Wednesday, May 26, 2010

alejandra.

Gooooooooooood morning, Vietnam!

Not really, just kidding. More like, good afternoon, you rainy Guatemala you. I'm facing reality: I'm not a good blogger. But I guess once in a while is better than never.

Brief update, work-wise: my sitemate and I are about halfway through with training sessions for the coffee co-op associates that are receiving stoves, and started delivering the materials today. I started working with a local NGO recently that has remarkably similar goals to Peace Corps and am really enjoying it. We're having meetings in the town of Paxcabalche (try saying that 5 times fast) every Tuesday, twice a month with the teenagers, and twice a month with a group of women. Ideally, this is the community I'll be doing a construction project in later this year. But first, education! Which is where we're at now.

I've been staying in my site more after a recent change in Peace Corps' policies, but it's been fun. I spent last Saturday in head to toe traje at the 68th birthday party for an indigenous woman in one of the aldeas. And the weekend before was spent vaccinating chickens. Quite an experience, if I do say so myself. I'm sure you all can conjure up an image of some hilarity that entails me running chickens into a corner of their pen and trying to grab a wing or a foot or a feather before they explode, squawking and pseudo-flying away. Those are some nasty buggers. And the vaccinating is no biggie - a drop of this green stuff in one eye, and that's that. It's really no biggie for them, but it sure is pleasant when a rooster the size of a labrador is trying with all its might to attach its beak to some part of your body.

I guess you might say I've gotten quite comfortable with farm animals. I certainly wasn't wary of them before, I just hadn't ever had much exposure to animals outside the typical domestic pet. I was making shampoo a few weeks ago with a group of women in the kitchen (not my house), when we hear a huge crash, bang, boom outside. Standing outside the door is the 9 year old son of one of the women, with 4 goats cavorting about. One has its head halfway into a giant sack of corn, another is chewing on an old shoe, another is climbing atop the firewood stack, and the kid (baby goat, not human) is standing in the middle of it all, plaintively whining for its mommy. The poor kid (human, not goat) can't get any of them to pay attention, so I go out there and grab the ropes on the 3 adults and haul them away. Baby can't seem to figure out its mommy is leaving, and continues to stand there pitifully, waiting for me to come back a few minutes later and heft him like a watermelon (a large one at that), carry him through the kitchen, and out to where mommy is now tied up. I didn't even realize this doesn't happen every where, every day until I relayed this entertaining anecdote to a friend from home. It cracks me up this stuff doesn't even phase me anymore. Goats in the kitchen? Why not.

Ahhh, yes, and then there was the time I held up traffic (what little of it there was) on a mountain road because I was getting drug here and there by a cow. That doe-eyed bitch felt the need to go faster the harder I pulled on her, until I was more or less waterskiing up the mountain with traffic (including a police pickup) laughing hysterically at the gringa in her traditional apron running/sliding up the road after a cow. I think I can say at this point, I'm integrated.

On a completely new topic, remember a previous blog post about Friends of Poaquil? Well, today is the day that I'm officially asking for donations for this scholarship fund. I'm going to attach a letter about the program to this blog post, as well as a link to a YouTube video and some photos.

San José Poaquil, Chimaltenango

May 26, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

As you know, I am currently a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. My primary project here is preventive health education, but I also have a secondary project that I am beyond passionate about – Friends of Poaquil. Friends of Poaquil is a scholarship fund that was started here about 8 years ago, by former volunteer. It has been handed down from one volunteer to the next, and I am currently in charge. Having responsibility for these kids’ future is at times a daunting task, but always a rewarding one. Day after day, these kids blow me away with their zeal and zest for learning and for life. As we say here in Guatemala, they are “pilas” – always going above and beyond what is expected. This year, we have 5 students on full scholarship, and one on a partial scholarship.

The two boys, Deyvin and Alex, are both in their third and last year of “basico” (high school), and will be graduating this fall from Colegio Eben-Ezer here in Poaquil. Both have plans to go to a career school in January for agricultural economics. Elvia is in her first year of basico at the National Institute of Basico Education in Hacienda Maria, a school that is known for its rigorous curriculum, and is making excellent grades. Marleny is in nursing school to be an “enfermera auxiliar,” a year-long program that will certify her to work in one of the hundreds of Health Centers or Posts throughout the country. Norma is studying to be a teacher at a well-respected school in Antigua, and doing excellent. Gladys is our student on partial scholarship, and she is in her first year of basico at the National Institute of Basico Education in Poaquil.

I spent last Thanksgiving introducing a cousin of a former Poaquil volunteer around the community for her final project in her photography and videography classes. The first link is to a YouTube video that explains a bit about the civil war in Guatemala from the perspective of scholarship recipients’ families. The second link is to a few photos that were taken of the recipients, helping to put faces with names.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qx5I0NuQP8

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amyfran/

Poaquil is generally a farming community, main crops being corn, coffee, beans, and assorted fruits and vegetables. So many parents are without education and they continue farming, as it is one of their few options, to try to provide for their families. Quite frequently, parents will keep their children out of school to help with chores around the house as well as the farming and animal keeping duties. Many times I’ve seen a child under the age of 10 being drug along by several sheep or cows or goats, taking them up to graze rather than going to school. An education is something that pays off in the long run, but these families live hand to mouth, and cannot see that far ahead. It is rather difficult to explain why it is better for the child to be in school, rather than helping the family to a more immediate means to an end.

And now, I am asking for your help. These kids are hardworking and resourceful, but lack sufficient funding for education for a variety of reasons. Your donation, in any amount whatsoever, will make a huge difference. We in America seem to take education for granted, myself included. It amazes me that we have students failing out of $30,000 per year universities in the States while Elvia, one of our recipients, wove huipil (the traditional blouse worn by women here) after huipil to save money to put towards her education. Our budget for this year is $6,5000 – part of which we have received in thanks to former volunteers, but not yet enough to finish educating these youngsters for the rest of the year. I thank you for your thoughts and donations, in any amount, that will help us to reach our goal. To donate, please send a check to the following address, made out to Friends of Guatemala.

Elisa Echeverria

230 Bryant St. #3

Mountain View, CA 94041

In the memo line, it would be extremely helpful to put my name as well as the town, San José Poaquil, Chimaltenango.

Elisa is a former Peace Corps Volunteer from Poaquil that was once in charge of Friends of Poaquil, and has a direct contact with the administrator responsible for getting donations directly to me. She will make sure that you receive a receipt of your donation for tax purposes, as Friends of Guatemala is non-profit and donations are tax deductible. You will be amazed how much they appreciate it.

With love,

Meredith


So yeah, that's where I'm at. Things are busy, but good. On the pony front, I've found a guy here in town with one, and am attempting to summon the uumph to go knock on his door and ask to rent it. I'm waiting for the day that I'm riding bareback on some hag pony on the dirt road, on the way to Paxcabalche, with a backpack full of info about nutrition/hand washing/etc, my campesino straw hat shielding my sensitive gringa skin and eyes from the equatorial sun.

Hope to hear from some of you soon!

Mere


No comments:

Post a Comment