Going Postal

I am over the post office. The last 4 times I have been in there I have been in minor arguments. I discovered that not all provinces pay to store their packages, but here in Herrera we do. And maybe if they didn’t have stupid hours and tell me they work on Saturdays and then don’t work Saturdays, I could pick it up. Remember I live far from the regional capital people? Oh yea, and I got something stolen out of a package. So yea, I’m done with them.

Environmental Camp

Donate to my friends project if you can! I will be helping out with this camp in May and any help will be appreciated!

https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=13-525-016

Regional Leader

I like Panama. I like Peace Corps. So I applied for a job. And I got it! You are reading the blog of Herrera and Los Santos's newest regional leader for 2013-2014! 

Here is what it means....

Peace Corps/Panama understands that the Volunteers are our greatest resource and in this spirit, in May 2003, implemented a Regional Leader (RL) system that enhances Volunteer support, site development and agency relations.  RLs are outstanding third-year or high-performing second-year Volunteers who ideally serve for a period of one year and are selected by the Country Director (CD) to act as a liaison between Peace Corps and partner organizations in each region.  RLs play a primary role in Volunteer support as a mentor and by helping to make sure Volunteers have the resources and contacts they need to be productive.  RLs are also members of the Site Development Team and support the Associate Peace Corps Directors (APCDs) and PTSs in identifying and developing sites and placing Volunteers.

Regional Leader duties include: 1) volunteer support, 2) site development, 3) regional meetings, 4) trainings, 5) inter- institutional coordination, 6) picking up the pieces, 7) safety coordination and 8) regional handbook 9) 25% of the time devoted to a specific project.

Another year in Azuero!

This is why we don't have nice things.

Peace Corps Volunteers become used to living with no amenities. So when you give them too many nice things at once, for example doors, someone is bound to get locked in. And that someone happened to be me. At our close of service conference in Panama City, I got locked in the bathroom. The door handle was broken and when I shut the door to use the bathroom, it did not re-open. After a hot half hour, and some PC ingenuity, a butter knife, and some pliers...I was free! Luckily they saved me a plate of lasagna :)

Chepo

Check out this website created by fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Steve Bailey. It is for a community called Chepo which is about a half hour car ride or two hour walk away from Los Virotales. This is where the closest electricity is and where there are "bigger" stores and 2 restaurants and where many students go to middle school.

http://chepolasminas.org/index.html

We did it!

Project complete!

25 stoves and 25 families later we are done!

Thanks again for the support from all my family and friends! Check out my facebook or ask my mom to see photos of the finished projects.

After lots of organizing and walking (you wouldn't believe the walking) and at times frustration, I am beyond pleased with the end result. It has been great helping to organize and execute a project that will stay in the community for many years to come.

Hospital

Don't be scared by the title, I was not in the hospital, a Panamanian friend of mine was. And let me tell you if you are seriously ill in Panama go no where but a hospital in Panama city.

We showed up at the emergency room around 3 pm and he was admitted right away. An infection in the foot. They let me fill out all the paperwork (I have to fight to let the doctor talk to my mother.) And this hospital looks like it was from the 70's. Old design, outdated equipment, outdated system. After about 2 hours they called me and told me they were going to hospitalize him. So they let me back into the room (again not family) and told me what was going on. They did pretty much nothing except put an IV in, they didn't clean it or anything. He had to wait until the next morning around 10 for someone to clean it. Dinner had passed and luckily I was there to go get food because otherwise he would have to wait until breakfast. Before it was cleaned and bandaged, he got up to go to the bathroom and it started bleeding. It took 4 hours and asking 3 times for someone to clean it up. They would not regularly check on him, leave the IV hooked up unnecessarily, and just not great care in general.

But you get what you pay for. I am not quite sure how the health care system works here, but from this it seems to be the government pays for coverage. You will never guess how much an emergency room visit and 5 nights in the hospital cost.......$5!!!! That's right folks $5. Think about that the next time you get your insurance or health care bills.