Hello everyone! Our last update was at the end of May and much has happened since then.
In early June we continued on with our latrine project, constructing 23 latrines for the local community. This is very exciting, as all of this latrine-building will hopefully be in addition to what we'll be able to cover once realizing our full funding request for 50 community latrines. If we can proceed in this vein and eventually build the 50 in addition, we may eventually be able to cover every family in our area, which would be an amazing step towards advancing the general health of those both in Cerro Brisa as well as those downstream from its various water sources. (Please click here for more info on how to donate:
https://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/donors/contribute/projdetail.cfm?projdesc=525-068&)
Of course, we are only helping to build latrines for families that have put forth considerable effort in obtaining one, including attending a required number of training/information sessions, hauling all of the materials needed to build their concrete slabs from our house to theirs (at least 500 pounds worth of materials that often must be carried as far as 1-2 kilometers over muddy, steep terrain!), digging their own 3-meter deep holes to the specifications we require, and helping to mix and pour their cement on work day. All of these requirements, which necessitate an amazing amount of physical effort, ensure to us that beneficiaries are not being "handed" a latrine for free, but are instead paying significantly in sweat and effort in place of any financial burden that they could not meet. The importance of this cannot be overstated, as the international development "community" has justifiably been said to have created many instances of welfare-like mentality among those it tries to help through well-intentioned yet short-sighted "handouts" which can stifle motivation and personal or community "ownership" of specific projects. It is not rare to find finished projects remaining unused and unwanted by people whose health could really benefit from the change. While nice at times, handouts and free stuff often seem to have an uncanny ability to waste money and preclude motivation in development situations of all kinds, something that has not been a problem in our area due to many factors, including the work requirement.
In addition to continuous latrine-building, Amanda and I had the honor to host my sister Lauren and show her around this little isthmus we call home. We first spent a few nights up in Cerro Brisa, hanging out with several of the locals, all of the elementary school´s teachers, and especially our host family, the Monteros, who really enjoyed meeting her and having a great time making "sparks in the dark" with a bag of Wint-O-Green lifesavers that Lauren brought down from the States for them. I´ll never forget falling to sleep with the sounds of their laughter and cheers as each took their turn to make the biggest, baddest sparks of the night. Ahhh, what we take for granted back home...
After the few days in our site, we took Lauren to the highlands of Panama to tour and sample from one of the world's highest-quality coffee regions, Boquete. Boquete is an interesting little town, and rated (by some top retirement magazine) as one of the world's best places to retire as an expat, boasts many great dining options as well as breath-taking scenery and a crisp mountain climate. We spent a few days there as well, indulging in high quality, $10 dinners and cheescake, and generally enjoying our time with our feet up on the balcony of our hostel overlooking a cool mountian brook. Reluctantly, however, we tore ourselves away from Boquete's valley to bus it roughly 10 hours in one day back to Panama City, where we continued to indulge in tasty, cheap dining, and explore some of the area's amazingly preserved national parks. To tie it all together, we took a day and went to the Panama Canal museum, which is an extremely informative exhibit on the history and operation of the canal, and is situated right next to the canal's Miraflores Locks(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraflores_(Panama)) allowing usa to sit with a snack and some tea while watching massive cargo ships rise and falls with the lock's operation. I found the museum truely fascinating and definitely reccomend it to anyone thinking about visiting Panama.
Sadly, all good vacations must come to an end, and after a bit more than a week enjoying Panama and her company, we dropped Lauren off at the airport and returned to our site in the mountains. Lucky for me, only two more months until I return to New Jersey for a week to take the LSAT and watch my good friend Jon Furnari get married, so it won't be long beofre I'm back hanging out with the fam for a short visit. Only 63 more days!!
Since Lauren's trip, we´ve mostly just been cruising back in Cerro Brisa, getting ready to prepare for an AIDS/HIV presentation as well as a few more basic ones covering teeth brushing and hand washing. Its amazing what little understanding of all three topics is evidenced here and God willing before we leave in '08 we can make at least some inroads in closing these knowledge gaps. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts, and hopefully we'll be able to get on and update you all sooner than we did this last time. Take care!
