A touch too heady for my taste.

After reading a few of my piers’ blogs I realized I was doing a bit too much analyzing and not enough explaining of my service. Of course there is a healthy dose of both, but I feel its time I got back to PC Goal #3, which talks about creating a better understanding of the culture we live with. So with that said, I’d like to start rambling if you’ll permit me...

Like I posted before, we successfully transformed 9, 55 gal. drums into public trash cans to try and help the problem of people throwing trash in the river, (incriminating pictures to come.) I think the most interesting part is now that trash management is being discussed more and more, and the towns people are more and more self-conscious of tossing trash into their water source, that many of the towns people are simply going outside what’s considered the village limits of Miraflores and dumping their trash there; there is some thought process going on that I don’t understand that is making those town members think it better to go a few kilometers to dump trash, then right in their own plaza with the trash cans. It’s some sort of “cultural, barrier analysis” thing that the PC office just loves to talk about and is the buzz word in development work, but to me it’s just the slow process of breaking bad habits. But overall there are several people in my town that are really motivated about getting this trash management system off the ground; one of the most important is the town’s mayor. He actually approached me about creating a community landfill, and we’re hoping to have it completed by this month! Score one for the environment and the river! But keep in mind I did just see a newly posted propaganda sign for the mayor as he intends to run again for the next term, and so we can unwittingly assume it’s more of a political move to say he’s completed this project than anything, but in this case I guess I can look past the means to the end.

As I said before there are several other motivated individuals, another one of them being Sra. Orivia. She and I, (her being the invited community partner because she is part of the Municipality Board,) went to a Peace Corps sponsored seminar in Trujillo, Peru about environmental projects and small donations for projects. During the seminar and especially afterwards, she kept pulling me aside to tell me her thoughts and ideas and what projects she wants to start in Miraflores! Score one for more sustainable community development!

My environmental/English class is doing okay, I get about 5-7 kids that come pretty regularly. I’m actually pretty proud with how much about environmental topics they already know, and how easy it makes it to talk about protecting the environment. I’m a firm believer that this information that we give the students sinks in somewhere in their mind grapes, and the hope is that after the hormones level out in their brain a bit they will actually be able to apply some of the stuff we are teaching them; but isn’t that the hope of any teacher of adolescents across the globe!

Miraflores also received a new Agro-Pecuaria teacher, (Agro-pecuraria is pretty much like 4-H), who is full of newcomer’s motivation and has plans to build a green-house in the school. We’ve also developed a tree planting idea where each kid will plant 6-10 trees for points. Pretty much 6 trees are the minimum amount of points to pass and 10 trees is an “A”. After spending as much time with the kids as I have I can only imagine we’ll be seeing a lot of 6er’s, but there are a few kids who I know will step up to the 10 mark. I think the biggest problem with trying to promote environmentally conscious students here in Miraflores is that the majority all know (or hope) that they will just leave after grado sexto, which is their equivalent to high-school, to look for work in the city. The thing is, is that when I first arrived all of the grado sexto students left after promotion, and at least 4 of the 7 have returned already; some with kids! So for now, 6 trees per kid is just fine, the trees should have some good growth on them by the time they come back from the city.

On a personal note, I have to admit I’m growing more and more sad as we march towards November, because in November all of my fellow Yauyos volunteers that were here one year before me will be leaving. Of course I’m excited to get to know a whole new group of volunteers after then, but it kind of sucks to think I couldn’t do the full two years with one group and form some really strong bonds.

We are also approaching the rainy season again, which means more grass for the cows and the start of planting season! I’ve pretty much seen the full circle of the subsistence living here, from planting to harvesting, and its pretty neat to know that this process has pretty much been doing its thang’ since the time of the Incans. Now, if only I can find some tools that are a bit more my size, I might be a bit more inclined to spend more hours in the fields ; )

Once again, I hope you are all safe, happy and healthy, and I’ll check back in soon.

Looking back on a year.

I’m about one week from when I left for the Peace Corps, one year ago. Its like a birthday in a way, except at this birthday I actually have a good response if someone asks me, “how do you feel to be one year older.” I would say I feel fairly accomplished with my service thus far. With my community, we’ve made public trash cans, planted hundreds of trees, and even dug an irrigation canal on the side of a mountain just to get water to them. I’ve given classes of English and Environment, and with the students we’ve dug mico-landfills, started composting, and we’ve even begun separating the trash at the school and saving our recyclables. I’m completing my goals as an Environmental Volunteer and I’m very impressed with how far my Spanish has come. So overall, my spirits are high...atleast as far as my projects go.

But another part of having the earth complete another circuit around the sun and watching a year tick by, is gaining more knowledge and perspective than the year before. As my Spanish improves I’m able to have more in-depth conversations with Peruvians, and I’m truly starting to see the true nature of their hearts and minds. I’m seeing that they are proud of their country, but can’t see how to develop their country without outside help. They see the USA as the end of all means, and if its not given to them it may not be worth trying to get. I see radical Peruvians tired of being exploited by outside organizations, and I see placid Peruvians being ungrateful and selfish with the help that is given to them – and of course all manners of people in between. I’m starting to see the subtle undertone of suspicion when I say I’m from “Cuerpo de Paz” or “Body of Peace” when you directly translate it, which sometimes acts as another reminder of the “Cuerpos de pacificación” that came into their towns and “pacified” the “terrorists” during the 80’s and 90’s. I’m seeing that, like everything in life, even just giving your time with the best of your intentions isn’t even immune to the blending of black and white. Its not that I’m questioning development work, I’m wondering about the history of where its been and where it will go into the future. I’m wondering about what the free-handout does today to the people of tomorrow. I’m also just simply wondering if working in the health field would be a more satisfying way to help people instead of environment work, (if you ever get to see the blank stares you get when trying to describe the importance of reducing our carbon footprint to a rural community of Peruvians, you’ll know what I mean.) I guess it’s a good thing that I’m thinking about it, I think that means I still care.

So as I complete my Peace Corps Birthday this September 11 (yes, we left on 9/11 last year,) I want to say what I’m thankful for and give birthday wishes. I’m thankful for the beautiful site that I live in, I’m thankful for the extremely motivated community members, and I’m thankful for just being able to help-out now and then and have this experience and give a positive representation to Peruvians on behalf of the USA. I wish that the projects will keep coming, I wish that I Peru will eventually brew a decent beer, and I wish that all of you back home stay safe, happy, and healthy and I can’t wait to see you at Christmas!!!