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Site Visit

Afternoon walk through the forest

Surrounding hills

Magic Circle

Red Carp pond

View out the classroom window

March 6th
I just returned from visiting Piedras Gordas, the community that I’m going to live in for the next two years.  I’m really happy with where I’ve been placed!  It’s a beautiful mountain town with a strong environmental consciousness.  There have been three previous Peace Corps Volunteers who have worked in Piedras Gordas (the last one left last November), so I’m hoping my transition into the community will be smooth.

I’m very impressed by the sophistication and organization of the school and town.  The school has a working computer lab with wifi, which is a rarity in the campo (countryside).  All of the teachers are very professional and are interested in learning new ways to teach their classes.  The town has good relationships with local and federal government organizations, and a number of groups that are very active in the community.

I visited the most high-tech finca (farm) I’ve ever seen, it’s owned by the head of the town’s agricultural group.   The whole farm is organic, and set up along terraces on the side of the mountain.  There are two ponds (one for red carp, one for tilapia) that are set up so that the overflowing water runs down to the terraces below and waters all of the other beds.  All of the waste from the pigs is washed out to help feed the various “magic circles” (a 1 meter x 1 meter hole filled with organic fertilizer that is used to support a large number of crops in a small area).  He has also created a number of hybrid fruits by splicing together various plants.  Such as a lime-apple, or an orange-lemon.

I’m going to be teaching environmental and computer literacy courses in the school, building the school garden, working with the Nazareno environmental co-op and the town’s agricultural group, and learning about the other projects the town would like me to work on. I already have a number of ideas for different projects, but I need to make sure the community is interested in the same things.

This was the week of Piedras Gordas patron saint, San Juan de Dios.  Which meant that every night there were fireworks and a church ceremony. On the final night there was an evening procession through each sector (neighborhood) in Piedras Gordas on the way to the church.  I ended up going to church every night I was there.  Which is the most church I’ve attended in 10 yrs.
Location: Piedras Gordas, Cocle, Panama

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