Possible Projects

Now that I have more or less adjusted to my site, I think the time has finally arrived to talk about projects. I know this feeling might (probably will) change as my two years wear on, but I think that my ADESCO and youth group are pretty organized. Many volunteers experience the exact opposite. Anyway, to the projects that I would like to realizar (we'll see how many I can actually accomplish in two years):

1) Guardería (children´s nursery)

When I first met my host brother and truly talked to my counterpart, I asked what projects the ADESCO had lined up and which project was the most important. After receiving the answer `un milagro´ and laughing for the next 5 minutes with both my host brother and counterpart, they quickly settled on una guardería. The town currently has one, but the organization that provided for and constructed the building placed it in a relatively low area. So, when it rains (and boy does it rain) the structure it totally flooded. After a few years of that, the infrastructure has pretty much become useless. In other words, the children from 2-5 years old really have no safe place as a day-care center.

As far as projects are concerned, this will probably be my largest in the community. A rough estimate for funds to build a day-care center would be, I´m guessing, around $15000. In El Sal, I would imagine raising that much money can be a pretty lengthy process, so hopefully we will begin fund-raising soon so that the town might have enough funds to begin construction by the time I leave.

2) Stoves

Currently, I am working with my ADESCO to find out the interest level for more efficient, smokeless stoves. As it is, most women throughout the community cook over an open fire inside their homes. The smoke mostly rolls around inside the house, eventually causing all sorts of respiratory infections/diseases. Also, the inefficiency of an open fire means the family burns through un monton de firewood.

Stove Team International builds portable cement stoves to remedy just this situation. However, each stove costs $32. For a family roughly making $150/month, $32 is a fortune. So, money needs to be raised for that project as well. If we as a community can lower the price to $20 by acquiring funds from outside sources (~$2000), I imagine interest in the stove would sky-rocket. Vamos a ver.

3) Letrinas

My community has around 185 families, 40-50 of which do not have a personal latrine. They are either forced to share with neighbors or simply do without (meaning feces may sometimes be left uncovered, etc). A basic latrine costs in the range of $50-75 each. Again that price is simply ridiculous for most families in my community. Money, again, is the issue.

4) Potable Water System

Luckily enough, my ADESCO and community have already petitioned for and received the funds for a water system from the local mayor. Because of that, and logically so I guess, the community will probably not receive funding for other projects in the near future (a water system can be incredibly expensive and mayors really don't have that much money to toss around). However, once this project is completed, I would imagine that a TON of intestinal illnesses will disappear.

5) Chickens and Veggies for all!

So this one is also sort of underway. The ADESCO has petitioned Centa/FAO (the ag department of the El Salvador) for help with the project. So Centa/FAO (if I understand this correctly) will provide the training, materials, etc for 30 families in the community. If other families would like to continue with the project, the first 30 are responsible for the training, and funds would need to acquired to purchase the materials, etc. However, the nutritional benefits from such a project are very much needed in La Palomilla. Unfortunately, many children suffer from malnutrtion due to lack of veggies and protein.



The rest of the projects, I guess, are pretty self-explanatory:

6) Computers for the School
7) Educational activities regarding health and nutrition
8) Water-system for the cancha (they really love their futbol)
9) Pave the calle principal (the amount of dust created by passing buses is incredible - and is just another floating particle with the smoke that creates respiratory issues)

Home

So, I suppose that time has come for everyone. Recently I have been hearing a lot of news of people (including myself, I suppose) hitting the point of exhaustion, loneliness, frustration, etc that makes home seem like a wonderful option. It´s a very weird feeling. We´ve been here for 3 months, roughly, and I find that the subtle cultural differences weigh more than the obvious, extreme differences. A slight difference in sense of humor makes forced laughing a little more common than I would like, for example. The constant assumption that, as a male, I would take on multiple partners at once is tiring. An underlying assumption that I always have a ton of cash on me is attention I really just dont want. I know the attention is going to stay and it stems from the fact that they honestly just dont know that much about gringos, but I (and many new volunteers, I imagine) am growing very tired of THAT kind of attention. I am ready to carry on a conversation that doesnt somehow slip into money issues or travel opportunites or.... whatever topic along those lines. Also, if any volunteers are reading this, I fully understand the exhaustion and frustration. And I also understand that pull to go home... I just dont think I have given my site a fair chance before that decision should be made. Little by little...

One Month

So I have been in-site for about a month now, and I feel overwhelmed when thinking about what I should write. I guess I will do my best to describe my site and activities I have been involved with.


I live in a town called La Palomilla (or La Palomia, depending on the level of education). It is the last stop on a winding, dusty road and is an incredibly flat, hot, dusty region of the country. (Because of the pool of sweat in which I repeatedly awoke for the first week or so, I bought a box fan. At least the sweat evaporates now.)

So oftentimes in El Salvador, with its many connections to the US, a sizeable chunk of each community with have what they call Remesa money (money sent from family in the US to help the family remaining in El Sal). My community, however, has very little help from the US, so the poverty and malnutrition rates seem to be a bit higher than normal. I often walk around with the local nurse and health promoter to better know the community. One day, we seemed to hit some of the poorest in the community. A little child maybe 5 years old seemed to be suffering from a ton of issues: trisomy 21 (down syndrome...I really dont like that name. The man who named the disease had very little empathy for those with the genetic disorder), malnutrition (so he had a huge pouch belly), amoebas (which i just found out the other day actually means dysentary), a sinus infection, and an abusive mother. Another little boy with trisomy 21 happened to be the child of a mother with trisomy 21, so neglect and malnutrition were serious issues with him as well. Most houses in the community are made of adobe blocks mixed with sticks and hay. A few houses have plastic bags for walls, and a select few are made out of cement or blocks.

However! I am very lucky with the organization that already exists in my community. So in El Sal a lot of organization and projects originate and are handled by what they call la ADESCO (Asociacion de Desarollo Comunal - association of community development). A lot of times, this can be one of the biggest challenges for a volunteer. The committee simply doesnt work, politics are heavily involved, or interest just isnt there. Before I arrived my ADESCO with help from no one petitioned and received the funds for a chloronated water system in the community (still in the process of being built). PC recommends we not begin water projects in our community because they can be soooo time consuming and soooo frustrating, yet my ADESCO has already completed all of the leg work. Very impressive.

Also, the youth group in town, also without my help, organized a trash pickup day and a tren de aseo (garbage truck). So my town is freshly clean, organized, and full of enthusiasm despite the heat, dust, and poverty. It certainly is inspiring.

Aside from that, I have been playing a ton of soccer. The community has 4 full teams, each of which has its own uniform, and I usually play between the A squad and B squad, depending on which positions they need filled. A few weekends ago, we had to finish our day of soccer early because a fight broke out between our teams. I have never experienced hockey mixed with soccer, but it certainly is an interesting combo.

What else....
I live in a cement block house with a corrugated roof (it is literally an oven during the day)
I purchased a bike as it is THE form of transportation within my site
I witnessed a pig eat a turkey..... I didnt know pigs were carnivores...?


Alrighty. For now thats all Ive got. Also breakfast is ready. I hope everyone is doing well! Until next time.