We have been spending the last 3 months integrating into our community, getting to know people and observing the happenings in the village. After all of our observations, Peace Corps asked us to compile a report which we hope to use for future site development and projects. The report seemed tedious at times but after we were done with the compilations we were able to put our future goals and next steps at our site on paper. We thought we would shared all these with you to see if maybe you had suggestions, ways you could help or just to let you know the things you could pray for in our village.
These are in order of priority, or what we will accomplish on a daily basis to what we wish to accomplish over our service.
Health (Paul)
1.) Weekly health talks in the annex; along with continued work in the Health Center.
2.) Create and implement school curriculum for health and nutrition
3.) Aid in re-developing school garden for food and practical experience.
4.) Home visits for general health, youth, malaria and HIV/AIDS outreach.
5.) Mentor, or lead, youth group in sports, health, life skills, woodworking, crafts, etc.
6.) Teach computer classes
Others: Promote micro enterprise through crafts, promote a coffee growers initiative and try to sell coffee to GT, Malaria/HIV outreach to outlying villages
Education (Alyssa)
1.) Teacher training in literacy, phonics, math, reading, writing, classroom management
2.) Help run the resource center, working with the coordinator to keep the center open more and encourage more of the community to use the available resources.
3.) Lead small group sessions during school day for students struggling in math, reading and writing.
4.) Create visual aids for teachers to use.
5.) Assist in mentoring/ leading youth group.
6.) Support the women's group in meeting consistently, sharing and learning new skills
7.) Help to create a play structure and/or outdoor activities at the school for both play and teaching physical eduction.
1 comment:
You guys have some wonderful goals. Good luck!
I know your site isn't easily accessible, but you might consider recruiting some of your co-PCVs to come out and help. Sometimes it can get overwhelming and knowing that say, Erin is coming to talk about Raising Chickens for Profit on June 18th, can give focus. Your community will eventually get used to you guys and bringing in outsiders can rejuvenate flagging projects, not to mention lift your own spirits. Then return the favor and visit their sites and help with their projects.
I also found it helpful to do some projects that weren't related to my community. I edited the Peace Corps Panama Volunteer Cookbook which was a fundraiser for small project grants and Jeff did drawings for the PC training manual. Just find something that you know you can finish and control most of the details. Community projects are difficult because you are trying to get someone else to do a lot of work, which can be hard.
One of my biggest frustrations with Peace Corps was that volunteers are only around for two years. Just long enough to get good at something and then not pass on their knowledge. There is a serious brain drain!
And although it is less direct, helping fellow volunteers with their projects or creating teaching material for training PCVs is a huge contribution. Pass on what you know by teaching the next group of PCVs and recording what works.
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