Talleres: Rural Village Project Planning

I have begun a series of workshops throughout rural Cayo under the auspices of an extraordinary Rural Community Development Officer, Mr. Orlando Jimenez. This activity has exposed me to an incredible group of community leaders who are working toward improving rural life. Basic issues are potable water, electricity, and education. Many of the villages are struggling also with creating voluntary pre-schools, community resource centers to include Internet cafes, libraries, youth groups and programs, agricultural cooperatives, health clinics, and women's committees. One community is negotiating to be part of the network of Cuban doctors serving Belize. The 4 hour session here was held on Saturday, March 26, 2011, using visual literacy techniqes (thanks to the technology of clip art!) dealing with low literacy, how to prepare proposals, where the money is in Belize, U.S., the British Commonwealth, and Europe. So far there is tremendous enthusiasm and requests for more--including next Saturday for non-profit organizations and a schedule of community meetings through June.

March is Women's Month here in Cayo too

This banner appears along the main street of the town. The government's women's department is part of the Dept. of Human Resources and Social Transformation. In Dec. it sponsored 16 days of activism. The rhetoric is quite wonderful; the situation for women is in flux.

On Sunday, March 13, 2011, we began a series of rural community development workshops in Duck Run 1, a Spanish-speaking village. Shown here is the Village Council and Mr. Orlando Jimenez who is the Rural Community Development Officer with whom I work. As an aside, Belize has very interesting village names: Duck Run 2, Duck Run 3, Teakettle, Blackman Eddy, Valley of Peace (which is a Salvadoran refugee community). We will be running sessions in Billy White and the other 17 rural villages in this area--all of which are Spanish-speaking. Duck Run 1 has successfully built a clinic and an internet cafe shown here with volunteer teachers. The Village Council is seeking to submit proposals for potable water, a sports program, and pre-school funding. These photos show the workshop and a visit to the voluntary pre-school presently using the internet cafe building. I am learning that it is easy to get funds for stuff, buildings, and supplies but not so easy for ongoing programs and services. For example, the clinic is a beautiful building but with minimal health services at this point.

More Training of Peace Corps Volunteers this time in Toledo District-March 11

No pictures but had a lovely trip to Punta Gorda on the Bay of Honduras where I did a repeat performance for the young Peace Corps Volunteers in the rural villages down south. The focus was how to prepare proposals, where to find the money, and how to think about jobs in the non-profit world when you leave the PC. I got to spend some quality time along the Caribbean Sea (I do miss water) and to enjoy the energy, enthusiasm and intelligence of this next generation with interest in "another world is possible."