Okay, so it has come to my attention that right now you guys might not be aware of what I’m supposed to be doing here. Up until a week ago, I didn’t know either, so that makes a lot of sense. During training, there are a LOT of projects that we have to complete, but they’re all meant to give us practice doing stuff we will need to do once we’re at our sites. There are 3 main areas: in the schools, youth group, and PICA. Here’s a brief summary of each, for anyone who cares.
In the Schools:
Once we get to our sites, we have to teach in at least 3 elementary schools about Medio Ambiente (the environment, henceforth MA). We get to practice here. We observe a few classes, and then we have to give 3 charlas, which are like talks with interactive activities. The first one we have to do is 20 minutes, but we get to split it up between the 4 volunteers. Now that’s only 20 minutes, but it’s 20 minutes in Spanish, which for us right now is a challenge. The second and third are both 45 minutes, but by then we’ll be fluent, so no worries.
Youth Group:
By far the more challenging task, I think, is that we have to form a youth group of kids 13-20. We have to lead this voluntary group of youths in activities in Spanish. Yikes. We have to do 2 major projects with them, a vivero, which is a tree nursery, and some other environmental project of their choosing. We also have to give 3 charlas to them about life skills because a big part of our job is just youth outreach and promoting youth participation and leadership in general. It’s already cool though because since Saturday I know how to build a tree nursery. This skill will surely prove useful sometime in the future.
PICA:
I wouldn’t worry about what this stands for, but this is a kind of a report about our communities. One of the big things stressed during training is that we are supposed to be building capacity, or helping people learn how to do more with what they have. Peace Corps teaches us, and we spread the word. As part of this effort, it’s important to be able to assess a community when you’re a new volunteer, and it’s important to teach community members these assessment tools so that they can keep up the process after you leave. One of these tools is an encuesta, or basically a survey. We have to design a survey in Spanish, go around to strangers and give them the survey, analyze the results, do follow-up research, and make a presentation.
Spanish class:
This isn’t a project, so much as the activity that has taken over my life, but in a good way. I obviously need to learn Spanish as quickly as possible because I need it to communicate with all the people in the communities where I am working. I already know more than I did after 4 years of high school and college Spanish, but there is still so much that I just say wrong. In addition to studying and talking with our families and community, we have a lot of homework to help us practice. In a week, I have interviewed my family and made a family tree, drawn a map of Masatepe, written a composition, make invitations for our youth group, interviewed my Nica-mom about her work and the work of my Nica-Dad, had to find out how to get to Managua by asking random strangers, and finally, a task that isn’t homework, but is starting to feel like it, finding the post office. People say it exists, but so far I’ve had no luck, and it’s closed after 4, and we have class until 3, and then usually other stuff to do right after. As a result, I still haven’t managed to send letters I wrote a week ago.
In the Schools:
Once we get to our sites, we have to teach in at least 3 elementary schools about Medio Ambiente (the environment, henceforth MA). We get to practice here. We observe a few classes, and then we have to give 3 charlas, which are like talks with interactive activities. The first one we have to do is 20 minutes, but we get to split it up between the 4 volunteers. Now that’s only 20 minutes, but it’s 20 minutes in Spanish, which for us right now is a challenge. The second and third are both 45 minutes, but by then we’ll be fluent, so no worries.
Youth Group:
By far the more challenging task, I think, is that we have to form a youth group of kids 13-20. We have to lead this voluntary group of youths in activities in Spanish. Yikes. We have to do 2 major projects with them, a vivero, which is a tree nursery, and some other environmental project of their choosing. We also have to give 3 charlas to them about life skills because a big part of our job is just youth outreach and promoting youth participation and leadership in general. It’s already cool though because since Saturday I know how to build a tree nursery. This skill will surely prove useful sometime in the future.
PICA:
I wouldn’t worry about what this stands for, but this is a kind of a report about our communities. One of the big things stressed during training is that we are supposed to be building capacity, or helping people learn how to do more with what they have. Peace Corps teaches us, and we spread the word. As part of this effort, it’s important to be able to assess a community when you’re a new volunteer, and it’s important to teach community members these assessment tools so that they can keep up the process after you leave. One of these tools is an encuesta, or basically a survey. We have to design a survey in Spanish, go around to strangers and give them the survey, analyze the results, do follow-up research, and make a presentation.
Spanish class:
This isn’t a project, so much as the activity that has taken over my life, but in a good way. I obviously need to learn Spanish as quickly as possible because I need it to communicate with all the people in the communities where I am working. I already know more than I did after 4 years of high school and college Spanish, but there is still so much that I just say wrong. In addition to studying and talking with our families and community, we have a lot of homework to help us practice. In a week, I have interviewed my family and made a family tree, drawn a map of Masatepe, written a composition, make invitations for our youth group, interviewed my Nica-mom about her work and the work of my Nica-Dad, had to find out how to get to Managua by asking random strangers, and finally, a task that isn’t homework, but is starting to feel like it, finding the post office. People say it exists, but so far I’ve had no luck, and it’s closed after 4, and we have class until 3, and then usually other stuff to do right after. As a result, I still haven’t managed to send letters I wrote a week ago.
Comments
It all sounds so interesting, almost makes me want to join you, however we both know my Spanish is nonexistant and no matter what I can teach myself craft wise, as a self taught Spanish student I don't even give myself an E for effort!
Love you and you are doing great!
Sounds like craziness to me:) I know that you will do well in all of your endeavors that the PC peeps throw at you.
I have to say that I am very impressed by the amount of work that you have done in such a short period of time. Keep up the good work!!!
The weather here finally turned cooler. Is it still horribly hot there?
Thinking of you,
Briana