The one where I make a cheesy video...

I finally put some of my favorite pictures together to make a video! These are the kids I work with at IHNFA…. Sorry it’s super cheesy, but, what are you gonna do! Also, I think it can only be viewed in the US (sorry everyone in Honduras!)... there was some technical glitch that I think came about from a questionable audio source... I haven't quite gotten to the bottom of it yet!

To elaborate a bit more on IHNFA (Instituto Hondureno de la Ninez y la Familia), it is a government “funded” organization catering to families living in extreme poverty, and families with working mothers. Kids between the ages of 1 and 7 come and get three meals a day. There aren’t too many centers, but they are sprinkled around the country, mostly in the bigger cities. The idea, in essence, is brilliant, right? Well… it’s not quite as simple, as the “funding” for IHNFA (at least the one I work at) is minimal, barely enough to maintain the building.

At my IHNFA, since my arrival, I have been trying to involve the staff in programs that hopefully they will continue after I complete my service. We’ve done/are currently doing Colgate (dental hygiene class), story hour, Yo Se Leer (early literacy tutoring), classroom management techniques, arts/crafts, and various other less formal recreational/educational activities.

It’s been a really hard placement, and I find myself constantly re-explaining my role and reminding the staff that we need to work together to make things sustainable. But, I also feel that I’ve made great strides in this since September. And in the end, even if my co-workers don’t end up following through the way I’d like them to, that’s the beauty of the Youth Development project: We work directly with the kids too! So… regardless of project sustainability, if one child remembers one thing I’ve taught them, and applies it to his/her future, I’ve had success as a volunteer.

Another perk of getting to work WITH them directly is that I have been able to see them all progress in the 9 months that I've been here, as far as being able to hold a pencil correctly, knowing what to do with a crayon, asking questions about a story we are reading rather than looking like a deer in headlights, discovering sparkles! I am so proud of them!

I love all of the IHNFA kids dearly… the majority of the kids come from houses with no/minimal walls, sleep on the floor, or (better? worse?) in the same bed as their mother and 3-4 siblings, aren’t kept clean, and are more or less neglected at home. This leads to either overly aggressive or extremely timid behaviors, although I have seen a lot of progress in the kids that come regularly, at least the timid ones.,,. Though this is the majority, there are kids who come because their mothers go to work. It’s wonderful to see these moms come to pick up their children after work and take them home…. The other side is heartbreaking, seeing the kids leaving by themselves after the last meal is served, to walk alone to wherever it is that they live. Everyday, one 5 year old boy walks to and from IHNFA, holding his one year old brother’s hand (at the end of the day he sometimes carries his little brother because he's half-asleep)…. He and his brother aren’t enrolled because their mom works…. They are enrolled because they live in poverty… So where is mom? dad?

Semana Santa and a Reflection After 10 Months in Honduras

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a big to do all over the country- no one works, no one goes to school, basically Honduras shuts down and people go to the beach, go visit their families, or stay in town and go to church. By the end of the week, public transportation even shuts down! I went and spent the week in the city of Comayagua with 14 other of the 17 youthies from my training group. I was there all week. One group rotated out while another group rotated in before the busses stopped running. It was a lovely week, and included a trip to a gorgeous waterfall, a day lounging at a pool, an interesting trip to a Honduran “waterpark”, the biggest baleada in the Central America, a night of dancing, and some pretty crazy religious processions throughout the city.

Comayagua is known for its impressive display of “alfombras” (“rugs” made out of sawdust) that people make all through the night before Good Friday. Then, the religious procession walks right over them, essentially destroying any remaining evidence of the hard work people put into creating such awesome works of art. It was quite the event!

My friend and I also got our hair braided at a Garifuna salon! I got beads in all of my braids! That was quite the event too, as my friend is part African-American, she fit in pretty well, but yours truly was the whitest person in that room, but I think the ladies doing hair enjoyed our company very much- they let me pick out all the beads to put in my hair! Having a head full of braids was fun…. But I finally took them out so I could wash my hair after a close call lice incident at work. The day after I took them out I was walking down the street and a woman I’ve never seen comes out of her house and says “Y las trensitas???” (And the little braids????)…. I guess I really do stand out of people I don’t know keep themselves up to date on my latest hairstyles. Even “big” towns here are smaller than you can imagine.

Needless to say, it was a perfect week, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful friendships I've made among the volunteer community- they are my support system in country, and I couldn't have asked for more awesome companer@s.

Next week I’ve got an E-Zone coordinators meeting! What is E-Zone? Emergency Zone. Whenever there is an emergency (weather related, strike/protest/civil unrest related, safety related) all volunteers are separated into different “E-Zone’s” depending on their geographic location. My site mate who finished her service a few months ago was the E-Zone coordinator out in my area, and I am taking over for her! I will be the first one to get important safety and security information, and will be responsible for relaying the information to volunteers nearby. Wooo!

As far as work in Gracias goes, we are halfway through our Yo Merezco/Yo Tambien Merezco classes and will be looking into finding other groups to work with and implement the same program. We’ve been painting the recreation area at IHNFA all week, where we are also continuing with Colgate and Story Hour. The kids are still fascinated by the whole “brushing your teeth” phenomenon.

I am giving the English class for teachers another try; I had an introduction/sign up session planned in March, but no one showed up because it was the same day they went on their 5 week strike. We’ll see who shows up this Tuesday! I also know the counterpart that came with me to the math/business workshop is eager to start something, but we’ll see if I can find time.

It might not seem like I have a lot on my plate, but when you add in preparation time, working with Honduran counterparts (everything seems to take twice as long), still trying to focus at least a little bit on community integration (I go hang out with a little boy and his grandmother 3-4 afternoons a week to help him with his homework), trying to coordinate my exercise schedule around the cat-call schedule, AND the fact that I am in a country where you really should return home before dark for your own safety… well… It’s a lot! But I’m glad to keep busy. It puts missing life back in the states (where miraculously there is always running water, and for the most part giant gross bugs stay where they belong OUTSIDE) on the back burner, and forces you to focus on the here and now.

I’m only here for 2 years (only?!) I’d hate to finish my service feeling like I’ve wasted my time. Sometimes projects won’t work out or won’t be sustainable, but giving them a shot goes a long way, even if all you do is remind host country nationals that not all US citizens are power-hungry capitalists who love war and hate immigrants (just some of the many stereotypes we’ve been given). That’s 33.3% of this job.

I’ve been in Honduras just over 10 months now. Sometimes it feels like I just got here, and I still am taken aback by the cat calls, shocked by the state that people’s teeth are in, and constantly tripping on the same streets I walk down everyday. Other times I feel like I’ve been here forever, that the kids I work with are like my own, of course there’s no water to shower with, and that its normal to carry a whistle with me whenever I travel.

I can’t wait to see how the next 16 months go…. But to sum up the past ten months, I will say that now I truly understand the Peace Corps slogan (“The toughest job you’ll ever love.”)

Hope those who celebrate had a nice Easter, and to three of my dearest friends, Sarah, Stef and Jen, I hope you had amazing 23rd birthdays!

I love and miss you all MUCHISIMO!

Un Abrazo Fuerte,

Lisa

The One With the Screaming Goat

The strike ended!!!! But then it started back up, but ended again… And now it’s Semana Santa (Holy Week), which means we won’t know for another week whether or not classes have started back up, or if they will continue to be on hiatus until the government and the teachers can reach some sort of agreement.

Though it certainly has it’s challenges, these are the times when I am thankful to have a bigger site, as I was able to start both Yo Merezco and Yo Tambien Merezco with one of the private schools. These are the two programs that I went to trainings for with members from my community (courses for 10-12 year olds about abstinence, self-esteem, making good decisions, and other topics of similar nature). Both of the counterparts that came to the trainings with me have (so far) followed through with the implementation. I am coordinating the program, both the girls class and the boys class, supervising my counterparts, and also co-facilitating the girls class with my female counterpart. We have combined the fifth and sixth graders from the school to make one class with 18 girls (Yo Merezco) and one class with 10 boys (Yo Tambien Merezco). It’s much more difficult to work with private schools than public schools because they are more stingy with the amount of class time they want to give up (naturally), so we also condensed/combined some topics and are doing the program in half the sessions that the class normally takes. I also had to send home quite a detailed letter to all the parents explaining what exactly we would be talking about…the school has a religious affiliation, so we anticipated some concerns about the nature of the course (abstinence, reproduction, puberty, etc), but so far no complaints!

Colgate continues, although I have some doubts that when I’m not there, no one on staff is held accountable for making sure the kids brush (oddly enough, there is no Spanish translation for the word accountable). I understand that its chaotic to get a group of rowdy preschoolers together to brush their teeth every day (BELIEVE ME I KNOW!), but that’s what you have to do to form the habit. I know my counterparts there had explained to me how they do it when I’m not there, they stay inside and give each kid their brush and wait for them to come back and return them, which is great! Yeah, not ideal supervision, but it’s something, and if it works for them, I am happy. When I’m there I like to do it in a big circle and sing and dance. It’s ok if they don’t want to sing and dance (I usually make a bigger deal out of it because when I brush with them in coincides with a lesson)…I’m not offended. I just hope that these past two weeks, as I have been out of site at a training and with medical appointments, that the poor little toothbrushes weren’t forgotten. OH! and the last class before I left for the training, we had a special guest interrupt us... A SCREAMING GOAT! Only in Honduras...


The training we had was our 3rd of 5 Youth Development In-Service Trainings, for Business Fundamentals and Improving Math Methodology. Needless to say, I was not thrilled with the topic…. BUT my counterpart was super excited about everything, and I think he is ready to start planning the program in Gracias after Semana Santa. The program is for 5-7th graders, and talks about saving money and how to form your own business (as simple as selling popsicles). The math methodology was separate from the business program, and we learned lots of different ways to MAKE MATH FUN! That part was actually really useful for me- hopefully I will be able to make use of it in site, but if not, definitely back in the states.

We had the training at this gorgeous university campus called Zamorano- it’s a hands on agricultural college with lots of land, friendly people and an Espresso Americano. I always love getting to spend all week with the other youthies… it’s a nice reminder than we’re not in this alone. As integrated as one can be in their Peace Corps community, there is something to be said about empathy, and how far it goes. Your community members can sympathize with the challenges that come along with leaving your home/family/friends/culture/language for two years, but it’s other volunteers who truly understand. I also had an unexpected extended stay in Teguz for some medical appointments (which ended up taking the entire week)… since I live so far away, I am hardly ever in the office, so I was finally able to learn my way around. And while I was there, as horrifying as that city is, I definitely felt taken care of by the PC staff (the doctors, admn, my project team, etc). They were all so wonderful and genuinely cared- this is my first post-graduation full time work experience, so I don’t know if most jobs are like that, but it’s nice to know that other people have your back.

A quick side note about littering… I was on the bus on my way back, sitting by the window, clutching some garbage I had collected in one hand, and a book in the other, when two different people, one sitting next to me and the other in front of me, said “permiso” (excuse me), and reached across me to throw their trash out the window of the bus. This poor country is covered with chip bags, empty coke bottles, wrappers, etc. Of course, it’s hard to cultivate the mentality of putting your trash in the trash can when most of the time there are no trash cans, but still, something can be done. I almost wanted to say to these people, if they treat their country like a dump, it will ALWAYS be a dump. But then it all comes back to lack of education, which isn’t an excuse but certainly offers an explanation. Visiting Danli I saw “Demuestra su educacion, ponga la basura en su lugar” (Show your education, put the trash in it’s place) written on walls…. I am going to see if maybe we can make some sort of mural at the Youth Center with that same phrase.

That is all for now.... take care, love Lisa.

And the strike continues.... but at least we have toothbrushes!

So, the teacher’s strike continues. This is week three, and the school year just started about five weeks ago. Why are the striking? Some say it’s because the government is taking their retirement money. Some say it’s because they haven’t been paid since last year. Some say it’s because there is talk of privatizing public education. But most say that they honestly don’t know. Teachers, who have more or less abandoned their classes two weeks into the school year, after last year when their students lost 2 full months of classes, are unable to give you a legitimate reason for the indefinite strike. That is not to say that they don’t have the right to be upset… though I don’t understand the ins and outs of Honduran politics, I can empathize with them in the sense that they are not being treated justly by the government. Do I, however, think that is a justification for a nation wide teacher’s strike that began before the teacher’s unions even tried negotiating with the government? Absolutely not. It’s a messy situation, but robbing the future of this country of their right to an education is probably the worst way to solve things… talk about hindering development! (photo to the left is a school without students- looks abandoned!)

A lot of Youth volunteers find themselves at a loss during the strikes, as many of us are assigned to the schools. No school no work. I am not assigned to a single school, and as grateful as I am for that, I am still hard pressed to stay busy. During strikes, kids sometimes seem to disappear, and forget about trying to train teachers because they don’t want to hear it. There were 27 teachers signed up to take a course about teaching English and methodology with me, and not one showed up to the introduction meeting last week. Thankfully my IHNFA kids still come, since that’s their only opportunity to eat decent meals! My counterpart that went with me to the Yo Merezco training (self-esteem/abstinence program for girls) came back super excited to start the program, which was wonderful! We’ve been waiting to see how the strike pans out, as we had a proposal all set for the public schools, but since it’s looking like it could be a while, we are going to try and start it with one of the private bilingual schools in town.


Yesterday I went on the radio to talk to an audience of about 5,000 about respect, and how in such a beautiful community with such hospitable people, it is a shame to see such a lack of it, especially towards women, when you walk down the street. I pleaded with parents to talk to their children about how they should treat everyone with dignity and respect, because unfortunately the examples that they see on the streets are giving the opposite message. And I asked mototaxi drivers to be more careful and responsible, because when they turn around while driving to cat-call girls, they could very easily hit a child, or a dog, or drive off the road- it’s dangerous! I was nervous about offending people so I made equal commentary about how great the people I know here are, and I thanked them for taking care of me and treating me like part of their family, and that working with their kids has been the best job I have ever had, then I asked them to work together with me to try and break this vicious cycle, maybe not in Honduras as a whole, but at least within our community. I also didn’t say my name, nor did I say I was affiliated with Peace Corps, nor any other details that could give me away- they just knew I was a North American volunteer. There are plenty of foreigners that pass through my town that I am not worried, and afterwards, the guy in charge of the radio thanked me so much and he said I delivered my message perfectly, it was something people needed to hear, and no one should be offended. Then he said I could come back any time! If these strikes continue, I might take him up on his offer and give some parenting charlas via the radio.

My colgate program is off and running! I have never seen kids so excited about brushing their teeth! In the States, it’s a chore for most kids, but here, for most of them it’s the first time they’ve ever had a toothbrush, and we make it fun, so they LOVE IT! While they brush, I sing, and they shake their hips to the beat, and it’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen. PLEASE everyone at home, switch to colgate for your dental hygiene products! They donate so many brushes and toothpaste every year to kids in developing countries, it is such a fabulous program! I have always been an avid aquafresh endorser (tri-colored toothpaste, how could you NOT endorse that?), but now I feel inclined to switch too.

That is about it for now… hopefully the teachers reach an agreement of some sort with the government soon…. this is RIDICULOUS. In the meantime, I continue teaching good dental health habits, doing story hour and reading/writing activities, pressuring the local government to give me money so I can start Yo Merezco in the private schools, and contemplating what to do with my new found power at the radio station. Also, I just booked my flight home for August!!! I will land in Red Sox Nation August 9th in time to fulfill my maid of honor duties as my big sister gets married!!

Happy 50th Birthday, Peace Corps!!!!

March 1st, 2011, marked 50 years of the existence of the United States Peace Corps. I was in the middle of a training, so I haven't been able to post a commemorative blog entry until now.

The Peace Corps is celebrating 50 years of service this month, and Honduras was one of the first PC countries, so we will be celebrating 50 years of Peace Corps in Honduras in a few months.

Here are bits and pieces from a recent article:

Peace Corps: A Program for the 21st Century

"If the president proposed a program today that was cost-effective, inspired public service, trained Americans for 21st century jobs, strengthened our interests abroad, countered anti-American propaganda and had bipartisan support, we would consider it miraculous. Yet, we already have a program that does all those things. Today is the 50th anniversary of the executive order signed by President John F. Kennedy that established the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, much of the discussion about the program recently seems to be stuck in a time warp. Supporters and detractors alike talk about the Peace Corps as if it were a 1960s-era program -- a disservice because it's actually more modern than many realize.

When the Peace Corps started, many thought government could do just about anything: send a man to the moon, win the Cold War, and end poverty. The Peace Corps was born of that optimism. Although poverty remains far too pervasive, having sent a man to the moon and won the Cold War, we know that some of those ideas weren't entirely fanciful.

Today, we live in a far more cautious time, which blurs the fact that the Peace Corps makes every bit as much sense now as it did in 1961. To start, it's a remarkably cost-effective program. In its entire 50-year history, we have spent less money on the Peace Corps than one percent of the defense budget for just this year, approximately $7 billion in 2011. Given that, the Peace Corps is less than a rounding error in the U.S. budget. Yet, it supports 8,600 volunteers in 76 countries and directly affects at least one million lives each year.

......

The Peace Corps helps Americans know the world as it is and as it is becoming. In today's interconnected world we need to know how the world really works, especially in developing countries where there are myriad emerging business opportunities. Basically, the Peace Corps is a 21st century job-training program. It provides the kind of training in language, adaptability, working in foreign cultures that simply can't be taught in business school because to truly understand the world you have to live as others do, seeing the world as they do.

.........

There are very few programs today that can bring both parties together, yet the Peace Corps is popular with both Republicans and Democrats and enjoys bipartisan support in Congress. It's also been touted by Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

It is almost inconceivable to think of a program that could do all of this on such a small budget. So today, on its golden anniversary, let's take a moment to commemorate the Peace Corps as a modern-day initiative and recognize its successes over the last five decades. President Kennedy created a valuable program that was amazing in 1961, and is still remarkable 50 years later."

Kevin F. F. Quigley (Thailand 76-79) is president of the National Peace Corps Association


Here is a link to a video from youtube of President Kennedy proposing the Peace Corps, almost exactly 50 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOQ85OEZhWg

Safety and Security and Valentines!

Some not so pleasant things have happened to some volunteers in Honduras as of late (there are always safety incidents, but there were some serious incidents in the past few months) so our Safety and Security team decided to make a visit to each region and invite PCVs to come talk about what’s been happening, reiterate strategies on how to keep yourself safe, what kind of services are available if we need them, and just reach out and remind us that we have their support and that our safety during service is a priority. Our awesome Safety and Security director (photographed to the left with me at our Swearing In Ceremony) came out west to meet the 15 or so volunteers out here, with the new Country Director (each country has a US citizen that’s more or less “in charge” of the Peace Corps program in that country) and we had a really good talk- sure, nothing we heard was new, it was pounded into our heads during training how to minimize our risk, but it’s nice to feel supported, and have an opportunity to express safety concerns with people who are facing the same challenges daily.

I still haven’t seen the ABC 20/20 Special (thanks Dad and Gina for recording it- please save it until August!) but after reading some feedback about it, it seems that there was a bias against Peace Corps Safety and Security, and perhaps that was the case for the incidents highlighted in the special, but I just want to emphasize to everyone back home that each country has their own staff, and yes, there is the overarching umbrella of Peace Corps Washington, but you cannot generalize anything in Peace Corps because every country is SO different. I am so so so proud to say that I have absolute confidence in the security measures taken by the Peace Corps staff in Honduras, and I feel like I have a whole family here that has my back.

The truth is, as “gringos” (slang term for people from the states) we will ALWAYS stand out, and therefore always be more of a target for extra attention, be it positive or negative. That is a risk we are made aware of during training, and even before that during the application process, and it’s a risk we know we are taking by continuing our service in country. But… the same things that happen in host countries happen all over the world…. And you have to keep living your life otherwise what will you accomplish living in fear all the time? Yes, maybe safety/security incidents are more highly concentrated given Honduras is the size of, what, Massachusetts? Maybe a little bigger… but underneath all that is a place with wonderful people (though sometimes its hard to find the motivated ones!) who WANT to better themselves, their lives, and their children’s lives. Should the kids I work with be denied the opportunity to learn how/why they should brush their teeth? Of course not… If the overall safety of volunteers in a host country is compromised due to intentional targeting of US citizens or foreigners will we still continue to put ourselves at risk? Of course not… if we can’t be safe, we can’t do our jobs. What we can do right now is take all of the preventative measures we’ve been taught, hope for the best, be honest with PC staff about any concerns we have, and utilize the people who are here to help us (staff, other volunteers, community members, counterparts, trustworthy host country friends).

On a more positive note, school’s back in session! Which means kids are easier to find! Which means I will be busy again very soon! And next week we (Youth Development) have our second in service training for a self-esteem/abstinence based sex ed program called Yo Merezco (for pre-teen/early adolescent girls)… a happily welcomed reunion with some of my best friends! Not to mention I really want to implement this program so it will be a useful training.

These pictures are of valentine necklaces we made last week!

I hope I wasn’t too much of a Debbie Downer with the security talk- the point of the post was to reassure everyone that Peace Corps takes volunteer safety extremely seriously, and that I feel 100% support from in-country staff, and that our Safety/Security director is awesome. And in case anyone saw the 20/20 special last month and has been concerned since. But! I am doing well in my community, and have a super safe housing situation. And i take my whistle with me when i am traveling far!

Love and miss you all, I hope the snow melts away and the sun comes out!

A Love Bug for the President

Things have still been somewhat slow due to “summer vacation” but as of yesterday there were some exciting things happening in the West of Honduras! We got a visit from the President, Pepe Lobo, the President of Congress Juan Orlando (who is originally from Gracias, my site), the ambassador of the United States Hugo Llorens, and the head honcho of US-AID in Honduras. They met in La Campa, a little town outside of Gracias, to sign a 5 year, 82 million dollar plan to start agriculture/renewable energy projects in the Occidente, which includes my department of Lempira, and also the departments of Ocotopeque and Copan. This is the poorest area in the country, and Lempira is supposedly the poorest department, so they are going to try and help boost production and commercial trade and things of that sort.

The night before the big event, the other volunteers in Gracias/outside Gracias met with the ambassador and the US-AID folks for dinner and the most fancy hotel in town, and that’s when they invited us to come along to meet the president the next day! I made special Valentines to give to the president and the ambassador- I think they really liked them! The president gave me a second hug for it (the first being when I asked if we could take a picture together) and he put it safely inside one of his folders so he wouldn’t lose it. And the ambassador laughed and got glitter all over himself. Ah, the smiles that simple glitter can bring to peoples lives.

As far as Honduran politics go... i'm still confused... people here either aren't interested, or are extremely passionate for one political party... the problem is finding out the facts... someone will say they don't this person because s/he's done a lot of harm to Hondurans... but asking for details and specific instances is like going around in circles. Pepe Lobo became president after the former president, Mel Zelaya was taken out of the country in his pajamas last year... People are either still upset about what happened to Mel, or grateful to have Pepe. As a Peace Corps volunteer i am suppose to stay neutral and not take a political stand either way, but there is no harm in finding out why people feel the way they feel, though that's proven harder than you'd think.

The whole series of events was a nice reminder about why I joined Peace Corps… not to meet important people in my host country, but to build ties with community members and let the skills that I have help them in whatever way they can, be it big or small. US-AID wants to collaborate with peace corps volunteers in the future, because although they have the money to fund projects, we have the community ties to motivate the people to get involved. After dinner, the ambassador told us how proud he was to see such dedicated volunteers representing the United States, and that we reflect the best of our country… maybe it’s true, maybe it’s an exaggeration, but hearing him say that to us certainly recharged my batteries, and made me more than ready for summer vacation to end so I can get back to work (I HAVE been working this whole time, just not on specific projects, as apparently a lack of school means a lack of youth… something I will try harder to combat next year).

After being in site for 5 months, I feel like I’ve graduated phase two of peace corps service, phase one being training, and phase two being integrating into your community. I’ve gotten to know my organizations and have a good idea of what their needs are. I’ve already done some projects, but these ones that I’ll start in the coming months will mean more now that I know who I’m working with. And I have enough confidence now that if I see that something isn’t working, I can try to change the focus or implementation of it without thinking that I’m giving up on the original plan. Sometimes in Peace Corps, it’s better not to have such a rigid plan…

It’s wonderful having a hammock. Just sayin’.

Annnd my parents are on a Caribbean cruise right now (which unfortunately does not stop in Honduras)… I wish them a fabulous vacation…