Tech Week

After 4 weeks of training, we have visited sites, have discussed and practiced topics from gardening, trash management, adult learning behaviors, cross cultural behaviors, how to approach and work with teachers, teaching in school, expectations of counterparts, national agencies and how to approach them formally for support, behavior changes, and how to hold community meetings. All of what we learned was applied during a week called tech week. All CEC trainees traveled to Valleriquito in the province of Las Tables. The current volunteer and many members of his community greeted us with open arms. My host mother for the week, Deda, is an amazing woman that I hope to have the chance to visit again. She lives by herself but her 2 sisters also live in Valleriquito (also amazing women) and her kids live close by. She maintains her own farm, makes incredibly beautiful artwork and crafts with gourds, embroiders her own sheets, and loves her community.

 

Dedas house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The neighbors talked about how social she is and described how she is out spending time with friends and neighbors more than she is in her own house. Recently retired, she lives comfortably but is always treating her neighbors with recently harvested fruits and handmade gifts. She made amazing food and juice; I ate more vegetables during this week than my entire time in Panama. She was very sympathetic and compassionate. She asked me how I was feeling, how was I adapting to the culture, language, and life far away from my friends and family in the states. I actually stumbled over my Spanish in trying to answer, and after the conversation I realized why. No Panamanian has yet to ask me these questions. I realized that my host family in Santa Clara never ask how I am doing, nor ask about my family in the states. Others have asked about my personal life, but I don’t think they can relate to leaving their home for two years. Since living with Deda she has already called me several times to check up on me and chat.

During the week we discussed topics of gender empowerment and classroom management. However most of the week consisted of facilitating. We taught in the school garden as a group and also taught in the classrooms in pairs. The current volunteer held a community meeting and we presented the basics of organic composting, and even facilitated some hands on activities. After we presented the volunteer spoke with his community about the current trash problem and brainstormed ideas on what they could do to fix the problem. Seeing the community involved was very inspiring yet terrifying.

Inspiring: the community was very excited to participate. Almost 70 of 150 people showed up to the community meeting and many voiced their opinions. Everyone was excited to do the activities and helped others when there was confusion.

Frightening: there were moments when many people were speaking at once and getting off topic. Many stated things they wanted to fix but the volunteer had a hard time getting community members to focus on solutions, or even steps towards a solution. They wanted quick fixes or even for the volunteer to do things for them. The volunteer had to explain several times that this is not sustainable because who would manage it when he leaves?

Seeing this community meeting was a great part of tech week and we debriefed about what went well, what could have been changed, and strategies for when you hit a roadblock.



The community working together to make compost

 

During tech week we visited another community called Guanico Abajo, about an hour from Valleriquito. This community was right along the beach. We visited a marina that is currently working on protecting sea turtle eggs from poachers. We also spent the afternoon with the woman’s artisan group and they showed us how to make (or at least start) bags from candy wrappers, bracelets from magazines, and purses from plastic bags. To make each of these things can take several days and we only had 15 minutes at each station, but it was a good introduction. We also got some relaxation time at the beach that afternoon.

 

Our last night in Valleriquito, they community threw us a despedida (goodbye party). The community was so impressed with our work that they told our bosses the day before that they were going to throw us a fiesta. We had no idea and we arrived at the communal house surprised with parting gifts (a hand painted plate of Valleriquito), tamborrita music, dancing, and snacks. All of the trainees even had to say a little speech!

Overall tech week was a very beneficial session to my training. We had an abundant amount of opportunities to practice Spanish and practice facilitating. Halfway through training with 4 weeks to go!

We had an extra day to spear before we needed to return to our training communities so a group of us went to El Valle. El Valle is a popular tourist spot in the mountains. We took advantage of free wifi, cool breezes, relaxing, cooking for ourselves, hiking, animal refuges, and hot springs.

 

The Sleeping Indian. Can you see her?