Finally an Update!

Written March 10th, 2010

I haven’t written a serious blog since July 2009! Let me summarize what has happened since last July. I am sure there is much detail left out but Ill do my best while being brief.

I visited home for the first time in July. Visiting home revitalized me. I spent my time with the people I care most about. To be honest with you, over the past two years the appreciation I have for my family has grown. I think more about how nice it is to live close to home, even if home life has its occasional drama. Before I left for St. Lucia I was determined that when I return to the states I would live at home for the holidays then, make my way out to California and settle myself there. However, the longer home is not readily accessible the more I just feel like moving back to Austin; home being only a 3 hour drive away. On many an occasion while living in St. Lucia, how I would have killed to retreat home, just for the weekend.

I came back to Lucia feeling grounded and more myself. I had been in a pretty big rut. I came back with the renewed understanding that it is important to be who you are regardless of the culture you are in. When you move to a new country with a different culture from your own adaption is essential to your wellbeing. This adaption process, for most, happens naturally, and it need not be over analyzed. I have spoken with several volunteers about this adaption process and its relevance to maintaining ones identity. When you are in Peace Corps, there is an overemphasis on adaption. They tell to observe the way people dress, eat, think, act, etc. you can begin to feel like the more you adapt, the more you lose who your know yourself to be. After all, you are actually changing certain pieces of yourself. For example, its not common place in St. Lucia for men and women to be platonic friends, so maybe you decide to be less friendly with men, and this just doesn’t feel right to you. Perhaps you are used to going out in jeans in a t-shirt, but all the young women are dressed very sexy so you feel you need to ‘adapt’ and mimic the styles, and behaviors of the people around you. You get caught between staying true to yourself, and ‘adapting’. It really is a fine line. After being here for two years, I say that most people adapt naturally and there is no need to over emphasize or force the adaption. Be culturally sensitive but stay true to who you are. When I went home last July I realized how important that is. I have found that there are many things I do or ways I act here that are taboo or just different from the way locals live, and I think that is ok.

There have been a few complications with my work here. Actually, who am I kidding, it’s been frustrating and difficult nearly every single day. Creating a successful, sustainable program that produces results is not easy as it is; now try doing it in a place where people have different priorities, work-ethics, and management styles. Nevertheless, I have made WhyTry a success, or course, not with out the help of my community partners.

The first thing that happened is I revised my original proposal to include funding for a week long training of 80 – 100 secondary school counselors, teachers, and community youth workers. In mid march of this year all school counselors will be (and now have been) trained and certified in facilitating the WhyTry Program. The training is necessary to help create sustainability. I have been quite luck actually and have a lot to be thankful for. Not only did JQ Charles Group of Companies agree to extend our funding to $10,686 USD with a promise for further funding, but Why Try has agreed to do the training for a fraction of the usual costs. The week long training is marketed at $15,000 in the states for a group of 100 and they have agreed to do the training for $2,500 + travel and accommodations for the trainer! It truly is a blessing.

We started the pilot of 4 schools in district 2 in January and we are now half way through the pilot. The counselors from my initial 2 schools are practically running the program all on their own now and have really taken ownership of the groups. Currently we have 96 students in the program between the 4 schools.

Also, the Ministry of Education put in a request for a new volunteer to come in to replace me for when I have to leave in October. JQ Charles has stated that they only feel comfortable funding the project further if Peace Corps is involved. This would make certain that there is a volunteer championing the project and ensuring its continuation as her primary work task. Washington granted the request and Elizabeth arrived in February and is currently going through Peace Corps training. If she decides that she likes the project and makes it her primary project, I will be returning home in October. There is a chance of me extending my stay if things don’t work out for her for some reason, or if it seems that the expansion into more districts will require the support of two volunteers. If all goes as planned, we will hopefully be getting 10 more schools their materials next year and the last 10 schools the year after.

I will begin writing the new proposal soon. I created measures to track the success of the program but I will be revising these, as J, the president of Why Try In who came down to conduct the training, has sent me some very valuable tracking measures. That is where the program is now.

We also had a huge media launch for the program at the beginning of the current school term. I gotta say, it was really neat and I felt so honored that the work I am doing here was becoming so big. I gave a speech to the principals, vice principals, counselors, JQ Charles CEO and business managers, Peace Corps staff, and Ministry of Education officers. I was also interviewed by one of the national media networks and got to see myself on national television that evening. All very nerve racking, very cool, and very useful to my professional development. Since then I have been interviewed at the why try training and got to be in the paper and news again. Eek!

Finally, I was also involved in the planning and implementation of our first Peace Corps Expo in St. Lucia. We got the idea from the JOCV Japanese Volunteers who had a JOCV Expo. At their expo they introduced the public to what JOCV does and Japanese culture. We had a day long Expo from 10 – 4 where we set up different activities that reflect the work we do here as volunteers. We also had cultural displays, food, and games. The expo was held the first weekend of March and was a huge success. I would say that nearly 1000 people flowed in and out throughout the day. My main station was creating compliment boxes with kids in the youth development/life-skills corner. We also had chess, disability awareness, trivia, US map with our locations, face painting, an information corner, and a steel pan performance by us volunteers that are learning to play the steel pan. We even did the chicken dance. It was an enjoyable day.

Okay this has gotten too long, and I will add some of my journal entries from between then and now a little later.

Update needed

Alright everyone. It has been soooo long!!! I will putting a new post soon. I have a lot of updating to do. I am working on something to put up in the near future. Stay tuned!

US Navy

Last month Haley and I partnered with the US Navy to complete a community outreach project. The Navy was in Castries Harbor to deliver various goods, and they contacted Peace Corps. It was decided that they would spend a day with about 15 boys from the Boys Training Center, a residential center for boys that have committed crimes in the community and are too young to incarcerate and for boys that have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.

Each boy was paired with a Sailor who gave them a tour of their ship, The USS Oak HIll (LSD 51) while speaking with them about discipline and the importance of having goals for your future. The boys then ate lunch on the ship before boys and sailors returned to the Boys Training Center for a football (soccer) match.

Needless to say, the boys had a good time beating the Navy guys in football!

I was very happy with how the day turned out. These boys tend to lack positive male role models, especially ones that will take the time to spend a day just with them. You could tell it was a day they will remember for the rest of their life.

I also found it very fulfilling to work with the Navy, the captain and chaplain of the ship were nearly begging for more community outreach opportunities and plan to contact Peace Corps in any future visits to the island. It was very refreshing to see them excited to be involved and thankful for the opportunity to do a little bit of humanitarian work. It made me proud to say that I have had a cousin serve in the US Navy. Below is a post from an editorial on the US Navy's website.



http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=46307
Oak Hill Sailors Complete Community Outreach in St. Lucia
Story Number: NNS090619-12
Release Date: 6/19/2009 5:07:00 PM

From USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) Southern Partnership Station 2009 Public Affairs

USS OAK HILL, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) recently completed its first port visit in Castries, St. Lucia, since departing for its three-month Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2009 deployment.

More than 300 Sailors and Marines, as well as several foreign liaison naval officers (LNOs) from countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, made an impact on the island by participating in community relations (COMREL) and Project Handclasp projects.

As part of Project Handclasp, the crew delivered 37 pallets of sanitary and medical supplies, textbooks and toys to local medical agencies, schools and orphanages.

Oak Hill Chaplain Lt. Robert Bailey said, "It was a chance to give back to the local community and show the true Navy spirit."

"Projects like this display that the Navy is about partnership and friendship," said Bailey. "Whenever we have the opportunity to help others, it gives them a more personal representation of what the Navy is and not what the media tells them."

The crew also had the opportunity to spend time with and mentor approximately 15 boys from the Boys Training Center under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security in Massade, Gros Islet. The crew welcomed the boys aboard for a ship's tour and lunch, then joined the boys back at the center for a game of soccer.

"The COMREL went extremely well," added Bailey. "Having the opportunity to meet with the children, we were able to show them that they can make a change in their lives."

"Wherever the Navy goes, we are American ambassadors," said Capt. Brad Williamson, the commander of the SPS 2009 mission. "Whether we are participating in Project Handclasp or community relations projects, we are not just representing the Navy but everyone back home as well."

Oak Hill is participating in the combined multinational naval and amphibious operational exercise with maritime forces from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay.

Oak Hill is also supporting the multinational amphibious exercise known as Southern Exchange 2009.

COMING HOME IN JULY!

I am coming home to visit from July 22nd to August 8th, WOOHOO!!! I am counting down the days already. I can't wait to see everyone. Austin buddies, I have not forgotten you July 30th - August 3rd!!! Get ready for some Barton Springs!!! I would says, lets go to Campbell's Hole, but I here the rivers are pretty dried up this year. I miss you guys!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ME!!!

I have 'unofficially, received funding for a project I am working on here in excess of $6000 USD!!! AND, this is just the beginning. The company, JQ Charles also says they are interested in providing financial support to roll out the Why Try Program in all secondary schools ISLAND WIDE!! GOIN NATIONAL BABY!!! Now, the first phase is our pilot of the program in all District II schools; that's 4 schools. This will be during the 2009 - 2010 school year. After I complete a project analysis and submit my report to them, they will decided if they are going to, 'officially', provide support to the remaining secondary schools across the nation!!! Pretty cool, huh?
You might be wondering about when my Peace Corps service will end then. Well, if all goes as planned and nothing changes (which who knows how likely that is) I may apply to extend my service for the sustainability of the project.

Senior Games 2009... Cane RACES!!!

Monday was a Holiday in St. Lucia and some of the other volunteers and I went to the Senior Games. They had everything from 100 meter dashes (more like 100 meter trots) to 1,500 meter speed walk (which lasted 20 minutes) to cane racing. Yes, I said it... CANE RACES!!! I swear the guy that one this race wasn't a real cane user! He was totally faking it! I half expected him to twirl his cane around as he walked upright over the finish line. We had a volunteer, Diane participate in the Senior Races, too. She placed in the top 5. GO DIANE!!

Anyway, we carried on Andy and Eric's tradition from last year and placed quarter bets on who would win, who would loose, and who wouldn't finish the race!! If you guest the looser and your looser couldn't make it over the finish line, your winning pot got doubled. I walked away up 15 quarters! Woohoo!! It was great fun; an event I will definitely be attending next year. I have pictures of the stadium and everything in my slide show. Check it out!

Also, I trust I don’t have to explain why I posted this… silly… cheer leading video. Just watch it… Need I say more? ;-) OKAY, i couldn't get the video to load... will update later

Turtle Watching

 

I went turtle watching two times, only a day apart, last month. This is a picture of me with a Leatherback Turtle. This particular turtle's shell measured about 5 feet 2 inches long! They were marvelous to see. I got to see 4 turtles over the course of two nights. The first night we saw only one turtle and that wasn't until about 4am. We walked up and down the longest Beach in St. Lucia for hours before stumbling upon the turtle in the middle of laying her eggs. The second night we saw 3 turtles, all between 9 and 10pm! You just never know when they will come up to lay. From March to the end of April, 100s of mama turtles come to lay their eggs in the sand. They dig a hole about 3 feet deep and lay approximately 100 eggs or so. Of those 100, anywhere from 1/4 - 3/4 will be fertile eggs. Another fun fact is that these turtles swim back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, but they always lay their eggs on the exact same beach from which they were born! I thought that was kinda cool. Anyway, you can check out more pictures in my slide show, but we slept on the beach and the next morning we made bakes. Bakes are these yummy fried biscuts that taste great with slat fish inside. Anyway, I plan to go back to Grand Anse Beach soon to see the turtles hatching. They hatch in the months of May and June.