Community meeting to organize a work schedule and photos of the delivery:
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The arrival of materials
After some unexpected delays in receiving project funding, it was deposited a couple of weeks ago, and I promptly headed out with my latrine committee to buy the supplies. This week, the first deliveries arrive. Next week, construction begins. For now, I leave you with pictures and a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated to help make this project happen. I have a few busy months ahead of me, but I will do my best to keep you as updated as possible.
Community meeting to organize a work schedule and photos of the delivery:
Community meeting to organize a work schedule and photos of the delivery:
Stove project and Panama Verde
As I wrote last February, I have been working on re-forming the Panama Verde youth group that I was ready to leave in tatters at the end of last year. I am glad I didn´t because I see that the group means something to the few young people who are involved and have been pleased by the dedication and motivation of two new members. In Febraury and March we held bake sales to raise money to help support a stove project.
PCV Michelle recently alerted us about a new model of stove, called the Bliss Burner, invented in part by Steve Bliss, a humanitarian worker based in Panama. This stove is a simple design, and an improvement on the other model I´d been considering last year. The two are compared side-by-side at the Deadwheat Foundation´s blog.
The prefered means of cooking in my community is on a three-rock stove, which basically amounts to a camp fire, which is often in someone´s kitchen, in their home. It releases incredible amounts of smoke, I usually can´t stand to be near one, and makes preparing a meal hellishly hot for the cook. The Bliss Burner burns more efficiently, releases very little smoke, and requires a lot less firewood. Its benefits are two-fold-- reducing deforestation and improving air quality, and thereby health.
I met Steve recently and wanted to get a stove built in my site and see how my Panama Verde group felt about taking this on as a project. Steve´s wife Jennifer came by this week and build a model stove at my neighbors house. It involves a 2:1 mix of clay, sand, and 1/3 bag cement. The mix is put in a mold, left for five hours, and the finished stove is ready to pop out.
It occured to me before the team got there, I didn´t have a screen to sift out the rocks. That´s okay, that is what sassy five-year-olds are for! She went at this for well over an hour before politely asking me to inspect her work. Shortly after, the team arrived with a sifter. Sorry Rosibel!
I rushed over to their house early this morning to snap a photo of the finished product, hence the grumpy faces. Julio is going to make a new surface for the stove to sit on
People have responded very positively already to the idea of these stoves. Several people came by yesterday to watch us make it. The cost to make one is very low and the benefits high. The youth group and I plan to continue make them on a house-by-house basis, charging for materials and an extra dollar or two to fundraise for a future group trip or activity.
People have responded very positively already to the idea of these stoves. Several people came by yesterday to watch us make it. The cost to make one is very low and the benefits high. The youth group and I plan to continue make them on a house-by-house basis, charging for materials and an extra dollar or two to fundraise for a future group trip or activity.
Small-scale health promotion
As PCVs we are always thinking about new ways to acheive our goals. Get people to wash their hands more often. How to encourage them to care about water contamination. To take steps to prevent disease transmission.
Here are a couple of simple ideas I´ve been spreading around. I wish I had started sooner, because people are responding really positively. Fellow PCV Louis told me about the success he´s been having with Tippy Taps, which are hands-free hand-washing stations. They conserve water, make hand-washing convenient, and what´s more, fun! In my community, kids have been the real change agents in adopting these, but the adults are coming around too, once they saw that it costs nothing and that this method can help keep their family´s water cleaner. Current hand washing methods involve dipping a cup into a bucket of water, pouring the water over your hands and trying to wash that way, then sticking the contaminated cup back over and over. For this reason and others, most people, don´t do it so often. Here is what the tippy tap looks like:
Education about hand washing is one thing. Behavior change is another. I think the Tippy Tap removes many of the barriers to action that existed before and is a great way to encourage families. And the couple of hours it takes to assemble everything allows me to sneak in a few tips and pieces of information in a non-formal environment where people are more likely to listen and engage.
I have also been working on improving the faucet-in-bucket design. Everyone stores water in buckets, and sometimes leave them untapped, or acts carelessly with regard to contaminating the water inside. Using dipping cups to get water out for drinks, plate and hand washing and other tasks makes the water dirty awfully fast. Amoebas, giardia, worms, and bacteria can thrive. I have explained to families interested in the bucket how to chlorinate their water, and then tap the bucket and only take water out of it through the faucet. People are a lot more open to chlorinating their water than when I first got here and many people have shown a lot of interest and understanding reagarding water contamination at the household level.
The more time I spend in my community, the more clout and confianza I have with the people. In recent months, I have noticed them latching on a little more willingly to my ideas and showing more initiative with regard to asking for my help. I have improved the leakage problem with the buckets by placing two small pieces of plastic between the wall and the nut that fastens the faucet in place. I am going to continue working to streamline the process before showing a community counterpart how to do it (they currently regard me as a magician). When things go poorly or are difficult, people can get negative and write things off really fast. The method needs to be quick and easy, and I want to make sure it´s just right before unveiling the tricks behind the magic show.
Here are a couple of simple ideas I´ve been spreading around. I wish I had started sooner, because people are responding really positively. Fellow PCV Louis told me about the success he´s been having with Tippy Taps, which are hands-free hand-washing stations. They conserve water, make hand-washing convenient, and what´s more, fun! In my community, kids have been the real change agents in adopting these, but the adults are coming around too, once they saw that it costs nothing and that this method can help keep their family´s water cleaner. Current hand washing methods involve dipping a cup into a bucket of water, pouring the water over your hands and trying to wash that way, then sticking the contaminated cup back over and over. For this reason and others, most people, don´t do it so often. Here is what the tippy tap looks like:
You use the foot pedal to pull the jug forward, and the water spouts out of a small hole made a few inches beneath the cap. Rain-guard soap dish made out of sardine and tuna cans hangs to the left.
Education about hand washing is one thing. Behavior change is another. I think the Tippy Tap removes many of the barriers to action that existed before and is a great way to encourage families. And the couple of hours it takes to assemble everything allows me to sneak in a few tips and pieces of information in a non-formal environment where people are more likely to listen and engage.
I have also been working on improving the faucet-in-bucket design. Everyone stores water in buckets, and sometimes leave them untapped, or acts carelessly with regard to contaminating the water inside. Using dipping cups to get water out for drinks, plate and hand washing and other tasks makes the water dirty awfully fast. Amoebas, giardia, worms, and bacteria can thrive. I have explained to families interested in the bucket how to chlorinate their water, and then tap the bucket and only take water out of it through the faucet. People are a lot more open to chlorinating their water than when I first got here and many people have shown a lot of interest and understanding reagarding water contamination at the household level.
The more time I spend in my community, the more clout and confianza I have with the people. In recent months, I have noticed them latching on a little more willingly to my ideas and showing more initiative with regard to asking for my help. I have improved the leakage problem with the buckets by placing two small pieces of plastic between the wall and the nut that fastens the faucet in place. I am going to continue working to streamline the process before showing a community counterpart how to do it (they currently regard me as a magician). When things go poorly or are difficult, people can get negative and write things off really fast. The method needs to be quick and easy, and I want to make sure it´s just right before unveiling the tricks behind the magic show.
the face of a happy and crazed inventor
James´ visit
My brother James is a really good sport. He arrived in Las Tablas after a long day of travel and was immediately immersed into the 24-7 chaos that is Panama´s Carnaval. It is quite like Mardis Gras, but involves a lot more hoses spraying people, beauty queen parade floats, and pop-up clubs in which one is free to dance the night away. He jumped right in to the fiesta without a complaint. He met a bunch of my Peace Corps friends, all enjoying a couple of vacation days, and soaking in the sun, pushing through crowds, and subsisting on what we all lovingly call street meat.
From there, we spent a four full days in my site. He got to know the local kids really well and get a real taste of what a normal day for a PCV is like. There aren´t many people I feel like I could bring into my community and not feel worried about how they would do or view things. But James is one of those people I knew who could handle it and thrive, just like he did at Carnaval! The kids fell in love, and many of the adults told me they thought he would make a really good volunteer and asked about his availability come October, when I leave. I said our mother wouldn´t have it.
We finished our time on Bocas Island, eating bacon, burgers, and really good Indian food. I told James the only condition for his visit was that he had to write me an entry for the blog. That will be coming soon. In the mean time, here are all the pictures from his visit.
From there, we spent a four full days in my site. He got to know the local kids really well and get a real taste of what a normal day for a PCV is like. There aren´t many people I feel like I could bring into my community and not feel worried about how they would do or view things. But James is one of those people I knew who could handle it and thrive, just like he did at Carnaval! The kids fell in love, and many of the adults told me they thought he would make a really good volunteer and asked about his availability come October, when I leave. I said our mother wouldn´t have it.
We finished our time on Bocas Island, eating bacon, burgers, and really good Indian food. I told James the only condition for his visit was that he had to write me an entry for the blog. That will be coming soon. In the mean time, here are all the pictures from his visit.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
In which Cati tries to admit failure and is then informed that is not allowed.
A few months back, I sent my youth group, Panama Verde, to a camp which they completely enjoyed. They came back energized, motivated, and with a better understanding about how the chapters of this group functioned nationwide. I thought we had a breakthrough. Unfortunately, right after the camp, I had to spend a few weeks out of site for other work-related reasons and missed the chance to really take advantage of their enthusiam.
As soon as I returned, though, I held a meeting so we could talk about all our grand plans for the future. They had returned to the borderline catatonic states they were in pre-camp. Only two members participated or showed much desire to be there with me. So many people came late to the meeting, that we didn´t have any time to accomplish what was on the agenda before they had to leave to go to class. I talked to them briefly about I want them to feel ownership of the group, and if they want to accomplish anything, they need to take more initiative and leadership. I asked them to think seriously about whether they really wanted to be in this group and were ready get to work. Because if we continued having meetings in which nothing was accompished, activities which no one attended, the group would go nowhere, and eventually flicker out completely.
One of the motivated members was charged with the task of talking to the other members to see where they stood, and if they wanted to continue, coming to me to plan the next meeting date. I heard from her later that no one else besides her and one other sometimes-member wanted to continue with the group. I could hardly believe it, but was glad at least to have a definitive answer. I could stop wasting my time and refocuse my energies somewhere else.
Then, the regional coordinator of Panama Verde came to me, saying there was another camp in the mountains, and two members from my group were invited. I explained what happened in my community, and that the kids explicitly said they did not want to continue and the group disbanded. We hadn`t met in months. She immediately sprung into a long-winded explanation about how my group is not allowed to fail because of this, that, and the other thing, mostly involving about how it would be an inconvenience for her. She handed me the camp permission slips and told me to call her when I had two jovenes, young people, who would go. I had two days.
This rubbed me the wrong way. Panama Verde was a side project, not my main one, and she was asking me to pour a lot of time and energy into re-forming the group in the next few months. She had no idea how difficult it was to organize people in my community, and who says the group can´t fail if all the participants essentially said they didn´t want to do it? I was tired of feeling like I was begging people to participate in their own development, tired of getting hopeful about something that materialized into nothing, tired of feeling foolish when no one showed up to something I spent hours preparing. I felt like cutting my losses.
I huffed and puffed, but then decided I shouldn´t take away two kids´ chances to go to a camp in the mountains of Chiriqui. The two jovenes that were always interested in the group were out of town, so I looked for two others to send. I found them, and off they went.
They loved it. They love Panama Verde. They met other group members, heard the work they did, and were enchanted by the idea of doing something good while also having a whole lot of fun. They want to continue with youth development and environmental work in QP. It was great. More than I could have asked for.
Now I am re-forming the group, trying to attract kids a little older than the ones that made up the first group. We had our first activity-- a bake sale-- last week to raise money for a bag of cement to make an eco-friendly stove for the school. A brand new model of stove that uses less wood, makes less smoke, and cooks more efficiently than the three-rock camp fire style that is so popular in homes here. It is a project that improves air quality and health. I hope it will give them something tangible to contribute to the community, and be something sustainable they can continue, if they choose, after I´m gone. I wanted to do a similar project with the other group, but it obviously had to be put on hold. The sale was a huge success, and also helped to get the word out about PV and also a potential stove project. (Annnnddd it made people really jealous of my mad baking skillz.)
Here´s to hoping it works out this time. I am apprently not allowed to quit, so I guess it has to. (haha) But I really love doing youth development stuff, and it usually ends up being more fun and rewarding than a lot of other work. I´ll give it another go.
As soon as I returned, though, I held a meeting so we could talk about all our grand plans for the future. They had returned to the borderline catatonic states they were in pre-camp. Only two members participated or showed much desire to be there with me. So many people came late to the meeting, that we didn´t have any time to accomplish what was on the agenda before they had to leave to go to class. I talked to them briefly about I want them to feel ownership of the group, and if they want to accomplish anything, they need to take more initiative and leadership. I asked them to think seriously about whether they really wanted to be in this group and were ready get to work. Because if we continued having meetings in which nothing was accompished, activities which no one attended, the group would go nowhere, and eventually flicker out completely.
One of the motivated members was charged with the task of talking to the other members to see where they stood, and if they wanted to continue, coming to me to plan the next meeting date. I heard from her later that no one else besides her and one other sometimes-member wanted to continue with the group. I could hardly believe it, but was glad at least to have a definitive answer. I could stop wasting my time and refocuse my energies somewhere else.
Then, the regional coordinator of Panama Verde came to me, saying there was another camp in the mountains, and two members from my group were invited. I explained what happened in my community, and that the kids explicitly said they did not want to continue and the group disbanded. We hadn`t met in months. She immediately sprung into a long-winded explanation about how my group is not allowed to fail because of this, that, and the other thing, mostly involving about how it would be an inconvenience for her. She handed me the camp permission slips and told me to call her when I had two jovenes, young people, who would go. I had two days.
This rubbed me the wrong way. Panama Verde was a side project, not my main one, and she was asking me to pour a lot of time and energy into re-forming the group in the next few months. She had no idea how difficult it was to organize people in my community, and who says the group can´t fail if all the participants essentially said they didn´t want to do it? I was tired of feeling like I was begging people to participate in their own development, tired of getting hopeful about something that materialized into nothing, tired of feeling foolish when no one showed up to something I spent hours preparing. I felt like cutting my losses.
I huffed and puffed, but then decided I shouldn´t take away two kids´ chances to go to a camp in the mountains of Chiriqui. The two jovenes that were always interested in the group were out of town, so I looked for two others to send. I found them, and off they went.
They loved it. They love Panama Verde. They met other group members, heard the work they did, and were enchanted by the idea of doing something good while also having a whole lot of fun. They want to continue with youth development and environmental work in QP. It was great. More than I could have asked for.
Now I am re-forming the group, trying to attract kids a little older than the ones that made up the first group. We had our first activity-- a bake sale-- last week to raise money for a bag of cement to make an eco-friendly stove for the school. A brand new model of stove that uses less wood, makes less smoke, and cooks more efficiently than the three-rock camp fire style that is so popular in homes here. It is a project that improves air quality and health. I hope it will give them something tangible to contribute to the community, and be something sustainable they can continue, if they choose, after I´m gone. I wanted to do a similar project with the other group, but it obviously had to be put on hold. The sale was a huge success, and also helped to get the word out about PV and also a potential stove project. (Annnnddd it made people really jealous of my mad baking skillz.)
Here´s to hoping it works out this time. I am apprently not allowed to quit, so I guess it has to. (haha) But I really love doing youth development stuff, and it usually ends up being more fun and rewarding than a lot of other work. I´ll give it another go.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The freaks come out at night
The people I live with are a little skittish. They believe in vampires, boogie men, and creepers with ankle fetishes that arrive after sundown. At first, I tried to challenge these ideas, especially after they blamed a loaf of bread stolen from my kitchen on a recent string of vampire crimes. I fought against it, asked them to think logically, but that was a losing battle. Now? Now I consider it my full responsibility to advise of these public safety hazards and spread every single rumor I hear. I think of it as another notch on my "cultural integration" belt.
These tales must be told with complete earnestness. Wide eyes, a little finger waving, and some gentle but persistent pleading for the listeners to please be careful. This is serious.
Here is the latest tale that has been spread around QP. I warn everyone I come across:
About 14 years ago, a baby boy was born in the nearby town of Quebrada Plátano. He was not like other babies. From the stomach up, sure, 100 percent normal. But from his hips stretched two, long horse legs.
The doctors advised the mother not to raise this baby. There are ways to get rid of infants that are born half-horses, you know. The mother refused. This was her son. She loved him, but she recognized she couldn't raise him like any other baby. So for the last 14 years, he has been enclosed in a room of their house. She feeds him, bathes him, and takes care of him like any mother. But the door is always locked, and he has been kept away from prying eyes.
In all this time, he grew restless. He is haunted by passing visions of the outside world that he's unable to participate in. He has become, or always was, what the people here call a "bad spirit." And in the recent weeks, his restlessness caused him to leave in the middle of the night, appearing beside unsuspecting people in the dark. Some stories say he walks with two "friends," others say he comes alone. All warn against him. He is a bad spirit who wants to do us harm.
I was warned about him by several men in my community, two of whom who had seen him first hand. "You live alone," they said. "It would be very easy for him to find you." I nodded and promised to double check the locks on my doors. Of course, not everyone believes these stories, and I imagine that, like the vampires and that weird guy with the ankle fetish, they will soon fade from fashion, but in the mean time? I like walking up behind people and clicking my tongue in the rhythm of a two-footed horse.
These tales must be told with complete earnestness. Wide eyes, a little finger waving, and some gentle but persistent pleading for the listeners to please be careful. This is serious.
Here is the latest tale that has been spread around QP. I warn everyone I come across:
About 14 years ago, a baby boy was born in the nearby town of Quebrada Plátano. He was not like other babies. From the stomach up, sure, 100 percent normal. But from his hips stretched two, long horse legs.
The doctors advised the mother not to raise this baby. There are ways to get rid of infants that are born half-horses, you know. The mother refused. This was her son. She loved him, but she recognized she couldn't raise him like any other baby. So for the last 14 years, he has been enclosed in a room of their house. She feeds him, bathes him, and takes care of him like any mother. But the door is always locked, and he has been kept away from prying eyes.
In all this time, he grew restless. He is haunted by passing visions of the outside world that he's unable to participate in. He has become, or always was, what the people here call a "bad spirit." And in the recent weeks, his restlessness caused him to leave in the middle of the night, appearing beside unsuspecting people in the dark. Some stories say he walks with two "friends," others say he comes alone. All warn against him. He is a bad spirit who wants to do us harm.
I was warned about him by several men in my community, two of whom who had seen him first hand. "You live alone," they said. "It would be very easy for him to find you." I nodded and promised to double check the locks on my doors. Of course, not everyone believes these stories, and I imagine that, like the vampires and that weird guy with the ankle fetish, they will soon fade from fashion, but in the mean time? I like walking up behind people and clicking my tongue in the rhythm of a two-footed horse.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Project fundraising update.
Community members and I have been working to plan and prepare for a sanitation project that will provide latrines to 28 families in the village. Please consider donating to the project if you haven't already. This is a low-cost way to greatly improve the health of the people of Quebrada Pastor. Every single penny goes toward building materials. Community members provide all of the labor.
Since I initially posted the project we have raised $635. Thank you to everyone who has generously given. Another organization has pledged to donate half the budget, leaving $2050 to raise.This is a reasonable amount if a few individuals, organizations or corporations could come together. Please let me know if I can forward more project information to you or someone you know who is interested in donating. We wanted to start building this month but cannot get started until all the funds are collected. Everyone has worked hard to get this far and we are eager to get started.
To donate or read more about the project go here.
Contact me at cvbasham@gmail.com.
Since I initially posted the project we have raised $635. Thank you to everyone who has generously given. Another organization has pledged to donate half the budget, leaving $2050 to raise.This is a reasonable amount if a few individuals, organizations or corporations could come together. Please let me know if I can forward more project information to you or someone you know who is interested in donating. We wanted to start building this month but cannot get started until all the funds are collected. Everyone has worked hard to get this far and we are eager to get started.
To donate or read more about the project go here.
Contact me at cvbasham@gmail.com.
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