And now, you can all relax and sit back
from that position on the edge of your seats that you've been
maintaining for the past month, because Here It Is! A peek at the
Sports and Leadership Camp that I hosted at my Primaria at the
beginning of September.
First of all, if you haven't seen the
album because you aren't on facebook, don't care to use facebook, or
just haven't seen it, here's the photographic evidence:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.556128133732.1073741827.113100113&type=1&l=59ca637b16
It all started in late July
when I went to help a friend's English Day event with about 10 other
volunteers. One of those other volunteers is one of our GAD
coordinators, GAD being the volunteer board that focuses on gender
development, AIDS awareness, youth programs, and suchlike. Her name
is Whitney, and she was looking for someone to host a sports camp. A
third party connected us as my having a site of suitable size, and so
I agreed to host a sports camp. Which I thought for a while was
slated for the summer
vacation in December through February, but was actually for the
trimester
vacation, at the beginning of September. I connected the dots on the
actual dates before long, don't worry.
Over
the month of August, I scurried around town talking to the Padres de
la Familia to get some mothers to cook for the kids, talking to the
vice-principal of the Primaria about using the grounds and resources
of the school, and getting kids signed up and registered. Towards
the end of August, the PE teacher at the colegio (secondary school)
proved invaluable in helping to recruit students from that school,
and later in using his sports equiptment.
In
the last week of August, you can review what I did in my previous
blog post :-D That is the same Whitney, by the way, in San
Blas/Comarca Kuna Yala and in this lovely youth opportunity.
On
that tragic final Saturday of August when my vacation ended and
visiting friend Andrew left, it was back to work for me. Whitney and
I put together workbooks for the kids, and on Sunday went to the mall
to pick up supplies and prizes, because prizes are awesome and
supplies are terribly useful.
The
rest of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday flew by in a whirl of
preparations that included buying out a vendor's supply of certain
produce, making final arrangements for lodging of facilitators, who
were other PCVs from all over the country, reviewing seminars and
organization, and suchlike.
Over
those few days and the rest of the week, I got to know Whitney and
another PCV named Julie really well, in the way that only a week of
practically constant company can do, as they were the ones to help
with preparations, and stayed with me at my house from Monday to
Friday. Ish. The other PCVs slept on mats at the school where we
held the camp, because it would be very uncomfortable for 12 or so
PCVs to try to cram into my house. To the kids' disappointment, we
did not have a real, overnight camp for them.
What
we did have were fun, interactive presentations on leadership,
setting and achieving goals, following dreams, decision making,
nutrition, sexual health, physical fitness, and more, in the
mornings, and after a delicious lunch prepared by local madres, they
had dance and basketball on Wednesday afternoon, Ultimate Frisbee and
soccer on Thursday afternoon, and “Olympics” on Friday afternoon,
which was a combination of the other 4 activities plus whatever other
games we felt like inflicting on them. All in all, the kids had a
fantastic time, and all got certificates and prizes at the end.
In
the days and weeks following the Camp, kids and parents asked me when
I would hold another such camp, or if I could offer something for
kids under 12 (this one was for 12-18 year olds), and one kid asked
when the other PCVs would be back again.
Of
course there were challenges that arose throughout the camp, but it
was a remarkably harmonious experience. Difficulties were resolved
and/or navigated, and good times were had by all. And choreographies
were begun for a flashmob which will be coming in late November/early
December, so watch out for a youtube video...in a couple of months.
Since
the camp, I had the surprise, spur of the moment opportunity to
return to The City almost immediately to visit with my
sister-in-law's sister and family who were there for a conference.
In addition to letting me enjoy A/C and running hot water, they
showed me a few of the Smithsonian research facilities around Panama
City, and I saw my first SLOTH! Two-toed variety, in case you were
wondering. I didn't have my camera (spur of the moment trip,
remember; I was heading into Penonomé for an errand and went to The
City when I would have returned home), so no picture, but just
imagine a shaggy, rough-furred grey ball way up in the top of a tree.
After
that was preparing for Seminar 3 of our Traveling Seminar Series,
which is a seminar for Panamanian English Teachers that the Coclé
PCVs are carting around to reach as many teachers as possible, and
getting the ball rolling on the recycling program, at long last.
Incidentally, the recycling program has somewhat catapulted out of my
hands, but into Panamanian, so hopefully that'll be a good thing!
And I attended our trimestral meetings, a presentation on seed
preservation and garden bed preparing...oh, and went down to Pedasí,
Los Santos to see a new part of Panama, visit a friend, and help said
friend facilitate a couple of Elige Tu Vida seminars to her students.
Elige Tu Vida, or Choose Your Life, is a seminar that some past
volunteers put together to teach youth about dreams, goals, and
sexual health. If it sounds familiar, it's because we used almost
all of Elige Tu Vida in the Sports and Leadership Camp.
Now,
heading into October, I'm working intermittently with my co-teachers,
still teaching roughly once a week at my Friday Primaria, trying to
help advance the recycling program, and researching school codes of
conduct for my main Primaria. Also, 'tis the season for school
festivals (one or two schools every week has their Dia del Campesino,
or Farmer Day, which amount to cultural exhibitions) and bigger
festivals. This weekend isn't anything here, but next weekend is the
Feria del Sombrero Pinta'o (Painted Hat Festival, a celebration of
the true Panamanian hat, not the Panama Hat), and following that is
the Feria del Torito Guapo (the Handsome Little Bull Festival, and I
don't know the story behind that one, but the “bull” is very
stylized and involves lots of colors and shinies). And then is a PCV
Halloween party, and then to finish October, I'll be climbing Vulcan
Baru, aka, tallest peak in Panama and a dormant volcano! And some
other stuff...a presentation at an English week for a teacher who
attended one of the Traveling Seminars, Santa Rita Foundation Day,
Santa Rita Independence from Cabuya Day...fun times. Regular school
doesn't really happen from here on out, because of all of these Fun
and Exciting other activities, and the marching bands and folclorica
dance teams travel to different events.
And
then it's November, and that's couple of Independence Days, Flag Day,
a few other holidays, plus Thanksgiving for us United Stateans...it's
going to be a busy last 4 months or so!!
Btw,
I'll either be coming back on February 28 or March 14- I'll let you
know in December. :-D
