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."

Training Peace Corps Volunteers

On Feb. 9, 2011, Fifteen PCVs assembled at the National Association of Village Councils (NAVCO) which is the umbrella organization whose mission is to improve conditions in Belize rural villages for an informal "taller." I was asked by volunteers to present my knowledge and experience related to proposal writing and grant getting for health and social projects in Central America. This first session was held for th e volunteers in the Cayo and Belize City region with 4 who came from as far away as Orange Walk and Indian Church. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm and I think the goal and take away was how volunteers might approach proposal writing and grant getting in their sites. The workshop also focused on how to find out where the funds are in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Belize. A good time was had by all. We are planning follow-up for volunteers in the other regions as well as consultation with each participant.

Tipitapa, Nicaragua: Dos Pueblos

I took a break from Belize rural community development to return to my roots of 25 years in Nicaragua by joining the Dos Pueblos: New York-Tipitapa Sister City Project delegation for 4 days of the week-long exploration of projects and hands on construction of a library and community garden. Its partner organization run by Rosa Lillian Gomez is the model of community organizing. These pictures show various aspects of the program and include two new opportunities: meeting with the National Water Commission to understand the community-based fight against water privatization and a possible partnership with Peace Corps-Nicaragua.

The Peace Corps agriculture expert, Felix, became an informal consultant--advising on a tree planting project and discussing the implications of working with a Peace Corps response unit volunteer. I am hoping that there will be help in the area of teaching, library organization, community gardens, and empowering women through such projects as microfinance. Note each of us taking a turn pumping water in the community of 15 de septiembre. It was so inspiring to see new U.S. faces and new Tipitapa community activists. The New York folks brought many, many, many books and supplies for the new library in Ciudadela. Note this young girl who picked up one of the books after the comprehensive inventory.

One really exciting development was a visit to the newly constructed Tipitapa hospital/clinic which after a decade of visiting a sad, poorly maintained, poorly supplied hospital/clinic was quite impressive. That is Felix on the left and Rosa on the right at the meeting.

Finally, here is Lupe, Dos Pueblos' Executive Director, in the "container" office of the Ciudadela Water Committee with its state of the art equipment.

A Day at Home with My San Antonio Host Family

The challenge was to prepare a dinner that is uniquely "American" so they got a dinner of lasagna, green salad, fried eggplant, Coca-cola and Sprite, banana bread, chips and salsa, and wine. They brought tamales, jicama, and the famous Belizean black cake drowning in brandy. We had a lovely afternoon; they changed clothes (here with their Sunday best) as they headed for church in the nearby village of Succotz before returning to San Antonio. It was a lovely few hours.

Holidays 2010 in Belize

My long holiday weekend began with a trip to Guatemala: Flores is an island about 2 hours from where I live. Tour books describe it as a Venetian experience; It was the home of the Itzas, descendents of the Maya, and resisted Spanish colonial rule until the end of the 17th century, becoming the last indigenous area to succumb. This a picture of two other Peace Corps Volunteers Amber and Linda crossing pristine Lake Peten Izta.

Christmas Day was spent with the Garcia family--much too much wonderful food; lots of wonderful conversation and the added celebration of daughter Christie Maria's 13th birthday. Each guest brought a cake so there were seven! birthday cakes including my well-received chocolate on chocolate cake with candles. The mom Ethel has become a wonderful friend. That's her drapped across the couch; husband Margar and me surrounded and hidden a bit by the children. Also visiting was a Salvadorian artist who was very interested in my involvement with Nicaragua over the years.

The next day was Boxing Day--a British Commonwealth holiday supposed the day to box up the gifts you don't want to give to the poor. Spent at a Puerto Rican party of Andre and Nan Lopez who have been wonderful friends. They built their own house in Bullet Tree Falls as expats. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1960s (talks about how good we have it with Internet, cell phones, etc.); he is a photographer originally from Puerto Rico and got interested in the Spanish Civil War and met Harry and Moe Fishman in New York after doing a book on Gypsies in Spain. Great afternoon with discussions about history, slavery, a Brit who said Belizeans love them and Belizeans lecturing him on colonialism--I thought of our family who would have been right in the thick of discussion. (Sorry no pictures)

Monday--it was back to Guatemala. Ethel and the two Garcia children took me and Linda (PCV) to Melchor which is on the border with Belice (Spanish for Belize). The market is visions of Nicaragua (that does not exist in Belize); the Garcias and I are heavily into jewelry making and we found a stall with the best beads, wires, etc. We then visited Ethel's sister and family--the children are amazingly creative.

On the way back we stopped at the Butterfly Farm about 15 minutes from home. As beautiful as the butterflies were it was watching the Garcia children enjoying them, the nature walk that included finding unexcavated ruins, and just their general joy and inquisitiveness.

Finally, home, and greeted in my front yard by a local family. Without these neighbors how would I get up each morning at exactly 4 AM without any modern conveniences like an alarm clock?

Mary Open Doors Holiday Party in my home

I hosted a very festive holiday party for the women served by Mary Open Doors. It was unusual: we made things including jewelry and carefully followed my prized book of "99 ways to make over T shirts." The most touching moment was one woman who said for these few hours she didn't have to think about anything else. The children (all 21 of them) were hosted by the CEO's teenage daughters. A good time was had by all at both parties.

I cooked--not my usual practice--and these healthy foods were a big hit: pumpkin bread and several non-fried, non-strarchy recipes I picked up from various Peace Corps folks: deviled eggs, papaya ices, homemake salsa and even homemade chips, black bean patties, and fruit. What was not eaten was taken home.

In the future, the women said they would really like to learn crafts: knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, etc. They showed incredible talent (I actually need a Learning Annex class to make earrings--they just figured it out! This isn't really my role here but surely I would do it for fun. Special thanks to dear dear Karen Wasserman who sent me an incredible CARE package of supplies--Karen, you should see all the tools and beads in action in these photos.

Belizean Wedding

I spent the day in San Antonio Village where I had received community-based training back in April and May. I was invited to attend the wedding of my host family. What is different from a "typical" US wedding? In this village virtually no one attended the pentacostal church ceremony--but over 500 people attended the reception. The bride and groom and immediate family eat inside; the guests eat outside and only approach the house to deliver their gifts. It was an honor to be "inside"! My family is the Tzib family; the groom's family is the Tzib family--this is a Yucatec village of 2500 people with only 5 or 6 last names. One picture is me and the bridge as she was getting ready; the other is the bride and groom--note the lasso which they wore--uniting them--until dinner was served.