Official Invitation to Paraguay!

Wow, I can't believe how fast the past six months have gone by. In the time span of 173 days, I submitted my application, interviewed, gained pre-medical and legal clearance, and received an invitation. This is one of the fastest application processes I have ever heard of with the Peace Corps. Other Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV's) have told me it took them over a year just to find out where they were going! I will admit PC has totally revamped the application process and moved to an online system, so maybe the length of my application process is the new norm.

It was Friday afternoon at 4:15 when I checked my email for the 200th time that day, and noticed one titled "Invitation to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer." Deep breath. As I opened the email my eyes instantly scanned the opening lines until the bolded Paraguay appeared. Paraguay? Paraguay... Paraguay! PARAGUAY! I'm going to Paraguay! Within two minutes of skimming through the initial email I texted my best friend to share the news. My mind was racing at 90 mph thinking about all the different things associated with my service. Deep breath. Time to get focused and read the actual details of my service without racing through it. Deep breath. Side note: Leading up to my invitation I really did think I was likely going to receive an invitation in Africa, as most of the PC Agriculture programs are located on that continent, and I have experience from my volunteer work in Kenya last summer. I wasn't "disappointed" about my invitation, I was more or less surprised that it was somewhere other than Africa.

One of the pdf's attached to the invitation email was the Description of Service, a thirty pager with the main objectives of my service. During my 27 months of service, I will hold the title "Agriculture Extensionist," and I will depart for Asuncíon, Paraguay on September 25. My service detail is particularly broad compared to other PC programs. The main objectives are capacity building among smallholder farmers to increase standards of living and food security within the region that I will be working (my "site" is yet to be determined. I won't know that information until at least December 2013). I will also assist farmers in understanding and implementing comprehensive sustainable food production systems for increased production and income generation. In order to meet these main "objectives" of my service, I will be tasked with training these farmers in cover cropping (green manure), crop rotation, no-till farming, contour plowing, soil diversification, improved nutrition, sustainable permaculture, beekeeping, and animal husbandry. Wow. Broad spectrum of agriculture? I would say so! 

As I finished reading the Description of Service, I couldn't help but notice the smile that was left on my face. This is exactly what I want to do for a career. When people ask about what I want to do, I usually reply back with the title "International Agriculture Extension Agent." I think it's pretty freakin' awesome that my PC service is a introductory phase to what should make for a continued path toward my dream job. So, looking back now, I am certainly not disappointed that I didn't get Africa as my continent of invitation. I think PC really examined the skills I have to offer and placed me in a program that I think will be exponentially rewarding.

Now I can't just create this post and think that I am going to live in a country with golden roads, butterflies, and puppies. It is the Peace Corps. I have signed up to volunteer two years of my life living in a developing country. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries in South America. As a country that is about the size of California, it has a total population (6 million) that is considerably less than the Los Angeles metropolitan population (12 million). So I think it is easy to say that I'm going to be living in a very rural country. With this being said, I think volunteers in Paraguay often have feelings of isolation because of the scarce population in the regions they serve. Another problem that I expect to encounter is language incompatibility. Even though I am pretty versed in Spanish, many of the rural inhabitants only speak Guaraní, so the initial three months of in-country training will help me with these skills. 

Overall, I am ecstatic to end the waiting game and to be placed in such a rewarding program. My friends (both PC and non-PC) have told me they are jealous to hear about the details of my program. I look forward to see what the next 32 months have to bring! Hasta luego!

Agriculture work continues

My volunteer work here at the Centre is ever-evolving, and I have been very busy for the past two weeks focusing on agriculture development. Last week, I spent two days in Nairobi, searching for various items for the rabbits here. I was mostly in search of an ear notcher and waterers. I was successful in finding an ear notcher, which we will now be able to create an identification system for the rabbits here, so that production records can be kept. I searched all over the city for rabbit waterers, but was unsuccessful in that search. I'm hoping that I can show the welding teacher at the Centre a design of a waterer, so that maybe he can fabricate some more. Before coming to Kenya, I was able to find water bottle converters to use for the rabbits; but even in the largest city in the country, I wasn't able to find any here. I went to Nairobi with a gentleman from the Centre who is working to get his motivational book published, so we had to visit the national government in order to file publishing papers for the book. After, we visited a former volunteer of the Centre who is attending college now in Nairobi. He is the chairman of the Red Cross club at his university, so he invited me to speak to the club about the concepts of leadership and volunteering, in hopes to motivate the members to become more involved with the club.

On Friday I arranged for an agro-technician to visit from the Jomo Kenyatta University for Agricultural Technology (JKUAT). He came to visit our gardens, and will be coming on a regular basis in the future to advise the CBO members about their crops, and how to improve what the grow. I was really glad he was able to come visit, because it seems that our "shamba" is starting to go downhill, pretty rapidly. The CBO has a terrible problem that it doesn't have much money to help fund the ongoing projects within the group, and sometimes can't hand out necessary money for seeds, health supplies, maintenance equipment, etc. and haven't been able to afford pesticides, insecticides, and other sprays for the crops. The agro-technician pointed out that over 50% of the shamba is ridden with pests, which much of it will have to be dug out and replanted. I hope that in the future the CBO will make the investment of spraying crops so that they don't waste money on planting seeds and having a failed crop.

The weekend was a nice time spent to relax and enjoy with the kids from the Centre. We took them to a local river to swim, and they had such a wonderful time with the opportunity. Many of them don't get the chance to leave the Centre except for school, so when there is news about a mini-trip to leave, everyone tends to get a bit excited. On Sunday we met up with some Canadians who were having a party at their house to celebrate Canada Day, so I thought it was pretty cool to say that we (Americans) got to attend a Canada party in Kenya! I met a fellow there who does similar work in Nairobi at a children's home who will often times go into the slums to pick up children. Here in Kenya, the Kibera slum in Nairobi is one of the largest slums in the world, with nearly one million squatters living there. On my last trip into Nairobi, I have arranged for this gentleman to show me around and get a feel for what it's like within the slums. Trust me, I wouldn't be doing it without him.

Yesterday I got to meet with several officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to visit a farm about an hour away from Nyeri, to view it and also give some recommendations on how the farm can improve. They have rabbits, cows, a garden, and also a lot of land for animal food production. Everything seemed to be going well except for the dairy cattle. We observed that the nutrition of the cattle can be improved a bit, but most of the discouraging qualities of the cows came from poor genetics. Hopefully the farm will invest in good AI bulls to start making progress in the future generations. 

Two rabbits have finally given birth! I was becoming a bit discouraged about the progress of the rabbit keeping, in which the Probation Office donated 5 rabbits to increase the herd. When received them 3 weeks ago, we were told they were pregnant and due within a matter of days. I patiently waited and nothing seemed to happen, but finally, just two days ago, they both gave birth on the same day. Now we have 15 babies to take care of. I hope that we can get a few more litters before I leave, and that also one or two of the goats will give birth as well.

Visiting Peace Corps Volunteers

It's been a little while since I've updated you with things, so I figured I'd send an email out to let you know how things are progressing. 

My work at the Centre has been very interchangeable between very slow, and very fast! There was a period of time where I wasn't doing much during a given day, mostly just sitting around and reading. During this time, I kind of felt that I was in a slump, a little bit home sick, a bit depressed about people leaving in the future, and a bit frustrated with the work I've been doing. A lot of the frustration in general has come from the lack of ownership amongst the youth with their CBO projects. They all know that they are in charge of their specific project, but don't seem to own up to the various responsibilities associated with them. It can be very challenging to have to explain simple responsibilities that we often take for granted in America.

Within the past week and a half, my work has gotten very busy, and I'm now at the point where I am backlogged with work, which actually feels refreshing for a change! This past week, the Department of Probation brought five new doe rabbits to the Centre, all of which have been bred and are due in the near future. There are two does who are due in the next day or so, so last week, one of the CBO youth and I went to the lumber yard to purchase some timbers to build nesting boxes. He doesn't have a lot of carpentry skills, so I offered to build the boxes for him, so that they would be sturdy, durable, and in the shape of a box. We purchased 75 board feet of 6x1 timbers. When we got back to the Centre, I quickly got to work, but was set back in my project for a few reasons: many of the timbers were 6" wide on one side, and 7" wide on the other, so I had to rip the boards in order to measure properly (The joys of working in a developing country.) I went to the teacher of the carpentry workshop to ask to use power tools to cut and rip the boards, but he told me that the power saws were all in disrepair, meaning I would have to create the boxes with manual labor (the joys of working in a developing country!) It took me about 1.5 hours to make each box, a total of three boxes, but I really felt accomplished once I had finished making them. It certainly is the small accomplishments that you celebrate here!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit some Peace Corps Volunteers about an hour north of where I am staying, which is located right along the equator. Visiting them was a real opportunity for me, as I have been seriously contemplating applying to the Peace Corps when I return to America. Overall in the visit, I felt that it was more of a reinforcement that I actually want to join, rather than it being a make-or-break decision. There are three volunteers in that area, and spoke quite extensively about what it's like to be a volunteer, and the successes and challenges of working on their projects. Throughout the conversation, I realized that we shared many of the same beliefs and points about the work we are doing in Kenya. The volunteers told me that with my Spanish-speaking background, I should really focus on applying to Latin America, because I will be more competitive in applying for that area. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet and stay with the volunteers for a weekend. 

Overall, I think everything is going well here, and it has already been a wonderful learning experience. There are so many invaluable lessons I've learned that are just indescribable unless you come to experience it yourself. I look forward to the rest of my time here, especially at the end of July, when I'll be heading out west to the Masai Mara to go on safari! I met a gentleman in Amsterdam who does balloon safaris, and told me to contact him when I'm out there; hopefully I can get in touch and have the opportunity to see the Great Migration from the air.

I want you all to know that we are very safe here in the Central province of Kenya. There have been recent embassy warnings from Nairobi about "imminent" attacks in the Eastern coast town of Mombasa. We are 10 hours away from there, and I get many updates via the State Department about the situation going on. Safe and sound here!

Buying shoes, saving puppies

On Tuesday, the majority of the Penn State group went back to America. It was sad to see them leave, but I'm looking forward to the rest of my time here, as I can now keep a sharp focus on the projects I am working on. Up until the PSU group left, I was more of a "floater" of the group, helping out where ever I was needed. I felt bad because I hadn't been able to devote much time to the boys who are working with the dairy goats and rabbits. However, now I will be able to work with them one-on-one, lending my expertise to their livestock fields. Coming into it, I only had background knowledge about each species, but through research on the internet and talking to local people, I've been able to learn a lot about goats and rabbits, and transfer that knowledge on to the CBO youth. My main focus for each species this summer is to accurately create nutritious rations for each of the animals, improve reproductive efficiency, maintain a system of keeping good records, and to ensure that each animal is getting proper health care.

A few days ago some of the children of the Centre ran into a big problem that created a stir amongst the Westerners here. Approximately 25 kids were sent home from school because they didn't have black shoes. The administrators of the school told them they could not return unless they had black shoes. A few of us felt terrible about the situation, especially since the CYEC functions to provide street children and at-risk youth a place to call home, and an education. We felt it was a major priority to get shoes for the kids so they could go back to school. Another group of students from another institution felt it wasn't appropriate to constantly be "handing out" things to the children, but we stood up for what we felt was right, and three of us went into town and ordered 30 pairs of shoes. In my opinion, it was more of a necessity to get the children shoes rather than "hand out" material things like toys, books, etc. In the end, the kids were very happy to receive their shoes and have the ability to go back to school. It really put a smile on my face to be able to do such a simple thing for these kids, and have a wonderful reception for their shoes.

After the PSU group left, I moved into a new house/apartment that has three girls and myself, yippee! There is quite a bit of estrogen, but two of the girls will be moving out in two weeks, and our house will only have the two of us left, kinda lonely. We are on our own for cooking now, and we use a "jiko" which we place coals from a fire inside it and put our pots/pans on top to cook. We can only cook one thing at a time, so we have to specially plan for what we are going to eat. It also has to be pretty simple, as we can't control the heat and takes a long amount of time to cook, usually 1.5 to 2 hours for dinner. It really makes you appreciate the amenities we have in the US, and the variety of foods that we can create! 

The other night a friend and I were walking back into the Centre and I thought I heard a puppy crying. I asked my friend if she heard the same thing, and she said it was probably children playing. As we got into the Centre we realized it was definitely a puppy, and we went searching to find it. We found it behind a building in the Centre locked up in a cage. It was wet, crying and shivering, so we took it into our house for the night. Little did we know it would be quite the experience with this mutt pup. We gave it a bath, as it was covered in mud and tons of fleas. It was extremely malnourished, to the point where it was losing its' senses of sight and hearing. I honestly don't think I've ever seen an animal in such rough shape. If it had been left in the cage over night, I'm almost certain it would have died. We kept it in our house over night, and we were up all night trying to take care of it. It was crying and convulsing from the extreme malnutrition. We tried everything we could but it would not settle down. We took it to the veterinary yesterday, and when we walked in, I recommended that it should be euthanised. They kept it overnight and they called me today and said it was doing much better. I was a bit skeptical, but went back to the veterinary to look at it and reassess the situation. To my surprise, it regained all of it's senses, and was walking around like a champ! Flea-less, nourished, and happy! I was very happy to see it better, so I brought it back to the Centre today and gave it to the lady who had received it the day before. I went over the proper ways to feed and take care of a puppy, and she was happy that we took it to get good care. It was the original breeder who shamelessly neglected the puppies, and weaned them from the mother at only three weeks. In Kenya, there are no such things as "pets", animals are treated more like "things" and are used for protecting a house. They would much rather use their money better on something else like food or other things, rather than take care of an animal. However, the vet was very understanding of the US culture and was appreciative of the things we did to save the puppy. Hopefully the owner now understands the principles of taking care of a puppy, and I can hope that it will have a prosperous life!

Arriving at CYEC and safari

We reached the Children, Youth Empowerment Centre almost two weeks ago, and time has been flying by ever since we arrived. The CYEC was founded about 5 or 6 years ago, and it has been a slow move to make progress here. In Kenya (or Africa in general), things take time. A lot more time than things progress in the US. Every kid that comes to the Centre is picked up from the Kenyan government who are either street children (literally have no home to live), or are from home situations that put the childrens' well being in jeopardy. Ages of the children range from about 5 or 6 up to 18 or 19 years old. They really don't have much; a lot of the kids run around playing with tires, sticks, and sometimes hit ping pong balls off the side of the building with nothing more than a piece of cardboard. Clothing and shoes are quite an issue. Many walk around with torn rags, and many do not have a pair of shoes/sandals without holes or are broken. I've truly received a good perspective of how lucky and fortunate we are in the United States. It's incredible to think that many of the childrens' lives are determined solely on where they were born or what family they come from. 

Eating here isn't too bad. For breakfast I usually have a fried egg on a piece of bread with butter along with some instant NesCafe. Lunch and dinners consist of a lot of starches (potato, maize, grains) along with leafy greens, usually fried spinach or kales. There is always meat served with meals, which is either chicken, goat, or beef, but it is chopped into pieces along with the bones, skin, fat, and cartilage. It's often more of a hassle to eat meat rather than to enjoy it; I usually only eat meat about two or three times a week. No, I'm not going vegetarian, but for the time being it is a little bit more efficient and convenient.

The living arrangements aren't too bad. I live in a long concrete building complex that is split up into three different "apartments." Our apartment has a front room with a sink and a table, three bedrooms, and separate rooms for the toilet and the shower. I may move into a different place after the Penn State group leaves, as this place has a sort of living room with a table and some chairs to get work done.  

My projects are going pretty well working with the dairy goats, rabbits, and in the gardens (the "shamba"). Out of the eight goats, there is currently only one lactating, but there is good news! The rest are all pregnant and should be due around the time I come back to the states. There are about ten rabbits, and many are due for the beginning of June. The shamba is about 4 acres, and is split into smaller plots for the CBO youth to work and raise money from the crops they produce. 

This past Sunday, we went on safari to the Solio Game Reserve and the Aberdare National Park. The safari was INCREDIBLE! It was the experience of a lifetime. We got to see all kinds of game; lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo, antelope, ostriches, giraffes, zebra, impala, the list goes on. There is wildlife everywhere here! Our guide did tell us we were pretty lucky to see as much as we did. There is a fellow here who is into photography, I got to borrow his lens to take some amazing shots! I don't mean to brag, but some of the photos I took are good enough quality to make it into National Geographic magazine. There were six of us who went, along with a CBO volunteer named Issa, who helps the youth in the art department at the Centre. He is an incredible painter, and we made a deal that I will print my photos and give to him, and in return he will create a painting of my favorite photo taken from our safari. I am so glad he was able to come with us, because he creates such wonderful paintings, but has never been on a safari to see the wildlife. Here are two of my favorite shots, I hope you enjoy them. 

Keep checking in with our CYEC/CED blog for more class updates.www.cyecresources.blogspot.com

46 For The Kids

Penn State has always been known for many great things; football games, Creamery ice cream, the “WE ARE” cheer, Old Main, College Ave – but there are few memories created over my past three years that are as memorable as dancing in THON.

The Penn State Dance Marathon is the world’s largest student-run philanthropic organization, a year round fundraiser that raises money for pediatric cancer. In 2010, THON helped raise $7.8 million for children and families of the Four Diamonds Fund. THON students solicit donations through THONvelopes, “Canning”, and the THON 5K. The actual Dance Marathon takes place in February, when over 15,000 student volunteers run the 46-hour, no-sitting, on-your-feet dance.

I danced in THON as a representative of my fraternity, Alpha Zeta, in which a fellow sister and I danced as a couple for an entire weekend. There was a bit of training involved, and I spent many hours at the gym getting my legs in shape. We also had to cut caffeine and sweets out of our diet for three weeks leading up to the event. Each dancer is given a “Moraler”, which is another student that encourages/supports each dancer to continue during the arduous 46 hours on their feet.

 Kristin (my dancing partner) and I at the start of THON

We stood up at 6 pm on Friday evening and went until 4 pm on Sunday. Including the total hours I had been awake from that Friday morning, the total was right around 54 hours without sleep.

THON is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

 I can’t even begin to describe the pain I felt in my heels during the last 16 hours; it felt like someone was driving nails into my heels. With about 12 hours left in THON, I started to become delirious, and there are events at THON that I don’t even remember. However, every time I think about how much pain I went through that weekend, I always relate to the kids with pediatric cancer and what they have to experience, and I honestly believe that, -- 46 hours is nothing compared to what these children have to face.

 Kristin and I with our Moralers

There are some great things I got to remember from THON. All of my friends had floor passes so they could visit me during the weekend, and we always had plenty of good food, too! One of my favorite events is Dancer Mail, which is when all the dancers receive letters from their friends and family encouraging them to keep dancing, and to stay strong. This was very uplifting because Dancer Mail takes place in the middle of Saturday night when very few people are in the stands to cheer on the dancers.

 My brother came to visit!

At the end of the 46 hours, the total for 2011 – $9.56 million – was announced! The total surpassed the 2011 goal, which was $8 million. I’m so glad I danced in THON; for all the pain I experienced, it will be one of my greatest memories in my life. For those who have never been to THON, I would encourage you to go to www.thon.org to find out more information about this great cause. I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout the weekend; I know I couldn’t have done it without you! 

 Crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center during the last 4 hours of THON

I received this message a few days after THON, and it really helped me put into perspective why I danced for 46 hours.

Someone asked me, "What does dancing have to do with cancer? How does dancing for cancer help the kids?" I said "Because it helps raise awareness." They said "I don't get it." I didn't really know

how to explain but now, after THON, I understand.

That weekend, I began to realize what it’s like to be a pediatric cancer patient. I don't think I ever will fully understand but here is what I learned.

When you're at THON, (the hospital) all people tell you is "keep moving" ("get better soon"). The pain from your feet (from cancer) is so difficult to bare. But some things help alleviate it, like ice baths (chemo) or massages (radiation). You get tons of dancer mail (letters, balloons, flowers, and prayers) from all the people you know and love and it helps you smile again and gives you a little more energy to keep going (keep fighting the cancer). When you're at THON they give you tons of food but I never really ate too much (chemo makes it difficult to enjoy the same food and there is are only a few things you can bare to eat). You do the line dance (get check ups and treatments) every hour to help you stay awake.

When your parents are on the floor (hospital room) it makes you so happy. But when their pass time is up (they need to go home to take care of siblings or animals) it makes you sad and they have such a hard time leaving because they know you need them there. But then your friends gets passes and come down on the floor (to visit you at your hospital room) and they make you smile but eventually their pass time expires too (hospital visiting hours are over). It feels great to see your friends up in the stands (know that they are there for you) even if they aren't right next to you. Don't forget about the Moralers (nurses) and Morale Captains (Doctors) who REALLY know how to take care of you when you are starting to hurt badly or fall asleep (cancer gets worse) on the floor. They know exactly what you need (what treatments to give you) because they have done THON before (worked with many pediatric cancer patients).

We realize that the legs cramps and sore feet (going bald from treatments) are only temporary. And even though sometimes we want to sit down (give up the fight) we push through. Because in the very end of THON (your cancer treatments) you see the total amount raised (your doctor tells you that you are cancer free) and you cry and cry because you realized you have made a difference (you've beat the cancer) and you can finally sit down (be cured) and relax (live your life to the fullest).

The View from Behind the Lens

Every year for the past 95, millions of people have visited the Pennsylvania Farm Show. It is popularly known as the best agricultural event in the entire Commonwealth. What makes this show so special for me is not that it is during the dead of winter, but the fact that I got to see it all through the lens of a friend’s Nikon camera. During this eventful, sometimes tiring week, I got to serve as a Press Intern for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which allowed me and seven other friends to cover the events for the entire show.

At the beginning of each day, the group would go over which events or shows we were to cover, which was a nice way to see the various events during the show. 

I covered a large variety of topics which ranged from bid calling, junior market shows, and even the most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil! 

It certainly was a long and strenuous week, in which the interns averaged working about twelve hours a day. In order to write a press release for the events we were covering, each intern would have to attend a portion of their event to snap some photos while the event was taking place. During that time, we would have to keep track with the announcer’s booth to make sure we had the correct placings of the show to put in the press release.

Here some of the snapshots I took throughout the week; many of these are my favorites.

Getting a drink

Breakfast time!

Former Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding at a Press Conference with Punxsutawney Phil. The event promoted the use of FourSquare, a social media tool to celebrate Groundhog’s Day.

Punxsutawney Phil sleeps at least 20 hours per day. After his rigorous press event, Phil went right back to his cage and fell asleep just like this! By far, my favorite photo of Farm Show!

The group of Penn State press interns on the last day of Farm Show. What a crew!

Serving as a Press Intern for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at Farm Show is certainly a very rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to meet great people, sample amazing food, and get a true perspective of the diversity of Pennsylvania’s agriculture. One of the great people I got to interact with was the former Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding. I got to interact with the Secretary on a daily, even hourly basis at the Farm Show, in which I would coordinate with his assistant how the different shows were progressing, so that he could attend each event to give his remarks. This was certainly a stressful, but rewarding part of the week, in which I can say that I got to help coordinate the Secretary of Agriculture around the Farm Show for a week.

There is always a variety of food to eat during Farm Show; from fried vegetables to maple syrup sundaes, Pennsylvania Livestock Association sandwiches to potato donuts. My favorite would have to be the “Cheese Cubes”, which are deep-fried mozzarella cheese cubes, which are certainly worth every calorie they offer!

If you’ve never been to the Pennsylvania Farm Show, I would definitely recommend going to visit; though you may have to work your way through the large crowds, it is a great venue to experience, in which you’ll see a wide array of Pennsylvania agriculture.