Carata en la noche. ps. you can click on these pics to enlarge.
School teachers, my counter-part (in blue vest), and host father (in red).
School kids dancing at my welcome ceremony.
My introduction to the community.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The enormous welcoming
Carata en la noche. ps. you can click on these pics to enlarge. School teachers, my counter-part (in blue vest), and host father (in red). School kids dancing at my welcome ceremony. My introduction to the community.
"Carata"-home sweet home...
The center of town. Aerial view of entire village---->
"Main street". ------>
Local school, elementary-high school.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Fotos from Ancash and La Libertad
Ancoraca, Ancash a quechua community. Doug(in blue jacket) and
other pc volunteers from Ancash
Aerial view of Ancoraca
Huraz, Ancash. The depart. capital for some volunteers.
The end of training…and the beginning of service!
Happy Thanksgiving! With only one week left of training, I’m feeling like it’s time to say goodbye all over again. This time it will be to the close friends I’ve meet over these past two months, my host family, and Peace Corps staff. They undoubtedly put together, the most comprehensive training to prepare us for just about anything in our sites. It’s like we just arrived; but yet, it also feels like we’ve been here forever! Strange how time plays with you like that.
I’ve overcome many obstacles to graduate from this training and become an official volunteer. All of us have had days where we’ve been sick, tired, had bad Spanish days, been hung-over, homesick, injured, stressed out and just plain sad. Fortunately those days were few, and we were able to look into the future and imagine the incredible work we will complete at our new sites. All my training projects have come to an end at this point.
I shadowed a nurse for a couple of weeks and made two health brochures for her clinic, taught local teenagers about productive internet use, and presented various “charlas” about nutrition, hygiene, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. I acted in many skits, collaborated with other trainees in a town clean up day, started my own garden at home, ran a 10K road race, and sat thorough hours and hours of training about leadership, motivation, community development and sustainability, the gov. structure of Perú, cultural awareness and sensitivity, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
The most memorable week was our site visits and the anticipation leading up to receiving our assignments. We found out on a Tuesday afternoon and had 3-4 hours to pack so we could leave that night for our sites. After various interviews, our supervisors carefully placed us in communities they determined would be the best fit. Some of us will be working in cities or small towns, some on the coast and others in the mountains. I’ll be living in the Andes Mountain’s of La Libertad, in a tiny town called Carata.
During our site visits we were all paired with existing volunteers who’ve been in their towns working for at least a year. We shadowed them for a couple of days before traveling to our sites. I was fortunate enough to see two different departments (the equivalent of states), Ancash being the first than La Libertad. I spent 4 days with Doug M. His town is very similar to mine, and therefore it was a good match. He is also a health volunteer, so we did some house visits to new mothers, attended a couple of community meetings, celebrated the school anniversary, and ate meals at various houses in the community. Doug made an effort to eat all three meals at different homes his first couple months in hopes of meeting all the towns people. Although his town is Quechua speaking (an indigenous Incan language) and mine is not, I didn’t have too much difficulty understanding the people during my stay because most spoke Spanish as well. Doug has just completed his two years and is finished with his service, therefore he had some excellent advice for me as a new volunteer.
My community gave me a tremendous welcome when I arrived for the visit. Unfortunately I was only scheduled to stay 2.5 days but that didn’t stop them from going all out. From Trujillo, (the capital city of La Libertad) the drive out to Otuzco than to Carata is less than desirable. The road is paved up to Otuzco than becomes a one lane, winding dirt path, straight up the side of a mountain. The views are spectacular! I’ll be living at ~9,800 ft above sea level. The trip to Carata was a bit complicated with a few stops to meet important people I’ll be working with, and most are ecstatic for my arrival.
Three and half hours later I drove up to this small village, and awaiting us was a large crowd of people, mostly school children neatly organized in front of the health post. I asked a Dr.(who was with me) what this was all about and he replied that it was for me! 250+ towns-people were waiting for my arrival, holding welcome signs, banners and smiles on their faces. I was in shock! Could this really be happening? The children were very well dressed in school uniforms, each class had made their own welcome sign for me, some said “Thank You”, others said “Welcome Mr. Nurse”, or “Welcome Peace Corps Volunteer, Matthew”.
I’ve read stories about people’s first impression of their community, and never could believe this could be happening. I immediately knew I was perfect for this village. Their feelings were written on their faces, joy, anticipation, reservation, and fear. Most of the crowd stared at me as I sat on “stage” among the panel of speakers. I sat with the mayor, the school director, my new host father, and a doctor from a distant town. I knew I would have to speak but wasn’t worried because the whole situation was so surreal. And no warning this would be happening!?!?! Just another crazy day in Perú.
My new host family was already chosen by the community. Juan and Mena, are brother and sister and rent rooms to the school teachers in town. I’ll have a private room, but have large meals with 8-10 people daily. The house is one of the oldest in town, but is perfect for my needs, and everyone seems friendly and positive. Juan gave me a tour of the town, and Mena cooked my meals during the stay. They have a husky and two small dogs. I also spent a lot of time with Rosa who is my counterpart, the main person I will be working with. She is a technical nurse, which is basically an LPN in the states. A health post had been built 6 years ago in Carata but wasn’t opened until Sept.of this year, for lack of staff. Rosa agreed to move to the town and open the post.
The two of us will make up the staff, for the 700 people of Carata, and 3 other surrounding villages. I will not be working as an R.N. in the traditional sense of treating patients, but I will be making house visits, teaching, training health promoters, working with traditional healers, creating health campaigns, assisting Rosa, and visiting the local schools in the other villages. My exact position is unclear, as I am an unusual volunteer who happens to be a nurse. My role may continue to change throughout my service. I met with the school director and he’s convinced I’d make a great English and computer teacher(which is hilarious because I wouldn’t know how to begin to teach either of those subjects, nor do I have any experience!) It seems like everyone wants to utilize me in some capacity, which I foresee as challenge (read: defining my role). Needless to say, I feel very accepted, comfortable and wanted in this strange new town, and they’re waiting with arms wide open. Love you all, Matt
I’ve overcome many obstacles to graduate from this training and become an official volunteer. All of us have had days where we’ve been sick, tired, had bad Spanish days, been hung-over, homesick, injured, stressed out and just plain sad. Fortunately those days were few, and we were able to look into the future and imagine the incredible work we will complete at our new sites. All my training projects have come to an end at this point.
I shadowed a nurse for a couple of weeks and made two health brochures for her clinic, taught local teenagers about productive internet use, and presented various “charlas” about nutrition, hygiene, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. I acted in many skits, collaborated with other trainees in a town clean up day, started my own garden at home, ran a 10K road race, and sat thorough hours and hours of training about leadership, motivation, community development and sustainability, the gov. structure of Perú, cultural awareness and sensitivity, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
The most memorable week was our site visits and the anticipation leading up to receiving our assignments. We found out on a Tuesday afternoon and had 3-4 hours to pack so we could leave that night for our sites. After various interviews, our supervisors carefully placed us in communities they determined would be the best fit. Some of us will be working in cities or small towns, some on the coast and others in the mountains. I’ll be living in the Andes Mountain’s of La Libertad, in a tiny town called Carata.
During our site visits we were all paired with existing volunteers who’ve been in their towns working for at least a year. We shadowed them for a couple of days before traveling to our sites. I was fortunate enough to see two different departments (the equivalent of states), Ancash being the first than La Libertad. I spent 4 days with Doug M. His town is very similar to mine, and therefore it was a good match. He is also a health volunteer, so we did some house visits to new mothers, attended a couple of community meetings, celebrated the school anniversary, and ate meals at various houses in the community. Doug made an effort to eat all three meals at different homes his first couple months in hopes of meeting all the towns people. Although his town is Quechua speaking (an indigenous Incan language) and mine is not, I didn’t have too much difficulty understanding the people during my stay because most spoke Spanish as well. Doug has just completed his two years and is finished with his service, therefore he had some excellent advice for me as a new volunteer.
My community gave me a tremendous welcome when I arrived for the visit. Unfortunately I was only scheduled to stay 2.5 days but that didn’t stop them from going all out. From Trujillo, (the capital city of La Libertad) the drive out to Otuzco than to Carata is less than desirable. The road is paved up to Otuzco than becomes a one lane, winding dirt path, straight up the side of a mountain. The views are spectacular! I’ll be living at ~9,800 ft above sea level. The trip to Carata was a bit complicated with a few stops to meet important people I’ll be working with, and most are ecstatic for my arrival.
Three and half hours later I drove up to this small village, and awaiting us was a large crowd of people, mostly school children neatly organized in front of the health post. I asked a Dr.(who was with me) what this was all about and he replied that it was for me! 250+ towns-people were waiting for my arrival, holding welcome signs, banners and smiles on their faces. I was in shock! Could this really be happening? The children were very well dressed in school uniforms, each class had made their own welcome sign for me, some said “Thank You”, others said “Welcome Mr. Nurse”, or “Welcome Peace Corps Volunteer, Matthew”.
I’ve read stories about people’s first impression of their community, and never could believe this could be happening. I immediately knew I was perfect for this village. Their feelings were written on their faces, joy, anticipation, reservation, and fear. Most of the crowd stared at me as I sat on “stage” among the panel of speakers. I sat with the mayor, the school director, my new host father, and a doctor from a distant town. I knew I would have to speak but wasn’t worried because the whole situation was so surreal. And no warning this would be happening!?!?! Just another crazy day in Perú.
My new host family was already chosen by the community. Juan and Mena, are brother and sister and rent rooms to the school teachers in town. I’ll have a private room, but have large meals with 8-10 people daily. The house is one of the oldest in town, but is perfect for my needs, and everyone seems friendly and positive. Juan gave me a tour of the town, and Mena cooked my meals during the stay. They have a husky and two small dogs. I also spent a lot of time with Rosa who is my counterpart, the main person I will be working with. She is a technical nurse, which is basically an LPN in the states. A health post had been built 6 years ago in Carata but wasn’t opened until Sept.of this year, for lack of staff. Rosa agreed to move to the town and open the post.
The two of us will make up the staff, for the 700 people of Carata, and 3 other surrounding villages. I will not be working as an R.N. in the traditional sense of treating patients, but I will be making house visits, teaching, training health promoters, working with traditional healers, creating health campaigns, assisting Rosa, and visiting the local schools in the other villages. My exact position is unclear, as I am an unusual volunteer who happens to be a nurse. My role may continue to change throughout my service. I met with the school director and he’s convinced I’d make a great English and computer teacher(which is hilarious because I wouldn’t know how to begin to teach either of those subjects, nor do I have any experience!) It seems like everyone wants to utilize me in some capacity, which I foresee as challenge (read: defining my role). Needless to say, I feel very accepted, comfortable and wanted in this strange new town, and they’re waiting with arms wide open. Love you all, Matt
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