The Project: Moving Forward
Enter Amber. All of the events leading up to this point have been
completed by my previous Volunteer, Moiz. We have an unusual and unique
situation in that our services overlap by 3 months. So right now we are
both in site, negotiating our next move.
There's 2 other grants, one funded by USAID (called SPA Grant) and the other by friends and families of PCVs (called a PCPP) that could fund this project. Moiz avoided this track initially because it is still paternalism and lacks sustainability. But after 8 months with still no movement from our agency, we've decided to pursue the grants. The catch being PCV's cannot apply for them in their first 3 or last 6 months of service. Which means we have just under 2 months left to prep the SPA grant for when I become eligible at the end of September. But that means Moiz will not be here to see build, as he COS's in early October. It's hard to let a project go before completion, and I do not envy the position he is in. It also raises the stakes for me a bit- not only do I owe it to this community now, but to all the work Moiz has put in over the last 2 years hinges on me taking this project and running with it. No pressure, haha.
Anyway, with the SPA grant we can fund the first round of latrines, the 4 pilot latrines. While we negotiate the build process for those, I will attain my 6 months in site and become eligible to apply for the PCPP grant which will hopefully fund at least 3 more rounds of latrines. Additionally, we are not giving up on the agency route. I am going to continue to solicit them (with my community of course) and keep them updated on the progress of this project and the results as we get them, in the hopes that they may someday come through, if not for us than for another community.
So, here we go. Over the next 2 years, my goals are as follows:
1. Get the 4 pilot latrines funded and built successfully.
2. Continue the health committee and community's education about health to ensure the latrines get built correctly, used correctly, maintained, and is accompanied by hand-washing
3. Get funding for at least 3 more rounds of latrines
4. Prep 15 more families for the latrine project and build
5. Establish a model for the health committee to emulate for carrying out big projects
6. Get women on the health committee (currently made up of 4 men)
7. Host an agency day to invite Panamanian agencies out to my community to see composting latrines at work and explain the process we have going
8. Host a leadership, self-esteem, and health seminar for women in my community
9. Starting next school year (Feb-Nov) host a weekly 'English Games Club'
10. Promote the arts with the children and adults in their various forms (theatre, music, drawing) as much as possible
I realize it is ambitious. But I have always been one for big projects. Additionally, and most importantly, I believe it is ambitious in a manner that is sustainable and community based as well. We can't move on to the next round of latrines without the previous group's completion, and I am counting on peer pressure to function as my fail-safe.
It's a process. But at the very least, I have a concrete, written-out, tangible plan for my service. It is highly possible I may deviate from this completely, but for now, it is a starting line. I know what I am doing with the next 2 years of my life, and that feels good. Really good.
Ready, get set, let's see what the next 24 months will bring!
There's 2 other grants, one funded by USAID (called SPA Grant) and the other by friends and families of PCVs (called a PCPP) that could fund this project. Moiz avoided this track initially because it is still paternalism and lacks sustainability. But after 8 months with still no movement from our agency, we've decided to pursue the grants. The catch being PCV's cannot apply for them in their first 3 or last 6 months of service. Which means we have just under 2 months left to prep the SPA grant for when I become eligible at the end of September. But that means Moiz will not be here to see build, as he COS's in early October. It's hard to let a project go before completion, and I do not envy the position he is in. It also raises the stakes for me a bit- not only do I owe it to this community now, but to all the work Moiz has put in over the last 2 years hinges on me taking this project and running with it. No pressure, haha.
Anyway, with the SPA grant we can fund the first round of latrines, the 4 pilot latrines. While we negotiate the build process for those, I will attain my 6 months in site and become eligible to apply for the PCPP grant which will hopefully fund at least 3 more rounds of latrines. Additionally, we are not giving up on the agency route. I am going to continue to solicit them (with my community of course) and keep them updated on the progress of this project and the results as we get them, in the hopes that they may someday come through, if not for us than for another community.
So, here we go. Over the next 2 years, my goals are as follows:
1. Get the 4 pilot latrines funded and built successfully.
2. Continue the health committee and community's education about health to ensure the latrines get built correctly, used correctly, maintained, and is accompanied by hand-washing
3. Get funding for at least 3 more rounds of latrines
4. Prep 15 more families for the latrine project and build
5. Establish a model for the health committee to emulate for carrying out big projects
6. Get women on the health committee (currently made up of 4 men)
7. Host an agency day to invite Panamanian agencies out to my community to see composting latrines at work and explain the process we have going
8. Host a leadership, self-esteem, and health seminar for women in my community
9. Starting next school year (Feb-Nov) host a weekly 'English Games Club'
10. Promote the arts with the children and adults in their various forms (theatre, music, drawing) as much as possible
I realize it is ambitious. But I have always been one for big projects. Additionally, and most importantly, I believe it is ambitious in a manner that is sustainable and community based as well. We can't move on to the next round of latrines without the previous group's completion, and I am counting on peer pressure to function as my fail-safe.
It's a process. But at the very least, I have a concrete, written-out, tangible plan for my service. It is highly possible I may deviate from this completely, but for now, it is a starting line. I know what I am doing with the next 2 years of my life, and that feels good. Really good.
Ready, get set, let's see what the next 24 months will bring!
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