Puerco en la Playa

Every 4 months, all volunteers in a region get together for a meeting and, afterwards, a celebration.

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In our case we celebrate on the beautiful beach Las Lajas. This time around our coordinator Erin (a volunteer finishing up her 3^rd year of service) organized roasting a pig in a pit in the sand. It involved a lot of carrying logs for firewood the first night, chopping it up with an ax, digging the pit, building and monitoring the fire all night long, and epic cooking the evening of the following day. Once we exhumed the pig from its fire at 9 pm the second day we decided to debone it and stirfry it to ensure it was cooked all the way.  We dined at 11 pm on pork with BBQ sauce, seasoned salt, and boiled green bananas. It was a good thing to have a way to expend our efforts, but a challenge that I don’t think I’d want to organize myself. Once is enough for a meal that takes more than 30 hours of hard work to prepare.  This isn’t a traditional Panamanian way of cooking things either, so there were a lot of unknowns, but it turned out well.

Erin models a traditional bag

Some volunteers decide to stay on for a third year of service, either continuing with what they were doing in their initial site or doing a different project. Each region of the country has a regional leader. I appreciate the service of those who decide that they just aren’t ready to leave Panamanian food, music, and people behind after 2 years of service. I don’t think I’ll be in that situation, but bless those who do.  It means a lot to have a strong support system and leaders you can trust. Our regional leader and coordinator Erin will be taking off in a few months and this was something of a good-bye party for her.

Erin also organized a meeting with the ministry of health, specifically the department that works in water and sanitation systems (just like us!). The technician for my area happens to be holding a training for members of my larger community in a couple weeks, on June 13. He’ll be talking about how to make repairs to existing water systems as well as dropping off some supplies  for small concrete repairs to aqueducts. I hope to attend this and provide some more lasting follow-up and technical expertise in certain communities near mine. (Though within my exact community, we don’t yet have a water system at all.) I also hope increase my collaboration with the ministry of health (which I haven’t really done so far). Some volunteers choose to work more with Panama’s government agencies and some work nearly entirely with nonprofits.  Increasing collaboration with Panama’s agencies ensures that our work makes a more lasting effect, but the bureaucracy and tight schedules of the employees can be a frustrating challenge. As for me, I’m just starting.