Wringing Some Community Service

out of Your Classes

Por Reed Palmer

Hi Y’all. I’ve been inspired by Tara Z.’s call out to us a couple of

Vaina issues back to share any ideas/experiences, both good or bad, about work as a PCV here in Panama. So today, I’m off my duff to share an idea with you that’s worked for me. This is especially for those of you who teach English, willingly or not, but could certainly be adapted in any number of creative ways. I taught English during my summers in Agua Fria and like most PCV classes, they were free. When I got to Caldera I figured my English teaching days were behind me, but I figured wrong. It wasn’t too long before people were asking the gringo to teach English classes and the gringo, grudgingly at first, obliged. You see, as a Volunteer Leader, my free time is much more precious (slack as I may measure up to my fellow PCVLs) than it was once upon a summer’s day in Agua Fria. But this isn’t really the point. They wanted to know how much I would charge to teach classes. Nothing, of course. Then I thought again. It really would be nice if they’d pick up those straws, drink boxes, cookie wrappers and what not that they so enjoy watching flutter off after they’ve been tossed from the bus window. If I ask nicely, would they bag it? Maybe, maybe not, so here’s the incentive. In return for English classes, my students come to a clean up organized a day or two before the monthly trash collection. Students who attend the clean up get the next month of English classes for free. Those that don’t come to the clean up owe $1 per person per class. The funds collected go toward buying the trash bags, copies, chicha and goodies for the merienda after the clean up. At our first clean up we had 17 people and we collected 28 black trash bags full of refuse and had the town looking tip top. I was duly impressed. Those that don’t come on trash day generally do pay their dues, though I wouldn’t want to fool you into thinking it’s cien porciento. Nevertheless, maybe we’ve achieved a way to edge in a little environmental consciousness and doing a little community service without them even attending a charla. Suerte.

Campo Miracles: A Washing Machine!!!

Por Jessi Flynn

Do you guys remember the TV show, Junkyard Wars? Well, we recently had a campo version. Goal: a washing machine. Materials: stuff in your site. So here’s the result.

Materials: 5-gallon cubo with a lid with a good seal (new tanks are best)

Strong string (that red or yellow twine for tying up penca roofs for example)

Olla

Stove or fogon

Laundry soap

Water (about 8 gallons or a pluma)

Dirty Clothes

Fill the cubo about 1/3 full of cold water. Throw in dirty clothes. Boil an olla full of water, add to the cubo. Add a few tablespoons of laundry soap. Put lid on, sealing it well.

Cut two long pieces of twine and tie them to a house beam, tree branch, or something strong. Tie the other ends about a foot away on the beam, so they form two loops about waist level.

Text Box: Now place the cubo in the loops on its side, one loop under it near the lid, the other under it near the base of the tank. With the twine supporting the weight of the tank, all you need to do is agitate the water by shaking the cubo. The hot water and soap combine and build pressure inside the cubo (which is why it needs to have a good seal). The pressure pushes the soap into the clothes, and gets them all clean.

After shaking the cubo for a few minutes, put it on the ground and open it up, wring the clothes out and do the first rinse (a half full cubo of clean water works well). The water will still be kind of chocolate colored. Wring clothes out, and rinse once more in clean water. Wring out, and dry your fabulously clean clothes.

Next Junkyard Wars edition: Clothes Wringer. All ideas needed!

Text Box: And a special thanks to Barbara Gulick for introducing the idea of pressure washing to Junkyard Wars, Bocas edition.

Inson Kri and some Ngäbe Questions

Por Megan Kirwan

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Was your nose enhanced by plastic surgery?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Can your blue-eyed brare really see?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Does your friend’s blonde hair grow naturally?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

A meri with one boob, can that truly be?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

How come at 23 you don’t have 5 chi?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Are there Ngäbe in Australia just like me?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Can you see the sabroso sloth up that tree?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Are you and Ian twins or family?

Inson Kri, Inson Kri

Can we call you Meggi, Mechio, Mersi, or all 3?

Or how about just Inson Kri?

Advantages to Awareness

Dear Volunteers,

I hope that you are staying dry, happy, and healthy out there. I didn’t want to write this letter, to be perfectly honest, but I felt that someone had to do it, and that “someone” might as well be me. This letter is about how to stay healthy and how to help the Medical Unit help keep us healthy.

As a volunteer, I expect prompt, excellent care from the medical unit, as can all volunteers. We volunteers have certain rights, as outlined in the Peace Corps Medical Unit Handbook. (Please see “Health Care Rights and Responsibilities,” and look at the part, “You Have a Right:”)

But I also have to remind myself that in becoming a volunteer, I agreed to take all reasonable measures to take care of myself and help the medical unit keep me healthy. I should have known, as a volunteer, that task would be more difficult than had I stayed at home in the States. Nevertheless, I signed some papers and became a volunteer, thereby agreeing to a lot of terms. You can read some of these terms in “Health Care Rights and Responsibilities,” but this time, refer to the part that says, “Your Responsibilities Include:”

Considering what the most common medical issues in Peace Corps Panama are, these are what I personally think to be the Top Ten Most Important Ways to Stay Healthy:

Take your malaria prophylaxis. Religiously
Be responsible and practice moderation when drinking.
Use a condom EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Eat well.
Mind your drinking water.
Bathe regularly with reasonably clean water.
Protect your skin from the bichos—mosquito net, long sleeves and pants, repellant.
Wear a helmet when on a bike and in other select situations.
Have a healthy fear of drowning—and wear your life vest when on vast bodies of water.
Be more cautious in your judgment here than you would have been in the States—medical help may be a little harder to come by here.

It’s not always easy, but when all is said and done, it’s your responsibility.

And above all, please understand that the Medical Officers have their own lives outside of Peace Corps. They sleep, shower, go out to eat, go to movies, relax with friends, and need their “off time” just like the rest of us. Know that the PCMO will always be there for you, but reserve cell-phone and beeper use just for emergencies. There are also some other bits of information that you will find in this same issue of the Vaina, such as the medical unit hours and when and how to contact the PCMOs.

This is MY two cents. This isn’t coming from anyone else. So if you have any comments regarding this letter, please direct them to me.

Thanks,

Yoko

E-mail: Yoko.kusunose@stanfordalumni.org

Cell: 620-7214

Ok, Maybe everybody knows this already . . .

but remove all punctuation and spaces from the following, then spell it backwards--what do you get?

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.

Submitted by

A. Nonymous

Health Care Rights and Responsibilities

Peace Corps Trainees and Volunteers

You have a right:

To receive all necessary medical care in the event of an illness or injury including 24-hour access to health care services and medical evacuation if needed.
To be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity regardless of your race, age, beliefs, gender, physical ability, national origin, or sexual orientation.
To be informed about the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of an illness or injury.
To have your questions and concerns regarding your health care respected and to refuse all or part of your care subject to the conditions imposed by law and Peace Corps policy.
To be informed about the credentials and qualifications of your health care providers.
To be informed about the scope and availability of healthcare services in your country.
To bring a complaint or concern regarding your health care services to the attention of the appropriate Peace Corps officials.
To privacy, security, and medical confidentiality for your health information and records.
To receive health education and information regarding major health problems in the country.

To receive immunizations and malaria prophylaxes according to Peace Corps protocols.

To be informed about your post-service benefits, including the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act program and Corps Care post-service health insurance.

Your responsibilities include:

Reporting all significant health problems to the PCMO.

· Providing complete information to the PCMO about your past medical history

and current health problems to allow

proper evaluation and treatment.

Except in an emergency, obtaining PCMO authorization prior to receiving any medical or dental care.
Complying with all medical policies and practices of the Volunteer Health Program. For example, you must:

Take disease prevention medication as prescribed;
Follow all prescribed therapies and other medical recommendations carefully;
If you choose to be sexually active, engage in responsible and safe sex;
Use a reliable means of birth control;
Keep up to date on your immunizations;
Drink alcohol only moderately, if at all, and avoid drugs;
Sleep with a mosquito net in malarious areas;
Drink safe water and buy and prepare food carefully;

Doing all within your power to assure your own well-being and safety.

For example, you must:

Write a detailed emergency plan for your site;
Wear a helmet when on a bicycle or motorcycle;
Avoid all dangerous areas, especially at dusk and at night.

Swim only in places that are unquestionably safe.

Medical Unit Hours: Someone is always there in the Medical Office Monday through Friday, from 7:00am – 5:00 pm.

ONLY EMERGENCIES WILL BE ATTENDED AFTER OFFICE HOURS.

Appointment Hours:

You can make an appointment Monday through Friday from 8:00am – 4:30 pm.

There is a sign-up sheet at the entrance with specific times to sign up for. You can also call in advance to have your name written in on the list. Please feel free to call, as an appointment can be easily set up.

Note that Medical Unit Hours and Appointment Hours are different. The medical unit folks need that hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon to take care of administrative needs.

When do you call or come to the Medical Office?

Call the Medical Office whenever you have a question about your health. The PCMOs will talk with you and will decide how to manage any problem that you may have. In order to avoid unnecessary traveling, ALWAYS talk to the Medical staff before going into the City.

If you already happen to be in the office for other reasons, you can stop by or call in to set an appointment. Even in the Peace Corps, Medical Offices function like any other medical office—by appointment.

How do you contact the PCMOs?

The PCMOs can usually be contacted at the Peace Corps office, Monday through Friday, between 7:00am and 5:00pm. The number is 269-2100.

If it is after office hours and an EMERGENCY, call the cell phone (671-2547) or the pager (265-5155 outside of the City, 811 inside the City). Leave a message and the number to return the call.

COMPUTER APP.'S

Por MarieWiltz

The application for Peace Corps computers is done! We need to receive it filled out by November 20. Return the completed form to the Computer Corps file in the volunteer lounge or email it to Phil Schlessinger at philjames13@yahoo.com. We will be reviewing the applications during the first week of December.

For volunteers who have requested computers in the past, you will still need to fill this form out to get one.

Since volunteers will be returning and receiving computers on an ongoing basis, Computer Corps will review applications about every two months.

If you have any questions, estamos a la orden (Dennis E., Phil Schlessinger, Jamie Thornberry, and me).

Stories from Ngöbelandia

Por Mechikon Flynn

One day there were a few people on my porch, we were all drinking tea and having a good time, when someone asked how a cut on my leg was. Immediately, one of the men looked into his mug and had a horror stricken look on his face. What? And so ensued an engrossing afternoon in Ngöbe myth telling.

The myth goes: There is a strong energy that exists between a pregnant woman and her husband. There is also an energy that exists with an injured or sick person. Apparently, these energies do not mix well, but only if a cooking fire is involved in the process.

SO, the rule is that neither a pregnant woman, nor her husband can share food or drink from the same fogon (or stove) as a sick person. If they do share a fogon by accident, they must make up for it. For example, if someone is injured, and shares food from the fogon with a pregnant woman or her husband, the couple must both take mouthfuls of water, swish it around in their mouths, spit it into a cup, and give the cup to the sick person. At night, the sick person must boil the water in the cup, and apply it to their injury in order to put the energies back in their places.

Here’s the story on snakebites: Well, today they are rapidly shipped off to a nearby hospital after snakebites, but traditional belief goes

that a person bitten by a snake had a negative energy. This person was whisked away to a room, separated from anyone else, where only an older person who in their own life was also bitten by a snake, could attend to them. If the snake bitten person, while sick, encounters a pregnant woman or her husband, or someone who has recently had sexual relations, they will die.

The infamous cacao ceremony: If you happened to be a Ngöbe person wandering through your bananas and chocolate trees, and thought you saw someone you knew, so you call out to them, maybe pick your pace up to catch up, and it turns out no one is there; or if you happen to see a sloth on the ground during his once a month “nature calls” voyage; or if you see blood on the ground; or if you see a headless bird or any animal still alive, well, you have to have a cocoa ceremony, obviously!

The first step in a cacao ceremony is to go on a pilgrimage to visit a sukia, a special medicine man, one who has supernatural powers. He listens to the situation and gives instructions specific to the case. The family “affected” returns home and makes crosses out of balsa wood, and place two at every footpath entrance to their house. Between the crosses they place part of a termite nest. Around the base of each cross a vine from the jungle is tied (the type depends on the sukia’s advice), and looped into a snare around the termite nest, which is set on fire at dusk. Every night, the family must stay awake all night on vigil of the person “affected.” They drink hot chocolate, but it is pure cacao, basically hot baker’s chocolate. No sugar allowed, pretty bitter. They chant, sing and tell stories and play dominoes. The story goes that the spirit or demon affecting the person will then leave, but can only leave by the footpaths, where it will pass over the vine and be snared, then smoked away by the termite nest smoke. After 4 nights, everything is in balance again with the energies of the spirit world. And the people can go back to drinking their hot chocolate with sugar.

And remember those earthquakes? Ngöbe belief is that after an earthquake, men must bite a machete or large knife, and women must bite small river stones. Why? So they don’t lose their teeth.

Another fun Ngöbe fact: the word for swallows, the bird, is ñökwata, which means skin of the rain, since they fly only while it is raining.

These are all based on my experiences and my community…stories and myths can vary throughout Ngöbelandia.

How To: Be A Superstar Volunteer

By: R. Peligroso

I sit here in my palatial comarca mansion, and I ponder – How does one become a super-star volunteer? I mean, being a spectacular EHer just doesn’t seem to be enough. Too common. Then, as if in a vision, it comes to me.

Answer – diversification. It works for multinational corporations, so why not me?

Then the question becomes –What sector to expand into? Since I know next to nothing about Environmental Ed., and I’m afraid of starting some Westside story-type turf war with the Permees, the obvious arena in which to delve is small business.

So I ask myself – What is it that the Comarca has in abundance, is fantastic, and is just not being taken advantage of? Single girls over 19? No. Snappy red polyester pants? Too small a market. Ngäbe to Spanish translators? I could use one on salary, but not much international him appeal. Yucca? Yucca. Yes. Yucca.

But you can’t just sell plain old yucca in the States. Americans would say, “Sorry, we’ve already got potatoes.” Those scheming senators from Idaho would probably, feeling threatened, throw up some outrageously high tuber import tariff.

As I see it, what we’re looking for here is some sort of genius marketing technique to take the world by storm. Don’t worry. I’ve got it. Here’s the short list:

Yucca Poppers – TGI Fridays style appetizers. Like a carimanola, but stuffed with Pepper jack and jalapenos.

Yucanasia – Sort of a yucca based “death by chocolate”

concept. A dessert treat. Possibly involving yucca-flavored ice cream.

Tube-a-yucca – Tube-

dispensed yucca for today’s

teens on the go. I’m seeing a

Sunny-D style advertising

motif.

Tub-o’-yucca – Great for

Large family gatherings or

company outings. Sold by the

cubo.

Yucca-ale – Like chicha fuerte de yuca. This would compete for the Boone’s, Night Train, Mad Dog dollar. Also available in: Yucca Light, Yucca Draft and, my fave, Yucca Ice.

And all these products to be sold at your local Yuccatorium franchise.

I now officially hand this off to the CED crew to run with. It’s all yours. All I ask is the aforementioned super-star volunteer status, which this idea so obviously deserves. And remember: deep down, there’s a super-star volunteer in all of us. Mine just happens to excel at having others do work for him.

QUOTES

Sam, dude, cruisamos.

Phil S.

What you have is what the Argentinians call an amigovio.

Scott W

Dayne: Bruceification… a state of being.

Bruce: A state somewhere between schizophrenia and paranoia.