Bring on the BEACH!

I have earned my vacation!!!  Yep…it’s FINALLY here, I am going on my first official vacation in Peru, and I am doing it in the beautiful beach town of Mancora with a bunch of other volunteers.  It is Semana Santa, which is 4 days leading up to Easter, and it is our “free vacation days” so I am really looking forward to it. 

However, the past few weeks have definitely been really busy  and exhausting so I am excited to get away.  I have been working on a number of things lately, but first let me give you the break down.  I technically work with 3 organizations.  The first one is the health post, that is where I spend the majority of my time, the second one is with the organization PLAN international, and the third is with the group of health promoters (women who live in the town).  However, projects I am working with in each group also overlap within the other groups.  For example, what should be our biggest project right now is the CADI, this is a center for early childhood stimulation.  My community has been given funds, toys, uniforms, and a place to hold these sessions from PLAN International, and it is run by the health promoters in the community, and my nurse in the health post helps to train the promoters. 

So basically since I am involved in all 3 organizations, this means 3 times the amount of work for me to do.  Early in the month I was in meetings with PLAN getting materials to help train the promoters and other advice, then in the health post I have been putting together presentations to give to the promoters in the following weeks on early childhood stimulation, and then I am also considered one of the health promoters so I was recently assigned a group of 8 mothers to be working with.  And the CADI is just ONE of the projects I am involved in!

This month has also been busy for other work in the health post, we have been working on a vaccination campaign for HPV, which has meant making lots of posters and banners for the community, and going into the school to give information sessions.  Also, we have been putting together information boards for the waiting room that give health statistics on the community.  This I really like, because the people typically have no clue what is going on. 

Then, with the health promoters, they are eager to start up where the previous volunteer left off with a cocinas mejoradas project (improved cooking stoves).  I appreciate their enthusiasm, but the frustrating part of this project for me is that I don’t think it is something my community needs.  From the homes I have visited where people have these stoves, they also have gas stoves to cook on.  I feel like the cocina is more of a novelty and less of a necessity.  Plus, cocinas require wood, which there is a lack of around here.  The big issue to me is latrines, we HAVE to get people from using the bathroom wherever they choose and direct it to a sanitary place (whoever thought latrines and sanitary could be used in the same sentence). 

So this past week I went with the health promoters to visit some houses and see what is going on, what the previous volunteer did and what improvements we have left to make.  Since most of these projects require a substantial amount of money, I don’t think they are feasible right now, I need more time before I can start approaching mayors and asking for loads of money.  So I have suggested dong a “health neighborhoods” project and we do small presentations on small ways to improve their homes, and the families that make the most improvements win some sort of prize, and when we do finally do a latrines or cocinas project they can be first considered.  However, my health promoters are stubborn women and want to do do do without the organization.  So convincing them is difficult. 

On another side note, I recently went to visit the library a previous volunteer had built in a neighboring town.  She had finished this up right before her close of service and never got to see some things implemented so she emailed me asking if I could check on a few things.  I was happy to do so, her library is beautiful, it was built from the ground up.  It is a one room building with a cement floor, tables and chairs and shelves of donated books.   From what I understand, some of the money donated to this project was from a family who lost their son in the United States and wanted to donate money towards something in his name.  It’s really a beautiful place, and I think it will be an excellent place for kids to spend their time.  Right now, it’s only open 2 days a week and there is a women who just sits and keeps and eye on things and the kids come and go.  My hope is to start a reading project there, and get the kids more involved, as well as other projects.
When it rains it pours!  I spent a lot of time in the beginning trying to figure out my place here, but then it all just happened and I am more busy then I ever expected to be.  I am thankful and overwhelmed, but I know it will all work out