Uff 2-3 weeks already not having written anything, have to catch up otherwise i may forget, actually i have no idea what i can talk about, but talking shit is a great skill i have ;)
Boca Chica was pretty good, it's the closest beach to Santo Domingo, clear-blue water, white sand, little tiny island you can swim to if you want some privacy. But basically it's the place to go on sunday to cool down and have drinks all dressed-up in the water with your friends and familly. Many people, loud merengue, lots of "tigres", souvenirs, massaje, all types of food etc. Apparently Juan Dolio is a lot more quiet, i'll have to check that next week-end maybe.
After that i went during the week to visit one of the project i'm working on in Barahona's region (South-West towards Haiti's border). Was suppose to be for a whole week, but of course it got posponed, then shortenned...i thouhg i would never get there...
It was so hard and frustrating to write about a project i haven't even seen, i really needed this visit to stick together the puzzle pieces of information i got from all the reports i read previously. It's actually a pretty fucked-up project, it has been running for 3 years now and due to natural distasters but also human incompetence, it got soooo delayed, the warehouse is still not built, so we can not install the processing plant to extract the oil from the seeds... Now i have to take over the "Brown" (El "Marrón") and slove everything to achieve the objectives of the project before February!!!! (Other wise the Spanish governemnt ask the NGOs to give the money they gave back, and with interest!!!! Outrageous...)
So went there, for 2 days, first day the representants of the local NGO, the cooperative, and myself for CODESPA (wooooo!!!) officialy gave silos to the each of the communities of agricultors.. Completely useless celebration, just for the show, for pictures, free food, and all-prepared speeches to the donors so that they hear and see what they came for.
It was so obvious, especially with one of the beneficiaries, who had all the merit to have learn his lesson really well, making us the list of all the trainning he received, and how great they were, and that he already started making soap out of the Jatropha's oil (even if we didn't actually start producing oil...) jajaja. Second day was just visiting the fields.
Continuing with the visits on-site last week, i went to visit another project, CODESPA is actually implementing (for all other project we are only givingf funds and technical assistance to the local NGOs). We went to 2 pf the poorest neighbouhood of Santo Domingo, Saban Perdida & Cañitas, where CODESPA is giving grants to pay 80% of the schooling fees for 200 children.
And this week, i went to the inner-country, in the mountains of Bonao, rode a mule to get to a coffeecultors community for a course on sustanaible agriculture.
It is great to see different segments of the dominican society, with different type of resources and needs. Urban vs Rural, it also changes a lot between the inner-country and the west, where there are a lot more inmigration from Haiti.
I finally get to see another reality, and confront what i've heard, learnt with what i witness!!!!
Today is Friday - the 18th, i'm thinking of Amy and Kwin probably having right now their farewell party, it's their turn to leave BCN, while i'm working hard, as you can see jejeje - and i can't wait to leave worl at 5 and go on a week-end to Playa Bonita!!!!! Just the name give you an idea of what i'll be doing, playa, bbq on the beach, grilled-fish, rhum....hmmm can't wait!!!!!
Have a nice week-end!!!!!!
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