Cilia

Cilia
Social Impact Design

Monday, July 18, 2011

The calm before the storm...

Its hard to imagine where I will be in two months. Mainly its because I still do not know. September 15 I leave the country to embark on a 27 month service project. I find myself daydreaming at times, thinking of how different my life will be. Bucket showers. Spanish. Potatoes. I dig it all, and cannot wait to start.

For those of you who are wondering what I will be doing...join the club. After two months of in country training (intense language courses, cultural lessons, and vocational training), the PC will place me in a community to improve the water sanitation. A brief description of what I may end up doing:

  • Conducting a baseline study to assess community water priorities, health issues, and sanitary practices
  • advising local community groups on improving their organizational skills and effectiveness
  • helping water committees manage maintain and operate water systems
  • teach water system maintenance courses to local water committees
  • working with elected officials and other local leaders on improving community awareness of responsible management of water systems and sanitation facilities
  • playing a lead role in designing and implementing sanitary landfills as well as promoting importance
  • training teachers and other community members how to teach sanitary hygiene practices
  • assisting community groups to develop and implement appropriate sustainable community-based development projects.
So that clears things up right....? Either way, I am more than happy to do anything and everything I can for my community. I want to be seen as an equal and cannot wait to meet my new host family!

That is all for today. If you know of anyone who is from Peru (or worked there), please let me know if they would be interested in talking to me!