It’s time to
say goodbye.
Well, it’s
been time for a while, saying goodbye little by little, slowly extricating
myself from the community in all the ways that I’ve become entangled here. Reflecting on my time here, what we’ve done,
looking toward what I’ll do next. Having
last conversations with people – some whom I’ll miss, other whom I won’t – and
relinquishing every last shred of responsibility for all the projects to their
owners.
The
construction of the aqueducts was entirely completed at the beginning of
July. Finally. There was no pomp and circumstance in their
completion, just relief for me and water for their users. We had our final meetings – tying up loose
ends, collecting information for the final grant closeout report, and mostly
reassuring me that they were ready to handle the operation and management of
the aqueducts. The As-Built Report was
submitted and a copy printed for each Water Committee.
When I gave
Angel his copy, he told me that this document – nicely bound and filled with
all the details about the work we achieved – was the best of all the gifts I
had given him. With this report, he
said, he could now be the next Peace Corps Volunteer of Quebrada Pastor. It was incredibly satisfying to hear. In giving him all the information that went
into the project – the data, calculations, designs, maps, resulting structures,
agreements, construction schedule, final budget – information I had been using
and controlling throughout the process, I had finally turned over the last part
of the project over which I had any influence, my last contribution. With that, he and his water committee became
total owners of their aqueduct. I like
that Angel thinks of himself as the next Peace Corps Volunteer. That was the idea, in the beginning. He is already involved in helping the
neighboring Volunteer with her Environmental Health work, inspiring the leaders
of her community – so he is well on his way.
Also in
July, I repeated the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) surveys that I had
conducted during my first 3 months. I
went to every house in the community – all 116 – in 8 days, and did 84 surveys
(it was exhausting). But it was also
very satisfying, a fitting symmetry to my service, a means of comparison to the
community’s health upon my arrival, and a summary of how Environmental Health
concerns turned out after Quebrada Pastor’s 7 years of Peace Corps Volunteers –
which I hope Peace Corps can use going forward.
I got to see the results of the direct impacts I had, and even some
improvement in places where I didn’t do any work. Finally, people were building their own
latrines without waiting for someone else to do it for them!
I’ve had to
write my own Description of Serve, the official document signed by the Country
Director that explains how I spent my time in Peace Corps, used primarily for
job application but also stored in the Library of Congress (cool!). This is the Summary of Accomplishments on
mine:
1.
Ms. Litofsky designed and implemented 2 new
aqueducts to serve a total of 180 people and trained 2 new water committees and
their users to build, maintain, and manage their new aqueducts.
2.
Ms. Litofsky hosted, organized, and facilitated
the week of Field Technical Training for Trainees during Pre-Service Training,
which included the construction of 5 pit latrines, benefitting 22 people and
training 6 people, and 4 rainwater catchment tanks, benefitting 17 people and
training 5 people, and experience for 11 community counterparts as trainers and
facilitators.
3.
Ms. Litofsky supported the existing school
aqueduct water committee in analyzing technical and management problems with
the aqueduct, training water committee members, and making repairs to the
aqueduct that serves 116 users plus the 300 students at the school.
4.
Ms. Litofsky facilitated community members’
organization of a Project Management and Leadership Conference In-Site to
improve leadership skills of 16 leaders of 5 community organizations.
5.
Ms. Litofsky developed youth leadership by
bringing 5 attendees and 1 co-facilitator from Quebrada Pastor to the Acting
Out Awareness Theater Camp and 1 attendee and 1 co-facilitator to the Sport and
Development Girls Soccer Camp.
6.
Ms. Litofsky assisted the efforts of the
community-run cacao products business Heidy Organic Chocolates to increase
sales, diversify products, and expand the current and potential client base
through promotion, translation, communication with potential clients, and
training events.
Of course,
all of those things were only possible because of the leaders of Quebrada
Pastor, and the relationships my previous Volunteers, Eric and Catherine,
developed working here before me. And
now, as I tell every community member who asks why no follow-up Volunteer is
coming here after me, Quebrada Pastor doesn’t need us anymore. We’ve taught all we can teach about
Environmental Health. Everyone who has
wanted to work with us could. Plenty of
people here can advance Environmental Health development without the help of
Volunteers. Time to move on to
communities with greater needs.
All work
complete, all that is left is to say goodbye.
I’ve been invited to several family goodbye parties, and a final
community-wide farewell is scheduled for August 20. Then (teary-eyed, I’m sure), pack up and
leave August 22, to wrap things up in the office in Panama City before my
flight back to Columbia, Missouri on September 2. And start a new adventure!
Note:
If you have any
suggestions about what that new adventure could be (preferably water resources
engineering related), let me know! I’m
still looking.
Another
note:
I’m going to
have to say goodbye to Hobbes, too.
She’s been a faithful companion, but Panama is her home. She’ll be adopted by Chelsea, my neighboring
Volunteer, who will take amazing care of her.
A few pictures:
A mother sloth
and her baby spotted (by a community member, I still never notice them without
help) while doing WASH surveys.
Anaica’s
birthday party! Classic brownie cake and
the gift – a couple puzzles – enjoyed by all
Volunteer
visit – hosted a new Trainee for a week (like when I visited Michelle, two
whole years ago) – spent a lot of time with Chelsea and her Trainee, doing all
the fun things – like reading Goodnight Moon to Heidy, going on Willy’s
ever-more-perfected cacao tour, etc.
Angel’s
birthday! More brownie cake!
Undu’s
birthday! Best gift of all: a trip
outside the house around the center of town.
Not easy navigating that wheelchair on the rough terrain, but a super
special experience.
Gonna miss
that view.
Angel: the
new Quebrada Pastor Peace Corps Volunteer – now all decked out in the
appropriate uniform (just missing Chacos)!
Good work, Alex. Be proud of the lift that you've given to the communities. Travel safely.
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