First things first, I am now living in a relatively large community in the department of Chimaltenango, a place that has a municipal population of 15,000 people and a community population of 50,500 people. There are taxis, public basketball courts, a gym, market days 3 times a week, a supermarket, and even a small park with Wi-Fi! Needless to say, I am roughing it no more.
Healthy Schools
Regarding work, I am the first Peace Corps volunteer to be working in school district 14, a district that contains 23 rural to semi-urban schools that are only a micro ride away (plus several miles of walking depending on the school). Thankfully, the supervisor of the district, Bonifasio, is a great person and work partner that is dedicated to his job. This has made my life so much easier, as I know this can be a rarity in the world of Peace Corps.
During the first couple of months in site, I visited every school in my district to present myself to the directors and explain my responsibilities as a Peace Corps volunteer. Much of my time was spent waking up at 5:30am, taking the wrong bus, asking the lovely village-folk for directions, and getting to know the lay of the land. Then came the school map activity.
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| School maps with Xeatzan Bajo |
The school map activity is an activity I facilitated with the students in each of the 10 schools I chose to work with, the names of which are Chuinimachicaj, Chichoy Alto, Paraiso Chichoy, Xeatzan Bajo, Xepatan, Chuchuca Alto, Chipiacul, Mocolicxot Alto, Chichoy Bajo, and Popabaj. Anyway, the activity required that the students break into groups and draw a top-side map of their school, indicating areas that they liked with smiley faces and areas that they didn't like with sad faces. After several hours of vigorous drawing, 2 representatives from each group were asked to present their map to the rest of the class. With much coaxing, each group elaborated on why the drew smiley faces and sad faces where they did. Typical sad faces meant no soap or water in the bathroom, the lack of a school garden, or the need for an improved "Rincon de Salud," a term used to describe an area in each classroom that contains the toothbrushes, towels, toilet paper, and other items essential to a healthy lifestyle. Happy faces almost always indicated the soccer field, learning in the classroom, the principles office, or healthy habits like sweeping before class or a designated time during the day when everyone brushed their teeth. This activity was a helpful way for the students to engage in peer education, a fun and interactive way of learning the importance of healthy habits and analyzing the school they attend.
Perhaps the most rewarding work I have taken part in is the facilitation of three workshops for the directors (principles) of the two school districts in my town. With the help of another Peace Corps volunteer in my site, Annie, we taught and facilitated the directors of our districts to learn about leadership, the Healthy Schools project, information on services provided by the health center, and environmental preservation. These three workshops were a great success thanks to the staff from the local health center and other speakers that came to present.
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| Health Center awareness activity |
Other honorable mentions regarding work include assisting in a BRO-camp in Quiche and facilitating an aerobics class for the nurses of the local hospital, the later of which may or may not be actual "work" per say. A BRO-camp is a youth camp for young males that covers various topics and youth-led activities regarding health. These topics include leadership in the community, sexual health, puberty, avoiding male chauvinism, HIV/AIDS awareness, and team-building exercises. One of my favorite activities was something called a changing Mario Maduro. In this activity, a blank outline of an adolescent male, Mario Maduro, was drawn and placed in front of the kids. The campers were then asked to step forward and draw a different change that occurs during puberty, and explain it to their peers. Needless to say, this was a fun and giggly activity where everyone learned the normal changes that occur during puberty. Regarding the aerobics class, I assist my friend, Gustavo, in giving various exercise instructions to the nurses that meet several times a week in the town gym/weight room. Attending abs class in college has finally paid off!
Currently, Annie and I are planning a science class curriculum for the off-season, as the Guatemalan school year has now come to a close. These classes will cover topics in Biology, Chemistry, Geography (volcanoes and plate tectonics), and environmental preservation relating to Guatemala. Thankfully, we have locked in the attendance of students and have found helpful directors that are willing to let us utilize their schools during the vacation time. Also, I am helping another Peace Corps volunteer in a nearby town in creating a BRO-camp for the students of his schools. We have received financial help from an NGO and the local municipality for transportation and materials that will be used during the camp. If everything goes to plan, November and December should be rewarding months for us all.
Integration and Adventure
Now to the fun of integrating into Guatemalan communities. Over the past several months, I have made many friends playing basketball and volleyball in the town tournaments, going to the gym, and integrating with my neighbors and host family. When you are over 6' tall and stand out like a sore thumb, it is not hard to get recruited to sports teams in Guatemala. That being said, I am enjoying many nights training and playing games with my friends.
In the afternoons, I usually go to the gym, which is filled with Guatemalans blasting Reggaeton and pumping iron with handmade barbells and old equipment from the US. Luckily, no one seems to mind when I plug my ipod into the speakers and go about my business. This is a huge stress reliever down here.
Another stress reliever is spending time with the other Peace Corps volunteers. To say the least, we have had wonderful adventures seeing the sites of Guatemala and have become great friends throughout our service. Last weekend, we went to Tulate, a beach on the western coast where we relaxed and watched baby sea turtles begin their journey waddling to the sea.
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| Sea Turtle hatch-lings |
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| Tulate |
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| Monterrico |
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| Grill on the roof |
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| Plucking roosters with the host family |
