Dear Readers
Today was THE DAY. The setting this morning: sixteen education trainees anxiously awaiting word of where we were going. Our jefe, Ann, walks in with the stack of red manuals containing the answers. We stare eagerly like starving dogs in the calles. She tells us that she is just going to give them to us because she knows that we want them.
I listen anxiously for my name. Sarah Paulus. Los Patos de Barahona. ( Lows Pahtoes day Bah Rah Oh Na). I take the manual and the first thing I do is look on the giant map for Los Patos, and found it in the very southern part of the country, along the eastern fringe circling the Carribean Sea. Barahona is the region, and Los Patos is a little community perched on a mountain.
Supposedly, it is GORGEOUS! A mountain goes right up to the edge of the sea, and the rocky beach is at the bottom. Nearby is a huge national park, filled with trees and beaches and iguanas, and a giant salt lake. And mountains. Lots of mountains. The Sierra de Bahuroco. My new mountain range.
As for the project, a bit of history first. In 2010, a volunteer went there to start a library. He worked on it for two years, and finished with a completed library but the site needed a follow up volunteer to make sure it was all going to be used. In 2012, the follow-up volunteer came, but left within a month due to medical issues. For a year now, the library has waited its volunteer. Me. Yay!
I will also be working with the local elementary school, and supposedly there is a pre-school there too, in the school, but it is also supposed to be in the same building as this library...I'll see the layout tomorrow. This could be very interesting. I will be doing literacy work in the schools with the younger kids.
As for how I live, we'll see. Electricity is fairly scarce, the first volunteer had a side project building latrines, so it will be latrines for me, more than likely, and I will need to bring along a water filtration tank, but I will need to grab it tomorrow, forgot to take it from the Cuerpo de Paz today. Also, it is a high risk area for earthquakes, hurricanes, and flooding, so I will always need to have a three day supply of food and water on hand, or at least a three day supply of food. Pure Peace Corps readiness. The safety and security person mentioned that in the south it is not uncommon for bridges to give out after a major storm, cutting volunteers off, which is why that will be so important. In that situation, I'd have to hunker down in the community with the others and wait.
So happy today!!! This will be the greatest adventure of my young life. And in one week, I will be 24 years old. So many changes, so little time.
Roman Wolf
Today was THE DAY. The setting this morning: sixteen education trainees anxiously awaiting word of where we were going. Our jefe, Ann, walks in with the stack of red manuals containing the answers. We stare eagerly like starving dogs in the calles. She tells us that she is just going to give them to us because she knows that we want them.
I listen anxiously for my name. Sarah Paulus. Los Patos de Barahona. ( Lows Pahtoes day Bah Rah Oh Na). I take the manual and the first thing I do is look on the giant map for Los Patos, and found it in the very southern part of the country, along the eastern fringe circling the Carribean Sea. Barahona is the region, and Los Patos is a little community perched on a mountain.
Supposedly, it is GORGEOUS! A mountain goes right up to the edge of the sea, and the rocky beach is at the bottom. Nearby is a huge national park, filled with trees and beaches and iguanas, and a giant salt lake. And mountains. Lots of mountains. The Sierra de Bahuroco. My new mountain range.
As for the project, a bit of history first. In 2010, a volunteer went there to start a library. He worked on it for two years, and finished with a completed library but the site needed a follow up volunteer to make sure it was all going to be used. In 2012, the follow-up volunteer came, but left within a month due to medical issues. For a year now, the library has waited its volunteer. Me. Yay!
I will also be working with the local elementary school, and supposedly there is a pre-school there too, in the school, but it is also supposed to be in the same building as this library...I'll see the layout tomorrow. This could be very interesting. I will be doing literacy work in the schools with the younger kids.
As for how I live, we'll see. Electricity is fairly scarce, the first volunteer had a side project building latrines, so it will be latrines for me, more than likely, and I will need to bring along a water filtration tank, but I will need to grab it tomorrow, forgot to take it from the Cuerpo de Paz today. Also, it is a high risk area for earthquakes, hurricanes, and flooding, so I will always need to have a three day supply of food and water on hand, or at least a three day supply of food. Pure Peace Corps readiness. The safety and security person mentioned that in the south it is not uncommon for bridges to give out after a major storm, cutting volunteers off, which is why that will be so important. In that situation, I'd have to hunker down in the community with the others and wait.
So happy today!!! This will be the greatest adventure of my young life. And in one week, I will be 24 years old. So many changes, so little time.
Roman Wolf
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