These last few weeks have been packed with workshops and planning for the upcoming fall. Last weekend I was in Santo Domingo at a Rotary sponsored bio-sand water filter training. Bio-sand filters use 4 different types of sand to trap and kill 90-99% of bacteria, viruses and parasites contained in unfiltered water. The filters themselves look like blue plastic trashcans with a small hose coming out the side.

Advantages: lightweight plastic container. Easy to install. Filters last 30 years. We are getting 40 filters free from rotary.

Disadvantages: once the filters are filled with sand, you cannot move them EVER (because it will disrupt the levels of sand. You cant move them even to mop.). The sand is purified, and thus I cannot store the sand materials in any common house (due to ants, rats, etc). This means I will be storing tons of sand in my shack. Also, we are only getting 40 filters free from rotary (and I have 100 families wanting them). Finally, I am doing this project in three communities and will therefore be lugging hundreds of pounds of sand on motorcycle on unpaved roads.

So, as you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to the program. However, no matter the disadvantages (because clean water trumps all), we are 100% doing the program (and I will most likely have huge biceps by the end). You may be asking yourself, how will Leigh choose the 40 families? Well, priority will first go to families who have children under the age of 5 (since they have weaker immune systems). Next, families that lug their water directly from the river (since many actually receive water in their home through aqueducts). Finally, families that don’t purify their water (since many families buy bottled water).

I have also spent the past few weeks planning my 4-weekend workshops to train health promoters in 10 different communities. My first one is Saturday! My 10 government health promoters will be learning 12 basic health promotion topics (ranging from infectious disease, child nutrition, domestic abuse etc.), as well as how to manage health comities, how to give effective presentations, how to facilitate home visits, etc.
This means preparing for 10 hours of workshopping, including the purchase of writing materials, folders, snacks and drawing the 12 presentations on easel paper. I´m really excited especially because I designed and will implement the educational program all by myself! My first real independent project (not assigned by Peace Corps).

Also coming up in the next 2 weeks are the graduations of my second sex-ed class and my first reproductive health class. I have also been asked to give a presentation in the capital to the new group of health volunteers that arrive this week in country! Finally, in 2 weeks I have a new health trainee coming to my site for 4 days to visit and see what a ¨real¨ volunteer does.

Lastly, I`ve been here for 1 year already! Can you believe it?? Only 15 months to go.

playing with fellow health volunteers at the beach.

rafelito ready to eat a delicious 4th of july meal at home!

so its been a month. sorry! ive been busy and bored at the same time.
updates:
-the house that my community is building me will be done in two weeks! ill be moving by september!
-i spent one week in july working in puerto plata with the university of southern maine medical mission. we visited poor mountainous communities and gave out vitamins, aspirin, athletes foot medication, etc. while doing basic analysis for the patients. there were about 50 medical/nursing students and 10 peace corps translators. it was super interesting and a great mini-vacation.
- this month i start educating current health promotors in 10 surrounding communities. i will have 4 different workshop weekends, amounting to 10 hours of presentation. lots of preparation. they will be learning about 12 large, basic health topics and how to present information in their community.
-this upcoming weekend i am attending a training for bio-sand filters held by the rotary club. hopefully we can build these filters in houses.. purifying the river water we currently drink.

exciting updates:
-my host mother randomly brought home a waffle iron and gave it to me! she had no clue what it was! sunday brunch-- here i come!
- my host mother will also be gifting me her current oven and stove (it is in bad shape, so she wants to get a new one).

hope to type up a better update soon!

its been a while!
quick update:

-spent july 3rd with some volunteers, cooking a special mexican meal to celebrate july 4th (ironic..july 3rd and mexican food. not very american!)!
-started my new ¨healthy homes¨ course with 15 women
-started a second sex-ed class with 12 youth
-met with the doctor to revamp the existing health promoter system

A sad announcement: the next few months will be without many blogs or pictures. Yesterday, my computer died, citing a ¨fan error¨. I will be fixing this in November stateside. Until then, I will be relying solely on internet cafes.

Also on a sad note, the aqueduct engineer stood up my community, once again. Very disheartening.

playa grande beach in puerto plata!


our group at 27 waterfalls!


youth conference at the all inclusive resort!


youth conference!

Okay, so FINALLY here is an update. April-May was pretty slow (as stated in previous blogs), but June is flying by! Thus, I haven’t had much time to write or post!

So what have I been doing?
• Graduated two 11-week nutrition classes, with a total of about 28 women, men, and youth graduating!
• Graduated 14 youth from the 12-week sex-ed class, “I choose my life” (Escojo Mi Vida).
• Hosted and attended multiple sex-ed class exchanges with other communities (and other volunteers)
• Finally got the water system engineer to come back to our community with the measurements, plans and budget
• Celebrated my birthday with my visiting friend from the United States and went to the beach!
• Went to an all-inclusive resort in nearby Puerto Plata for a sex-ed youth conference (beach + American food+ other volunteers!). Paid for by Peace Corps!
• Watched the Celtics vs. the Lakers in my community (yes, some people here live in 3 room houses but still have a dish)

What will I be doing in the near future (in the coming 3 weeks)?
• Starting up a youth sex-ed class in another community
• Starting a new 12-week class “healthy homes”. It ranges in theme from diarrhea to waste management to reproductive health.
• Starting to fundraise for the aqueduct!
• Attend a Peace Corps health promoter conference
• Celebrate patronales (annual community party) in the town next door (think dancing for 9 days straight)!
• Begin to work with the women in my community to make Lysol and Vick’s Vapor Rub to sell locally (economic development)

Other updates:
• My cat and dog have become fast friends. They spend their time scaring away the locally raised chickens and playing together. My cat has even started to catch mice! Woohoo!
• Summer weather has arrived here with a vengeance. 9am and already 82 degrees and rising.
• My family has started to build my little house! Finally they have purchased all the materials and have already started digging. I expect it to be done within 5 weeks time! I’m debating about color choices- mango, yellow or brick red? White trim is definite. Let me know your opinion!