27 Months of La Pura Vida

The 2 week school break, known here in Costa Rica as "Quince dias" or "15 days", is over.  2 long weeks where almost the entire community empties out, visit family in larger cities or beaches, no teachers are around, students only want to relax.  Really just a long, boring two weeks where not a whole lot happens here in rural Costa Rica.  Luckily, as opposed to last year, I know more people here and while I certainly had boring days, at least I was aware of what was happening and had more people to talk with...and a basketball court I could play on!  Last year I just figured the teachers were on strike and was just amazed at how many people took advantage of the vacations to travel; there were days where I didn't see a single person around the community.  So really what I am trying to say is that not a whole lot has been accomplished since my last post in early July but this is just one of the many frustrations of Peace Corps. I did have the opportunity to attend a conference held by the EPA (Gringos!) in San Jose this past week and had the 2 days paid for, got to stay in the Crowne Plaza (I forgot what a nice hotel is like!!!) and got to meet people from Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, the State Department and the EPA.  The conference was fairly basic information about how to get public participation at community levels when dealing with environmental projects but regardless it was a cool opportunity that only myself and three other PCVs had the opportunity to experience.

EPA Conference

Last Monday and Tuesday, myself and three other PCVs were invited to the EPA's public participation workshop held in San Jose.  We didn't really know what to expect but I think the workshop was geared more towards the other project leaders from Latin America than towards us PCVs.  Regardless it was fairly interesting information but at the same time fairly confusingly structured.  From what I understand (the whole workshop was in Spanish...), the people from Latin America were representing projects that work in conservation or highly environmentally focused and have been funded through a Swiss NGO, HELVETAS, and as part of the grant or funding, this workshop is obligatory to attend.  After the workshop, the participants must use the information to organize the community to promote more active participation in local problems to better communicate their opinions to local government and NGOs.  However, it gets a little confusing as to exactly why we were there.  At times it seemed like we were there to do nothing further than explain our methodology for gaining public participation in communities and environmentally focused projects.  At other times, we were fully thrown into the conversation and participation as participants as through we had any idea about the workshop, funding or some sort of "mechanisms" that are offered through yet another organization called the United Americas Organization (I think all 4 of us were lost on this portion of the presentation).  In agreeing to attend the workshop, we agreed to write an article to the rest of PCCR about what came from the workshop and how it can pertain to a PCV working in an environmentally focused project here.  I think if PCCR knew what the subject of the workshop was they wouldn't have sent a representative (not to say I didn't learn anything) but in my opinion, the topics were fairly basic and didn't seem to be focused too much on environmentally focused projects.  But hey, it was 2 days, all expenses paid for, a luxurious hotel room with hot water and AC, 2 days with PCVs and meeting some new gringos, one of which was an RPCV (returned PCV) and another who works for the State Department.

Little Updates

Basketball Court

We just cannot seem to finish off this project but I am confident that within the next 2 weeks we will have it all done.  Currently, the ADI has taken over the project and all that is left with it although I still attend meetings to see how I can help.  The big issue is that the treasurer almost never shows up, meaning they can't make any decisions regarding money (i.e. buying lights, paying contracts, paying bills, etc.) and this is causing some serious issues within the association.  While we had hoped to install the fencing and lights over Quince dias with the help of all the bored youth, he didn't show up to the meeting and we weren't able to pay for the lights and the cement for the fencing and had to wait until today (they only have meetings twice a month) to write the agreement and checks.  This means however that there should be nothing stopping us now and we agreed we would install the fencing this week (hopefully Monday or Tuesday when I am around) and the lights whenever we can get the contractor around.

Also this past weekend the ADI and sports committee held an soccer event to raise the rest of the funds for the rest of the fencing and to pay a contractor to help weld the material.  I was only around for the first night which was considerably much smaller than Sunday but it was cool to see that the court was being used and had some value beyond small pick up games.  I don't think they raised the kind of money they were hoping for but it was a good start and cool to see they were already investing more time and money into the project.

Next Saturday we have a visit from the "county" sports committee who donated a lot of materials for the court and just recently donated fencing for the entire soccer field here in the community.  We are going to hold another small event to "inaugurate" the court and hopefully make a little more money for the fencing materials.

Recycling Center

Well we finally have water!  Two of the guys from the group finally got together and finished installing the tubes to the bike and it appears to be working.  However, last Tuesday, we had organized a small presentation for the committee to give at the elementary school and none of the colegio kids showed up.  The kids in the escuela waited around for 20 minutes until the teachers decided to let them go.  Some days I am amazed by what this group does and then other days just completely let down.  FRUSTRATIONS!

New Project

Well after not having too much progress with the women's group, the local medical clinic's committee members reached out to me regarding possibly working with them to complete a small project but one that is beneficial for the entire community.  Right now, many youth here use the EBAIS/clinic for illegal/sexual activities because it is off the road, easy to get into and only used once a month.  So the project would be to make a fence around the clinic, buy some new equipment which will allow the committee to request more visits per month and give small community trainings to youth about safe sex (still have to figure out the best way to do this).  It would be a really cool project to finish my service with but it is a lot of work and time is running out!

Family Love

I came back on Wednesday to two yuugggee packages from the Texas Farrells and the Florida Farrells and am currently bingeing on all sorts of candy, playing with water balloons and reading Game of Thrones (finally!).  A special shout out to Grant and Beckett for all the great drawings and letters, I have them hanging on my wall here in my room.  Thank you so much Barbara, Rick, Jen, Roger, Pete and Karla...it really makes the bad days here good to know you are all thinking of me.  Thank you all so much, hope to see you all soon!