November 25, 2005
Yesterday was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and it was a very memorable and fun occasion. The 14 of us on mainland Grenada gathered at Becca's house and had a big feast. Peace Corps was generous enough to provide us with a nice big turkey, and all of the volunteers took care of the rest. I was in charge of mashed potatoes and an apple pie. We are extra fortunate to have Sue with us, being that she is a trained chef. She made amazing pumpkin soup, turkey, cornbread and regular stuffing, and a pumpkin pie. She definitely outdid herself, and it was incredible. On our menu we had: cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, pumpkin soup, turkey, gravy, stuffings, mashed potatoes (roasted garlic), yam casserole, green bean casserole, creamed corn, cabbage salad, three bean salad, spinach salad, cranberry sauce, a birthday cookie cake for Tom's birthday, and 4 pies (2 apple, 2 pumpkin). We had a ridiculous amount of food and it was great. It was the first Thanksgiving where I was actually sweating at the table. Yesterday was very hot in Grenada, and I know it was a large contrast to weather back home! In general, it was a wonderful holiday. I missed being home, and I missed being with my family, but I am definitely thankful that we've formed a sort of Peace Corps family in our home away from home.
November 16, 2005
It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is already next week. It's also hard to believe I've been in Grenada for almost 3 months...which means I've been in Peace Corps for almost 4! Time flies!
Well, these last couple weeks have been very busy. Peace Corps held a large-scale workshop on Behavior Change and Communication (BCC) within Grenada. We invited community members, as well as representatives from different organizations. The focus of the BCC workshop was HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Many of you know that the Caribbean has the second highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world. For the most part, the information is present, however it is more a matter of changing the behavior to reflect the understanding. For four days, we had a guest lecturer from St. Lucia teaching about methods of change, and their processes.
During the week, we did a lot of small group work. We had to pick a target audience and determine the best strategies for approaching them. My group chose 15-19 females in church youth groups. Oftentimes, HIV/AIDS is not discussed in the church setting. Sex is very taboo, and no one really wants to mention it. However, it does not mean that all of these church-going youth are abstinent by any means. Youth as young as around nine are sexually-active, so it's a growing concern with the population as a whole. Within my group, we decided to use radio as our medium for communication. I wrote a parody for the Jackson 5 song, "ABC". A common slogan for prevention of HIV/AIDS is "ABC". 'A' is for abstinence, 'B' is for be faithful, and 'C' is for Condomize.
ABC Song
Chorus:
ABC, keeps you from pregnancy, you will not get HIV, you will see, what you can be, live happily.
Verses:
If you want to live long, you gotta know what to do. Practice your ABC's they're certainly tried and true.
A is for abstaining, the best way to be safe. But if you're not down with that, wear a condom, keep the faith.
Be honest with your partner and make sure to be true. Love yourself, and have respect, for others and for you.
We figured it would be more of a radio jingle, since those are common in Grenada. This project was only an example within our workshop. However, the Deputy Director of Grenada's National AIDS Directorate was in my group, and she is interested in trying to use it. So we'll see...
It was a great experience, though, I met some great contacts and learned about some great organizations. I am looking to get involved with an organization that primarily deals with commercial and transactional sex workers. They are looking to begin an empowerment program, so hopefully I can help them develop the curriculum and possibly teach some of it! I am looking forward to participating.
This week, I have been conducting teacher trainings about HIV/AIDS in preparation for World AIDS Day 2005. The program is called "Lessons for Life" and it is an international initiative to bring HIV/AIDS education, awareness, and prevention into the schools. Being that some children/adolescents are becoming sexually-active at a young age, it's extremely crucial to begin conversation young. Over 70 countries worldwide are participating, and I am so proud to say the Peace Corps along with some community members are visiting every school on the island to conduct these workshops. Although Grenada is a small island, there are many schools. Over half of the population is youth. I would say there are roughly about 100 schools...primary and secondary. Basically, we are educating the teachers to make sure they have accurate information, and working with them to determine activities they can coordinate for the day. Some schools have chosen to spend more than one day, others only a few hours. Worldwide, on December 1st, students everywhere will be learning about HIV/AIDS which is incredible. Presenting to groups of teachers was definitely a great experience, and I had some interesting comments and questions. For the most part, people were very supportive which was wonderful. It's a hard topic...people do not like to discuss personal matters. However, it's important to disseminate the correct information. Stigma and discrimination are also huge issues within the Caribbean. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are commonly mistreated due to their status (even within hospitals), and because Grenada is such a small island, many times confidentiality is not respected as it should be. With children, we are hoping to instill the belief of love and respect for everyone. Of course, it would be great to see that among adults, too.
So overall, there are some great initiatives in Grenada in regards to the AIDS epidemic. I am really enjoying the health sector work that I've been able to get involved in. Of course, I am still doing special education, but not much has changed. I have been invited to join the Special Education Task Force in Grenada, which is exciting. It's a division of the Ministry of Education that focuses on special education. There is a PCV assigned specifically to it, however, it is great to know my opinions and support can help to better special ed in Grenada. So I guess that's all for now! I hope everyone's doing well! XOXO
November 2, 2005
You know you’re a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean when...
10. 80 degrees is a cool day.
9. You consider yourself a success every time you walk down the road and do not get hit by one of the many speeding buses to town.
8. You’ve eaten parts of animals you never knew existed.
7. Frogs jump up at you in your sink while washing dishes.
6. A gift of only toiletries seems heaven-sent.
5. You forget what it’s like to not sweat constantly.
4. You wouldn’t think of leaving home without your sweat rag.
3. You start scheduling meetings "just now". (see Grenadian dialect for definition)
2. You’d rather pick out small insects from food instead of throwing out an entire meal. After all, you spent good money on it!
1. You write silly lists like this that mostly everyone except you will not understand.
November 1, 2005
Happy All Saints' Day! Grenada does not celebrate Halloween officially. The big holiday at this time of year is All Saints' Day. Usually, the weekend before, people will go to the cemeteries at which they have family. They will clean off the graves, plant flowers, and prepare for the big day. On the night of All Saints, families come with candles to light all over the cemetery. It's beautiful, because there are candles everywhere. Another PCV, Meg, met a family preparing their graves over the weekend and they invited her to come back on the night of All Saints. A few of us went with her and had the opportunity to truly experience the day. It's a very festive occasion, and seen as a happy tribute to past family members. A traditional food called Asham is also eaten. It's made from ground corn, and is sweet. It's a powder that you eat alone. It was good. This family shared a lot with us. In walking around we saw many people taking part in the holiday. It was a beautiful night.