I'm Back

July 15th

Sorry it’s been such a long time since I last posted.  I’ve had a lot going on this past month so let me fill you in on how I’ve been spending my time.

In terms of work I’ve started teaching at the school two every Tuesday and Wendensday.  I teach the kindergarteners through sixth graders computer literacy classes, and environmental classes.  I spend two weeks teaching computer classes and two weeks teaching environmental classes each month.  I’ve also been spending a little bit of time teaching english.  I tutor my community guide each week for a few hours, and I occasionally work with the students at the school to improve thier pronouciation.  At times the second graders can be a little difficult, but overall I really enjoy working with the students.  I spoke to my mother not too long ago about when I was a student.  It was really helpful conversation.  It put the occasionally difficulties I have with the students in perspective, and reminded me that the students are a lot better behaved than I was! Being in the school as helped me get to know the kids in the community, and it as allowed me to strengten my relations with the teachers and parents.  The students at the scool are very involved in various cultural events, which as given me the opportunity to travel with them and learn about Panama’s tradional clothing, food, music, and dance.

The school has it’s own garden, and agriculture is a mandatory subject for primary school students in Panama. So I’ve incorporated organic agriculture theory into my environmental classes.  The school garden is not an organic garden but I’ve been helping the parents that maintain the garden plant different crops (corn, beans, atoy, tomato cabbage).  This has become an excellent opportunity to talk to them about implementing various organic practices, such as making and using organic fertilizers and pesticides.  We’ve also spoken about the symbiotic relationsips that certain plants have with one another.  We are in the process of creating a plan to utilize this information in the garden. 

There is a regionally famous and incredibly well designed organic farm not too farm from Piedras Gordas.  It’s called Finca Perezosa (the Lazy Farm), and is owned by a former Peace Corps Panama volunteer.  It is a functioning farm that always has WOOFing volunteers working there, but the owner “Don Perezoso” also uses it to teach Panamanian students and farmers how to easily create and maintain a productive, and environmentally friendly farm. He  is also the creator of the “magic-circle” which is something that many of my community members have successfully constructed, and which the teachers would like me to help them build at the school.  I organized a trip to the farm for some of the teachers at the school, farmers in Piedras Gordas, members from the environmental co-op, and a fellow Peace Corps volunteer and her community members.  The trip was a great success! We all learned a lot, John “Don Perezoso” Douglas is a very entertaining guy, and when we returned to Piedras Gordas I saw some of my community members implementing things we learned at Finca Perezosa.

                                      

I found out not too long ago that the grant I wrote to start a Tower Stove project in my community was funded.  During In Service Training we are going to learn about a few more eco-stove designs.  Once I return to my community I will old a charla (informational meeting) over the benefits of the eco-stoves, and start forming a plan with interested communit y members to construct the stoves together.

I’ve continued to strengthen relations with the ANAM (the environemtal protection agency) representatives in Cocle.  I have attended a number events that they have hosted for environmental co-ops.  On Father’s Day I traveled with a few community members to a feria (fair) in Panama City.  ANAM invited artisans, and environmentally friendly farmers from throughout the country to sell their products and share their regional cultures with the citizens of Panama City.  It was a wonderful experience, my community members were able to sell all of the produce they brought, and I had the opportunity to meet environmentally engaged Panamanins from every province.  I’ve also attended a number of events that ANAM as held in schools throughout Cocle to help teach students about the importance of environmental conservation.

I’m the director (coach) of  Piedras Gordas soccer team.  Ever Sunday we travel to the nearby town of La Pintada to play against other teams from the area.  Our team consists of 22 players, but unfortunately we only had 15 jerseys.  This has forced our players to swap jerseys among one another when I make substitutions.  Which meant that our players that have been running around for 30 min. or more in 85 degree heat and 80% humidity are giving a sweat drenced jersey to the player they are being substituted for. After a couple weeks of using this system we all agreed it was time to get some new uniforms.

I’ve built a great relationsip with Musa the owner of Super Fuerte, the largest department store in Penonome.  We first met when I wanted to buy a few sheets of paper from him but I had deicided tat 25 cents per an exorbitant price. After unsuccessfully haggling with for ten minutes, he asked me where I was from (shockingly he had figured out that I wasn’t from Panama).  It turns out he had lived in Ohio for over ten years.  I didn’t get a discount on the paper that day, but since then he’s given me discounts on everything I’ve bought for my house and we’ve become good friends.  So when it came to getting new jerseys I asked him for some help.  After a couple weeks of having the team agree on an affordable and chevre (cool) uniform, and Musa, Alexander (the team captain) and I working out the logistics, we’ve been able to get beautiful new jerseys for the team. There’s only one game left in the regular season but we’ll be playing in style during playoffs.