instagram.com
“This photo was taken on my front porch in Panama where local children would come to read books I brought back to my village. This was the start of my SPA project to build a local, community library. Before, the community members had no access to books, either in English or Spanish but were very interested in reading once given the opportunity. This book was sent by my parents, in English and I spent afternoons with the children translating them into Spanish.” - Peace Corps Panama Volunteer Rachel http://bit.ly/2aY9wBy
“Students from three grammar schools, their parents, and a fellow counterpart from the municipality, observe wildlife in awe during a trip to the Omar Torrijos National Park in Panama that I organized as a reward for their incredible recycling successes. At the call of a toucan they all look up to appreciate its beauty and the habitat that it lives in that is preserved through their recycling efforts.”
“Host sister Monica reads aloud to her younger cousins. Even though her mother is illiterate, Monica loves to read, and actively participates in my book club every week. Here’s to literacy for future generations.”
I officially swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer! The Swear-In Ceremony was such a cool experience. It was held in the Panama Canal Museum, and all of Group 78 was together. We had several people speak on our behalf, and had the wonderful opportunity to get sworn in by the ambassador. The whole ceremony was beautifully done, and it made me feel very official!
Welcome to the family!
“I returned to el Cañafistulo de Pocri, Panama in 2013 with the hope of re-photographing people I had photographed 40 years before. Here is Faustina, then and now.” - Returned Peace Corps Volunteer David Modzelewski http://bit.ly/23k3xXQ
Check out this amazing 360-degree photo of Peace Corps Volunteer Erin Storck’s house in Panama. http://bit.ly/1ZHcw5d
“I took this photo during my first time harvesting coffee. I was taught the entire process from harvesting the coffee from the tree to processing it in the sun, toasting it in a large pot, grinding it, and then making it into a drink. My teacher elicited so much pride in being able to provide coffee to her family directly from her farm. Coffee is an important crop in Panama, whether for sale or for home use.”
Panama celebrates its first Let Girls Learn project!
The first Let Girls Learn project in Panama, a girls’ empowerment and soccer camp, was a huge success! Peace Corps Volunteer Erin Storck gathered 30 girls between the ages of nine to 16 years old, including 10-year-old Itzela.
Like all Peace Corps camps and clubs, Volunteers developed a comprehensive curriculum. On the first day, Itzela and her friends jumped right into leadership activities like lessons on using teamwork to improve on problem-solving skills group participation.
To practice, the girls tested their communication and sharing skills by passing a ball among team members.
Last month I went to a friend’s community for a few days to help with a seminar on water system management. In the mountains of the Comarca, summer weather is dry and windy and the nights are cool. The setting for the seminar was a room in a wooden house with a dirt floor. It was intimate, sitting on wooden planks and bags of rice while the wind howled outside. Kids were constantly poking in their noses at the door and windows trying to see what the adults were up to. They weren’t even deterred by the sessions on financial planning and accounting. We had a guest from the health ministry who hiked a long way to give a session on rights and responsibilities according to Panamanian law. Here are some shots from the visit.
Make new friends. Try new foods. Explore a new part of the world.
Improve environmental health conditions for an entire community.
You can make a difference in communities in Panama. Apply by January 1 to depart in July.
Estuve haciendo “Johnny Queques” con el grupo de damas número uno. It’s a traditional Bocas quick bread. Made from freshly made coconut milk, and everything else you typically think of that goes in bread. I’ll buy four of these bad boys whenever someone is selling them in my community, at 25 centavos per piece I can’t help but support the woman who made them!
(Source: itsalligee-blog)
BABIES DRESSED AS TIGERS. This was a church event where the kids went over what they had learned this year. The church in my community is 7th Day Adventist and they had a global perspective: covering Bangladesh, the Philipines, and East Timor. They even fund-raised for church activities in those places. It made me wonder if the is a church somewhere in Bangladesh where they are dressing babies as Panamanians.
“I took this photo the first time people in my community taught me how to bake bread over a pot over a fire. I was so impressed that it was easy to bake with the lack of an oven. Baking bread is a common income source for people in my community. They make coconut bread using local coconuts to make coconut milk. Delicious!”