Hello PCV´s:

I already forwarded to Washington all the Activity Abstracts and the Completion Reports submitted during this fiscal year 01 by all the PCVs that were coordinating projects, so that their files can be close.

I still have a couple of projects that were approved under fiscal year 2001 and are still in the process of implementation. Remember you only have one year since the project has been approved in order to complete it.

The following list includes projects in the process of implementation which means you still have pending original invoices and the completion report.

Please obtain the necessary original invoices and receipts in connection with the Completion Report and deliver them to me as soon as possible.

Some proposals were submitted and the following information is needed in order to be resent them to Janice for approval:

Aaron Gilbreath New Classroom A letter from the Regional Director of Ministry of Education approving the school room and the teacher that will be sent.

Amy Cooper Medicinal Plant Information about a market for this.

Greenhouses Also a letter of support from MIDA

Ravi Kumar Creek Ford Make sure you investigate if this

As I mentioned in the previous Vaina, Peace Corps Panama has received an additional amount of money of $15,000.00 to be used for the Fiscal Year 2002 as a response to Janice´s request. As all you know, the PCVs have increased so that it was necessary to have this additional fund in order to cover more SPA projects and give the opportunity to all the Volunteer to apply for it.

Also, our post requested $30,000.00 for funding SPA during the fiscal year 2002.

SPA funds will be used quarterly, which means the first quarter of fiscal year 2002 (october 01, november 01, december 01) we will have available $11, 250.00 for the first proposals submitted. Then next quarter (january 02, february 02, march 02) same amount and the same for the third and fourth quarter 02. That means that whoever comes first get the money first. Also, you will have four opportunities to apply during the year. In that way, I must receive approximately 8 projects per quarter (if all of them request $1,500.00 per project).

Keep on mind that if the amount of money assigned for the first quarter is gone your proposal will go to the next opportunity (next quarter). Good luck.

Once your proposal gets signed by Janice, it goes to Mr. Joslyn Fearon from USAID. Right now the following proposals have been sent for approval:

Julia McGinn Latrines $ 538.23 10/3/01

Jae Junkunc Aqueduct $1,497.69 10/3/01

All PCVs will be receiving by e-mail an electronic copy of the same SPA forms you been completed by hands. So, now you do not have any excuse. You will be able to submit your proposals and reports on time. Just forward them to me and the process will start.

Also I have Peace Corps Partnership Program Project Proposal Cover Sheet

(2 pages) as well as the Quarterly and Final Report Forms. In this way, you can just take your time, fill them out and forward them to me. It is easy, neat and fast.

Dear Volunteers, it is obligatory to use the New Partnership Quarterly and Final Report Forms any time your are going to submit either your quarterly narrative progress report or your final report for the project you are coordinating. Do not forget that your responsibility is to sent me your reports without exception or delay by December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30. Please help me to be on time with the reports for Washington. I believe you can do it.

As a member of GLOBE committee, I visited in conjunction with ANAM, and MEDUC several schools as : Benigno Tomás Argote, Boquete, Chiriquí, Centro Educativo de Progreso Primer Ciclo, IPT de Guabito, Bocas del Toro , Colegio San Marcos, Changuinola, Bocas del Toro and IPT de David, Chiriquí.

The main objective of these visits is to know the status of each school, the equipments they have gotten, and the type of protocols they are implementing, what are the expectations, priorities and obstacles for each school.

This week (October 9 and 10) I will be visiting Herrera and Los Santos schools to get the same kind of information.

After those visits, a meeting will come with ANCON, MEDUC and ANAM to coordinate the seminars to train other teacher that will be part of GLOBE team. The seminar will be to reinforce the teachers that were trained and also to incorporate the new ones that have not been trained. More information about it will be sent ahead of time.

On Thursday october 11, 2001, I will be having a meeting with the Director of Environmental Impact Assessment to get information about the licenses for the PCVs as consultants. I will be passing the information to Joe Torres for further procedures.

Following Janice suggestion, I will be writing some articles about PCVs activities, SPA Projects, Peace Corps Partnership Projects, Workshops, and so on. Those articles will be sent monthly to the Embassy for advertisement. If you have any thing going on, please let me know. If you have pictures, it will be nice.

Do not hesitate to contact me. I will be glad to make your event popular and known.

* The beca applications are in…let the contest begin! A selection committee will choose the final recipients within the next two months and will let you know if your girl was chosen at AVC.

* The Rural Women’s Seminar held in Boquete from Sept. 3-6 was a smashing success! Claire would like to thank all of the volunteers who sent such wonderful and fun-loving participants. Also, a huge congratulations to all of the outstanding volunteers who worked at the seminar. Claire will be "forever indebted" to you all for "impressing" her

with your carino and hard work. And we are all eternally grateful to Claire for her passion for and dedication to W/G issues that inspire us all!

* W/G and other female volunteers participated in a cocktail hour in Panama City with the Mujeres Dinamicas, a group of influential Panamanian and American women. Janice and the volunteers did a presentation on rural women in Panama and the work that Peace Corps does with them. We hope that some of the networking we did over delicious hors’ douvers and free drinks will create some positive results for women in the country and our work with them.

* Finally, a sweet goodbye to our COSing directiva members, Pam and Blaire. You will be missed!

Announcements

But here’s some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know. As everyone always advises, cancel your credit cards immediately, but the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know who to call. Keep those where you can find them easily (having to hunt for them is additional stress you WON’T need at that point)!

File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here’s what is perhaps most important: I never ever thought to do this. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SS#. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this – almost 2 weeks after the theft all the damage had been done (there are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves’ purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert). Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them in their tracks. The numbers are:

Equifax 1-800 525-6285

Experian (formerly TRW) 1-800-301-7195

Trans Union 1-800-680-7289

Social Security Administration also has a fraud line at

1-800-269-0271

We pass along jokes, we pass along just about everything, do think about passing this information along, it could help someone else.

STEP 1: Need a certificate from a veternarian stating that the animal is in good health and shows a record of all vacinations; most important is the rabies vac. Most vets charge $10-15 for each certificate.

A good vet in Panama City is Kurt Menzel. He speaks fluent English and helped me out alot. His office islocated on Calle 74 in San Francisco in the Centro Profesional de Golf building; 1/2 a block from the park. Phone numbers are 226-0548 or 226-6329.

2: Getting the paperwork from the agencies. You can drop off the paperwork and let the system try and work for you (which may take 1-2 weeks); I did everything myself and did it in 1 morning

Need to take the original certificates from the vet (probably should get copies first, just in case) to the Office of Salud for verification of the vet’s signature. Salud is now located in what used to beGorgas Hospital on the base. Need to go to ConsejoTecnico in building 255. Office opens at 8:00, get there early for quick service. You will have to pay$10 for each certificate at the Tesoreria (creditcards not accepted). When you exit building 255, walk to the far end of the next building on the right, go down the steps to an old loading dock. After getting the certificates verified at C.T., go to building 261.Follow the same route as to the Tesoreria, but cross the street–building is directly across. Ask receptionist what to do.

STEP 3: People at Salud will tell you to go to theOffice of Relaciones Exteriores- but most people skip this place and have no problems.

STEP 4: Take paperwork to the Office del Ministerio de Comercio Exterior for a License for Export.

Officeis located in the Plaza Edison in Tumbo Muerto. Take the elevator/stairs on the side closest to the Hostel Voyager and go to the 3rd floor (4th in American terms) and go to the right. There is a table and chairs outside the door where you need to sign in. Go to the Ventanilla–past the secretaries to an alcove on the left. It is $5 for 1 certificate which covers all animals.

Got Phone Problems?

 Know the Consolidation Phrase?

REGARDING the consolidation phrase. All Volunteers/Trainees should have an AM/FM radio at their site that allows them to monitor RPC RADIO that provides public service messages. Peace Corps will use this service to broadcast a message to Volunteers/Trainees regarding the need for movement to a consolidation point. The phrase: "Voluntarios del Cuerpo de Paz favor de presentarse a la reunion regional hoy día" on this public service radio messages is to be taken as a call to consolidation points (Refer to section 18 for RPC RADIO frequencies all over the country)

The Following quiz was sent by Janice. The first four correct sets of responses will be rewarded with lunch with Janice the next time they are in the city. Please send your responses to the Vaina.

Do you have a bag ready?

What are the 4 critical elements?

What is the radio station you suggested?

What could create an emergency situation?

Where is your consolidation point?

Who is your safety coordinator?

Does anyone in your community know to listen for messages for you?

Is your visa up to date?

E-FORUM

Op/Ed por Rainbow

In training we were given the impression that the best kind of volunteer was the kind that gave charlas, not just once in a while, but all the time. Way back when, the seeming majority of volunteers gave charlas, usually going to one another’s sites to expound on any one of a variety of topics: the usuals like nutrition, self esteem, and of course the infamous "How to find your g-spot."

Our training group referred to it as the "Charla Circuit," as in, "Maybe in the verano when I don’t have anything to do in my site I’ll join the Charla Circuit," or, "Please shoot me if I ever join the Charla Circuit." Needless-to-say, we didn’t buy into it, and few volunteers from my group picked up the charla gauntlet. Since then there have been less and less volunteers who dedicate themselves to charlar-ing. And so the question is, is this a natural ebb and flow of interest in charlas, or are they going the way of the dodo? Are charlas an effective means of reaching the people, or are they an excuse to visit a PCV friend? Will P.C. Panama ever reach its former charla glory?

But there are still remnants of that dying breed...William Woodfield, Wendy Wick and Anne Fazioli. Will certainly seems to be throwing his little remaining time in-country behind starting the charla revolution, through his top-flight Charla Corps. Is there still a legacy to be left by the last few oldschool PCV’s? Only time will tell if this transition is oscillatory or unidirectional.

Conservation of biodiversity: rathbun.si.edu/bcn/ issue/latest.cfm

Forestry related information: forests.org

Community based monitoring: www.bsponline.org/ publications

From: sarchbaldPCPF@pocketmail.com (8/21/01)

To: La Vaina PANAMA

Wanting to put the Peace Corps readjustment allowance into perspective:

Amount paid to my son Jake if he simply chooses to move out of his Dupont Circle efficiency apartment in Wash DC within the next two years: $5000.00.

Amount paid to PCV's who have given two years of service to the developing world: $5000.00.

(No, sorry this in not a time tested technique for flirting with 18 year old Panamians.)

The master of the World Map has created a time saving trick that you might want to try if you are thinking of doing a World Map project. After making the outside rectangle of the map, paint the entire area ocean blue instead of going forward with making the grid and drawing the countries, etc.. With a roller ($3-5) you can paint the ocean background in less than a half hour, although you should probably put a few coats on it to build up a smooth base that won’t be affected by later cleaning, etc.. After making your background ocean blue, you can use dryerase markers to draw the grid lines and countries directly on to the ocean. Then, when you paint your countries afterwards, your coastlines will already be done, and you won’t have to spend a day carefully painting the water around your landmasses like I did. Also, drawing with dryerase markers is a bit easier since you can erase recently drawn lines with your finger. The dryerase becomes more difficult to erase when it dries completely and will probably require a mild solvent to remove. But pencil isn’t much easier, since I went through about 10 erasers (the Staedtler kind) and a lot of elbow grease to get rid of the grid lines before painting. Anyway, any questions, please ask Tom, or myself, his humble minion Gerin. Using it, we did one in 4 days, 7x14 feet. Guau!

From: Jessica Lewis, PCV April '99-March 29, 2001

To: La Vaina PANAMA

While serving in Panama I never had anything in La

Vaina, except for a few glorious Vaina Quotes. But

now that I am back here in the States, I have a few

words of advise I would like to pass on to you still

living the good life there in Panama.

READ YOUR NEWSWEEKS!

I know, I know. They get there 2 months late, if at

all. But take it from someone who has experience,

me! Readjustment is an interesting experience, it is

challenging and fun, easy and depressing all rolled

into one incredible experience. One thing that I have

found that has made my readjustment back into American

culture is having read my Newsweeks religiously on

that 1 1/2 hour chiva ride from the post office to my

community (Cocle rules! Cedula 2!).

I cannot count the number of times I have been in a conversation with someone, the subject matter is

something relating to an event that occured between

January 1999 and April 2001 (what would be a dark time

in my life as far as awareness of the world around me

were it not for my Newsweeks), and I have been able to

not have a completely dumbfounded look on my face, but

also be able to even contribute to the conversation,

usually with "oh yeah, I read about that in Newsweek".

For example:

Robert: "Did you see that episode of

Survivor where they ate the rat?"

Jessica: "No, but I read about it in Newsweek."

Christina: "Hey Jessica, I miss not being able to use

Napster for free anymore, don't you? I still don't

understand what the big deal is."

Jessica: "I don't miss it, because I never used it,

but I know what it is, because I read all about it in

Newsweek. I guess the big deal was that the art ists felt they were not getting paid for their music.

Everyone was trading it for free over the internet and the artists weren't getting any of the royalties for the work."

These are just two of many examples I could provide,

but I think I have proven my point. So, en fin, read

your Newsweeks, they may be a few months late, but it

will help you not be 2 years behind when you get

home.

P.S. The USA is a great country and I am happy to be

home, but I miss Panama, my friends, family, and

community very much. Enjoy it while it lasts,

treasure even the toughest moments, speaking from

experience, you'll probably only clearly remember the

really good ones.

From: Anonymous

Subject: IMPORTANT! TOP PRIORITY! READ THIS!

Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2001 15:17:33 -0500

Dear Fellow Volunteers,

If this message does not concern you then please disregard the following, but please be sure and read the whole the thing first. This is an urgent request from one of your fellow PCV's. A situation has arisen, and despite my aversion to group emails, I have deemed this case special enough to warrant the following.

I was recently notified through group email that the cell phone of certain volunteer will be charging on the dates of August 20-23. You see it requires 3 days to get fully charged and he/she wants the maximum charge. And so said volunteer has thoughtfully taken the responsibility of informing us all of this devastating communications obstacle on these dates. I initially assumed that this far reaching and important piece of information would not

affect me, as some of you may or may not know, I am one of the few who can hold off communicating with this particular volunteer up to 4, sometimes 5, days at a time. Yet as we all know things change quickly here in Panama.

Such a change has me stressed out and I find myself in dire need of communicating with said volunteer on his/her cell phone. You see after recieving the 23rd message from Claire about the upcoming women in development seminar (in beautiful Boquete!), I began to really understand what she was saying. Not only will the seminar be good for rural Panamanian women but it will also be FUN. The previous 22 messages did not get this correlation through to me, but now I know, I now know that a seminar can be good and fun.

So now I find myself convinced and I wish to relay this to said volunteer. And so I write to all of you, please find this volunteer and let him/her know, because it must be done on the days of August 20 -23. And , VAC members! I think it would be really dynamite if you guys could put out a survey addressed only to said volunteer but to be filled by all PCV's addressing what we are to do to get ahold of him/her when his/her phone is charging. Also, I formally request that the Peer Support Network be put on maximum sensitivity when these excrutiating 3 day periods occur. Thank you for your time, please send this out once and then send it again but insert the following sentence at the top: "ooops!! I think I already sent this, but just to be sure, here it is again!!!"

Thank you for your time fellow volunteers.

Licenciado Concerned Volunteer

Dear Staff and Volunteers,

As a volunteer who has recently changed sites, I would like to respond to the email sent out by VAC concerning site selection. The email stated, I think correctly, that site selection needed to be considered as a way to slow the cascade of site changes among volunteers. The conclusions of the meeting, however, had a much different focus.

Mostly, these recommendations entailed various rules for those volunteers who need to change sites. As I understand it, some of these policies are: a volunteer needs to have lived for at least 3 months with a host family in order to switch sites; within the first several months of service, no volunteer will be allowed to participate in any activites outside of their site (including the VAC, Vaina, WID/GAD); the volunteer will be required to have done a formal community analysis; no vacations will be allowed in the first several months of a new site.

Clearly, a protocol should be in place for changing sites, considering the number of people that are finding it necessary. I would suggest a slightly more informal report or statement showing justification for a site relocation. I believe that with the staggering diversity in the personalities of the sites and the volunteers, generalized rules such as needing to have lived with a family are unhelpful. Volunteers in indigenous sites have told me that, in many cases, it’s not culturally appropriate to live with a family. Iagree that vacations should not be taken while you are starting over, but the rule about the analysis also seems unreasonable to me. If these rules are indiscriminately applied, I see it only turning site changes into ETs. If they are not to be applied strictly, they should not be made.

On a personal note, the decision to switch sites was very painful and I did not take it lightly. It already feels like a failure at the task that I have taken on, and although we need to be accountable for our actions, our jobs require that we be trusted. In talking to other volunteers who have changed sites, I have never heard of anyone doing it for a stupid reason. I suggest that if we need to do more as volunteers to stop site changes, we should be more active in the site selection process.

Sincerely,

Sera Harold

FYI--- The real use of Ben Gay!

I think that most volunteers already have discovered this, but for those of you who haven’t, Ben Gay works really well to help get rid of the itchiness of bug bites, etc.. It takes a minute, but its paradoxical heat/coolness soothes bites. Other used remedies are Vick’s Vapor Rub and Triple Medicated Gold Bond. Once you get this stuff on your hands, however, please be careful where you put them.```````

"I need a Vaina quote."

-McJulia in a desperate attempt to be famous

"Sometimes I feel scared, but then I look into the mirror, and I feel safe."

-Jeff Hoelle

"Just because we sleep together doesn’t make us clique-ish."

-McJulia’s feeble attempt at stardom

"Cluck, Cluck."

-Shani while under the table at IST

"Put that one in"

-McJulia trying to influence an important Vaina staff member

"Oh no. Eso se ve muy feo. Va a salir en la primera pagina del New York Times que los Panamenos estan echando culebras a los voluntarios. La gente alla se van a poner enojadas y como nos van a castigar? Nos van a quitar el dolar, y con que dolar quedamos? El Yen Chino!!"

Roylan, el cubano de Tranquilla, assessing the international implications of Nick’s playing with snakes.

"No! Wait! Don’t. It’s stupid. Take it out."

-McJulia attempting to make up for the stupid quote she wanted in

"I’m already mostly naked, what more do you want from me??!!"

-Meghan to Hoelle

Try to avoid any Virgos or Leos with the Ebola virus. You are the true lord of the dance, no matter what those idiots in the office say.

for two to six people. The hospitable owners, Mack and Mary, are lovely people who treat PCVs and their families and friends just like their own. The menu varies, but it always offers tasty American standard foods. Some yummy treats you might expect are: buffalo wings, homemade guacamole with chips, red coconut curry mahi mahi, cheeseburgers, strawberry shortcake, macadamia nut brownies and my favorite sugarfree iced tea with lemon. They even have mexican food night with margaritas. Rico I tell you, RICO! Asif that isn’t enough the cabins are much nicer than the typical PC Panama dwelling: thick firm mattresses, hot water, flush toilets, and an ocean view. My prissy grandma would have even approved. The grounds are charming with palm trees, dug out canoe gardens, and a wily monkey named Henry. Watch out, he’s a thief and he likes to get "friendly" if you let him romp with one of your limbs. Also available are: internet, laundry service, a video library, a deck over the water, and so much more. Mary even said she’ll give PCVs a 20% discount on the cabins. Check it out, you won’t want to go back to your sites...

We’ve heard that what happened on September 11th in New York and Washington was a defining moment for the people of the United States. We’ve seen with our own eyes the devastation that made it a defining moment, buildings crumpling and burning, lives lost and ruined. We are not comfortable with violence. We are not comfortable with not being liked. We are bewildered with the thought that the United States is so disliked that a few people willingly give their lives to destroy our buildings and kill our people, while a few others, scattered throughout the world, rejoice.

Because of who we are and what Peace Corps is, what happened on September 11th is also a defining moment for us. Because of where you are, what you do, and how you do it, as Volunteers you are the front line of the US Government’s longest lasting and most effective people to people diplomatic effort. More people, the world over, get their clearest, most lasting and positive idea of what "Americans" are really like, how dedicated, generous, and caring they are, from Volunteers than from any othersource.