Many of the most memorable conversations I´ve had with people in my site are about health and home remedies. People here rely on botanical medicine and some of the local healers have extensive knowledge of the local plants that cure a wide range of ailments. What they know is impressive and to be respected. The only objection I raise to the use of natural medicines is in serious cases, when a person fails to get better, or needs urgent care, and the family inevitably waits too long to take the person to a doctor. Some of the medicine men´s remedies are guesses, and they have no ¨real¨ training beyond tradition. There are limits to what they do, although the people I live with will be just as quick to remind you that the same is true of doctors.
As a volunteer, it´s important for me to walk the line of acceptance and support for local knowledge, while also offering some ideas and tips from a more modern, clinical perspective.
During my time here, I´ve learned a lot about the basic beliefs and superstitions of the people in my area. Here are a few of the most common :
1. For parasites, diarrhea, stomach ache, etc., follow the following recipe:
Boil very stong coffee in only a few ounces of water. Add the juice of one lemon and dissolve an Alka Seltzer tablet. Drink it all and expect relief within a few hours.
Note: People swear by this. I doubt what value it could possibly have, but it certainly sounds like something that would flush out the pipes.
2. Skin infections. When I was having a lot of problems with infections of my legs and feet, people were always asking who I had been hanging around with. This question made little sense to me, until they explained that the sort of infections I was getting are usually contracted when the afflicted person spends time near a pregnant woman. They say that the ¨heat of her belly¨ causes the outbreak. Don´t worry though. There is a simple cure. Go to the woman´s house and ask her for a glass of water. Drink it all and the infection will go away. But it is important that you drink her water, or else it won´t work.
They are aware that this sounds a little fanciful, so they usually say, ¨I know it seems like a lie, Cati, but it´s true.¨
3. People believe very much in curses, and for people who are chronically ill and don´t get better, or who visit a doctor who cannot render a diagnosis, it is assumed that they have been cursed. The doctor can´t see the disease because it is only the manifestation someone´s ill wishes against them. For this reason, people often don´t take medicine given to them if they believe the root cause of the illness is really a maldicción. (Medical compliance is a whole other issue, which could be a post in itself.)
4. Relationships of hot and cold are extremely important and can explain away the onset of virtually any sickness. For example, one must never bathe right after working, because the cold water combined with a hot, sweaty body is a recipe for disaster. You should also only drink hot drinks when it´cold because that is the only time your body can truly handle them. I have offended more than a few visitors by offering hot coffee on a warm day.
I once baked using my neighbor´s stove, and she came in and told me not to bother washing the dirty dishes. She mentioned how I would get sick if I washed them, because I had been so close to the hot oven and taking pans in and out all afternoon. I thought this was her way of telling me she didn´t mind cleaning up my mess, but I washed the dishes anyway. I received a very angry scolding afterwards, and she checked up on me for days afterward to see if I was okay.
5. Worms (of the intestinal variety) are so normal that people believe they are necessary to digest food. When I talk about eliminating contaminants from drinking water, people have asked, ¨but how can we keep eating if we don´t have worms?¨ I didn´t quite realize how strongly people believe in worms being necessary for sustaining life, until a child asked me if I had worms, and when I said no, both he and his cousin asked in unison how I was still alive.
6. You must never eat pork if you have any kind of medical condition, real or imagined. Any kidney condition will be especially aggravated. (Many have already told me I will have to buy chicken for them when I have my goodbye party, because that pig I have been raising is no good to them.)
7. People usually don´t attribute diarrhea to bad water or unwashed hands. It is almost always caused by fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, or virtually any food that that they don´t eat every day. And you know, this may actually be true because some things are so unfamiliar to them, they may upset stomachs. Nonetheless, this belief is a serious inhibitor to good nutrition.
It´s always a challenge to determine if I should offer counter information and when to do it. Even though these things sound ridiculous to us, I am conscious of the fact that me explaining ideas like solar disinfection of water sounds just as preposterous to them. The invisible rays of the sun are killing the invisible microbes in the water? Sure, Cati. How can I convince them that their baby really shouldn´t pick things up off the floor and put them in her mouth when babies have always done that, and most of them grow up to be healthy, functional adults?
When I first came to my community, I was shocked at what I perceived as a blatant disregard for basic cleanliness. What I now realize is that people are very conscious of cleanliness and their family´s health, but their reasons for preventing or explaining illness are very different, and unfortuantely, in many cases, misdirected. They take great care sweeping out their houses, bathing their children, and generally making sure their homes look as neat and tidy as possible. They are doing what they think is best to be clean and healthy. Every mother loves her child and wants him to be well. She does everything with his best interests in mind. This is a universal human trait. If she fall short, it is almost always due to a lack of education or simply traditional beliefs that offer different explanations.
A friend recently explained it this way, and it makes total sense: Very few of us Americans have ever actually seen a germ. By this I mean, to have looked through a microscope and seen a cold virus, bacteria or anything else that causes disease. But we believe it because we have years of education and resources that tell us that it´s so, and we accept it as fact. We have had access to scientific information and education, and that is what informs our thinking and behavior. For people who haven´t had that access, there are other explanations and reasons for things that seem as plausible to them as a cold virus does to us.
Thinking of it that way, how can we look down on someone who has a lifetime of experience that indicates to them bathing right after work might cause the flu? It seems irrational to an American, but we sound equally so to them when we explain that there are harmful things in their water that looks perfectly clean to them.
Part of my job has been to touch on that common desire we all have to be healthy and offer some new ideas and strategies to be even healthier. And sure, I´ll drink that pregnant lady´s glass of water to clear up my foot infection, if she meets me halfway and puts bleach in it first.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Someone else's shoes
The biggest challenge I've faced recently is dealing with all of the people issues associated with the latrine project. At some point in the last few months, a couple of people I was very close to stopped talking to me, presumably over some sin I committed in my efforts to execute this project. I know the root of the issue began because of arguments between the two of them, which somehow spun out to involve me. But how it resulted in the silent treatment from one and angry accusations directed at me, followed by silence from the other. I still don't understand.
I am left thinking, how can this be? I have tried to be fair, patient, and have given people the benefit of the doubt more times than they deserve. How can people be mad at me? But, that is a selfish line of thinking. Of course no one will see it my way. And truthfully, it is unfair for me to feel put upon or attacked when I understand as little about their point of view as they do about mine. After all this time, I still have no idea what they are thinking sometimes. The experience of growing up in an entirely different culture, with different norms, expectations, and ways of resolving conflict acts as blinders that will keep me from ever understanding completely. But I keep trying to figure it out.
To them, I am a white person who has access to a large sum of money for latrines. They are poor people who deserve this money. We are friends and I owe it to them personally. They think that they have waited a year and a half and only now have I produced something worth getting excited about. In their eyes, I am finally fulfilling my commitment to them, giving what is owed.
My rule, among others was that people who work will receive materials for the latrine they solicited. That was the agreement we made in the planning stages. If they do not show up for work days, they lose their rights to the materials. It is the fact that I am sticking to this that is rubbing some people the wrong way.
They are angry because, to them, I am breaking a promise by excluding them. Because we are friends, and I am refusing to help them. I am directing my attention to those who are working and the others feel left out and betrayed. They assume because I am white and from a rich country that they are owed hundreds of dollars of materials. They see my behavior as petty, malicious, and cold. I see theirs as unreasonable and greedy.
What makes it all so frustrating is that to many (not all) of the people I work with, the very idea of sustainable development on which Peace Corps is based is incomprehensible. The idea of earning something, working for it, participating as a community to reach a common goal is still untranslatable. They fall into the same traps--gossip, negativity and complacency that have held them back from progress in the past. However, to them, the lack of progress is my fault. They make zero connections between their own behavior and the potential for positive change. Panama's traditional model of rural development-- giving things out and requiring nothing from receivers, combined with the idea that I come from a country that gives out money in bags from the factory (most people sincerely believe this and think I am lying when I deny it) leaves them with the expectation that they have no role to play in their own development. Someone will do the work for them, and they will benefit from it. Some people don't understand what I am talking about simply because they have never seen a project run this way before.
So although these situations leave me tearing my hair out and feeling at times, like maybe everything Peace Corps is trying to do in these communities is too ambitious, I do have some successes to celebrate. The problems I described are not shared y everyone. Some people get it, at least sort of. I have a dedicated group of workers who are showing a lot of initiative and motivation. The the other day, they finished the blocking on a latrine by themselves and set up the table and rebar to throw the cement floor on top. This is huge. A month ago they had no idea how to build a latrine, how to lay block, or even mix a good batch of cement. They were too skittish to work without my supervision, and even then, stood back and watched me before picking up a tool. Now they are doing the work themselves. People who I haven't worked with very much with in the last year articulate Peace Corps' mission and my ideas more clearly than some of my key counterparts. These are huge steps that they have decided to take.
There are frustrations, hundreds of them. There are just as many disappointments. But along with those there are the rewards, ones I hoped for that are coming true, and a bunch of unexpected others. I am constantly challenged by this experience, and although I wish it weren't this way, I know I will leave here with so much more knowledge gained than I could ever hope to leave behind.
I am left thinking, how can this be? I have tried to be fair, patient, and have given people the benefit of the doubt more times than they deserve. How can people be mad at me? But, that is a selfish line of thinking. Of course no one will see it my way. And truthfully, it is unfair for me to feel put upon or attacked when I understand as little about their point of view as they do about mine. After all this time, I still have no idea what they are thinking sometimes. The experience of growing up in an entirely different culture, with different norms, expectations, and ways of resolving conflict acts as blinders that will keep me from ever understanding completely. But I keep trying to figure it out.
To them, I am a white person who has access to a large sum of money for latrines. They are poor people who deserve this money. We are friends and I owe it to them personally. They think that they have waited a year and a half and only now have I produced something worth getting excited about. In their eyes, I am finally fulfilling my commitment to them, giving what is owed.
My rule, among others was that people who work will receive materials for the latrine they solicited. That was the agreement we made in the planning stages. If they do not show up for work days, they lose their rights to the materials. It is the fact that I am sticking to this that is rubbing some people the wrong way.
They are angry because, to them, I am breaking a promise by excluding them. Because we are friends, and I am refusing to help them. I am directing my attention to those who are working and the others feel left out and betrayed. They assume because I am white and from a rich country that they are owed hundreds of dollars of materials. They see my behavior as petty, malicious, and cold. I see theirs as unreasonable and greedy.
What makes it all so frustrating is that to many (not all) of the people I work with, the very idea of sustainable development on which Peace Corps is based is incomprehensible. The idea of earning something, working for it, participating as a community to reach a common goal is still untranslatable. They fall into the same traps--gossip, negativity and complacency that have held them back from progress in the past. However, to them, the lack of progress is my fault. They make zero connections between their own behavior and the potential for positive change. Panama's traditional model of rural development-- giving things out and requiring nothing from receivers, combined with the idea that I come from a country that gives out money in bags from the factory (most people sincerely believe this and think I am lying when I deny it) leaves them with the expectation that they have no role to play in their own development. Someone will do the work for them, and they will benefit from it. Some people don't understand what I am talking about simply because they have never seen a project run this way before.
So although these situations leave me tearing my hair out and feeling at times, like maybe everything Peace Corps is trying to do in these communities is too ambitious, I do have some successes to celebrate. The problems I described are not shared y everyone. Some people get it, at least sort of. I have a dedicated group of workers who are showing a lot of initiative and motivation. The the other day, they finished the blocking on a latrine by themselves and set up the table and rebar to throw the cement floor on top. This is huge. A month ago they had no idea how to build a latrine, how to lay block, or even mix a good batch of cement. They were too skittish to work without my supervision, and even then, stood back and watched me before picking up a tool. Now they are doing the work themselves. People who I haven't worked with very much with in the last year articulate Peace Corps' mission and my ideas more clearly than some of my key counterparts. These are huge steps that they have decided to take.
There are frustrations, hundreds of them. There are just as many disappointments. But along with those there are the rewards, ones I hoped for that are coming true, and a bunch of unexpected others. I am constantly challenged by this experience, and although I wish it weren't this way, I know I will leave here with so much more knowledge gained than I could ever hope to leave behind.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
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
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Cati... Quiero Pintar
You have to love the kids. If you don´t, your Peace Corps service will be maddening.
Kids will be your first friends, and you might be surprised to find, often offer more thoughtful conversation that the adults. You gotta love them, because they love you, and they´ve got nowhere else to be.
It is 7 o´clock in the morning. I have just sat down to eat some breakfast, and my first visitor arrives.
¨Cati, que está comiendo?¨ Cati, what are you eating?
¨Huevos.¨ Eggs. I shoot her a look, I generally find visits before 8 a.m. an assault on courtesy.
¨Eso está rico para usted?¨ That tastes good to you? They are unimpressed with what I eat. It lacks rice, boiled plantains, and any kind of meat. They say I eat simple. My neighbors enjoy telling me they have a higher standard of living than I do, because they actually know how to eat. Cati no sabe. What´s more, the portions I chose for my self are far too small. How can I be full if I have not consumed 3 pounds of boiled starches? How does one survive?
¨Hay más café?¨ Is there anymore coffee?
And that´s when I tell them to go away. It is too early.
But if I am home during the day, they arrive constantly, and most time it´s usually easier to let them in than to try to explain. Elementary students only have school until noon, and many nearby four and five year olds aren´t enrolled yet, so their mothers are happy to send them my way as soon as the sun rises. After reluctantly realizing shortly after moving into my house that these children would not be leaving anytime soon, I started offering them some crayons and paper. I bought them a couple of puzzles, and was delighted to find that they will generally play quietly and let me read or get some chores done.
The parents call what I do ¨giving class.¨ One woman saw the completed coloring book sheets I had taped up on my wall (gifts from adoring students) and very quietly asked if I draw all of those by myself for the children to color in. How wonderful she would have thought I was if I had said yes! Instead, I soberly explained what a coloring book is.
It can be annoying, having kids arriving all day long and demanding to color. But I´ve always loved kids, and sometimes they brighten my days immeasurably. One day, I was sitting in my hammock planning an English lesson for my adult class while two brothers, 5 and 3, drew at my table. They suddenly thought it would be a good idea to start yelling ¨Hola Cati,¨ come running over, and give me kisses on the cheek in quick succession. Hola Cati! Kiss. Hola Cati! Kiss. Repeat. They did this several dozen times until I remembered the values of good classroom management and told them to please go back to their seats.
I always try to encourage them, because positive reinforcement is not something they get a lot of in the house. At Cati´s, every picture is beautiful, and every child is an artist. However, they love it so much, that they literally will make one small mark on the paper and hold it up for my approval over and over. I have started asking them to please complete the entire picture before asking my opinion. As they get ready to go home, they always say, ¨Calíficalo, Cati!¨ Grade it! So I do, and they all get 5s, the Panamanian A.
Papito, the newest and most enthusiastic member of Cati´s Coloring Club.
When was the last time you went to visit someone with only your underwear on, or better yet, nothing on at all? I told him if he expects to sit on my stools, he will need to come in some undies next time. He hasn´t forgotten!
Kids will be your first friends, and you might be surprised to find, often offer more thoughtful conversation that the adults. You gotta love them, because they love you, and they´ve got nowhere else to be.
It is 7 o´clock in the morning. I have just sat down to eat some breakfast, and my first visitor arrives.
¨Cati, que está comiendo?¨ Cati, what are you eating?
¨Huevos.¨ Eggs. I shoot her a look, I generally find visits before 8 a.m. an assault on courtesy.
¨Eso está rico para usted?¨ That tastes good to you? They are unimpressed with what I eat. It lacks rice, boiled plantains, and any kind of meat. They say I eat simple. My neighbors enjoy telling me they have a higher standard of living than I do, because they actually know how to eat. Cati no sabe. What´s more, the portions I chose for my self are far too small. How can I be full if I have not consumed 3 pounds of boiled starches? How does one survive?
¨Hay más café?¨ Is there anymore coffee?
And that´s when I tell them to go away. It is too early.
But if I am home during the day, they arrive constantly, and most time it´s usually easier to let them in than to try to explain. Elementary students only have school until noon, and many nearby four and five year olds aren´t enrolled yet, so their mothers are happy to send them my way as soon as the sun rises. After reluctantly realizing shortly after moving into my house that these children would not be leaving anytime soon, I started offering them some crayons and paper. I bought them a couple of puzzles, and was delighted to find that they will generally play quietly and let me read or get some chores done.
The parents call what I do ¨giving class.¨ One woman saw the completed coloring book sheets I had taped up on my wall (gifts from adoring students) and very quietly asked if I draw all of those by myself for the children to color in. How wonderful she would have thought I was if I had said yes! Instead, I soberly explained what a coloring book is.
It can be annoying, having kids arriving all day long and demanding to color. But I´ve always loved kids, and sometimes they brighten my days immeasurably. One day, I was sitting in my hammock planning an English lesson for my adult class while two brothers, 5 and 3, drew at my table. They suddenly thought it would be a good idea to start yelling ¨Hola Cati,¨ come running over, and give me kisses on the cheek in quick succession. Hola Cati! Kiss. Hola Cati! Kiss. Repeat. They did this several dozen times until I remembered the values of good classroom management and told them to please go back to their seats.
I always try to encourage them, because positive reinforcement is not something they get a lot of in the house. At Cati´s, every picture is beautiful, and every child is an artist. However, they love it so much, that they literally will make one small mark on the paper and hold it up for my approval over and over. I have started asking them to please complete the entire picture before asking my opinion. As they get ready to go home, they always say, ¨Calíficalo, Cati!¨ Grade it! So I do, and they all get 5s, the Panamanian A.
Papito, the newest and most enthusiastic member of Cati´s Coloring Club.
When was the last time you went to visit someone with only your underwear on, or better yet, nothing on at all? I told him if he expects to sit on my stools, he will need to come in some undies next time. He hasn´t forgotten!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Off to Camp
Months ago, the Bocas coordinator of Panama Verde mentioned to me that she was planning a camp for local groups in a nearby community. I didn´t hear another word about it until a couple of weeks ago, when she arrived at my doorstep on a Wednesday afternoon. She said she had been trying to contact me for days, and I wasn´t answering my email. (Imagine!! The QP wireless must have been out...) Six spots were available for my kids, and the camp started that Friday.
I was miffed at the group because they all stood me up for a community clean-up day that very morning (in their defense, it was raining...), but I couldn´t let them miss this opportunity. I scrambled to print permission slips, track down the kids and gently coax them into three-days and two-nights away. The girls needed a lot less convincing. Two of them became so excited during my description of the camp, they began stroking my stomach and saying ¨I´ll go, Cati!! I´ll go!¨ We were only going 30 minutes down the road to another Ngobe community, but apprehensions among the rest were still simmering at a medium-high heat. Somehow we all arrived safe and sound, and by the time I had to leave them Friday eavening, they were giddy and busy making new friends.
Practicing Leadership and Teamwork in Ropes Courses:
Our Group Became Official and took the Panama Verde oath:
Translation: I swear to love, respect, and care for nature, which gives us sustinence to live, and I promise to do my small part, together with others, to make a big difference.
Saturday, groups did clean-ups and mural paintings in public parks. Unfortunately, I had to miss it because I had other commitments in QP.
In between, they listened to talks about conservation, project ideas, and leadership. On Sunday, they were all presented with certificates, a sure-to-please staple of Panamanian cermony.
On Sunday, in sweltering heat, we boarded a bus that dropped us back off in QP. I thought the kids would be in a hurry to get home, but as we stepped off the bus, all of a sudden they were REALLY.EXCITED.AGAIN. They wanted to go back to my house to ¨debrief.¨ I sat awestruck as they animatedly recounted every moment, all the activities, songs sung, and lessons learned.
A fellow PCV recently made the comment that he´glad I like to do youth development work, beacuse he is much more results-oriented, and likes to see something tangible come of his work. In my experience, I have have been much more satisfied in my work with kids than adults. They seem to genuinely appreciate the efforts I make and value the intangibles-- leadership, communication skills, teamwork and community involvement. Most adults are less appreciative of the education I have offered, and only view progress as something to be seen-- infrastructure in the form of latrines, aqueducts, buildings, whatever. But these things have little value if the people lack the knowledge and initiative to do the work themselves. This is the second time I´ve taken kids out of the community for a camp (I wrote about the other time here.), and watching the quietest one emerge as leaders and dive into new experiences with complete willingness to learn and participate feels an awful lot like real progress to me.
I was miffed at the group because they all stood me up for a community clean-up day that very morning (in their defense, it was raining...), but I couldn´t let them miss this opportunity. I scrambled to print permission slips, track down the kids and gently coax them into three-days and two-nights away. The girls needed a lot less convincing. Two of them became so excited during my description of the camp, they began stroking my stomach and saying ¨I´ll go, Cati!! I´ll go!¨ We were only going 30 minutes down the road to another Ngobe community, but apprehensions among the rest were still simmering at a medium-high heat. Somehow we all arrived safe and sound, and by the time I had to leave them Friday eavening, they were giddy and busy making new friends.
Practicing Leadership and Teamwork in Ropes Courses:
Our Group Became Official and took the Panama Verde oath:
Translation: I swear to love, respect, and care for nature, which gives us sustinence to live, and I promise to do my small part, together with others, to make a big difference.
Saturday, groups did clean-ups and mural paintings in public parks. Unfortunately, I had to miss it because I had other commitments in QP.
In between, they listened to talks about conservation, project ideas, and leadership. On Sunday, they were all presented with certificates, a sure-to-please staple of Panamanian cermony.
On Sunday, in sweltering heat, we boarded a bus that dropped us back off in QP. I thought the kids would be in a hurry to get home, but as we stepped off the bus, all of a sudden they were REALLY.EXCITED.AGAIN. They wanted to go back to my house to ¨debrief.¨ I sat awestruck as they animatedly recounted every moment, all the activities, songs sung, and lessons learned.
A fellow PCV recently made the comment that he´glad I like to do youth development work, beacuse he is much more results-oriented, and likes to see something tangible come of his work. In my experience, I have have been much more satisfied in my work with kids than adults. They seem to genuinely appreciate the efforts I make and value the intangibles-- leadership, communication skills, teamwork and community involvement. Most adults are less appreciative of the education I have offered, and only view progress as something to be seen-- infrastructure in the form of latrines, aqueducts, buildings, whatever. But these things have little value if the people lack the knowledge and initiative to do the work themselves. This is the second time I´ve taken kids out of the community for a camp (I wrote about the other time here.), and watching the quietest one emerge as leaders and dive into new experiences with complete willingness to learn and participate feels an awful lot like real progress to me.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Project Updates and FAQ.
How is the latrine project going?
It could be worse. It could be better. The hardest part is trying to secure funding.
I put about six months into trying to work with government agencies for . They are the Panama equivalents to our Department of Health, or EAP. These agencies are theoretically responsible for managing and/or funding projects country-wide. I say theoretically because due to a variety of reasons, in my experience at least, many tend to be unable or unwilling to do it. Despite all of the obstacles, I still thought working with local authorities was a more ¨sustainable¨option. My committee could develop the project with personel they could have lasting relationships with, and learn more about how to interact with formal governement agencies (I wrote a little about this before here.), which many are intimidated to do . At the outset anyway, it looked like we would have less trouble finding support, because I would be there as a liason for the duraction of the project.
The other choice for project funding is what is called a PCPP-- Peace Corps Partnership Program. Volunteers essentailly write a grant proposal, which is posted on the Peace Corps Web site, and rely on organizations, individuals, and other interested parties to fund the project. I was initially hesistant about using this option because I felt that the funding for a project with a resonable budget should come from within Panama. My community members cannot replicate the PCPP process after I leave, and I run the risk of having them view this project as something I did for them or brought to them, rather than something they acheived for themselves. To me, that is worse than not building any latrines at all. The upside of the PCPP is that it does allow us more control in the actual planning and managing of the project, which is a huge learning opportunity for me and my community members, and almost makes up for the funding aspects.
Up until last week, we were still trying to work with the agencies. About a month ago, I presented my latrine committee with the option of a PCPP, and they still chose to try the agency approach. On Friday, when the Ministry of Health (the most recent of the agencies we´ve tried to work with) s tood us up for a charla they insisted they give, we reached the end of the line. This came after months of cancelled meetings, ignored phone calls, and a complete lack of direction. My committee was unwilling to continue that way, and I was too. Most of our time was spent waiting, and we had little to show for the months we´d invested. There was no guarantee they would ever be able to fund the project anyway. So with a little prodding from me, they chose to go ahead with the PCPP, where the funding is a more sure thing. Furthermore, about half of participating families want composting latrines, which are more costly and harder to get agencies to support (This will be an explanation for another post).
So I have one more charla to do with them about the use and maintenence of latrines, then I will work the committees to teach them how to make a budget, work plans, and other necessary pre-planning. Then I will submit this with the rest of the PCPP and try to do as much fundraising as I can from here. It should take a few months to raise all the money, and then we can begin contruction.
People outside of the Peace Corps bubble sometimes struggle to understand this process. Why it takes a year to get this far. For better or for worse, that is what grassroots development is. I walked into a community that didn´t know what Peace Corps was, thought I was either a) rich or b) a bad guy, and had a heck of a lot to learn about latrines and project planning. Before even talking about projects, I had to gain their trust first, get to know them, and identify their real needs. After we decided on a latrine project, we established a committee, and I began the slow process of trying to start a project with them.
Other development agencies might have written the community a check or delivered the materials, without deciding who should participate, and whether the people knew how to use or maintain latrines. Ten years ago, the Minsitry of Health did something similar to this, and recipients used all the materials for latrines to build chicken coops. People in my community are used to going to the bathroom in the woods, or the creek, and the latrine use presents a lot of issues. They are not for everyone. Not yet, anyway.
It takes time to determine real interest, provide trainings about disease transmission, use and maintencnce, and see who is still interested at the end . Projects that hand things out and don´t do the groundwork first fail, especially in rural areas like mine. I don´t want this project to fail. So while it has been slow, I think it will be more successful in the end, and in the meantime, I have stayed busy enough with other side projects and work in other communities. But I look forward to actually getting this project off the ground when we start building. My counterpart organized our first work day to start digging latrine holes this Saturday to keep motivation and focus. And you know, that whole if you dig it, it will come thing.
What do people do for work?
Most people in my community are subsistence farmers and do not have other jobs. Their chief income is from their cocoa farms. Harvest time is October through early January, and that is when they make their largest profits (up to a few hundred dollars a month for someone with a well-maintained well-producing farm). As for where they get the rest of their money, I am still not sure. Some families sell oranges, lemons, or root vegetables for some extra income. Others also collect welfare checks each month, and use the scholarship money the government awards to students to make ends meet. The people are poor, but they are genearlly able to meet their basic needs. This complacency, combined with a lack of education and capital makes upward movement uncommon.
What are education levels?
People over 30 in my community mostly made it to sixth grade, some stopped earlier. Back then, there was no highway through the community, and to continue past sixth grade meant taking a boat to a community that had a junior high. This was costly and required that students stay overnight with family that lived where the school was, or madke some other arrangement. Few continued. Today, we have Pre-K through 9th grade in my community, which is more than most Ngobe communities have. Unfortunately, for those that make it to 9th grade, few continue on because that means traveling to another community by bus. This costs 50 cents a day and this cost, combined with uniforms and school supplies, is too high for most familist in my village. Last year, only two boys graduated high school from our community. I do think that education and schools are more valued now than they must have been years ago, but it is still hard to see families keep their kids at home due to a lack of money or hope that the investment is worth it.
It could be worse. It could be better. The hardest part is trying to secure funding.
I put about six months into trying to work with government agencies for . They are the Panama equivalents to our Department of Health, or EAP. These agencies are theoretically responsible for managing and/or funding projects country-wide. I say theoretically because due to a variety of reasons, in my experience at least, many tend to be unable or unwilling to do it. Despite all of the obstacles, I still thought working with local authorities was a more ¨sustainable¨option. My committee could develop the project with personel they could have lasting relationships with, and learn more about how to interact with formal governement agencies (I wrote a little about this before here.), which many are intimidated to do . At the outset anyway, it looked like we would have less trouble finding support, because I would be there as a liason for the duraction of the project.
The other choice for project funding is what is called a PCPP-- Peace Corps Partnership Program. Volunteers essentailly write a grant proposal, which is posted on the Peace Corps Web site, and rely on organizations, individuals, and other interested parties to fund the project. I was initially hesistant about using this option because I felt that the funding for a project with a resonable budget should come from within Panama. My community members cannot replicate the PCPP process after I leave, and I run the risk of having them view this project as something I did for them or brought to them, rather than something they acheived for themselves. To me, that is worse than not building any latrines at all. The upside of the PCPP is that it does allow us more control in the actual planning and managing of the project, which is a huge learning opportunity for me and my community members, and almost makes up for the funding aspects.
Up until last week, we were still trying to work with the agencies. About a month ago, I presented my latrine committee with the option of a PCPP, and they still chose to try the agency approach. On Friday, when the Ministry of Health (the most recent of the agencies we´ve tried to work with) s tood us up for a charla they insisted they give, we reached the end of the line. This came after months of cancelled meetings, ignored phone calls, and a complete lack of direction. My committee was unwilling to continue that way, and I was too. Most of our time was spent waiting, and we had little to show for the months we´d invested. There was no guarantee they would ever be able to fund the project anyway. So with a little prodding from me, they chose to go ahead with the PCPP, where the funding is a more sure thing. Furthermore, about half of participating families want composting latrines, which are more costly and harder to get agencies to support (This will be an explanation for another post).
So I have one more charla to do with them about the use and maintenence of latrines, then I will work the committees to teach them how to make a budget, work plans, and other necessary pre-planning. Then I will submit this with the rest of the PCPP and try to do as much fundraising as I can from here. It should take a few months to raise all the money, and then we can begin contruction.
People outside of the Peace Corps bubble sometimes struggle to understand this process. Why it takes a year to get this far. For better or for worse, that is what grassroots development is. I walked into a community that didn´t know what Peace Corps was, thought I was either a) rich or b) a bad guy, and had a heck of a lot to learn about latrines and project planning. Before even talking about projects, I had to gain their trust first, get to know them, and identify their real needs. After we decided on a latrine project, we established a committee, and I began the slow process of trying to start a project with them.
Other development agencies might have written the community a check or delivered the materials, without deciding who should participate, and whether the people knew how to use or maintain latrines. Ten years ago, the Minsitry of Health did something similar to this, and recipients used all the materials for latrines to build chicken coops. People in my community are used to going to the bathroom in the woods, or the creek, and the latrine use presents a lot of issues. They are not for everyone. Not yet, anyway.
It takes time to determine real interest, provide trainings about disease transmission, use and maintencnce, and see who is still interested at the end . Projects that hand things out and don´t do the groundwork first fail, especially in rural areas like mine. I don´t want this project to fail. So while it has been slow, I think it will be more successful in the end, and in the meantime, I have stayed busy enough with other side projects and work in other communities. But I look forward to actually getting this project off the ground when we start building. My counterpart organized our first work day to start digging latrine holes this Saturday to keep motivation and focus. And you know, that whole if you dig it, it will come thing.
What do people do for work?
Most people in my community are subsistence farmers and do not have other jobs. Their chief income is from their cocoa farms. Harvest time is October through early January, and that is when they make their largest profits (up to a few hundred dollars a month for someone with a well-maintained well-producing farm). As for where they get the rest of their money, I am still not sure. Some families sell oranges, lemons, or root vegetables for some extra income. Others also collect welfare checks each month, and use the scholarship money the government awards to students to make ends meet. The people are poor, but they are genearlly able to meet their basic needs. This complacency, combined with a lack of education and capital makes upward movement uncommon.
What are education levels?
People over 30 in my community mostly made it to sixth grade, some stopped earlier. Back then, there was no highway through the community, and to continue past sixth grade meant taking a boat to a community that had a junior high. This was costly and required that students stay overnight with family that lived where the school was, or madke some other arrangement. Few continued. Today, we have Pre-K through 9th grade in my community, which is more than most Ngobe communities have. Unfortunately, for those that make it to 9th grade, few continue on because that means traveling to another community by bus. This costs 50 cents a day and this cost, combined with uniforms and school supplies, is too high for most familist in my village. Last year, only two boys graduated high school from our community. I do think that education and schools are more valued now than they must have been years ago, but it is still hard to see families keep their kids at home due to a lack of money or hope that the investment is worth it.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The value of a book
One of the greatest parts of Peace Corps is the open-endedness, and the fact that we can work on any side project we see fit. A few months ago, I approached my school´s principal about creating a library for the students. I have never seen a story book in anyone´s house, and until this year, the student´s weren´t even allowed to bring their textbooks home after school. Panamanian education is still on the rote memorization mode. Children copy from the board, fill in blanks, and have little chance to be creative. Because of this, and a lack of resources, many kids read below-level. The school allocates its small funds to the bare necessities, and the children come from poor families who make big enough financial sacrifices geting their children to class each day.
Kids haven´t had the chance to love to read.
I am asking for your help, to make a small donation to my project with the International Book Project. They collect donated books, and ask us to raise only the cost of shipping. If I raise $200, a 35-pound box of Spanish-language books will be sent and we can start the library. The principal has promised me a space in a spare room and her support to keep the library going after I´m gone. When the books arrive, I will organize a work day with parents to prepare the room, and set up a schedule for book lending.
You all know me personally and know that reading is a big part of who I am, and a huge part of my Peace Corps service. I´ve started reading stories to kids in my neighborhood with some books I´ve bought, and their interest is genuine and lasting.
¨But Cati, how can Peter Pan fly? Can we fly?¨
No one´s read to them before, and most of them have never seen story books. The potential value of the library is obvious.
If 20 people make a 10-dollar donation, I´ll meet my goal. Here is how you can donate:
You may donate by sending a check to:
Kids haven´t had the chance to love to read.
I am asking for your help, to make a small donation to my project with the International Book Project. They collect donated books, and ask us to raise only the cost of shipping. If I raise $200, a 35-pound box of Spanish-language books will be sent and we can start the library. The principal has promised me a space in a spare room and her support to keep the library going after I´m gone. When the books arrive, I will organize a work day with parents to prepare the room, and set up a schedule for book lending.
You all know me personally and know that reading is a big part of who I am, and a huge part of my Peace Corps service. I´ve started reading stories to kids in my neighborhood with some books I´ve bought, and their interest is genuine and lasting.
¨But Cati, how can Peter Pan fly? Can we fly?¨
No one´s read to them before, and most of them have never seen story books. The potential value of the library is obvious.
If 20 people make a 10-dollar donation, I´ll meet my goal. Here is how you can donate:
You may donate by sending a check to:
International Book Project
1440 Delaware Avenue
Lexington, KY 40505.
You may also donate online via credit card by going to www.internationalbookproject.
Monday, May 31, 2010
PML- The artful execution
I am happy to report that the act of getting everyone to PML ended up being the hardest part. And gracias a dios, because if things had continued as they did in The Build Up, it´s likely I´d have collapsed mid-way through the seminar from exhaustion.
We touched on many themes during the course of two days, and each topic was followed by practice or activities on the part of the participants. We PCVs provided the comic relief in the form of over-the-top skits and ice-breakers that helped reinforce topics, or just infuse the process with a little more FUN.
Time and Money Management: In this session, partcipants practiced using an agenda to manage time and worked with personal budgets to help them think more critically about how to save and spend their money. For poor farmers, who see most of their yearly income in the course of a few months of cocoa seasion, this session was invaluable. Many identified it as the most useful.
How to facilitate group interaction: This focuses on how groups fall into dysfunction, and how to prevent it through conflict resolution. Our water committee is ineffective primarily because of ¨people issues,¨ ie gossip, lack of responsibility, lack of group vision, etc. We offered strategies to solve problems and they practiced in small groups using a tool called POCA to work through issues on the personal and group levels.
¨I solved the problem!¨ Willy is 18, but his emotions are always splattered all over his face as if we were six. He was excited to show me what he learned from the days session, about being proactive and going the extra mile to actually solve your problem. His pride and eagerness for praise were endearing to say the least.
Bucket-Filling: So we all have a bucket...This session is basically about positive reinforcement and encouraging people through sincere compliments. Your bucket is full when you feel appreciated and valued, and empty when you feel the opposite. Kind of touchy-feely, but who doesn´t want a full bucket? PCVs love this activity, and it´s amazing/hilarious to do it with Ngobes, who are completely unaccustomed to the idea of positive feedback. So after Cat and I did a demonstration, with actual ladels and buckets of water, we gave everyone an envelope, markers, tape, and Post-Its. They wrote their own names on the envelopes, and wrote anonymous bucket-fillers to their group-members, Cat, and me. They were clearly tickled and I plan to find more ways to sneak bucket-filling into whatever community activities I have.
Are you wondering my people think of me? Here is the most forcefu bucket-fillerl, written without puncuation, in stanza-like form: Cati, pretty, white skin, blue eyes, I love you Cati.
Well that´s nice.
Agency Interaction: Here we went over the how-tos of working with agencies, mostly having to do with phone etiquette and how to prepare for meetings. We did role plays for each participant, having to make an appointment by phone call, how to arrive at the office, be friendly with the secretary and act professional in the meeting with the agency rep. Some of them got quite into it, donning costumes and fake names. Others were overcome by nervousness and giggles and could hardly keep it together.
The takeaway: I had pre-emptively apologized to Gary, Peggy and Cat for what I aassumed would be a gross lack of participation and interest on my community´s part. No one was enthusiastic about going, I felt they didn´t really understand why I invited them, and were less-than-pleased about donating two full days to one of Cati´s causes, which they referred to as a ¨meeting¨despite my insistent use of the word ¨workshop.¨
I am thrilled to my core to say that I was completley wrong on all accounts. They exceeded my expectations in every way. They listened, and really listened, participated actively, had fun, and learned a lot. We received hugely uplifting feedback, and they asked me to do some similar charlas in the school because they´ve never a training so well-prepared and useful, they said.
My month of preparation, stress, and moments of literal physical pain were worth it. So many times I question my value to them, what impact I can possibly have, and if perhaps I made a mis-step embarking on one of the most naive journeys one can take on this side of sanity. But just as many times, I´ve learned what it is to actually feel your heart swell for people. To be so surprised and delighted that all you can do is grin and admit you were wrong. This definitely fell into the latter category. I view the concepts taught in PML as a useful stepping stone and reference port for all future work with the committees, and I am grateful it went off without a hitch. Maybe now they´ll even be a little more eager for the next ¨meeting.¨One can dream.
Bucket-Filling: So we all have a bucket...This session is basically about positive reinforcement and encouraging people through sincere compliments. Your bucket is full when you feel appreciated and valued, and empty when you feel the opposite. Kind of touchy-feely, but who doesn´t want a full bucket? PCVs love this activity, and it´s amazing/hilarious to do it with Ngobes, who are completely unaccustomed to the idea of positive feedback. So after Cat and I did a demonstration, with actual ladels and buckets of water, we gave everyone an envelope, markers, tape, and Post-Its. They wrote their own names on the envelopes, and wrote anonymous bucket-fillers to their group-members, Cat, and me. They were clearly tickled and I plan to find more ways to sneak bucket-filling into whatever community activities I have.
Are you wondering my people think of me? Here is the most forcefu bucket-fillerl, written without puncuation, in stanza-like form: Cati, pretty, white skin, blue eyes, I love you Cati.
Well that´s nice.
Agency Interaction: Here we went over the how-tos of working with agencies, mostly having to do with phone etiquette and how to prepare for meetings. We did role plays for each participant, having to make an appointment by phone call, how to arrive at the office, be friendly with the secretary and act professional in the meeting with the agency rep. Some of them got quite into it, donning costumes and fake names. Others were overcome by nervousness and giggles and could hardly keep it together.
The takeaway: I had pre-emptively apologized to Gary, Peggy and Cat for what I aassumed would be a gross lack of participation and interest on my community´s part. No one was enthusiastic about going, I felt they didn´t really understand why I invited them, and were less-than-pleased about donating two full days to one of Cati´s causes, which they referred to as a ¨meeting¨despite my insistent use of the word ¨workshop.¨
I am thrilled to my core to say that I was completley wrong on all accounts. They exceeded my expectations in every way. They listened, and really listened, participated actively, had fun, and learned a lot. We received hugely uplifting feedback, and they asked me to do some similar charlas in the school because they´ve never a training so well-prepared and useful, they said.
My month of preparation, stress, and moments of literal physical pain were worth it. So many times I question my value to them, what impact I can possibly have, and if perhaps I made a mis-step embarking on one of the most naive journeys one can take on this side of sanity. But just as many times, I´ve learned what it is to actually feel your heart swell for people. To be so surprised and delighted that all you can do is grin and admit you were wrong. This definitely fell into the latter category. I view the concepts taught in PML as a useful stepping stone and reference port for all future work with the committees, and I am grateful it went off without a hitch. Maybe now they´ll even be a little more eager for the next ¨meeting.¨One can dream.
Monday, May 24, 2010
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...)
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...)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Not exactly the 9-5 Dolly was singing about
I am in David today and tomorrow, doing a lot of work on the computer that I haven´t had time to take care of earlier. That, and I hadn´t taken a ¨personal day¨out of site since vacation in March, and I found myself getting grumpy with some of my near and dear community members. When I get grumpy, I know it´s time for a time out. I think I just needed some ice cream.
So anyway, the end of April was busy, and May is shaping up to look like more of the same. Here´s a summary of what I´ve been up to.
1. On the latrine front: Last Monday, my latrine committee and I met with a representative from ANAM, the government´s environmental agency, to complete a community diagnostic activity. It is the first of several steps we will complete in order to plan our latrine project and obtain funds. ANAM itself won´t provide them, but our contact with this agency can help us obtain money from another, or a private donor, and the documents we complete with them can be used as jumping-off points for future projects. They were incredibly pleased with the committee, and said they did a great job participating. This of course made all my community members beam with pride, and many of them came to talk to me afterward to see if I agreed that yes, they did a great job! I also invited a representative from the Ministry of Health (MINSA), who was very helpful and enthusiastic.
Our next step from here involves filling out a detailed project plan, which I will do over the course of several weeks with my counterpart at ANAM´s office in Changuinola. I would like to involve the rest of the committee members in this process as much as possible, but I´m still thinking about how I can best do that.
2. On the water front: My latrine committee held its ¨elections¨ on Friday, and I came to brief them first with a charla about the roles and responsibilities of each member of the board. It went well, and they seemed grateful for the information. It seem the President has given the laws that the committee must follow no more than a cursory glance, and everyone was prepared to vote for and fill positions they weren´t entirely sure about.
The biggest obstacle I have had in working with my water committee has been that the group is extremely dysfunctional. They have all of these internal issues, grudges, family histories, gossip, whatever, that prevents them from communicating, working as a team, or well, working at all. I also presented a few notes on the virtues and vices of good team work, and tried to offer some motivation for the future. After having just completed six months in service, only now are the members starting to tell me the true past of the aqueduct committee, and everyone´s story is different. The common themes are: corruption, selfishness, rule-breaking, lack of responsibility.
The other obstacle I have been met with is that, until recently, no one seemed willing to work on the problems. But sometimes you just have to give people time. After months of gentle, and sometimes, not-so-gentle prodding, the President and the Vice President seem more willing to listen to what I have to say and the charlas, trainings, and work days that I have offered. They see now that neither the committee nor the water system is functioning as it should. The biggest problems I have seen since arriving here in Panama among water commitees are people issues, organization, motivation, or conflict issues. The technical stuff is easy once you have a strong team. Now I just have to get them to believe me.
3. The kids: A few weeks ago, I went around to the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades to talk about Panama Verde. It is an environmental group that was founded by a Peace Corps volunteer, but is now managed on a national level by Panamanians. It promotes conservation projects and the development of leadership skills among youth with equal emphasis.
In my community, all of our biggest creeks run directly to the ocean. They are contaminated with chemicals, trash, and human excrement. Candy, cookie and food wrappers litter the ground. People burn trash-laden with plastics, and the breeze blows it all back into their house. Most families cook on fogons in their houses, which are essentially indoor campfires which use use copiuous amounts of firewood (deforestation). The thick, black smoke blows right back at them. The lungs of all of my neighbor´s children rattle. (I am hoping that my group will be interested in a stove project I plan to suggest... more coming on this) Obviously there are dozens of opportunities for environmental education and projects in my QP. Panama Verde empowers the jovenes (youth-ish 12-25) to take it on themselves. I am a counselor for the group. I give them ideas, help them fundraise, teach them through charlas, activities, and games, but they also form their own governing board (directiva), and take on more and more as time goes on. One group that was started by a Peace Corps volunteer a few years ago in a neighboring town is now run entirely by the jovenes without any help from adults.
That for me is the most exciting part. The development of self-esteem, problem-solving, and leadership skills. These kids have very few opportunities for that, and in fact, have very few opportunities to just hang out and be kids. If they are not in school, they are working in the finca or taking care of younger siblings. Panama Verde is a real opportunity for them to think about personal development, all while helping out their community.
I had a list of 73 kids who said they wanted to participate. So, I invited the regional coordinator for Panama Verde to come and help me with a charla to explain more clearly what PV is and what sort of work we would do. I was hoping for a group of 10-15. That meeting was Saturday, and six students came. But, as the coordinator pointed out to me, those are the ones who really wanted to be there. And they seemed genuinely excited and dedicated. I plan to recruit a few more members, and we´ll have a swear-in at the end of May.
4. Project Management and Leadership (PML)! Peace Corps invites all of its volunteers to bring a counterpart to a PML conference after five months in site. I was unable to attend mine because I was held up in the clinic with that bothersome foot infection, but my counterpart did attend, and loved it. The conference focuses on the following themes: Identifying Personal Goals, Values, and Missions for Groups, Time and Money Management, Forming Effective Groups, Facilitating Group Interaction, Formal Letter Writing, and Interacting with Agencies.
The information seems fairly basic to us, but for many of the Panamanian or indigenous peoples we work with, PML might be the first time anyone told them to write down their appointments in an agenda, or that to offer someone positive re-inforcement is better than negative, or even how keeping close track of your monthly expenses can help you save money. The ideas are simple, but many have never had opportunities to properly learn and practice them. Many of the counterparts get a lot out of it, some of it is over their heads, but at the very least, it is a reward away from the communities, and a chance for them to feel special. The idea is that they can help their PCV present these concepts in their communities at a later date.
Enter Cati! I am bringing PML to QP this month, condensing three days of material into two, and presenting it all with the help of three other volunteer friends. I invited all the members of my latrine and water committees, and so far, everyone seems willing to come. I typed up formal letter invitations and hand-delivered each. I think this helped, they respect a formal letter. I am trying to obtain some donations of materials from a local bookstore in Changuinola, and will be busy prepping the materials in the coming weeks. I am super excited to work with my counterpart Lucas and my committees in a new capacity, and one that will empower them and provide them with some legitimate tools to continue forward. And, it´s always good to bring in back-up volunteer reinforcements. (Three other people are saying what Cati is saying... maybe now I´ll consider it!)
5. Spent two days surveying for a new aqueduct system in a nearby PCV community. The tool we use to survey is a water level, which provides measurements that are much more accurate than a GPS or abney level or whatever other tools other professionals might use. Water levels have been used in various forms for centuries, and work on the principal that water always looks for its own level. Picture: a reservoir tank out of which exits a clear plastic tube which extends for 50 feet of length, and then another 10 feet up a straight pole, with a measuring tape attached. As you move along the terrain, you maintain the reservoir higher than the pole, and move from point to point. The water level gives you the change in altitude between the two points, and the marks you´ve made on the length of the tube tell you the distance. This, combined with measuring a source and doing basic population forecasting, are the first steps in planning for an aqueduct system. The water level is a PC favorite because it is something we can do with our community members, and helps them understand some of the basic principals of gravity-flow water systems.
So that´s what I´ve been up to.
The days we surveyed were HOT AS HADES, but it was fun to do some real dirty work, and the company of other PCVs is always appreciated. This is kind of a ridiculous pose I am striking but que va...
So on Tuesday, I am leaving for three days of aqueduct technical training in one of our group 64 volunteer´s sites. I am excited to see all of my EH folks again, since I felt robbed and socially-deprived after missing PML in March.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Maestra Cati
I have been teaching English once or twice a week to a diminished but determined group of students since the end of January. While it´s not part of my official Peace Corps assignment, I told everyone that I would be happy to offer a class as long as people showed up, studied, and took it seriously. I am still en la lucha (in the fight) with the studying, but most of the group continues to impress me with their dedication and patience.
I say patience because most of them have been out of school for years, and as one remarked recently, ¨I haven´t written anything in 23 years.¨I struggle with trying to teach them because the only way I know to teach is grammatically--that is how I learned and understood Spanish, and drawing comparisons and explaining structure grammatically is what makes sense to me. But they don´t know what subjects, verbs, nouns, objects, or anything else are, and half of them didn´t make it past sixth grade. And pobrecitos (poor things), they sit there and listen to me trying to navigate my way through Spanish and English and never criticize, just copy, copy, copy. It´s a strange experience correcting their homework, because often their Spanish is wrong, and I am never sure whether to correct their conjugations and spellings in Spanish as well. I am unsure whether it affects their understanding of English. Despite all of that, they do rather well and I was impressed with the results of their first test.
In mid-May, we´ll have our last class of what I have named Ingles Basico I. Those who wish to continue will graduate and start Ingles Basico II in June. I plan to present them with certificates and a photo of the class as a reward. (Some students who have dropped-out heard about the picture-taking and certificate-earning, and they have become very jealous! I have been receiving petulant visitors to my house trying to find ways to bargain for a certificate. All denied!)
I´ve gone back and forth trying to decide whether I enjoy teaching. Some days I throw a lesson together right before class, and just go through the motions. Other days I feel a certain glee in seeing what they´ve learned and the smiles on their faces when we play the games I´ve prepared. I´ve always tried to keep the class lively-- participatory learning is of course the cornerstone of Peace Corps. We have plenty of activities, competitions, prizes, and games to keep them on their toes. I only wish I had more resources or time to prepare better classes, but lack of computer access makes things difficult.
A picture of the happy students, who really are happy, despite their straight-faced Ngobe picture-taking style:
I say patience because most of them have been out of school for years, and as one remarked recently, ¨I haven´t written anything in 23 years.¨I struggle with trying to teach them because the only way I know to teach is grammatically--that is how I learned and understood Spanish, and drawing comparisons and explaining structure grammatically is what makes sense to me. But they don´t know what subjects, verbs, nouns, objects, or anything else are, and half of them didn´t make it past sixth grade. And pobrecitos (poor things), they sit there and listen to me trying to navigate my way through Spanish and English and never criticize, just copy, copy, copy. It´s a strange experience correcting their homework, because often their Spanish is wrong, and I am never sure whether to correct their conjugations and spellings in Spanish as well. I am unsure whether it affects their understanding of English. Despite all of that, they do rather well and I was impressed with the results of their first test.
In mid-May, we´ll have our last class of what I have named Ingles Basico I. Those who wish to continue will graduate and start Ingles Basico II in June. I plan to present them with certificates and a photo of the class as a reward. (Some students who have dropped-out heard about the picture-taking and certificate-earning, and they have become very jealous! I have been receiving petulant visitors to my house trying to find ways to bargain for a certificate. All denied!)
I´ve gone back and forth trying to decide whether I enjoy teaching. Some days I throw a lesson together right before class, and just go through the motions. Other days I feel a certain glee in seeing what they´ve learned and the smiles on their faces when we play the games I´ve prepared. I´ve always tried to keep the class lively-- participatory learning is of course the cornerstone of Peace Corps. We have plenty of activities, competitions, prizes, and games to keep them on their toes. I only wish I had more resources or time to prepare better classes, but lack of computer access makes things difficult.
A picture of the happy students, who really are happy, despite their straight-faced Ngobe picture-taking style:
Friday, February 5, 2010
The doctor is out
Health is a fun topic. No matter who you are, or how much access to education you´ve had, you probably still harbor some baseless medical theories, or cling to a magical cure that you swear will knock out a fever, stomach ache, low bone density, or what-have-you better than anything else out there. In my magical Ngobe village, it is the exact same, but more extreme, because bush medicine reigns supreme, and people hate going to the doctor. I have trouble walking the line between enjoying their stories to intervening when they say something that is completely untrue and bordering on harmful.
So my neighbor Julio is a ball of energy, and he has taken to coming over several nights a week (despite my loosely-enforced stay-out-of -my -house-after-dark policy). He is always overflowing with questions and enthusiasm, and sometimes I can´t bring myself to turn him away. Eventually his wife and sleepy children parade in one by one, and I am left explaining every medical condition or strange news story he has ever encountered while the kids fall asleep on the cement floor.
Last week, I exceeded even my own expectations and explained The Pregnant Man, and led him slowly but surely through a conversation about sex, gender, and sexuality. Last night, he came over and all of a sudden said, "What about AIDS!!!"
What about AIDS, Julio? I should be thankful, because Peace Corps wants us to teach all about HIV/AIDS, sexually-transmitted diseases, and other sex and gender issues on the side, and his questions give me great practice. He told me all about how he never eats in Almirante, because the plates could have AIDS, and also that he used to fear sitting on warm seats because the heat could have AIDS!!
This soon led us into a larger discussion about health matters in general, because he knew I was sick and had to come back to the city today for a blood test. He told me not to wash my face or brush my teeth before, because otherwise they couldn´t take the blood. To which I responded with one of my favorite exclamations, "Mentira!" Lie! He then told me another story about a time he was going to donate blood, and couldn´t because his wife was pregnant. Another mentira! (Although that´s kind of a cute idea. His blood is "weak" because his señora is preggers... like sympathy pains!) Then, he said he hasn´t been feeling well and the solution would be to fill himself up with horse blood. Because, you know? Horses are really strong.
Please join me in a collective sigh.
Lucky for me, Julio is a smart guy and he usually latches on to my lessons quickly, and can laugh at himself when I tell him frankly that his theory is way-off.
Bush medicine is still very popular in my community, and Julio`s wife´s uncle apparently had an herbal cure for cancer, which he distributed to Ngobes, gringos, latinos, and Afro-Antilleans alike who flocked to him. This magical recipe died with him, unfortuately, and it seems The World Will Never Know.
But in all seriousness, they do have success with a lot of herbal remedies for stomach upset, diarrhea, topical infections, snake bites and other such merriment that comes along with living in the campo. The medicines often work, and people only go to the clinic as a last resort. Those treatments have been along a lot longer than modern medicine, and are well-respected in the Bocas region. I would like to learn a lot more about what they use and how they know (one otherwise down-to-earth guy told me he dreams the cures). Of course, Peace Corps medical policy tells me I have to go to a real doctor, which is okay by me, because I don´t want to wait around for Green Plant Number 342 to kill my giardia.
But as I plan charlas about health education, it is important to incorporate both lines of thinking-- traditional herbal cures, and other modern ways they can treat common problems like diarrhea with rehydration drinks, etc. You have to start with what they already know, and build from there. No one will listen if I say everything they know is wrong. Because of course it isn´t. They will always know way more about what medicine the earth offers than I ever will. But the horse blood thing? I am definitely right about that.
So my neighbor Julio is a ball of energy, and he has taken to coming over several nights a week (despite my loosely-enforced stay-out-of -my -house-after-dark policy). He is always overflowing with questions and enthusiasm, and sometimes I can´t bring myself to turn him away. Eventually his wife and sleepy children parade in one by one, and I am left explaining every medical condition or strange news story he has ever encountered while the kids fall asleep on the cement floor.
Last week, I exceeded even my own expectations and explained The Pregnant Man, and led him slowly but surely through a conversation about sex, gender, and sexuality. Last night, he came over and all of a sudden said, "What about AIDS!!!"
What about AIDS, Julio? I should be thankful, because Peace Corps wants us to teach all about HIV/AIDS, sexually-transmitted diseases, and other sex and gender issues on the side, and his questions give me great practice. He told me all about how he never eats in Almirante, because the plates could have AIDS, and also that he used to fear sitting on warm seats because the heat could have AIDS!!
This soon led us into a larger discussion about health matters in general, because he knew I was sick and had to come back to the city today for a blood test. He told me not to wash my face or brush my teeth before, because otherwise they couldn´t take the blood. To which I responded with one of my favorite exclamations, "Mentira!" Lie! He then told me another story about a time he was going to donate blood, and couldn´t because his wife was pregnant. Another mentira! (Although that´s kind of a cute idea. His blood is "weak" because his señora is preggers... like sympathy pains!) Then, he said he hasn´t been feeling well and the solution would be to fill himself up with horse blood. Because, you know? Horses are really strong.
Please join me in a collective sigh.
Lucky for me, Julio is a smart guy and he usually latches on to my lessons quickly, and can laugh at himself when I tell him frankly that his theory is way-off.
Bush medicine is still very popular in my community, and Julio`s wife´s uncle apparently had an herbal cure for cancer, which he distributed to Ngobes, gringos, latinos, and Afro-Antilleans alike who flocked to him. This magical recipe died with him, unfortuately, and it seems The World Will Never Know.
But in all seriousness, they do have success with a lot of herbal remedies for stomach upset, diarrhea, topical infections, snake bites and other such merriment that comes along with living in the campo. The medicines often work, and people only go to the clinic as a last resort. Those treatments have been along a lot longer than modern medicine, and are well-respected in the Bocas region. I would like to learn a lot more about what they use and how they know (one otherwise down-to-earth guy told me he dreams the cures). Of course, Peace Corps medical policy tells me I have to go to a real doctor, which is okay by me, because I don´t want to wait around for Green Plant Number 342 to kill my giardia.
But as I plan charlas about health education, it is important to incorporate both lines of thinking-- traditional herbal cures, and other modern ways they can treat common problems like diarrhea with rehydration drinks, etc. You have to start with what they already know, and build from there. No one will listen if I say everything they know is wrong. Because of course it isn´t. They will always know way more about what medicine the earth offers than I ever will. But the horse blood thing? I am definitely right about that.
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