Peace Corps Panama #nodaysoff: June 2017

It's been another fast month in Panamá! I've been traveling a lot in the last month. At the end of May I went to Panamá City for a training event. I will be facilitating a few days of training for the new group of Volunteers (G81) who arrive in July! I will spent a few days back in Santa Rita (my training community) training the new group on topics related to identifying and working with counterparts in their communities. Shortly after this training, I had a meeting in Changuinola with all the Volunteers in Bocas. We celebrated by going to Bocas Island for a couple nights and enjoying the beach. It was a bittersweet celebration because it was the last meeting for my regional leader and the G77 Volunteers who will be finishing their service in August.

I can't believe I get to live somewhere this beautiful

Matching nakwas

One of the most interesting weeks of my service happened in early June. I brought a counterpart from my community (who's also my host dad) to a seminar in Penonome about project management and leadership. My counterpart and I traveled from Barranquilla all the way to Penonome (about a 10 hour journey) to take part in the four day seminar. We were joined by the rest of the WASH Volunteers from my group and their counterparts. It was great to see my host dad meet counterparts from all over the country and learn all about managing projects in the community. The Volunteers treated our counterparts to a movie one afternoon and for all of them, it was their first time ever going to a movie theater. We watched the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie (chosen specifically for its high action and intensity) and all the counterparts loved it!! It was a really unique experience for everyone.

My host dad (green shirt) at our seminar

The Bocas group at the leadership seminar

My host dad and another counterpart

In site, I am working with my Water Committee, starting English classes, and hoping to begin a monthly charla series. I'll be spending most of my time in site until the end of July when I will be going to Santa Rita for the training of G81. Then I will be hosting a new Volunteer in my site for a few days so she is able to get a feel for what it is like to be a Volunteer. And then, I will have visitors from the USA!! My aunts will be coming to visit in August and I can't wait to show them my community and all around Panamá!!