Training Begins- hang on!

As this is only the second time I have had access to internet in my twelve day career in Panama I thought I would take the time to post to my blog. 

After a whirlwind trip to D.C. for the staging event for... Panama's 66th group of Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs!) the 21 Environmental Health (EH- Peace Corps LOVES acronyms so get used to it) and 27 Community Economic Development (CED) trainees boarded a plane for Panama City the afternoon of the 18th.  For four days we participated in an intense schedule of spanish interviews, interviews with our sector director, lectures, more lectures, shots, paperwork, and more from sun-up to sun-down.

On the fourth day we were able to visit a current volunteer in her site.  It was a wonderful experience.  We had a gorgeous hike up a small mountain/large hill (depending on where your from) to examine an aqueduct for a community off approximately 250 people.  The hike up was muddy and I was very happy to be the only trainee with boots (xtratufs of coarse).  Then, on the hike down I was shocked to see that the volunteer we were visiting had xtratufs on!  Needless to say I was so excited that I attempted to give her a boot high five and embarrassed myself a little- but for those who know about the glory of xtratufs it was completely appropriate.  We finished off the day with a typical Panamanian lunch of piping hot chicken soup (sancocho) and rice in the middle of an unbearably hot day.

Our Assistant Training Director (ATD) gave a phenomenal lecture on development that rivaled the best lecures I got in college.  In a nutshell, he explained the Peace Corps´ approach to development- "helping people help themselves."  Capacitation, Empowerment, and Process are three words that we can´t hear enough.  By empowering people and teaching relevant skills we can ensure a far more sustainable approach to development.  Many agencies devoted to development will often throw projects at communities without prior investigation and post-project follow up.  As a result most projects go un-used or mis-used (ie. storing rice in latrines).  This paternalism effectively dis-empowers the community.  PCVs are not allowed to start projects for the first three months of service.  The goal during that period to get to know community members and begin to understand what they really need.  The lecture clarified many things about the PC that I was unsure about and I felt a moment of elation and pride while listening to the lecture.  I know there is nothing else I should be doing or want to be doing with my life right now.

One week ago, EH and CED split to our respective communities for ten weeks of training and host families.  EH is in a small pueblo of a few hundred people approximately 1.5 hours from Panama City. 

My experience with a host family has been an exciting and fulfilling experience even in one week.  My family consists of three generations (grandma, daughter/her husband, son/his wife, two girls), a cute cat named Mingo that eats EVERYTHING, and ten chickens.  Their yard if full of fruit trees, flowers and plants.  My host mom told me she is excited about my hieght because I can pick cocoanuts for her.  Undoubtedly, the biggest joy I experience every day is when the adorable six and seven year old girls with whom I live come running to hug me in the street on my way home from class.  They call me tio Scott (uncle Scott).  Their language is still much more advanced then mine but still less so than the rest of my host family which is nice.

Training consists of four hours of language sessions and four hours of technical sessions daily.  After class many of us have been playing football, futbol, and frisbee (a fast favorite) with the local boys in the town; which has been a great way to integrate and get some much needed exercise- Panamanians eat a LOT of fried food. 

We have other assignments, too.  For example, today we used the public transport system to get to Panama City and visit various checkpoints throughout the city to improve our transportation skills.  And this wednesday I am leaving to visit another volunteer in the NW part of the country in the Bocas del Toro region on the Carribbean sea by myself.  Apparently my host has a pet monkey.  I am very excited!  I come back on Sunday, so talking to me on my birthday is unlikely but I will try find a phone.  

I have to catch my bus home but you are all in my thoughts.