Any questions you have, please post and I will answer in my next post!
Fun fact: Coconut oil is my most frequently bought item that has now become my lotion, hair styler and i get to cook with it! No one else cooks withit here though, so they think am a weirdo.
I started teaching at the secondary (high) school this week. I will be teaching Family Life Education to years 11, 12 and 13. Some of my classes may have up to 50 students in them. Phew! Wish me luck! The year 13 students have a classroom pilot program that allows access to a computer and projector. I look forward ro being able to use that some and not always using the chalk board. The kids are used to being lectured here in Fiji so it is different for them to be asked to participate in other ways. But they are excited to learn and that is all I need to be excited to teach! I am also hopeful in getting soccer going at the school. Right now options for sports are rugby, netball, track and volleyball.
Projects my village hopes to accomplish:
**A primary (elementary) school library. They hope to build this in the village (school is across the street) though to allow a broader access for villagers as well and so when students are on breaks from school they can still use it. They envision it eventually having a couple of computers with internet access.
**A poultry farm. I am a big fan of the income generating projects! This project takes much less to start up than most of the other projects as well.
**A church for the secondary (high) school. There are many students and teachers who board at the school. They have used a classroom for church and prayer services in the past but have never had a church of their own. It would be a Methodist Church.
**The village itself wants to expand their church. Not everyone can fit inside.
**A project about sewage has been mentioned..don't know many details on it.
**There are 4 clans in my village. One of the clans wants help advancing their farming. They have to walk 1 or 2 hours to their farming land and so they were hoping for something such as a carrier (large truck) to aid in their farming efforts.
My priorities are the first three projects listed. They are organized by the youth (ages 15-35) of the village. The pressure of projects is still there but I have a few people in my corner now who help me to explain my role and how Peace Corps does projects ro the villagers who still struggle in understanding. They have also helped give me the confidence to be more direct and honest and say "I don't know"...when in fact I don't know. I love that my village is so motivated and organized, but man oh man it is often overwhelming that they have such high expectations of me. I feel like I am sometimes a disappointment to them in that they were hoping and thinking someone would come and fully fund their projects and here I am ready to teach and practically an amateur at grant writing. At the end of my two years I should be able to put grant writing on my resume for sure though!
My updated care package list:
*Clif Z Bars (especially iced oatmeal cookie flavor)
*Coloring books-for kids or adults
*Quart (bigger sized) ziploc bags
*Tootsie Pops
*Chocolate
*Annie's Mac and Cheese (put in ziploc)
*Construction Paper
*Deck of Cards
*Any little toys, activities for little kids, old children's books, chalk, bubbles, etc. The kids in the village have zero toys. If I see one more kid play with a knife..
*Anything random. When it comes to food I miss just about everything.
Melissa Martin, PCV
Naiyala High School
P.O. Box 166
Korovou Town, Fiji Islands
