Here we go again...
1-31-11
January is ending but really all the work is just beginning. This week sparks the brink of a lot of new projects which I am very excited for. Oh let me count the ways..
1. Still working on getting batteries and an inverter for my high school, but this process sure does take lots of patience (that I feel I am running out of). I am crossing my fingers for this year!
2. Started english classes this week (which I am not excited for) but it was ooooook. One class is full of little ninos. And if you know me you know I don't really like kids. So this is agonizing. Good thing I have other projects to focus on to give me some patience.
3. My community is the only community in my town that does not have water sent through pipes and tubes. We have to receive our water from trucks passing through then purchase and store the water in big tanks and barrels. Sucks. So I am working with some neighborhood leaders to solicit aid in creating an aqueduct for my community. If this can actually happen and take off I would be sooooo happy. Right now I don't have water because it hasn't rained in over a month and the trucks have not passed by all week. I haven't showered in 2 days and its really bugging me because I want to work out and I cant because I wont have water to shower afterwards. This is really putting a hinder on my workout regimen. Really annoyed.
4. I am also working to get a basketball court built in my community at a nearby school. Basically the community has told me that the school can't offer physical education classes because there is no space to teach this subject and they also said the delinquency is a problem because the teenagers have no way to funnel their energy and time other than hanging out at a nearby colmado where they can drink and gamble. Building a basketball court can solve the problem by offering sports as an after school activity and also a school educational course. I am actually really excited about this one. There is this site called www.courts4kids.org where anyone in the US can sign up to travel to a different country and help build a sports court where it is needed, no experience required. It is sort of like a mini peace corps because you stay in the site and learn about the culture, help out a community and gain a new experience. I hope I can get this aid cause I know my community really could use the help.
5. I also am working with a local women's group on getting them training on how to make household cleaning products and such so they can start their own company and make money. I'm also working on teaching them literacy and offering them health and family workshops too. So much to do!
My women's group and I celebrating International Women's Day together
6. On top of this I will be starting a new youth group this week called Chicas Brillantes made up of girls helping each other out and also includes fun activities and games. It's meant to support girls in this misogynistic country and helps build their self esteem and knowledge about being a woman. There is a conference that I am taking 2 girls to later on this month and an activity I want to plan together with my PC neighbor, Heather in combing our two groups to work together. Cool! Update: We got the grant! Yay! Activity to plan March 5th!
First week of girls group, making masks to celebrate Carnaval of course! Super fun!
7. I am still continuing with my first youth group, Encargados del Futuro, a computer group who I am at the moment, teaching photoshop and blogging. Go figure. The center where we work just installed the Internet so now we will actually start facilitator training so they can start their own computer classes and I can focus on other things like getting pedicures and massages. Oh I wish…
My Encargados del Futuro youth group, look at our flow!
8. I am also doing stuff for myself like I am going to start a worm composting bin this week. I just need to get the worms in santiago and then I will start feeding them all my leftover food and scraps and feel one step closer to being environmentally friendly. Yay! Also maybe I can encourage all my dominican neighbors to start worm bins too? I may be getting too ahead of myself they already think I am crazy.
9. I am also working on an art manual for Peace Corps so we have an A-Z book on everything art including cheap art projects and artworks to enjoy. You can tell this is one of my passions right?
10. Did I mention probably one of my biggest projects yet? Constructing a library for my high school including constructing the building then filling it with fun books and a certified librarian? Yeah it's going to be hard and although my school sucks at supporting me I really want to do this one. Just need someone to help me with the budget… darn it may take a while after all…
Of course there are more side projects in the air such as teacher training, art clubs, sports clubs and more but for now I feel a little bit overwhelmed so I need to tackle things one at a time.
I do feel like I want to take advantage of this year and feel like I have been doing things I normally don't do. I went and visited friends recently, rode a horse (never done that, well not alone without it attached to that circle thing at the swap meet), I just got scuba certified (terrifying but FUN!) and I want to continue this year with white water rafting, the worm compost and who knows maybe eat more street food, I shouldn't get too crazy though... :)
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