Wednesday, June 25, 2008
pictures
sorry i haven't posted pictures... the internet connection here at work is demasiado slow and it won't let me post them. I will try to bring the computer to my other work and post from there sometime soon!
NGO's and money
So things here have been going pretty slow these past few weeks and I really haven't had much work for myself... hence the start of the trash project.
So.....I got to talking to one of my counterparts about money and honduran culture. I didn't realize that they spend $8000 lemps on a single support group meeting... that is about $430 dollars and is absolutly ridiculous to me. For one thing, they pay these peoples transport from their community to santa rosa, give them a snack, give them lunch, give them $ for dinner and then pay for their over night stay if it is necessary and to top it off give them $ for breakfast. Talk about over-kill....all those unneccessary expenses! I couldn't believe it. And now we are going to run out of money come november and there is no funding for the next year. My counterpart is all worried about the group and what will happen, but to me it is just an example of how un-sustainable this group really is.
For me and most of everyone else in development work the goal is sustainable development. To work and function so that if one day your organization was not there or there was a lack of funds that the whole world didn't come crashing down. I am currently working with another volunteer- Leah- from San Juan to write for some PEPFAR funds for the next 6 months of meetings so maybe we can have more meetings..... however i don't know what is going to happen because since the NGO started the habit of paying all this the people are all used to it and when we can no longer pay for it all I fear they aren't going to come to the meeting. The PC certainly isn't going to pay for all of that seeing as it is so unsustainable and I have personal issues with paying all that so I am not including it in the grant.
I think this is also a good thing for the group though... because it will show that those who are truly interested in the group will come to the meetings for their own personal good and not what they are getting out of it. We for people to come to SRC from all over.. san pedro, san marcos.. places really far away. Sure some are coming for the meeting and to get meds... but i also fear that some are just coming because it is a free trip to Santa Rosa and food (hell why not!) But hopefully we can get through this hiccup and be a stronger group because of it.
This custom of paying for everything is completely out of hand! Every meeting you go to has a snack and lunch provided and people only go cuz they are getting fed and they won't show up if you aren't providing food. It drives me crazy at how much $ is wasted on silly little things like that when the $ could be spent in such a better way. I think the people here really just need a lesson on better management of funds... not just the people I am working with but everyone!
I have no idea how to approach this topic with my work partners.... the wasting of $ and the fact that we don't need to be spending so much money on the events we do. Dios mio... hopefully I can talk to some volunteers and get suggestions because if this keeps up we are not going to have $ for anything. I wonder if their funders have any idea how all this $ is being spent... because if they did I am sure they wouldn't fund them nearly as much as they do.
So.....I got to talking to one of my counterparts about money and honduran culture. I didn't realize that they spend $8000 lemps on a single support group meeting... that is about $430 dollars and is absolutly ridiculous to me. For one thing, they pay these peoples transport from their community to santa rosa, give them a snack, give them lunch, give them $ for dinner and then pay for their over night stay if it is necessary and to top it off give them $ for breakfast. Talk about over-kill....all those unneccessary expenses! I couldn't believe it. And now we are going to run out of money come november and there is no funding for the next year. My counterpart is all worried about the group and what will happen, but to me it is just an example of how un-sustainable this group really is.
For me and most of everyone else in development work the goal is sustainable development. To work and function so that if one day your organization was not there or there was a lack of funds that the whole world didn't come crashing down. I am currently working with another volunteer- Leah- from San Juan to write for some PEPFAR funds for the next 6 months of meetings so maybe we can have more meetings..... however i don't know what is going to happen because since the NGO started the habit of paying all this the people are all used to it and when we can no longer pay for it all I fear they aren't going to come to the meeting. The PC certainly isn't going to pay for all of that seeing as it is so unsustainable and I have personal issues with paying all that so I am not including it in the grant.
I think this is also a good thing for the group though... because it will show that those who are truly interested in the group will come to the meetings for their own personal good and not what they are getting out of it. We for people to come to SRC from all over.. san pedro, san marcos.. places really far away. Sure some are coming for the meeting and to get meds... but i also fear that some are just coming because it is a free trip to Santa Rosa and food (hell why not!) But hopefully we can get through this hiccup and be a stronger group because of it.
This custom of paying for everything is completely out of hand! Every meeting you go to has a snack and lunch provided and people only go cuz they are getting fed and they won't show up if you aren't providing food. It drives me crazy at how much $ is wasted on silly little things like that when the $ could be spent in such a better way. I think the people here really just need a lesson on better management of funds... not just the people I am working with but everyone!
I have no idea how to approach this topic with my work partners.... the wasting of $ and the fact that we don't need to be spending so much money on the events we do. Dios mio... hopefully I can talk to some volunteers and get suggestions because if this keeps up we are not going to have $ for anything. I wonder if their funders have any idea how all this $ is being spent... because if they did I am sure they wouldn't fund them nearly as much as they do.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
APARTMENT!!!
So I am very excited to post about my new apartment. I am actually staying at my host family's house because they rent apartment and it just so happened that one has opened up in perfect timing. My mom lowered the rent so that I would stay too so that helps. It has it's own little patio and pila, a giant kitchen, big living room and my bedroom. Off the bedroom is the bathroom with the electroduche so I have hot water. It is really safe too there is like 4 doors anyone would have to get through if they wanted to steal me or my stuff ... and my family has a vicious dog that barks really loud so he scares off the people. I swear he is going to eat me by the end of these 2 years. Another perk with this place is that there is CABLE! but that also means i need to buy myself a TV-- right now I am borrowing one from my host family. Maybe I can get one for xmas??
This weekend I think I am going to go buy a fridge and gas burners. I kinda want a big mini fridge... not the ity bitty dorm sized ones. I like to cook and I need some space in my fridge to put stuff. I found one I like for about 5,000 lemps.. and since George Bush gave us all $300 to spend.. I think I might just splurge. It is for 2 yrs, why not!
This weekend I think I am going to go buy a fridge and gas burners. I kinda want a big mini fridge... not the ity bitty dorm sized ones. I like to cook and I need some space in my fridge to put stuff. I found one I like for about 5,000 lemps.. and since George Bush gave us all $300 to spend.. I think I might just splurge. It is for 2 yrs, why not!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
BASURA
So I am kinda excited... I am going to start working with one of my site mates Shannon on this garbage project "Cero Basura". We just talked about it lastnight over a couple beers... but it should be great. We are going to make the contacts and charla paper this week and hopefully start with the charla´s by the end of the month. There is a play that goes along with this program so we are hoping to work with the group of actors at the Casa Cultura and perform it for the local schools and at the Feria in August. It is going to be alot of work.... but I think it can be done!
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