So, I take this opportunity to THANK all of you who have
contributed to the playground project, sent me wonderful ideas – like the
bottle bulbs, and supported me and encouraged me with your kind words. A very
special shout-out to Mike Healey and the Tooth-Fairies, who got my mouth in
shape for service and my sister Darcy and others, who sent wonderful
care-packages. Truly, you ALL were a huge part of this service.
And what a service it was. I was blessed with a wonderful
site, near perfect weather, outstanding community partners – Angel, Gloria and
the Duenas family, excellent infra-structure, helpful site-mates and “El Suerte
de Goyo”. By the official numbers it looked like this:
1500 residents of Laura Caller enjoy a cleaner water system
2500 residents of La Quebrada have 24/7 chlorinated water
400 residents of Vista Alegre have restored water service
4 families have cooking gas and biol fertilizer from
biodigesters
Over 60 families no longer breathe smoke and use less
fire-wood, thanks to improved cook stoves
6 masons learned to build the “Cocina Mejorada” stoves and
will build more
Hundreds of kids learned the importance and practice of
hand-washing
42 students and 16 parents learned about HIV/STD and teen
pregnancy prevention – they will teach others. And the Health Post has new
tools and materials to continue the effort.
4 families enjoy improved quality water, delivered from
their wells to the house via solar powered water pumps (they also get some
lighting)
5 families, living without electricity, have “pico” PV solar
systems for light and cell-phone charging.
Over 100 of the Bottle Bulbs give families more interior
light (even some night light from the moon)
40 kids at an elementary school have soap dispensers
50 kids at another school have repaired water faucets
18 families are using improved composting toilets and got training
Many hundreds of kids get more exercise and smiles on the 2
playgrounds built with gifts from the US and 2 more built by the
Municipality
The Cerro de Oro ruins / burial ground is better protected
and has been investigated by archeologists
San Luis residents will enjoy the beauty and shade from 50
newly planted trees
7 residents of the San Luis area have wheelchairs
2 teachers at the
local HS received training in English teaching methods
6 families in San
Pablo have improved and cleaner latrines
25 students at the local HS have had contact with other HS
students in the US
Future PCV will hopefully be aided by the manuals I’ve
written for cocinas, biodigesters, pumps, solar and playgrounds – and the scale
model cocina teaching tool.
Hundreds of folks in the US have a better understanding of
what life is like for ordinary Peruvians and, hopefully, many Peruvians have a
better impression of what Americans are really like.
For this service, I was honored with the coveted “Volunteer
Excellence Award” – one of only 2 given to Peru 18. Mere numbers cannot fully
describe my two years here. Judging a beauty pageant or promoting the local
dance/drum troupe or helping kids build a “flying saucer” float didn’t count as
official projects, but gave lots of joy. My real reward was the joy and
satisfaction of the many smiles I saw and Thank You’s and gifts I received. And
the many wonderful friends I gained among other PCVs and my community. And the
pleasure I had travelling this marvelous and diverse country and exploring the
lesser-known facets of the gem that is Peru.
Some Closing Thoughts :
On the Peace Corps – There is no better platform for foreign
service. It is a superbly organized and managed machine. For a governmental
entity, there is surprisingly little bureaucratic nonsense, allowing the
Volunteers the freedom to focus on truly helping people. Living with and among the
folks we serve for two years, while at times inconvenient, gives an
unparalleled access to affecting real change, not only in those we serve, but
in the Volunteers. Having just read the Shriver biography, I think the founders
would be pleased that the ideals, spirit and vision of the Corps continue to
this day. I only wish there was such an astute platform for service in the US.
On being an “older” Volunteer – Most of the time, I was
oblivious to being some 40 years the senior of most PCVs. Though, a lifetime of
experience and contacts gave me huge advantages. I thoroughly enjoyed being
around the energy and dedication of the Millennium generation, though they
rarely got any of my movie or song lyric references. And, their reflexive use
of iPods and Kindles and copious alcohol consumption was vexing. Overall, they
gave me a renewed confidence in the future of America. I remain committed to
promoting the service of older Volunteers.
On Peru
– I love this country, especially the unique Afro-Peruvian town where I lived. While
many are incredibly poor and lacking basic services, they still manage a level
of joy and celebration of life that some in the US lack. With its huge store of
natural resources, immense diversity and lack of reliance on oil, Peru’s
financial future looks bright. My hope is that this wealth will be more evenly
distributed in the future. The remnants of machismo are slowly fading, though
the trash pollution remains an unresolved problem. The small town model of
integrated shops and homes, the near-universal use of public transportation and
lack of additives and in the food supply, are all superior to the US paradigm.
In sum, Peace Corps service has been a grand adventure – one
of the many in my life. So far.
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