TravelStream™ news feed for member jayrbird on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jayrbird en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:10:55 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jayrbird/1/1239043560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jayrbird/1/1239043560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jayrbird/1/1239043560/tpod.html Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:10:55 -0400 My PCV Experience: Dominican Republic

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Samana, Samaná Peninsula, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic

Hello Friends!

April has arrived and the world is heating up a lot! Cinderella, my 9 month old puppy, and I are doing alright although she did eat something terribly toxic this week. We gave her a round of antibiotics and I believe she is on the up and up now. Semana Santa begins tomorrow and the beaches in Samana will be very crowded. I hope to stay away from all the people. This week should be a little slower than normal just because of the holidays, but, in general, my projects are doing well. My current projects consister of:

1) Teaching English classes to adults and those classes are very fun two nights a week.

2) The Escojo group, a health/family planning group for youth, is moving along. I am interested in seeing what kinds of projects we get into next. The students have lots of energy, to say the least. I would like to propose a couple of projects to get it going in a more productive direction though sometimes!

3) My Brigada Verde (environment youth group) has become more motivated since returned from the regional conference last weekend. The Yaritza, Massiel and Ileidy, the three girls who attended the conference, gave a charla (presentation) during our last Brigada Verde meeting that was very inspirational. I hope to plan a couple of charlas in celebration of Earth Day, April 22, 2009.

Finally, I'm waiting on approval for grant money for the stove projects, but when that happens, I'll be in a new direction there too.

Okay, I promise to write more later, but I just wanted to give you all a taste of what's going on in Samana.

Sincerely,

Jennifer
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Las Galeras, Samaná Peninsula, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic

Sunday, January 4, 2009


Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoyed some special holiday moments this season. I'm doing pretty well. I've been in my site for the last couple of weeks spending Christmas, New Years, and tomorrow's holiday, Day of the Kings where I understand we will have party for the children. I was unsure how the holidays in the campo would go. Generally, there are many adventures outside of their sites that volunteers take this time of year, but in the end, I'm glad I opted to stay around and partake in the festivities here in my campo. Some of my highlights were enjoying a wonderful family feast with friends, helping one of my muchacha's prepare for her 15th birthday celebration cooking lots of good food for the volunteers who make the trek to come and visit me, getting a little painting done in my apartment, and sharing homemade pancakes with my kids on New Years Day. I also recorded some really cool video footage on my camera of how we rang in the New Years. We passed the midnight hour in a special church service in the Evangelic church. After, we hugged and kissed each other while singing rounds of their traditional song, "Pass a Happy New Year," in English.

Now, I say all that to say my holidays weren't without my usual flair for adventure. I did have an exciting adventure this week where I visited the town at the end of the road of the peninsula, Las Galeras. I found that Las Galeras is a beautiful, precious little town at the end of the road. The long stretches of beach are amazing and, whereas I live in the bay area where the waves are small and calm, in Las Galeras one can watch the waves roll in breaking over and over again before they hit the shore. The distance from my campo to Las Galeras is short, it's a world away in terms of culture and economic status, and even way of life. It's more the hippy international community of French, Germans, few Americans and Italians that one might expect from an island community. It's easy to see their attraction to the area. The water is gorgeous in color, in deep blues and turquoises. Hanging out in the town of Las Galeras, I befriended some interesting Americans who have relocated from Boston. They are a married couple, in their sixties, who have purchased land and built a home and lovely guesthouse in the Las Galeras area in the last ten years. The next day, Katie and I went to Samaná (the town/pueblo) to do a little shopping on the grand market day, Saturday, and to introduce me to a friend of hers, Kim Beddall. Kim Beddall is a whale specialist who lives in here in Samaná teaching about and studying the whales. The humpback whales are probably the most famous visitors to Samaná and they winter in the warm waters of the Samaná Bay and birth their baby calves. Ms. Beddall is well known for her work with whales and has her own tour company, but she's also a dog lover who takes some of our many street dogs to care for them, spay/neuter, give them their shots, and try and find suitable homes. I'm interested in taking home a little girl dog. ¡ Vamos a ver! (We will see.) Google Kim Beddall and one of her site's is http://www.whalesamana.com/home.html.

This month, I am entering my ninth month of service in site. The more time that I spend here learning about the Samaná , the more I realize how fortunate I have been to be placed here. I live in, arguably, the most beautiful province on the island. But, there are no pretenses here; there is need and my work is cut out for me. In my opinion, the folks in my campo are paying the price for tourism. The type of tourists that visit us in Samaná are push "development" in our area and have caused tremendous changes to occur in a very small period of time; the poor cannot keep up without support. Basic necessities of food, water, and health care are unstable as in all over the world, the costs are rising. Yet, through these tough times, there is great a strength and backbone in this community. The family and church continues to be the rock here. As one of my friends put it, "it is one of the last puritan strongholds in Samaná ." I admire the strength of my community and hope through working together in the new year, our projects will continue to develop and empower us all.

To all my friends and family that I did get to see during my trip home in November--Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I had a wonderful time.

Love & Peace,
Health & Wealth,

Jennifer

P.S. Check out the photos and video footage in my web album.
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Samaná Peninsula, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic

October 26, 2008

Hey Gang,

After a rough first six months in my site, things are finally coming around. Adjusting and adapting to my new surroundings has been all consuming. Please forgive me for not writing more frequently or keeping up with you. I also hope that you continue to stay in touch with me and remember to keep me updated on your life. I have learned that time is precious, passes much too quickly, and, it is hard to catch up on lost time.

As many hilarious or tragic errors as I have committed in the last six months, I am finally settling into some kind of routine of which to speak. My current projects consist of teaching three English classes, Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I have 7 to 8 year olds in the morning, 8 to 11 year olds in the afternoon and 12 to 15 years in my second afternoon class. My community has a strong desire in learning English. I attribute their interest to the growing tourism industry in Samaná and to the unique history of the peninsula of Samaná. Samaná was settled by freed African American slaves in the 1840s along with others including folks from England, France and Haiti. Before the time of Trujillo, English was the language of the people in Samaná; therefore, many of the other folks speak English and sing English church songs as their native tongue. Their interest in learning makes my job fun and rewarding. It is likely that I'll continue teaching English to older folks, kids and everyone in between for much of my service.

The days that I don't teach English, I work with the women's group to support their small business activities and work on the implementation of a cook stove project. This is a specific type of cook stove designed with ceramic pieces to improve the quantity of food cooked in a shorter period of time. Other benefits are that it will improve health of the family as it has a chimney to direct the smoke upward, requires less fuel which saves the family time and money, and reduces deforestation in the community. This stove is designed to help improve the lives of families who cook on open flame fire between three rocks. In my rural community, many use this cook method or have reverted back to it as a way to save money. With the price of natural gas increasing, they cannot afford to cook on their more costly cook stoves.

Finally, my last project is with a group of youth committed to improving the environment. My work with them is currently focused on gardening and composting as a way to help improve the soil quality and increase the quantity of organic fruits and vegetables. Of course, these are tried and true methods common to most. But, as the Dominican Republic deals with growing pains of a swelling population, changing economy, and movement away from agriculture and jobs working with one's hands, I believe it is important to reinforce and model these important skills of self-sufficiency and good nutrition.

All in all, I feel like my work here is valuable and that there is potential to make small difference in someone's life. I am fulfilled by this. I have learned and continued to be reminded that I am not Dominican, as much as I may look it! I am looking forward to a short vacation to Ohio during the month of November to refresh me, give me a new perspective and to reconnect with friends and family. It is also sure that I will be rooting the Buckeyes onto victory as we beat Michigan on November 22nd!

Best wishes and Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Love,
Jennifer
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Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Current Location: My Dona's house located in el barrio, Los Cocos, Santo Domingo, Domican Republic
Date: Thursday, March 6, 2008
Time: 7:13 p.m.
1 Week Down!

Cheers from the D.R.!

I've received some inquiries about the goings-on here in the D.R. Number 1, it's great hearing from you. Number 2, I'm going to try to send I thought I'd send a brief updates to give you some idea of the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

My host family has been a tremendous support to me. My host family consists:

Dona Loiusa,
her daughter, Yahira, 30 years old
Yahira's daughter, Ana Liz, just turned 1 year old
The Don, who I rarely see

There is always music playing here!-either from the colmado (corner store) next door or the neighbors. And, as you might have guessed, I'm not fluent with Spanish. It's my main battle right now along with the mosquitoes.

Training has been intense! It consists of a normal 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule Monday through Saturday. In training, we learn all about health and how we can stay free of malaria, dengue fever, TB, the Diarrhea (the traveler's best friend) and many of the other not so friendly states. We have about 25 hours of language training a week. There are 36 of us in our program. About half of them will be in my program of Community Environmental Education (CEDE).

This week, I'll be taking my first field trip on my own to visit a CEDE volunteer-sort of a shadow experience with an actual PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer). I'll be in the Southwestern part of the country in a little town of Los Rios towards Barahona, if you're looking at a map.

Finally, I've chosen to take on a more Latina name here and I'm going as Rosa. It's just my middle name in espanol, but it'll take some getting used to. It's just hard hearing Jenniefer hacked up every day.

Much love,

Rrrrosa
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Samaná Peninsula, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic

Location: Just outside the city of Samaná, located in the Samaná Peninsula
Cell Phone Number: 1-809-467-2786. It's pretty easy to call the DR, just check your international calling rates with your phone provider or purchase an international phone card.
Status: Official Peace Corps Dominican Republic Volunteer

Hola Mis Panas,

Como está todos y todas? I hope that all is well and this election season isn't driving you nuts back home. I hear it's really heating up. If you're tired of seeing/talking/thinking/debating about it, I can definitely say that I understand. On May 16th, there is a presidential election here in the Dominican Republic, which has been the center of the nation's attention for months. We were warned about this during our staging in Washington, D.C. back in February and were advised to not wear the any of the political party colors and to stay out of riots and rallies. This election is very important. The way it works it is a democratic process and the winner must win with a majority of 50% + 1. If the winner does not have a majoring, there will be a run-off election between the two top candidates in following months to come. Friday, May 16th is a National holiday just for voting. Instead of just a two party system (as in the States), there are seven presidential nominees, which of those, the top three garner the most attention. There are many fanatics here and lots of rallies with hundreds of thousands of people involved. To that end, this week Peace Corps has issued a "standfast" to all volunteers in the country. This means, that we are to stay in sites or wherever we may be and are not permitted to travel. It should be exciting this week in the country. I just hope everything goes smoothly!

And, if the elections aren't news enough, gas and food prices have certainly taken center stage. Dominicans are paying almost $6.00/gallon of gas. I'm truly glad to not be driving a car either here or at home. But, as a volunteer in the poor class, I feel the pinch too. Prices for guagas (public minibuses) and taxis have increased and the cost of rice has increased. I'm fortunate to be living in an agriculturally rich area of the country and to be enjoying coffee, mangos, papaya, cacao, and coconuts very frequently.

Okay, enough chat! I have BIG NEWS! Last week I received my official Peace Corps Placement = my site for the next two years! I have happily accepted. Now, I am living in the little village just outside of the pueblo of Samaná in the Samaná Peninsula (the northeast part of the country). Samaná is known as one of the most beautiful parts of the Dominican Republic for its fabulous beaches, whale watching during the winter months, and laid-back, island-vibe culture. It's beautiful here. My little village is about a ten minute motoconcho ride outside of the pueblo Samaná. I live with a family of six in the village and we're less than 2 minutes walking to the coast. I don't have cell phone reception inside of my house, but outside by the beach I can get reception. It's not really a nice beach, but it's a beautiful waterfront. The culture in the Village is very warm and friendly. I feel like I have a home in everyone's house and definitely many new places to eat! Since I'm a follow-up volunteer in this site, folks are pretty familiar with Cuerpo de Paz and why I'm here. They understand I'm not a tourist, that I'm not loaded with money and that I'm here to work with the youth. The community is religious, specifically Evangelist. There is no drinking here, people don't party and I haven't seen any dancing yet. So far, I don't feel restricted. I'm here to work and there are plenty of places to head to if I'm need of getting out of the community-first and foremost, the pueblo of Samaná. Samaná is a touristy kind of town with a great Malécon, expensive hotels and a few of those international type restaurants more common in larger cities such as Chinese, Italian, French, and of course, seafood cuisine. I'm finding both Samaná the pueblo Samaná the peninsula to be the kind of place that can accommodate the independent, backpackers and high rollers alike. From Samaná, you can easily get to the pueblos of Las Galeras and Las Terrenas and it's about 1½ hours from Playa Rincon, one of the top five beaches in the entire Caribbean. I can't wait to check these places out! And, I can't wait till I have friends and family to visit me and go exploring with ;-)

The past two weeks have been busy ones. I spent the first week in my site just checking out Samaná, meeting the muchachas, and learning about my assignment. Then, last Sunday, I returned to Santo Domingo for my last week of training, final exams, and for graduation. Graduation was a very nice affair. I wish I could have shared it with all of you who have been my supporters the last, shall we say five years?, that I've been desiring to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. The ceremony took over an hour. We sang both national anthems and took our oath in both Spanish and English to protect the U.S. and serve as Peace Corps Volunteers. Our U.S. Ambassador to the DR swore in my class of 36 volunteers. Speakers included a representative of the office of the Primera Dona (first lady), Head of State of the Environment in the Dominican Republic, our Dominican Republic Peace Corps Director, and an official of USAID who is also a former Peace Corp Volunteer.

A word about the PCDR Country Director and staff: Our staff is incredible. They support all 160 volunteers in all the country every day. Our Country Director is an intelligent man who cares deeply for his job, Peace Corps, and believes in its mission. In fact, he himself was one of the first Peace Corps Volunteers in 1963. In his office, he has a framed personalized letter of congratulations from the desk of John F. Kennedy written to him before JFK's death, which was delivered after his assassination. The entire PCDR staff is committed, attentive and responsive. To me, it's super cool to meet government officials who are achieving such positive work paid for by the U.S. people. On graduation day, our Country Director closed his speech with this challenge to us new volunteers, "Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is more than you representing your country, and more than you representing yourself. You are representing your fellow Americans." I found these words to be inspiring and meaningful. His words touched me. Having my fellow Americans (all of you) in my heart, and in so, representing you with integrity, is a gift that I take seriously. In that moment, I committed my energy to trying everyday to do my job to the best of my abilities.

So, What Am I Going to Do?

My position is working with a group of 12-16 year old muchachas, called Brigada Verde, in environmental issues. Brigada Verde is somewhat like what 4-H was for me growing up. This all-girl group is an amazing, empowered group of youth leaders who have been targeting environmental issues in their community with the support previous Peace Corps Volunteer for the past two years. I'm a follow-up volunteer in this site. After the past volunteer left, the youth initiated a request for support themselves, impressed my boss with their desire for more knowledge, and succeeded in their request for a follow-up volunteer. I'm thrilled to be working with such driven individuals and smart young women.

The first three-months in my site are designed for me to complete a community diagnostic. This will help me learn more about my community and our specific needs. I will then go to a conference to co-present, along with the muchachas of Brigada Verde, the information learned. Some project ideas that I have at this point are soil conservation, gardening, and moneymaking. There is also a possibility of starting a stove project to make more environmentally friendly and healthier cooking stoves. For a secondary project, I would love to begin a history project to highlight the rich culture of the region.

Your History Lesson for the Day
Samaná is a rich amalgam of various cultures and many nations have historical claim here including pirates, the U.S, Haiti, France, Germans, Spanish native peoples, and more. The history of the area is absolutely fascinating. Here's some of what I know:

The early history is that native peoples have lived here for centuries before the invasion of the white folks. There are caves with drawings and sculpture as evidence in the National Park, Los Haitises.
In January 1493, Christopher Columbus arrived at Playa Las Flechas, (just down the road from me!). The Spaniards loosely ruled the Dominican Republic for two centuries, finding more use in the port of Havanna, Cuba. These centuries did three things: first, made way for pirates to utilize the mangroves and islands nearby as hideouts, second, it created a mulatto society of Spanish settlers, Africans, and pirates, and third, divided the colony of Hispaniola between France and Spain, with the western half becoming Haiti.
1n 1795, Spain traded the Dominican Republic to Napoleon Bonaparte in exchange for territory he controlled in Spain; Bonaparte drew up plans for Samaná to be the New World capital.
The next few years were chaotic. There were lots of strategic plays on the behalves of the world's colonial powers, U.S., Britain, Spain, and France. At this time, Haiti was the wealthiest colony and prized as Prima Dona of colonies in the New World being wealthy in slaves. In my history lecture, I learned that England "thought about" trading the whole entire 13 colonies to France for all of Haiti.
Haitian became the 2nd free republic in the New World 1804 and the French surrendered their claim in the island.
On February 27, 1844, the Dominican Republic gained full independence. Briefly the DR returned to Spanish rule in 1861 and then independence again in 1865.
The USA has militarily intervened or occupied the DR at two different times in DR history: first, in 1916-24 under Theodore Roosevelt and in 1965.

Among the older population, there are many English speakers descended from African American freeman who relocated to Samaná. I understand there are harvest festivals held from August to October to celebrate this history. As you might imagine given this unique cultural history, the people physically look different here than in the rest of the Dominican Republic. I have also read that after the Civil War, President Ulysses S. Grant was negotiating to make Samaná the U.S. main Caribbean port as a state, but our isolationist Congress rejected the proposal. I'd like to begin a project with my new community to help highlight the diversity of the area as I think this type of project could help build community solidarity AND raise money with the help of tourists. Who knows, there could be a museum in the future of Samaná :-)

So, it's my very first week of being "on the job." I'm thrilled this day has finally come. It's been a long road to get here. As much as I have trained and prepared for this, it's still a little intimidating. I know it seems like two years is a long time, but as fast as the first 10 weeks have passed, I know my time will fly by. I hope that at the end of this I found my time to have been productive and meaningful. I hope others will benefit from my service here. I want to learn as much as possible. I want to take advantage of all the incredible opportunities in front of me. I feel like I have already learned so much both personally and professionally in my experiences both with Peace Corps and in my previous two Dominican communities. I know there is a lot of work to do and I'm ready. So, now you know where I am. Feel free to write me back with your ideas, comments and wisdom. And, definitely, wish me luck!

Yours truly,
Jennifer
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Santiago, Dominican Republic

Mailing Address:

Jennifer Bailey
C/o Peace Corps Office
APDO 1412
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Current Status: About 40 minutes just north of Santiago. Currently, I'm living without landline phones, television, internet, mail service, etc. We're spending 30 days in the campo. What an adventure! Feels kinda like Elizabeth Township as there is no reliable public transportation, spare some guaguas (public buses) that pass by every once in a while, no internet and cell phone reception even, and everyone here is related to one another. It's a small campo, country life.

Greetings Folks both Near & Far,

As you know, I've been in Peace Corps training for about 6 weeks now and I wanted to give a broad overview of how it's all going. The first three weeks of training were all about the basics of life in the Dominican Republic (DR). Training focused on how to get around the country using public transportation (including a site visit to a volunteer in the field), health classes and immunizations, learning the basics of Dominicanisms and Spanish, and learning about Cuerpo de Paz R.D. (Peace Corps Republica Dominicana). There are a total 36 volunteers who entered Peace Corps in February 2008. To date, all 36 of us are still here in the country and we all went through the first three weeks of core training together in Santo Domingo (DR's capital). In Santo Domingo, I lived in a barrio (neighborhood) in a suburb called Pantoja. My host family was warm and welcoming and, best of all, experienced in housing Peace Corps volunteers. I had my own room and enjoyed my space there immensely.

After those first three weeks, my group of 19 Environment Volunteers broke off from the group of 36 volunteers to enter the second phase of Peace Corps training called CBT (Community Based Training). We moved from the city to the countryside and entered a 5-week long, community-based training about Dominican environmental issues and additional supplemental Spanish classes too-and that's where I am now. J

Currently, I'm living with my second Peace Corps family just north of the city of Santiago. My family is great. They are really excited to have me here and very happy to host Americans. They think of me as a sister and at times I'm pretty overwhelmed with all the culture shock in the small world, campo life. I went from having accessible internet, phone and being in the hustle and bustle of the biggest city in the DR to a close knit, small bend in the road community on a hillside. They are very loving and definitely give me that star-status that unintentionally makes me feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic. Fortunately, I have a fellow volunteer next door to me who has quickly become my best friend. We kinda share the attention as a diversion. I say this and you may laugh, but truly this "Gringa Power" is how I'm going to gain interest in my projects over these next two years.

As you can see, I am having great time here and I'm very much looking forward to the adventure playing out over the next two years. I do have to say that culture shock is just beginning to set-in. There are vast differences in how men and women are treated and their role in the family. Cultural expectations in the Dominican culture can frustrate. But every time I've been frustrated, I've had great people (both Americans and host country nationals) to take care of me. Sometimes they do this with an hug and kiss, as Dominicans are really touchy feeling folks, or sometimes it's with an incredibly tasty meal. The food is very rich. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from here in the campo than in the city of Santo Domingo. My dona (senora) takes great pains to take care of me-she even washes my shoes. Yes, I'm being really spoiled. J

Some of the ways my life has changed from the States is that now I deal with a cold bucket shower/baths. The doors in my house are made of sheets. I use a mosquitero (mosquito net) every night to protect me from dengue fever, malaria, and the creepy crawlers. There is no running water, and sparse electricity. There are rats, mice, snakes, frogs, and spiders in many environments that you might not appreciate. Fortunately, my uncle and aunt next door have an inversor, which provides electricity 24-7. Spanish is difficult. I just keep on plugging away at it and hope that I get it one of these days. I celebrate the small victories. (Thanks for those stars, Pam Miller! I think we definitely deserve them.) Finally, the biggest change possibly, is that I'm now going by my middle name, Rosa (pronounced Rrrrrosa). I love my name change as it's much easier to pronounce and it's shorter. Plus, it's the name of my great-aunt who passed away at 99 years old this year and I think it's a cool way to remember her.

In terms of my personal life, it's weird being a Peace Corps Volunteer where your life is very personal and public at the same time. My time pleasure and business time are one in the same. I always have to being aware of what impression I'm sending and hope to err on the side of being too conservative, rather than liberal, as I'm constantly reminded of my ambassadorship to the U.S, especially in this small campo life. To this end, it's really wonderful being reminded of who I am, and reconnecting with the amazing life we have. I love all my awesome support systems back home. To all my Friends and Family: I can't wait to host you and whomever and whenever you work out a plan to come, please let me know. I'm excited to be expecting visits from my sister, Kathleen, and Nixon this summer. Also, to date, I have received my first mail from Grandma Leggett and my other momma, Pam Miller. It is a wonderful feeling to open those letters and hear from you. It guarantees a grand smile from me so if you're wondering how to make my day, send a letter.

Training
Training has my life objective for these last 6 weeks and I want to include you in on the new skills I'm acquiring. So far, training highlights have been:

Completing a community diagnostic, including:
1) Creating a community map
2) A family tree-a very important resource as everyone here is related to one another,
3) Daily Schedules of folks in my community to find out who does what when
4) Visited the school in our community to learn about formal education. Kids here go to school, on average, for 4 hours every day. School includes a daily recess, and about 5 sessions daily. There are two sessions of school and kids will either go to the morning session or the afternoon session. As you might imagine, four hours of learning gives kids a great deal of free time and few responsibilities as there is little homework here. One of the benefits of this is that when I get to my future community, I'll get to work with the youth and take advantage of their free time.

Learning Environmental Education techniques and Projects that I may be able to implement in my future community has been important as well. Some of those techniques are:
1) The double dig gardening technique. This is a technique used to improve soil when gardening. It's called "double-dig" because instead of a typical rotor-till of land, you remove the topsoil and put it to the side of your hole without tilling it. Then, dig up the second layer of earth, or subsoil. After, put the topsoil back on top. This process aerates the soil, provides room for moisture and still gives you the microorganism rich topsoil to plant. I'm hoping for high yields and lots of fresh veggies.

2) Constructing a fogon (stove). This type of stove is fairly inexpensive for folks to construct and provides a number of benefits in this time of high gas prices. They cut down on deforestation, as they require less wood for more heat, have stovepipes, which send smoke outside, and protect women and families health.

3) How to start a youth group to work (similar to a 4-H group). Here in the DR, this is a national PC movement called Brigada Verde, which are groups of youth who work to address environmental issues of the DR. Last weekend, we traveled to national youth conference and talked with other volunteers about how to start youth groups of our own.

4) How to identifying common plants, trees, and crops such as:
Coffee, Cacao, Tobacco are big crops here going back to the days of colonialism
Fruit trees such as avocado, mango, guanabana, guayaba, and tamarindo
Soil conservation techniques, which I'm skeptical of my abilities of being able to convince farmers of the benefits for implementation



As you can see, they're preparing me to be able to get out into the field, and I'm ready to begin working. I've met some good people in my training experience, but now I can't wait to find out what community I am to be placed in and figuring out how to begin my work. Practice time is almost over. My graduation from training is May 8th. This is a pretty big day in the life of PCV. The Country Director will be there and the U.S. ambassador and his wife. We'll be celebrating a lot too and there's a pool party scheduled at the U.S. Embassy the next day. Probably after that, some Peace Corps Volunteers will be going on a vacation to the beach for a few days as we have a little bit of time before we have to report to our sites. I can't wait....really!

Well, I've updated you pretty well on all the activities of my life. If you have questions about the DR or if there is any way I can help you from here, let me know. Next e-mail, I'll definitely be able to tell you much more!

Until then,
Yours truly,
Rosa

Kisses and hugs XOXOXO

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