Teacher’s Union Strike

April 23rd, 2009

Term 3 of the 2008 – 2009 academic school year was due to start this past Monday. However, Monday morning I noticed an inordinate amount of un-uniformed kids running around in the ‘yard’. Usually by about 7:30 AM kids speckle the roadside in their various school uniforms. For a moment I was confused by the scene; it was the first day back from a two week break, and I was wondering why any matters were not dealt with during the scheduled break. My confusion faded as I began to find out what was going on. Parents in the community were mentioning something about the teachers union going on strike! I was told that school would resume Wednesday. I had no real way of confirming this information though, as I have no internet or TV and my phone was lost on the beach 2 weeks ago. When I arrived at school Wednesday I heard the details. Apparently the Teachers Union was given notice last Tuesday that they would not be receiving the 7.5% salary increase that was promised to them by the Ministry. They held a meeting on Monday and vowed to strike on Thursday for 3 working days if their adjusted salaries were not in the bank by Thursday morning. They did have school on Tuesday, though the attendance was low, as will be for the rest of the week. No student wants to pay bus fare for no reason.

Today the increase did not show up in the banks and no teachers went to school. I still went to the school, where I found out even more information. People were talking about the Prime Ministers announcement that the government does not have the funds for the raise. The Union plans to meet again with the ministry on Monday and continue the strike if no agreement is made. I heard that teachers went on strike for over a month once and they are prepared to strike again!

This is the second occurrence of teachers striking since I have been in St. Lucia. I have also witnessed a strike by the gasoline dealers. Everything slows down when this happens. I just feel bad for the students. Many students are in the middle of major examinations at this time and the strike risks appropriate preparation for them.

I am Nature

Friday April 14th, 2009

What is Paradise? For me and many others it seems that paradise is being in the authenticity of nature, experiencing nature in its most beautiful form; untouched, unmodified, land unturned by humans. This is why many people escape to the tropics; to experience the pureness of nature. Even the brutality between different species in paradise seems simply perfect. But didn’t man evolve from the earth? Evolve. The work implies that there are levels higher than the last. How are humans of a higher level when all that we create is seen as a destruction of nature? Of that which seems most pure? Of that which we want to escape to in order to experience a little bit of paradise.
Are we not of this earth as well? How is it that we continue to destroy what is most precious to us? We even do it without second thought most of the time. We do it almost compulsively. It’s in our nature to drive ourselves further and further from paradise. Ironic, isn’t it?

Another Day in Paradise

Monday March 30th

Yesterday Haley, Embert, Lloyd, Sam and I hiked through the bush from MOnchy to Labonn. We stopped at Lloyd’s grandfathers house. Lloyd lived there for about 9 years when he was growing up. His grandfather is about 72 and in excellent shape. He was a fisherman that retired only a couple of years ago. While we were stopped his cousin serves us some chilled rain water as a refreshment. From Labonn we hiked down to a beach called Dophin beach. The beach is on the east side of the island. From the beach not one person or house could be seen in all directions. We limed on the beach for some time and I learned how to skip rocks on the ocean waves. Embert and Lloyd went exploring and returned with a gigantic tortes shell! The shell was at least 2 feet in length! We took pictures with the shell and decided that the sound of a turtle is Mahhh… none of us had ever heard a turtle before…

After the crew convinced me that “NO” I would not succeed in getting the shell through customs we proceeded to hike on a small trial to the Sashe River. We stopped againby a small, but lovely, 7 ft. waterfall on the river. The waterfall poured into a 12 ft. deep swimming hole. The river was just as secluded and private as the beach. On our way to the bathing spot we had to follow the river up stream a bit. Lloyd had stories of how kids from the local village used to wash clothes and take bathes at the river. You could still see soap stains on the rocks, Lloyd said it was looking like somebody still comes to wash there.

At the swim hole we sand some songs, gave thanks for our blessings, and dove into the pool off the rocks. Just when dusk was arriving and the mosquitoes started biting, Embert made a small smoke fire out of coconut husk; he says it helps keep the mosquitoes away. Just before night fell upon us we hiked up to the road from the river; not an easy ascent. I can’t imagine climbing up just so with baskets of wet clothes! We passed a pig farm on the way home. It’s spring and all the piglets were funning about. We made our way into Monchy just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. It couldn’t have been a better day. The only thing… I fort my camera! Good thing Haley had hers!

Pleading with the Lord

March 26th, 2009

Pleading with the Lord

I’m Beaten and Bruised
Feel used up and abused
My minds so confused
Not giving up though, I refuse

Not hearin your words
Is this what I deserve
I’m weak and alone
Dear Jesus take me home

Waitin for a sign all the time
Something to tell me
Waitin for a sign all the time
God’s guidance to lead me

But it’s not always there
And I begin to fell life is unfair
Waitin for a sign all the time
Waitin for a sign all the time

I’m immobile, I’m still waitin
No action to take, must be something I’m missin
Dear Jesus lead me, I need your guidance
Hope’s my only lifeline, I’m still waitin

I will wait all my life
But understand this wait brings me pain
I need one of your signs
Just need some clarifying

Is this independence you give me
A sign of your trust and love
With your approval I’ll move forward
Trust my heart and trust me

Your Life

March 26th, 2009

Your Life

Life ain’t an easy break
There are those that have opportunity to take
Then there are those that hit the wall
Everyday they take a fall

But God gives us what we need
and never more, so take heed
Discover what it is that sets you free
Gives your mind and heart a life of ease

The tricks that life’s never as it seems
One minute your on da right track
But wake up the next day to see
You’re on a different train than dat

People hurt people along the way in life
They just searchin for happiness in life
You’ve gotta observe your affect on others in life
And don’t let da people abuse or use you in life

Your life is you life
Be humble with your life
Follow your dreams
And set your sail free in life

Life ain’t an easy break
Older I get, harder it is to hear my spirit
What I think and feel is sometimes wrong
And I’m left with no certainty in nothin at all

Dear Lord

Wednesday March 18th, 2009

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the blessings in my life lord
My dreams, goals and aspirations are for you lord
And even when I think that I’m not enough lord
You seem to life me up and show me I’m enough lord

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
Go find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

My house, my job, my man are blessings from you lord
Done somethin right to deserve this from you lord
Must thank my mama for her guidance and words lord

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
You’ll find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

She Said
Don’t you cheat, don’t you lie, don’t be negative
Find good friend, set good goals, live with integrity
Most of all dear, fill your life with positivity

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
You’ll find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

My friends, my car, my life are sent to me by you lord
Done something right to deserve this from you lord
Thank you for my mama, I’m so blessed lord

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
Go find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

Mama Said
Don’t you cheat, don’t you lie, don’t be negative
Find good friends, set good goals, live with integrity
Most of all dear, fill your life with positivity


God Bless

Caribbean Home

Tuesday March 17th, 2009

The closer it gets to moving time, the more excited I get about moving. I am happy to move to a place that is more private and closer to my work.

I am starting to consider that St. Lucia might very well become another home to me. It really is possible to have all I dreamed of. To have a home in the states and a home under the Caribbean sun would be wonderful. There are many opportunities for work here for a Social Worker. I could teach at the college, assist at the mental health hospital, promote healthy relationships, etc. I only wonder what job I could have that would enable my travel back and forth between St. Lucia and the states.

I could buy property and rent it in the states and live in the Caribbean or visa versa.
I could build a vacation home near the coast in St. Lucia

This is all just speculation.

Peace Corps Expo

March 15th, 2009

Haley, another Peace Corps Volunteer has taken the lead in putting together a committee to design a Peace Corps Expo. We had our first committee meeting yesterday to brainstorm ideas for the expo. The idea is to hold the expo in Castries in a high traffic area. We want to introduce people to what Peace Corps is, what our goals are, what the volunteers do, past and present sustainable projects, and have a cross cultural experience.

Racism

Tuesday March 12th, 2009

My Why Try? Groups are running more smoothly this week. Sometimes all these kids need is someone that will relate to their potential, relentlessly. To many times teachers, parents, and other adults only see the troublesome side of adolescents. They need an adult that wont give-up on them, just the same way we try to tell them to never give-up on life.

I must tell you, I think a large portion of their respect is greatly related to how I dealt with a situation that occurred 2 weeks ago. In the middle of session 2 of the girls commented back and forth about how they have white people. This was my first experience in St. Lucia of blatant racism. When the comments came I was stunned. I was so upset that I couldn’t even process the comments and just brushed over them as if they didn’t even occur. Later that day we called the two students to the office to address the comments. Strangely enough, both students were surprised to hear I was upset by the comments. At first, I attempted to put them in my shoes by asking them how it would make them feel if I said “I hate black people.” Both students were confident that it wouldn’t matter to them. Dormillia, my community counterpart had to help me understand that most St. Lucians have never experienced racism and because St. Lucia is a black nation, such remarks against black people have little power and are not seen as a threat.

I spoke with the students about the climate of racism in America and how it is very offensive to make such comments. I talked to them about the dangers of lumping people together according to race and how that is the attitude that lead to enslavement of black people. The girls responded that they were not talking about me, but about “White white people.” I asked each of the girls if they have ever had a white friend or known a white person before. Both stated that they have never even had one conversation with a white person before me. They hear stories about white people and from that know that all white people only want to come to St. Lucia to take their money and kick the people on the street. Neither of the girls had ever directly experienced either. I told them that I do not support acts of hate against St. Lucians or any black people and encouraged them to try to make a judgments of people based more on their personal experience rather than the stories they hear from other people. I let them know that they are welcome to speak to me and ask me questions anytime they want.

Last week Dormillia and I spoke with the entire group about the comments that were made the previous week and let them know there is no tolerance for hateful comments in Why Try? Clearly, my response to the situation gained their respect.

Poverty in St. Lucia

Wednesday March 11th, 2008

The impoverished areas of St. Lucia are largely unseen by both tourist and a large majority of middle – upper class Lucians. Those that live in better homes have better access to good roads, buses, and shops. Sometimes the poverty stricken ghettos are only one or two blocks away down a beaten path that a car can hardly pass through. Unless you live in, grew up in, or know someone who lives in these areas, you can spend your whole life with no reason to ever explore those rugged paths. Well off individuals that have access and can afford water and/or electricity often times don’t even realize there are people living just a stone throw away that don’t have running water and use out houses. Recently, I spoke with a local St. Lucian that was astonished when I told her that some St. Lucian’s still use pit toilets and can’t afford electricity; she could hardly believe me. Furthermore, a volunteer recently reported to me that one of her community partners made the comment, “everyone has at lease one computer in their homes these days.” The reality is, only about 10% of the islands households have computers. This is how hidden the poverty in St. Lucia can be.