Productivity is a strange feeling.

About two weeks ago I decided that if I was going to make it in this place, I was going to have to get my ass into gear and get busy. You know, to distract me from my mess of emotions that, as of late, have gotten the best of me… So I made a calendar and set goals that I had to accomplish this month. I decided that in August, I needed to meet with my ADESCO and discuss projects they want to work on in my two years/the projects they’re already working on, and I needed to give an HIV workshop at the school. Last week, I accomplished both of those goals, so go me!
My meeting with my ADESCO went well, despite the fact that only five (out of fifteen) people showed up. Apparently there was a soccer tournament in the next town over that no one told me about (of course) when I initially scheduled the meeting. But whatever. I learned that my ADESCO is currently working on a own potable water project. They started this project without any outside funding, and over the years have raised around $30,000 to dig the well, buy the pump and lay the pipes that are needed to get water to most of the households in my community. They hit a dead end though, in that they cannot raise the money within the community to buy the chlorinating tank (I think that’s what it would translate into in English?? I know JACK about water systems. Guess I’ve got some reading to do…) and actually make the running water potable. SO. Where does that leave us? In need of about $50K to get the job finished. YEAH RIGHT.

I am not entirely pessimistic about this project, however (I know, shocker). I am going to try to get someone from peace corps, or maybe a university engineering student to come out here and talk details and logistics with my ADESCO to find out exactly what’s been done already, and what still needs to be done. I need someone that knows what they’re doing in terms of water projects, and someone that speaks old man campo Spanish to figure things out so that I can start to solicit for this kind of money/work. I’m secretly hoping that Engineers Without Boarders will be interested in finishing this project, as it is 100% sustainable and the community contribution is substantial (ie. The $30K they’ve already put into it). But I don’t want to get ahead of myself…

And now, onto the HIV workshop. Before PST2, I went to an HIV training on how to educate youth about HIV/AIDS. We had a four day workshop where we learned how to run activities to teach kids about HIV/AIDS. I reproduced this workshop on Friday, with the help of the community nurse, Estella, at the school. We pulled kids 13 and older out of class and ran half of the workshop (to be continued Monday morning). It was interesting, to say the least. Estella talked and taaaalked. She went off on so many tangents even I was having trouble paying attention! She also told the kids a few things about HIV/AIDS that aren’t true (that you can get the virus from mosquitoes, from tears, etc.) but it was no biggie because I was able to then step in and explain the reasons why her information was incorrect (that mosquitoes can’t carry HIV, and there isn’t a high enough concentration of the virus in tears to spread the disease that way). If the nurse thinks such things about HIV, then GOD KNOWS what the kids thought, so I took it as a good way to expel some of the myths they might believe are true about HIV/AIDS.

It was a learning experience, and I’m kind of excited for Monday to finish the workshop. We’re going to do a few more activities that demonstrate how quickly HIV can spread, and do a Fact/Myth activity to review, and then have a question and answer session. The kids seemed into it, so hopefully they will participate and we’ll get something accomplished!
Also this week, I’m doing trash education at the school with each of the classes, and on Thursday we’re going to have a clean-up activity in/around the school. I’m going to solicit my Mayor for a trash truck to come out the same day so that we can make the clean-up community wide, but that all depends on the willingness of my Mayor…so we’ll see.

Being a little bit busy has helped keep me distracted from wanting to come home, so that’s been a nice change this week. My friend Kristina also came out here to visit me at my site this weekend which has also been fun! Everyone likes visitors!

And it’s San Salvador this weekend!! T-5 days and counting!

Miss you all!

xoxo