Sr. Alcalde

I met my Alcalde (mayor) for the first time about a month ago, and was REAL siked about potentially working with him. He is a dual US-El Salvadoran citizen, lived in Maryland for 18 years and worked as a bartender at my fave bar in Georgetown, Third Edition. And he speaks almost perfect English. The first time I met him we just kind of sat and chatted (in English) about DC nightlife and he told me he was excited that his municipality had a volunteer and that he would be happy to work with me on future projects.

Last week I had a meeting with him to discuss two activities in my community: movie night to raise money for computer desks at my school, and a trash service. He owns a “disco” business (speakers, TVs, projection screens, DJ equipment, etc) and was happy to send his guys down to my community to help with movie night, except it was going to have to be “movie day” because he couldn’t do it at night. But whatever, it was something and I was excited about it. My excitement only lasted a few hours thought, because I later found out the school isn’t allowed to take off for that (we apparently had to ask special permission, and permission was not granted), so my fundraising idea for this month went to hell in about 2.5 seconds after I told the teachers the good news about the projection equipment.

So anyway, my mayor and I had discussed the possibility of getting a trash service to my community once a week when we met last month. I told him it was something I was interested in and he told me it was a definite possibility for my community, so I didn’t think I was going to get shot down so hard when I went in last week to talk to him about it again. I went in and told him I was going to be doing some trash management education in my community this month, and wanted to get the ball rolling on the trash pickup service. Here’s what he told me: That my community did not vote for him in the last election and therefore he is not spending money on projects in my area. That it’s just too bad that I wasn’t placed in another community, Agua Fria, because if I was there I would be able to get all the support/resources that I needed from his office. And that his office has enough money in their budget for four rural communities (like mine) to get trash service, but he refuses to give any one trash pickup out in the campo because if he gives it to one community, every other community will be banging on his door asking for it too.

FML.

I don’t even know where to begin on this one. Wouldn’t he want to work on projects in areas where he lacks political support, in an effort to win votes in the upcoming election? And shouldn’t four communities benefit from trash service, regardless if other communities might get jealous? And wouldn’t having a health volunteer who was willing to RUN the damn trash program and educate the people in her community about trash management be a GREAT way to clean up about a fourth of his municipality!!?? NO SIRVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So in the span of about one hour, my plans for the month were shot to hell. Can’t do movie day and now I’m unmotivated to run the trash charlas and school clean up I wanted to do with the students at my school. Why educate them about littering, if there’s no other option, and apparently no hope for improvement?

Needless to say I’m extremely discouraged about my job down here. I am completely without resources, and my main resource (my mayor’s office) isn’t going to work with me because my community didn’t vote for him. There are grants I can apply for though Peace Corps, but the process is long and the money is limited. I am almost paralyzed and can’t figure out how to start this completely ambiguous assignment I’ve been given down here. UGH.

So here’s where I’m out now: I’m going to run a school clean up and trash talks at the school this month, as well as give an HIV workshop to the kids 13 and older at my school. I want to get a teeth brushing activity going with the kindergarteners at my school too, where we work brushing our teeth into the daily schedule at the school so that the younger kids get in the habit of brushing their teeth every day. BUT, like I said, I lack resources, so I’m going to have to go visit some dentists in my area and see if they’d like to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste. That being said, if anyone wants to send me a package with a dental hygiene donation IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss? Whatever. I am going to get these kids to clean up their teeth if I can’t get them to clean up their community!!

Miss you all! xoxo