Sunday, November 25, 2012

A Visual View of what I've been up to

As most of you all, we recently lost a wonderful community member; I'm not quite ready to write about that, and I don't really want to write about what I've been up to, but I will post some photos of my life here since August =)

(p.s.thanks to everyone for your thoughts, warm wishes, prayers, phone calls, texts, hugs, messages, and support through this difficult time for my community)

Celebrando el Cibao conferencia in Jarabacoa

Deandra's visit to my site, out and about with my sister Mari

Accion Callejera professional development in Jarabacoa

on eof my Chicos groups

one of my Chicas groups

DPV training at my house

the beautiful view from El Moro in Monte Cristi

mini conference on HIV/AIDS and anti-discrimination

youth group swear in, rest in perfect peace Wandy

youth group in full, str8 from Wandy's vision

DPV training in Cabarete

mini conferencia leaders getting a little silly

my group 517-11-02, our 1 year celebration in San Rafael Barahona

my girls that I brought to the Chicas Brillantes intercambio

everyone who went to the Chicas Cibao intercambio

Krystle came to visit me in my site =)

the leaders I took to the Escojo mi Vida regional conference

my group 517-11-02 youth during our one year in country service training

I was translating during a medical missions in Monte Cristi

all that I want to do and remember throughout the rest of my Peace Corps service =)

Thanksgiving...at the rooftop pool with my girl Norma

me and my lifetimer James during Thanksgiving

my team! 517-11-02 youth after our performance during Thanksgiving!

my youth leaders...they are so resilient...after losing our President...they are still moving forward with our project for next Saturday =)

my sis Mari and I =)

Friday, November 2, 2012

My October Review

Now that October is over, I can officially give my review and it was definitely hands down one of my best months in country. Tambien, I can also officially say: Happy 1 year *volunteer status* anniversary to my team 517-11-02!! There are some amazing people in my group who have been fantastic support systems, kind listeners, allowed me to express myself freely, and they have challenged me to take risks and continue to step outside of my comfort zone. So, needless to say, I've been blessed to spend the 15 months with them and I'm looking forward to all of the adventures and fun we will continue to have in the 12 months we have left. Now, with that being said, I now have the opportunity to describe in detail my month of October, hope you enjoy =)

October been a very fulfilling month for me! I kicked off October participating in a gender study analysis for USAID. James (one of my fave volunteers and my soul chat buddy) came to my site to talk to one of my Chicos Superman groups for the gender study analysis. He asked my CS group questions while I took notes. They participated really well and afterwards, James asked them some questions about HIV/AIDS prevention in which they answered enthusiastically and correctly. It was a great moment for me because at times, it is hard to measure "success" as a youth development volunteer, but hearing their answers, I realized that they have now been equipped with the information they need to make sound choices in the future. Then, I headed to James' site which I was very excited about because he lives in a campo in Dajabon. This would be my first experience in a campo and Dajabon is about as close as I can probably get to Haiti while in service so that was cool too!

I had a really relaxing time in James' site. I was able to hang out with his dona and second host family, play dominoes (I really miss that game since I don't get to play it in my site), and check out his Chicos Superman group. It was also my first time using a latrine and showering outside which I'm glad I got to experience. James is one of my best friends here so it was important for me to experience his community so that whenever he calls from here on it, I have reference to what he's experiencing!

The next day his Chicas group had their spagetti dinner (where all the girls were responsible for bringing an item for spagetti) and elections for president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. James prepared, presented, explained, and executed the election very well. I was really impressed with the process (so much so that I implemented the process in my own site) and I enjoyed asking them questions from the gender analysis study while James took notes. I really enjoyed his group, while they were waiting, the newly elected president orchestrated a talent show with a fair judging system and James and I shared a step with them that he could teach them later.

Right after my visit to James' site, my boss called me that Monday to ask if a team of people who are involved with PEPFAR funding stateside and here in the D.R. could come and check out some of my groups. Here is a little bit of info about PEPFAR: "The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the U.S. Government initiative to help save the lives of those suffering from HIV/AIDS around the world." The PEPFAR team wanted to see how a Peace Corps volunteer uses these programs as prevention activities in a community. Now, PEPFAR is pretty huge, because it essentially funds most of our major conferences and camps, especially in the youth and health sectors. So when she asked me I was honored that she would consider me for this event and then afterwards I realized that this would bring a lot of attention I'm not used to, and so it did. In the course of the following 2 days, I had talked to PC staff more than I had in my entire year of service leading up to this, I had to redo my emergency locator info, and I got a visit from Diane (who is our Director of Programming and Training as well as second in command) to prep for the meeting.

Peace Corps is all about flexibility and I'm reminded of this in everything I do. My plan was to have some of my youth leaders do a Chicas Brillantes and Deportes para la Vida demonstration, but I didn't actually know how much time we had until the day before the event. But that worked out because my youth leaders were actually practicing together so it turned into another bonding experience for them. Grace was def extended to me because there were local elections that day so all of my youth were ready and eager to participate. I selected about 25 and they arrived eagerly at 1:45pm. We were still waiting by 3 and by 4 my kids were on a sugar high. When they arrived, my kids sprung into action: my girls presented on the woman's reproductive organs, my youth group did a mini charla on HIV and how its transmitted, and then 2 of my trainers did 2 Deportes para la Vida games which is also HIV/AIDS prevention through kinestic games. MY youth participated, responded, behaved well, answered questions beautifully, made me proud and all-around knocked it out. We then took a brief tour of my community and then the PEPFAR crew was off to their next adventure. Later, I learned that out of their entire visit, the group enjoyed their visit to see my youth. I was definitely beaming like a proud mama when I learned that! So while the process of this was a little stressful, the results were more than worth and it was another awesome example of why youth development (and conferences/camps) positively impact Dominican youth.

Riding the high of the successful PEPFAR visit, I headed down south to to San Rafael to celebrate my group's one year anniversary! 16/27 of us that are still in country went down which I consider a success! We rented out a house and played games, hung out on the beach, caught up on life,relaxed! It was everything I needed and I was excited to make a return trip to the south and hang out with people who have seen my in country growth. Once I made it back to the capital, I was able to watch the 2nd presidential debate with Krystle at her house, we had a ton of laughs and it was our first get together since Diona left. Her house for me kind of represents my BGP zone so I always feel a little more confident and ready for whats next after our girl chats.

After an Organizational meeting for our 2013 conference for NNA in high risk situations, at a pretty swanky hotel (that lunch was probably the best food I've had in country), I went to do an organizational talk for the new youth group that swore in this Wednesday (congrats 517-12-02!) It was really cool to share my thoughts and experiences working with an organization with the new volunteers, I remembered this being one of the most important and useful talks for me so I hope that it ended up being the same for them. I was able to meet the new volunteer who is coming up to AC, catch with my host family in MP, and catch up with my awesome trainer Emily. Sean and I were also able to have dinner with 3 girls from the new group so it was nice to get to know them all a little bit better.

I came back from Monte Plata and the very next thing on my plate was a youth group led Archie bunker activity for community leaders in one of the barrios I work in. Archie Bunker is a game that we play to show the injustices of discrimination and inequiality. During the the youth day that we had in September, I did this charla for the youth and they then wanted to do this in their barrio. So they acted the parts out and then I facilitated the discussion with the adults. Lets just say that they were really riled up and the message came through clearly; I think they were also impressed with the role that youth leaders played in the activity. As one of my leaders always say: "eso es solo el principio de lo vamos hacer"

Additionally, we kicked off new groups of Deportes para la Vida in the community center. I am now working with one of my newer trainers and my host brother, they work really well together so I am hoping to continue to work with them so they can continue once I peace out. This month has also shown me some of the challenges with working directly in a non-profit. Misunderstandings, communication, different levels of expectations, language barriers all make for occasional disasters (at the time) but I've survived them all so lets just say I'm ready for anything organizationally when I head back stateside.

Finally, due to Sandy we had to change the dates of our Chicas Brillantes Cibao intercambio (remember flexibility is always the name of the game here) from Friday/Saturday to Sunday/Monday. It ended up working out for the best because it was sunny and pretty when we arrived at our conference site in jarabacoa. We jam-oacked 3 days worth of conference activities in 24 hours so it was jam-packed with prep work, but well worth it. We had a great team of volunteers, a curious and energetic group of girls, and really nice facilities. The success of the intercambio was a bit of a confidence boost for me because I found that I enjoyed all aspects of my role as a co-coordinadora which is great since I signed up to co-coordinate the Chicas national conference next summer =)

Well por ultimo I also had a DPV event with my youth before the Escojo mi Vida conference. Once we finished the activity Las Verjas (which is about the importance of communication in the process of waiting to have sex with your partner (if you choose to) by first having an HIV/AIDS test done), we had a sit down talk where they shared what they've been learning and the topic turned to thanking me for coming from far away to share my time with them. I told them that I wasn't the important one in all this, that the people who are being trained to take this over when I leave (they all seem to wince when I mention October 2013 now) are more important because this work will continue when I leave. They stopped me for a moment and one guy said they are not more important than you because the time you are spending with us right now is the foundation for all that may come, and then another guy said if not for you we would still be passing all day every day in the barrio just shooting bottle caps. Now I've always had a habit of deflecting praise but they really would not let it happen, they gave me a standing ovation. I want to say wait a minute, you guys are worth it, but I allowed myself to breathe in and just be in the moment, willing myself to remember this moment and tuck it away for moments when my work is difficult or I'm feeling homesick.

Also, here is what I am looking forward to:
  • Staying on my workout grind (b-day countdown in full effect)
  • 5,000 conferences and intercambios in Jarabacoa (lets see if I'm still looking forward to this by December)
  • spending more time getting to know all of my wonderful youth and preparing them to take over their groups (they have some fundraisers and get-togethers planned)
  • Med mission with Hillary in Monte Cristi
  • One year IST with my youth team
  • Thanksgiving with my boos Hillary and Malika (I'll have some stuffing for you Diona)
  • mural painting at my community center with Sabrill
  • World AIDS Day community event that will be planned, hosted, and facilitated by my youth group
  • Vacay celebration for our birthday with Ashlee and Paris (this will be the highlight of my December, I can hardly wait!)
Next time I will be sure to add photos of what I've been up to if my USB hard drive comes back to life.