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October 10th-19th, 2007: Realization Dawns
My imminent departure has set in for real among the members of LC and not a conversation I have does not contain some mention of it. With adults it is easy to talk about how I have to go back because my job is over and have to find another and to be back with my family, but what do I say to the kids who look at me with those big eyes and say "please don't go Don Aaron" ....What initially seemed like plenty of time is no starting to crush in around me on all sides. Everything is happening in a rush as I am trying to do 4x as much per week as before and still not getting all the i's dotted or t's crossed.
Continuing Health?
An NGO set-up this community health program using local, mainly female community promoters, in San Pedro and next door in Ostuma. Alison, Suzanne and I are disappointed that their funding for the project has run out for some of the most motivated and active people we have seen in all our time here. So we got them together last week to talk about and develop a new project plan with which we can solicit international health organizations for funding (well since I'll be gone, we really means them:). I ran hard into the wall of one dead end this week. My good friend, Chrystan, a medical student, located an organization that donates medicine, put together a shipment and sent it off to help out the health committee in La Comunidad. Little did she know what it was going to run into in El Salvador. I discovered upon notification of arrival that a mountain of paperwork, fees and taxes awaited me. The shipping company needed $110 to receive the package and deal with your declaration papers. Customs charges one daily for holding your stuff, requires a variety of different licenses, charges unknown amounts of taxes and apparently wants a lengthy description, including chemical composition and all indications, for all medicines brought it. After battling, making dozens of calls, searching out help from every corner, and making several starts at it, we were forced to give it up as I concluded that I could spend all week working on it, maybe not get it and if I did maybe spend more then it was all worth. I guess at least the customs agents won't have to put up with headaches at work any longer.
Logged another day at the computer labs in Canton Lazareto and moved closer to getting them all ready to go (don't worry still plenty of bugs and problems- 2 flickering monitors, 3 missing sound cards, and 2 computers that resist the installation of Encarta.
This fun little guy lead off the inauguration of a permanent Municipal Recycling program. I wish I could take credit for planning this one but I was just told a couple days ahead of time. I would like to believe that the recycling campaign we did earlier introduced recycling and provided the experience and knowledge to launch this major program where the Alcaldia will buy Aluminum and Plastic to recycle while doing outreach education in schools and homes. I was set at the honor table with the other big shots and was thus given my chance to say some words about how this program was going to benefit the world community (On the fly public speaking in Spanish, and I pulled it off, guess I have learned a bit in my 2 years!).
The closer we get to finishing the Spring project the harder it gets. The Alcaldia's money to pay workers has run out and we are scrambling to figure out ways to pay a couple people to finish the last little bit of brick and pavement laying while calling out some voluntary muscle to show these rocks whose boss!
It had rained for three straight days leading up to the game so as one can see from the picture on left the field was in prime playing condition. By the end of the game I had trouble telling where my clothes ended and the mud began (so I though better I just take them all off!)
A friend of a PCV works for the El Salvador police SWAT team and one thing lead to another and a soccer game between them and PC was set-up. Our all-star squad was called out (and me too). And we put on quite a show. Although they tried to intimidate us by showing up with hand guns strapped over their uniforms carrying machine pistols we showed them that Peace is the answer with a 8-3 whooping finished off with a goal from your's truly.
Suzanne and Alison (from left) threw a little going away party for me on Saturday night. It was brought to an abrupt end when an obviously drunk man showed up outside the door (on the 2nd floor) and seemed intent on staying there (although not doing anything or even speaking). Eventually the police had to come to get rid of him... there are somethings I won't miss about ES.
This week I had the Environmental Education Trainees out to my site for the day where the main focus was to share my experiences teaching computers with them.
Back in May my friend in the US Embassy, Marjorie, was able to help us out by purchasing the wood and varnish, with which the school paid to construct shelves which are now set-up in the same room as the computers, forming our very own library. On Wednesday Marjorie came out to inaugurate the library in addition to handing out prizes to the winners of the Earth Day Art contest from way back in April.
The above collage I put together and have printed out a huge stack of 4x6s to the back of which I have glued my contact info in the states and a brief thank you, for handing out to the folks of LC, just to make sure they don't forget this gringo :-)
