We are completing the final days of the Coclé Project 2011 right now and our staff is thrilled with how much this amazing group of Volunteers has accomplished!  Quite impressive is the individual growth we have witnessed in Spanish speaking, self-confidence, public speaking and overall leadership ability.  As parents, friends and families you will surely be delighted by the experiences your loved ones have to share with you and by the dynamic young adults they are rapidly becoming.

Here in the interior of Panamá, where it rains every afternoon and the lush forests are full of colorful birds and strange bugs, we have accomplished a wide range of ambitious project goals.  Through collaboration with local youth and a variety of endearing, motivated community members: nearly all school gardens have been planted; 1500 native trees have been planted; numerous fundraisers to benefit elementary school initiatives have occurred; and hundreds of inspiring charlas ( educational activities/classes) have been taught.

All 24 community development construction projects are complete or very close to completion.  Some highlights are a chicken coop, a bike rack, new kitchen shelves/stoves, a new computer room with 5 laptops donated from DELL, a playground, lots of creative murals and much more.

The highlight for many volunteers was our FiestAmbiente which was a collaborative effort with our partner organization Panamá Verde.  The Volunteers together with over 400 local youth came into the region’s capital, Penonomé, on July 21^st to visually share and present their project’s progress and learn from each other.  We all enjoyed a full morning and afternoon of entertainment at this Environmental Fair, where at least a dozen of the communities demonstrated bailes folkloricos (traditional dances), and other types of exciting cultural/musical performances.  In addition to the presence of all 24 host communities the FiestAmbiente was graced with the presence of local University science clubs, various environmental conservation organizations, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Environment, the United States Embassy and many more.

As this uniquely challenging and surely rewarding summer experience draws to a close, we as a staff are excited to hear the Volunteers reflect on all they have learned and accomplished.  To finish off this summer’s success, we will be visiting the beach for a morning of fun by the warm Pacific Ocean, and visiting the famous Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks where we will learn about the history of the construction of this incredible engineering feat.

We wish the best of luck to this wonderful, diverse group of Volunteers and it has truly been a pleasure to collaborate with them.  Thanks to all for reading.  And to all AMIGOS Volunteers, Keep up the good work!  We hope this is the beginning of a love for the diversity of Latin America, a life of service to the world community and the initiation of a desire to spread multi-cultural understanding to others you meet.

¡Viva Panamá!