Hi all!
I am back in Tallahassee! What an experience this has been! I hope you don't mind that I continue to reflect upon this experience for the next few weeks, recounting my experiences and moments week by week through photographs and distinct moments. However, it will most likely be after graduation on August 7th that I actually have the time to sit and write on this blog. I have been working on my thesis which is due on Tuesday, so my writing capabilities have been directed exclusively to that endeavor.
Please check back soon, there are weeks and weeks of experiences I cannot wait to share with you!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Monday, June 14-Sunday, June 20th (week 3)
Have you ever spent the night at a friend's house, or visiting your parents, and when you wake up you look around, expecting the same things you think should be there to there, to be there.... and it takes you a few seconds to realize you aren't in your own place, and you have to also understand where you are and why you are there? After you are fully awake, and after the initial thoughts of "OMG! I've been kidnapped!"disappear, you laugh it off and slap yourself in the head for what just happened.
Well, that happened to me EVERY DAY this week. The sounds and smells of big city traffic- horns, clunky motors, brakes, more horns, and exhaust- are not something I awake to every day in my home in Tallahassee, where my backyard is woods and my neighborhood has 20 houses in it, tops. Yet here, they became my morning alarm letting me know the city was awake and I should be too! Also, the sun lent a hand also in letting me know it was time to wake up- shining through my 10th story bedroom window and, heating up my room to an unbearable temperature within minutes of rising (so much so I soon bought a $50 fan and lugged it all the way home as soon as I could). It seemed strange to leave my home in the United States to live in a supposed "developing nation" and go from hearing crickets at night to nightclub music and traffic.
The highlight of my week was traveling to Darien this week, where I gave my first seminar to a group of teachers at the "Instituto Meteti de Darien". The teachers came from the entire province of Darien, some traveling more than 5 hours by bus and/or boat to attend this seminar. The only thing with training in Panama is that here it is not considered rude to pick up a phone call during a meeting or just leave or come hours late. That was kind of frustrating because I am used to silencing cell phones and stuff... nope! not here! I am still not sure if that is a cultural thing, teacher thing....not sure. But overall it was fun! I went on the trip with the Vice Precident of Civitas Panama, the teacher in charge of Civitas Panama on a national level, and our driver. On the way back we bought some fish on the side of the road, kind of random.
Still adjusting to life in Panama City...
Living Through the Lens
Wow, it has been quite some time since I last wrote in this blog, and it was about being sick, of all things!
Well, first of all I am not still sick, but it did hit me quite hard and I lost an entire week of work from it, although I did translate a boatload of documents and activities from home that week. I was able to go to the doctor after waiting for days to see the ONE (yes, ONLY one) doctor who accepted my international insurance in town. He gave me some anti-flu or something or other shots and I was back to almost normal by Monday. I would have never guessed that you can catch a cold in 100 degree weather, but it is possible I have certainly found that out the hard way.
There are so many things I want to share with you all, so many stories to tell and I want to tell them in my own way. I really, really enjoy taking pictures. Not pictures of people at parties or going out like 99.9% of the pictures that end up on facebook; but pictures that document the important events in my life (and every once in a while, some random thing I find interesting or beautiful). So I will show you what my life has been like for the past 4 weeks in my own way...living through the lens.
Well, first of all I am not still sick, but it did hit me quite hard and I lost an entire week of work from it, although I did translate a boatload of documents and activities from home that week. I was able to go to the doctor after waiting for days to see the ONE (yes, ONLY one) doctor who accepted my international insurance in town. He gave me some anti-flu or something or other shots and I was back to almost normal by Monday. I would have never guessed that you can catch a cold in 100 degree weather, but it is possible I have certainly found that out the hard way.
There are so many things I want to share with you all, so many stories to tell and I want to tell them in my own way. I really, really enjoy taking pictures. Not pictures of people at parties or going out like 99.9% of the pictures that end up on facebook; but pictures that document the important events in my life (and every once in a while, some random thing I find interesting or beautiful). So I will show you what my life has been like for the past 4 weeks in my own way...living through the lens.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sick!
I am sick in Panama! This sucks! My throat began to hurt Friday after giving a day-long seminar, so I figured it was just because I had been talking nonstop for 8 hours straight, but no! I just keep getting worse and worse and now I am dizzy and have a headache (and I think a fever too!). I might have to miss work tomorrow, I am not sure but I called and warned them about the possibility. Took some cough syrup and some cold medicine, hope it works!
The blog posts are gonna take a back seat for the next few days as I try to get better...
On the 4th of July in front of the Panamanian flag. This flag sits on top of the tallest mountain in Panama City, overlooking the Panama Canal. From this point you can also see the entire city. This used to be part of the area in Panama where only Americans could enter and was restricted to Panamanians. Where this flag waves, the American flag used to stand. It is a fitting visual reminder that this land now belongs once more to its people. I really enjoyed this visit.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
What am I doing in Panama?
A lot of people have asked me exactly what I was doing in Panama. The answer to that questions is a bit difficult to explain. Here, every day is different and there is no "typical" day for me in Panama. As with many international service experiences, my job description changed a few times before I finally arrived in Panama. I originally was told I would be working with high school students in classrooms working alongside teachers and teaching "Project Citizen". Project Citizen is a program for youth of many ages in which they identify a problem in their community, research alternative public policy solutions, pick the best solution (while keeping in mind the constitutionality of their decision), and then put their plan in action by influencing the appropriate branch and level of government. It is a powerful exercise in democracy. It allows students to think critically about public policy, citizenship, democracy, and their role in government as citizens of a democratic nation. I love the methodology and the power of this program to shape young people into active, contributing members of society who think critically about public policy and know how to utilize the government for what it was meant to be... a tool for the people!
Once I arrived a few weeks ago, I was told that I was not to work with students directly, but rather mostly with teachers. At first I was sad, because I really enjoy working with youth. I mean, that is what I love about PeaceJam! However I understood why they made that decision. They really want to make the most use of my time here, and by training teachers I can impact many times more classrooms than if I were to go into the classrooms themselves. Over time, I also realized that this is actually MUCH better, because it allows my Project Citizen knowledge to remain with the teachers. They will remain in Panama schools long after I leave, making this project a 1000 times more SUSTAINABLE. And I am all about that :D
The only time I am actually working with youth is when I do presentations to youth in a technical college, where students go after high school and before joining the workforce. Every Monday beginning this Monday, and until I leave, I am conducting seminars on "Citizenship" as part of the student's requirements before they graduate from the technical school. I am really looking forward to that! My entire presentation is around the Citizenship Ladder, which depicts the growth of citizens from "inactive citizen" to "problem solving citizen". I will talk about what it means and how they can go "up the ladder". It has taken a lot of preparation and I am very excited about working with youth here in Panama!
So for now, I am training teachers from elementary to high school in effective methods of teaching Project Citizen, and I am also training them on a new online platform, www.thepeopleunite.com, that connects a classroom in Florida with a classroom in Panama and they support each other through the Project Citizen process. It is really a neat website, that allows classrooms to video chat, comment on each other's uploaded work, upload videos and photos, and many more things. It does exactly what good technology is supposed to do...make the world a smaller place!
Some days I travel to the "interior", which are all the small towns outside of Panama City. Once you leave the city, which I affectionately refer to as the "Miami of Latin America", it becomes a whole different country... much more like the central american towns I am used to and less like the hustle and bustle of a city where millions of dollars flow in and out in an instant. Two weeks ago, I spent the entire week traveling through the interior. It was such a draining experience I got back on Friday and did not do anything all weekend because I had to recover both mentally and physically. That experience will be in my next blog, so stay tuned!
Other times, I leave for the day to the interior for trainings and other activities, leaving before daybreak and arriving late at night. Those days are intense as well. I think I am averaging about 40-60 hours per week at work. It is grueling sometimes, but it is so rewarding especially because all of the teachers are so excited about the program and really care about their students. Not sure if I could do it for longer than a few months though...
And some days, I work from my office, which is located downtown in the Electoral Tribunal. I usually get picked up from my apartment I spent a few days this week preparing for the seminar I taught on Friday. I translated about 6 different activities from English to Spanish, which was difficult because the wording is so important in those activities I did not want to translate it badly so the meaning would be lost. I will talk more about the seminar in a later post, but I will say that it was almost 8 hours long and I came home and went directly to bed... what a day!
I hope this gives everyone reading this a little insight on what my weeks have been looking like. It has been difficult some days, but I wouldn't trade this beautiful experience for anything :)
Once I arrived a few weeks ago, I was told that I was not to work with students directly, but rather mostly with teachers. At first I was sad, because I really enjoy working with youth. I mean, that is what I love about PeaceJam! However I understood why they made that decision. They really want to make the most use of my time here, and by training teachers I can impact many times more classrooms than if I were to go into the classrooms themselves. Over time, I also realized that this is actually MUCH better, because it allows my Project Citizen knowledge to remain with the teachers. They will remain in Panama schools long after I leave, making this project a 1000 times more SUSTAINABLE. And I am all about that :D
The only time I am actually working with youth is when I do presentations to youth in a technical college, where students go after high school and before joining the workforce. Every Monday beginning this Monday, and until I leave, I am conducting seminars on "Citizenship" as part of the student's requirements before they graduate from the technical school. I am really looking forward to that! My entire presentation is around the Citizenship Ladder, which depicts the growth of citizens from "inactive citizen" to "problem solving citizen". I will talk about what it means and how they can go "up the ladder". It has taken a lot of preparation and I am very excited about working with youth here in Panama!
So for now, I am training teachers from elementary to high school in effective methods of teaching Project Citizen, and I am also training them on a new online platform, www.thepeopleunite.com, that connects a classroom in Florida with a classroom in Panama and they support each other through the Project Citizen process. It is really a neat website, that allows classrooms to video chat, comment on each other's uploaded work, upload videos and photos, and many more things. It does exactly what good technology is supposed to do...make the world a smaller place!
Some days I travel to the "interior", which are all the small towns outside of Panama City. Once you leave the city, which I affectionately refer to as the "Miami of Latin America", it becomes a whole different country... much more like the central american towns I am used to and less like the hustle and bustle of a city where millions of dollars flow in and out in an instant. Two weeks ago, I spent the entire week traveling through the interior. It was such a draining experience I got back on Friday and did not do anything all weekend because I had to recover both mentally and physically. That experience will be in my next blog, so stay tuned!
Other times, I leave for the day to the interior for trainings and other activities, leaving before daybreak and arriving late at night. Those days are intense as well. I think I am averaging about 40-60 hours per week at work. It is grueling sometimes, but it is so rewarding especially because all of the teachers are so excited about the program and really care about their students. Not sure if I could do it for longer than a few months though...
And some days, I work from my office, which is located downtown in the Electoral Tribunal. I usually get picked up from my apartment I spent a few days this week preparing for the seminar I taught on Friday. I translated about 6 different activities from English to Spanish, which was difficult because the wording is so important in those activities I did not want to translate it badly so the meaning would be lost. I will talk more about the seminar in a later post, but I will say that it was almost 8 hours long and I came home and went directly to bed... what a day!
I hope this gives everyone reading this a little insight on what my weeks have been looking like. It has been difficult some days, but I wouldn't trade this beautiful experience for anything :)
A sanctuary for the virgin Mary, this one is from Escual Normal in the interior. Every single school has a sanctuary for the virgin Mary.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Time for a Recommitment
Okay. So here's the deal: I have decided to recommit myself to this blog, and to documenting my experiences here. I know I have been hit or miss, writing 3 blog posts in one day and the disappearing for weeks. NO MORE!
Why, you ask? I'll tell you why! I have come to realize that this blog is as much for my own benefit as it is a way for the Center to keep tabs on me and learn about what I'm up to down here. Trying to catch my experiences, emotions, feelings, and ideas as they happen or soon afterward so that I do not forget them, because oh boy do I ever forget. I already forgot what I had for lunch today, which in the everyday world might not be such a big deal, BUT I AM IN PANAMA! Here, even the food I eat and where I eat is vastly different from what I'm used to. So I've come to realize that while things like that might not mean much to me right now (and no I will not start blogging about my every meal), they collective create a new and exciting world which I am calling home for two months.
I have never been much of a writer (other than planners, I LIVE for my calendar), one to keep a diary, or something else. I have always been more of a talker (wouldn't you agree?) and prefer sitting on a park bench for hours and talking about my week with a friend than spending that same time sitting down to write in notebook or on a computer.
But, my friends are far away... in Tallahassee and in dozens of interesting cities and countries around the world. It is kind of hard to have coffee with someone 5,380 miles away. Impossible, actually. So I will write on this blog, and stare at this computer screen, and hope that my family and friends, and all those important in my life, are staring back, wherever they may be. And that although we are not face to face, we will still have that moment together.
When I was in high school, I was a member of my cross country running team. Although I was never great, nor even what most would consider "good", I loved it because it challenged me and I achieved goals I never thought possible. The experience of going from an overweight eight grader who could not finish one lap on the track, to completing 10k, 20k races in high school enabled me to believe in myself for the first time in my life. So naturally, I relate a lot of my life experiences to running, and "the race" experience. Each race was 5 kilometers, a little over 3 miles. During most races, the halfway point was clearly marked, and when I reached it, I would always have the same conversation with myself..."How am I doing? Are my legs burning bad enough? What's my time? Will I beat last week's time? Should I slow down? Should I speed up?" and I would evaluate my performance (as much as you possibly can, while running and trying to breathe/not trip/telling the pain in your legs to go away).
I have been in Panama for a little over a month, in a two-month journey. This is my halfway point, the time to reassess and evaluate if I should slow down, speed up, or continue steadily to the finish line. And after much evaluation, I have realized that I need to step it up with my blogging! Not only will it help me process what I am experiencing, but it will serve as a memory always for my time in Panama. I also need to step it up at the agency I'm working at (Civitas Panama), and on my thesis work. I'll explain more about those in my next few posts, promise.
So, be prepared for a few posts coming up! I hope you read them all, so we can go through this incredible journey together! Also, if for any reason I am gone for a while from the blog-o-sphere without explanation, bug me about it! Help keep me on track with this and I will be forever grateful.
Lastly, time for some shout-outs! Beth, Marie, and Rody... thanks for taking the time this week to speak/chat/skype with me, it really meant a lot and helped me make a lot of decisions/get things off my chest/ get me in a better mood. I love you all and I am soooooo happy that technology allows us to remain in contact even though we are so far away!
Why, you ask? I'll tell you why! I have come to realize that this blog is as much for my own benefit as it is a way for the Center to keep tabs on me and learn about what I'm up to down here. Trying to catch my experiences, emotions, feelings, and ideas as they happen or soon afterward so that I do not forget them, because oh boy do I ever forget. I already forgot what I had for lunch today, which in the everyday world might not be such a big deal, BUT I AM IN PANAMA! Here, even the food I eat and where I eat is vastly different from what I'm used to. So I've come to realize that while things like that might not mean much to me right now (and no I will not start blogging about my every meal), they collective create a new and exciting world which I am calling home for two months.
I have never been much of a writer (other than planners, I LIVE for my calendar), one to keep a diary, or something else. I have always been more of a talker (wouldn't you agree?) and prefer sitting on a park bench for hours and talking about my week with a friend than spending that same time sitting down to write in notebook or on a computer.
But, my friends are far away... in Tallahassee and in dozens of interesting cities and countries around the world. It is kind of hard to have coffee with someone 5,380 miles away. Impossible, actually. So I will write on this blog, and stare at this computer screen, and hope that my family and friends, and all those important in my life, are staring back, wherever they may be. And that although we are not face to face, we will still have that moment together.
When I was in high school, I was a member of my cross country running team. Although I was never great, nor even what most would consider "good", I loved it because it challenged me and I achieved goals I never thought possible. The experience of going from an overweight eight grader who could not finish one lap on the track, to completing 10k, 20k races in high school enabled me to believe in myself for the first time in my life. So naturally, I relate a lot of my life experiences to running, and "the race" experience. Each race was 5 kilometers, a little over 3 miles. During most races, the halfway point was clearly marked, and when I reached it, I would always have the same conversation with myself..."How am I doing? Are my legs burning bad enough? What's my time? Will I beat last week's time? Should I slow down? Should I speed up?" and I would evaluate my performance (as much as you possibly can, while running and trying to breathe/not trip/telling the pain in your legs to go away).
I have been in Panama for a little over a month, in a two-month journey. This is my halfway point, the time to reassess and evaluate if I should slow down, speed up, or continue steadily to the finish line. And after much evaluation, I have realized that I need to step it up with my blogging! Not only will it help me process what I am experiencing, but it will serve as a memory always for my time in Panama. I also need to step it up at the agency I'm working at (Civitas Panama), and on my thesis work. I'll explain more about those in my next few posts, promise.
So, be prepared for a few posts coming up! I hope you read them all, so we can go through this incredible journey together! Also, if for any reason I am gone for a while from the blog-o-sphere without explanation, bug me about it! Help keep me on track with this and I will be forever grateful.
Lastly, time for some shout-outs! Beth, Marie, and Rody... thanks for taking the time this week to speak/chat/skype with me, it really meant a lot and helped me make a lot of decisions/get things off my chest/ get me in a better mood. I love you all and I am soooooo happy that technology allows us to remain in contact even though we are so far away!
A statue of the most famous indian in Panama, who never let himself be conquered by the Spanish. In the courtyard of Escuela Normal in the Herrerra province. I learned a lot about him.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Pictures from Mom's Wedding
Just a few pictures from my mom's wedding June 12th, 2010
the groom and the groomsmen (the kids of the couple, from left to right... me, Michael, Adrian [my lil bro], and Esteban)
my grandpa escorting my mom to the altar!
the couple share their first dance
Justin made it to the wedding! Besties fo' life!
my little grandma and I
all sorts of family members!
dancing with my mother at her wedding... of course I cried!
The sand ceremony, signifying the coming together of two families. As you can see, it is a lot of colors... I now have 8 brothers and sisters! My color was white :)
Pictures from Costa Rica
Here are some pictures from Costa Rica with Marie, Sophia, Amy, and Denise!
Day 1: My horse from our horseback riding trip to the waterfall in Arenal
at the foot of the waterfall! It was slippery!
with the locals during our horseback trip!
Day 2: White water rafting in the Balsa River in Arenal
a creepy bridge during our nighttime forest walk and lava watching tour
We ended the day with a visit to the hot springs, so hot you could burn your face!
Day 3: Our lovely boat which was part of our van-boat-van to Monteverde. It was about 40 minutes and I sat with Marie and got to hear all about her London plans :)
Service Scholar love on the boat to Monteverde!
Day 6: With Marie! <3 and my new "Harley" shirt
Day 6: The girls before we had to say goodbye and head back to San Jose!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Leaving for the Interior!
Wow, I can’t believe that it has been about two weeks since I last blogged, how quickly time flies by! I last wrote about my upcoming vacation to Costa Rica with a few friends from FSU, and about my mom’s wedding. I’ve been back in Panama for about a week and I’m just now getting ready for this week where I will be traveling around Panama training teachers in the Civitas Panama curriculum. I leave today at 5:30am and will be on the road all week.
Costa Rica was incredible! I really enjoyed spending time with the girls and getting to do all sorts of exciting activities, like white water rafting and zip-lining. It was definitely worth the long hours spent in transit to see the beautiful places Costa Rica had to offer. Marie was a huge help with all of her knowledge about Costa Rica, and it was great to see Marisa and Julie and to share in their international experience. It was also able to communicate in Spanish with everyone we met, and I was very grateful for being bilingual and to have the opportunity to practice my Spanish. Being in Panama, I had to learn so many new words, especially ones related to democracy, government, and business- that I almost felt like my Spanish was getting worse, rather than better. Not sure if that makes any sense. Costa Rica seemed like a never ending adventure, but before I knew it I was saying goodbye to everyone at the airport, and was headed back to Panama to fly out the very next morning to Orlando. If it’s one thing I learned on this trip, its “Life is short… paddle hard!”
The very next day, I flew to Orlando for my mom’s wedding. My flight was delayed from Miami to Orlando, so I missed the rehearsal by about 2 hours. My grandparents picked me up at the airport, and a few hours later Justin, my best friend, arrived from Tallahassee to join us at the wedding. The wedding was great, and I cried a lot (duh)… I couldn’t believe the day was finally here. After the wedding, we all went to the beach on Sunday, and before I knew it I was saying goodbye once again, headed to the airport to fly our the very next morning back to Panama.
After arriving back in Panama, one of the highlights of my week was a training at a school in the Darién province. It was about a 3 hour drive from Panama City so we left very early, and I slept the entire way there since I was still jet lagged from practically living in airports for the past 4 or so days.
I also had the opportunity to visit the Canal area (but still have not seen the actual Canal), and tour the zone that was previously reserved only for Americans. It was an entire region of Panama City were you could only enter if you were an American… completely closed off to Panamanians. I had never heard of this before! It was bizarre to see this place, and know that not too many years ago this was land that could not be entered by its own people.
Well, I have to finish getting ready! It is about 5 am here and I have to finish packing for the next week. I’ll try and write a more in depth blog post for next time, I will have plenty of time in the car to write!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Traveling to Costa Rica and Orlando, FL!!!
Although I have only been in Panama for a week, I am leaving tomorrow to Costa Rica where I will spend some quality time with my good friends (until next Thursday, to be exact). The people going are Denise, Marie, Amy, and Sophia; all of whom attend FSU with me! We are meeting up with our two friends who are studying abroad in Costa Rica- Julie and Marisa.
I cannot wait to see familiar faces and to spend time with good friends! It can get pretty lonely here in Panama sometimes, and I am grateful to be able to be able to participate in this trip with my friends.
I return from Costa Rica on Thursday night, and fly out again Friday morning to my mom's wedding in Orlando, FL. I have been waiting for that day for months! I am so happy for my mom! I am putting the finishing touches on my wedding toast :)
Life is good!
I cannot wait to see familiar faces and to spend time with good friends! It can get pretty lonely here in Panama sometimes, and I am grateful to be able to be able to participate in this trip with my friends.
I return from Costa Rica on Thursday night, and fly out again Friday morning to my mom's wedding in Orlando, FL. I have been waiting for that day for months! I am so happy for my mom! I am putting the finishing touches on my wedding toast :)
Life is good!
My first week in Panama
Wow! I am completely blown away by Civitas Panama, it is truly a well-developed and carefully crafted NGO with strong support from the government and the educational community. I spent the entire first day reading partnership agreements with the Electoral Tribunal, the House of Representatives, and the Ministry of Education. Civic education is seen here as a vital component of a functioning democracy, which is something completely new to me.
Here, the message is not "just vote!", but rather "be part of democracy, learn the values of democracy, become an informed citizen, and THEN vote as a contribution to our democracy"
Is it just me, or are we lacking similar educational programs in schools in the U.S.? It seems as if the only people interested in educating young voters are political parties or interests groups. There is no impartial, nation-wide, and strong government program that teaches youth the values of democracy.
Each day, I continue to be more and more impressed with the organization and it's leadership. When I arrived, my weeks were planned out for me already. This week, I spent time in Panama City and at the office getting to know my way around. When I come back from Costa Rica and my mom's wedding in Orlando, I will begin to travel to the different provinces until the end of the following week. I will train teachers in Project Citizen, as well as how to use the online platform, www.thepeopleunite.com to connect with classes in Florida.
Thankfully, I have not had to rely on taking a bus to Panama, since I have come to realize I am terrible with finding my way around in Panama. The reason is because here, directions are not given by street names (street names are rarely used), but rather by landmarks and building names. I, of course, have no clue about neither of the two, so I would be pitifully lost. Civitas Panama has arranged for me to get picked up everyday from my apartment by an Election Tribunal car, so I don't have to take the bus! I am within walking distance of a mall, so I walk there sometimes if I'm bored. The only bad thing is there was almost no housewares in this apartment (pillows, cleaning supplies, towels, plates, etc.) so I have had to buy all that stuff. Trust me, walking down the sidewalk with a broom and an ironing board is not as much fun as it sounds!
In addition to providing me with transportation, Civitas Panama is doing me a HUGE favor by requesting a list of all the NGO's in Panama from the government for me, and put in a request the afternoon after a morning meeting where I expressed I wanted to somehow find out who the nonprofits were here in Panama for my honors thesis. I didn't even have to ask! They are also giving me some time to interview nonprofits for my thesis after our trainings at each department.
So far, so good! I am really hoping I can do a good job, everything is so well done in this nonprofit that I don't want to let them down. That is my goal for the next few weeks, to make sure I am 150% prepared for everything we do.
Here, the message is not "just vote!", but rather "be part of democracy, learn the values of democracy, become an informed citizen, and THEN vote as a contribution to our democracy"
Is it just me, or are we lacking similar educational programs in schools in the U.S.? It seems as if the only people interested in educating young voters are political parties or interests groups. There is no impartial, nation-wide, and strong government program that teaches youth the values of democracy.
Each day, I continue to be more and more impressed with the organization and it's leadership. When I arrived, my weeks were planned out for me already. This week, I spent time in Panama City and at the office getting to know my way around. When I come back from Costa Rica and my mom's wedding in Orlando, I will begin to travel to the different provinces until the end of the following week. I will train teachers in Project Citizen, as well as how to use the online platform, www.thepeopleunite.com to connect with classes in Florida.
Thankfully, I have not had to rely on taking a bus to Panama, since I have come to realize I am terrible with finding my way around in Panama. The reason is because here, directions are not given by street names (street names are rarely used), but rather by landmarks and building names. I, of course, have no clue about neither of the two, so I would be pitifully lost. Civitas Panama has arranged for me to get picked up everyday from my apartment by an Election Tribunal car, so I don't have to take the bus! I am within walking distance of a mall, so I walk there sometimes if I'm bored. The only bad thing is there was almost no housewares in this apartment (pillows, cleaning supplies, towels, plates, etc.) so I have had to buy all that stuff. Trust me, walking down the sidewalk with a broom and an ironing board is not as much fun as it sounds!
In addition to providing me with transportation, Civitas Panama is doing me a HUGE favor by requesting a list of all the NGO's in Panama from the government for me, and put in a request the afternoon after a morning meeting where I expressed I wanted to somehow find out who the nonprofits were here in Panama for my honors thesis. I didn't even have to ask! They are also giving me some time to interview nonprofits for my thesis after our trainings at each department.
So far, so good! I am really hoping I can do a good job, everything is so well done in this nonprofit that I don't want to let them down. That is my goal for the next few weeks, to make sure I am 150% prepared for everything we do.
View of Panama City from my apartment on the 10th floor
P.S.- I bought two poster-sized maps of Panama that I put up in my room, and I study them every day. I can remember almost all the provinces now! :D So excited!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Check out the other Serviceshippers!!!
Hello everyone!
In case you didn't know, I'm not the only lucky FSU student who is spending a few months of their summer volunteering somewhere awesome in the world (thanks to the Center for Leadership and Civic Education, an amazing, amazing place!)
There are 6 other students out in the world, and they are all incredible! (so you should check out their blogs) :D
Please follow this link to see them all, and to read a bit about Serviceships at FSU!
http://thecenter.fsu.edu/summer_serviceships.html
In case you didn't know, I'm not the only lucky FSU student who is spending a few months of their summer volunteering somewhere awesome in the world (thanks to the Center for Leadership and Civic Education, an amazing, amazing place!)
There are 6 other students out in the world, and they are all incredible! (so you should check out their blogs) :D
Please follow this link to see them all, and to read a bit about Serviceships at FSU!
http://thecenter.fsu.edu/summer_serviceships.html
Everything Happens for a Reason! +some pics from Guatemala
In an earlier post, I wrote that I was going to Guatemala. I was originally supposed to volunteer in Guatemala until Thursday of last week, and then take a bus back to El Salvador. From El Salvador, I would fly out to Panama.
Well, the plans to volunteer in Guatemala fell through because of safety issues due to recent crimes in the area where the Rigoberta Menchu Foundation was located, Zone #2, so instead I decided to just visit Guatemala for a long weekend. We left Tuesday back to El Salvador, instead of Thursday as I had originally planned. By Thursday, a volcano near the town of Antigua erupted, and tropical storm Agatha had caused massive flooding and mudslides, killing over 100 people... Guatemala declared a state of emergency.
I left El Salvador on Friday, May 28th. The day before, the only road to the airport was completely blocked due to a protest by students and bus drivers, so I would have not been able to fly. The day after, El Salvador declared its own state of emergency due to tropical storm Agatha, and halted all air traffic; so I would have also not been able to fly.
I was heartbroken that I could not volunteer in Guatemala, but I see that everything happens for a reason! If I would have stayed in Guatemala until the end of the week, I might still be stuck there now. I was also very lucky to have flown out of El Salvador on Friday, and to have made it to Panama safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who was thinking about me and my family, we are all ok and everyone has weathered the first storm of the season.
I'm having an incredible time in Panama, I'll post about my experiences here soon!
Some pictures from Guatemala: (what a beautiful country with such rich heritage!)
These pictures are from Antigua, Guatemala.
These pictures are from Panajachel and surrounding towns near the lake:
Well, the plans to volunteer in Guatemala fell through because of safety issues due to recent crimes in the area where the Rigoberta Menchu Foundation was located, Zone #2, so instead I decided to just visit Guatemala for a long weekend. We left Tuesday back to El Salvador, instead of Thursday as I had originally planned. By Thursday, a volcano near the town of Antigua erupted, and tropical storm Agatha had caused massive flooding and mudslides, killing over 100 people... Guatemala declared a state of emergency.
I left El Salvador on Friday, May 28th. The day before, the only road to the airport was completely blocked due to a protest by students and bus drivers, so I would have not been able to fly. The day after, El Salvador declared its own state of emergency due to tropical storm Agatha, and halted all air traffic; so I would have also not been able to fly.
I was heartbroken that I could not volunteer in Guatemala, but I see that everything happens for a reason! If I would have stayed in Guatemala until the end of the week, I might still be stuck there now. I was also very lucky to have flown out of El Salvador on Friday, and to have made it to Panama safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who was thinking about me and my family, we are all ok and everyone has weathered the first storm of the season.
I'm having an incredible time in Panama, I'll post about my experiences here soon!
Some pictures from Guatemala: (what a beautiful country with such rich heritage!)
These pictures are from Antigua, Guatemala.
huge monuments in Antigua
sitting next to an old pal
inside a Spanish monastery destroyed by earthquakes
These pictures are from Panajachel and surrounding towns near the lake:
While crossing the lake, I took this photo of a nearby boat, known here as a "lancha". Beautiful.
Buying some local attire, very colorful!
My dad and I near the Santiago Atlitlan dock with a recent purchase
This little girl followed me around until I took her picture and gave her 1 quetzal and bought some pens from her
hanging out near the dock of Santiago Atlitlan
A look inside of a tiny store in Panajachel
Reflecting on El Salvador, Creating Change!
When I made plans to visit El Salvador before starting my ServiceShip in Panama, I thought it would be great to have 3 weeks of vacation before going into "serviceship mode" for the next 8 weeks. However, my visit this time around was so different than any other. I was unable to disassociate myself from the injustices I saw around me, and just view El Salvador through the eyes of a visitor or a tourist. I’d like to share two experiences I had during my time in El Salvador that deeply impacted me. These experiences helped me decide that, as I am about to spend 2 months helping citizens in Panama, I should do something to help those in my home country…
In El Salvador, it is not unusual to see children working in stores, selling things on the street, or in other places. Although there is a recent government campaign aimed at eliminating child labor, it is easier said than done for many families who struggle with the sometime 1000% increase in prices since the U.S. dollar replaced the colon as the official currency in 2001. I came face to face with this issue when my family threw me a graduation party. It was an amazing experience- my dad rented a trolley bus and decorated it to the max, and my entire family came. The bus carried a trailer with a live band, called a “batucada”, and we drove around the city for a few hours decked out in full mardi gras-like gear and making all sorts of noise.
me and my cousins!
the live band playing on the trailer attached to the bus
Around midnight, the bus stopped in front of a club and my cousins and I went inside while my aunts, uncles, and my dad and his wife got dropped off to go home. After the club, we walked outside to hail a cab. It was about 3am at this time. A little girl came up to me and asked me if I wanted to buy a flower. Her face was dirty and you could see she had been crying. I asked her why and she told me her mom hit her because she hadn’t sold enough flowers that night. I could not believe that this girl was working selling flowers at 3 o’clock in the morning. I asked her who her mom was and she pointed at a woman standing nearby. I then walked up to her and yelled at her for a good 10 minutes. I reminded her that, out here at this time of the night, her daughter could be kidnapped, raped, run over by a drunk driver, and she was putting her in danger. She told me her daughter wanted to be here, and she didn’t force her. The taxi arrived and we left. I wish there was something more I could have done, but there is no such thing as child services in El Salvador to take that girl away from that environment. I saw that girl numerous times since that night, selling flowers during the day at an intersection near the fairgrounds. Every time I saw her, I thought about that night and her tear-stained face…
one of the girls selling flowers
The second experience wasn’t just a single event, but rather a constant presence during my time in El Salvador- gang violence. El Salvador is the birthplace of the most dangerous gang in modern society, the Salvatruchas. The U.S. government has deemed them the most dangerous gang currently operating in the U.S, and their activities are no better in El Salvador. Gang extortion is so common it referred to as “rent”. All businesses are affected- from large national stores to mom and pop stores. They even affect buses and microbuses (small, van-like buses). If you don’t pay your rent, the gang members threaten to kill your children. Almost every day in the newspaper there would be a story about one more student killed. A child killed in the playground, a university medical student killed while boarding a microbus to school- it seemed all too common. Two days before I left El Salvador, there was a huge protest of students who wanted protection from being killed if their parents did not pay “rent”, joined by microbus drivers who were tired of being killed when the owner of the microbus did not pay “rent”. They blocked the only road to the airport, halting any passengers from reaching their flights. The government has the most ineffective campaign against “rent” that I have ever seen. They created a cartoon character that supposedly refuses to pay rent. They distribute stickers with the character and underneath it says “I don’t pay them rent”. You’re supposed to put it on your door to let gang members you will not comply with their demands and to look elsewhere. However, to me it just seems like a giant target symbol. Thoughts?
newspaper about a university medical student shot while getting on the microbus
The black box with the 25 on it says that so far this year,
25 students have been killed in similar ways.
The cartoon character that says "I don't pay them rent. This is a sticker.
There are banners, posters, and billboards all around San Salvador
with this message.
While those experiences were the most gut wrenching of my trip back home, I also saw a number of needs in the nonprofits I worked with while in El Salvador. All of the nonprofits suffer from a lack of volunteers, because there is no culture of youth and college-aged volunteerism like there is in the U.S., and youth rarely volunteer. The orphanage for disabled children, El Hogar de Padre Vito Guarato, needed help repairing cribs but could not find volunteers to make simple repairs. Un Techo Para Mi País, an NGO much like Habitat for Humanity, can only build on the weekends because people do not want to volunteer during the week. The rehabilitation center for incarcerated youth gang members expressed a dire need to have volunteers who are the same age as the inmates come and spend time with them and show them there are other ways to live. The government agency that protects the rights of children and youth, ISNA, told me in a meeting that they have a hard time building public support for ending child labor like what I witnessed outside of the bars, because people have become so used to seeing the children there they don’t think anymore about it. They need a lot of volunteers to spread awareness about what is happening to these children before a law that is enforceable can be finally passed.
Mi dad has volunteered at the orphanage for disabled children for decades, and together we decided to start a new umbrella nonprofit in El Salvador that would help the orphanage and other nonprofits find volunteers. Together, my dad and I are creating an umbrella organization that will promote the needs of NGO’s in El Salvador. We will link NGO’s in El Salvador with international volunteers. We will collect, assess, and promote the needs of the NGO community in El Salvador to volunteers in the U.S. and abroad. For volunteers, we will provide safe transportation, lodging, and meals which will make service travel to El Salvador a reality for many. My dad owns a few businesses, and he knows a lot of people in the business, government, and NGO fields. I was able to meet with a number of nonprofits and they were all very eager to be a part of the new organization. We’ve got the website almost complete, and have received a number of proposals from attorneys to begin the registration process in El Salvador. I am very excited about this! If you would like to help somehow, we’d love your input. Especially those of you who have gone on international service trips (like 99% of those of you reading this :D )
Although a lot of work needs to be done in El Salvador, it is a beautiful country filled with amazing people! I will miss my country dearly! See some fun pics below:
relaxing on a hammock :)
Lake Ilopango were I took golf lessons
locals fishing near the beach
view of the coffee plantation from mountain cabin
Horse in the town of Juayua, very friendly!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
