• RPCV Dawn Jones, Nance, Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, 1998-2000, reports:

"Having been out of the loop for a while, I felt really sad to receive the below email about the village just beyond Nance de Risco where I lived in my time in the Peace Corps.

A dam project is threatening the Ngobe people along the Changuinola River.  Consider making a donation to Cultural Survival, an organization campaigning to stop the environmental and social destruction the dams would cause. I don't work for Cultural Survival, but am about to go to Panama through them to help the Ngobe threatened by the projects. You can go here to see their campaign: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/programs/panama.cfm."

• RPCVs Mary Lynn McGovern and Rob Gutowski, Panama City, Panama, 1965-1967, report:

• RPCV Charles Stough, Concepción de Jesús, Panamá, 1964-1966, group VI, reports:

"After more than 35 years as a newspaperman, I am back in national service as a VISTA member in Dayton, Ohio. I have recruited and trained more than 60 professional and volunteer counselors of The Benefit Bank, an Internet-driven system that screens low-income people for many benefits and tax credits simultaneously. My wife Alicia, a former Panamanian, and I, are also active in Dayton's busy arts and festivals groups.

"(Note: We say VISTA member, not VISTA volunteer, since the V already says vol.) It's sometimes freaky, meaning I sometimes feel like a freak, to be among all these prom-fresh VISTA kids doing public service as if working church mission chores. For them, the flaming cities, war protests and social turmoil of the 60s and 70s are just PBS episodes.

(Click on cartoon for full-size view)

"I don't know if people remember my old PCV cartoons. The VISTAs are fascinated by those, by the way, mostly because they speak to a vastly different time. I was at 2 days of in-service in Akron a couple of months ago where they told us which fork to use, to shine our shoes and not to complain about anything. Brought back memories of marches on the alcaldia. 'Not complain?' I said. 'I thought we were supposed to be revolutionaries.'

"Cheers, Charley"

Editors' note:  See Charley's cartoons on PCPF website

• RPCV Sara Archbald, El Jacinto, Nurun Distrito, 2000-2002, reports:

"I'm heading to Panama and El Jacinto Saturday for two weeks... sorry I can't afford a second trip this summer for the reunion!"

Sara is currently serving on the Board of Native Future, as their Education Project Coordinator, and encourages everyone to consider giving to their scholarship program: www.nativefuture.org/scholarshipproject.html.

• RPCV Tom Doyle, El Anon (Santiago), Veraguas, 1967-1969, reports:

"Hi all, Can you get this out to all concerned - maybe even PC Washington.

There is a program that gives a laptop to a child in a third world country.  For $400  a person may buy a laptop and also have one sent to a 3rd world child.  
For Information:  www.laptopgiving.org

• RPCV Chris Meyer, Group 51, San Miguel Centro, Cocle, 03-05; and Santa Fe, Darien, 05-06, reports:
  
  Happy new year. Spent most of the month of January down in Panama working on Planting Empowerment. Looks like we will be planting another 10 hectares (25 acres) in June, so I'll probably be around for the reunion. We are also interested in offering a field trip the day after the reunion if people have interest.

This allows them to buy a gasoline-powered motor and build a solar coffee dryer in order to process more coffee and dry coffee faster and more efficiently.  The increased production will be to encourage local growers to grow more. 

•  Pasture and Agroforestry Training

This project is designed to address the needs of small, organic cacao producers in the Bocas del Toro region, of the Republic of Panamá. The project objective is to provide technical and on-hand training to 21 cacao producers in methods of production of cacao, management within an agroforestry system, and organic fertilizers through a series of eight seminars conducted by a local expert Orlando Lozada.  

• Compost Latrines

Alternative forms of human waste management.  The compost latrines will improve the health of participants and surrounding environment, since most of community uses the narrow estuary and sea to leave their waste.  Hopefully, this will provide a new perspective on personal hygiene and possible waste management solutions.

• Irrigation Aqueduct

The project is to build and maintain an irrigation system for the community.  This will provide the PVC tubing and materials for the construction of the mother line of the system.  The community will be use their funds to purchase water rights and cover the fees of the environmental assessment. 

• Village Aqueduct