December: I spent 2 glorious weeks in the Michigan. And even got to make a little snowman at my grandpa´s house.
January: I experienced my first ever earthquakes. Horrifying when you live in a house made of conceret blocks during the time of Trujillo. In the middle of the month started up the literacy classes in the school again.
February: Started a Chicas Brillantes group (ages 12 to 20)! Three of my girls and I attened a Regional South Chicas Brillantes 3 day camp. More literacy work. Traslated at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (an orphanage where another volunteer works).
March: Celebrated International Women´s Day with surrounding Volunteers and their girls. More literacy work. Mom and Dad came to visit for about 10 days. Miguel and his family took us around and my Mom threw an epic (and yet disastrous) party for my kids in my community.
April: Taught my Chicas Brillantes how to decorate Easter Eggs.
May: Started a 2nd Chicas Brillantes with the younger girls (ages 8 to 12). The 20th was election day (finally it is over)!
June: The 1st ( the day after school was let out) I started a Superman group with my baseball boys (because they don´t play baseball anymore and they were jealous of the attention that i was giving to the girls). Developing possible sites for in-coming volunteers.
July: Celebrated the 4th in Las Galeras with other volunteers. Today, graduated my first group of Chicas Brillantes - certicifates, cake, dramas and all!
Since March I have been working on getting a grant on the Peace Corps website so that people could donate to help build a Library in my community. Students come to Antonci from 5 different communities to go to school, and the school doesn´t have a functioning library for the students to do their homework. Plus, the highschool and university students have no place to to research at all. Not to mention the lack of linguistical and creative development that occurs when children read stories and participate in reading programs. The closest library is in Yamasa, the pueblo, that is 140 pesos there and back on a motorcycle taxi or over an hour walking (it is a dangerous route for the children to walk, and the majority of the citizens of Antonci do not have the money to go there and back on motors). I currently have 5 boxes of books in my house (thanks to Darian book aid, scholastic books, INTEC and the Ministerio de Cultura) and i have a few more waiting for me in the capital. And finally, my grant has been posted on the Peace Corps website!
Check it out and donate!
https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-511
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