Hello again,

As and FYI: You need to CLICK ON “READ ARCHIVES” in the right hand column of this webpage to view the entirety of this post and the last entries. I couldn´t figure this out without the help of my ladyfriend, so I thought I´d share the wisdom….

First, business:

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHILDREN TO ATTEND MIDDLE SCHOOL
-All schools, teachers and students have been notified about the availability of 2 scholarships per school for this school year. Selection criteria and timelines where emphasized. Home visits with photos have been done for Potreros and Guanacaste. Visits to El Horno are scheduled. All information sent was to Barbara Gawinski and the First Unitarian Scholarship Committee.

CURRICULUM MODULES FOR LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
- Information on current status of the modules and future directions for the project has been gathered and sent to Barbara Gawinski.

PIPED WATER DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM IN PORTILLON
- The tank is done! Now we wait for two months for the concrete to “cure.”
- Currently we are organizing and gathering final materials to lay the pipes from the source to the tank.

PIPED WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN LA CALERA
- Completely done! I saw, with my very eyes, water flowing out of the spigots from multiple houses. Everyone was ecstatic to turn on their spigot and show me the water. Great work and many thanks to all who made this possible. The people of La Calera are extraordinarily grateful.

VIP LATRINE AND IMPROVED COOKSTOVE (FOGON) PROJECTS
- At a very successful and well-attended community meeting, I stressed the necessity of the community members to organize among themselves and form work groups before the projects can continue. To facilitate this, a volunteer from each community is compiling a list of the people in their community who lack a latrine or fogon and who want a latrine or fogon. Lists will be delivered to me on 8-15-08. From there, we can assess current need and decide how best to progress.

FLUORIDE PROJECT
- Elia (the Community Health Worker that staffs the clinic) is been given full charge of this program.

ESTABLISHING A CATARACT SURGERY CENTER IN SANTA LUCIA
- Currently at the proposed site. Information on resources sent to Deepak Sobti.

POTTERS FOR PEACE FILTER PROJECT IN SAN JOSE
-Discussed my research proposal with representatives from Portillon and La Calera. All expressed interest and will get back to me about the ability of community members to pay the proposed cost of the filters.

Second, the good stuff:

Two more weeks have cruised by, and so much has changed, in so many ways…

First, I just shaved my head. Or more accurately, a woman in Santa Lucia just shaved my head. She assumed my Spanish was just really bad and so she was quite resistant to go so short on a gringo, but eventually we got down to a nice #1 and #2 clipper-length buzz. It is quite becoming, but I will hold you in suspense for a photo. Insert evil laugh here.

Another big change is that my Spanish is making a strong surge. It’s still light-years from perfect, and many miles from great, but it’s getting there. This has made it possible to get out there a bit more, meet my neighbors, and get things going…

..which brings me to my first tale. So, last Saturday, two representative from our partner NGO, Hombro a Hombro, where supposed to come out to San Jose for a community meeting. The goal was to let the community know where we are now with the projects and to hear from them what their priorities are. At the prior meeting, there were 7 people there. It wasn’t enough to get anything done, and everyone was frustrated that so few people from the community was participating. SO, I took it upon myself to see if I could do something about this fall in involvement…

I spent three days spreading the word. I tromped around the trails, posted signs wherever there was a spot a few people would pass, visited each school and gave the kids a notice to take home to their parents, and just stopped at any house along the way where there were people outside, chatted it up, and told them about the meeting.

Well, the meeting was supposed to start at 10:00am. Hondurans, like most of Latin America, are chronically late (the 8:00 meeting the week before started around 10:30!). So, my two little piglet friends just about started to fly when, at 8:30am, people started showing up at my porch for the meeting. People were early! It was a good sign.

Now, as you may have noticed before, I wrote that the NGO representatives where “supposed to” come. Well, of course, after all the advertising, they called on Thursday night and said they couldn’t make it. Suddenly, it was just Brianna and I running the show. Needless to say, I was extremely nervous that my Spanish would crumble like the Berlin wall or go totally crazy like that suspension bridge that wiggled to death in the 1950’s. I’m pleased to report that it didn’t.

In all, about 45 people (over the age of 13, with plenty more under), representing six out of the seven communities, came to the meeting. Brianna and I gave a comprehensive overview of the status of each current project, fielded questions, and facilitated a few key organizational steps that will help everything more forward. If half of the things we planned actually happen, it was a huge success. And, selfishly, I have to say that I smiled mighty wide when several people went on and on about how happy they were that they found out about the meeting this time, from the posters and announcements at school!

This week, I’ve been climbing to each community all over again to visit the house of each sixth grader and take a picture of them at home (it’s the first part of the scholarship application to attend high school). So, you might be saying, a whole week to visit about 20 houses? I would say the same thing, but consider this: In Potreros, it took me 4.5 hours to visit five houses! Yeah, I’m going to me a hiking machine by the time I return.

Lastly, I should add that as far as the living situation goes, I’m adjusting quite nicely to the physical place. The challenge now is that living in the community building in a small town is kind of like living on main street without blinds, or like living in an aquarium. Now that kids and people are getting to know me, and since my neighbors are the school and the road everyone passes by, there is a fairly constant stream of people stopping by… or in the case of the children, hovering around. You would be amazed how fascinating the kids find it to watch a gringo eat dinner. I should patent myself and sell the rights to Disney, because I could be the next Hannah Montana of Latin America!

Ok, those are more of less the highlights. Sorry about the lack of pictures, but I'm not allowed to upload them from this satellite connection. Bummer. I'll see if I can add them later in the week... As for the next full post, it will probably be from the States when I return for my first stint in the US in 2 short weeks! Crazy.

Exited to see many of you soon and thinking of all of you very much,

With a salute from my bald head,

mateo