CBT – Community Based Training

by Vickie
Again, no photos but we'll add them when we can.

We survived Community Based Training.

 The bad thing about community based training is that everything we’re doing is not real – it’s just practice. It’s important and I learned a lot, but it was a time to endure.  The living conditions were pretty terrible because the kitchen and bathroom were dirty-make that filthy, our host family refused to buy the clean, sealed water we’re supposed to drink, hand washing did not exist in their home, and in the filthy bathroom, there was no toilet seat. Jim lost 15 pounds and I lost 10 as a result of consistent diarrhea. My thigh muscles are pretty strong now from 5 weeks of squatting over the toilet, so with every awful thing, I guess there is something good.

The other good thing about CBT is that we had an excellent trainer and a great group of 12  trainees, working together in El Seibo for 5 weeks.  During the very first week, we had to complete a mini-Community Diagnostic. This is where you talk to complete strangers in their homes about who the heck you are, what a Peace Corps volunteer is – and then asking these strangers questions about resources, problems, leaders, education, civic groups, etc. etc. – in the community.  This is done with a level of Spanish that is really inadequate to the task.  We also, spent time observing in the elementary school, and making informal observations about the pueblo (small city) – like how many and what kinds of stores they have,  how do people get around, where do they get water, what social agencies exist, etc. etc. 

At the end of the week, we each had to develop a  10-15 minute presentation in Spanish – outlining strengths and weaknesses in the community – especially in the area of education – and then develop possible projects we might undertake in the community – IF we were going to be there. Very stressful, but this is what we’ll be doing for the first three months of service in our real community. Mostly this is called “compartiendo”or sharing.

 Domincans talk to each other a lot. They always say hello and ask after your family when they see you on the street or sitting in the galleria – that’s kind of like the front porch. You’re always invited to come in and sit down and you’ll get the best seat in the house – even if it’s only a plastic chair. If they can afford it, you’ll get a fruit drink or un chin’de café – a little coffee. This is true, even if they don’t know you.  If you smile and say hello, you will be invited in.

After the first week, we spent lots of time giving and receiving charlas (workshops) on education programs that volunteers are involved in here in the DR. The thing is – until this year, there was no education sector in the DR – it was ICT – Information and Communication Technology – it’s what all 12 people in our group thought they were signing on for. When we got here – we were told that the literacy level of the students in the DR is so low that the volunteers in ICT were spending most of their time teaching literacy skills – so – the PC hired a new leader and we are in the process of creating a new program – Education. 

I’m thrilled of course – and everyone in the group is so positive and ready to take on this new program – but with very little background in Education. We spent time in elementary schools learning how to assess reading levels and how to work with students who are both above and below level in reading – in Spanish.

So the first three months after we are sworn in as volunteers (in 2 more weeks) are spent talking, asking questions, learning everything we can about the community, in conjunction with our project partners. Our project partners are people from the community and we will each have two partners. 

These are people who volunteered to help us integrate into the community by talking with us and introducing us to key people they may know. They may also end up working with us, but not necessarily.  Heaven knows why they would volunteer to work with strangers from the US for two years – probably to find out why the heck people from the US would choose to live in a poor country working with strangers  for 2 years away from their family and friends. Maybe we can all help each other out with some self-analysis. Maybe 6 months from now, I’ll be able to explain why I’m here!

A living fence. A branch is planted. Then each year the new branches at the top are cut off and used as new fence posts by planting them. This way the wood is always living and never rots. Also provides some shade. Cool!

The house where we lived for 5 weeks. Upstairs is an apartment the family rents out. Downstairs includes a small clothing shop - part time business for the family.

Meeting with our youth groups.

The local elementary school where we worked.

Jim is  teacher now!

No - not modern art. A water container (tinaco) fell off the roof of the school and shattered. The kids played in it all day. 

The alley behind our house. The tin is a fence.