Oaxaca Project Briefing
June 17, 2008 (Click on photo for enlargement)
The Oaxaca 2008 Project Staff is pleased to report that all Volunteers have successfully completed their in-country briefing and are now happily ensconced in their communities with their host families.
After a long day’s journey to Oaxaca City, Volunteers arrived to begin their Volunteer briefing in the historic neighborhood of Jalatlaco. The Jalatlaco district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and we were fortunate to hold our Briefing training in this beautiful, quiet, tree lined, family oriented, cobble stoned neighborhood. The bulk of our training activities took place at the famous Templo de San Matias Jalatlaco which dates back to 1669, while Volunteers and Project Staff resided and ate meals in Casa Arnel, a family run, bird and flower filled hotel, overlooking the Jalatlaco church.
Over the course of Briefing, Volunteers were trained in specifics about the work they would be doing in communities by the three local agencies AMIGOS partners in Oaxaca are: Puente a la Salud Comunitaria, Un Kilo de Ayuda, and IEEPO (Instituto Estatal de Educación Pública de Oaxaca). Other topics covered in training ranged from Volunteer Health and Safety Prevention, How to work with Indigenous Communities and Language Speakers, Lesson and Activity Planning, Implementation of Community Based Initiatives (CBIs), and Working with Local Youth Counterparts. While the Community Nutrition Volunteers were trained in the area of health, the Digital Culture Volunteers were trained in the use of digital technology for cultural preservation and promotion. Digital Culture Volunteers received training from local experts in Podcasting, Voice Recordings and Radio, and Community Video production. All Volunteers also took part in a talk given by a Berkley PHD in Anthropology who spoke about Oaxacan history, culture and politics.
Volunteers were pleased to have some down-time every day to get to know each other, play soccer with the neighborhood children, and enjoy the hotel’s lush plant and birdlife. On our last evening of Briefing all Volunteers took part in a project--wide Talent Show. Volunteers and Project Staff sang songs, played original music on guitar, danced, recited poetry, and told jokes. Everyone was amazed by the wide variety of talents present within the group.
The Oaxacan Project Staff was incredibly impressed by this year’s group of capable, talented, energetic and mature Volunteers. We look forward to the weeks ahead and working together to make this summer a great success for Volunteers and communities alike!
