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.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
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.
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