Darcy and me at the Basilica in Quito
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These are a few quick photo updates - hopefully there will be more to come soon!
Un Abrazo,
Kerry
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Photo Update
Darcy and me at the Basilica in Quito
These are a few quick photo updates - hopefully there will be more to come soon!
Un Abrazo,
Kerry
Fully Engaged
The school year has begun and is flying by! I can’t believe
it is already mid-October – scary and exciting all at the same time. Just a
month ago we had our midservice conference at the training center in Tumbaco.
All remaining volunteers from my training group were there and we spent the
week reflecting on our first year, preparing for our second year, and sharing
our successes, failures, and project ideas with everyone. It was wonderful to
see everyone again and really empowering to learn about all the different
projects people have going. While we may not be making a huge difference on an
individual level, there are a lot of amazing things happening as a whole in
Peace Corps Ecuador!
Leaving the conference, I was inspired to get things going
here in Chibuleo, and they started going fast! I have now fallen into a
somewhat regular routine. On Mondays and Thursdays I spend 5 hours at the high
school giving lifeskills and sex ed classes to the three 8th grade
and three 9th grade classes. We are only a few weeks in, but I have
found it to be really meaningful work. I did an evaluation during the first
class and the lack of sex ed knowledge is horrifying. I am hoping to at least
put a dent in it and most importantly, create a space in which the kids can ask
questions without fear or embarrassment and get the information they really
need.
I spend 6 hours on Tuesday mornings at the local elementary
school that is just outside of my front door. I am the profesora de cultera
estetica, which is essentially arts and crafts! So far we have learned
symmetry, texture, figures, and origami butterflies. It is really a lot of fun,
the kids love it, and since they’ve never really had art classes, I can do
basic things so I have enough of a skill-set for it. If anyone has ideas for
arts and crafts with very limited resources, PLEASE send them my way! I always
loved arts and crafts as a kid, but I realize that weekly projects are a lot
and that I am going to quickly run out of ideas…
I agreed to help with English classes one hour a week, so I
spend an hour on Wednesday mornings with the 7th grade class at the
elementary school. I teach them a few basic things, then help them with the
homework they have from their actual English professor. They begged me to help
since the kids from my school tend to be far behind when they enter into the
high school. Although I know very little about teaching English, I have at
least been able to help with begin with basics that they are lacking. After my
English class I go up to the foundation where I have a Kichwa class for myself!
One of the educators at the foundation is tutoring me in Kichwa so I can have a
basic foundation of the native language spoken here in Chibuleo. I am taking an
hour of class on Wednesday and Friday mornings. So far it is going well,
although it is nothing like any Germanic or romance language, so it is slow
learning for me.
On top of all of this, I spend every afternoon at the
foundation with the kids. There are a lot of plans for things this year, but it
has been slow starting at the foundation. Since it is the beginning of the
year, there are a lot of things to be done and organized, which unfortunately
doesn’t leave me as much time as I would like with the kids, but hopefully that
will change in the next few weeks. One thing I have been doing with them is
reading! The kids didn’t have a single storybook at the foundation or any
interest in reading, but that is changing. I convinced the foundation to buy us
15 simple little fairytale books and I have storytime with the younger kids
after they finish their homework. They now all go upstairs right after lunch to
do their homework quickly so they can participate! The other day I made little
paper ears and noses and some of the kids acted out the 3 little pigs while I
read it. They loved it, so hopefully I will be able to put together more
activities with the stories. I am also on the hunt for simple books to help the
kids who are behind grade level learn to read better. Hopefully they will
become book enthusiasts for life!
There are lots of exciting things happening right now.
First, Darcy is in Ecuador! She came last week and I have gotten to spend a
little time with her since. Carlos and I went to get her at the airport in
Quito, then we spent the next day in Quito showing her around a bit. We didn’t
have a lot of time, but we went to the Basilica, which I LOVE and neither of
them had ever been to. It was a clear day, so we had a beautiful view of the
whole city from the top of the clock tower. From there we took Darcy to the airport
because she went to Cuenca to start language school, but we went to visit her
there this past weekend too. It seems like she is doing well, enjoying it so
far. I’m excited for her to visit Chibuleo so she can see what my life and work
is like here!
Mom and Dad come to visit in just 8 days!! I am so excited
to see them, take some vacation time, show them Chibuleo, and just spend a
wonderful 10 days together. There is so much to do and see in the tiny country
of Ecuador, but they will mostly be spending time around the Chibuleo area with
a quick jaunt to the beach J
I also got a call last week that Liam and Jamie got engaged!
I am so, so happy for my favorite big brother and can’t think of anyone better
to have in the family than Jamie. I know they will have an incredible life
together, and I can wait for my next trip home for the wedding!
That’s all for now – things are going to continue to be busy
until, oh, next May. I couldn’t be happier with the work and life here though,
and I am glad to be busy at last! I hope all is well with everyone in the
States.
Un abrazo,
Kerry
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