PCPF has begun planning for our reunion for July 4, 5, 6, 2008.

We proposed the reunion in the last issue of El Bochinche. More than sixty people expressed interest in such a reunion. Many expressed a preference for a U.S. summer date.

Sarah Schmidt and Bud Keith met with the Panamanian Embassy staff in January to discuss the Reunion. They agreed on tentative dates of July 4, 5 and 6, 2008, which are a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We would arrive on Thursday, July 3rd.

We will plan the 2008 Panama Reunion to the desires and schedules of the greatest number of former Peace Corps Panama volunteers, staff and their family and friends. We assume that our members will want to spend time either before or after the official reunion to return to your sites or visit other parts of Panama.

PCPF will be sending out and publishing on our website a more detailed proposal with a draft schedule of activities.

Send us your ideas and stay tuned and get ready to help plan this blockbuster!

Third-year Peace Corps Volunteer Bryan Richardson coordinates the Ngabe Coffee School, a partnership between indigenous coffee producer cooperatives and leading producers of Panama's high-quality specialty coffees.

During his first two years of service, Bryan taught coffee producers about sustainable organic agriculture techniques and began developing contacts outside of the region with the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama.

The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology (FAST) is having its annual meeting in Panama March 1-4. There will be about 100 people coming from 20 different countries.

The meeting will focus on international development – environmental sustainability, economic development, public health and excellence in education. There will be workshops on marine conservation and on forensics and human rights. The meeting is at El Panama Hotel (Thurs-Sat) and the Gamboa Rainforest Resort (Sunday).

FAST thought that Peace Corps Panama alumni might be interested in participating. The regular registration fee is $400, but they will let us in for $250, which is the group rate for people working in low- and middle-income countries.

If you have any questions, phone Eric Howard, FAST Executive Director, at 314-0060 x 235 (his temporary office at ANCON) or by email at ehoward[AT]FulbrightAcademy.org.

Rio Hato, Cocle
Volunteer: Jacobo L. Slusser Project: Agro-Forestry Seminar

Facilitate an agro-forestry system and pruning seminar that I held for ten resource poor farmers I work with in my community. I currently am serving in El Limon de Anton, Coclé, which is about and hour and a half from Panama City.

I basically assist farmers interested in reforestation, to implement their own native hardwood plantation on each of their farms. This is a project in collaboration with Peace Corps Panama and an NGO called PRORENA (Proyecto de Reforestación con Especies Nativas, a collaboration between the Yale School of Forestry and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute).

The farmers really enjoyed the experience of viewing the potential of their own farms by increased diversity with agricultural food crops mixed in with certain native hardwood trees. Furthermore, the seminar demonstrated the pruning technique to apply the trees they have planted, which is imperative for their returns on this agribusiness investment.

Thank you once again and if anyone back State-side is ever here in Panama, I’d be more than willing to extend an invitation to visit this project and my site.

Bonga Centro, Panama
Volunteer: Samantha Bartling
Project: Build a rancho for a girl scout troop and women´s group.

We are going to use donated land and timber to build the rancho. We needed the funds for penca (and hauling), junta food costs, and the cost of cutting the wood ($25 per day). Some of the wood will go towards benches for the pre-K class (sponsored through MEDUCA). Right now the class uses a saloon in the school, but have no chairs or work space.

Community of El Cortezo, Los Santos
Volunteer: Jenny Biggs
Project: Seminar to teach how to build Lorena Stoves.

This stove is made of materials from the campo that the people can make themselves once they know how. It is a stove that is much more fuel efficient, therefore, there will be less trees cut down for wood. Also, with this stove, there is a chimney that allows the smoke to escape above the person cooking rather than it blowing into the face of the one who is cooking with the traditional pot above rocks and a fire that fills the lungs of many people with smoke.

Native Future is a unique non-profit organization founded by Panama RPCVs in 2003.

Native Future’s mission is to protect marginalized indigenous cultures and to help them conserve the ecosystems in which they live.

Native Future has worked principally with the Wounaan indigenous people of Panama to gain control over their lands, their livelihoods, and their future. Current projects assist communities with land tenure, leadership and educational opportunities.

What's the scoop on your long lost Panama buddies?

On our Alumni Corner on the PCPF website you'll find out first hand news (not just bochinche) about where people are and what they're up to...

Got some new to share? Email Valerie at valwhitingpcpfyahoo.com.

This electronic El Bochinche has news on:

• Franny White, Malena de Mariato, Veraguas, 2004-2006
• Paige Carithers-Flores, Tortí, Panama Este, 1998-2000
• Jeff Luoma, Llano Grande de Anton, Coclé, 1992-1994
• Jason Cochran, Llano Grande de Ocú, Herrera, 1997-2000
• Jaime Moses, Guanico Abajo de Tonosí, Los Santos, 1999-2001
• B.J. Ritchie, El Cacao de Capira, Panamá, 1991 - 1993

Peace Corps Panama implemented a Regional Leader system that enhances Volunteer support, site development and agency relations.

• Regional Leaders are outstanding third-year or high-performing second-year Volunteers who ideally serve for a period of one year and are selected by the Country Director to act as a liaison between Peace Corps and partner organizations in each region
• Regional Leaders play a primary role in Volunteer support as a mentor and by helping to make sure Volunteers have the resources and contacts they need to be productive.
• Regional Leaders are also members of the Site Development Team and support the Associate Peace Corps Directors (APCDs) in identifying and developing sites and placing Volunteers.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, the Peace Corps Writers will collect and publish a book “Letters Home for Peace Corps”.

Letters and emails to family and friends are treasured documents that we must save. They offer a valuable insight into the experience we all shared. This book will preserve our stories — as expressed in our own words — for posterity. Visit the Peace Corps Writers website to share your stories for posterity.