Clean water - let's play ball!

Everyday now at 5:20 the old gang, and some new faces head down to the sand field to resume our games of slagball! We are lead by Captians Candilia and Shannon through our running drills (consisting of barefoot sprints in the sand with our hands waving above our heads), catching drills and batting drills. All drills start with the shrill of Candilia's new whistle - and end with us laying in the sand panting for breath!

I still have yet to fully understand all of the rules and have been told on more then one occasion that I play tyobo tyobo. (dirty, dirty) We have all made donations to get matching shirts and came up with enough money to get ourselves to Moengo this Friday. We will be competing with teams up and down the river - the tourny will be held in Moengo. I'm super pumped - we'll have a good time! Here's a picture of the team, we borrowed the matching shirts from a team of soccer plays...our shirts are teal (way prettier in my opinion!) If anyone wants to sponosor us - we are pretty much amazing! :)

From left to right -back row- Sa, Olivia (she's Gabbie's mom) Capt. Candilia, Capt. Shannon and Cortisa -front row - Kinisha, Baby and Moeina

Candilia's English is coming along GREAT. She is now able to sound out simple words. It's such a proud feeling I get when she struggles a little, but doesn't give up until she's got it right.

THE WATER PUMP IS FIXED!! This is huge, huge, huge!! The technician came and changed all the water spicket heads, cleaned out the rust in the pump and we now have CLEAN WATER! I have a training scheduled for the middle of July for 6-9 people in WH to go through tech training incase the pump should break again. CLEAN WATER!!!

Moengolina is still in the hosptial (going on over a month now) she is suffering from high blood pressure and stomach issues with digestion. She is getting better now, and should be heading back out this week. Everyone is pitching in to help pull her taya, ginger and maintain her ground while she is out. Wan Hati is one big family, everyone watchs out for everyone.

Basi Amsoi has expressed some interest in getting new latrines in the village. I've started to get some of the info on what laterines would be best for certian areas. I'm happy that he has voiced interest and is motivated for this project. The market proposal is all written and ready to go, but Thomas has seemed to lost luster for doing his part, and I am waiting on him to provide the blueprint of the market. So close.....

Kids are all doing great. We've been playing outside a lot lately, as it's raining in short bursts, cools it out and the flowers are starting to florious like crazy!

Pretty in Pink!

Pepper is doing...she now has three puppies! I know, I tried to get her spayed a handful of times when we were in the city. She had the puppies about a week ago! They are adorable and staying at Ula's house (so I don't get to attached and try to keep them all) Two male, one female. One has no tail, one half a tail - the other a full tail.

I need to say thank you to Nina for sending me the requested vetwrap. Lot's of people here get cuts or open wounds on feet, arms..etc where it's hard to keep a band-aid in place. Vetwrap sticks on itself. Unfortunately I was the first to bust it open. I lost my toenail...eeewe I know. Seeka heaven - so thanks Nina!

As always things are happening and we're keeping it busy. Wish us luck this Friday! I'll let you know how our team does, I'm sure we're going to have a blast!

Love to all - and here's to CLEAN WATER! :)

What Fun We've Been Having!

Trisha has come and gone - what a great time!
It was a dose of home that I needed -- with all the rain causing cabin fever...an old friends
face was a real treat!

Lots of random things occurred during her stay:

Like...

1. The boat ride out to Wan Hati was soo full, that we were almost denied rides, had we really understood how badly the boat was sinking....I think we would have waited. Power, we love you for helping us out, and he did say ' Mariah if you die, YOU wanted to get on the boat...it's not my fault'.

2. We had fire at nite! (for three of the four nites...and it hasn't gone back on since!)

3. All the kids were away for vacation time, as well as most of the adults. So the usual supspects were not around to roust up trouble.

4. A new face appeared on the scence - Conswellia...what a riot. Right now I don't even has words for this one. I'm meeting up with her later today for chats. ;)

5. Moengolina didn't work us hard at all during our work day at ground. This was SHOCKING.

6. We set out a trap for a (singlular) mouse. We caught 5! (how naive are we thinking it was only one little guy)

7. Trisha learned how to do the Aculn dance. Moengolina almost wet her pangi (literally) laughing.

8. Together we never could leave a bottle open... ;)

9. We learned how many people can fit in a hammock...ha haa HA!!

10. Hitchhiking has become a new passion! That and a little bit of begging....we can go anywhere and do anything!

11. Uno - oh how I have missed that game. 'Damn it, who's turn it it? Is that blue or green...?'

That's my friends is just a sampling of the fun....

Thanks Trisha for making the journey, playing rumbie with me, laughing and bringing back old memories as well as creating new ones! WHOOOP---WHOOOP!

Once Trisha left I was back out to site - without Pepper. She stayed in the city cuz I didn't have a dog crate to transport her with...it got really lonely without all the company. Good thing Gabbie and Crew came back from vacation - it's always a trip with them.

Things we do for fun:

We color and learn the alphabet.

We sing and dance:

I get by with a little help from my friends. How awesome is Gabbie for killing the GIANT, poisonous toad. Pretty damn awesome if you ask me!

Then we had a burial.

We keep on keeping on out here!

xoxoxox

Expectations

Some days, doing 'the best we can' may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect-on any front-and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.

I guess it's why they call it the rainforest!

Rainforest:
a tropical forest, usually of tall, densely growing, broad-leaved evergreen trees in an area of high annual rainfall.

Rain.

Rain, rain...and then more rain. Downpours....soft misty rain -- hard pelleting rain.

Two weeks ago it begain to rain - it was nice in the beginning, I usually enjoy when it rains during the nite - makes for good sleep. This time it didn't stop. It rained through the next morning - into the afternoon...and carried on through the nite. Just to wake up to it continuing on. A full two weeks of non-stop full out thundering and gloomy RAIN.

It's pretty quite when the weather is so nasty - usually everyone stays in their house...those that do venture out are running as quick as possible from point A to point B. Myself? I've got a village of kids...and a house with crayons and paper. When it rains...it pours kids!

Thomas and I completed WASH training last week. (water and sanitation hygiene) It was a training for trainers type of workshop. From Saturday until Tuesday we learned about the different ways to build latrines...how sicknesses occur because of poor water -- how to prevent and educate others. The style of the training was that the pcv and counterpart learn lessons and present back to the group. Thomas and I did a play - (I had to recurit others that day as Thomas was mysterously missing the day of our presentation...) The play involved a family living in the bush that used river water for drinking and washing....virus, worm and bacteria (preformed by the trainers) lived in the river and made the family sick. It was a cute play with a high impact for understanding. It was fun to learn how to teach without using 'big' words and 'long' explanations.

Moengolina and Thomas came into the city with me yesterday as we had the next round of meeting for the eco-tourism project. I'm pretty excited about this, as everyone involved is excited and motivated -- and there is a TIMELINE! ;) So far there has been a great structure and communication of duties and responsiblities for this...it's exciting! We head back out to Wan Hati tomorrow.

'Aids a Na Mie Matie' - (the youth group in WH) is making me proud! The completed making some posters to display transmission and some myths about contracting HIV/AIDS. They work well together and are starting to organize a 'training' they are going to present to the other kids!

Water Pump - finally found the right contact person...hopefully we can see some movement with this before much longer!

My private english student can now sing the complete alphabet song and write all the letters!!! I'm so happy for her I could burst. In return for lessons she makes me lunch....it's a GREAT opportunity to give some lessons on clean water ;)

That about wraps it up for me here! I'm heading out early tomorrow, but will be back in next week to pick up Trisha from the airport!! We're going to head straight back to site...and then up to see some sea turtles nesting (it's the season) or maybe hit some waterfalls. I'm excited to see her!

Stay well you guys and make sure to wash your hands (get between your fingers and your don't forget your thumbs!) before you eat, before you cook and after you poopie!

muchluv!
mk

HIV/AIDS Training

Hey guys!

I'm in for a really quick visit, but an exciting one none the less!
I was contacted by a organization that wants to help build tourism in the hinterlands. Wan Hati was chosen as one out of five areas for a pilot program! It's wonderful news for us! Thomas - my counterpart, Mongoelina and Captain were also invited to hear the overview of the project. The contact speaks Takie Takie so we were all able to understand. (Mongoelina only fell asleep once during the presentation...impressive!) The next step for us is to form a group in WH who want to be involved in developing this program. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

Last week Peace Corps came out along with Pepsur (Suriname's ogranization that preforms entertianing ways of teaching about HIV/AIDS)

This was the first big training that I've been involved with hosting in WH. Lots of kinks were worked out as the day progressed....it was chaos I'm going to admit. Wan Hati was host to three other villages, each village particiapating had 5 kids aged 12-18 to be educated as a HIV/AIDS leader. (they are trained to to teach others) The PCV of that village, and their counterpart.

My whole village wanted to participate. There was no control. I was near tears trying to get adults and screaming babies, kids that weren't part of the WH five away from the training area. Training was provided to a small number again so the kids can educate others, and adults are not asked to participate due the topic....kids may not feel confortable speaking freely infront of adults and heads of the Village. ( Everyone is welcome at my house for education on health. )

I learned a lot on how to try to keep control. (I only lost my temper once, as a rock whizzed by my face - thrown by a boy that was not included in the group)

Pepsur was amazing -- they educated through skits, songs, group participation. My kids engaged and I feel really learned some important and NEEDED information about HIV/AIDS. The pre-test and post-test results were shocking!

We now have a youth group 'HIV/AIDS A NA MEI MATI' (HIV/AIDS is not my friend) I'm proud of them and they are enthusiastic and full of questions!

Later that nite Basi Amsio and I were talking and we were discussing AIDS -- he was shocked to learn that you can NOT transmit through wearing the same clothes. I sat with him and a few of the older ladies late into the nite dicussing transmission. I'm grateful for the training as it sparked a lot of converstations and let everyone know it's okay to ask questions.

The next training is in two weeks on latrine buildling and clean water. Hopefully I can implement what I've learned on crowd control! (Or I'll take a valuim beforehand!)

Back to Blogging

Wow - so my last post was in November! Where has the time gone!

I'll start off with a quick update from the last few months.

December:

1. Headed back from Thanksgiving in the city to find our generator had broken. It has not been fixed - and probably won't for a really long time. No power at nite now. I read and write by candlelight!

2. I got the cutest puppy for Christmas! Her name is Pepper - Ms. Pepree if your Alcun. She's pretty tough - and lets the kids know she's not messing around! She is afraid of the river.

3. I came down with giardia (again) and heat stroke. This prompted a rescue mission by my friends to come and get me and take me back to the city. Where I was nursed back to health. I got skinny! While I was laying in misery I sang to myself...

'Hello Giardia my old friend
you have come to visit me again'
'To and from the latrine I go
will I make it I don't know'

'Hello Giardia my old friend
you have come to visit me again'
'You make one heck of a weight lose plan
my stomach cringes and my legs are weak'
'Giardia please go away this week!'

4. Rachel came for a visit!! It was a fantasitc time - as she spent End of Year here in Suriname and visited Wan Hati for a week. It was great to see her and the village loved her!

5. Don't worry I gained back all of my lost weight over the holidays.

Jan:

1. Rachel's visted ended and it was sad to see her go!

2.Nina and Kevin came in for a two week visit. What a blast we all had. Kevin went hunting, Nina taught some English lessons. We worked at ground together. We headed out to an old rice plantation that was flooded and made 'swamplike' and went caymen hunting!

3. One of Wan Hati's Captians that currently lives in Holland came back to WH for a visit. He is also Moengolina's brother. So many stories on this one - that I will probably revisit this topic often.

And that's the skinny on the last few months.

Currently I'm in to finish up taxes, get some more supplies and see if I can get Pepper spade when in the city. Time is has been fun - Ula and I went to a Carnival Party and danced the nite away. Pepper is loving being with his parents - she barks and his mom feeds her. (Like mother like son, I just have to mention that I'm slightly hungry, or could start to think about what I want for dinner -- boom there's food infront of me!) Pepper is getting fat and is really happy!

Backing it up to the last few weeks at site....

It's been rainy season here - and ground has been full of toko toko (mud). This does make it good for pulling weeds though! Mongoelina and I have been out pulling weeds and killing mila (ants). We finished planting all the bannana trees and she has informed me that the corner 'over there...see there? That is for you!' There is a section of ground in the area that she planted last year that is cleared out. She is letting me have it to plant with it what I will. Of course she will help. (she better!) I decided that it's going to be peanuts and watermelon! The top two favorite things for me to eat at site. I have to admit I'm pretty excited about this!

Kids are all doing well. Gabbie is growing like a weed! She is forming sentences now in English and continues to be my sidekick at site. It's not uncommon for her to be singing to Pepper outside my door waiting for me to wake up from a nap. She feeds Pepper when I'm away, but has told me that 'Pepper a no bun - she bali pey u gwe'. Pepper barks constantly when I'm not at the house or if I leave her on the chain. Gabbie is not a fan of the barking dog.

Jenni has taking to waving good morning and good nite to me from her window. She uses both of her little 2 yr old hands -shakes them and shakes them screaming 'Moriya...MORIYA ooo wakie!' Adorable.

There was a Broko Day about three weeks ago. Unfortunately it rained and our generator is out of commission. But it was interesting to see how the ceromony is performed. It is a celebration held 6 weeks after a person has died. The body is put in the 'dead house' and the village goes to mourn and pay respects. On Broko Day it's an all day and all nite party. Drinking, dancing and celebrating in the honor of the one who has past. I lasted until around 2:00am then had to head home and put myself to sleep.

I have a new English student that comes for private lessons. She doesn't want the kids to see her and make fun of her. She is 25 and is not able to read or write in Dutch or Alcun. We have been learning the ABC's and singing easy songs to help with memorization. I love this challenge and am so excited each time she comes! She tries hard and is really motived to learn!

The water pump is an issue. CDFS helped construct the pump, and they have since gone caba (no longer in business). I'm finding it hard to get someone to come and acess what we need to do to fix the pump - I've heard that since there are batteries involved that haven't been used in over two years- that we will need new ones. These alone could cost upward of $5,000 US. I continue to try to get this figured out!

In March we will begin proposal writing and looking to begin work on starting the market! Now I am still laying the foundation - getting an idea of how much materials are going to cost, how much labor (if Wan Hati wants to do all or if we need outside help) how to get all materials to Wan Hati. I also am inquiring about getting lessons in basic bookkeeping and general business skills set up in a workshop format ...so anyone in the village can come and learn more about credit, bookkeeping...inventory - etc. There are a few Surinamese Women's Groups that come into villages and give presentations in the native tongue. This I think is a definate must!

There is so much more, but as always my time on the computer is running short. I hope all of you are well - and I'll be posting more soon!

xoxox

You are my Pikin and I am your Wan Hati Mom

It's been hard work in Wan Hati lately. The head of the women's organization visted my house and asked me why I never come and sit with her. I felt awful and said I would visit tomorrow. That next morning I heard 'Wakie, Mariah wakie!' she was outside my window holding her machete and hoe.

We went to ground together.

Ground - it takes a good walk to get to ground, as it's in the middle of the bush. Ground is massive Sa Mongoeanla's is 4 acres. Each family get's a 'plot' if you will...some close together some a good distance down the trail.

I thought how hard can this be - Sa Mongoeanla is 76 yrs old. I will be able to keep up. That lady is amazing - I've never seen anything like it! (Mom she is to me - you're Ruby Homequest) She had me bending, squating, pulling, carrying, digging. They only tools they use at ground are a machete and a hoe. ALL DAY LONG. We worked until 5:30 that evening. I walked back to my house swaggering like Captian Jack Sparrow. I stopped by Basi Amiso to say good evening - he slapped his leg laughing -- you BLACKA Mariah, you blacka!!! You one of us! (I was cover in mud, sweat and a few new battle scars.) A bath in the river and I fell fast asleep.

We go together everyday now - I've adjusted to the heat and the intense phyical labor. I've also learned to keep an eye on where Sa Mongoeanla puts things ;) sometimes as we work, she leaves the bag of ginger here, the hoe there....the machete. You get the point. She and I make a good team and I'm learning so much from her out there in ground. We share stories about our family, the history of Wan Hati...the things that we have in the states. She tells me to call her moma - and it's an honor to do so..

The kids are back in school now so I don't see them as much as I did before. Now it's nightime or the weekends when they visit. (I go to ground on Saturday) Sunday I have taken-up going to the church. I don't understand fully what's being said, but I enjoy singing along with everyone. And doing this helps me intergreate into the community.

Since I don't see the kids as often I have started two youth groups. One ages 7-11 and the other 12-16. We'll see how long they remain seperate as the kids have to work hard during their free time. But I am hoping to teach English and Life Skills (hiv/aids, working together, conflict resolution...etc) as well as use them as a tool to start cleaning Wan Hati. I think the first project I will interduce when I go back tomorrow is composting. WE ALL CAN BENEFIT frm composting and this is something that you can do in your apartment, house...anywhere. It's great for the enviroment and I definitely encourage you all to look into it. If you can get the kids interested and motived to learn something it's the key to getting to the adults.

I've learned some really cool things lately...if your ankle or wrist cramps up, you can rub the juice of an orange on it and it will relieve the pain. I've finally learned to clean fish! I've learned to 'clean' tire, ginger, kasaba. The women at ground eat watermelon not just because it's delisious but also to rehydrate themsleves because there is such a lack of clean water. (I've also learned to eat watermelon like a native...slurp, suck, then bite)

Bringing up lack of clean water - one of the bigger projects I'm doing is helping to get the pump fixed. They have a pump in WH that takes from the river and stores in Durotanks -- then when you turn the spiket on, boom water. This doesn't mean there will be running water in houses, but accessable water from the spicket outside and around the village.

The village is revved up and very motivated to build a market. I'm doing research and starting the motions to get the market materials priced out. Also figure out the land area and who will be the key players on the 'board'. It's interesting the way things are working so far....I offered my idea on where I thought the market should be located and the reply 'we love what you love'.

So we're keeping it busy in the WH.

Unfortunately we haven't been playing a lot of slogball. I think I'll try to get that back in motion. I really liked playing!! (but not sure how much energy I'll have for it after my all day long ground time!)

I feel I'm really ineregreating as just the day before I left I got a knock on the door. There was a lady standing there with a really sick baby. The baby was struggling to breathe. It looked to me like a bad case of ashma. She asked me what to do. (I had no idea!) I referenced a book, and it seems it could be ashma or bronchisitc. We descided to take the baby up river three villages to where a missionary nurse stays. The baby had bronchitis and was treated and is I'm sure just fine now.

Things are moving right along at site, and I'm enjoying my time and really working hard! Not even that big tralancula that visits at nite scares me anymore!

Hope all of you are well and I look forward to letters!:) Next post I'll show you some pictures, I forgot my camera this go around.

xoxoxo - mk