This was an image on the opening slide during our first "Arte por la Paz" meeting. I thought it was kinda funky and visually pleasing enough to share.

Here's the group!


We meet once a week to discuss an issue surrounding peace and violence and then do an art project representing what we've learned. (read: have fun and paint with our fingers). The 7 students were chosen from the "government housing" area of our neighborhood based on their interest level and art abilities. Most of these guys haven't had the opportunity to leave the county, so they're ultra excited about participating in a regional event with other Peace Corps groups from all over southern Costa Rica 3 hours from here.

Book Clubbers are anxiously preparing and practicing their "reading aloud" skills to start a project next week where they'll read to the preschool class. This comes as a bit of good news after the school assembly, to celebrate National Book Day, was cancelled where they were going to recite a poem and give a quick workshop on the right way to treat and care for books. But, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going and instead we're going to visit each and every classroom (time out of class!!) to give the presentation and simultaneously honor the time and effort they put in to memorizing and preparing.




I'm also working on a project with the Speech Therapist of San Vito directed at parents of children who are on the waiting list to receive therapy. There are 34 families currently waiting with 50 currently receiving treatment... needless to say, she's the only therapist in the entire county. This has been especially valuable and rewarding for me as I plan to dive into this career post PC life.

So there is a lot of work happening these days... I'm starting a project called "Voces Valerosas"-a group for high school girls about leadership and social issues-and a service learning project with the kiddos in book club and the older kiddos in the Senior Home. But, this year has been choked full of challenges, confrontations, and counterparts rapidly losing their interest and responsibilities with regards to the projects. But, I'm grateful for the forward movement.

Finally, last and certainly not least, since the last critical and invigorating update about my time here... Dan AND my Mom & Bill have come down to visit me!! Both trips were glorious in their own ways, THANK YOU!! I've uploaded photos from each.

It's almost May!