| LA VAINA
From The Editors It´s the holiday edition of the Vaina this month, and it looks like most of you took the opportunity to take a holiday on submitting. Shame on you all. We´re starting to feel like the VAC here. Everybody has an opinion on something. Why not commit them to zeros and ones and e-mail them to us. Then everybody can know what you think or feel, or what´s happening in your little corner of this sometimes beautiful sometimes scary little country of ours. But enough sermonizing. Thank you to those who did submit. Goodbye to the greatest submitter this side of Jaime Potts, Will Woodfield. Oh yeah, goodbye to the Frat group and Wendy Wick as well. You will all be missed. But remember, Where you´ve been is good and gone, all you keep is getting there. This is the penultimate issue for this Vaina staff. Our time has come to pass on to the greener pastures of mom and dad´s couch. The next Vaina staff will be Mark Muse, Anne Bivins, Jessie Flynn, and Keith Hourihan (possibly misspelled). Congratulations. You know not what you have done. Pero Bueno... De La Jefa Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanza! Happy Holidays!, Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo y lo que sea May all of you enjoy the time with your family and friends here in Panama or wherever you will be. Know that your work is valued, is important to us and to your community members. I am glad all of you said yes to your assignment in Panama. - Big thanks to the VAC for a super AVC. - The Peace Corps world is waiting to hear the final word on Gaddi Vazquez who is in the nominating/approval processfor the Director’s job. - Thefts…. This seems to be the season for thefts and Peace Corps has had its full share. PCVs and staff. Please take additional care with your valuables. Everyone at a Peace Corps sponsored event/location has the right to use a locked room to store valuables. The problem is we usually don’t have individual rooms for everyone’s valuables. - Bienvenidos to the final 2001 group and Hasta Pronto to the COSing last 1999 group. - Peace Corps/Panama got approved for some great Center funded activities. More about those in the coming months. - Safety and security continue to loom large in the Peace Corps world. I thank you for good decisions to remain safe, healthy and secure while working with your communities. As holidays approach more and more pickpockets and thefts will occur. In this issue of the Vaina you will see a recap of the Log in, Unauthorized leave.etc. I think the authors of the Vaina did a great job of summarizing it. If in doubt, let us know. - SPA and Partnership clarifications—these must be signed off by me at least 6 months before your COS date. I think it was understood to submit it to our office 6 months ahead. Sorry. - Vacations and Holidays…. Many rumors abound. The real deal is that I must sign your vacation form 3 weeks before the first date of your vacation. We will now make copies of your approved vacation form and put it in your mail folder. You can always get a copy of your vacation forms from Itza. You only get Panamanian Holidays as holidays. I apologize that we have not given you copies before. A list of the holidays for 2001 is in this Vaina. - A big thanks to Edgardo who has pushed me to get the last of the excess property PCs from the Dept. of Defense. Edgardo then assembles good computers from the parts. (Very few of these come with all the working parts). He is then parceling them out to you. These computers can not be donated to your community. They must be returned so another Peace Corps Volunteer can use it. - We are in the final revision of the EAP. (What is that???) Emergency Action Plan. Colin Cain has helped a lot. - Many questions have surfaced about Janice …Who is the next Panama director? Do you get to voice your opinion on the next director? Who selects the next director? My 60 months ends in early July 2002. Historically there has been little to no input in the next director by the current director. Very often, the old director never has met the new director. Usually there is no time together in the country. This position has not been advertised yet. It should go on the Peace Corps web page in the new year. Recently there were 170 applications for about 15 jobs worldwide. Since I became the director there has been a huge change in the selection process. As I learn what is going on I will communicate that to you. - Very shortly we will be launching the Peace Corps Panama virtual office. All the forms you dreamed of and more. A super calendar of all the events. James Schreiber is the MAN for this. He has done an outstanding job of getting this up and running. - Remembering your reasons for coming to the Peace Corps I encourage all of you to spend some thinking about what you can do for with your communities in the coming months that you have put off doing. Don’t wait. Aprovechar el tiempo.
CED NEWS Dear Volunteers: I hope that you are doing great and things are looking good as we approach the end of yet another year and this holiday season! Okay now, we have November under our belt, December is in the works and the new year just around the corner. Before getting too far ahead, I would like to share with you some perspectives from recent work in our sector: This past couple of months have been busy full of visits to some of your sites, productive dialogue over the most recent I.S.T. group and personal meetings, positive feedback regarding the development of our sector, some SPA and partnership fund action and important changes in our CED office to help you keep on top of your 1/4 reports and vacation requests. A big thanks for all your efforts and cooperation to make all of this work better, it is truly appreciated. Some more feedback would appreciate on all of these activities, as I feel it is your work that drives our program. Please feel free to call or contact the appropriate staff or volunteer with your feedback, suggestions and views. Again, we will miss the outgoing PCV’s who have done a great job in Panama and made a difference in so many ways, suerte y p’alante. An official welcome goes out to our new CED-PCV’s: Sarah, Carleena, Michelle, Philip, Sam and Jamie. Congratulations and good job! I will be seeing you soon at your sites. Also, I will continue with site visits this month up until the holiday season is upon us and in the first week of the new year as my work schedule will take a big change for a few weeks. For the near future, there will be a focus on setting things up so you can be supported in your work as I will be attending the APCD workshop in Honduras and Overseas Staff Training in Washington D.C. These are Peace Corps events I have been invited to attend and hope to come back with good information to further help our program. Our country director, staff, new PCV-Coordinator Tom Langehaug, and our CED intern, Nataly, will all be available to provide support as needed. Please contact me ASAP for any items or issues we may need to address before my trip. For now, the CED guide has been issued to all of you, as well as some essential community assessment tools and work plan samples. In regards to your community assessments, the goal is to have as best as possible documented one for your site by our CED sector meeting in March 2002. Then, you can use that information in your effort to assist your communities move into analyzing the information you collected together and using it in the overall community planning process which includes formulating a strategic agenda and monitoring/evaluation tools. At our sector conference, we will be able to address the results and the work that went into it. Tentatively it is set to follow the I.S.T. for March, I will let you know very soon. For now, this is the most up to date information, best as always, Enoc. Schedule for December 2001-Feb 2002 December: 5, 6 PCV site visits, January: Jan 21-February 15 Washington D.C (OST), Feb 19-22 vacation, back in office 25 th.Permaculture News by Joe In talking to PC Washington, the CENTER thought that changing our name from Agroforestry to Permaculture made sense. So from now on lets try remembering to use Permaculture as our title and marketing it within our communities and with collaborating agencies. I still need to inform the key players in PC Washington about the name change to make it official. I received a response from PC Washington regarding the project evaluation dates and new dates for the Permaculture Seminar (i.e. All Agroforestry PCVs meeting). The Project evaluation will be held from April 14th -30th. The evaluators were not available for March. The Permaculture seminar has been rescheduled for April 25 and 26, to be held possibly in Boquete. The evaluators (1 person from PC Washington CENTER and 1 APCD from the region) liked the idea of having the seminar towards the end of the evaluation to be able to talk to all PCVs in Permaculture and to be able to present the findings of the evaluation. I hope these dates work as we will not be changing them unless PC Washington changes the dates of the evaluation. Kate and Anne will be checking out the availability in Boquete for the April 25th and 26. Thanks for all of you that helped in preparing the Project Status Report and work on the Project Plan. We receive unofficial kudos from the CENTER on the good work that went into the PSR. Also thanks to those that have been calling or emailing your monthly movements for authorized leave. I haven’t heard from all of you yet though...so please remember to contact me with your schedules for December and January if you have that. It is easier to give me your monthly schedules and then call in the changes than to call each time you are out of your site. As a reminder...only approved vacation and the 4 personal days are considered authorized already and do not need to be called into the APCD (just let someone in your community know where you are). Any other travel out of your work/site area needs to be authorized by the APCD ahead of time. If it is a last miniute day trip, you can call Maria Elena. All overnight trips out of your site need to be called into the out of site box. You need to call the duty officer, in addition to the APCD, for any travel to Panama City. Thanks for your cooperation on this issue..it isn’t easy for any of us but it is a necessary precaution for security. I will be on vacation from December 21- January 12th. Please take that into consideration when contacting me with your out of site plans. Sara Alger will also be on vacation December 22- January 3rd. During my vacation you can can contact Maria Elena, Franklin, or Janice. So far we have only 4 of the 9 trainees coming in January. There is still a month to go before they arrive so PC Wash. still has time to fill the 9 slots before Jan. 15th. If we receive less than the 9, I will first fill the sites where we will be replacing PCVs as priority (i.e. Sara Archbald, Lisa, Julia). Depending on the trainees Spanish level, I will then give priority to Ngabe sites. Those sites scheduled for January that may not get a PCV will be highest priority for May 2002. I had a meeting with 2 beekeepers that are willing to do beekeeping workshops. I am attempting to get one on the Farmer to Farmer program. Both have worked in Chiriqui often. I plan on working with Bruce to coordinate this workshop (possibly for July). Those interested in beekeeping please let Bruce know of your (and community partner) availability for early July. Reminder that any CENTER requests for funding of workshops need to be emailed to Janice by January 10th. Remember that I will be leaving on Dec. 21 so if you want my input on the proposal have it done by Dec. 20th (I’ll be in the office on the 20th). IF approved, the funds would be available to be spent late April-end of Sept. 2002. The next CENTER deadline is May 10th but the funds would be available for a shorter window of time (August-Sept. 30th). Triple C is interested in working more closely with Peace Corps. Thanks to those PCVs working informally with them , a good relationship has been established. They have funds for workshops and for publishing/reprinting materials (i.e. the Farm Planning manual and possibly the Pastos manual). Those working in Triple C‘s area, please contact them and seehow your community can benefit. We will be preparing an official Letter of Cooperation/Understanding with Triple C for all of Peace Corps Panama (they work in Env. Ed., health sanitation infrastructure, ag., small business/loans, community organization, community assessments). Trainee Volunteer weekend visit- Will be held Feb. 1-3. I will pass the following names of PCVs that had interest in receiving a trainee to Francisco: Noelia, Bruce, Anne, Jessie, Dave, Braden, Sara Archbald, Hiedi, Demi, Kate, Kelly, John, Rob, Julia. Reminder to those interested in helping on the community assessment session for trainees on Jan. 26th (Saturday) please contact Raul ahead of time. Thanks for all your hard work and cooperation. Enjoy! Joe Torres December schedule: Dec. 3-7 Bocas del Toro site selection with Dave, Dec. 10 office, Dec.21-Jan.12 vacation. Community Environmental Education Article by Raisa Hello Ladies and Gentlemen: Welcome to our newest group of Volunteers! Bienvenidos to the PC family. May this last year’s holidays bring happiness and good humor to your life and may the new year bring lots of good things for your personal and professional life. Good luck for those leaving us, good re-entry to the US. Thanks to all for your good work. A 1982 UNESCO definition of environmental education says: "The purpose of environmental education is to aide citizens in becoming environmentally knowledgeable and, above all, skilled and dedicated citizens who are willing to work individually and collectively, toward achieving and/or maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between quality of life and quality of the environment." New CEE Volunteer Coordinator: Welcome to Dennis Eimer who will tackle this job for the next eight months. Please contact him for technical and moral support, site research and any other programmatic or personal issue you need. Thanks to Rachel Chertok who did an excellent job during her time as partial-time CEE PCV Coordinator. EE: Coastal Resources Management trend: Meghan and Sera will be coordinating a follow-up seminar next February and March. We are hoping to conduct two regional workshops for community members, educators, agency members; one in Las Lajas, Chiriquí and the other in Colón. Please contact us if you are willing to help in the organization process. EE: Protected areas trend: Our next protected areas groups will come on May/Sept. 2002. Those of you interested to help in the programming of the protected area trend, please contact me. Panama Verde news: Please join and help support the program with your experience and resourcefulness, and your good will. Thanks in advance. EE publications: We have some reading materials available to all at the resource center: - Global Issues on-line Resources, compendium of web-sites by the Embassy’s Information System unit - Resources for Mobilizing Funding for Development Projects: a small grants program put together by the World Bank and the International Youth Foundation - Un Día de Aventura en el Bosque by the GTZ/ANAM/Grupo Aprender con la Naturaleza - 4-H Clubs packet of information put together by the University of Illinois Extension - CEE files CEE meeting: was held at CEDESO last November 19th, for half a day. Four main discussion groups came out with good recommendations for programmatic and training issues: marine, protected areas, indigenous and general environmental education. Dennis will be putting all the information together and hopefully sending it out to everyone. Thanks to all the participants who put so much energy and motivation during the meeting. The recommendations were great and will be used soon. COSers: you have your COS conference from January 10-12 at Posada del Cerro La Vieja, in Coclé. To get there, take a chiva from Penonomé’s central market, that goes to Chiguirí Arriba. It will leave you right in front of the Posada, about 40-60 minutes later. CEE newsletter: Dennis Eimer is the person to contact if you have any news, promising practices to share, success stories, or any other information you want to share with your colleagues from the CEE world. Schedule: Please remember that my office hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM. Any of you with sites recommendations please feel free to contact me; thanks in advance. I will be taking my vacation time in December. See you all in January and enjoy a safe and happy holiday season whether in Panama or back home! Please remember to call the office whenever you will spend a night out of your site. Please take care and be safe. Saludos, Raisa
*New* Environmental Health Sector By: APCD Greg "Goyo" Branch Howdy Ho!!! Saludos to you all out there in the campo, on the bus, on the latrine, in the hostel, or wherever you may be reading this latest edition of La Vaina. Right off the bat (Panamanian appropriate analogy), let me just say it was a great pleasure to get to know many of you during the last AVC and IST. I was impressed by the diversity of volunteers here and all the different projects and activities that many of you are doing out there. Peace Corps Panama is doing some great things and it re-affirmed my perspective that Peace Corps in general is a positive organization and its accomplishments are unique. The exchange that goes on by living in these communities is irreplaceable. So live it up out there, soak it all in, laugh at all that is absurd and offensive, and lay your head in the sweet arms of campo tranquility when all but the roosters have gone to bed. Cause take it from me, the RPCV, that even though I have one of the very few jobs available in this world to retouch the PCV experience, it just ain’t the same. You get to live with the same people you are helping, and witness the changes, however slight, if only in their attitude toward interacting with you. Release yourself from needing to "get something accomplished or done" while you serve. As someone once told me when I was in training that I never forgot….. "IF YOU ARE GOING TO WORK IN DEVELOPMENT, YOU HAVE TO BE IN LOVE WITH THE PROCESS" …. That’s my two centavos… There is a little confusion about my name. Let me clarify for the record. I HAVE TWO NAMES…double agent Greg "Goyo" Branch (government appropriate analogy). You can call me either one you like. I was almost exclusively known as "Goyo" during the last 3 and a half years as a Volunteer. Because of all my birth-record documents involved in getting a new job, I became re-known as what my parents deemed appropriate, "Gregory" which quickly became "Greg". So, now having gotten past a challenging identity crisis, I now have found the Yin within the Yang. Please call me Hanz. HA. Just kidding. Call me Greg or Goyo, I am both. Kinda like buy one get one free. I’m a blue light special in the K-mart mega-store of generic personalities. Assembled in the sweatshops of El Salvador. Okay time to include a little tech to give substance and purpose to this article. During the last IST, the third week of November, I was asked to give sessions in two different areas. They were Community Analysis and Composting Latrines. I will start here with the latter, for there seemed to be more passion and interest for that topic. So, without further pupu…………… El Mundo de La Letrina Abonera Let me start by saying that I have yet to meet a PCV here that uses a latrine and actually enjoys it. I will look you in the eye and tell ya that I not only liked my Composting Latrine, I loved it !!. Here is why………
So, Why aren’t they here?… a History… The composting latrine is a fairly new concept for Latin America, but not for the world. The first peoples to begin using human excreta to make compost more than 2,000 years ago where the Chinese. And I thought the invention of gunpowder was a big deal..wow.. In fact, since 1956, 90% of all human excreta produced in China is being collected and used as fertilizer. That’s a lot of caca, considering the population. Estimates of more than 300 million tons a year (Dorozynski 1975), representing one-third of all fertilizers. Moving on, in the late 1950’s the Vietnamese started campaigning composting latrines in their country. They deserve credit for the design which is being used in the Americas today. In 1978, the Composting Vietnamese Latrine was introduced to Guatemala by CEMAT (Centro Mesoamericano de Estudios sobre Tecnologia Apropriada). Making a few changes in seat design, to adapt to Latin Culture, they started small and it caught on like a match thrown into a haystack (campo appropriate analogy). These latrines have since spread to Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. What about Panama? Upon my private investigations through PCVs, NGOs, and GOs, I found the answer from Probeza rural. They did a pilot project of twenty or so in Verges at the request of the Ministry of Health. From the words of Ing. Fredricko Seas "la gente no gustaron ni usaron". Hence, he did not recommend any further implementation of these latrines. Should the southern migration of these beauties be stopped??? NO!! This is where Peace Corps can flex its muscle of sustainability and throw that match. How?.. Let me share with you my own little PCV story… (for those of you still reading)…. Once upon at time… way back in 1998, I arrived at my site to find that a project of 40 Latrines where brought in by UNICEF in 1994 or so. They came, they saw, they dropped off all the material, the thought they kicked ass. Well only about 5 families had actually built them, and none of them were taught how to use them properly. Doing some house visits, I found the materials used in all kinds of creative ways. Rock-hard bags of aged cement where used as seats. The planchas where washboards. The concrete blocks where stacked to pen pigs, inside the house. Nobody was into it. Ahh, Goyo, they would say, "we just go in the ocean". Or one kid told me, "usamos una bolsita" "Una Bolsa?" I inquired.. "Si, y en la noche mi mami hace el nudo y tira en el agua". Sure enough, that evening against the deep blue twilight, her silhouette tossing the weighted bag into my swimming hole that I share with her children. Another explained, over there in the bushes sirve, because the dogs and the pigs eat it. "And you eat the pig?" I asked. I remembered my 9th grade Biology class of food chain posters and visualized the lineage, human-shit-pig-human… "We are not in Kansas anymore, Dorthory," I told myself. So, I started with those very few people that seem willing to try something new. We built them composting latrines, and got them using it right. Neighbors came and noted that they don’t smell and where private. Then six months later came the clencher. The first abono cosecha took place and people lit up. Before long I had a list of 50 genuinely interested families. Funding… hmmm maybe I asked too much for along came Hurricane Mitch and millions of dollars in AID followed it. We got our latrines and fewer poop-footed flies were landing on our food. Anyway, that small case study was how it started for me. Visiting extended family from afuera would visit houses in my site, and come over askin’ ,"where can we get one of those. Some PCVs reported that farmers were actually buying the compost from non-farming families. Even more incentive to build one and use it right. So, I am convinced that these latrines are the best thing since toilet paper (EH appropriate analogy). Speaking of toilet paper, I have seen another problem down here that we didn’t have in Salvador. This whole wiping Vaina. Panamanians wiping with their hands??? Or using that as an excuse to use the river and be washers? THE SOLUTION… smell the sweet aroma of cross-sectorial PCV activity happening here. Small-business PCVs join our cause!! In El Salvador, anybody could walk into cualquier tienda and buy four old newspapers for a dime. Everybody used them. Myself included on occasion for lack of anything else. Does anyone know what they do with the old news around here??? January’s first Environmental Health PCVs!! For those of you that haven’t heard, PC Panama is receiving 16 trainees in January. 7 trainees in Environmental Health program to train with 9 in the Agroforestry program. Now, for the first time that anyone can remember my group is all-male. Me and my boys are going to have some fun and get a lot of good work done in the process. So, watch for us working our way out to the Comarca Ngabe-Bugle. We will be leavin’ a trail of latrines and good water, filling our pockets with trash from the ground. Here is where they are going to be working and living, come April. Many many thanks to the PCVs that have clued me onto these communities…. 1) Coclecito, Bocas del Toro .. Gracias a Dave and Allison Pyle
That about wraps it up. So, if you want to join the latrine bandwagon, come get the plans and process packet from me in my office. There has been talk of a PCV consiguir-ing the material, and me taking a weekend and do the actual building. Once, we set up one of these, I would like to invite any interested PCVs to come and learn and we can build it as a group, do you all learn. Bring someone from your community, that may be interested. I am excited to get this ball rolling!! Chao for now……..TRAINING NEWS With great pleasure, we announce that the new Volunteers travel today, December 3 rd to their future home for two years. Following, you will see the list of Volunteers, including sites, Corregimiento, District and Province:CEE Program Karlyn Langjahr - Cambutal, Guanico, Tonosí, Los
Santos AG Program Justin Mortensen - Ailigandi, Kuna Yala CED Program Michelle Yu - Chumical, Chumical, Las Minas, Herrera Coming up Training main events: January 14 Trainees Arrive 15 Trainees in the office 19-19 Retreat in Rio Congo February March 6-8 PDM (CEDESO – Groups 01-01 & 01-02) 11-11 Site Visit 22-22 ISTs (CEDESO – Groups 01-03 & 01-01) Curandera´s Notes In the Medical office we have notice that HPV infection in increasing among PCVs. Here is information about this Virus and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us anytime. Also, there is a statement of one of our infected PCVs that I’m sure you will read and hopefully learn from. GENITAL WARTS Genital warts are painless bumps in the genital area that are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). I probably the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. There are over seventy types of human papillomavirus, and most people have at least one type. In general, the types that cause hand warts are different from those that cause foot warts, which in turn are different from those that cause genital warts. The different strains generally stay in the area where they cause infection; for example, the hand wart virus is not usually transmitted to the genitals. Genital or anal warts, therefore, are almost always transmitted sexually, that is, a person acquires anal or a genital wart by having contact with the anal or genital area of a person whom is infected with the virus. Less than 1% of people who are infected with HPV will develop symptoms. For those who do, the visible symptom is the external genital wart or warts, which look like the warts one might have on the hand; they are usually flesh colored or a little bit darker, and they are harder than the surrounding tissue. They can be raised or flat. The raised warts tend to have a cauliflowerlike appearance when looked at closely. Could be single or in-groups and may grow together to form larger warts. They do not hurt unless scratched or picked at, in which case they can become irritated. In about 20% of people they itch, and in 20% they disappear on their own. A very small percentage of the millions of women infected with HPV develops cervical cancer. A yearly Pap smear and pelvic examination will usually detect the changes that the warts virus can cause on the cervix and that may lead to cervical cancer, while any cancer is in the early, treatable, and curable stages. There can be a long lag time between infection and the development of visible warts. The usual interval between infection and the first appearance of symptoms is thirty to ninety days, but it may be years. Warts viruses may be dormant and cause no symptoms over a person’s lifetime, or they may produce symptoms months or years after first exposure. Once a person has been infected with the warts virus, it is unclear whether or not the virus will go away. When the warts recur, it is usually the same virus reactivating, not a reinfection. In the past most researchers felt this was unlikely, but it may be that in some people the virus eventually disappears. As the technology for detecting the quiet (dormant) virus improves, this question may be more accurately answered. One factor that has been linked to frequent recurrences in people with intact immune systems is stress; cigarette smoking has also been linked to frequent recurrences. One study showed that women who smoke are four times as likely as non-smoking women to develop visible warts are. This finding probably applies to men as well. A lack of folate (folic acid) is another apparent cause of frequent recurrences. Folate can be obtained by eating green, leafy vegetables or by taking a multivitamin daily. Some studies have hinted at the role of antioxidants such as Vit. A, C and E and beta-carotene in helping to prevent cancer, including cervical cancer due to HPV. Studies have also shown that these nutrients may offer better protection if they are obtained through the diet rather than from a supplement. Another way in which the virus can be transmitted is from mother to child. Infants can become infected in the womb (possibly through the amniotic fluid) or through contact with the virus at delivery. However, infection via these routes is very rare, especially given how common the virus is. Having the HPV virus does not prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, nor does it increase her risk of a miscarriage or premature labor. However, the virus sometimes becomes moreactive during pregnancy. If extensive warts are present at delivery, a cesarean section may be recommended. No test is available in clinical practice to screen a person for the virus that causes wars. A technique used in research studies (PCR) detects the genetic material of the virus, but it is not routinely available and is very expensive. It is not even clear at this time if a negative test would definitively mean that a person is not infected with the warts virus. One of the treatments of warts is to freeze them with liquid nitrogen. A procedure called a colposcopy is sometimes performed to look for evidence of warts. This exam is dome to look for evidence of warts on the cervix of a woman who has had an abnormal Pap smear. The goal of treatment is getting rid of the visible wars, since as yet there is no way to get rid of the virus once infection has taken place. Hello fellow PCVs. I never thought that I would ever submit an article like the one you are about to read, but I would appreciate it if you would take a minute out of your day to read on. Actually I figured I wouldnít discuss this issue with anyone here in the Peace Corps. But I believe it’s extremely important to address the subject of STDs, and get the word out, so here goes... As you all heard during Willy´s presentation at this year´s AVC, the risk of transmitting STDs is increasing everyday. All of us have sat through Willy´s explicit charla about STDs, and I´ll be the first to admit I probably didn´t pay much attention during his training session, and thought very little of the risk of STDs after leaving that session. I thought even less of STDs after I had been in a monogamous relationship for an extended period of time. But when I received a call from our PCMO, Lourdes, after my second annual gynecological visit, I knew something was wrong. She had called to inform me that my Pap smear results came up positive for the sexual transmitted disease, HPB. To say that I was surprised, confused, devastated, whatever is an understatement. Confused because I thought that STDs were something that only promiscuous, dirty people got, and devastated because during my time in the Peace Corps I had only one (LET ME REPEAT THAT: ONE!!!) partner who I loved and trusted, and seemed like a normal, nice person. But unfortunately love and trust really didn´t have much to do with my STD. You see HPV is a STD that many times isn’t noticeable on women, and even less on males. It doesn’t hurt, itch, burn, NOTHING!!! Only in it’s more progressive stages does one have visible warts. So what is my message here? It’s the following: STDs are NOT just for those type of bad, dirty people. Personally, I am a relatively well-respected PCV, have had only one partner, and have even given charlas on Sexual Education including the importance of using condoms, and the threat of STDs and AIDs. What I mean is that you probably wouldn´t ever guess that I have a STD. But I do. And it definitely wasn’t even something I imagined would be on my list of accomplishments after Peace Corps. But the reality is that I will take this STD home with me, and it will be something I will have to live the rest of my life with. And although I went through a cryosurgery, which enabled my body to shed the wart-infected areas, I will always carry the HPV virus. This is something I worry about constantly. Not only because I worry about the horrible complications that this STD can have including cervical cancer, but equally important how I´m going to explain my condition to future sexual partners. Will they think of me as I thought of others with such STDs? Time will only tell. But you know what, it could have been worse. It could have been the HIV virus. Think about that for a while. It could have just as easily been the HIV virus, which we all know isn´t as manageable as the HPB virus. And with Panama with the third highest number of HIV carrier cases in Central America, I feel pretty lucky that I have a relatively controllable STD. I guess it was God´s way of giving me a hint. So please, please, think twice about how you’re protecting yourself during sex. I know that many people don’t prefer to use condoms, but it’s just not worth it. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way. I truly hope you don´t. DENGUE NEWS In this last month, there has been a raise in Clasical Dengue cases all over the country. This is related to rainy season. What is concerning is that there has been 7 cases of Hemorrhagic Dengue Fever. Three in Arraijan, one in Chorrera, one in San Miguelito, one in Tocumen area and last one in Panama Metro (City). Please help your communities to cover the water they collect from the rain, not to leave garbage out of place, to be carefull with any car tires or containers left outdoors that could turn to be a breeding place for mosquito Aedes Aegypti. In the way your community is more aware of this problem, helps you to be safer.
Preguntas Frecuentes sobre el Antrax ¿Qué es el ántrax? El ántrax es una enfermedad infecciosa aguda causada por la bacteria que se llama Bacillus anthraci que forma esporas. El ántrax ocurre con mayor frecuencia en los vertebrados menores, silvestres y domésticos (ganado vacuno, ovejas, chivos, camellos, antílopes, y otros herbívoros), pero también puede ocurrir en seres humanos cuando tienen contacto con los animales infectados o el tejido de animales infectados. ¿Por qué hay mucho interés sobre el ántrax en la actualidad? Debido a que el ántrax es considerado un agente que puede ser usado en una guerra biológica, el Departamento de Defensa (DoD) ha empezado el proceso obligatorio de vacunar a todo el personal militar activado que pudiera verse involucrado en combate. ¿Es común el ántrax y quién puede contraerlo? El ántrax es más común en regiones agrícolas donde los animales tienen la enfermedad. Estas regiones incluyen Sudamérica, Centroamérica, Europa del sur y del este, Asia, África, el Caribe y el Oriente Medio. Cuando el ántrax afecta a los seres humanos, es normalmente por causa de exposición ocupacional a los animales infectados o sus productos. Los trabajadores que están expuestos a los animales muertos y a los productos de otros países donde el ántrax es más común, podrían resultar contaminados con B. anthracis (ántrax industrial). En los Estados Unidos se han registrado casos de ántrax en ganado salvaje. En Panamá nunca se ha reportado un caso de ántrax. ¿Cómo se transmite el ántrax? La infección de ántrax puede ocurrir en tres formas: cutánea (piel), por inhalación, y gastrointestinal. Las esporas de B. anthracis pueden vivir en la tierra por muchos años, y los seres humanos pueden resultar infectados con ántrax al tocar los productos de animales infectados o por inhalar las esporas de los productos de animales contaminados. El ántrax también puede contraerse al comer carne de animales infectados que no fue suficientemente cocida. Es poco común encontrar animales infectados en los Estados Unidos. ¿Cuáles son los síntomas de ántrax? Los síntomas de la enfermedad dependen de la forma en la que se contrajo, pero normalmente los síntomas se presentan dentro de los primeros 7 días. Cutáneo: La mayoría (casi 95%) de las infecciones de ántrax ocurren cuando la bacteria entra en una lesión o abrasión en la piel, como por ejemplo cuando se toca lana, pieles, cuero u otros productos de pelo de animales infectados (especialmente pelo de chivos). La infección de piel empieza como una protuberancia similar a la de una picada de insecto pero en 1 a 2 días se convierte en una bolsa llena de líquido y después en una úlcera sin dolor, usualmente de 1 a 3 cm. de diámetro, con una característica área negra y necrótica (en el proceso de morir) en el centro. Los ganglios linfáticos en el área adyacente se pueden hinchar. Aproximadamente un 20% de los casos que no reciben tratamiento médico contra el ántrax cutáneo provocarán la muerte. La muerte es poco común si se recibe una terapia antimicrobiana apropiada. Inhalación: Los síntomas al principio pueden confundirse con los de un catarro común. Después de varios días, los síntomas pueden empeorar y convertirse en problemas graves de respiración y shock. El ántrax de inhalación generalmente es fatal. Intestinal: La forma intestinal del ántrax de es el resultado de haber consumido carne contaminada y los síntomas incluyen inflamación severa del tracto intestinal. Los primeros síntomas de nausea, pérdida de apetito, vómito, y fiebre son seguidos por dolor abdominal, vómito de sangre, y diarrea grave. En 25% a 60% de los casos de ántrax intestinal el resultado final es la muerte. ¿Normalmente, dónde se encuentra el ántrax? El ántrax se encuentra por todo el mundo. Es más común en los países en vías de desarrollo o en los países sin programas de salud pública veterinaria. Ciertas regiones del mundo (Sudamérica, Centroamérica, Europa del sur y del este, Asia, África, el Caribe y el Oriente Medio) reportan más ántrax en los animales que en otros países. ¿Puede ser transmitido el ántrax de persona a persona? El riesgo de que el ántrax se contagie de persona a persona es muy poco probable. No tiene que preocuparse de contraer la enfermedad si está a cargo de o si visita a un paciente que tiene el ántrax inhalado. ¿Hay manera de prevenir la infección? En los países donde el ántrax es común y los niveles de vacunación en los animales son bajos, los seres humanos deben evitar el contacto con el ganado y los productos animales así como evitar el comer carne que no ha sido procesada y cocinada adecuadamente. También, existe ya una vacuna aprobada contra el ántrax para usarse en los seres humanos. Se estima que la vacuna es eficaz en 93% de los casos para la protección contra ántrax.¿Qué es la vacuna contra el ántrax? La vacuna contra el ántrax es fabricada y distribuida por BioPort Corporation, Lansing, Michigan. La vacuna es una vacuna filtrada para eliminar las células, lo que significa que en la preparación no se usa bacteria viva ni muerta. El producto final no contiene más de 2.4 mg. de hidróxido de aluminio. Las vacunas de ántrax para animales no deben ser usadas en seres humanos. ¿Quién debe ser vacunado contra el ántrax? El Comité de Consultoría Sobre las Prácticas de Inmunización ha recomendado la vacunación de ántrax para los siguientes grupos: a.. Las personas que trabajan directamente con el organismo en el laboratorio. b.. Las personas que trabajan con pieles de animales importadas en áreas en las que las medidas de seguridad e higiene no son suficientes para prevenir la exposición a las esporas de ántrax. c.. Las personas en áreas con altos incidentes de ántrax que tocan los productos animales que podrían estar infectados. (Son bajos los incidentes en los Estados Unidos, pero los veterinarios que viajan a trabajar en otros países deben pensar en vacunarse). d.. El personal militar enviado a las áreas con alto riesgo de exposición al organismo (cuando se usa como arma en guerra biológica). Puede comunicarse con el Programa de Inmunización de la Vacuna contra el Ántrax de la U.S. Army Surgeon General’s Office al 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222) http://www.anthrax.osd.mil (en inglés). Las mujeres embarazadas sólo deben vacunarse si es absolutamente necesario. ¿Cuál es el itinerario para la vacuna de ántrax? La inmunización consiste de tres inyecciones subcutáneas dadas cada dos semanas, seguidas por tres inyecciones subcutáneas adicionales dadas a 6, 12, y 18 meses. Después, se recomienda la aplicación de inyecciones de refuerzo cada año. ¿Hay reacciones desfavorables a la vacuna de ántrax? Se presentan reacciones locales leves 30% de los vacunados y consisten en poco dolor y enrojecimiento en el lugar de inyección. Las reacciones locales graves son poco frecuentes y consisten en una hinchazón extrema del antebrazo además de la reacción local. Las reacciones del sistema ocurren en menos de 0.2% de los vacunados. ¿Cómo se diagnostica el ántrax? Se diagnostica el ántrax por el aislamiento de B. anthracis de la sangre, lesiones de piel, o las secreciones respiratorias o mediante la medida de anticuerpos específicos en la sangre de las personas posiblemente afectadas. ¿Hay tratamiento para el ántrax? Los doctores pueden recetar antibióticos efectivos. Para ser eficaz, el tratamiento debe comenzar temprano. Si no se atiende, la enfermedad puede ser fatal. ¿Dónde puedo obtener más información sobre una decisión reciente del Departamento de Defensa que requiere que los hombres y mujeres en los servicios armados se vacunen contra el ántrax? El Departamento de Defensa recomienda que el personal militar se comunique con su cadena de mando para cualquier pregunta sobre la vacuna y su distribución. Puede comunicarse con el Programa de Inmunización de la Vacuna de Ántrax de la U.S. Army Surgeon General’s Office al 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222) http://www.anthrax.osd.mil WID/GAD NEWS!!!!!! Anne, Erin, Melissa and Beth Invite You to Join us at Our Next Meeting January 19, 2002 at the Peace Corps office 10 am Committee Meetings 12 Noon Regular Meeting Snacks & Lively Discussion Await!
Going Home for the Holidays??? If so, don’t forget to mention/promover WID/GAD and the opportunities that your family and friends have to help out with the Sponsor-a-Girl scholarship fund. Background information (pictures, tax-deduction, program info….) can be found at: www. geocities/widgad.pa. What else has been going on? - Congratulations to all of you who have girls who received becas for this coming school year!! Good Work! The scholarship committee is planning the camp for the girls as a congratulations and a boost to encourage them to keep up the good work. The camp is being planned for either the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February……stay tuned for more from the committee! - Gerin, Braden, Gina and Aaron tackled the crowded streets of Avenida Central December 1 st, (before the holiday season!!) to sell donated second hand clothing to raise money for the beca program. Good Work!!!!- A few faces have changed in the make-up of WID/GAD officers and the meeting place has changed as well. As we gather to plan what direction we’d like to steer WID/GAD this coming year, we’d like to have lots of input and involvement. If you have any questions…feel free to join us at the next meeting!! There is a new/updated posting of who is involved in WID/GAD with contact info. Have a Happy Holiday Season!! And see you on January 19 th in the office!What is Peer Support Network? We are a volunteer organized and run group whose members are trained in active listening skills and other support techniques. Members are available to listen to trainees and volunteers who need to talk about a problem or just want to talk to someone. All conversations are kept confidential and PSN members are required to sign a statement of confidentiality to be listed above. All members can be contacted by phone and/or pager. Confidentiality Statement: Peer Support Network members will: 1) Keep all conversations in strict confidentiality, except in the case when the volunteer or trainee presents a physical danger to themselves or others; 2) Inform the volunteer or trainee when the above is true and tell them about the obligation to inform the PCMO;
Don’t Go Donuts Hoy vamos a aprender otra lección: · El Imperfecto del Subjuntivo: Este tiempo verbal expresa una acción pasada, presente o futura. Este tiempo corresponde al pretérito perfecto o pretérito y al futuro hipotético. Ejemplo: - Me alegré de que no hablara /se Pretérito - Convendría que vinieras Futuro - ¡Ojalá llegaran! Presente y Futuro - Le han rogado que hablara Pretérito, presente y Futuro El significado temporal depende enteramente de su relación en la oración y de la intención del que habla. Cuando el tiempo expresado por el imperfecto coincide con el que en su lugar expresaría el presente, aumenta el carácter problemático propio del subjuntivo. Entre ¡Ojalá lleguen! (Presente y Futuro) y ¡Ojalá llegaran! (presente y Futuro), no hay más diferencia que la forma verbal del verbo llegar, en el primero es en presente del subjuntivo y en el segundo es en el imperfecto del subjuntivo, pero ambos tienen el mismo significado. Nota: Usted podrá observar que los ejemplos, en su mayoría son formados con el condicional y el imperfecto del subjuntivo. Ésta es una de las formas más comunes en este tiempo. Ejercicios: - Me alegra mucho de que no _____________ (Faltar) hoy. - Preferiría que _______________ (Traer) el cuaderno con los apuntes. - ¡Ojalá ________________! (Regresar) pronto. - Ellos le dijeron a Pedro que ________________ (Comprar) el dulce. -Yo preferiría que las familias _____________ (Tener) experiencia. - A los aspirantes les gustaría que se les ______________ (Enseñar) a bailar durante el Entrenamiento. - Necesitaría que me ______________ (Hacer) el informe para mañana. - Me gustaría que mi sitio ____________ (Estar) muy lejos y, donde no __________ (Haber) tanta gente. - La mamá de Paula, siempre recomendaba a sus hijos, que _______________ (Comer) muchos vegetales y verduras. - Tu madre estuviera contenta, si tú _____________ (Ir) hoy, a visitar a tu padre. Estos son algunos ejemplos, donde usted puede ver, las diferentes formas de usar el imperfecto del subjuntivo.
Tenemos otra lección: Los usos de las preposiciones: A, Con, De, En. · La preposición A: Se usa para expresar: Destino: - Llega a Coclé mañana. - Voy a la clase de Español. Hora: - Empiezo a las ocho de la mañana. Objetivo /Finalidad /Complemento indirecto: - Voy a comprar el pan. - ¿Le has comprado los zapatos a la niña? Complemento directo de persona: - He visto a tu esposo en la cafetería. - ¿Has oído a la presidenta(e) en la radio? · La Preposición Con: Se usa para expresar: Compañía: - Vive con sus padres. Instrumento /Modo: - Lo ha hecho con marcadores y cartulina. - Trabaja con mucho interés. · La Preposición De: Se usa para expresar Posesión: - ¿De quién es este carro? - De mi hermana. Material: - Quiero un pantalón corto. - A mí me gusta el helado de fresa. Origen en el tiempo y el espacio: - Este café es de Veraguas. - La chiva que viene de Cacao, pasa por aquí a las dos de la tarde. - Trabaja de ocho de la mañana a ocho de la noche. Modo: - El abuelo está de buen humor. - ¡Carmen, el bebé se ha puesto de pie! Momento del día de decir las horas: - Son las cinco de la mañana. Datos de una descripción: -La muchacha del sombrero y el hombre de la barba son amigos míos. · La Preposición En: Se usa para expresar: Lugar /Posición: - Lo vi en la mesa. Medio de transporte: - Iré en avión y volveré en barco. Tiempo: - Pedro vino en junio. - En 1945 terminó la Segunda Guerra Mundial. - En el mes de noviembre llueve mucho en la Zona Atlántica. Estos son algunos ejercicios para Ud.: 1. Vivimos ____________ Soná. 2. Me encontré _________ Sarita y Vicente ayer ___________ la tarde. 3. No puedo bañarme __________ cualquier jabón porque soy alérgica. 4. ¿ ______ qué hora abren el banco? 5. ¿Quiero un helado __________ chocolate? 6. Ayer llegué tarde __________ la clase __________ Español. 7. Mis padres vinieron __________ mi casa _________ febrero. 8. Las llaves están ________ el bolsillo __________ mi chaqueta. 9. __________ tanto ruido no se puede trabajar. 10. Yo siempre escribo ______________ pluma negra o roja.
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