PST 2 Technical Training in Ilioilo (9/10-9/20)
Trip Start
Mar 21, 2006
1
14
55
Trip End
Oct 05, 2008
Iloilo City, Panay,
Philippines
Friday, September 29, 2006
It has been a very busy and fun last three weeks. In fact so much has happened I am going to write two entries and try my best to recall all that has happened. I spent Sept. 10- 20th outside of Iloilo City on Panay Island in the Visayas Region for our technical training. It was especially fun to re-connect with fellow PCV's I had not seen since we arrived in country six months ago. (Wow hard to believe it has been that long!).
I learned some very applicable projects and hands on skills I can take back to my site throughout the training. I spent the first day of training with the Water Sanitation and Solid Waste Group, their project was building a material recovery facility and composting area for the institution we had our training at
Group Picture with WOW
. I never thought I would have so much fun laying concrete and learning about proper water piping! I spent the rest of the week with my sector (Environment) learning about fishponds and hatcheries, mangrove projects, organic farming, local watershed management organizations, and snorkeled one afternoon learning about Coastal Resource Management projects in the area. One of the highlights of the week was going to a near buy organic farm and seeing their large scale composting projects and Bio- Gas Technology being used. I never new that Biogas existed!! They have a huge piggery and from the waste of the pig's they produce all their cooking gas!! It was really cool to learn about. And might be applicable at my host families' farm back at site!! You know you are in the Peace Corps when you get excited about building trash dumps and pig shit turning into fuel!! Ha ha got to love it.
The last three days of training we learned to build Bio-Sand Water Filter's. This technology has been around for years (Check out Center for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology out of Canada) but is just being introduced here in the Philippines. A former PCV is staring the Non-Profit here. It is really amazing technology and so easy to implement in communities here because 1) everyone knows they need and want clean and safe water 2) all the resources are available locally and 3) it brings communities together to take action as a collective and live healthier lives
2 kilos of Crabs
. Check out this web-site www.asingledrop.com (A Single Drop is the Non-Profit). I never thought I would have so much fun leaning about engineering techniques and cement but it was great to do manual labor and learn to produce something that is a huge need throughout the world. I really hope I can get at least two of these filters built at my site. Of course the week was also filled with the typical Filipino social gatherings of videokee and an all night bash at a really fun Reggae Bar in Iloilo City. The days were filled with getting our hands dirty and learning very important projects to take back to our communities, and evenings filled with signing and enjoying the beach. Oh the life of a PCV!!
Love and peace to all!
Sherry
Comments
The Future!
Wow, it so neat to know that you are helping shape the future health of those at your site long after you leave. Way to go on helping introduce new resources! Miss yah Bear!