Health fairs and my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer . . .

To sum up everything lately, lots of work. I’ve been working with a lot of local NGO’s, putting on health fairs, going out to communities and working with middle and elementary school students. Last Friday I went out to a community, Sisle, to help put on a health fair.

People outside of a secondary school waiting to be seen by doctors.

Don Fidel, one of my MINSA counterparts. Fabulous man.

I ran a hand washing station,

had a few fun games that focused on personal hygiene,

and taught English classes.

I know, English classes don’t really fall under the community health umbrella. But, there is only so much a person can talk about when it comes to personal hygiene . . . so I gave them what they wanted, English.

That being said, this is the first time I have ever taught English. Not so easy! We started with basic saludos (greetings) like hello, goodbye, my name is etc. Here in Nicaragua when people pass each other in the streets they say Adios (goodbye). So logically they all try to say goodbye to you when you see them on the street in passing. It was hardest to convince them that in the U.S. we say hi in passing. I had a great time but realized that next time I’m in the Peace Corps office I need to go straight to the library. I’m picking up a TEFL, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, book.

Don Bayardo y Don Rene. They both drive MINSA ambulances and such . . . also fabulous.

Outside of work I have been visiting friends and seeing some of Nicaragua on the weekends. This past weekend I went out to visit a friend in his site, La Concordia. La Concordia is a small Jinotegan municipality about an hour north of my site. And, it is gorgeous. We spent the weekend playing cards, hanging out with his Nicaraguan family, watching soccer (he plays in a local soccer league). It was a super relaxing weekend. His host abuela (grandmother) even offered to teach me how to make Nica chees, awesome, and wash pants, not so awesome seeing as she was alluding to male pants. Ha.

Lucky for me my wknd ended splendidly. I ended up violently vomiting in Braden’s living room. First time to vomit in Nicaragua. I have yet to figure out if I had food poisoning or even better, amoebas. Cross my fingers it was just a food thing.

Well, that’s all for now. I love you all and hope everything is going splendidly in the good old U.S. of A.