Success

Greetings everyone !

4 Months after my Peace Corps service I am happy to say that I am doing well and can report to you a mission success regarding the Construction of the School. Unfortunately I was not able to see the final construction stages of the school as a result of my service in country ending in May, but I was able to receive pictures of the completed school from my PCV friends Jenna and Matt who are serving near my site and were able to take pictures of the school. Currently the classroom is being used to teach Kindergarten classes as well as Adult Education classes. This building is the newest and most modern public construction project in the community in the last 20 years. Thanks to your donations and the hard work of community members the project became a reality!

The past 4 months I have spent time in New York and as of recently have now moved to Zacatecas, Mexico. My time spent in New York was great as I was very happy to be finally home after my 2 + years serving in the Peace Corps. I was also able to resume teaching classes as a substitute teacher in New York City for a short period of time.

Now I am living in Zacatecas, Mexico which is located in the Northern Central part of Mexico. For the past 3 weeks I have been teaching at the Tecnologico de Monterrey Campus Zacatecas as an English Professor. As well I have begun my studies toward taking the Dental Admissions Test in November to hopefully gain admission to next years entering Dental Class in the Fall of 2010.

Thank you very much for reading my blog during the past 2 years. This blog was actually featured on someones dissertation on page 113 ( http://peacecorpswiki.org/images/C.Maugh_Dissertation.pdf). So it seems like this communication outlet has been a success in publishing my feelings during the past 2.5 years + as well as letting you know what has been going on in my life.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer on behalf of myself, my family, my friends, and the Unites States. I could not have thought of a better way to serve my country, while truly enhancing the lives of my community members for generations to come. If anyone is interested in doing the Peace Corps at all, don't think twice, JUST DO IT ! This experience has truly changed my life profoundly and I have made lifelong connections with members of my community where I served as well as other fellow volunteers.

As for now, I am enjoying myself here in Mexico. Living in a small apartment near the center of Zacatecas with my girlfriend, Lisa, a fellow PCV whom I met during my service in Costa Rica. We are both training for the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on November 15. This will be my second marathon and Lisa's first! Classes at the University are going well, and I am spending every free moment I have studying for the DAT.

That is the latest and greatest from here. I will be posting blogs with less frequency as things will be similar from here on in till the end of the year. But nonetheless there will always be "Tuanis Times" in my life and will be sure to report the latest of them right here.

Adios amigos !

Scroll to the back of the album for the latest pictures : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2545306&id=2206209&l=38f68130f3

Classrom Project Status Update 2

Greeting from extremely hot and sunny Costa Rica! I seemed to have chosen the hottest months of the year in Costa Rica to build a classroom, but at least we have been safe from the heavy rains and it would have otherwise been impossible to build. Overall things are going very well with the project. We have fully installed the Iron Beam Network with the Zinc Sheets for the roofing, installed the cement base, cemented the large cement slabs together to create uniform walls, and have begun the installation of the electric system.

Installing the Iron Beam Network to hold up the Zinc Sheets turned out to be a relatively easy task. It basically involved the Contractor and another skilled person in welding, essentially weld the large iron beams together, then we shingled the Zinc sheets and screwed each of them in. Most houses in my community, including my house, have a network of wooden beams to hold up the zinc sheets, we have used iron beams which are both sturdier and will last much longer.

Installing the cement base of the classroom required a lot of hauling of sand, rocks, and cements. We initially were planning to get a cement mixer for the job, but we couldn’t find one and ended up mixing about 30 bags of cement, 30 bags of sand, and a large amount of rocks by hand. One crucial step to making cement is water. At the school the water pump has been broken since the beginning of the year, and as well the well has dried up, so there is no water at all in the school. As well my community does not have a rural aqueduct where we can just turn on the tap and receive guaranteed water, every family and house has their own well or shared water well. Therefore we needed to haul by truck every morning 10 to 12 large Barrels of water from our water well at my host family’s house to the school. I don’t know if anyone has mixed lots of cement before by hand but it is pretty back breaking work and you also need to make sure you get the ratio of cement to rock to sand perfect. This whole process ended up taking only 3 days with the help of many community members.

Then the detailed work begins… Smearing on a cement layer to combine the large slabs of cement is very time consuming work. As well for the next week, every day we need to come to the school twice a day and poor water over the walls to make sure the cement doesn’t crack on the walls. We also need to use a sifter to sift through the sand we already have and make sure we have the finest sand which we will then mix with cement and water. This cement layer will further fortify the walls, which we can then paint.

The installation of the electrical system is pretty straight forward we just need to make sure we have our network of tubes through the ceiling which contain wire properly aligned and sent through the circuit breaker. We are installing about 4 power outlets, 2 Light Switches, and 8 sockets for energy saving light bulbs.

Next we need to create a network of wooden beams to then install our ceiling, install all 72 square meters of ceramic tile, weld onto the frame of the classroom two doors, install metals bars and fine netting for use as windows (Actual glass windows tend to break easily in classroom, are expensive, don’t give much security, and restrict airflow). Overall it seems like a lot but things are coming along very well. Next week is the Costa Rican Holy Week holiday and we will not be working on the classroom, but then the following week we hope to finish up all the necessary tasks for an inauguration of the classroom on April 17, 2009 !

All of the pictures will definitely give you a better idea of the process.Since we are building the new classroom near the old latrine, we have been in the process of digging a new 2 meter deep hole further away from the new classroom for the sanitary needs of the school. Pictures show some of that digging as well.

I am very thankful to be able to complete this project in my community. Again this project simply would not have been completed without your generous donations. Thank you very much for your support and I look forward to reporting more on the status of the classroom construction.

As for me personally, I am coming to grips with the reality that my Peace Corps experience here is ending. Of course it will be sad to leave my community and this life as a Peace Corps volunteer, but I have learned so much, met so many amazing people, had so many crazy adventures, learned Spanish fluently, and overall have had the time of my life. I could not have imagined a better experience to have after college. I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to be a part of Peace Corps and hopefully I will be able to use the skills and experience I have had here as a positive jump off point for future explorations and adventures in my life. Tuanis.

Link to Pics : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=48019849&l=92dc0e5d10&id=2206209

Construction of the Classroom Begins !

We Made It !!! Thanks to all of your donations to my PCPP (Peace Corp Partnership Program) Project we have been able to raise over $4,700 for the classroom to be built in my community. I really appreciate all of the support which I have received and we are currently in the midst of making this project a reality.

In Mid February we were able to meet our PCPP donation goal, as well received another grant which we were applying for through CR-USA (Costa Rica United States) Foundation for another $3,500. We have thus raised over $8,200 dollars for the classroom for my community.

Construction is well on it its way and has begun in early March. We have been working for just about over a week on the project and things have been moving very fast.

The first stage required us to clear the land where the classroom was to be built on. We executed this with the help of a local community member and his tractor. He came with the tractor leveled the land and created a path through the back of the school for the material trucks to come and drop off supplies for the school.

The second stage which we completed 2 days ago consisted of constructing the outer cement shell or walls of the classroom. This classroom is considered “pre fabricated” and thus is easier to build then lining up cement blocks one buy one to create a wall. This method uses posts where we then slide giant slabs of cement between them to create the wall. So the past couple days we have been digging the holes for all the posts, lining up the posts properly, making tons of measurement to ensure perfect alignment, and then sliding the very heavy cement slabs between the posts to create the outer wall of the classroom. This has been a particularly physical part of the construction phase as we have to dig very deep holes for the posts and also align the cement slabs perfectly between the posts.

Currently we are at the point where we are sitting up the metal beam framework for the roof. We are welding metal beams to the cement base and creating a network of beams which will support the Zinc sheets which will then be secured in place to create the roof.

After the roof is in place we need to lay cement all over the walls to create a smooth surface which will join the different cement slabs into one unified wall. After that is laying cement to create the floor, lay down ceramic tiles, install the ceiling panels so we don’t see the zinc sheets and metal framework, painting everything, and then installing the electrical system.

Overall I am very surprised with the rate at which the construction is going. We are receiving a lot of support from the community and all of the children and teachers are of course very excited to see where they will be learning and teaching in the coming years.

I cannot believe that my Peace Corps experience here in Costa Rica is coming to an end, as I have been living, breathing, eating, and speaking Peace Corps for the past 2 years straight but I am extremely happy that this necessary project will very soon be completed for the community. Many years down the line I look forward to coming back to my small rural community and seeing the fruits of my labor and your generous donations still benefiting the community, and improving their quality of life.

Thanks you again for all of your support, this is a true example of people coming together donating money and immediately seeing a positive impact in the lives of many different people. I thank you for believing in me and trusting in me to complete this project with your money.

Anyways that is the situation as of right now. Check out the pictures of the whole process for the past 2 weeks as these will surely give you a greater idea of how this project is coming together. I will be posting more info throughout the coming weeks to show you more of the process of the construction.

Thanks everyone! Tuanis.

Link for Pictures : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2545306&id=2206209&l=38f68130f3

Close of Service Conference and Classroom Project Status

WE MADE IT!!!!! Tico 16 succesfully made it to our COS (Close of Service Conference). I was happy to attend the conference with 13 of the original 16 Tico 16 members still remaining in Costa Rica after 2 years of service. It was great to be able to spend time during our last official Peace Corps training with everyone from Tico 16. I am really proud of all the work which we have done thus far and will continue to do up until the official end of our service on May 18.

During the 3 day Conference we reflected upon our service, created a presentation outlining our service to Peace Corps Costa Rica staff, learned about all of the papers we need to fill out before leaving, an spoke about future job opportunities and graduate school options. Out of all the training events I attended during my service I enjoyed this Conference the most. It helped me channel all of my feelings and experiences which I have had during my service to preparing myself to enter the US strong and ready for anything.

On our final night we organized a fancy dinner to commemorate our service and talk about all the memories which we had during training and at our sites. I am extremely grateful to have had the support of all my Tico 16 members throughout my service. As we all know, we are the only ones who truly understand what we have gone through here in Costa Rica and to have them by my side has been invaluable. I have made many friends within my Tico group aswell as outside of them, and every one of them I look forward to continuing the relationship on in the states. As well it has been very motivating to know that I not only have support within country but outside of the country. I am so thankful for my family and friends back at home supporting me in my service here in Costa Rica. At times it is difficult to fully describe my experience here, but I appreciate you all lending an open ear and having a genuine interest in the work I am doing down here. Also I am particularly grateful to everyone who has supported me financially in donating to my PCPP project to build a rural classroom.

While at the service I couldn´t believe how fast the time had flew. It seems like only yesterday I was blogging at the Holiday Inn in Washington D.C. talking about how I was nervous but very excited to begin this adventure of Peace Corps in Costa Rica. 2 years later I am writing this blog at the internet cafe a 90 minute hike from the rural jungle community which I live in. Walking to the internet today I really decided to take a step back and realize, WOW I am in Peace Corps. Living with 12 people in one house, going to the bathroom in a latrine, having farm animals around me, eating rice and beans, speaking spanish, being immersed in the culture is what Peace Corps is all about. Those experiences are why I signed up to be in Peace Corps. Before coming into Peace Corps I had this vision that it would be me living in this rural community helping them out with different projects immersed in Costa Rican Nature and Wildlife, and that is EXACTLY what I am doing right now. So I am proud to have lived in Costa Rica for 2 years so far, I am proud of everything I have accomplished so far and I hope that the work and experiences which I have had in the community will be remembered for many years from now.

As of right now, unfortunately, we are still below the amount of money neccesary to build the much needed classroom in my community. As I have said before I am so grateful for all of your donations towards this project thus far. Again I am opening an invitation for those who have not had the opportunity to donate to my project to please consider sending a donation. I believe that more so than any charity you can donate to all of the money you donate will DIRECTLY go towards the materials neccesary to construct the classroom. For example if you donate 1 penny then that is 1 Nail for the classroom, If you donate 15 dollars that is worth one bag of cement, if you donate 30 that is one large sheet of zinc for the roof, or 50 dollars that could go towards the construction of 2 blackboards in the classroom. As you see all the money directly goes towards the classroom. As well for those who have already donated I am graciously asking you to consider donating again, either the same amount or maybe half of what you have originally donated. As well those who have donated can maybe present the opportunity to another friend, family member, sibling, or parent who may be interested in Donating towards an Education Service Project Abroad.

As time is running out in the project, this will be my final request for donations. I hope that we will be able to meet our fundraising goal by Feb 15. I can assure you that the Children and Parents of my community will be extremely grateful for your support. As I have said before I will outline the steps of the project on this blog so you can see where your money is going to. I hope that come April/May I will be able to put a picture of a brand new classroom full of students on the front page of this blog. As well everyone who donates will recieve a special token of appreciation directly from the students of my community sent to your home provided you supply an address when filling out the online donation form.

Thank you so much for your support and help and I look forward to recieve your support in helping us make our donation goal .

Tuanis !

Seasons Greetings and Classroom Update

( Me with the three teachers and school cook)

Seasons Greeting and Happy New Year from Costa Rica !

Currently I am reporting from my site here in the Southern part of Costa Rica. The turn of the seasons is getting more noticeable, as it is raining less and less and getting hotter and hotter as the days go by.

I recently came back from a trip to the United States to visit my family for Thanksgiving, as well as a trip to the midwest to visit my girlfriend for awhile. I even managed to visit my old stomping grounds in Ann Arbor, Michigan and visit my friends Brian and Jared. Overall it was an excellent trip to the states filled with lots of fun, relaxation, and amazing food.

It is great to be back in site, and working again in the community with the school and my English classes. I was able to report back to the local education commitee on the status of the classroom fundraising project, and they were very excited to learn that through the generosity of my friends and family I have so far raised around $ 1,700 towards the construction of the classroom. Although as of right now we are still in need of a little over $3,000 to make the project a reality. I have also been in talks with the Habitat for Humanity office in the capital, San Jose, to possibly bring in a brigade of volunteers to help with the construction of the classroom.

I really want to take the opportunity to thank everyone once again for donating. I realize that in these troubled time with the economy, everyone is struggling to make ends meet. Although if you happen to have anything you could share with us to complete this project it would be greatly appreciated. Living in a remote rural community in the middle of Costa Rica for the past 22 months I have truly experienced and learned to appreciate the extremely high quality of education which I have recieved growing up in Westchester, New York and hope that when my time to leave my community in Costa Rica, I can leave leave them with a valuable educational resource which will benefit everyone in the community for many years to come.

Anyways that is the latest news for now ! I hope that everyone will enjoy the holiday season coming up and I look forward to posting a picture of the newly built classroom in the Spring of 2009 as a result of your contribution!

Pictures, Pictures, and More Pictures!

Please enjoy the following pictures which will help give you a better idea of my experience down here in Costa Rica, and the work which I am doing here. Enjoy !

Photo Album : Centro Educativo Paraiso

• This Photo album includes pictures of me with the students in the school, and various pictures of the existing classroom and the future site where we will build the next classroom.

Photo Album : Host Family

• This Photo album includes pictures of my host family members.

Photo Album : My House in Costa Rica

• Pictures of the House which I am living in currently.

I look forward to posting my pictures soon ! I will be posting pictures throughout the whole construction process so you will be able to see the full benefits of your donation. Thanks for your support ! Please contact me if you have any other questions.

Rudy´s Peace Corps Project Needs YOUR Support !

The following is the complete Project Profile which I have sent to Peace Corps to put on the Peace Corps Partnership Program Website. If you would like to have sent to you a formal invitation to donate please email me your address, so I can have Peace Corps send that to you immediately. Or you can directly donate through this link : https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=515-148 or by clicking on the ¨Donate Now !¨ link on the side bar of my blog. Thank you in advance for your generosity, without your support this project will not be possible. If you have any questions you can email me. As well I encourage you to send this blog and link to other friends and family. This donation is not only tax-deductible, but makes you feel GREAT!

From your hardworking Peace Corps Volunteer,

Rudy

P.S. Pictures coming VERY soon !!!!!

Here it goes …….. Enjoy !

PCPP Project Title: Increased Academic Opportunities for the Community of Paraiso de Buenos Aires

Community Organization: Paraiso Education Committee

Executive Summary:

The aim of this project is to build a classroom in a remote rural community located in Southern Costa Rica. The 200 residents of this community practice subsistence farming on small plots of land. In the town center, 11 months out of the year, 44 students attend a weathered one-room primary school which was first built in 1990. After school hours, over 50 adults attend several different classes taught both by the Costa Rican Learning Institute and a Peace Corps Volunteer. Most of the adult members of the community have only completed primary school education as there is no high school nearby.

In the primary school, grades 1 through 6 are taught together by two different teachers in one classroom that is well over capacity. With a new classroom, primary school students will be able to learn in a new and spacious environment, and more adults will be able to participate in adult-education classes. A portion of the materials will be donated by the community, as will the labor necessary for construction. If this project is not completed, the only educational center in town will remain overstrained and learning opportunities will continue to diminish. The education committee, composed of parents and community members, is very determined to see this project through to completion.

Background Information:

Paraiso de Buenos Aires, is a small rural community located 8 kilometers from the center of the city of Buenos Aires in the Southern part of Costa Rica. Its residents practice subsistence farming, along with working with the local electric company (ICE) and Pineapple Plantation (PINDECO). Paraiso has a growing population of over 240 residents. Among the many groups formed within the community, the local education committee (7 members) is motivated to complete construction of a new classroom to cater to the growing number of primary school students and adult students in the community.

Community Need:

In Paraiso Primary School there are 45 students including the kindergartners. There are two full time teachers, including the director and there is one part time teacher. The part time teacher teaches Kindergarten in the morning and literacy classes to adults in the community 3 times a week.

As well there is a growing population (40 +) of teenagers and adults participating in the Peace Corps Volunteers English classes after school hours and 20 more adults participating in daily classes taught by the Costa Rican National Institute of Learning.

Although Paraiso is a small community more than 50 percent of the community participates in some sort of learning activity taught at the school at least once a week. The residents of Paraiso have taken advantage of the learning opportunities brought to them, although in combination of the growing population and learning activities offered in town there is physically not enough space to accommodate a proper learning environment.

If this project is not implemented the children in the primary school will be faced to continue learning in a classroom well over capacity (35 + students in one classroom) which will affect their learning, and the adults will lose educational opportunities which could have otherwise been given to them (i.e. additional classes, night high school, and community meeting area).

Community Initiation and Direction:

The project of construction for the classroom is entirely a community initiative. The labor will be provided and completed by skilled and unskilled community members. The local education committees initiated the project and are completely involved and committed to seeing the project to a successful conclusion.

The president of the education committee has been working in collaboration with the director of the school in finding funding, creating design plans, and organizing the construction crews. The members of the education committee are working to inform the community about the project and delegate project responsibilities.

Community Contribution:

The community is fully involved in implementing this project. Planning, Construction, and post-maintenance of the new classroom will be under the continued responsibility of the local education committee. The local education committee is contributing approximately $2,250 dollars worth of labor costs. As well over $3,000 dollars in material towards the classroom will be donated. Overall, the financial community contribution will be approximately 50%.

Project Implementation:

There will be three phases of the project. 1) Organizing the education committee and community at large in preparation for the project. 2) Applying and acquiring funds to execute the project. 3) Building the Classroom.

In phase 1, the Education Committee will be responsible for project planning and organization of the community. Working alongside the education committee will be members of the community working to help execute the education committee’s goals. Specifically the President of the Education committee will be responsible for delegating responsibility during the pre project planning stage.

In phase 2, the President and Treasurer of the Education Committee as well as the school director will be working to solidify the donation by the committee and as well search for outside funds, i.e. through the Peace Corps Partnership Program.

In phase 3, under direction of the President of the Education Committee and Local building contractor the community members who have volunteered in the construction will work towards completing the new classroom.

Project Sustainability:

Constructing a new classroom requires a large amount of planning and preparation. From organizing construction plans, to acquiring the funds necessary to build, to the actual physical construction of the classroom, strong participation is needed among the education committee and members of the community.

The community and committee members will gain knowledge in project planning, project implementation, financial planning, financial management, working in groups, delegating responsibility, the importance of communication, and basic to advanced carpentry and electrical skills during construction of the classroom.

The community will be able to maintain the classroom in the long term, through monthly payments by the National Education Ministry as well as monthly mandatory donations from the students attending the school. The hired teachers and Education Committee will be responsible for seeing the maintenance through in the future.

Increased Academic Opportunties for the Community of Paraiso de Buenos Aires

Thank you for all of you arriving at this blog for the first time, or to the rest who have followed my Peace Corps service through this blog. After being in my site for over 17 months and working closely with all community member through different capacities, i.e. English classes, work at the school, children’s groups, women’s groups, Development association meetings, etc., I have learned a lot about the community and its strengths, difficulties, and visions for the future. For 5 months I worked hard on writing a Community Analysis Tool or “CAT”. The CAT is an extensive report based on the community. Within the CAT consists of a basic history of the town, resources within the town, strengths, difficulties, potential future projects, and much more.

Through my 30 + interviews within the town and with governmental agencies which support the town, the reoccurring theme of the necessity of another classroom kept on coming up. Every year for the past 18 years since the primary schools construction the population of the students has risen. In academic year 2008 there are approximately 44 students attending the one room school, 12 of which attend the kindergarten in a small wooden structure apart from the main school building. In the primary school classroom grades one through sixth are all taught in the same area by two teachers in a 54 meters squared classroom area. The learning environment is far from ideal, as it is difficult to walk from one end of the classroom to the next, the noise levels are high, it is very cramped, the communication between student and teacher is hindered, and it is very during the Costa Rican summer months. These are of course only a few of the side effects of an overcrowded classroom.

Now this classroom is not only used for the primary school children. As well after school hours there is a thriving adult education community. The Costa Rican Learning Institute has sent a full time teacher to live within the community and teach classes, based on microenterprise management, accounting, nutrition, literacy, and agriculture to name a few. As well I am teaching English Classes at night 8 hours a week. This growing population of over 50 adult and teenage students is new to Paraiso. A majority of community members have not completed primary school let alone high school. Thus the community is taking full advantage of these new academic opportunities offered to them. Approximately 50% of the community population is participating in an academic opportunity within the one room school.

The school and the church are the only public buildings within the community. The one room school acts not only as an academic center but as a meeting place for community groups and community functions. The children’s group, women’s group, and other community groups have used the classroom as a place for various meetings and social activities.

Clearly the combined use of the one classroom by the primary school students, adult education students, and community as a whole has put great strain on the 18 year old classroom. The construction of a new classroom is vital to the academic future of the community of Paraiso. The community is able to donate resources and labor to the project, although there still remains some vital resources needed and for this we turn to the Peace Corps Partnership Program.

I have been working in collaboration with the local education committee, primary school teachers, director of the primary school, and president of the development association to make this project a reality. I look forward to using this blog to show the status and progression of the project. Once you donate you will be able to see how your money is being put to work, and hopefully we will see a picture of a completed classroom thanks to your donation. As always you can email me regarding specific questions to the project. Thank you very much for your consideration, and thank you for supporting my work abroad. The impact of this completed project will benefit the growing community for many years to come.

The Past Eight Months

The past eight months in Costa Rica have been filled with fun, adventure, hard work, and new experiences. I have been continuing working hard in my community on a lot of the same projects and as well making some headway on a couple new projects. My time here in Costa Rica has been an amazing experience, with new challenges and new friends both being made in my community and amongst the community of volunteers near me. I am very thankful for my time here and the opportunity to work together with the community members of Paraiso de Buenos Aires.

My biggest project by far has been my work on my English Classes within the community both for the adults and children of the school. Currently I am teaching around 40 adults in the community as well as over 40 children in the one room primary school. Throughout my time here I have been questioning the validity of my work here teaching English. Is it necessary that rural community members learn English? How will they really utilize English in their futures? But week after week my students return to my English classes with a strong interest in learning not only English but coming together as community members and working together to learn something new. Recently the Costa Rican Learning Institute has introduced new classes within the community, and thus some of my students have switched over and exclusively attend those classes, as those are slightly more relevant to rural life, i.e. starting a micro-enterprise, nutrition and agriculture classes. But nonetheless I am proud of my work as an English teacher. I feel that through attending my classes I have helped them earn confidence to learn new things and as well hopefully in the future the confidence to seek new opportunities within and outside of the community. As well the classes are not only a class strictly relating to learning English but an opportunity for cultural exchange as I tell stories about my life in the states and share my views and opinions and in return I can learn more about them. This has been extended into my classes within the primary school where I have been working together with the students both inside and outside of the school.

I have been able to work outside of the school with the children to organize recreational activities and games to play with them. Teaching 30 or more children to play a new game can be challenging but more or less they understand the idea. For example, teaching 30 first through sixth grade students to play American Football was an endeavor but entertaining. As well I have worked after school hours to form a Children’s Group. As of right now we are working on a fundraiser to organize a movie night at the school, as well we are working on selling Choco-Bananos (Chocolate Bananas) at the next Soccer Tournament in town. Working with the Children in the community has been a very rewarding experience, but I have especially cherished the relationship and support I have received from my 4 host sisters and nieces who have attended the majority of my children’s events and meetings.

Besides my English classes and work with the children in the community, I have had the opportunity to really enjoy the slow pace of rural life and integrate within the community. With a community of slightly over 200 people I have really had the opportunity to work with many of the community members and get to know many of them. I am particularly good friends with two of the guys who work at the wood mill in town owned by a “gringo” aka foreigner. German, Javier and I have gotten to know each other well as both attend my English classes, and as well every other weekend make the trek into Buenos Aires to grab a cold Imperial or two and listen to the latest Latin music hits. I have also formed a great bond with my two host brothers, one who works at PINDECO (Del Monte Pineapple Factory) and the other currently attending an Electrician course in Buenos Aires. Although my community is very rural, I have the advantage of being only 8 kilometers away (or an hour and a half walk) from the center of Buenos Aires, a city which has internet, supermarkets, and cold beer.

Being in-country for 19 months has been quite an experience so far. I am very grateful that I have had this opportunity in my life to live in Costa Rica and have had the experiences I have had. For anyone remotely thinking about doing Peace Corps, I HIGHLY recommend it. I am particularly happy with my decision to participate in Peace Corps directly after college. If one is not 100% sure with what they want to do with their lives Peace Corps offers you the ability to experience something completely unique and once in a lifetime. In a way it is the most difficult job you could possibly have after college, and yet the most rewarding. Being completely immersed in a culture and society entirely different from the United States and thriving and working with the people of the country to complete something together is quite amazing. My commute is a five minute walk down a muddy dirt road to the school (no traffic), my coworkers are the people I live, eat, and work with, and my boss is myself. Peace Corps definitely has not been easy and the struggles of loneliness, living in the “campo”, and simply being your own boss and designing your own work schedule has been hard but overall I am very happy with how everything has been going so far.

As of right now I am proud to present the newest and biggest project which I will be working on during the rest of my Peace Corps service. That project is entitled: Increased Academic Opportunities for the Community of Paraiso de Buenos Aires. The core of this project involves building a brand new classroom to accommodate the academic needs and increased academic interests in educational opportunities in Paraiso. Please review the project profile which I have submitted to the Peace Corps Partnership Program to raise funds for this worthy project.