Settling In

Its raining today and it matches the mood because yesterday one of the students was killed in an accident. The school is quiet and the words of the boy’s sister calling out for him at the funeral last night are echoed by a kid headed to bathe in the irrigation canal this morning. The tragedy seems dulled by the fact that there has been at least one death a week in the village since Christmas. Many are shootings in a drug related struggle happening in the capital which send the bodies of young “tigres” back to their families in Bombita to mourn and bury but others were health related and this was an accident on the highway and the boy who died was 13. My first moto ride out of the village is to bring his picture to his grandmother in Canoa, the next town over. Although the poverty here makes me feel like I have a reason to be working in these communities, the injustice of my ability to do so makes me feel powerless to make significant change.

When school is back in session on Monday I am cajoling the teachers into helping me with sponsor letters. Each student has two sponsors – one in the US and one in the UK – so they write to each about what they have been learning lately in the spring and then again at Christmas they send cards. Being in charge of sponsorship allows me to get into the classrooms and get to know the kids a bit. I start with the youngest and the high school students but will work my way through all the grades in both schools before the end of the month if all goes well. Meanwhile I’m also trying to get up to speed on financial stuff and toss around ideas for the vocational program.

I’ve made some friends who keep me busy outside of work hours. Yusenia, the kindergarten teacher, literally invites me to be her friend and follows through, coming to find me at my house with her cousin Orquidea and take me on walks around the village. Rogelia who is studying at university comes to my house on Tuesday evenings for a Kreyol/English exchanges and leaves me with homework. Enmanuel and Vladimir come to my house with plantains and whip up Dominican style spaghetti and tostones. Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings the COPA staff goes into Barahona to buy groceries as there are supermarkets as well as a market with fresh fruits and vegetables. In the batey people sell flat bread, eggs, and small amounts of anything else out of a room in their house in the Dominican version of a corner store/hang out called a Colmado. It looks like I should be able to get the internet every Friday night so that will add skype calls to my weekly routine.

(In Barhaona. Pica Pollo = Fast Food)

This weekend I’m headed to a baby shower for Orquidea’s sister on Saturday night and Sunday to batey 4 where many people in Bombita have relatives. More letter writing with both Bombita and La Hoya classes in the coming week - I have a feeling I will really need the vacation during Semana Santa which starts on the 29th.

I know I should be taking pictures for you all but I havent the heart to take them until people know me better...soon.