On Saturday, I was asked to run a workshop on project design and management for community water boards in the Cayo District. It was well-attended, although it became a serious discussion of the problems with community control. Such issue as how to deal with people that do not pay water bills, what to do when people want money for projects that might not benefit the community, and strategic planning were the hot topics. There was discussion about how if communities don't manage water the private companies will take over and then revenue goes to profit rather than community services. When I was in Nicaragua in January, we met with the national commission that is focused ona new law dedicated to keeping profit out of water. During this workshop and all I do in Belize, language becomes an interesting issue in a country where commonly spoken languages are English, Kriol, Spanish, and various Maya languages: I was asked to run the session in Spanish with one person translating for a small group into English; suddenly the Spanish group is speaking English and the English group is speaking Kriol. My head was spinning but I think communication went well. Our goal is to help villages with community development.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Community Control of Water
On Saturday, I was asked to run a workshop on project design and management for community water boards in the Cayo District. It was well-attended, although it became a serious discussion of the problems with community control. Such issue as how to deal with people that do not pay water bills, what to do when people want money for projects that might not benefit the community, and strategic planning were the hot topics. There was discussion about how if communities don't manage water the private companies will take over and then revenue goes to profit rather than community services. When I was in Nicaragua in January, we met with the national commission that is focused ona new law dedicated to keeping profit out of water. During this workshop and all I do in Belize, language becomes an interesting issue in a country where commonly spoken languages are English, Kriol, Spanish, and various Maya languages: I was asked to run the session in Spanish with one person translating for a small group into English; suddenly the Spanish group is speaking English and the English group is speaking Kriol. My head was spinning but I think communication went well. Our goal is to help villages with community development.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Encuentro Maya 2011
Mayans from Guatemala, Mexico and Belize gather each year to work together to preserve their common heritage. This year the event 
was held in Toledo District about 4 hours south of where I live. I was asked to teach earring making which I found daunting (teaching Mayans about how to make crafts?) To my surprise the children as young as 4 years took to it easily and elders (who were not invited) jumped in too. A good time was had by all--special thanks to my friend in NY Karen Wasserman who supplied all the materials and tools--I have contributed them to the children's program for future use. It was interesting because the children from northern Belize speak Mopan and Spanish or Mopan and English but no Spanish and from southern Belize and parts of Guatemala speak only native languages such as Ketchi (there are several dozen.) Communicating through beads was easy.
Wedding 2011
I have been
to more weddings in Belize this year than I've been to in the previous 10 years; this is Norma and George with parents; Norma is the sister of Juanito; George, the brother of Antonia. This family from San Antonio Village have become wonderful friends; they stopped by my house in Cayo the other night just as a huge thunderstorm. We 
experimented with the timer on my camera (the children Johanne and Julie are amazingly smart for their young ages) and this is what we came up with. Their "hats" are something we made out of something I learned as a child "horse reins" (not sure of the spelling.)
to more weddings in Belize this year than I've been to in the previous 10 years; this is Norma and George with parents; Norma is the sister of Juanito; George, the brother of Antonia. This family from San Antonio Village have become wonderful friends; they stopped by my house in Cayo the other night just as a huge thunderstorm. We 
experimented with the timer on my camera (the children Johanne and Julie are amazingly smart for their young ages) and this is what we came up with. Their "hats" are something we made out of something I learned as a child "horse reins" (not sure of the spelling.)
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