International Human Rights Day

This Saturday past was International Human Rights Day around the world. Every year, people from all over the world gather and organize events to commemorate Human Rights in their respective countries. As it stands, the Declaration of Human Rights is the most translated document in history, having been translated into over 382 different languages and dialects.

Everyone has the right to basic human rights as outlined in the Declaration, and each country has the responsibility of ensuring its people they are given these rights. On Saturday, over 100 people marched for their human rights in Grenada. I'm sure a few of you remember last years Human Rights Day, which I helped introduced and implement the first human rights ribbon in Grenada. This year, we added the human rights march through town and the internationally known Clothesline Project (http://www.clotheslineproject.org/).

The day was overwhelmingly successful with the help of many in attendance and the assistance of community partners. This event concluded the 16 Days of Activism to Protest Violence Against Women (Nov. 25-Dec. 10) and was indeed a chance for us to go out with a bang before Christmas break. If you remember last year, it took some time for the human ribbon idea to take hold and be understood by those in attendance.

Last year's human ribbon

This year's human ribbon

Improvement indeed if I may say so myself. During the planning stages and initial days leading up to the event we weren't sure we had engaged the public enough, but the day of the march we showed up to a decent amount of people and a huge improvement from last year. Engaging stakeholders and planning EARLY (which is hard to do on island time) set the event up for success and we all should be proud of the work we accomplished. Hopefully next year the event will be ever larger! Until then, check out some more pictures....

School Fair Time

The first week of December in Grenada is packed tight with school fairs. Its an opportunity for the children and families to have a kid-friendly environment that is fun and safe for all. But its also the largest fundraiser of the year for the schools around the island. Fundraiser for what you may ask? Sadly...the basics. Pens, pencils, notebooks, markers, etc for the teachers and students. The kids LOVE school fair with the various game booths, plenty food and blaring loud music. They wear their best outfits and bring all their coins they can round up around the house. This year I think the school fair was a big success and we raised a good amount of money to support the children through the rest of the year.

 This tent was set up as the "Pick a leaf" prize table. The kids paid 3 dollars to pick a leaf off the tree. The leaf had a number on it and that number determined which set of prizes they got to chose from. The kids LOVED picked the leaves and then getting to chose exactly the prize they wanted.

Mr. Kentish, a new student in our school this year. He is a handful but this smile is so precious. He was enjoying his third cup of soda. Bless his parents hearts. haha.

No Grenadian event is complete without loads and loads of fried chicken. I helped take the money for this table and by my 8th hour of saying 7 dollars for chicken and chips, I was OVER chicken. :)

The beauty salon table, where you could get your nails and makeup done for just 3 dollars. It was a popular one amongst the aspiring beauty queens.

Face painting was awesome this year because they got rid of me! haha. They recruited some art students from the local community college and they did excellent. Don't mind Ms. Kaylah, she wasn't interested in her picture being taken.

This is my counterpart, Ms. Mitchell, who doubled as the fried chicken and chips master for the fair.

Tymickie (tuh-my-kee), who had about 4 ice cream cones and enjoyed every single one. :)

Shardina and her beautiful face painting.

Thanksgiving Peace Corps Style

I know this post is a little late, but I found it necessary to share with everyone our pictures from the volunteer Thanksgiving. We celebrated a day late, as we don't receive American holidays off and our schedules were booked full. But Friday turned out to be perfect timing. We also got the opportunity to participate in goal #3 of the Peace Corps, in sharing American culture with our host country. Our local friends and counterparts were invited to the event and I have to say this is one of my favorite holidays to share with the Grenadian locals. Check out the pictures....

Early Childhood Intervention Program

A couple months ago we started a new term of the Early Childhood Intervention Program (ECIP), which a few Peace Corps Volunteers serve at monthly. The program was started by some concerned significant others of  St. George's University faculty, one of which was a previous serving Peace Corps Volunteer. They identified a need for a support program for Grenadian children with special needs who haven't yet reached school age. Children with a wide variety of special needs, from down syndrome to autism and all in between.

From 9-11:30am on the third Saturday of the month, we gather at a daycare in Grand Anse and conduct a one-on-one play therapy session with these children. What is so incredible is not only the small steps of progress we see in the children, but the smiles we see on the faces of their parents, who get just a couple hours to themselves while their children are tended to in a healthy environment. For some parents, this is the only break they receive for the month, and we all know working with special needs is a full time job times some.

For the two or so hours we work with these children, we focus on the basic skills needed for children to function successfully, things like fine motor skills, language skills, and gross motor skills. Each child is paired with a volunteer who knows the abilities of the child and the milestones we are trying to reach. Its amazing how much effort, discipline and patience it takes for not only the children to stay focused, but also the volunteers. Small successes is what keeps up coming back every month, and these children truly are incredible.

Katie and Steph working on simple directives with Jumorie and Jayden

Steph working on balance with Jayden

Katie and Jumorie working on balance. See him making eye contact? That's a form of communication for nonverbal children.

Kaleb, who stole my heart. This poor child is young for the program, but its necessary he is there because we are told he sits in a crib all day long at his current day care.

Lendell working on simple directive during snack time.

Leslie-Ann is a sweetheart. I told her to smile, this is what I got...

Christine and Alexei working on fine motor skills during painting.

Errin's music room is one of the childrens favorite.

Grenada's First Freeze Flash Mob

I apologize for the influx of blog postings today, but I found some time and realized I had a lot to update my followers on, so here it goes!

First, the organization I work for, Grenada National Organization of Women, as well as many other island NGO's came together back in September and organized the World AIDS Day Committee. This is the second year for the committee and we learned valuable lessons from the dysfunction of last year, helping to make this years committee much more proactive and committed.

The WAD committee organized a series of events for the 16 Days of Activism to protest violence against women (Nov.25-Dec.10), as well as events on World AIDS Day (Dec.1st). We have been extremely busy organizing over 7 events for the month and I think we are doing a great job executing so far. Our first event was last week, the first ever Freeze Flash Mob to hit Grenada and man was it a hit!

Check out the video for yourself:




We organized local affiliates and community members to meet at the Esplanade mall on a Friday afternoon at 5pm. Outside the mall is a hot spot for secondary students and college aged kids to mingle and relax on a Friday afternoon, so the crowd was definitely present, and them BAM! people started freezing, and stood there for 7 minutes total. Each person represented a myth related to HIV, whether it was you cant get HIV from mosquitoes, to using protection and even a first aid demonstration. Overall it went phenomenal and I was extremely pleased.

We have two more flash mobs planned for the month, both of which will be dancing flash mobs and I'm excited to see people pull these off as well. Good things happening in Grenada folks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my dear Americans. Sadly, I'm in the office preparing for a two day workshop that begins next week, but I'm thinking of all of you today. I wish I could be home with my family, sharing a meal and remembering  past holidays.

The Peace Corps will be celebrating our Thanksgiving tomorrow, as its more convenient with all of our crazy busy schedules. I'm of course in charge of the green bean casserole, because I LOVEEEEEEEE green bean casserole. I shall make one for myself and one for the others. haha.

Have a great day people!

My Dear Friend...

Janet,

It's been three years since I have seen that shit-eating grin of yours and I miss it everyday. It was Halloween night, in Deana's moms yard where we had our last times together. Drinking, camping and enduring the rain. Remember my duck suit? You made jokes about it all night. I know you were jealous you didn't have your own.

Your spirit still lives on through your friends to this day. You told us to live our lives to the fullest, and remembering what you taught us is something I work for everyday. Ali and I can't ever get together and not talk about our crazy nights in Pittsburg. Riding the little child's car around Kareem's house. You walking into the house wearing a mini skirt, we wont ever let you live that down by the way. And how could I forget intramural basketball, where our team was determined to win. And we almost did, until you got mad at some big post player and punched her cold out. You proved your point, and we never returned to intramural basketball.

Pal, what I miss most about our friendship is the unspoken lessons you taught me. When you were deployed, you always made it a point to send me smart ass emails and honest updates on what was happening. I enjoyed and appreciated those emails, so now in my service I make sure to email my good friends and keep them updated. Your house on campus in Pitt, whose doors were always open to anyone and everyone showed me that diversity breeds understanding. Many of nights I can remember having parties at your house, taking shots on the counter and then getting into deep conversations about the world.

I know you are in a better place, one you much preferred than this world. I just want you to know we haven't forgotten about you and will always carry on that Janet "honesty" you shared with us all. I miss you every day pal and am so happy you now have the "Freedom to Roam".

Your Friend,

Mack

Death Of An Icon

As I wander through town going about my regular business, I can't help but stop and observe the black flags hung up on nearly every business. They show a country in mourning for a local celebrity, a cultural icon and a country leader who lead through the power of communication. He has truly left a legacy in Grenada through that deep, passionate, caring voice he projected on WeeFM each morning.

Anthony "Jericho" Greenidge, radio personality, passed away last week and left the country of Grenada in sadness and despair. I remember hearing Jericho's voice for the first time when I came to Grenada. He has a distinct voice, one made just for the radio. My first days in Grenada brought about feelings of culture shock, homesickness and excitement, but I can remember the first time I heard his voice on the radio. I was riding the bus system for the first time on my own, on my way to the first day of pre-service training. I was nervous, ecstatic and just wanted to get off on the right stop.

But then I heard Jericho, whose morning show always featured open air ways. On this particular morning the topic of conversation was dress code for tourists coming to visit the island. Unlike U.S. radio regulations, radio shows here let just about anyone call in and say just about anything. It's something I love and hate about the radio here. But this morning, Jericho was telling jokes about some of his observations of tourists, how they wear these weird looking hats, wander around town in bathing suits and always wear patterns. I felt uncomfortable on the bus as people were laughing hysterically at his jokes, realizing I was the only white person on the bus and they were talking about "my people". But in that moment of laughter, he reminded the public of something that will always stick with me:

"We are all the same people, regardless of race, gender or terrible choice in clothing."

I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to Jericho's family and friends, to his work colleagues and the general public, who all looked forward to waking up to his radio show. He was a leader of culture and will be forever missed. RIP "De Duke"

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween my little American ghosts and goblins. I hope everyone stays safe while trick-or-treating and make sure to stop by my mothers house and demand plenty candy. :)

Although Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, it isn't much celebrated in Grenada outside of the American medical university. I might try and find some candy corn though. :)

My First Experience At Parent's Day

Do you remember parent-teacher conferences as a kid? The nervous feeling you got in your stomach before your mom walked in to meet your teacher. Hoping and praying that the teacher wouldn't tell your parents about how you can't pay attention, you rather count the tiles on the walls, or kick your friends under the desk, or draw flowers on your test. That terrible bench outside the classroom where you had to sit with your classmates as your parents were just on the other side of the wall talking about you. I can distinctly remember my mothers face as she exited the meeting each year, only to hear as we reached the car "Your teacher says your a bright student but you talk to damn much."

Yesterday was Parent's Day at my primary school, the equivalent to parent-teacher conferences in the States. It was the first time I have met most of my students parents, and it was an eye opening experience. I walked into my classroom to see my counterpart, the grade 1 teacher, lecturing the parents on proper techniques for getting your child to do their homework. Technique #1: beat them. See what I'm working with here? haha.

Each of my students has a different story. They all paint a picture in my head. Such jovial, happy children on the outside, but inside they are hurting, fighting for life, struggling in a society that has the cards stacked against them. Their only escape from reality is school, where they are allowed to be children, to run, to play, to love. But I know these kids stories are ones I can't even imagine reading, and they are only a quarter of the way written.

• Little Jonathan with his bright eyes. He tries his hardest, yet is so far behind. His spirit lights up the room and his kindness penetrates through his classmates. He struggles to keep up on his school work because he rather let his eyes and mind wander the world around him. I meet his father for the first time and he shakes me hand with a smile, one just like his sons. He is trying his hardest with his son, but he lets me know he can't read himself, so he has bought posters and books for Jonathan so they can learn to read together. 
• MaQuace, the second youngest of 10 children. He has a brother or sister in each grade above him. He is the smallest in the class, but shows the most fight. He is well behaved in class, does his work, but struggles to maintain friendships. He kicks, bites and hits to survive, the youngest child syndrome. His mother comes in late, physically tired looking. This is her last conference, her 8th for the day. I can't burden her with the truths of her sons academic performance. Instead, I kindly suggest she work with him on his reading. 
• Mr. Junior, the leader of the class. His infectious smile hides his truth, "me mudda dead". Junior loves to learn. He says his mom told him he would be the Prime Minister one day. I believe her. His father attends our conference, one child on each arm. He beams with joy as we explain how well Junior is doing in Grade One. You can tell he is determined to raise up this child. I smile as he leaves the meeting because if I hear just one success story, I'm doing something right. 
• Beautiful little Hope, whose willingness to learn is often forgotten through her shyness. She doesn't say much, but I know she has so much she wants to express. I try to get her to smile every time I'm there, some days are successful, some are not. I know her families story, as its well known throughout the teachers. Her mom sells her only daughter to feed the family. At just 6 years old, Hope knows nothing different. The self control it takes for me to sit in front of her mother and update her on Hope's academic progress is one of the toughest things I've had to do in Grenada. As I bite my tongue and squeeze my leg, I let her know Hope is doing wonderful in school.
• Rambunctious Andre, whose in charge one minute, and tears the next. He brings me a wilted flower everyday to school, proud to show off his treasure. His homework is always complete and he is well dressed. In walks his grandmother, a hunched over, very aged lady. Andre straightens up the minute he sees her, he knows she is in charge now and he proclaims "Oh God" when she approaches. Grandma tells us she hasn't heard from his mother in months, she just dropped him off one day, never to return. Bless this woman's soul. 
• And little Cordel, whom we call rolly polly. His square shaped head and bowed legs makes for a cute little guy. He is well behind the rest of the students, but you would never know with his sense of urgency and commitment. He watches from the corner of the room as each student sits in the meeting with their parents. When I ask why his mommy or daddy hasn't come, he replies, "dey at wok, dey be here just now". They never come. 

Disclaimer: Students names have been changed for privacy of the individual. 

I could tell you 20 more of these stories, as each student has a unique story to share with the world. If I give these students of mine anything, I hope I give them a chance to be themselves without worry. They deserve more than this world can give to them, each and every one of them. Everyday is a struggle for them, but I can guarantee that I will never give up on them, I will give them a safe space to learn and have fun, and I will always be one hug away.

The Geography of Inequality

I spend a considerable amount of time searching news sources, I like to consider it one of my hobbies. If I have a computer in front of me, I typically have open a minimum of five tabs, 3 of which are news sources. I love the news. Its my connection to the world and my link to home. Some of my Facebook friends say "I wouldn't know what was going on in the world if it wasn't for your Facebook status." Some might take offense to that, I take the compliment. I always have the urge to post articles on this blog and rant and rave about them, but then I remember some big important bosses in Washington D.C. sit at their desk all day checking in on Peace Corps Volunteers blogs, making sure we are remaining diplomatic, unbiased and respectful. So, I post them to my Facebook page and call it good. But not today...

The U.S. is hailed as the land of the free, home of the brave right? We pride ourselves on the fact we are the melting pot of the world (unless you're from the Midwest), the leader of the universe and defender of said freedom. But what is freedom? The constitution, government and political leaders frequently consider freedom the ability for people to live their lives the way they chose, I disagree.

Center for American Progress, the Family Equality Council, and the Movement Advancement Project, in partnership with COLAGE, The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and the National Association of Social Workers recently made a special report titled "All Children Matter: How Social and Legal Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families" The report states that roughly 2 million children are being raised by LGBT families, unless of course you live in one of the states where gay adoption is illegal (Utah, Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan, and North Carolina), and that's a discussion for another day my friends.

The most interesting thing I found out of the report is the map of the top 12 states where same-sex couples are most likely to raise children. I'm sure you are expecting to see States like Massachusetts, New York and California right? NOPE, check it out...

Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Alaska. 

Shocked?  Not me. Indeed, LGBT families are everywhere in the U.S., including the mountains of Wyoming, the wheat fields of Kansas, Sarah Palin's Alaskan farm, Sally Kern's Indian territory and even the mega church South. The interesting part of the list is that these families are choosing to live in some of the most hostile environments for LGBT people, States that discriminate on just about anything pertaining to LGBT equality. The laws of their lands are restricting them from some of the most basic rights, like making medical decisions for your family members...

The part of our countries discriminatory laws that really upsets me is when coming to parental recognition. In 35 states, parental recognition at birth is completely lacking. And the GOP says children should be raised with two parents, heaven forbid they be gay, because LGBT parents can't even be recognized on their child's birth certificate. Two loving people who want to bring a well taken care of child into the world have to fight to be recognized as that child's parents? That doesn't sound like freedom to me...

 

The report goes on to outline how these laws combined with social stigma create obstacles for LGBT families, focusing on three major topic areas related to the needs of all children: stable, loving homes; economic security and health and well-being. Some examples include:

• Children are denied permanent homes.
• LGBT families face unwelcoming health care environments.
• LGBT families face social stigma and discrimination.

The other two interesting points of discussion is the percentage of families raising children who live in poverty. Take away people's right to choose, and this is what you get....

Oh, and can't forget those lovely taxes that LGBT families recognized on...

The report does conclude with some positive driving forces for the LGBT parenting movement though, ones that I think will help fuel the law makers for LGBT adoption. Their recommendations suggest recognizing LGBT families (helllllllo, we're here to stay), providing equal access to health care and protecting LGBT families from discrimination. This report demonstrates the progressive approach the movement is taking to ensure every child has the right to loving parents. The Human Rights campaign is taking a positive approach to ensuring the protection and rights of LGBT parents all around the country with their All Children, All Families initiative. If you are interested in the work they do, check out their website at www.hrc.org. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Greenz!

I always feel slightly uneasy when saying that phrase, but I think its appropriate to still say it. Why you ask? In Grenada, Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the 1983 Caribbean and American military intervention in Grenada. A joint military force arrived in Grenada on Oct 25th to restore stability to the country following the deaths of then Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and some of his colleagues. Depending on the person you speak with, it is either referred to as an intervention or the opposing invasion.

Its hard for me as an American (whose against our country going into others and taking over, oops did a Peace Corps Volunteer just voice her political opinion?) to celebrate this holiday with a country who is split down the middle on "invasion" or "intervention". Just the other day I had a man stop me on the street after he saw my Peace Corps shirt and say "Its about time you Americans leave us alone, we are making it just fine." But on the other hand, I think its my civil responsibility to be here in Grenada to show locals there are Americans who aren't coming in to take over their country, but rather work alongside each other for the common good of all.

Although the day is marked by some formal ceremonies, overall the holiday isn't really celebrated largely. There are no pilgrims, turkey and stuffing. OMG stuffing, my mouth is watering. Anyways, the holiday may not be celebrated to the extent the American Thanksgiving Day is, but we did get the day off from work, which is cause enough to appreciate the holiday. 

Happy Thanksgiving Grenada!

Sunday Round-Up

Ahhhh. The beauty of Sundays. I have come to love them. The sweet smell of big Sunday lunches coming from my neighbors houses, children playing in the river with adorable innocence and clean laundry blowing in the wind. I find myself sitting on my veranda gazing at the beauty around me, appreciating the small little wonders of this thing called life.

Things in Grenada have been, well....interesting. Without putting Grenadian culture and my work places on blast, lets just say its been a struggle to remember just why I am here. But there are a few small successes (or miracles) that are worth mentioning.

I recently started writing a VAST grant for my primary worksite, the Grenada National Organization of Women. VAST grants are an opportunity for Peace Corps volunteers to get their hands on some fairly quick money through the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. Projects obviously have to be centered around HIV/AIDS work, but its easy to tweak your program to include many other facets, like women. I started this grant back in August with hopes of conducting the project in September, but with organizational issues, the date has been pushed back to the end of November.

What is the project you ask? Well, GNOW received a large amount of money back in 2006 to start was is now called the Community Support Network. The Community Support Network (CSN) is comprised of about 100 trained volunteers from villages all over the island. Their main role is to be liaisons in their respective villages between victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and the Royal Grenada Police Force. Often times victims feel that they are alone in the process after being victimized, and the CSN network was set up to ease the burden and give some helpful assistance to those victims.

As the Caribbean is often known for, monitoring/reporting as well as sustainability is less than superb in the NGO field of work. The CSN was no different, and after completion in 2010, the network has become almost completely dormant. This sparked the idea to write a grant that brought these dedicated volunteers back together and trained them on the newly passed Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Law, which also includes a Protocol for the country. The new protocol will help significantly the volunteers of the network in ensuring proper handling and support of victims.

After much frustration and multiple "please fix section blah blah blah" emails from the overview committee, I have completed the grant and hope to receive the money sometime soon. Hopefully this grant will give the network a much needed boast and set the volunteers up for future success in their respective communities. Wish me luck!

HIV/AIDS Conference in St. Lucia

I'm sure my dedicated readers are calling the Peace Corps headquarters making sure I am still alive, and thank you for that, because I am. There hasn't been much to update on around here lately that is worth an entire posting for the universe to see, so I apologize for my idleness. But I am BACK!

Last week I got the opportunity to once again travel to St. Lucia. That's three free trips to St. Lucia on tax payers dollars if anyone is asking. haha. I promise its justified and every dollar spent was worth it for the development of the Caribbean. This trip I was participating in a PEPFAR funded HIV/AIDS conference. In case some people aren't familiar with development works friendly acronyms, PEPFAR stands for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

The conference was a two day event put on for Peace Corps Volunteers and their island counterparts. Unique to this conference was the structure, which included the performing arts group ASHE out of Jamaica. ASHE uses the progressive and relevant style of edutainment. Edutainment has existed for centuries, but just recently has been given a title and description, in which use of entertainment attracts and maintains an audience, while incorporating deliberate educational content or messages.

Throughout the conference the ASHE group included dance, music, drama and role play to convey a number of messages to us about our work in HIV/AIDS. There are a few important things that we took from the conference that I think should be shared with ya'll:

• In order to help the people we are committed to helping, we must first look within ourselves. Identifying and helping fix the baggage we carry with us will allow us to give ourselves completely to the work we do.
• Separate facts from stories. When dealing with tough situations that often involve hearsay, try to separate the facts from the stories. 
• Clean the dirty water and replace it with fresh water. Throughout everyone's lifetime we collect dirt or sand. These are experiences that shape us and our reactions to situations. If there is a problem in your life, look at the dirty water, see how you can best clean that water (though it can never really be pure) and continuing adding clean, fresh water. 

One of the most interesting points that I observed (and responded to) was the link and effect religion has on the battle against HIV/AIDS. I can't count the number of times I heard local counterparts say that we needed to turn to God for this, that and the other. Instead of facing reality and how the disease is contracted, I saw the Bible used as a crutch more than I would like to. I openly respect the view points of others and appreciated when people voice their opinions, but in order to fight the disease we much take a balanced and realistic approach.

These people are the local counterparts who we must work with to combat the epidemic, and the conference helped bring out the need for an honest collaboration between the two parties, regardless of religious background. I appreciated seeing our counterparts (well not mine because she didn't make it) show how religion really plays a role in the fight and that we must take that into consideration when designing programs and projects.

Overall, the conference was awesome. Great food, amazing presenters, sunny St. Lucia and people willing to stand up and fight the epidemic!

Quotable Moment

While escorting one of my first grade students to the office after she fell outside and cut her hand and knee:

"Mrs. Peterkin (principal), can I borrow the First Aid kit to clean up Abby?"--ME

"It is somewhere out there on the shelf, but it's probably empty"

Oh the challenges....

You Know You're a Peace Corps Volunteer When...

• You shake out your shoes for bugs and spiders before putting them on.
• You have only one functioning house utility at a time. Either the water is off, the electricity is out or you've ran out of cooking gas.
• Your alarm consists of birds chirping, roosters calling or goats screaming
• Air-conditioning comes in the form of high velocity fans.
• Only one electronic can charge at a time because your adapter sparks.

• You go nowhere without your Nalgene water bottle
• Ants in the kitchen cause you to curse at them.
• You've read more books in the last 3 months then you did in all of high school.
• Marriage proposals are second nature. 
• Bugs are the size of small rodents.

• Laundry takes all day and depends on if rain is falling. 
• You eat Ramen for two days so you can afford a beer on Friday.
• Most of your friends are under the age of 12
• You're best meal of the week comes from your landlord on Sundays.
• You talk to the green lizards in your house.
• You stare when you see a white person you don't know.
• You end your long day with a beautiful sunset.

• You talk about bowel movements when around other PCV's (and rate them)
• Receiving a package in the mail is like Christmas morning (and you hide the contents from other PCVs)
• You only buy as much groceries as you can carry home. 
• Being asked to hold a small child on the bus isn't unusual. 
• You carry your own toilet paper to school.
• You become a hoarder of anything that can become a project (toilet paper rolls, boxes, bags, bottles, etc)
• You curse the U.S. Government if they don't pay you on time. 
• You hate Peace Corps trainings, but go just because they feed you lunch.
• Ants in your drinks/food become an added source of protein. 
• You can fall asleep on a bus ride, squeezed between large adults. 
• Your lifelong best friends were government issued.

• You're students ask you why you are white and you respond culturally appropriately "because Jesus made me that way".
• You match your sweat rag to your outfit. 
• You love when friends visit from the States, because they bring American food. 

Sexual Assault in the Eastern Caribbean

FINALLY! Something tangible to write about. It has been painfully slow around these parts of the Caribbean lately, keeping my blog at a stand still. BUT...thankfully I'm back today to report on something sensitive, yet relevant to every volunteer who serves with the Peace Corps....Sexual Assault.

I'm sure everyone can remember the one-sided ABC interview on sexual assault in the Peace Corps, where they interviewed a list of volunteers who felt the Peace Corps response to their sexual assaults/rapes weren't up to par. The crimes against the volunteers scared me, angered me and made me feel slightly uneasy. But it didn't take long to see the interview was very much one sided and showed some very negative parts of the Peace Corps. Initially watching the ABC special, I was infuriated with the Peace Corps and their response to such a terrible crime against its own volunteers. Yet, what I have seen in recent months is the honest approach and response the Peace Corps has taken to respond appropriately to the events, promising to update its policies and committing itself to volunteer support.

Yesterday, our Peace Corps Medical Officer flew from St. Lucia to hold an all day workshop on sexual assault and reporting allegations with all the volunteers of Grenada. Here is a shortened version of the updates PC has made to its response involving sexual assault and rape:

1. Eliminating the video played during Pre-Service Training on sexual assault, which placed the blame solely on the volunteer and what he/she did wrong. It was a TERRIBLE video, one that made my skin crawl with anger. We are all glad its gone.
2. Hiring a full time victims advocate, who works in D.C. and is available to any volunteer (past or present) who is a victim. 
3. Making the promise to volunteers to never place the blame on the victim, rather support them throughout the entire process, from the hospital to counseling and court proceedings.
4. Ensuring confidentiality on the part of the victim. Keeping the number of people on staff who need to know the details to a minimum. 
5. Setting up a protocol that all PC staff are trained on in the event of a sexual assault of a volunteer.

Statistics for the Eastern Caribbean related to sexual assault and rape are staggering. The most recent report out is for 2009. The Peace Corps EC currently serves six islands (St.Kitts/Nevis, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Antigua, Dominica, and Grenada), with our headquarters located in St. Lucia.

• In 2009, 15 rapes and 20 major sexual assaults were reported worldwide, among 7,671 PCVs
• 26% decline in rapes over the past 12 years.
• 34% decline in sexual assaults over the past 12 years.

Most frequently, rapes and sexual assaults against volunteers are committed by an acquaintance (43%), while 5% are coworkers and 1% are other PCVs or PC staff.  Fifty percent of the time alcohol is a factor and 85% of the time the volunteer was alone when the crime occurred.

Incidents By Country

• 40% St. Vincent
• 20% St. Lucia
• 14% Antigua
• 11% Dominica
• 9% Grenada
• 6% St. Kitts/Nevis

With third world countries often comes less than stellar police forces, where corruption and under trained officers patrol the country. Worldwide, just over 50% of perpetrators are caught, with just under 25% prosecuted. Rape trials in the States can be drawn out and painful, but equally so, trials in foreign countries can be nearly impossible to navigate. This can cause victims to drop cases, opting to return to the States and avoid long drawn out cases.

Thankfully, Grenada has one of the lowest rates of sexual assault and rape among volunteers in the EC, second to last, only to St. Kitts/Nevis. Eastern Caribbean wide, there have been 2 sexual assaults and 2 rapes amongst volunteers in the last year, which is scary. Volunteers take steps to maintain their safety at all times, keeping their guards up and ensuring they make wise decisions, but no one is completely safe from the threat of rape.

Peace Corps has a responsibility to its volunteers to keep them safe and I think they do a good job. But, in saying that, there is always room for improvement. The actions of PC headquarters in training its employees and setting up policies to protect volunteers is a step in the right direction, one that I think should be commended. Our staff in the Eastern Caribbean is one of the best around (if you ask me) and is always improving its practices, making me feel that in the event of anything happening to me, I would be supported to the fullest.

The Pride of the People

Yesterday was a joyous day in Grenada as one of its own represented the country proudly on the international scale. Eighteen year old Kirani James, from the small fishing village of Gouyave, won the IAAF World Championship in the 400m, bringing the first ever gold medal home to Grenada. Pride.

To truly understand the magnitude of this accomplishment for our small island of just 100,000 people, you first have to step foot into school play yards, village community centers, road side rum shops and island wide track meets. If kids aren't competing in cricket or football, they are running track races. Barefoot, running is in the countries blood, bringing crowds of people together around April to watch school compete against one another, often taking all day to complete. When children reach secondary school, they train daily for the day of competition that makes their school stand out amongst the rest. Pride.

Young Kirani was a favorite for years through primary and secondary school competitions. Friends, supporters and coaches knew he was destined for fame. That fame was given a chance when he signed with the University of Alabama, giving him the chance to not only compete in track on the national level, but also get an American education. Pride.

As of lately, news outlets and sports magazines have started comparing Kirani to Usain Bolt. Humbly so, Kirani simply replies, “Usain is special in his own way, but I just want to be Kirani James from Grenada.” He doesn't want compared, he just wants to make his country proud. “But whatever happens, I am just happy to be representing my country and putting Grenada on the map. That’s the most important thing.” Pride.

The country stood still for the less than one minute it took him to round the track, pass the American and claim victory for this small nation of loyal fans. At small rum shops, dozens gathered around the small 13" tv set in the corner, screaming his name and waving flags. As soon as victory was Grenada's, fans and supporters flooded the streets of Gouyave chanting his name, waving Grenadian flags, some wiping tears away. Pride.

No one can know the impact a single gold medal can have on a nation of proud people. A nation that wants the world to know its here, its thriving, and its proud of its own. Pride.

Congrats Kirani James, I wish you could be here to see the pride you are bringing to the faces of your countrymen. Grenada to d world!!!!!