The Peace Corps Way

I had to re-hang the door on this one. Non-galvanized hinges near the ocean?

The bolts on these access doors had rusted. No match for my drill.

These rock-solid composting toilets were well-constructed by CARE.

A new plastic toilet seat is a big deal to the users

I got two more of my 40 Eco-Banos rehabilitated today. They take only about US$ 8 (kindly provided by Gloria – the Bordens milk of Peru) and about 2 hours of my time to upgrade these bathrooms and educate the families. A small price for giving a rural family good sanitation. And, it highlights the difference between the way many development groups (NGOs) and the Peace Corps approach this work.

CARE, a British charity, originally built these units four years ago, in the beach area of my town that was particularly hard hit by the big earthquake in 2007. They did a superb job of construction, excepting a few small details. They brought in large crews and concrete mixers, built the units and promptly left. The result was that folks were not well trained in use of the composting toilets. Once the storage chambers had filled, rusted bolts prevented them opening the backs and they fell into dis-use. Out of the 89 built, only 7 were still in use when I arrived.

In comparison, Peace Corps Volunteers are blessed with the luxury of time; time to know the community, time to assess and remedy problems and time to explain the technology and train the users. Perhaps most importantly, we also have time to re-visit the families for follow-up. That is the Peace Corps Way.

The NGOs mean well – they really do. And they are, to be sure, generous and highly technically competent. But, that generosity and intent goes for naught, if it does not also include the personal attention and training that a PCV can give, as an “insider” in the community. It is a joy to get these excellent toilets back into service. In addition, some of the compost that we remove will be used in the upcoming tree planting project in my town.

I've pondered the "community integration" theme from time to time. It is a key element of the Peace Corps strategy, one which gives us credibility and sets us apart from NGOs. On the one hand, I do feel a part of my little town. I want the very best for it, I cheer their every success, I'm widely known and greeted by adults and children. I have made dear friends and mourned the loss of two. I get invited to all manner of parties and events (though I still avoid the dreaded "beer circle"), I've raised the Peruvian flag in the Plaza, been a judge at a pageant, applauded at town council meetings, gifted with fruit and meals. I've even been awarded an official Muni shirt as I'm considered "part of the team". I call San Luis "home", "mi pueblo" and "mi corazon". And I know I've helped make my town a better place.

And, much as I care, much as I enjoy, much as I love this place - I will always be, in truth, somewhat apart. I leave to go off to trainings and vacations and even travel overseas. I live a life that most of them will never know. And, all too soon, I will be gone. I'll leave behind some infrastructure and increased capacity, yes.  I will take away precious memories and friendships from my time here. But, I will be gone. My future is not their future.

Peace Corps Videos

The Peace Corps Communications office has produced wonderful videos, out of the many hours of video they shot of me and various projects last fall. Two, so far, with another – about the biodigesters – due out soon. Just click on the titles or links below to view them.

1. 2:19  

   62-Year-Old Peace Corps Volunteer Helps Preserve Peruvian Culture

    

2. 2:06

   A Volunteer in Peru Uses His Experience to Help Provide Clean Drinking Water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHJLMdbQqA8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCrkaYQpZVI

Another wonderful visit to the Peace Corps center in Lima this week. It always feels like home, thanks to the great staff and volunteers that make it so. I got to meet the new Response group and witness their swearing-in. And the Cocina model that I made was well received – so much so that Jorge has commissioned another 5 models. A good project for my carpenter/welder friend Vidal. It was meant to be a medical visit. PC medical staff in DC wanted my blood pressure checked after a border-line 140/100 reading. The EKG, stress test, 24 hr BP monitor, etc , were done at a 1^st class clinic in a posh part of town. While we PCVs live at the same level as those we work with, we enjoy access to the “other”, private health care system that the wealthy folks of Lima enjoy.

As I taxied around between appointments, I was struck by the dearth of traffic signs. While there are signal lights at major intersections (with terrific count-down displays, showing the time left until light change), there are very few stop signs at other intersections. A tribute to the common-sense and courtesy approach, so different from the highly-regulated US system. Most all drivers are professionals and do NOT drive distracted. With an accident rate about ¼ of the US, maybe we could learn from this approach.

Time for Trees

New asphalt streets - even lines - ready for TREES !!

A new hotel - with swimming pool - in San Luis

New restaurant and disco on the Plaza

What the Poinciana trees will look like in 15 years

Back in the saddle again. I returned to mi pueblo after a wonderful US vacation to find everything in good shape. The projector and USB memory I bought in Miami were well received by Angel, who immediately put them to good use with a media show at the local. Still hard to figure why electronics are so much more expensive here – usually 150-200% more.

The big surprise was that the street paving project was near complete !! Smooth black asphalt now covers the town’s streets, replacing the rough and rutted dirt. This also means that folks will no longer throw water on the street every morning to “keep the dust down”. What it really did was make a muddy mess until the sun dried it out and the dust, once again, reigned supreme. The even put in speed bumps and painted lines.

So, now it’s time for my tree planting project to come off the back burner, where it has simmered for over a year. I’m really glad I waited, since the seedlings would have been wiped out by the construction process, which included new water and sewer lines. Construction also destroyed 13 of the sweet little “maceteros” – planting circles that lined my street. These will have to be repaired, adding an extra layer of work to the project. Because of the extra work, some of the Regidores (town council) wanted to just fill them in. This proposal was successfully fended off by Angel and I. It would be a shame to not have beautiful trees lining the streets, leaving them barren, plain and shade-less.

So, on went my contractor’s hat to do materials estimates and work-flow charts. The cost will be low – only about $150, with 6 days of the outstanding Obras crew (Don Benito, Julio and Aquilla), plus some Gringo power, who will be doing the form work and mixing planting soil. We will use rice hulls for aeration, supplemented with compost from the Eco-Banos and liquid fertilizer “biol” from the biodigesters. Synergy.

There are other subtle signs of progress in town. A locksmith has set up shop, which means San Luisians no longer have to travel to Canete for spare keys and lock repair. A sharp new restaurant and disco graces the Plaza and a fabulous new hotel is under construction. Fernando is providing plaster services for the project, which includes the FIRST swimming pool in town and 10 lovely rooms.

“My” kids came home for Fathers Day – a lovely treat. They all seem much taller and older and a bit more distant. While I’m happy that Victor and Margarita are doing so well financially in Lima, their new wealth is very much used for conspicuous consumption. They and the kids all sport new clothes. The kids had a new remote-controlled car, which put Goyo’s toy collection to the curb. They have a full-time nanny and a new home in Lima. Margarita’s comment that she was so happy to be out of “this dirty little town” did not sit well, though. Nor did her declining my offer to take the kids to the playground, because “they might get dirty”. Harumph….

Fathers Day here has two main goals : 1) place flowers on father’s grave. 2) all fathers to get as drunk as possible. The crush and commotion of flower sales outside the house was heartening, especially for the 3 flowers gals. They say Fathers Day is the biggest of the year, eclipsing Mothers Day and Easter. Victor and Fernando and guests went through a staggering 8 cases of beer, between noon and 2am. When I refused more than a token glass of beer, Fernando was shocked and said “It’s Fathers Day, Goyo. You MUST get drunk!!”. My “community integration” has its limits. Fortunately, the following Monday is considered a holiday – out of deference to the majority of fathers who would not make it to work anyway.

Training Model for Cocina Mejorada

introducing.............Cocina Mejorada Training Model

NEW !! from the PC R&D Center in San Luis de Canete, comes the latest innovation in Cocinas training tools …..

The revolutionary Cocina in a BOX !!

An exact ¼ scale model of the popular Cocina Mejorada, with true scale adobes, bricks, losa, plastic vapor barrier and chimney.

No longer must Volunteers and socios dirty their hands to learn how to build a Cocina. This model, made of sturdy, all-natural wood and triply can recreate the construction process ANYWHERE. Build it, take it apart and re-build it – its durable and non-toxic !! Fun for the entire family.

Ships and stores in its own handy shipping box – goes anywhere with ease.

GET YOURS TODAY !!

US Vacation

Members of the Princeton Class of 1973 - returned to "The Best Old Place of All"

Room Mates reunited

With good dog Ollie in Central Park

Times Square - a long way from rural Peru

I fully expected some “culture shock” when I visited the US. And to feel like a visitor in my own country. Aside from the delight of having toilet paper, toilet seats, soap and hand towels in all bathrooms and hot water at every shower, and very little litter, I felt none of either. I felt very much at home and quite comfortable in my homeland.

My dear sister Darcy was the perfect NYC hostess, whipping up superb dinners and guiding me to the most precious parts of “her” Central Park. With the added accompaniment of Goodest Doggie Ollie, we travelled the lesser known trails of this magnificent Park, which has been restored to the grandeur of earlier times. Even more remarkable, is that this bucolic green paradise sits amid skyscrapers on all sides. It really has the feel of a small town park, though I expect that the many people who knew Darcy and Ollie is due to her vivacious and out-going personality – Park staff included.

We also went to see the new George Plimpton movie at Lincoln Center. I had forgotten just how many adventures George had taken in. He lived in a rare world of celebrity and spontaneity, which pushed both his ex-wives away. I was stuck by how much I resonated with his spirit and life choices. “I suppose you could say I’m a collector of experiences.” I’ll take a slice of that pie, ala mode, please.

Times Square had an alien feel to it, which was perfect, since we went to see the new Star Trek movie there. This was the first Imax, 3-D movie I’ve ever seen. A bit off-putting at first, I gradually found myself a part of the movie – a voyeur, lurking alone at very close range. The rest of the audience, and indeed the world, had simply disappeared. More than a few smiles and heart-tugs, as the characters stayed absolutely true to the personas of the original Trek TV series.

Suddenly, it was time to board the train to Princeton. It’s been 15 years since my last visit, which made the “going back” all the sweeter. There were many other returning alumni on the train, several already sporting Reunions garb. On the small PJ&B shuttle train that goes right into the University, the preponderance of orange had grown dramatically. Despite the profusion of new buildings on campus, the place still felt familiar and welcoming, as I navigated to our 40^th reunion site by Dod Hall. And then, the real joy began.

This was not a reunion of handshakes, but of long, sincere man-hugs. It was not a reunion of “Hi, good to see you”’s, but of real conversations, connections and discussions. I was instantly reminded of what extraordinary men and dear friends I went to college with. PG Randall is teaching robotics and shaking up the teaching world. Jim Kelsey is engaged in some brilliant writing and metal art. Chris Leach has started an online diabetes magazine. Each of these, and many more, excited my imagination and elevated awe of my peers.

The sheer logistics of these Reunions is awesome. Thousands of returning alumni are fed, well and on-time. Reunion tents and refreshments and under-graduate reunion crews spring up all over the campus. Crews of students and grounds-keepers sweep the entire place to pristine every morning. And it is all gone after 3 days. The 40^th camp was no exception and we enjoyed a brilliant dinner on the shores of Lake Carnegie at the Boathouse.

A special treat was a lunch with my fellow Cottage Club section. These guys and my room-mates were my closest friends in college. Ed O’Lear did a brilliant job of arranging this private time for us. The place looked great and really felt like home. We were treated to a Skype session with our old club manager, Matty Glinka, now in his 90’s and too frail to attend in person. He also created DVDs, complete with a customized cover of each of us at graduation, with eclectic videos of graduation and the fabled “Boot Classic” blow-pong match.

The cultural phenomenon known as the “P-Rade” has always been intriguing to me. It’s a parade of strolling alumni and marching bands, winding its way through the campus. The route is lined by alumni in descending age order. Led by the oldest graduates and ending with the graduating class, it’s like watching your life pass by in reverse. In earlier years, I noted the general condition of each class and the increasing range of preservation with age. This year, I found myself paying VERY close attention to the classes 10 and 20 years ahead of me, as if to glean some information about my future.

Tired Good-Byes were said and I headed back to New York and Miami, where I was joined by my lovely friend Chris Clark. We did some shopping for Angel, my Peruvian community partner, visited the Coral Castle, which I last saw 50 years ago, enjoyed some outstanding Cuban and seafood, and watched airplanes take-off and land at the MIA. I was really glad for my Spanish abilities in a town where I heard very little English. Every conversation at the Home Depot, for example, was en Español.

All my flights and security screenings were uneventful and smooth, including a change of planes in Bogota, Columbia. Lima was just as dirty and noisy as ever and I found a large smile consuming my face, as I approached San Luis. It was good to go home, and good to return home. 

More photos at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/114324927553623472875/40thPrincetonReunion?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNTIvo7ulLOanQE&feat=directlink