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Sal Solidário

Sal Solidário is a campaign that was started while I was on vacation with the rents, but somehow I still managed to gain quite a lot of responsibility in it throughout the last few weeks…

This was the music show we had on Saturday, there were some awesome groups. An african drumming and dance group, traditional Cape Verdean singer and a phenomenal reggae band. Unfortunately I was running around so much doing small tasks, I wasn’t able to enjoy it to the fullest, but still I was proud of the effort. We showed a video I put together explaining the purpose of the campaign, which is to generate funds to send to the island of Sao Nicolau and Santo Antão because they were both hit really hard by torrential rains which caused lots of damage to roads, houses, schools, etc. and killed a few people. We also have been gather donations, food and clothes mostly, and sent about 20 huge trash sacks full of stuff last Tuesday.
Island Rain Destruction PPT
On Sunday we had more to do, a Tarde de Chá, an afternoon snack. There were so many donuts I didn´t know what to do with myself, but I was almost too tired.

turtles… Carretta carretta

An endangered sea turtle that nests in Cape Verde. I have been doing night patrols during the summer, watching hatchlings go to sea and doing environmental ed. stuff at the schools with some rangers and Silvia!

Unfortunately this little mutant didn't make it...

Thoughts on Community Developement Roles

In response to an email from my friend Becky, who is embarking on a CD volunteer adventure in Guatemala, I wrote these jumbled words of 1/2 advice, 1/2 musings.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Dear Becky,

Some thoughts on coming into an undefined role as a volunteer in community development. It´s hard in the beginning, because you feel a bit useless and don´t know what you are doing or where you should be. It may be even harder for you, because you are living with clinic workers, who will have very defined responsibilities and tasks to fulfill, keeping them busy (which is one important part of not going crazy/being homesick/feeling helpful) and giving them a measurable way to see the difference they are making. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. You have such a beautiful and lucky role (at least I like to keep telling myself that!). You will go out and see all these different initiatives, with nutrition, pre-school education, agriculture and probably lots more. You will meet all sorts of people and kind of gauge their interests and needs. Then, as you start to get an idea of where you want to work and what you want to do, here is my advice:

…

Use an idea, or area of need that has local interest (obviously). If you find even one person who seems to be all about getting the pre-school centers to incorporate back teeth dental hygiene education into their program, or something totally random but specific, and you think that´s cool, do it. Even though it won´t always feel like it, 6 months is going to FLY BY. So, after a few weeks of testing the waters, make some decisions. Sometimes I get caught up because there are SO MANY THINGS I could do and want to do here. There are so many people I could work with and who are interested in development projects. But it is important to make a choice, develope a plan and project, well defined (you can always make changes later) and stick to it, because if you try to do everything, you will end up doing nothing. And if every time one plan doesn´t seem to be going forward, you switch to another, you will end up never finishing a project. If you think an idea is good, IT IS. Stick to it, keep have meetings or teaching or capacitating, and even if interest or community involvement lulls, keep it up to the finish.

…

Was that a lot of blah blah? I just feel like myself and other Capeverdeans and volunteers waste a lot of time getting pumped and prepping an idea, then not going through with it. Don´t get distracted, focus! Maybe it´s just me…

Also, kind of thoughts integrating my feelings on moving to administration at AGQ, a Scrubs episode I saw yesterday and capacitation work (wierd I know): I think it´s more fun to go and run sessions at the kindergarten or community center, working with the kids directly. That´s great, and a good experience for them to interact with non-tourist foreigners, but when we are gone the locals will still be here. So run some trainings for education center staff helping them get creative and come up with new stuff for teaching/working with their kids, it´ll go a longer way and even if you or I think we could do it better (ahaha I am so humble) it is much better when they do it themselves.

…

I think you know all this, I am kind of just reminding myself, too.

dia de serviço social!

Success! My idea for a big municipal volunteer day finally worked out (after some intense preparation and tons of letters asking for donations). The day went really well, we painted a house, installed electricity in another woman’s house, planted trees, did a neightborhood clean-up and distributed food and clothes.

I’ve been waiting to put up the amazing photos of our day, but unfortunately haven’t been able to because the external harddrive where they were saved has been stolen! It belongs to my friend Moses, and hopefully it is recovered…

This past weekend was the huge Santa Maria Beach Music festival. Friday was pretty awsome, Mayra Andrade sang and she has an amazingly soothing voice. I was mostly working backstage to set up the food and drinks for the artists. Saturday I was expecting just to enjoy the festival, but unheard of torrential rains hit Sal and we where confined to the indoors for about 24 hours. Then Sunday the attempted replay was canceled because some equipment got wet and a fuse blew. Aka, no Kymani Marley, no Betu Dias, and no Sara Tavares. Big bummer.

Now I´m just getting ready for a visit from the rents and a little vacation!!!

P.S. I am also thinking of switching to wordpress.org. Too much work? I just really want to post my shelfari plugin… wah wah wah…

Flag Snatch!

Slag fatch.  Snag Flatch. Flag Snatch.

At the end of Hillary’s famous trip to Africa, unbeknownst to some of ya’ll, she stopped at a small yet important and stifling hot island in the Atlantic. Yes, Hillary stopped on our island, Sal, before returning to the land of french fries and 24h open supermarkets.

Jacky and I were invited to the Riu Hotel, a large, not mildly grostesque infrastructure (but with the best security in Cape Verde). There we got to meet Hillary as she came out of her room to head to a bilateral conference (YES! I shook her hand!). During her chat session, we awaited anxiously watching the 2 American and 2 Cape Verdean flags sitting on a platform (pratically being blown over in the wind). She came for a quick photo shoot with important Cape Verdean personel, and as soon as they left the platform we raced over, picked up, furled, and deftly carried those darn flags through a secret (and obviously preplanned) route to the press conference room, where we put them back up and neatly waiting for the press session.

During the speeches, Hillary gave some great press to Cape Verde, rewarding them for improving their economic situation, becoming a middle income country, and for doing a good job having a transparent, working government. Sometimes I get frustrated working here at the local gov. level, but you gotta love beauracracy.

Me getting interviewed for the radio. Okay, more photos of us actually WITH Hillary to come soon, but I´ve got to get them from the professional photographer…

a week OFF the island!

Island fever was about to hit me when I jumped on a plane (after 1 canceled flight and a 7 hour wait) and headed to Santiago – the big island – to help the new volunteers with their Pre Service Training!

Things accomplished in Praia (ahem, I mean Santiago):

1. Watched one american film all the way through, The Italian Job, thank-you Dacia and your lovely working laptop! I’m hoping some loving sibling or friend will send me Twilight so I can have my fill of feel-good romance.

2. Went to a farmer’s association where a future volunteer will be placed. Joe, Analisa and I had a good time chatting with Lucillo and looking a napping pigs. The session with the trainees was cool too – we talked all about agriculture in CV, water and post harvest activities (can I get a “what! what!” for really sugary doce-jam and sun dried tomatoes).

3. I talked about diversity with the newbies. Hmmm. Difficult and perhaps awkward, how do you get people to spill about intense personal identity experiences in an group of 30 that you just met?

4. Hung out with the host family in Ruben Manel. Got a nice hair-do. Just like old times. Except they have a new volunteer, Djoni, who is awesome. Enviro kid just like me, and they are still using the really frilly sheets.

5. Chilled in rainy Assomada. Hiked in Serra Malageta (awesome national park). Stopped in Sao Domingos and Praia for some bead shoping and general eating (which I do TOO much in Santiago, huge plates of food for 2 dollars, and the mangos are heavenly…).

Festival das Comunidades

We had a fun festival (the first!) in Sal the other weekend. Rachelle came in town to help and we had 2 stalls, one filled with info about American history, diversity, statistics, etc. and the other with American food! Yes, yours truly was deep frying (a restauranteer actually lent us a deep fryer) onion rings in the sweaty heat, and Capeverdeans seemed to love them. I’ve gotten requests for home visits to cook some up.

Rachelle also taught a cute group of Capeverdean Americans to sing the national anthem, which they did splendidly onstage.  (We all refused to perform the cheerleading routine that was suggested as our national performance…).

my skirt is exceptionally short to be culturally appropriate, but he was cool and i loved his flowy garb

beating a mad rhythm

capeverdean american kids who sang the national anthem (in English!)

july frenzy and heat!

This week has been pretty crazy, and the extreme heat (I estimate I sweat 2.5 Liters per day) does help to make one want to dig into the work! Still, it´s fun that things are getting going.

Monday I had my lifeskills session at the Community Center and Nelson (volunteer from Sao Nicolau) was in town so he came and helped out. It went great! I was starting to get frustrated captivating 20 young male teens twice a week during their summer break to talk about good communication skills, but Nelson helped me brainstorm some good incentives to compel positive behavior, and we turned “Assertive Messages” into fun comic designs. I´m still looking for ways to keep these sessions interesting and less serious/school-like. There are only so many role plays the boys want to do, so drop me a line if you have any ideas of good group games, leadership, team building, etc. (After all my years at AGQ this should be a breeze!)

We dipped over to Buracona with Rachelle and Nelson on Tuesday, and showed them the tumultuous sea that almost carried Jacky away last December. (Plus we jumped from an awesome rock ledge into the natural pools!)

I went turtle patrolling on Tuesday and saw 2 female loggerheads nesting! They looked so prehistoric, and the way they dig their holes reminded me of some chanting dance moves, so we named one that wasn´t yet tagged, Dancing Queen. I´m heading out to patrol again tonight, helping with the data collection where as the military troops and police do the protection from hunters bit (there have been a few run-ins but I wasn´t present).

On top of all that, we are barring up our windows, getting ready for an amazing community diversity festival this weekend, planning for a Dia de Serviço in September and heading to PST 2009 next week! Holler.

Last thoughts: join the campaign, stop the “heat” – climate change in Africa.

Tito Paris and the LISBON Orchestra!

This weekend was wild! With Rachelle visiting from Maio, and Nelson visiting from Sao Nicolau, we had to get out and about. Friday we went for Pizza and caught the end of the T-KLA 2 concert, a electronic, dance, hip-hop music duo who was playing in the newly remodeled outdoor theater. We danced to a homage to Michael Jackson and had a grand time.

Saturday we woke up early to meet with a group of Cape Verdean Americans who are going to work with us on the Festival de Comunidades that we are participating in next weekend! Rachelle is practicing singing the national anthem with the kids, who are going to sing and dance on stage for us. Plus, we will have a booth with maps, posters of the statue of liberty, videos of Obama and PCorps mission playing, a few carnival games and American food available for tasting!

Tito Paris in Concert! Saturday night we went to the Salinas of Pedra de Lume, an old salt mine that was at once one of the biggest salt producers worldwide! They set up a huge stage, and Tito Paris played mournas and great Capeverdean music with the acompanyment of the Lisbon Orchestra. They even played my favorite song, “Dança ma mi kriola”. It was spectacular.