I think the honeymoon period is over. I mean, I have already had several highs and lows, but for some reason it clicked this week that I am really here and it will be two years until I am done. The first week at my site flew by because I was new, it was exciting, and everyday was filled with a promocion or another event. This week was my first real test to stay busy on my own and be self motivated and driven. I had to look for my own things to do while also completely the necessary things that the office says are mandatory.
I consider myself a pretty motivated person, and I think I am able to look for projects, but sometimes it is just so difficult here. I spent the week going around meeting the Centro de Salud, the Alcaldia, and several ONG´s like PCAC and ODESAR. I did get to do one cool project and that was yesterday I went with two doctors from Centro de Salud to a nearby community to give a health charla. To be honest I had no idea what I was getting myself into. A danger of just answering Si when you don´t understand what is happening. Well I met at the office, we took an ambulance to the town and then they were like ¨go get them¨good luck and call us when you are done. So... I ended up making up a 15minute nutrition charla on the spot and got some weird looks. It was fun to just wing it, but I do want to be better prepared for next time, step one is understanding what I am getting into. Well even though it was only 15minutes, I spent the next 4 hours in the town helping out the doctors pass out medicine and weighing babies... a productive day.
Other than the Centro de Salud I am going to be working with the Alcaldia to bring water to another community called Monte Verde. The problem is that it is located way up in the hills where there are no rivers and the only source of water they have are deep wells. Also, due to years of abuse the wells are all polluted and the town is very sick. I am trying to work with another NGO to bring in some water filters and the Alcaldia seems to be backing me up. I´ll see how it goes next week when the NGO comes by and drops off the supplies, but this will be my first real test of implimenting a project and ensuring that it works.
Finally, on a social level I am getting into a pretty solid grove. I am meeting more kids everyday and I suckered myself into forming an infantil soccer league. The kids were just too cute and I couldn´t say no, so my first practice is this Monday at 10am, who knows how many will show. Also, I have been busy practicing baseball every day down at the stadium and through that meeting a lot more chavalos. It is fun hanging around with them and practicing my Spanish and I am definitely learning some words you won´t find in the dictionary. I will try and get some pictures posted soon, but the computers at this ciber don´t recognize my usb drive. Hopefully I´ll have them up for Christmas.
Happy Holidays!
No comments:
Post a Comment