Also, we work.

All these blog posts (ok, so there haven't been a ton of them. sorry bout that) might make you think that we just hang out and talk about what a bad wife I am and eat other people's really good cooking. And we do do those things, but just for part of the day. Really, we work. I swear!  I thought maybe I should update you on that.

Sean has been hard at work since we got to Boqueron on fixing the waste management problem within the community. Waste management is a national problem and Sean has a lot of experience in the field.  When we got to the community everyone burned 100% of their inorganic waste.  There is no trash pick-up in Boqueron and most people in the community do not have a good understanding on the health effects of burning garbage.  We are follow-up volunteers and the volunteer in the community before us began educating people on these effects as well as working for sustainable solutions for the waste problem. He built and painted (with the community) recycling boxes at each school right before he left.  Sean took over from there.

Sean has been busy educating the community on recycling. How and what to sort. What needs to be cleaned. And most improtantly: why? This is not an easy job, not at all. People just don't get that something could be wrong with the method they have used for generations.  My parents used, their parents used it,  and they were healthy and I am healthy and my kids are healthy, so how could it be bad? It is also difficult to encourage people to walk from their house tot he school with their waste when they could just burn it and never have to leave the house.  For these reasons, things were slow going at first. But Sean didn't give up.

Sean started a program where he sat at the school all day once a week for 8 weeks. If you brought recycling that day and listened to Sean teach you another important part of recycling you got entered into a drawing to win a mud stove. He had well over 100 participants of all ages.  It is especially hard to get older folks to change their behavior, but one woman who is in her 70s has started bringin all of her recycling- and she is so proud. Everytime I run into her in the street she tells me about her latest recycling trip.  This was a huge success and brought a lot of attention to the boxes at the school.

Recycling Day Announcing Winners

Winners with Mud Stove (family project)

Winners with Mud Stove

Next, Sean got the students at each school involved with the project. As part of their class they are weighing and monitoring the amount of recycling that comes into the cans. They also help with the cleaning and storage of the waste. Sean meets with the oldest students once a week and teaches them basic math and science in relation to the project.


Last month, after all of this hard work, Sean and the students loaded 555 pounds of recycling into a truck to be taken to a recycling center in Colon.  That is 555 pounds of waste that isn't being burned and breathed by community members! And that is just the first pick-up.  Impressed with his project in Boqueron, the Representante (sort oflike the mayor of a bunch of communities) has asked Sean to start it at the school a few communities down- a much bigger project than Boqueron. It is amazing to see the project build momentum.

Students in B. Arriba with recycling

Students in B. Abajo with Recycling

At recycling center with community volunteer Francisco

My big project right now is working with a group of women. In May, I started an Artesin group based on making necklaces out of magazines. I taught the process and the women have gone from there and started making gorgeous jewlery, adding their own unique take on it.  Since our first day of sales on June 27th to today we have sold over $650 dollars in necklaces, earrings and bracelets. This in a community where the average family monthly income is $100. There are 11 women in the group, 4 from Boqueron Arriba and 7 from Boqueron Abajo.  Since starting in May the group has elected a Directive (President, Secretary and Treasurer), has made a list of group rules as well as standards for their products and has already initiated 'giving back to the community' since it is a community group.  I work with the women on running the group effectively, managing, leadership, marketing and business plans. I absolutely love working with these women and am blown away by how much they have improved in the last few months.

Me with Artists from B. Abajo all wearing their creations!

First batch of necklaces

Up close

Empowerement comes from being able to teach...for the first time ever Maricell is inthe role of teacher, as she teaches other artesanas her craft.


So, those are SOME of the things we are up to. We are working- there is even more to tell you about- but there is no more time at the computer. We will update you again soon!