Cucumber Penises, Hammocks, and Worms

So I’m just typing away in my house sitting in front of a fan and listening to ani difranco. Thank goodness for electricity. When I talk to my friends who don’t have electricity I am wow-ed every time.
So I went home to the states and had a beautiful time. As soon as I got back I went to a three day camp for 20 young girls who won high school and college scholarships given by a group of Peace Corps Volunteers I’m a part of called WYD (Women and Youth Development). Basically we meet monthly and each year Peace Corps Volunteers choose girls in their site to apply for the scholarships . The girls who win the scholarships attend the camp focused helping the girls to be successful individuals. We included self-esteem, stress management, problem solving, women’s health and life planning, how to write a resume, how to interview, a self- defense class, yoga, and financial management. We gave them planners and journals and covered the expenses for their travel, stay, and food while at the camp. The money comes from donors in the US. The camp was an awesome success. I taught yoga, lead some problem solving challenges, and did a stress management class. My favorite part was the self-defense class taught by another volunteer. At one point during a sexual health class I saw a wide-eyed girl struggling to put a condom on a seriously oversized cucumber. I took a mental photo and then handed her a smaller banana. The girls that attended the camp were inspiring. They all came from poor financial backgrounds, but their positive energy makes them SO special.. So basically leaving the U.S. was difficult, but coming back to such a great experience reminded me of why I came here in the first place.
So, I applied for a grant for a workshop to teach a group of kids in my site how to make hammocks. The project is called Hands on Hammocks and you can read about it on the website www. Kidstokids.org under the projects being funded right now... because we got the grant! Yay. So we’re waiting on the money for that and we’ll get started.
I’ve taught my Eco-group that meets on Sundays about organic and inorganic trash and how composting and worm-composting works. We got some wood donated and we’re building a worm-composting box this week. When I look at the worms, I try not to think of the intestinal kind that we learned about in medical training. Gross.
My weekly dance class is still going well. My mom is working on rounding up some ballet skirts to send down to the girls. They all know the basic ballet steps I have taught them and the French names… but they LOVE free dance so much its hard for me to not let them spend the last third of every class just free-dancing their little butts off. Its priceless.
The weekly English class is still going well, too. Last week we sang “Head Shoulders Knees, and Toes”… (with Eyes, Ears, Mouth, and Nose). The week before we acted out and learned animals, saying the English animal name and making up movements and sounds. It was hilarious.
VIVERO- A vivero is a tree nursery. Someone from my community on the city water committee told me the committee wants to start one. I got an organization called Trees, Water, and People to come in and do a two-day workshop about trees, reforestation, how to start a vivero. The workshop was free and a success. If the vivero is a success, the trees will be given out to all the villages in the municipality to be re-planted. Trees= Good.
What else? Um… Environmental classes in the school about trash, trees, the water cycle, energy…
There’s a new youth group that’s pretty much awesome… Thanks to all friends and family in the States who helped out by the way! They have been working to put on a big Mother’s Day celebration tomorrow. They are going to act out and lip sinc to songs as entertainment…. Which I find entertaining myself, but I think in a different way then they do. J
At a recent In-Service Training I learned how to make natural aloe vera shampoo. My next exciting project is teaching the youth group how and where to get the materials so we can make and sell shampoo as a fundraiser. It feels really cool to mix up the goop with your hands and that’s my main motivation for starting this shampoo initiative. Just kidding. I want to do it because it’s a great way for them to make money and once I’m gone they can still do it…. Sustainability= Good. …. But I will still help them out…. just to get my hands in the goop.
I just learned how to make these awesome flowers out of 2 liter plastic bottles. A Salvadoran lady taught me and the final product is awesome… and its recycled art! I can’t wait to teach my Eco-group how to make them. When I finally learn how to post photos and combat my technological laziness, I want to post a photo of my sweet-ass plastic bottle flowers.
OH YEAH- in March we did a biodiversity-themed drawing contest for Earth Day hosted by the U.S. Embassy. I entered in the 2 winners I chose from my school, and one of them won 2nd place in the National contest. So he won a really nice big framed Map of El Salvador for the school. To put the greatness of this map into perspective, some of these kids have never looked at a map of their country. Now they’ll have a great big one they can look at all the time. By the way, I was going to do a big world map mural project, but I decided to wait until next dry season.
So there is this tree called Ujushte, the seed of which is highly nutritional. It has lots of vitamins, protein, iron, etc. Its like a magic seed because you can make TONS of things out of it… bread, cookies, tortillas, horchata… and especially good for El Salvador because you can make anything out of ujushte that you can make out of corn… and they make everything out of corn. Also just one full grown tree can supply enough seeds for a whole community… or so they say. The only problem is that the people don’t know about it, or realize how much it could help them. So I found out about this seed during In-Service training, and guess what? I have not only one, but three Ujushte trees visible from my house. SO an Ujushte project is on the way.
I keep talking to people about the trash situation and nothing has come of it. I’m working on that.
That’s all I can think of right now. So don’t get me wrong, it seems like I’m busy and I am in a way, but I still have LOTS of free time.
I read a lot of books. I watch a lot of dvds. The other day it rained and I played in the rain with my neighbor kids Marlon and Yessica and we had a dirt fight.
Ani Difanco is still my best friend. And Biggie Smalls. And Billie Holiday. Its funny how music can transport you through time and place.
OH MY GOD I forgot to mention the snake that was behind my house the other night when I went out to brush my teeth. AND the snake that I didn’t see until it was slithering out from in between my FEET as I was walking home the other day. Horrifying to say the least. But on the bright side I still have my beloved mosquito net which I always keep meticulously tucked under the edges of my bed so I at least feel safe in my bed at night from whatever snakes, rats, bats, scorpions, beetles, and any other evil demons pests from hell. If only my mosquito net had an internal AC system and soundproofing from roosters and chickens. I’m only kidding… in an entirely serious sort of way.