Coclé Midway Update
July 16, 2008
From afternoon rainstorms, to community projects, to the
friendly host mother who serves tea each night, the Volunteers are learning
what it means to be a part of AMIGOS in Coclé.
At this point, the Volunteers have settled into their host communities
and established daily routines. For most
Volunteers, this means teaching classes to young children at a local school in
the morning and spending time with the host community in the afternoon.
Over the past few weeks, the Volunteers have worked with
community members to write grants for small projects (CBIs). All of these grants have now been approved,
the materials have been purchased, and supplies delivered to the communities. Some examples of these projects include building
a fence around an aqueduct, putting in a cement floor in the casa communal (community center),
constructing stairs leading up to a local internet café…the list goes on. In the community of San Pedro, Volunteers
worked with community members to submit a Bevil Grant soliciting extra funds to
expand the elementary school. The
community won the grant and was awarded over $1000 from the Amigos Foundation!
In addition to working on community projects and teaching
children’s classes, Volunteers and their youth counterparts participated in an
environmental festival called the “FestiAmbiente”. On July 5th, all Volunteers and
two youth from each community traveled to the AMIGOS headquarter city of
Penonomé for a day of hammering out ideas for community projects and learning
about environmental issues. The event
was co-sponsored by our partner agencies, Panamá Verde and the Ministry of
Health. Throughout the day,
participants engaged in team-building activities led by Panamá Verde, discussed
their grant proposals, attended a panel discussion about environmental issues
with government agencies and local NGOs, and shared information about
environmental initiatives in their host communities. It was a big day!
This weekend the Volunteers will once again be traveling to
Penonomé, but this time for a bit of rest and relaxation. Our midterm activity will provide the Volunteers
a chance to spend time together, talk about their experiences, and share with
one another the successes and challenges they have faced. Additionally, they’ll also be able to do a bit
of shopping and enjoy the city of Penonomé.
It is hoped that Midterm will refresh the Volunteers, helping them to
build enthusiasm and energy to make the most of their last few weeks in their
host communities.
