anywho, Just spent the last week experiencing something incredible right along the border. A camp called Peace Camp hosted primarily by PLAN intl. and the US Embassy from both Haiti and the DR. Basically it is an English camp inviting youth from both Haiti and the DR. The first half of the camp takes place in the DR and the second week in Haiti. The two goals of the camp are to help these kids learn some English while they learn to bond. As a volunteer on the island of Hispaniola, one quickly realizes and sees the stigma between the Haitians and Dominicans. It’s really uncomfortable and sad.

Only 6 volunteers from Peace Corps were able to participate in this camp. Volunteers were given lots of training on group strengthening and bonding. These activities are basically Ice breakers as well as group critical thinking/ analyses. It does sound like a lot of fun and games but the experience can be described as trying. Details are too long to describe but in summary after one week of participation (In the period I was able to volunteer and participate) there were some noticeable differences in the bonding between the two groups. PEACE CAMP WOOT!

So I’m back at my site. Since I arrived we have had these insane afternoon storms that are unlike any I have experienced before. Coming from hurricane central, it may seem much to say but my village roads are rivers. People have to stay indoors or fight in knee deep floods through rocky roads. Pretty dangerous I must say. I can’t imagine an actual hurricane passing through here. Yesterday our bridge was washed away (video posted). Family please don’t fret, I’m safe! So safe that I went rafting down the Yaque del Norte River today with several volunteers. This was my second time taking the trip, and this time was much better than last. Definitely level 4-5 compared to the level 2 we experienced last time.

My youth are completing their final draft to the business plan for the nationwide competition, “Construye Tus Suenos”. The submission deadline is this Sunday. We will find out sometime the end of next week whether or not my kids made the finals and will compete in October :x cross fingers.

Two weeks ago I was granted a large sum of money to begin a latrine project. This means I have a bit of work to do in September.

By taking it one day at a time things should fall into place and this month should fly.

Love you all

M

10 Month Mark

Friends,

After 10 months of service I must say that things have turned out quite different than was initially expected. This is by no means a negative outlook just an overall comparison as to what I trained for and what truly became of that training.

As mentioned in the last submission, I have been working with some basic business (micro-enterprise) education with a Haitian community in Santiago, some youth in my village and as well as with the members of our community association (who are constructing the Eco tourist lodges). I cannot say I am not keeping up with my goals as a Community Economic Development Volunteer (CED); however I no longer can identify myself as one. I say this simply because my personal goals have changed due to the needs in my village and the neighboring villages.

In reality the tourist lodges I was assigned to work with have support from the BIG GUYS (USAID-Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) as well as UNDP-Projectors Pequenos Sostenibles (PPS)) I had mentioned this fact when I first was assigned to my community but it was not until recently that I’ve realized and concluded that because the lodges have this grand support, I should focus my energies more on areas that don't have so much support. The lodges, like the community's micro-hydro electric plant will be completed (slowly but surely). In other words I can fulfill a direct need with the help of local organizations which will be super rewarding or I can fight to find a small amount of funding which will be a drop of water in a very large bucket.

This is not saying that I have dropped my support of the community association and their initiatives. I’m still giving the members business courses and helping them with the association's legalization which will be helpful to them in the long run as businessman.

Recently, I have been working with community leaders and two national foundations promoting nutrition and basic health practices. I have mentioned a pretty extensive garden project, which is well on its way (once there is a faster internet connection, there will be pictures posted). With the help of a fellow health volunteer we have hosted several nutrition workshops. One workshop focused on the development of child’s motor functions, in the last two weeks we have focused on teaching some easy recipes with ingredients found in the gardens.

With little effort on my part, one of the local foundations is organizing the delivery of 1575 chickens. The families that are participating in the garden project as well as the local health promoters will be receiving chickens. In order to be handed the chickens, these families are required to have their gardens well prepared and flourishing as well as their chicken coups built. Recommendations have been given at previous workshops so if requirements are not met then I will not feel these families will keep these projects alive or in other words the projects will not be sustainable. Unfortunately a foot has to be put down somewhere. Apparently a lot of these small projects fail because people see it as a hand out and do not take their responsibilities seriously.

My application for latrine funding has been submitted (cross fingers). I have plans to do a pretty major latrine project which will affect several neighboring communities. My community has indoor plumbing so will not be benefiting directly from this work, however many of the other communities have yet a place to actually go in or their latrines are full (YIKES!) I’ve also sent letters requesting wood donations from the secretary of environment.

A Pre-Kindergarten school is also a possibility along with a community library. I’ve received some book donations, but I’m still waiting to hear back from a few grant applications for everything else. WE SHALL SEE.

This may sound like a lot but everything is running pretty smoothly as of now. Nothing is truly tangible yet except for the amazing relationship I have with these communities.

Peace Corps hosts many conferences and recently I've been invited to many. I guess this is where I can say I have had some down time. At these conferences I have been able to see some sites, learn new things as well as relax. :) The only down fall is that I normally get what us volunteers call "campo guilt" or village guilt, which basically means I feel guilty about leaving my community to do anything that is moderately fun or comfortable. I really need to learn to shake it off,…but I can’t help it. Anyhow...Life is good :)

PEACE

Marité

Friends,

It has been some time since I have last updated this blog and with some spare time on my hands I feel it is about time I should do that. Things have change quite a bit since I last written. As of right now, The eco-lodge is on a stand still do to lack of funding as well as recent maintenance needs on the community’s Micro Hydro-electric plant.

This isn’t great news however it has given me and the community opportunities to take advantage of other needs that have to be addressed. As of last month we have began taking the initial steps in order to legalize the community association. This means that we have sat down on more than one occasion to discuss rules and regulations or statutes to agree upon and make into legal writing. We have gone through some revisions but lack some work. Once this is completed we will begin discussing a logo for the organization. I still need to do a bit of research to see if the name of association already exists in the DR and if so, what new name we should come up with. We are definitely in the beginning stages of this process however something is something considering how slow things move around here.

With some help from a religious organization some money is being funneled our way to promote and develop at least 160 organic community gardens throughout this region. With the help of a fellow health volunteer we have organized and given several sessions on maintaining an organic garden as well as what vitamins and minerals can be found within specific fruits and vegetables. We have also given health sessions on identifying mal nutrition and proper development of motor function skills in the ages of 0-6 years of age.

Through this same organization and their funding, I am also traveling frequently to the city of Santiago to teach business to Haitians interested in opening a micro-business. With that being said, I will receive Creole training in May in a Batey located in Barahona. I definitely look forward to this course as it should facilitate my classes as well as open new opportunities throughout my service.

There is a nationwide competition hosted by Peace Corps and Plan International along with local universities called “Construye Tus Sueños” . This is basically a business plan competition open to young adults interested in starting a micro business. Peace Corps and Business volunteers have created a 6 month intensive course to prepare students and train them in planning a business using basic business practices. As of last month I have started giving this class every Sunday and shall give them until the month of July. Sometime in August my students will submit their plans and If approved will go on to the competition round. The winner of the competition basically gets funding to take off their dream business. These courses have really integrated me into the youth of this region. I have had a pretty strong relationship with the kids in my community however now I have ties with a good majority of the kids in the municipal district.

My next big goal is to begin preparing a latrine/sanitation project proposal. I have a design but am still awaiting a census to see the number of latrines needed in the region. Sometime in the next few weeks I plan on going to several hardware stores and getting quotes on needed materials. We are currently in congressional election season and this is the perfect time to begin asking politicians for money (As cheap as that may sound). Of course I do not have my heart set on this so I will also be applying to as many grants possible, considering there are probably a considerable amount of latrines needed within the 8 communities I would like to aide. We shall see how things go. As more time elapses in my site, I feel more determined and feel more pressure to get something big done. These people have been nothing but incredible to me and are truly a family.

This about sums up the major events that have taken place in the last few months. Pictures to come! Much love and happiness to all J

Marité

My soon to be home.

This is my little girl Luna "LULU" Perez

3 Month In Service Trainin

Friends,

Its been a while since I have written and I do want to apologize for it. My first three months have been pretty secluded from outside contact but I believe there will be less of that from this moment on. Tomorrow is my In service training (3 month-IST) in Santo Domingo, where I and fellow business volunteers will be presenting our community/organizational diagnostics.

I have really gone in hiding this last month simply to prepare all the data for this presentation so I must admit I am pretty nervous. I will be attaching bits and pieces of my work (its all is Spanish; sorry for those who may not understand). I hope you all like it!

I have also been busy decorating and painting my new home for my move(Pictures attached) . As soon as I return from my 3 month training I will be moving in and leaving my dear host family. I am actually very sad about it and know I may find myself lonely after getting accustomed to all the noise and busyness of the house. Its not too bad though considering I will only be a few houses away ;)

I have really bonded with my host family and community these months. I feel like one of them (especially since a good portion of the community shares my last name). They include me in everything and really make sure they know they love me and need me. Its so nice! I have made a few trips to the city and I must admit I definitely do not like leaving my community no more than a few days. Its partly because the city is a drag: Tiring, dirty and noisy. But its also cause I really miss these people.

As soon as I return from this training I will be officially allowed to begin executing a few plans for the community, the association and the Eco-lodge project itself. My first plan of action is looking for money of course. As I have mentioned before 3 of the 5 lodges are about complete but there isn't sufficient funding to complete the rest nor to construct the restaurant/office from the original project proposal. I will probably be very busy the first few weeks just writing out solicitation/grant letters and submitting them to different organizations.

While I wait for responses I hope to begin plans for building a library for the local high school. I am not 100% sure how I will be going about all that but that will be discussed during our 3 month In service training, so I will fill you all on that later.

My English class is going steady. I seem to have 2 groups of students though. One group shows up one Sunday while the other group shows the following. I tend to repeat the class twice and when they return it is as if I haven't taught anything at all. I do blame myself right now because I have not confronted the situation but I do plan on doing that as soon as I return next week to my project site.

I recently began dedicating a few minutes every morning to my neighbor, a little boy who is way behind on his reading. He currently is learning the first few letters of the Spanish alphabet although he should be well on his way to reading chapter books. His attention span is also very short, so classes can not go on for too long since he tends to drift away to another dimension. I am happy to say however that he is showing some progress although it is very slow.

For those curious to know, My little girl LULU is doing well. She is getting big but she is a doll. I love her to bits.

For those who have inquired about visiting, you are more than welcome to now. My house is now ready to be broken in.

Love you all,

M