PML: The build up

I was nervous. I hadn´t been able to pasear that week to remind everyone about the workshop I had planned. Sure, they all received their formal-letter invitations, but that was weeks ago. And if there is one thing a PCV knows, it´s that sometimes you need to chase people down to get them to your meetings. I had been battling another foot infection (don´t ask), so my mobility around the community was limited. The intended audience was only about 10 people in my latrine and water committees, so you know, if half the group didn´t show up, there would be problems. I had to track some of them down to make sure they remembered.

I had been very clear with everyone when I initially invited them that they had to tell me if they couldn´t come, because I was looking for donated materials, had to buy food, and had invited other PCVs to accompany me. I needed an exact number of participants. Earlier that week, my counterpart Lucas and former host-dad Angel had stopped by my house. They were both supposed to participate, and Lucas was supposed to help me facilitate some sessions, as he had attended this Project Management and Leadership (PML) workshop in March. We had a conversation that went like this:

Lucas: So, I can´t come on Saturday, I have another committment. But I will definitely come on Sunday.
Cati: What are you talking about? I gave you a month´s notice about this, and you were really enthusiastic about offering this training to the groups.
Lucas: I know, but I forgot I have this thing...
Cati: What´s the thing?
Lucas: A baseball game we´re playing, and I have invited a lot of people, and so now I have to go.
Cati: THAT IS NOT A COMMITTMENT THAT IS AN AMUSEMENT!!
Angel: Yeah...Cati, I am not going to come on Satuday either...
Cati: Huh?! What? I told you earlier I needed you to tell me if you couldn´t come last week. Why can´t you come?
Angel: So much work in the finca!
Cati: But I already bought all the materials, the food, and I have agendas to gift to every participant. And if you don´t come Saturday, no agenda.
Angel: Oh? An agenda? Okay, I will come.

I felt deflated. Lucas left me high and dry, and Angel was only coming to collect his gift. I had spent almost the entire month of May preparing for this workshop, and was displeased to see a lack of enthusiasm and understanding. This seminar is something I really believe in and am enthusiastic about teaching, and I wanted them to be enthusiastic about it too, or at the very least, show up. I was in a huff the day, but thankfully, Lucas came by later to apologize for his short-sightedness, and told me the workshop was a priority, and he would be there. We planned our sessions together, and I felt excited again.

Fast-foward to Wednesday. I am in a panic thinking no one remembers about the workshop this weekend, and I am wondering how many houses I can hit without putting on boots and getting my foot dirty. I arrive at one of the water committee members houses early. He and his wife are in foul moods because their water got cut that morning for lack of payment. He tells me he can not come. I shoot him my most withering gaze, and hobble off, round-shouldered and flustered. He also had a month notice and explicit instructions to tell me if he couldn´t be there. Two other members of the water committee couldn´t come, and I was wondering if I should cancel the seminar all together. I didn´t want to waste other volunteers´ time, and I didn´t want to have to do the seminar again just for them. I had planned much of it with the aqueduct committee in mind.

I arrived at a house just before the water committe president´s home. I fell backwards twice on their hill, once with my back landing hard on the sharp edge of a rock. They laughed, and I wondered to myself if I might actually cry. It was throbbing and I was already on-edge about everyone having forgotten about this workshop. I head to the President´s house, and he isn´t in. I fall again, in front of his dad and a teacher from the school who rents a room there. The teacher gets a glass of water and starts cleaning my arms, while they both mutter ¨Pobrecita¨in between pitying glances. I explain that Willy, the president, HAS TO confirm with me that day that he is coming, otherwise I think I might cancel the whole thing.

On my way back to my house, with a bruised ego and feeling less-than-thrilled with my community, I run into another member of the aqueduct committee, Rafael, who had forgotten about the seminar, but confirms he will come. I ask him to relay the mesage to his sister, who I was almost sure would come anyway. He agreed.

That night Willy, the aqueduvt pres., arrived, and told me that he cried that day because his father told him that if he couldn´t attend the seminar, Cati would go back to the United States, and that she was very angry with everyone. I, of course, said nothing of the sort, but I am guessing by the pain and furstration written on my face when I was there in the morning, he figured he should at least throw in something dramatic to help sway Willy to my side. Willy said he had church on Sunday, and hadn´t been in a month and really wanted to go. He is the town´s only Jehovah´s witness, so he has to take a bus to a nearby town to attend services. It is an all day affair.

I rallied. I had to be persuasive, take advantage of those tears he had shed on my behalf. I delivered a motivational speech about being a proactive leader and seizing this once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about how he can be better and instigate change on an individual, group, and community level. I told him he is already a great leader, and has accomplished a lot for the community, but that every group has problems, or obstacles, and this workshop will help him figure out how to overcome them, and have a better functioning group. And once he has that, he can have more success working with government agencies. I fed him dinner, and at the end, I asked if I had convinced him. He said yes. Great success.

Fast-forward to the morning of the seminar. A PCV couple, Gary and Peggy, and one of my PCV neighbors, Cat, had arrived the previous afternoon, and we had done some final preparations and planning. We were heading to the school to set up, when Julio, another attendee, meets me at the door of the school.

Julio: Cati, I don´t know if I can come. I have an obligation with the church.
Cati: With the church? What is it?
Julio: Do you want me to come? If you really do, I will.
Cati: Of course I want you to come.
Julio: Today I have to decide between God and Cati.
Cati: Oh, um, that´s a lot of pressure.
Julio: I am choosing Cati.
Cati: Wow, thank you. I am very grateful. That means a lot.
Julio: But I will pray for His forgiveness for you, and myself.
Cati: Good, I will pray for us too. Thank you for coming!

I usher him in. The first hurtle of the day was beating God. Now that I´ve done that, what can get in my way?

The two women I asked to cook the day´s snacks and lunches have arrived. They advise me that the water is out in the school, and ask how can they cook? I had water in my house that morning, so I walk back along the line and see a broken tube just below the school shooting water up into the air. We cannot be without water. I run to the aqueduct VP´s house, who could not attend due to a sick son, and I plan to BEG HIM to repair to the tube, even though he always refuses to do any kind of maintenence or repair work. I talk to his Mom. But he had already left for Almirante. He couldn´t do it. I eventually solve this problem by closing the valve for the water for the school, and ask one of the cook´s son to haul water from his house. He agrees and I promise him lunch.

Many people have arrived. I am waiting on one young man named Gregorio, who is also part of my Panama Verde group. I didn´t go to his house on Wednesday, because he has previously assured me he would be there with 100% certainy. I ask Julio where Gregorio is. It is already 45 minuites past starting time. He says Gregorio left for Punta Peña, a community 90 minutes away to visit his mother the other day. He won´t be coming.

I steam. I ask Julio if he knows about Rafael and his sister Amalia. He says ¨ They told me they would try to come.¨Try to come? I step outside to take a deep breath, and just as I do, I see them climbing the hill from their house. ¨GOOD MORNING MY CATI!!!¨Amalia yells. And just as she does, I see Gregorio, coming up the path.

Everyone actually came. We were ready to begin.

(To be continued...)