La Vaina June-July 2002 - page 3

Central America Immersed in Poverty

Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur

Date: 03/27/2002

Managua (dpa) - Ten years after civil conflict and natural disasters battered the region, Central America is struggling today as more than half of its 31 million inhabitants live in poverty. The latest Human Development Index report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) shows that five of the six Central American nations rate very poorly in areas such as life expectancy, education and per capita income. Of the 162 countries included in the human development index, only Costa Rica, in position number 41, is ranked as a nation with "high human development''. The list is headed by Norway, Australia and Canada. Worsening the dilemma, a series of natural disasters -earthquakes, hurricanes and droughts - has hit Central America in recent years. In addition to the tragic loss of life, thousands of people were left facing starvation and awaiting an economic boom that has not showed up. Hurricane Mitch, which struck Central America in late 1998, killed 26,000 people and left a swathe of destruction and losses of millions of dollars. Experts say that this natural calamity alone set back the development of Nicaragua and Honduras by 30 years. On the list, Panama is in position number 52 and El Salvador in 95th place, Nicaragua in position 106, Honduras in 107th and Guatemala in 108th spot. The rest of the countries on the list are in Africa and the Middle East, where poverty reaches dramatic proportions.

According to experts, Central America's backwardness is a direct consequence of low cultural levels due to a lack of access to basic education for a great majority of citizens, particularly in rural and indigenous communities. Levels of illiteracy in Central America are quite high: 35 per cent in Guatemala, 33 per cent in Nicaragua, 28 per cent in Honduras and El Salvador. In terms of being able to read and write, citizens in Costa Rica and Panama fare a bit better - illiteracy in those two countries is of six and 10 per cent respectively. Panama and Costa Rica also have the highest per capita yearly incomes in the region, of 6,528 and 5,969 dollars. These rates are however, much lower than, for example, Chile's per capita income of more than 9,000 dollars. At the tail end are Guatemala with 3,682 dollars, El Salvador, 2,610 dollars and Honduras, with a per capita income of 1,977 dollars per year. Nicaragua has the lowest rate, with an average yearly income for each of its citizens of 1,837 dollars and with a monthly average wage fixed at 31 dollars.

With its nearly five million inhabitants, Nicaragua is one of the world's nine countries described by UNDP as "marginalized'' in its Technological Advance Index, followed by Pakistan, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal,

Tanzania, Sudan and Mozambique. Costa Rica, on the other hand, is considered to be one of 19 "potential

leaders'' in technological progress, and El Salvador and Honduras are among 26 countries which are "dynamic followers''. The two great leaders of technology advances, according to the UNDP, are Finland and the United States.

Central American governments have tried, so far to no great avail, to promote regional integration to boost their access to international markets and permit greater funding for agriculture and animal husbandry, the two main economic activities. The region is also labouring under a heavy burden of foreign debt, which three years ago was already at nearly 18 billion dollars. Non-government groups say economic reform programmes in the region have led to a sharp drop in social spending and a rise in basic service rates, which has sparked the closure of many firms and compounded high unemployment. More than half of Nicaragua's population and a more than a third of Honduras' population don't have jobs.

dpa ve pe am mm AP-NY-03-27-02 2051EST

Received by NewsEdge Insight: 03/27/2002 20:51:17

Games para “Chi”-quillos

Snog’s Jewels 8-25 players

Form a big circle and pick one volunteer to stand in the center. Place 3 balls, socks, stuffed animals, fruits, or whatever at the feet of the volunteer.

Name the volunteer “Snog,” protector of his jewels (or the group’s favorite animal protecting her babies—CEE version). Everyone else is a thief (predator), who will attempt to steal the 3 objects.

Tell the circle of thieves to give you a thumbs-up. Once they show you their thumbs, tell them to place that thumb up behind their back.

The key to the game is that not everyone can attempt to steal the jewels at the same time. As game leader, you’ll walk around the outside of the circle touching the thumbs of those who can then—and only then—attempt to steal. Only those whose thumbs you touch may move; there is no faking out the Snog. Those who attempt to steal without first having their thumbs touched are “dead” and must sit down.

The Snog protects herself by tagging those who attempt to steal the jewels. If she is successful in tagging a thief before he returns to his place in the circle, the thief dies and must sit down.

After you touch someone’s thumb, they have only the time until you round the circle to make his attempt. If you come upon him again and he has not attempted to steal, tap him on their shoulder to signal his death and have him sit down.

Snog wins if everyone else dies while he still has at least one jewel. Snog loses if the thieves steal all her jewels.

The game works best if you pick only a few kids at a time to start, gradually touching more and more thumbs. The CEE lesson in this game is demonstrating how some animals hunt in packs with a few individuals offering a distraction, while others go in for the kill.

Bottom line—this one will keep kids entertained for a long time or a few rounds can be a quick energy fixer for small seminar groups.

—Games Girl Griswold

The Big Enchilada —Kara Griswold

Hey, so how many of you secretly thought that Panamanian food would be like Mexican food? Admit it, you expected quesadillas and nachos. When your host mom first asked you if you liked tortillas, you were expecting melted cheese and salsa inside a thin Ortega soft-taco shell, not the thick fried corn patty, am I right??? Your disappointment grew when you realized that Panama City lacks even a good Mexican restaurant. And the disappointment turned to anger as you found yourself explaining in your Spanish class the definition of pena to mean what Bennigans should feel calling those lemon-lime sugar drinks “margaritas.”

Pero, no se preocupen nada más. I found hope in El Changarro, a little Mexican restaurant in Panama City. All that bitter disappointment faded away with my first sip of sopa de tortilla. ¡Sabrosa!

An ambitious walk or short cab ride away from the office to the San Francisco area of Panama City, El Changarro is a quaint little Mexican restaurant complete with cut tissue paper banners and mariachi music. The menu serves a standard fare of nachos, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and quesadillas in a $4-6 price range (and the servings are much bigger than that skimpy La Mexicanita #2 place). The selection is pretty good, but the day I ate there, they were out of both the horchata and the salsa verde. Luckily, the sopa de tortilla and the chilequiles with the salsa roja were exactly what I spent my first 11 months in Panama dreaming about.

At lunch, I didn’t get a chance to probar the margaritas, so consider this article an open invitation to anyone who wants to eat some delicious food and taste test the tequila at El Changarro.

El Changarro
Calle 71, San Francisco
Tel 226-6448

A big thanks to Marilú for introducing me to one of her favorite restaurants.

EDITOR’s NOTE: The following are all the announcements for vaina june-july

La Isla

Habra una vez una isla, en la que vivan todos los sentimientos y valores del hombre.

El Buen Humor, la Trizteza, la Sabiduria...como tambien todos los demas incluso el Amor.

Un dia se anuncio a los sentimientos que la isla estaba por hundirse.

Entonces todos preparaban sus barcos y partieron. Unicamente el amor quedo esperando solo, hasta el ultimo momento.

Cuando la isla estuve a punta de hundirse, el amor decidio pedir ayuda.

La Riqueza paso cerca del Amor en una barca lujosisima y el Amor dijo:

“Riqueza, me puedes llevar contigo?”

“No puedo porque tengo mucho oro y plata dentro de mi barca y no hay lugar para ti.”

Entonces el Amor decidio pedirle al Orgullo que estaba pasando en una magnifica barca,

“Orgullo, te ruego, Puedes llevarme contigo?”

“No puedo llevarte Amor, respondio el Orgullo: Aqui todo es perfecto podrias arriunar mi barca.”

Entonces el amor dijo a la Tristeza que se estaba acercando:

“Tristeza, te lo pido, dejame ir contigo.”

“Oh Amor,” respondio la tristeza, “Estoy tan triste que necesito estar sola.”

Luego el buen humor paso frente al Amor, pero estaba tan contento que no sentio que lo estaban llamando.

De repente una voz dijo: “Ven Amor, te llevo conmigo.”

Era un viejo el que lo habra llamando.

El Amor se sientio tan contento y lleno de gozo que se olvido de preguntar el nombre al viejo.

Cuando llego a tierra firme el viejo se fue.

El Amor se dio cuenta de cuanto le delia y le pregunto al Saber:

“Saber puedes decirme quien me ayudo?”

“Ha sido el tiempo,” respondio el Saber.

“El tiempo?” se pregunto el Amor, “Porque sera que el Tiempo me ha ayudado?”

El Saber, lleno de Sabiduria respondio: “Porque solo el Tiempo es capaz de comprender cual importante es el Amor en la vida.”

Apoyo de Sr. Erubey

El Sr. Erubey Calvo estará apoyandonos por unos dias en todo
lo concerniente a las computadoras, mientras el Sr. Edgardo Alvarado
esté en el programa de la migración.  Les pedimos que
cualquier servicio que necesiten del Sr. Calvo, lo hagan llenando el
formulario que se usa para el mismo.  Agradeceria que  los dejen
en mi bandeja que está a un costado de la puerta de entrada de mi
oficina.   Luego lo
discutiré y coordinaré con el Sr. Calvo el momento para
efectuar los servicios solicitados.  Favor tomar en cuenta que el Sr.
Calvo solamente laborará durante las mañanas de 8:00 a
12:00.   Les avisaremos si la coordinación de las
funciones del Sr. Calvo será a través la Srta. Greta
Méndez, Directora Administrativa, quien esta en estos momentos de
vacaciones o si la continua el suscrito.

Telefonos
Publicos

If a pay phone does not  work, please call 882-2228 (no charge) to report that.

You may ask for Ingeniero Rigoberto Muñoz-VP of Customer Service for pay
phones.

Please avoid knowing about a pay phone that doesn't work and not 
being proactive about getting it fixed.

Thanks...
Janice

Homemade Mineral
Blocks

Use as a supplement for livestock animals, especially during
the summer months.  (Includes cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, goats,
etc.)

Ø    50%  miel de cana (or jugo de cana boiled down some)

Ø    25%  pulidura de maiz

Ø     10% cement (yes as in construction type)

Ø     10% urea  (ground up if possible)
Ø     5% salt  (you might add a little more salt to get them accustomed to licking the blocks)

I recommend a 10 or 20 lb block.

Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet put the
blocks in a form and set in the sun to dry.

When setting them out for the animals, place them close to
fresh water (if possible) and in a place somewhat protected from the
elements and the animals (so they don't step on
them).

El Mural

Al frente del salon de conferencias
se a pegado el plano que corresponde a las remodelaciones que se estan
haciendo en la oficina.

Además hay un plano que tiene
las medidas de cada oficina.

En cuando tenga el programa
actualizado de cuando nos estaremos reubicando sera puesto en el mismo
mural al igual que las fechas de entrenamiento y de
migración.

Si tienen alguna pregunta o inquietud
estoy a sus ordenes.

chaoooo.....Edgardo

Dear Volunteers and Staff:

Due to many comments from our volunteers about difficulties
in getting access to the out of site voice mail, please be noted that we
have checked with our switchboard engineer Mr. Mondoliz, and he
informed us that this voice mail system (out of site box, emergency box,
general voice mail, staff extensions, etc.) can only be accessed from
digital touchtone phones.  If the person is calling from a pulse
phone (not digital one) the direct access to the options will not be
possible, when this happens the person has to wait until the system
transfers the call to the operator or the guard.  When calling
from a pulse phone, the out of site messages, general messages, etc. 
must be left with the operator or the guard.

Regards,

Itza

Ecuador’s PSN seeks Support…

Currently, the Peer Support Network in Ecuador is working
on its development and trying to discover new ways to get ourmselves out
there to our fellow peers and have our services used.  We are aware that PSN exists in
other countries where Peace Corps operates and are hoping to get more
information on how they function.

We are currently working on evaluations on the usage of our
services, and an information binder that includes the more recurring
issues we as PCVs deal with.

Since we are just starting out, we are looking for
effective measures to enhance our services and provide the support we
think would be beneficial to our peers.  We are currently looking for things such as training
and resource materials, reference materials, etc.

Thank you for the support.  All emails can be forwarded to:

Kimberly Northup, PCV
Ecuador

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