Site, site, site

I made a New Years Resolution to stay at my site unless I had to attend something related to benefiting my community. Here are some updates on what I've been doing since being 'all couped up'!

Recycling - working with a group of 3 other PCVs to learn about waste management and recycling in Thailand.  We call ourselves the Eco-femi-warriors!  We have visited an international recycling plant, 'Wongpanit', and the "City of Recycling" in Phitsanulok, Thailand. We are doing this to to increase knowledge and to raise awareness about the variety of projects in Thailand for our communities and other PCVs.  At the end of March, we are visiting a project that makes roofs out of milk cartons for poverty-stricken families.  

3rd to the left - Wongpanit himself! The 3 ladies on both sides of Wongpanit and myself are the Eco-femi-warriors!

In the interim, my more-instant gratification comes from educating my own community about recycling.  

Pii Dtik completes her 1st pocketbook

Teaching how separate garbage and to make mosquito traps as dengue
fever prevention and recycling (uses plastic bottles)

 Gender camp: The issues of gender and all that's included (sexual health, healthy relationships, gender roles and gender respect, homosexuality, alcohol use and how it affects behavior and decisions, self-esteem) are so broad and complex.  Thai culture adds another aspect that complicates it even more.  Because of this, the current GAD GIG (Gender and Development Global Initiative Group of Peace Corps) members have struggled with 'how' to address these issues.  We decided we needed to really hash out our thoughts and have a long, open-ended discussion.  The boys came over my house last weekend and although we had tons of fun, we did work the whole weekend and made progress.  We decided to host a gender camp in October for youth all over Thailand - this camp will address all of above-mentioned topics.  We are all very happy with this decision - can't you tell? :)

Current GAD'ers! Left: Joe, Center: Kyle, Right: Erica

Breast checks anyone?  Well, if you'd like one, I can now do that for you as I am the designated breast checker at my health station!  Oh, the things you'll do as a PCV!  I can go into the story of how this happened, but who really cares?  Fact is, it happened.  Breast cancer is a big problem in my community and something I've been concerned about, especially since it's affected some of my good friends here.  I was really nervous my first day but have been really happy that I somehow ended up with this task.  The ladies come in now and tell me their friends have told them the farang is checking breasts, but they didn't believe it....until now!  Since last week, I have checked about 50 women, 4 of whom had to get mammograms because of abnormalities and have provided 1:1 education to all 50 women on how to do monthly breast checks themselves.  I checked my friends breasts yesterday and she asked me if my breasts were the same as hers.  She's a funny lady and we've gotten into all sorts of interesting conversation, but I was tired and hungry and to save time, I told her yes.  She's now telling everybody her and I have the same breasts :)  Oh Thailand!

World Map: never thought I'd teach geography, but here I am.  Four 2-hour lessons on America, Thailand and the world and then the painting of the World Map with 30 4th, 5th, and 6th graders = a really good time!

More to come on the health day at the secondary school in June - it will focus on sexual health and how drugs/alcohol, gender respect and relationships all factor in.  For more information on Diabetes and Disability Group, please patiently await the upcoming blog-post titled 'Frustrations'!