Dear Goddesses,
So, what’s up with the last Vainas? I never got mine and I was waiting with bated breath.
Sincerely,
Disgruntled in Darien
Dear Disgruntled,
Due to some budget mishaps and serious lack of communication, all Vainas got put in the hanging folders (unbeknownst to us). We are working on getting them to you more efficiently. The Oct/Nov issues will be dispersed as follows: all volunteers who have requested them in folders will get them in the office, and all who have requested them by mail will be getting them by encomienda in your province capital. Please note and discuss with fellow volunteers.
The Goddesses
Dear Goddesses,
It don’t mean a thing, brother. Not a thing.
Sincerely,
The Colombian
Dear Goddesses,
I was wondering if you could find me a good recipe for ginger chicken.
Thanks,
Hungry in Herrera
Dear Hungry,
Please inquire into this current issue of La Vaina, and try not to dampen the pages with your drool.
Happy Cooking,
The Goddesses
Dear Goddesses,
YOU ROCK ROCK ROCK!!!!!
I think you are doing an OUTSTANDING JOB! Could it possibly get any better?
Sincerely,
Beaming in Bocas
Dear Beaming,
Actually, it can. Let us know what you want out of this silly little publication and we will see that you get happier and happier and happier.
Stay dry, fren.
The Goddesses
Message from Acting CD/
APCD-Permaculture
I hope everyone is enjoying the Panama rains, keeping active during this busy time in the field, and enjoying your experience...and that the PCVs in Chriqui are on stable ground now.
A. Staffing-First of all, a huge thank you to everyone for being so understanding, patient and helpful during this transition of senior office staff. The pouring out of support, asking to help out when and if needed,
has been amazing. Let me fill you in on what I know regarding new senior staff coming to PC Panama:
I will continue as Acting Country Director probably into the week of August 12th. PC Washington is searching for an experienced Temporary Duty Acting CD and hopes to get that person here by August 12th. The new TDY Acting CD would probably stay on for 4-6 weeks to keep things running and provide some
training and turnover to the new PTO.
Yes, PC Panama will be receiving a new position in senior staff-Programming and Training Officer. The PTO fills in as Acting CD as needed; works with APCDs, other staff and PCVs to improve program strategies; works with training staff to help on training issues; helps prepare and compile the Project Status Reports; networks with Host Country Agencies to improve working relationships and programming, etc... It is a catchall type position that is challenging and fun. The PTO may oversee the Regional coordinators and attend regional meetings as well.
Peter Redmond has been hired for the PTO in Panama. He was a PCV in Honduras, has solid government experience with the Environmental Protection Agency based in Washington D.C., and has good management and conflict resolution experience. I am confident that Peter will be a great asset to the senior staff team. Hopefully, Peter will be in Panama by early September.
Alison Nelson has been hired as the new APCD-Permaculture. Alison worked with Habitat for Humanity as a Project Leader in various countries. She also has long-term experience with government within the USDA Forest Service. Alison's passion for this new job at Peace Corps is strong- I receive an email a day from her it seems! I'm sure she will continue to keep the Permaculture project moving forward and will contribute new ideas to the programming team.
We have advertised and interviewed for a new local hire Safety and Security Coordinator position. This position will provide support to PCVs and staff in handling safety issues, helping to assure that potential sites are safe for new PCVs, and promoting Peace Corps at the local level with Police and other authorities. We hope to have a person hired by early October.
We have to be patient for a new Country Director, as that process may take longer. PC Washington is looking for a new CD for PC Panama. I do know that PC Washington is considering doing an Overseas Staff Training session in October so maybe we may have someone here by end of October/early November...but that is just speculation.
Again, thanks for your support and understanding of the situation. It is really you, the PCVs and staff, who have kept PC Panama running smoothly during this transition time. Please provide a warm welcome to the new staff when they arrive and extend the same support which you have provided to me, to them.
B.As you all are aware, the new computer system is up and running. PCVs have 3 PCs located in a separate room by the lounge. We should be receiving another computer for PCVs soon. PCV leaders will hopefully have at least 2 PCs also which can only be used by PCV leaders and coordinators. Please remember that it is prohibited to download any unauthorized software such as Chat rooms, instant messenger, music, etc...This can cause a virus to get into the system. Please be responsible and use the computers as you were told to help us keep the system clean and running.
C. Thank you to all the PCVs in Chriqui, Veraguas and Bocas del Toro for getting back to us on the safety check during the time of the earth tremors. Glad to hear that everyone was OK and no damage done in your communities.
D. We just swore in 15 new PCVs on Friday, August 2. Congratulations to all of the new PCVs and welcome to the PC Panama family. Regional Coordinators- remember to make the new PCVs in your region feel at home and visit them in their sites soon. Let them know when your next regional meetings are going to be held also.
E. PC Panama is collaborating with the American Embassy and USAID in the preparation and implementation of an Indigenous Leaders training workshop. This workshop will provide grant-writing skills to leaders of all the Indigenous groups in Panama. Contact Beth, Yoko or Jeff for more information on this workshop.
F. We may be undergoing more office remodeling soon to make more space for the PTO and for the Safety and Security Coordinator position. Please understand that this remodeling will disrupt the daily office operations, especially for Greta and Orlando.
G. I have received information from the personnel section of the Embassy regarding the "Alternative Examination Program" which is a skills-based method for evaluating individuals interested in joining the Foreign Service. The exam consists of essays and questionnaires as an alternative to taking the Foreign Service written Examination. The exam is on-line also. Presently, the program exam is open from August 1- September 16, '02. All Peace Corps Volunteers are eligible to take the exam and enter the program. This exam only is an alternative to the written test. The oral test and other procedures still need to be completed if one passes the AEP exam. I have placed the information on the PCV bulletin board in the office.
APCD-Permaculture News
I'm in the process of compiling turnover notes for Alison and cleaning up old files. Thanks so much to Yoko for helping out in this process, and for being a great peer support network sounding board during these hectic times. We have submitted 3 CENTER requests for next FY03. These workshops haven't been approved yet so please be patient and contact the PCV champion if interested to be updated.
-Beekeeping Workshop-contact Zach Smith if interested
-Butterfly Farming-Hiedi Ross
-Indigenous Botanical uses-Jessi Flynn
We haven't heard the official approval yet on the Pastos workshop (Braden Walsh) nor the Farm Planning Workshop (Rob Kline and Jared). I'll let the PCV champions of these workshops know as soon as we have the approval. Our next training cycle for Permaculture is in January where we will only be recieving 4 trainees (in an attempt to keep the number of PCVs in the program managable). For the PCVs in the April '03 COS group please let Alison know if you anticipate having a new PCV replace you in the site
on the January potential sites. PCV-Permaculture, you are in great hands with Alison coming on board. I'm
sure you will welcome her into the program with enthusiasm. Please help her out in learning the ropes as you did with me. Final reminder to be open and honest with your communication with her...monthly schedules, informes on time, helping on site selection, scheduling site visits, forming the teams to help in PSR, CENTER requests, all Permaculture conference, etc... Stuff you all have been doing very well-please keep up the great work and have fun in doing so!
To all PCV in PC Panama and staff, it has been an honor and a pleasure to work together with you and share in the learning experience of Peace Corps. This has been the best job of my life mainly because of your friendship and professionalism. Lots of memories will remain with my family and I about Panama and the many friends that we had made here. Please keep in touch with us and we hope to see you visiting in Micronesia someday! Thank you for such a fun time in this beautiful country.
Your friend,
Joe Torres
by Enoc Velazquez
Hello to all!
August 5, 2002
I hope all of you are enjoying a warm, muggy and rainy August and things are going well at your sites and in your work. As some of you know, I was away for a couple of weeks in July. Costa Rica was fine, getting there by bus a
bit rocky. I can tell you about it some time. Getting back, great, we flew from San Jose to Golfito. I also painted my apartment, got my kids all ready for the new school year and today we are up and running, literally, on the
home front.
*Office Stuff: Now, as I mentioned last article, we are still pending on our new CD, but have confirmation our new Programming and Training Officer and New APCD for Permaculture, Security Officer will be
with us in the months to come. We will continue needing to support each other in this transition time.
*Work Plans and work, of course: It has been great communicating with all of you on your work plans, out of site work, vacation requests and quarterly reports-doing great everyone. For the newer PCV's, as
your one-year mark in your communities approaches, you will find yourself taking a step back and evaluating where to sink your teeth into, as far as your work goes. Some activities you began with have now ended, been suspended or continuing, but in most cases, at the one-year mark, there is almost a key re-defining moment when your work takes one more meaning. You have now a clearer 'vision', if we can refer to it as such, and putting a lot of perspective, context and direction to your efforts. For others, you are now seeing how you can finish up some work before you finish up PC/Panama. You will do fine. For those just starting, you will probably be busy with a lot of practicing your community integration and language skills, lots of fun and painful times, as your language competency increases. For those of you keeping extremely busy, don't forget to work hard, but also take time to smell the roses. Lots of cross-sectoral opportunities, please call upon other PCV's in other sectors for support or information.
*CED Newsletter? What do you think? The newly sworn in group (CED) was invited to start up a newsletter or section written by them to be submitted to La Vaina or in another form, just a concept for now....
*Also, I will be needing 5 PCV's to help out putting together the PSR before October, please let me know ASAP, we can start on that before then.
*APCD site visits: I will be sending a letter outlining the type of activities we can do during my visit, the agenda is set by you and may include some meetings with the people you work with. You can begin thinking about whom you'd like for us to meet with to trouble shoot or just to meet.
*Safety and Security: I can't tell you enough how much it is appreciated your planning ahead and letting me know about your out of site work, really helps to support you in this issue, truly appreciated, please continue doing so.
*Pictures: Please feel free to submit any pictures of you and your community 'WORKING' on a project, initiative or workshop. This would be a great way to share with new PCT's what your sites look like and what some of you do. We received an overwhelming echo from the newly sworn in PCV's that they want more of...their fellow, experienced PCV's. Again, never minimize the impact you are having on your communities and fellow volunteers and volunteers to be.
*Congratulations! on the all of the work you are doing, things you manage as a PC volunteer in rural Panama, energy, enthusiasm and creativity. I have heard before that 'attitude.... determines altitude....', in many cases, its true. Keep up that positive attitude and please contact your source of support, as needed (other PCV's, PCVL's, APCD's , CD or others....family, friends back home, RPCV's, etc. )
*Tom, thanks for your work and please contact him for added support. Also thanks to all the PCV’s helping out in site development, it’s great working with you on this.
NEW CED PCV's:
-As you know, we have our 8 new CED PCV's. Please take some time to get to know them and provide support, as I'm sure you already are. Congratulations and I hope you are settling well in your new sites and as new PCV's. Mike Woodard, Naranjal; Claire Steinecker, Qda. Loro; Celina Lee, Puerto Lara; Robert Dainton, Pueblo Nuevo; Dominique Jordan, Progreso; Kimberly Leno, El COPE; Jennifer Keller, Orari and Melissa Costa, Santa Rosa.....Good Job everyone!
UPCOMING EVENTS
-IPAT follow up workshop Aug 12-16
-APCD to PCV Site Visits coming up from now to October (8-25), I will be contacting you this month with specific dates
-New PCT's arrive Sept 16, 02
My Calendar:
In Office all Mondays
August
7-9 Site development Bocas Del Toro
12-16 IPAT Seminar, PCV Grace Campbell site visit and site development
20-23 Site development as needed
27-30 Meeting with Counterparts at office, Site development as needed
Sept.
2-Out of office
3-6 Programming and site development as needed
10-13 Programming, PCV Site visits and site development as needed
16 At airport to P/U new PCT's,
17 Program Overview
21 PCT support x-cultural day
24-27 PCT support and site dev. As needed
Oct
8-25 PCV Site visits and follow up on site dev. As needed.
Please contact me for any support needed now or in the months to come,
Regards,
Enoc Velazquez
671-2545
269-2100 ext. 108
Ever since I came back from D.C., PCVs have been asking me about my time in US. Well, here is part of the story. The day I arrived in DC, I attended a meeting of the “Amigos de Panama” that was scheduled for that evening at the hotel were I stayed. I was there as an invited guest. So guess what I ate on my first day in the US?.. Pues, arroz con pollo, tajadas de plátano maduro frito y empanada de maíz rellena de carne molida!!!…AND if it wasn’t really feeling like home at that point, guess who I met there…Claire Antonelli, Ann Fazioli and Christy Wiebe!!…I was in Panama after all! I couldn’t ask for more; good food (), good company, and good conversation… That was a really nice first evening in D.C.!!!
D.C. weather was really nice with low humidity, average temperature of 28oC, mostly sunny days (a few showers though). People were complaining about the heat. For me it was just heaven!
OST (Overseas Staff Training) was a good experience for me. I had the opportunity to meet and work with very talented and intelligent people from all over the world (Ghana, Samoa, Philippines, Morocco, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bolivia, Georgia, Armenia, Mongolia, US, Panama), just to mention a few of them. We were given A LOT of information and it was a lot of work too…I really felt like a trainee (Trainees you have all my sympathy)…. After two weeks of training, I was ready to be sent to my site. But, nooo we had to stay…..
I was given a T-shirt with “OST survivor” on it, during our PC Graduation Ceremony… Greg got the cap… Just kidding…
And what did I learn in OST? More Peace Corps acronyms among other things… and that Safety and Security and Volunteer Support are the big issues in PC.
Speaking about Safety and Security… I am not receiving schedules for out of site work from all of you, but I keep meeting you around the office or hearing from others that you have left your sites. This is by no means acceptable. Please, review your PCV handbook and follow the rules for out of site time. I will be complying with the rules with no exceptions so don’t be surprised if you receive a letter of warning or an admin. sep. (if you have already received 2 letters of warning). You can send me your schedules by email, fax or telephone.