Veraguas Final Update

July 30, 2008

The second half of the summer has flown by for Volunteers and Staff alike. For the past few weeks, Volunteers have been busy continuing to give talleres (workshops), completing Community-based initiatives and organizing their communities to attend health talks given by local health representatives. 

Volunteers and community members have worked exceptionally hard to ensure the projects are completed and many have even added an additional project to supplement the original idea. Some of the projects include bus stops, trash barrel implementation, environmental awareness sign implementation and the formation of youth groups. The Veraguas project was very happy to have received the Guy Bevil Leadership Grant from the Foundation for Amigos de las Américas for one community, which is building a community center with a latrine and will also be reforesting the area.

Volunteers will spend their last few days in community finalizing their projects and saying goodbye to the Panamanian communities that they have called home for the last eight weeks.  As a final farewell, Staff has organized a despedida (farewell party) on Aug. 3 for the Volunteers and their host families at the beautiful Villa Nazareth, where they first arrived at the beginning of the summer. 

Following their goodbyes (or “see you laters!”) the Volunteers will head to Valle Anton for debriefing which will include hiking, artesian shopping and closing evaluation activities. The following day the Volunteers will be met by 54 MIDES volunteer youth counterparts in Panama City to see the Panama Canal and have yet another despedida!  Then they will be off on an early morning flight on the Aug. 6 to be reunited with family and friends.