Project Update

Well, it's been about a month now since I embarked on this crazy race to build 31 stoves.  In typical Guatemalan fashion, things are moving at a snail's pace.  Really, I should have known that of course this would happen, but call me crazy, even after 2 years of being here I somehow thought that I would be further along by now.

Mainly, I am being held up by the mayor's office.  Turns out, getting him to agree to give me money was easy, it's actually getting the money that is a challenge.  About a week after he initially agreed to give me the money and signed the solicitud, I went back to find out when I could expect to get the money.  His response was something along the lines of, "oh....right.  I agreed to that?  We should check with the treasurer to see if we have that much money."  So, off to see the treasurer who assured me that they do have them money, but to get it I would need to submit more paperwork. 

So, for the past two weeks I've been making daily trips to the muni to get paperwork done and signed by the appropriate people.   Every time I think I have jumped through the final hoop, something new pops up.  But now I am directly negotiating with the treasurer, which I think is a good sign, as he is the one with the money.

On the good news side, I am very close to reaching my fundraising goal!  I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of family, friends, and strangers.  Thank you so much to all who have donated!

What keeps me going

Cunen Crime Blotter

Last week as I was sitting in our monthly all health center meeting, helicopters flew overhead.  Immediately, we all stopped listening to the presentation and started whispering amongst ourselves as to what could possibly be going on.  Then, my sitemate texted me that the park was swarming with police, a significant turn of events because our town kicked out all the the police a few years back.  What could possibly be going on? 

Turns out....

In the  days before this, a man (we'll call him Juan) from one of the outlying villages had been arrested (depending on who you ask, for either illegal lumber trade, drug trafficking, or as a result of a land dispute).  This particular village is well known in the area for being, well...  kinda crazy.  So, naturally, their response upon finding out that one of their people had been arrested was to kidnap 3 police officers and hold them hostage, demanding that Juan be set free.  The police weren't too pleased that their fellow officers were being held hostage, so they mounted a rescue expedition involving hundreds of police and soldiers and the helicopter.  In the end, the 3 policemen were liberated and Juan remains in jail.     

The 3 policemen following their liberation. I'm guessing they didn't have their guns handy

when they were kidnapped (photo courtesy of Prensa Libre)

Article online: http://www.prensalibre.com/quiche/Policias-continuan-retenidos-aldea-Cunen_0_646135479.html



One Mayor, Two Gringas: A Love Triangle

Today, Kate (my awesome sitemate who is making me look bad by building the 84 stoves) went to visit the mayor. He asked her to be his first lady.

Kate with some fancy towel art at a not fancy hotel in Xela

I'm pretty offended.  I really thought we had something special.

Happy Valentine's Day (Dia del Carino) from Guatemala!

A Visit to the Mayor and Good News Finally!

Yesterday, I went to the mayor's office to formally introduce myself and my work here, and of course to beg and plead for him to give money to my project.

The municipal palace where the mayor's office is located

As I said, this was my first FORMAL meeting with the mayor.  You see, Kate, Nicole and I accidentally ended up going to his inauguration dance, and I accidentally ended up dancing with him.  So, even though we had never formally been introduced in a professional setting, we actually go way back...all the way back to Jan. 15.

 With coworkers after a different town dance that we accidentally went to...notice the socks with flip flops look I was rocking...

When I first walked into his office, he had the first reaction most men have when meeting me--he started trying out his English on me.  And flirting with me and making mildly inappropriate comments (he informed me that he is single).  I decided that the best approach would be to flatter him, so I shamelessly flirted back.  I needed the money!!!

Sample of the conversation:
Mayor:  Tengo derecho de una gringa. (I have the right to an American girl)
Me:  Tiene derecho, o tiene ganas?  (Do you have a right, or do you just want one?)

Finally, we got down to business.  I gave him the solicitud (official petition for funds) and explained the project.  His response?  Why are you only doing 31 stoves?  Kate is doing 84! 

Luckily, he approved us for the entire amount we asked for!  Since the municipality is 6 million quetzales in debt, I was really worried that he would not approve our solicitud, or only give us a portion of the money we asked for. The project is now 70% funded, with the mayor providing 40%, the community providing 30%, and the rest in the process of being raised from my lovely family and wonderful friends.   So, this is a huge weight off my shoulders! 

What the finished product will look like!

Donate Now! (Via Check)

Don't want to donate online? 

Want to make a tax deductible donation?

Send your check to:

Friends of Guatemala

PO Box 33018

Washington, DC 20033

And, write "Melissa Amyx Cat II" in the memo line.

Making jelly with the ladies receiving stoves

 Help this cutie breathe easier!

A new stove will mean that Santa no longer has to cook over on open fire!

Donate Now! (Online)

Donations can now be processed via PayPal!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YXQE3JT2BYJX4

For those who already have a Paypal account, just click on the link, enter a donation amount, click update total, and then log into your Paypal account.

If you do not currently have a Paypal account, you may donate via mail, or set up an account and then follow the previous instructions.

Thank you for all who donate! It is going towards a great cause!

When I visit many of the families, I can barely stand to be in the kitchen more than a few seconds because the smoke is so bad.  They are in them most of the day, every day.

31 Stoves in 90 Days

Well, alot has changed in the eleven days since my last post. Due to decisions made by Peace Corps, my time left in Guatemala has been reduced from 5 and a half months to less than 2.  Less than TWO!  Two months to scramble to finish my work in Cunen.  Two months to say goodbye to the friends I've made.  Two months to make post-Peace Corps plans.  And, most importantly, two months to finish the infrastructure projects I have been working towards since I arrived in Cunen in July 2010.

To back up a bit, my work here (the Healthy Homes project) has two phases. Phase 1: health education and training of health promotors. Phase 2: the building of infrastructure. In my case, I was planning to build a mix of stoves, letrines, cement floors, and water deposits, with a total of 56 projects. However, because I now have less time to work with, my counterpart and I have decided to scale back the project to 31 stoves for the families that I have been working with the longest.  And, I will be staying in my site an extra month after I am officially done with Peace Corps to make sure that the projects are a success and are not rushed.

Why stoves?  Most of the women I work with cook over open fires.  The smoke generated by the burning wood causes eye problems and respiratory problems, especially in the children of the family.  The stoves we will be building will improve the health of all members of the family by reducing the amount of smoke in the home.  Additionally, the health education that the women will be receiving throughout the course of the project will hopefully lead to overall healthier homes and families.

So, 31 stoves in 90 days?  It's going to be a crazy ride to the finish, for sure!

Feeding a big family without a stove to cook on

Women's group in Tzanabaj--planting veggies to cook on their new stoves!