As a Peace Corps volunteer it is hard to remember that life in the United States continues without you. I always think of my friends as the same, living as they did over a year ago when I left the country. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that is just not the case. I was reminded of this fact when I found out that my friend Ottie is engaged! A friend who always claimed he would never be a husband, I am so happy that Ottie has found Sheryl. Between Ottie’s engagement and Annie who is 7 months pregnant, I guess that sometimes I am glad to be reminded of the constant change that life brings us.
Lately my days have been filled with conference planning, conferences, and a week-long medical mission. I’ll start with the medical mission because it deserves a lot of recognition. First of all, medical missions are very common in the Dominican Republic. Probably because of the country’s proximity to the US, foreign doctors often come to the country to provide free medical service. Peace Corps volunteers are invited to the missions to translate between doctors and patients, which is what I did last week. I went to Santiago and worked with an organization called ILAC, founded by Creighton University in Nebraska. There was a team of about five surgeons, anasethiologists, and tons of nurses who came to the ILAC center to provide free hernia surgeries, and I believe they finished nearly 150 operations from Monday through Friday. My job during the mission was to 1) Walk patients from the waiting room to operation room and comfort them as they got situated for surgery and 2) Help patients in the recovery room and explain to them the next steps after surgery. This experience was by far one of my favorites since arriving in country. I loved translating and being in a hospital (not really a hospital but it felt like one). Even though I still do not feel completely fluent in Spanish, I was really proud of being able to communicate with all the patients and making them feel more at ease. I also felt very inspired by the doctors and nurses who came to provide their expertise. In reality, it was not only time that these people gave. They hand-made blankets for each patient, donated clothes and toiletries, and provided each child with a stuffed animal. The doctors and nurses made sure we, the Peace Corps volunteers, knew how much they respected our work, but I feel like their work in the DR needs to be recognized too. I was inspired by how much the medical team gave to a country that they do not even know.
Another event that I recently completed was the analysis of the barrier analysis study on HIV testing among youth. We learned some interesting news, that those who have not had the HIV test have less confidence in condoms. They also have a lower understanding of the HIV test and AIDS treatment. After a day of analyzing the data, most volunteers felt like we need to start incorporating HIV testing as part of the Escojo Mi Vida curriculum.
Yesterday I brought 5 youth to an Escojo Mi Vida conference in a campo nearby Las Tablas. It was fun and I was excited to introduce the youth from Las Tablas to the youth from my first group in Bani. Katie, another volunteer, and I were surprised to hear that we had to give a talk on the discrimination of gender, but it ended up going really well. We had a fair amount of men in the audience and they were talking about how we need to change the maschiso culture; I was very impressed by their comments and it gave me hope that maschismo may not always exist!
I’ve got two more conferences to go for the month of November. Next weekend is the Chicas Brillantes conference where we will spend a night in beautiful San Jose de Ocoa. The day after this conference I will go to my One-Year In Service Training conference with my Peace Corps group. Can you believe I only have 11 months left in the DR?
Before we know it we will closing in on Christmas and the month of giving; I have a small request that I am asking now, otherwise by the time I receive your packages it will be too late! I want to hold a Christmas Party for my Escojo graduation and would like to provide each youth with a stocking. I would love to get around 10 cheap stockings, peppermint sticks, and Christmas candy to give to each of the Escojo graduates (and some neighbors, if possible). For anyone who is reading my blog and might be able to send such things, I would greatly appreciate the little contribution! You can find my address on this website.
Four more weeks until my mom comes to the DR! It’s officially a countdown.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Keep on pushing
Last night I did something that I am both proud of and regret: I killed a mouse. I have been having serious problems with these little mice, as it seems they are trying to take over my house. They have eaten a pair of my pants, my food and trash, and leave little presents (poop) throughout my house. I decided the other night, when their noises woke me up from a deep sleep, that it was time to do something about this problem. I bought a few rat-killing products and just a few hours later killed my first victim.
Growing thick skin in this country has proved to be useful, but not just in killing unwanted housemates. I think I have also grown thick skin here around the poverty that I have witnessed, as a manner of enduring such difficult conditions.
One such experience just happened about a week ago when I heard my next door neighbor beat his 17-year-old wife. I was later told by a friend that it’s not appropriate to address the issue with the young girl; that this happens all the time in the community and there is nothing that anybody can do to help. The alcohol abuse, and consequent domestic violence, that persists in my town is just one example of how poverty can produce negative results for a community.
This country is filled with extremes. From Outback Steakhouse to houses made of tin, the Dominican Republic really has everything. Despite the difficult moments that come from witnessing such desperation, there are always unexpected situations that remind you that there is always an exception to any circumstance. While poverty can produce indifference in people, there is always someone to be found whose motivation to overcome poverty is inspirational. While Peace Corps will never be able to end poverty in this country, its projects will change the lives of a few individuals.
Last weekend I took two of my youth to the Construye Tus Suenos business plan competition in Santo Domingo and I left with a sense of high hopes for the future of marginalized youth in the DR. Of the twenty-four business plans that were presented, four were given 100% of the money they requested in order to begin their own business. These youth are going to go on to begin a peanut butter factory, repair shop, English school, and motorcycle repairs in marginalized communities throughout the country.
Little moments like that, when you see someone’s hard work convert into a concrete reward, make the Peace Corps volunteer keep on pushing.
Growing thick skin in this country has proved to be useful, but not just in killing unwanted housemates. I think I have also grown thick skin here around the poverty that I have witnessed, as a manner of enduring such difficult conditions.
One such experience just happened about a week ago when I heard my next door neighbor beat his 17-year-old wife. I was later told by a friend that it’s not appropriate to address the issue with the young girl; that this happens all the time in the community and there is nothing that anybody can do to help. The alcohol abuse, and consequent domestic violence, that persists in my town is just one example of how poverty can produce negative results for a community.
This country is filled with extremes. From Outback Steakhouse to houses made of tin, the Dominican Republic really has everything. Despite the difficult moments that come from witnessing such desperation, there are always unexpected situations that remind you that there is always an exception to any circumstance. While poverty can produce indifference in people, there is always someone to be found whose motivation to overcome poverty is inspirational. While Peace Corps will never be able to end poverty in this country, its projects will change the lives of a few individuals.
Last weekend I took two of my youth to the Construye Tus Suenos business plan competition in Santo Domingo and I left with a sense of high hopes for the future of marginalized youth in the DR. Of the twenty-four business plans that were presented, four were given 100% of the money they requested in order to begin their own business. These youth are going to go on to begin a peanut butter factory, repair shop, English school, and motorcycle repairs in marginalized communities throughout the country.
Little moments like that, when you see someone’s hard work convert into a concrete reward, make the Peace Corps volunteer keep on pushing.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
October, 2011!
Despite knowing that my schedule would be busy for the next several months, I had no idea that things would come and go so quickly! I can’t believe September has already passed and that we are well into October. Life here has been filled with work and fun and as I look back on the past month I can barely remember any days that were spent just passing time.
One of the reasons for the rapid passing of time is that I am travelling to my old site two or three times monthly. I enjoy keeping up with the two health groups in Bani and just yesterday I, along with other Escojo leaders, organized an all-day trip to a river-turned-pool in San Cristobal. We have over seventy people attend the event, and despite my early frustrations in the planning of such an event everything ended well. Imagine: Sliding Rock State Park but with blasting bachata music and people dancing together in the water. Yep, that sums up the location. Sliding Rock, Dominican style.
Juventud Caribe, the local youth group, is also starting to organize more events in the community. Last weekend a big group walked to la presa, a large pond just a few kilometers outside of Las Tablas, to plant some trees. I am proud to announce that I planted my first tree ever and it was really fun!
I continue to tutor first graders at the local school; it’s amazing how you can find pleasant surprises in the most unlikely circumstances. This is certainly the project I expected to enjoy the least, but its consistency and more “normal” challenges have made the project among my favorites. I am working one hour each morning with three first graders who barely talk. While I initially worked as a teacher’s assistant in the classroom, after just a few days in class I realized that this was a waste of my time. Sadly, the school is too weak to work within the system, so I decided to start pulling out the three most needy kids and invite into my own little escuelita. I can’t even describe how nice it is to avoid more typical Peace Corps challenges (ie; kids not showing up or coming really late) and confront more typical challenges in work, such as figuring out how to teach kids with special needs.
After enjoying the company of the health trainees for the last three weeks, I have two more weeks of their company until the group returns to the capital to swear in as volunteers. It’s been wonderful to have so much time to get to know the soon-to-be new volunteers, and I was recently thrilled to find out that two will be living close to Bani. Soon I will be back to the normal Peace Corps lifestyle, living in Las Tablas as the sole American.
I have a feeling that October is going to fly by just as quickly as September. In a week and a half I will be attending the Construye Tus Suenos (business class) conference with my two youth who completed a business plan and in three weeks I will be spending a few days at an all-inclusive in Puerto Plata to celebrate “one year left in country” with my Peace Corps group. Before I know it we will be entering November, one month left until the whole family comes to the DR for Christmas! I can hardly wait.
One of the reasons for the rapid passing of time is that I am travelling to my old site two or three times monthly. I enjoy keeping up with the two health groups in Bani and just yesterday I, along with other Escojo leaders, organized an all-day trip to a river-turned-pool in San Cristobal. We have over seventy people attend the event, and despite my early frustrations in the planning of such an event everything ended well. Imagine: Sliding Rock State Park but with blasting bachata music and people dancing together in the water. Yep, that sums up the location. Sliding Rock, Dominican style.
Juventud Caribe, the local youth group, is also starting to organize more events in the community. Last weekend a big group walked to la presa, a large pond just a few kilometers outside of Las Tablas, to plant some trees. I am proud to announce that I planted my first tree ever and it was really fun!
I continue to tutor first graders at the local school; it’s amazing how you can find pleasant surprises in the most unlikely circumstances. This is certainly the project I expected to enjoy the least, but its consistency and more “normal” challenges have made the project among my favorites. I am working one hour each morning with three first graders who barely talk. While I initially worked as a teacher’s assistant in the classroom, after just a few days in class I realized that this was a waste of my time. Sadly, the school is too weak to work within the system, so I decided to start pulling out the three most needy kids and invite into my own little escuelita. I can’t even describe how nice it is to avoid more typical Peace Corps challenges (ie; kids not showing up or coming really late) and confront more typical challenges in work, such as figuring out how to teach kids with special needs.
After enjoying the company of the health trainees for the last three weeks, I have two more weeks of their company until the group returns to the capital to swear in as volunteers. It’s been wonderful to have so much time to get to know the soon-to-be new volunteers, and I was recently thrilled to find out that two will be living close to Bani. Soon I will be back to the normal Peace Corps lifestyle, living in Las Tablas as the sole American.
I have a feeling that October is going to fly by just as quickly as September. In a week and a half I will be attending the Construye Tus Suenos (business class) conference with my two youth who completed a business plan and in three weeks I will be spending a few days at an all-inclusive in Puerto Plata to celebrate “one year left in country” with my Peace Corps group. Before I know it we will be entering November, one month left until the whole family comes to the DR for Christmas! I can hardly wait.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog and it feels good to be back at it. I returned to the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago after my Portland vacation, and despite the difficult good-bye it feels good to be back. It was a little uncomfortable to first land in the US after an entire year had gone by, but once I saw my family it felt like hardly any time had passed at all. I am amazed by how easy it felt to re-adjust to everything in the States. I was equally surprised by the ease of my transition back to the DR. When I was in the Santo Domingo airport, waiting to board the States-bound airplane, I looked around at the other passengers. I found three categories of people: Dominican Yorks (Dominicans who live in New York), honeymooners, and missionaries. I quickly felt like I didn’t fit in with any of these groups and I guess that summarizes my life right now… partly Dominican, partly American, a little of both but not completely either.
Life in Las Tablas is feeling increasingly “normal,” as I have begun some new projects and moved into my new house last week! First on my list of projects are a girls’ group and another Escojo (health) group. Both have been a little slow to form and I have learned that work in the campo comes at a different pace than in the city. Nevertheless, I am optimistic about these two groups. In a couple of weeks I will be starting a sports program, probably a volleyball team, that combines sports with activities based on HIV awareness and healthy decision making. Next week I’ll take two youth to training for the sports program; I am very excited about this new project! Another thing is that I am helping out with first and second graders at the school. I’m starting off as a sort of teacher’s assistant… spent the entire hour yesterday helping kids write “m.” I usually prefer to work with older kids but these two grades are the biggest and in the most need of help. And… to my surprise I actually enjoyed helping kids write the letter “m.” We’ll see where this project goes. I am hoping to eventually pull out struggling students for more one-on-one help. One last project: support an already existing youth group, Juventud Caribe. This is probably my favorite group so far because Dominican youth themselves are in charge. It’s fun to see them take control of the group. Wow, that sounds like a lot of stuff! But rest assured, it’s much easier in the second year when there is no language/cultural adjustment period to account for.
As for my house… well, it’s a bit of a downgrade from my house in Bani. Okay, a major downgrade. No running water, less electricity, outhouse… but the house feels more like home each day. In fact, I am convinced that, with time, it will feel more like home than the other did. And even though I will miss my mango tree I’ve got sugarcane, lime, guava, and bean plants as my disposal in the new home.
Back to my projects: I have been getting a lot of pressure from the community to start an English class. I know, I am being really stubborn about refusing to teach English, but the refusal comes with good reason. On my run this morning I started to think about the exact reason why I am so resistant to English courses, and I got my answer. I have formed my own list of priorities for the community which stems directly from its most immediate needs/dangers for youth:
1. Healthy decision making/avoiding teen pregnancy: I feel so passionately about focusing on this priority that it’s hard to even put into words why it is so important. First of all, teen pregnancy is a threat to the teen mother, her community, and the environment. There are just plain too many kids whose families cannot provide the financial or emotional support that they need. When 15 year-old girls begin to have a family, the family grows to be really big. It also deters them from finishing both high school and even elementary school. That means for these girls that their life is already established for them before they even turn 18.
2. Basic math and reading skills (and preferably knowledge about geography too): The school system here is terrible. Some people claim it’s the worst in Latin America, and I wouldn’t doubt it. Kids go to school for 3 hours each day, and that includes a snack and recess break. I have met several college students who still do not understand basic applied math skills, such as setting prices on items to make a profit. I am a true believer in education, and without basic skills in math and Spanish, I believe youth will have an extremely difficult time stepping out of poverty. Poverty is not only economic; it refers to many factors beyond money.
3. Service learning: Okay, after taking care of one’s health and basic educational skills, of course it is important to become involved in other aspects of one’s community. This could include art classes, sports, or even English courses. But what if we actually taught youth about helping others? As far as I can tell, service/volunteer projects are not a high priority in this country. I have met a lot of youth who ask if they too can join the Peace Corps. Unfortunately Dominican youth do not have that opportunity, but they can give back to their own communities. They just need a little support to get going.
I still haven’t managed to formulate an appropriate response for Dominicans as to why I am not teaching English, but if I were to be brutally honest I would state the above. There are several people from Las Tablas who have lived in the States for a short period of time; all but one was a baseball player or drug dealer. Until I hear otherwise I will be sticking with my original plan to avoid English classes.
There is a little rant about why I am against teaching English in Peace Corps DR…
Life in Las Tablas is feeling increasingly “normal,” as I have begun some new projects and moved into my new house last week! First on my list of projects are a girls’ group and another Escojo (health) group. Both have been a little slow to form and I have learned that work in the campo comes at a different pace than in the city. Nevertheless, I am optimistic about these two groups. In a couple of weeks I will be starting a sports program, probably a volleyball team, that combines sports with activities based on HIV awareness and healthy decision making. Next week I’ll take two youth to training for the sports program; I am very excited about this new project! Another thing is that I am helping out with first and second graders at the school. I’m starting off as a sort of teacher’s assistant… spent the entire hour yesterday helping kids write “m.” I usually prefer to work with older kids but these two grades are the biggest and in the most need of help. And… to my surprise I actually enjoyed helping kids write the letter “m.” We’ll see where this project goes. I am hoping to eventually pull out struggling students for more one-on-one help. One last project: support an already existing youth group, Juventud Caribe. This is probably my favorite group so far because Dominican youth themselves are in charge. It’s fun to see them take control of the group. Wow, that sounds like a lot of stuff! But rest assured, it’s much easier in the second year when there is no language/cultural adjustment period to account for.
As for my house… well, it’s a bit of a downgrade from my house in Bani. Okay, a major downgrade. No running water, less electricity, outhouse… but the house feels more like home each day. In fact, I am convinced that, with time, it will feel more like home than the other did. And even though I will miss my mango tree I’ve got sugarcane, lime, guava, and bean plants as my disposal in the new home.
Back to my projects: I have been getting a lot of pressure from the community to start an English class. I know, I am being really stubborn about refusing to teach English, but the refusal comes with good reason. On my run this morning I started to think about the exact reason why I am so resistant to English courses, and I got my answer. I have formed my own list of priorities for the community which stems directly from its most immediate needs/dangers for youth:
1. Healthy decision making/avoiding teen pregnancy: I feel so passionately about focusing on this priority that it’s hard to even put into words why it is so important. First of all, teen pregnancy is a threat to the teen mother, her community, and the environment. There are just plain too many kids whose families cannot provide the financial or emotional support that they need. When 15 year-old girls begin to have a family, the family grows to be really big. It also deters them from finishing both high school and even elementary school. That means for these girls that their life is already established for them before they even turn 18.
2. Basic math and reading skills (and preferably knowledge about geography too): The school system here is terrible. Some people claim it’s the worst in Latin America, and I wouldn’t doubt it. Kids go to school for 3 hours each day, and that includes a snack and recess break. I have met several college students who still do not understand basic applied math skills, such as setting prices on items to make a profit. I am a true believer in education, and without basic skills in math and Spanish, I believe youth will have an extremely difficult time stepping out of poverty. Poverty is not only economic; it refers to many factors beyond money.
3. Service learning: Okay, after taking care of one’s health and basic educational skills, of course it is important to become involved in other aspects of one’s community. This could include art classes, sports, or even English courses. But what if we actually taught youth about helping others? As far as I can tell, service/volunteer projects are not a high priority in this country. I have met a lot of youth who ask if they too can join the Peace Corps. Unfortunately Dominican youth do not have that opportunity, but they can give back to their own communities. They just need a little support to get going.
I still haven’t managed to formulate an appropriate response for Dominicans as to why I am not teaching English, but if I were to be brutally honest I would state the above. There are several people from Las Tablas who have lived in the States for a short period of time; all but one was a baseball player or drug dealer. Until I hear otherwise I will be sticking with my original plan to avoid English classes.
There is a little rant about why I am against teaching English in Peace Corps DR…
Monday, August 1, 2011
Ending projects and Comparting... again
About a month ago a convergence of various factors led me to decide that I need to move to a different location in the Dominican Republic. Despite the friendships I formed, the wonderful youth I met and my incredibly host family, I knew it was the right decision. I packed my bags about three weeks ago, moved to a small campo of 1500 people and started new.
The last few weeks have been overwhelming to say the least, as I have been finishing my projects in Bani while beginning the process of compartir and confianza with my new community at the same time. Last week I graduated 12 youth from my Escojo Mi Vida group, and the graduation was quite a hit! This group will certainly be difficult to separate myself from because they are so intelligent and dedicated for their age and barrio. I left the graduation feeling sad that the group had finished, but proud of putting so much time into this project. Everything certainly ended on a high note.
My last project that I am currently finishing up is Construye Tus Suenos, the business class. We officially ended class last week as well, with two Haitian youth graduating as well as my host mom (that was certainly fun having her tag along), but now we are in the process of writing and editing the two youths’ business plans. Both young men and I have put in a lot of time writing and re-writing their business plans, as they need to turned in before I leave for the States. Kenny is trying to begin a language school, to teach people in the barrio how to speak Basic English. River, the other student, wants to open an internet center because they are virtually non-existent in the barrios north of Bani. My host mom is trying to initiate a restaurant out of her house, which I support because she makes amazing food… anyway, we are in the last big push and almost done with the business course as well. It’s been fun reading the plans that these two boys have constructed all on their own. I am so proud of their dedication to these dreams they have created for themselves.
Now that my health and business classes are basically finished, that leaves me with one year left and one last community to work in. The second time around is much, much easier. Already knowing the language and culture has enabled me to assimilate in Las Tablas at a much quicker rate than my arrival in Bani last October. I also feel genuinely happy to be living in a small community. Las Tablas is exactly what I was looking for in my Peace Corps experience. Even though I thought I wanted to live in a big city the truth is that I was meant to be in a campo, and I can feel that now. Every morning I leave the house with my new Dona; she walks as I run through a windy desert road that crosses several mango fields. I always end my run early so that we can walk back together and have some time to talk. Then the rest of the day can be slow or fast, but I guess most days in the campo are slow moving. I always take Bella for a walk to the sanctuary. I make sure to visit at least a couple of neighbors and play volleyball or go on a walk with the youth. When I return from my visit back home I will begin my projects in Las Tablas, but for now I am still getting to know my new site.
Las Tablas is unique in that it is the training grounds for all health volunteers each fall. That means that just a few weeks after my return from Oregon I will be accompanied by 12 Americans in Las Tablas. I’m sure their five week tenure in my site will get a little old, but to be honest I am really excited to host the new volunteers, make some new friends, and compartir with English speakers!
In just two days I will be returning to the States for a two-week vacation. Lately I have been wondering about how I will ever put into words all that I have learned and experienced here. How can I properly describe this country merely based on a few stories? Nevertheless I am more than extremely thrilled to return to the USA for a while. In 48 I will be on the plane…
The last few weeks have been overwhelming to say the least, as I have been finishing my projects in Bani while beginning the process of compartir and confianza with my new community at the same time. Last week I graduated 12 youth from my Escojo Mi Vida group, and the graduation was quite a hit! This group will certainly be difficult to separate myself from because they are so intelligent and dedicated for their age and barrio. I left the graduation feeling sad that the group had finished, but proud of putting so much time into this project. Everything certainly ended on a high note.
My last project that I am currently finishing up is Construye Tus Suenos, the business class. We officially ended class last week as well, with two Haitian youth graduating as well as my host mom (that was certainly fun having her tag along), but now we are in the process of writing and editing the two youths’ business plans. Both young men and I have put in a lot of time writing and re-writing their business plans, as they need to turned in before I leave for the States. Kenny is trying to begin a language school, to teach people in the barrio how to speak Basic English. River, the other student, wants to open an internet center because they are virtually non-existent in the barrios north of Bani. My host mom is trying to initiate a restaurant out of her house, which I support because she makes amazing food… anyway, we are in the last big push and almost done with the business course as well. It’s been fun reading the plans that these two boys have constructed all on their own. I am so proud of their dedication to these dreams they have created for themselves.
Now that my health and business classes are basically finished, that leaves me with one year left and one last community to work in. The second time around is much, much easier. Already knowing the language and culture has enabled me to assimilate in Las Tablas at a much quicker rate than my arrival in Bani last October. I also feel genuinely happy to be living in a small community. Las Tablas is exactly what I was looking for in my Peace Corps experience. Even though I thought I wanted to live in a big city the truth is that I was meant to be in a campo, and I can feel that now. Every morning I leave the house with my new Dona; she walks as I run through a windy desert road that crosses several mango fields. I always end my run early so that we can walk back together and have some time to talk. Then the rest of the day can be slow or fast, but I guess most days in the campo are slow moving. I always take Bella for a walk to the sanctuary. I make sure to visit at least a couple of neighbors and play volleyball or go on a walk with the youth. When I return from my visit back home I will begin my projects in Las Tablas, but for now I am still getting to know my new site.
Las Tablas is unique in that it is the training grounds for all health volunteers each fall. That means that just a few weeks after my return from Oregon I will be accompanied by 12 Americans in Las Tablas. I’m sure their five week tenure in my site will get a little old, but to be honest I am really excited to host the new volunteers, make some new friends, and compartir with English speakers!
In just two days I will be returning to the States for a two-week vacation. Lately I have been wondering about how I will ever put into words all that I have learned and experienced here. How can I properly describe this country merely based on a few stories? Nevertheless I am more than extremely thrilled to return to the USA for a while. In 48 I will be on the plane…
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Almost second year, already second site
So I have this tradition. Every holiday I take some time to reminisce about what I was doing one year ago on that same day, in order to reflect on how things have changed in just 365 days. For the first time in, well, possibly ever, I could not remember what I did for the 4th of July last year! I think I was in Arizona, preparing for my best friend’s wedding, but could I have been in North Carolina? Has this year been so full, so overwhelming, that I completely forgot what was happening a mere year ago?!
Time is an interesting concept. Right now it feels like time is dragging, yet I also can’t believe I have lived on this island for almost an entire year. Month 11 is going to go blazing fast, too, because I’m starting back at 1.
In just three days I will be moving. Referred to as a “site change” in Peace Corps lingo, I am moving from my urban barrio of 12,000 to a campo, a small community, of just 1600 people. This decision is the result of months of build-up (believe me, you don’t want a site change if you can help it), of lacking community support to security incidents, that combined made my decision easy. Out of respect for the amazing youth I have met I requested to move nearby Bani so that I can continue to work in my old barrio a few times each month… so Las Tablas it is!
Las Tablas is only a 30 minute guagua ride from Bani and is located, well, in the middle of the desert. It really feels like I have moved to a Dominican version of Tucson, Arizona, except I am lucky to remain just a few miles from the ocean. I have only been to Las Tablas twice, each trip lasting about 5 minutes, but from what I can tell this campo has plenty of discotheques, a few colmados, several hundred homes, a huge baseball field, and thousands of pigs, dogs, mules and other farm animals. I am both excited and apprehensive about the fact that my biggest threat to security in Las Tablas will be the tarantula… ugh. Despite any future encounter with my worst enemy, I can honestly say that I am thrilled to get the opportunity to actually live the “Peace Corps experience.” My house was a little too nice, Bani a bit too luxurious to really merit Peace Corps living. Now I’m back to how it all started when I arrived in country. Host family. Dominican food. No running water. No privacy.
So, one month with a host family and performing a mini-community diagnostic, then a two week paradise in Portland, Oregon. By the time I return to the DR I will have been in country for exactly a year. Another important date in which I will reflect on what happened just 365 days before.
Time is an interesting concept. Right now it feels like time is dragging, yet I also can’t believe I have lived on this island for almost an entire year. Month 11 is going to go blazing fast, too, because I’m starting back at 1.
In just three days I will be moving. Referred to as a “site change” in Peace Corps lingo, I am moving from my urban barrio of 12,000 to a campo, a small community, of just 1600 people. This decision is the result of months of build-up (believe me, you don’t want a site change if you can help it), of lacking community support to security incidents, that combined made my decision easy. Out of respect for the amazing youth I have met I requested to move nearby Bani so that I can continue to work in my old barrio a few times each month… so Las Tablas it is!
Las Tablas is only a 30 minute guagua ride from Bani and is located, well, in the middle of the desert. It really feels like I have moved to a Dominican version of Tucson, Arizona, except I am lucky to remain just a few miles from the ocean. I have only been to Las Tablas twice, each trip lasting about 5 minutes, but from what I can tell this campo has plenty of discotheques, a few colmados, several hundred homes, a huge baseball field, and thousands of pigs, dogs, mules and other farm animals. I am both excited and apprehensive about the fact that my biggest threat to security in Las Tablas will be the tarantula… ugh. Despite any future encounter with my worst enemy, I can honestly say that I am thrilled to get the opportunity to actually live the “Peace Corps experience.” My house was a little too nice, Bani a bit too luxurious to really merit Peace Corps living. Now I’m back to how it all started when I arrived in country. Host family. Dominican food. No running water. No privacy.
So, one month with a host family and performing a mini-community diagnostic, then a two week paradise in Portland, Oregon. By the time I return to the DR I will have been in country for exactly a year. Another important date in which I will reflect on what happened just 365 days before.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Summer Changes
As I mentioned before, some of my projects are going to change as summer approaches. I am still working with my Escojo groups, and this summer we will have both a Regional and Sub-Regional Conference for Escojo Mi Vida in my area. My mentoring group, however, will be graduating in a couple of days and will thus end my work at the school for the summer. In place of my mentoring group I am teaching a business class that teaches youth how to begin small businesses. I began “Construye Tus Suenos” last week and the first day went really well. I’ve got a couple of animated boys who I am excited to work with, as most of my work thus far has been with females.
I’ve got two more small projects to work on during the summer months before my August vacation to the States. I will be conducting interviews with sexually active youth about their decision to (or not to) take an HIV test. This is part of a barrier analysis study that the Peace Corps youth sector is conducting through PEPFAR funding. I will also begin to introduce a composting project to El Mani, the community next to my own barrio.
I just finished supporting La Conferencia Nacional de Ninos/Ninas/Adolescentes de Alto Riesgo (National Conference for Extreme Needs Youth) that my sector leader has organized. It’s a three-day conference for youth volunteers who work in the extreme needs sector and their organizational project partners. I have had a positive experience helping at this event, and it’s not only because I get delicious food, a gym, air conditioning, and free wi-fi for three days. I have also had the privilege of listening to representatives of well-known organizations in the development world: Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, UNICEF, USAID, etc. Even more, I have been able to listen to Dominican professionals who work as psychologists, social workers, and public health workers, and their perspective on social issues in the Dominican Republic. It has been refreshing to see the “professional side” of the DR, as I normally spend my time with the marginalized populations of Dominican society (obviously, as a PC volunteer!). But to spend time with Dominican nationals who are working toward the same goals as PC has definitely been an inspiring experience.
Today I will be going back to my site, and in less than one week will be my 25th birthday!! Ahh I can’t believe I’m already turning 25… time goes fast. Two months until my trip to Portland!
I’ve got two more small projects to work on during the summer months before my August vacation to the States. I will be conducting interviews with sexually active youth about their decision to (or not to) take an HIV test. This is part of a barrier analysis study that the Peace Corps youth sector is conducting through PEPFAR funding. I will also begin to introduce a composting project to El Mani, the community next to my own barrio.
I just finished supporting La Conferencia Nacional de Ninos/Ninas/Adolescentes de Alto Riesgo (National Conference for Extreme Needs Youth) that my sector leader has organized. It’s a three-day conference for youth volunteers who work in the extreme needs sector and their organizational project partners. I have had a positive experience helping at this event, and it’s not only because I get delicious food, a gym, air conditioning, and free wi-fi for three days. I have also had the privilege of listening to representatives of well-known organizations in the development world: Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, UNICEF, USAID, etc. Even more, I have been able to listen to Dominican professionals who work as psychologists, social workers, and public health workers, and their perspective on social issues in the Dominican Republic. It has been refreshing to see the “professional side” of the DR, as I normally spend my time with the marginalized populations of Dominican society (obviously, as a PC volunteer!). But to spend time with Dominican nationals who are working toward the same goals as PC has definitely been an inspiring experience.
Today I will be going back to my site, and in less than one week will be my 25th birthday!! Ahh I can’t believe I’m already turning 25… time goes fast. Two months until my trip to Portland!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
DR: A Love-Hate Relationship
Along with my 9th month anniversary in country came the feeling that I have more or less become accustomed to living in Bani. While acculturation required an understanding of Dominican life, it also required that I adjust to living and working with people who live in poverty. The culture of poverty is distinct and, in many ways, is cross-cultural. Nevertheless, poverty in the DR is more intense and more delicately affects Dominicans’ survival than it does Americans. For this reason, there has been a lot to adjust to, and in reality I will continue to face related challenges throughout my service. Still, I have a feeling of adjustment to life in Dominican culture, and I seem to have developed a love-hate relationship with this country. Here is a list of what I love and what I hate relating to the cultural aspect of living in the DR:
I love Dominican food; I hate that there are no other food choices but Dominican cuisine.
I love the natural beauty of the island; I hate that it’s abused by trash.
I love that Dominicans don’t work when it’s raining; I hate that Dominicans use any excuse they can to get out of work.
I love the laid-back lifestyle; I hate the lack of ambition.
I love how blunt Dominicans are; I hate how men talk to women.
I love how much Dominicans value family; I hate that family planning is non-existent.
Then there are some things I just hate…
I hate how it’s common knowledge that men sleep around and have multiple families; I hate even more that women have accepted this.
I hate how poorly Haitians are treated; I hate that nearly all Haitians in the DR are nice and ambitious, and that they are still at the bottom of the Dominican totem pole.
And others that I just love…
I love how Dominicans are nearly always friendly and willing to share anything they own.
I love how you can depend on people without any doubt that they will pull through.
I love how you can visit neighbors without any prior planning… and that they automatically give you coffee or juice.
SO you see, adjusting to life in a new place is an on-going process. There are moments when you love life and the adventure, and others when all you can think about is going home to air conditioning, family and friend, wi-fi and normal food. Living here is certainly a roller coaster. As a matter of fact, my schedule is soon going to change with the arrival of summer... and for the better, fingers crossed! More on that next time...
I love Dominican food; I hate that there are no other food choices but Dominican cuisine.
I love the natural beauty of the island; I hate that it’s abused by trash.
I love that Dominicans don’t work when it’s raining; I hate that Dominicans use any excuse they can to get out of work.
I love the laid-back lifestyle; I hate the lack of ambition.
I love how blunt Dominicans are; I hate how men talk to women.
I love how much Dominicans value family; I hate that family planning is non-existent.
Then there are some things I just hate…
I hate how it’s common knowledge that men sleep around and have multiple families; I hate even more that women have accepted this.
I hate how poorly Haitians are treated; I hate that nearly all Haitians in the DR are nice and ambitious, and that they are still at the bottom of the Dominican totem pole.
And others that I just love…
I love how Dominicans are nearly always friendly and willing to share anything they own.
I love how you can depend on people without any doubt that they will pull through.
I love how you can visit neighbors without any prior planning… and that they automatically give you coffee or juice.
SO you see, adjusting to life in a new place is an on-going process. There are moments when you love life and the adventure, and others when all you can think about is going home to air conditioning, family and friend, wi-fi and normal food. Living here is certainly a roller coaster. As a matter of fact, my schedule is soon going to change with the arrival of summer... and for the better, fingers crossed! More on that next time...
Monday, May 2, 2011
Successes all around
Lately things have seemed to be going surprisingly well! Between both of my Escojo groups and the mentoring group, all three projects have experienced recent successes that have felt very gratifying. First, the Escojo group in La Saona. They continue to give weekly talks to community organizations, of which I accompanied them last week at one of the few local schools in our area. Two Escojo members spoke to around fifty youth about abstinence, which got both teachers and students surprisingly animated. I love the energy that the teachers at this school carried; it felt positively different from the teachers in my local school. They spoke to their students with a sort of honesty that is rare among educators. The entire experience went so well that we will be returning to the school to discuss another Escojo theme on Wednesday! The group experienced another high last night when we organized a movie night as a fundraiser. The community center was filled with youth and parents, eating popcorn and soda and watching a Dominican movie. Apparently the community of La Saona has not had a movie night in over a year and a half because they have no available projectors. Even more, the vast majority of the community would never be able to pay for a trip to a movie theater. But, with the help of Peace Corps in obtaining a projector, we brought the movie theater to La Saona and it was a huge hit!
My Escojo group in El Mani is also going great. I gave the group a talk on decision making and values last week, and they could not stop talking about the two subjects. They asked some amazing questions and it felt great to see such an animated group of youth in supposedly the most disorganized and marginalized barrio of Bani. There are a few youth in particular that are just stars. To see such enthusiasm and desire to get involved is so inspiring, especially when these kids have so few resources.
My mentoring group also had a very successful week, as each girl in the group memorized the location of all the countries in Central America and the Caribbean! Now I can confidently proclaim that each of those girls knows where in the world they live. Simple knowledge of geography has always felt like essential knowledge to me; I reviewed geography religiously with my students in Boston as well. I guess I feel like you can’t raise yourself out of poverty unless you understand how big the world is.
Underlying the greater successes of my groups, a few friendships have been strengthening, which feels like an even greater success in some ways. I have really been enjoying my time with Kenny, a friend from Haiti who lives with and supports his three sisters. I have been hanging out with Kenny in the orphanage where he works; Bella plays with the kids as we talk. I am also helping him with an English class that he teaches in downtown Bani. Another friendship I am lucky to have comes from Teresa. She has started visiting me twice each week so that I can tutor her in math. Teresa is trying to graduate from elementary school after working until a very late age. She is twenty years old now and is trying to get into high school next year! Teresa and Kenny are also in my Escojo group in El Mani. As frustrated as I occasionally get by the lack of ambition among Dominicans, I just have to remind myself of Teresa and Kenny to remember that there are some remarkable exceptions to this stereotype.
I think the recent succeses in my work as a volunteer can be largely attributed to my increasing integration among youth in Bani. Youth from my groups are beginning to drop by my house to hang out, a real sign that friendships are building. It feels awesome to feel like all my hard work is paying off and that I am beginning to form real relationships with the adolescents in my groups.
My Escojo group in El Mani is also going great. I gave the group a talk on decision making and values last week, and they could not stop talking about the two subjects. They asked some amazing questions and it felt great to see such an animated group of youth in supposedly the most disorganized and marginalized barrio of Bani. There are a few youth in particular that are just stars. To see such enthusiasm and desire to get involved is so inspiring, especially when these kids have so few resources.
My mentoring group also had a very successful week, as each girl in the group memorized the location of all the countries in Central America and the Caribbean! Now I can confidently proclaim that each of those girls knows where in the world they live. Simple knowledge of geography has always felt like essential knowledge to me; I reviewed geography religiously with my students in Boston as well. I guess I feel like you can’t raise yourself out of poverty unless you understand how big the world is.
Underlying the greater successes of my groups, a few friendships have been strengthening, which feels like an even greater success in some ways. I have really been enjoying my time with Kenny, a friend from Haiti who lives with and supports his three sisters. I have been hanging out with Kenny in the orphanage where he works; Bella plays with the kids as we talk. I am also helping him with an English class that he teaches in downtown Bani. Another friendship I am lucky to have comes from Teresa. She has started visiting me twice each week so that I can tutor her in math. Teresa is trying to graduate from elementary school after working until a very late age. She is twenty years old now and is trying to get into high school next year! Teresa and Kenny are also in my Escojo group in El Mani. As frustrated as I occasionally get by the lack of ambition among Dominicans, I just have to remind myself of Teresa and Kenny to remember that there are some remarkable exceptions to this stereotype.
I think the recent succeses in my work as a volunteer can be largely attributed to my increasing integration among youth in Bani. Youth from my groups are beginning to drop by my house to hang out, a real sign that friendships are building. It feels awesome to feel like all my hard work is paying off and that I am beginning to form real relationships with the adolescents in my groups.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
About a week has passed since I last posted a blog, and everything seems to be going relatively well. With Semana Santa, school is closed and youth seem to be distracted by the relaxing week ahead, but I still had a great turnout in my Escojo Mi Vida group. I only had about six of the twenty-two participants from last week come to this week’s group, a number to be expected during the holiday. But, strangely enough, I had about 9 new members come today as well! That puts my number at 32 for potential Escojo members in El Mani -- way too high for just one group. I’ll have to wait and see how many members consistently come to the group, but I might have to form two groups from the 32 youth who have showed interest. Very exciting!
I just got back to Bani yesterday after spending a few days at my boyfriend’s site in Los Rios, near Lago Enriquillo. He just moved into his own house so I helped him clean, purchase, and organize everything that will fit into his new home. Eric’s site is very different than mine; it’s isolated, a small town, close to the Haitian border, etc… but most of all, his new house provides the quintessential Dominican experience. The house is a traditional wooden structure, painted bright blue and pink with a nice latrine. But the interesting part of the house can be found in the back yard. Eric’s patio opens up to about four other backyards. This semi-communal land has become an intersection for hungry streetdogs, practicing grounds for cockfights, playspace for mostly naked children (I even saw two kids with bloated parasite-stomaches, very sad), and general viewing area for gossip. The sharing that goes on in these five backyards that touch, the sharing between animals, conversation, observation and food, is what makes Eric’s house the most Dominican living experience you could ask for. And for this reason, I loved visiting. Bella loved the visit as well because she got to chase chicks and hens, play with other dogs, and run after birds. She got a true feel for life in the country and she loved it.
Now I am back to “city” life, which still isn’t that urban but feels a world away from Los Rios. It should be a low key week with just a little work to do each day. I hope everyone back in the States is enjoying the Spring! The weather never really changes here but it is becoming steadily warmer...
I just got back to Bani yesterday after spending a few days at my boyfriend’s site in Los Rios, near Lago Enriquillo. He just moved into his own house so I helped him clean, purchase, and organize everything that will fit into his new home. Eric’s site is very different than mine; it’s isolated, a small town, close to the Haitian border, etc… but most of all, his new house provides the quintessential Dominican experience. The house is a traditional wooden structure, painted bright blue and pink with a nice latrine. But the interesting part of the house can be found in the back yard. Eric’s patio opens up to about four other backyards. This semi-communal land has become an intersection for hungry streetdogs, practicing grounds for cockfights, playspace for mostly naked children (I even saw two kids with bloated parasite-stomaches, very sad), and general viewing area for gossip. The sharing that goes on in these five backyards that touch, the sharing between animals, conversation, observation and food, is what makes Eric’s house the most Dominican living experience you could ask for. And for this reason, I loved visiting. Bella loved the visit as well because she got to chase chicks and hens, play with other dogs, and run after birds. She got a true feel for life in the country and she loved it.
Now I am back to “city” life, which still isn’t that urban but feels a world away from Los Rios. It should be a low key week with just a little work to do each day. I hope everyone back in the States is enjoying the Spring! The weather never really changes here but it is becoming steadily warmer...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Highs and Lows of PC
The past week has certainly been full of highs and lows (though I would like to think the highs outweigh the lows). I’ll start with the lows so that my entry can end on a positive note!
I have recently uncovered the ugly side of Peace Corps service when ego and politics get in the way. I am surprised by how helping others can actually become a selfish endeavor, and that ego can interfere with one’s desire to wholeheartedly serve others. Unfortunately, I have found that in the case of one of the local community leaders who was assigned to help me in my work. It feels as though she has become so focused on accomplishments, on really big feats, that she has lost sight of the beauty in human-to-human connection that lies at the heart of service work and the key to changing lives. She has decided that my projects are weak and not effective and yet her critique of youth development work has only made me more confident that it is, indeed, the one-on-one connections that make a difference. It has been a frustrating and sometimes painful experience to listen to this said person’s perspective, but as my boss said, I am here to work with kids, not to appease her.
Despite the minor setback last week, this week has begun on a high note! I began my own Escojo Mi Vida group last week and only three people showed up… but last night, for our second reunion, we had 22 participants! What a dramatic change from just one week ago, and it was inspiring to see so many youth show up. Not only did so many youth from El Mani arrive for the meeting, but I had an additional 6 youth from the already existing Escojo group come to support my efforts. It felt great to have such support and enthusiasm from these youth who have already graduated from the Escojo program.
Another fun update is that my mentoring group has begun a geography unit. The girls do not know a single thing about geography… it seems as though they have never even learned how to read a map! Most girls in my group do not know the difference between a city and a country, and some do not know that we live on an island! Thus, there is a LOT that we can achieve in this unit.
The last two weeks I have been fortunate enough to hang out on the beach, and I have discovered that Bella, my puppy, likes to swim! Last weekend we went to my local beach and I left her on the sand as I went into the water. Soon after, as I entered the water, I heard a splashing behind me -- and it was Bella swimming after me! Just a few days ago I went to visit a couple of other youth volunteers, one of which lives on the water, and Bella got to swim again. This second beach adventure took place in a town called Najayo, which is where Trujillo lived. You can actually see his old house on the cliffs!
One last update on Bella, her mange is almost gone! The poor dog had a skin parasite and it was eating away her hair, making her face look bald, but she is looking better and better. Hopefully she will be 100% mange free in a couple weeks! By the way, contrary to popular belief, mange very rarely spreads to humans. Phew!
Next week is Semana Santa, or the week before Easter. There is no school and most families take off for the beach or local rivers to spend time together. There is always a reason to celebrate in this country! For me, it’s just another new Dominican experience to look forward to.
I have recently uncovered the ugly side of Peace Corps service when ego and politics get in the way. I am surprised by how helping others can actually become a selfish endeavor, and that ego can interfere with one’s desire to wholeheartedly serve others. Unfortunately, I have found that in the case of one of the local community leaders who was assigned to help me in my work. It feels as though she has become so focused on accomplishments, on really big feats, that she has lost sight of the beauty in human-to-human connection that lies at the heart of service work and the key to changing lives. She has decided that my projects are weak and not effective and yet her critique of youth development work has only made me more confident that it is, indeed, the one-on-one connections that make a difference. It has been a frustrating and sometimes painful experience to listen to this said person’s perspective, but as my boss said, I am here to work with kids, not to appease her.
Despite the minor setback last week, this week has begun on a high note! I began my own Escojo Mi Vida group last week and only three people showed up… but last night, for our second reunion, we had 22 participants! What a dramatic change from just one week ago, and it was inspiring to see so many youth show up. Not only did so many youth from El Mani arrive for the meeting, but I had an additional 6 youth from the already existing Escojo group come to support my efforts. It felt great to have such support and enthusiasm from these youth who have already graduated from the Escojo program.
Another fun update is that my mentoring group has begun a geography unit. The girls do not know a single thing about geography… it seems as though they have never even learned how to read a map! Most girls in my group do not know the difference between a city and a country, and some do not know that we live on an island! Thus, there is a LOT that we can achieve in this unit.
The last two weeks I have been fortunate enough to hang out on the beach, and I have discovered that Bella, my puppy, likes to swim! Last weekend we went to my local beach and I left her on the sand as I went into the water. Soon after, as I entered the water, I heard a splashing behind me -- and it was Bella swimming after me! Just a few days ago I went to visit a couple of other youth volunteers, one of which lives on the water, and Bella got to swim again. This second beach adventure took place in a town called Najayo, which is where Trujillo lived. You can actually see his old house on the cliffs!
One last update on Bella, her mange is almost gone! The poor dog had a skin parasite and it was eating away her hair, making her face look bald, but she is looking better and better. Hopefully she will be 100% mange free in a couple weeks! By the way, contrary to popular belief, mange very rarely spreads to humans. Phew!
Next week is Semana Santa, or the week before Easter. There is no school and most families take off for the beach or local rivers to spend time together. There is always a reason to celebrate in this country! For me, it’s just another new Dominican experience to look forward to.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Adaption
Life in the Dominican Republic continues. While some ideas have manifested differently than expected, I kind of like how things are turning out.
For example, my exclusive mentoring group has turned into an open club for girls to come hang out and get some exercise. I desperately wanted this group to involve pairs of one big and one little “sister,” where the main purpose was to increase educational stimulation through tutoring sessions. Yet Dominicans do not tend to operate well with structure, and they also are not exclusive. I originally made 10 invitations for my group, and now we have about twenty girls who attend the group on any given day. We start the session with something relating to school, such as games with math flashcards or story creation, and then we end with some artistic activity or just plain running around playing tag. While the group feels a little disorderly to me, the girls seem to love it. Like I already mentioned, the girls came up with the group name, Las Super Mujeres de Ensenanza. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if it would hold any significance to the group after the name was established, but yesterday I was proven wrong.
I am promoting the Escojo Mi Vida group that I plan to begin in about two weeks, and yesterday I went house to house in El Mani to inform the community of this group. One of the homes I visited happened to belong to a girl from my girls group and I was thrilled to see a familiar face! I told the young girl’s grandmother that I already worked with her granddaughter, and the girl said, proudly, yes, in the Super Mujeres de Ensenanza group! The pride she held in explaining that she was, indeed, a member of this group made me feel like the girls group is already accomplishing its goal - however different it may be compared to my initial expectations. I’m not sure how this group will turn out in the end, but I think I like the direction in which it’s headed.
By the way, during our walk through El Mani, we were stopped by a parade of people and a line of SUVs. The presidential hopeful for the upcoming election was campaigning in El Mani, of all places! I got to meet the potential future president of the DR. I have always gotten an irrational satisfaction out of meeting celebrities, so I was quite excited by this surprise in the day.
Apart from my girls group and Escojo, I am in the process of deciding what other projects to do in the next few months. I have two prominent ideas that I am playing with. I just finished reading Jeffrey Canada’s book Whatever It Takes, a book about Canada’s commitment to ending poverty in Harlem. One of Canada’s main goals in his program, The Harlem Children’s Zone, is to educate parents about how to raise their kids to help their intellectual development and increase familial support. He explains that many low-income parents are not taught to read to their children or talk to them like equals, but that these tools can dramatically improve their child’s intellectual capacity. Thus, one idea I have is to form a group for pregnant teenagers in the neighborhood. Of course, I would have to study a ton before teaching this class, but it’s something I am considering. Another idea of mine is to start a composting project in the community. I love the idea, and at the very least will introduce composting to a few homes in the neighborhood (such as to my host family and my own).
Everything is connected, even though it doesn’t always feel like it. Even though I am working in a large barrio surrounded by other large barrios, I am starting to see this interconnectedness already. I will likely have at least three youth from my girls group join my Escojo Mi Vida group as well. Many of my girls live in El Mani, where I will have my Escojo group. It looks like some youth who will join Escojo have parents who attend the Junta de Vecino meetings in El Mani. It’s incredibly satisfying to find such connections, and I take it as a sign that I am slowly but surely figuring out this community - how it works and the people who live here.
And just as my work here is beginning to take off, so is mango season! This morning I ate my very first mango from my mango tree. Even though most of the mangos are still green, a few are turning pinkish, and this morning I discovered that one mango had fallen from the tree. I cut it open to find the deepest orange inside. Just another sign that the seasons are changing and life is in constant transition.
For example, my exclusive mentoring group has turned into an open club for girls to come hang out and get some exercise. I desperately wanted this group to involve pairs of one big and one little “sister,” where the main purpose was to increase educational stimulation through tutoring sessions. Yet Dominicans do not tend to operate well with structure, and they also are not exclusive. I originally made 10 invitations for my group, and now we have about twenty girls who attend the group on any given day. We start the session with something relating to school, such as games with math flashcards or story creation, and then we end with some artistic activity or just plain running around playing tag. While the group feels a little disorderly to me, the girls seem to love it. Like I already mentioned, the girls came up with the group name, Las Super Mujeres de Ensenanza. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if it would hold any significance to the group after the name was established, but yesterday I was proven wrong.
I am promoting the Escojo Mi Vida group that I plan to begin in about two weeks, and yesterday I went house to house in El Mani to inform the community of this group. One of the homes I visited happened to belong to a girl from my girls group and I was thrilled to see a familiar face! I told the young girl’s grandmother that I already worked with her granddaughter, and the girl said, proudly, yes, in the Super Mujeres de Ensenanza group! The pride she held in explaining that she was, indeed, a member of this group made me feel like the girls group is already accomplishing its goal - however different it may be compared to my initial expectations. I’m not sure how this group will turn out in the end, but I think I like the direction in which it’s headed.
By the way, during our walk through El Mani, we were stopped by a parade of people and a line of SUVs. The presidential hopeful for the upcoming election was campaigning in El Mani, of all places! I got to meet the potential future president of the DR. I have always gotten an irrational satisfaction out of meeting celebrities, so I was quite excited by this surprise in the day.
Apart from my girls group and Escojo, I am in the process of deciding what other projects to do in the next few months. I have two prominent ideas that I am playing with. I just finished reading Jeffrey Canada’s book Whatever It Takes, a book about Canada’s commitment to ending poverty in Harlem. One of Canada’s main goals in his program, The Harlem Children’s Zone, is to educate parents about how to raise their kids to help their intellectual development and increase familial support. He explains that many low-income parents are not taught to read to their children or talk to them like equals, but that these tools can dramatically improve their child’s intellectual capacity. Thus, one idea I have is to form a group for pregnant teenagers in the neighborhood. Of course, I would have to study a ton before teaching this class, but it’s something I am considering. Another idea of mine is to start a composting project in the community. I love the idea, and at the very least will introduce composting to a few homes in the neighborhood (such as to my host family and my own).
Everything is connected, even though it doesn’t always feel like it. Even though I am working in a large barrio surrounded by other large barrios, I am starting to see this interconnectedness already. I will likely have at least three youth from my girls group join my Escojo Mi Vida group as well. Many of my girls live in El Mani, where I will have my Escojo group. It looks like some youth who will join Escojo have parents who attend the Junta de Vecino meetings in El Mani. It’s incredibly satisfying to find such connections, and I take it as a sign that I am slowly but surely figuring out this community - how it works and the people who live here.
And just as my work here is beginning to take off, so is mango season! This morning I ate my very first mango from my mango tree. Even though most of the mangos are still green, a few are turning pinkish, and this morning I discovered that one mango had fallen from the tree. I cut it open to find the deepest orange inside. Just another sign that the seasons are changing and life is in constant transition.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Visits and a dog
My dad just left Santo Domingo and it was certainly great to introduce him to my new home. We spent about 4 days in Bani and I showed him all around my neighborhood and the pueblo; he also got to meet tons of people in my community. After our tour of Bani we spent a couple nights of luxury on the beach and in the capital. It was great to end the vacation with some swimming and cable tv. My dad’s visit was wonderful and I loved showing him around. Like Lauren and Abby’s visit, acting as a tour guide in the DR made me realize how happy I am to be living here and how lucky I really am. I have certainly learned a lot about myself and Dominican culture in the last seven months.
It’s been about a month since I began my first project and it seems to be going well. As I said before, I decided to focus my efforts on a mentoring group at the local school in my barrio. It certainly took a while to get everything set in motion. The most unexpected obstacles arose, such as school cancellations, Valentine’s Day celebrations, and an Independence Day march around the block -- but since I last wrote I have had 3 group sessions, so overall I have been relatively successful! When I began recruiting for my group I felt like I was begging girls to come to my information sessions. I swear, I spent about two weeks talking about this service group as if it were cool and exclusive, like only a select girls could join (I guess that’s all true to some extent), but all this talk must have worked, because I had nearly 20 girls in attendance last week! We had a full session of creating the group rules, deciding on the group name ( Super Mujeres de Enseñanzas), playing a dinamica, and doing some art. If you are wondering what a dinamica is, it’s basically an ice-breaker activity. I remember hating those back in the States, but here the Dominicans eat those activities up. They just love them! The other day we played a game called Peso Caliente, where two groups compete against each other by forming two lines and each person drops a peso in her shirt until it falls to the ground. Once it hits the ground the next person must do the same until everyone in the group has dropped a peso down their clothes. It sounds weird but Peso Caliente is always a huge hit in this country.
In addition to my mentoring group I am also starting to lay the framework for my Escojo group. I am currently coordinating a sports day for youth, basically for anyone interested in Escojo to hang out and ask questions before we begin the group. A few days after the sports day I will start my Escojo group, so that should fall in the end of the month. I am definitely excited to start up another project in addition to the mentoring group.
Lately Peace Corps hasn’t felt like such a lonely experience after all. There are probably several reasons for this sentiment (for example, I spent a fabulous week with Abby and Lauren and my Dad just left), but tonight my companionship is coming from my new dog-child, Bella. I received my 2-month-yr-old Chihuahua a couple weeks ago and she has instantly become my baby. She arrived in my arms full of ticks, some balding spots on her face and a bloated belly; but after just one week she already looked much, much better. Maybe I am biased but I think she is absolutely adorable. It has certainly been worth the potty training and extra cleaning to open my home to Bella. Having a Chihuahua has certainly amplified my status in the community as well. Neighbors and strangers alike often point at me as I walk with Bella. Thanks to my new puppy I am one step closer to full Dominican acculturation.
It’s been about a month since I began my first project and it seems to be going well. As I said before, I decided to focus my efforts on a mentoring group at the local school in my barrio. It certainly took a while to get everything set in motion. The most unexpected obstacles arose, such as school cancellations, Valentine’s Day celebrations, and an Independence Day march around the block -- but since I last wrote I have had 3 group sessions, so overall I have been relatively successful! When I began recruiting for my group I felt like I was begging girls to come to my information sessions. I swear, I spent about two weeks talking about this service group as if it were cool and exclusive, like only a select girls could join (I guess that’s all true to some extent), but all this talk must have worked, because I had nearly 20 girls in attendance last week! We had a full session of creating the group rules, deciding on the group name ( Super Mujeres de Enseñanzas), playing a dinamica, and doing some art. If you are wondering what a dinamica is, it’s basically an ice-breaker activity. I remember hating those back in the States, but here the Dominicans eat those activities up. They just love them! The other day we played a game called Peso Caliente, where two groups compete against each other by forming two lines and each person drops a peso in her shirt until it falls to the ground. Once it hits the ground the next person must do the same until everyone in the group has dropped a peso down their clothes. It sounds weird but Peso Caliente is always a huge hit in this country.
In addition to my mentoring group I am also starting to lay the framework for my Escojo group. I am currently coordinating a sports day for youth, basically for anyone interested in Escojo to hang out and ask questions before we begin the group. A few days after the sports day I will start my Escojo group, so that should fall in the end of the month. I am definitely excited to start up another project in addition to the mentoring group.
Lately Peace Corps hasn’t felt like such a lonely experience after all. There are probably several reasons for this sentiment (for example, I spent a fabulous week with Abby and Lauren and my Dad just left), but tonight my companionship is coming from my new dog-child, Bella. I received my 2-month-yr-old Chihuahua a couple weeks ago and she has instantly become my baby. She arrived in my arms full of ticks, some balding spots on her face and a bloated belly; but after just one week she already looked much, much better. Maybe I am biased but I think she is absolutely adorable. It has certainly been worth the potty training and extra cleaning to open my home to Bella. Having a Chihuahua has certainly amplified my status in the community as well. Neighbors and strangers alike often point at me as I walk with Bella. Thanks to my new puppy I am one step closer to full Dominican acculturation.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Settling In
A bunch has happened since I last wrote in my blog, and I have arrived to the phase that most people would call the “real” Peace Corps. That means after nearly 6 months of living with host families and studying the Dominican Republic, I am finally living alone and can begin my work! This milestone also marks a shift in my overall happiness; I love living alone and taking more control of what I do here.
It’s actually already been a few weeks since I moved out of my host family’s house, and from day one I have loved living alone. My house has instantly become my haven from the outside world: whenever I need a break from speaking Spanish or socializing with complete strangers I can enter my house and it feels like I am in a different world. I have heard from a few older volunteers that my house is the nicest Peace Corps house they have yet to see on this island, which actually makes me feel a little guilty, but since it’s affordable and helps me keep a level head, I am staying put! You might be interested to know that my monthly rent amounts to $108 dollars - dirt cheap by American standards, though volunteers who live in the campo pay as little as $20 dollars each month. So, everything is wonderful on the housing side of things. I have found many ways to occupy my time at night, such as reading, drawing, watching shows on my computer, etc. My only complaint about living alone is that I have to deal with insects and mice on my own. I had a mouse last week, but my neighbors lent me their cat and it seems to have disappeared. Last night I killed two flying insects that looked like they had scorpion pinchers. So you see, I am adjusting and becoming tougher. Plus, pretty soon I may not completely be living alone after all. In just a couple of weeks I will likely be adopting a black baby chiwawa! I hope she is as cute and wonderful as my neice puppy, Pele.
Last week I had my 3 Month In-Service Training, which marked the end to the community diagnostic phase of my work. All 24 of the new youth volunteers got together to present their community diagnostic to the group and plan for their first year of work. After five days of presentations and charlas about possible projects I left the conference with a plan and ready to begin.
My first project that I am in the process of creating is a mentoring program for girls at my school. I am going to select eight eighth graders and eight fourth graders to participate in a girls group; we will meet twice weekly for two hours each. In the first hour the eighth graders will tutor the fourth graders in their homework and remedial math/literacy work, and in the second hour we will do a group activity. The group activity will alternate between something relating to girls’ issues and an activity based on sports, arts, or science. Something I love about the Peace Corps is that you create your own job here. This idea of mine could be a disaster or a complete success, I have no idea, but I have the freedom to try it out and see where it goes. I am really excited to get it rolling and see what happens. This week I will be making the final decision about which girls are in the group, then I will visit their families and we will have our first meeting with 8th graders on Monday!
My mentoring program will take up most of my time for the next couple months, though I expect to begin a health (Escojo mi vida) group in April and a parenting and business class in the summer months. I am very excited about getting this all started!
I’ve got some special visits to also look forward to in the next month. Lauren and Abby (friends from Boston, now first-year teachers in NYC) are coming to visit me in a little less than a week. We are going to visit Samana, where the whales are arriving to give birth! There is a beach on this side of the island that is ranked one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world, so between swimming in the ocean and watching the whales, we should have plenty of excitement ahead of us. Then we will end the trip in Santo Domingo where everyone will be celebrating Carnaval. Carnaval takes place in the last week of February, to celebrate the country’s independence day - February 27th, and I hear that everyone dresses up and celebrates in the streets. I am glad that Lauren and Abby’s trip overlaps with this big Dominican holiday!
Then, two weeks after my friends leave my dad will arrive! Our trip together will mostly be spent in Bani, where I will take him around my site and introduce him to my youth and neighbors. We also might spend a couple of days outside my neighborhood, though I am really excited to show him my community and what it is like where I live.
I also found out that an old friend from college will be volunteering in the DR for the entire summer, and he will be living just 16 kilometers from Bani! Sometimes I can’t believe how small this world is.
After such a long hiatus of writing a blog, I plan on writing much more from this point forward. My apologies for the lack of communication, but I hold high expectations for myself in keeping my loved ones informed of my work in the Peace Corps.
Well, I guess that’s all for today. I hope that everyone is doing well amidst the snowy weather in the States!
It’s actually already been a few weeks since I moved out of my host family’s house, and from day one I have loved living alone. My house has instantly become my haven from the outside world: whenever I need a break from speaking Spanish or socializing with complete strangers I can enter my house and it feels like I am in a different world. I have heard from a few older volunteers that my house is the nicest Peace Corps house they have yet to see on this island, which actually makes me feel a little guilty, but since it’s affordable and helps me keep a level head, I am staying put! You might be interested to know that my monthly rent amounts to $108 dollars - dirt cheap by American standards, though volunteers who live in the campo pay as little as $20 dollars each month. So, everything is wonderful on the housing side of things. I have found many ways to occupy my time at night, such as reading, drawing, watching shows on my computer, etc. My only complaint about living alone is that I have to deal with insects and mice on my own. I had a mouse last week, but my neighbors lent me their cat and it seems to have disappeared. Last night I killed two flying insects that looked like they had scorpion pinchers. So you see, I am adjusting and becoming tougher. Plus, pretty soon I may not completely be living alone after all. In just a couple of weeks I will likely be adopting a black baby chiwawa! I hope she is as cute and wonderful as my neice puppy, Pele.
Last week I had my 3 Month In-Service Training, which marked the end to the community diagnostic phase of my work. All 24 of the new youth volunteers got together to present their community diagnostic to the group and plan for their first year of work. After five days of presentations and charlas about possible projects I left the conference with a plan and ready to begin.
My first project that I am in the process of creating is a mentoring program for girls at my school. I am going to select eight eighth graders and eight fourth graders to participate in a girls group; we will meet twice weekly for two hours each. In the first hour the eighth graders will tutor the fourth graders in their homework and remedial math/literacy work, and in the second hour we will do a group activity. The group activity will alternate between something relating to girls’ issues and an activity based on sports, arts, or science. Something I love about the Peace Corps is that you create your own job here. This idea of mine could be a disaster or a complete success, I have no idea, but I have the freedom to try it out and see where it goes. I am really excited to get it rolling and see what happens. This week I will be making the final decision about which girls are in the group, then I will visit their families and we will have our first meeting with 8th graders on Monday!
My mentoring program will take up most of my time for the next couple months, though I expect to begin a health (Escojo mi vida) group in April and a parenting and business class in the summer months. I am very excited about getting this all started!
I’ve got some special visits to also look forward to in the next month. Lauren and Abby (friends from Boston, now first-year teachers in NYC) are coming to visit me in a little less than a week. We are going to visit Samana, where the whales are arriving to give birth! There is a beach on this side of the island that is ranked one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world, so between swimming in the ocean and watching the whales, we should have plenty of excitement ahead of us. Then we will end the trip in Santo Domingo where everyone will be celebrating Carnaval. Carnaval takes place in the last week of February, to celebrate the country’s independence day - February 27th, and I hear that everyone dresses up and celebrates in the streets. I am glad that Lauren and Abby’s trip overlaps with this big Dominican holiday!
Then, two weeks after my friends leave my dad will arrive! Our trip together will mostly be spent in Bani, where I will take him around my site and introduce him to my youth and neighbors. We also might spend a couple of days outside my neighborhood, though I am really excited to show him my community and what it is like where I live.
I also found out that an old friend from college will be volunteering in the DR for the entire summer, and he will be living just 16 kilometers from Bani! Sometimes I can’t believe how small this world is.
After such a long hiatus of writing a blog, I plan on writing much more from this point forward. My apologies for the lack of communication, but I hold high expectations for myself in keeping my loved ones informed of my work in the Peace Corps.
Well, I guess that’s all for today. I hope that everyone is doing well amidst the snowy weather in the States!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Life worth living
Sometimes the very thing we want is the most difficult thing to choose.
For a long time I had a vision. I dreamed of living with an Amish community in the middle of Pennsylvania for an entire year in order to learn about a different culture, and learn a little about myself as well. I thought that removing myself from the world I had considered to be normal would be one of the greatest learning experiences of my personal and professional life - plus, I was fascinated by a community that lived so simply.
I just recently recalled this vision of mine, and realized that I am in fact living the dream I had once planted for myself several years ago. One of the best aspects of Peace Corps is that it fosters personal as well as professional development, in a way that is hard to come by. For example, I have the pleasure of reading books that I had always put off, as I never before had enough time to do something that didn’t take me to the next item on my agenda. But what a pleasure it has been to read a book of my choice for a few hours in one single day. (If you have time, I would highly recommend reading Memoires of a Geisha - my favorite book so far.)
But the sad thing about dreams is that not everyone can achieve them. I mean, everyone can have a dream, but it is much more difficult for some people to achieve them than others. Unfortunately for the community I live in now, many people will not realize their distant dreams because opportunities are hard to come by. Obviously I hope to help in this effort, but realistically I know that I should be grateful for the opportunity to live one of my dreams by immersing myself in a different culture.
One of the United States’ best assets is that because of it’s innumerable resources, [many] citizens can realistically work toward a dream. This opportunity is rare and one would hope that everyone is, as a result, living as they desire. So why is it that so many people seem to be working in jobs that will provide money to achieve their dreams -- which in turn steals their time and shuts down any chance they had for a more meaningful life? There is always tomorrow, always another day to make more money, until you have spent all your time preparing for your dream and never lived as you had imagined.
In the Dominican Republic, life is slower. But at the same time, people work hard just to survive: survival is the priority. Yet somehow life here is still beautifully executed, and small moments mean more, as they rightfully should. The other day I spent the whole morning reading a book. After that, I learned how to cook rice and beans like a Dominican, and then I watched my next door neighbor prepare coffee from raw coffee beans. Last year I would have said that the day was unproductive, but now, I guess I don’t have anything to say. No comment… it was just another day in the DR, and I really enjoyed it.
So what’s in a dream? Not everyone has the opportunity to dream big, and some people spend their whole lives working for a dream that they could have chosen long ago. Who decides how life should be lived? What is the best way to spend your time?
I am proud of my ambition and hard work, but right now I am learning a lot from just sitting still. I am not sure I have done much of anything “productive” since the Christmas season started (it’s a whole month long here). But for now, I am okay with that.
So is life worth living in small moments, or should we each be chasing a dream? And if we are chasing after a dream, when do we let go of all that we have and grab it? I guess that’s up to the individual to decide.
For a long time I had a vision. I dreamed of living with an Amish community in the middle of Pennsylvania for an entire year in order to learn about a different culture, and learn a little about myself as well. I thought that removing myself from the world I had considered to be normal would be one of the greatest learning experiences of my personal and professional life - plus, I was fascinated by a community that lived so simply.
I just recently recalled this vision of mine, and realized that I am in fact living the dream I had once planted for myself several years ago. One of the best aspects of Peace Corps is that it fosters personal as well as professional development, in a way that is hard to come by. For example, I have the pleasure of reading books that I had always put off, as I never before had enough time to do something that didn’t take me to the next item on my agenda. But what a pleasure it has been to read a book of my choice for a few hours in one single day. (If you have time, I would highly recommend reading Memoires of a Geisha - my favorite book so far.)
But the sad thing about dreams is that not everyone can achieve them. I mean, everyone can have a dream, but it is much more difficult for some people to achieve them than others. Unfortunately for the community I live in now, many people will not realize their distant dreams because opportunities are hard to come by. Obviously I hope to help in this effort, but realistically I know that I should be grateful for the opportunity to live one of my dreams by immersing myself in a different culture.
One of the United States’ best assets is that because of it’s innumerable resources, [many] citizens can realistically work toward a dream. This opportunity is rare and one would hope that everyone is, as a result, living as they desire. So why is it that so many people seem to be working in jobs that will provide money to achieve their dreams -- which in turn steals their time and shuts down any chance they had for a more meaningful life? There is always tomorrow, always another day to make more money, until you have spent all your time preparing for your dream and never lived as you had imagined.
In the Dominican Republic, life is slower. But at the same time, people work hard just to survive: survival is the priority. Yet somehow life here is still beautifully executed, and small moments mean more, as they rightfully should. The other day I spent the whole morning reading a book. After that, I learned how to cook rice and beans like a Dominican, and then I watched my next door neighbor prepare coffee from raw coffee beans. Last year I would have said that the day was unproductive, but now, I guess I don’t have anything to say. No comment… it was just another day in the DR, and I really enjoyed it.
So what’s in a dream? Not everyone has the opportunity to dream big, and some people spend their whole lives working for a dream that they could have chosen long ago. Who decides how life should be lived? What is the best way to spend your time?
I am proud of my ambition and hard work, but right now I am learning a lot from just sitting still. I am not sure I have done much of anything “productive” since the Christmas season started (it’s a whole month long here). But for now, I am okay with that.
So is life worth living in small moments, or should we each be chasing a dream? And if we are chasing after a dream, when do we let go of all that we have and grab it? I guess that’s up to the individual to decide.
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