Sorry for the delay...

Well, since schools out, there´s actually a number of projects I´m trying to work on. They kind piled up on me real fast and now I think I might be in over my head.

1. I´m working with the municipality (kind of like a county in the US) in developing a regional wide Emergency Plan for disasters. I don´t think anyone else in PC-Guatemala has done this before, so I´m going at it from scratch, working with the Muni, CONRED and INSIVUMEH. It´s a lot of contacting people and comunication, both of which are limited to me...so, we´ll see how
this works. It´s going to be my main project for the rest of the time down here.

2. That doesn´t mean I won´t be working with the schools; Next year I will be organizing workshops or tallers in spanish (the double "ll" is like in "tortilla") for teachers, along with another school in the area, and some students who are studying to become teachers. Also will be doing some school projects...maybe like a school garden, painting a world map, composting, making ¨no litter¨signs...

3. Work with INSIVUMEH is tough. We don´t have much to work with. But John (also from MTU) and I are planning a workshop for the observers that might include my advisor coming down from MTU also. So we´ll see how that comes along. We are working with USAID and their Disaster Assistence Department for funding.

4. The other school I´m working with is in an aldea called Las Marias. It´s the little town you have ot go trhough to get to the fincas. The community group of leaders, called a COCODE in the aldeas, are working on a project for the aldea that includes applying for a USAID grant. They came up with the idea of a recreation center with a pool where people will have to pay to use (like Q2, or 27 cents...). My APCD (more or less my boss in PC) said it´s ok so now we can go ahead with the next step. What´s good about this is that it´s the community that does most of the work, so they´ll know how to apply for future funding. I just facilitate and guide and
provide info.

So those are my major projects. I only lack 2 things to be able to do them more efficiently....better communication and better transportation....

The coffee harvest, or cosecha, has begun. They are working round the clock. It´s pretty neat to watch the process. They´re calling me ¨peluche¨a lot cause they´re always working, and when I´m around, I´m not. Most of my work can´t be done while I´m in site...which is a little
contradictory...but I guess that´s how it works in PC in areas so rural.

This blog was originally an email home a few weeks ago, so it may be missing my patented sense of humor and all. But if you have any ?s, just send me an email, and I'll be glad to respond...however long it takes me to get around to it...

So, have a good one, folks. Thanks for checking up on me.

-adam-