New Years 2010

I realized today that I have not posted since Christmas! I am not sure why it has been so delayed. I am still alive and well down here in PG. I had a nice New Years. Kristen (another PCV here in PG) and I were in PG for New Years Eve. We made some dinner, watched a movie and at midnight watched fireworks off the pier. It was a quiet New Years Eve. 

The past few weeks has been very quiet. The  children just went back to school this week. I have been reading a lot these past few weeks. Thank you to everyone that sent me packages and cards this past month! It has been so great to receive them and know you are thinking of me! :) 


This week I am going to K'chi language training. I am hoping that will help me better communicate with the ladies at Fajina. Things are going okay at Fajina. They are some of the most hardworking people I have ever met. Each week two of them come in Monday morning (their market buses bring them in around 6, most leave their villages between 3-4). They then work all day preparing food in the restaurant and serving customers. The two women are there for the entire week, most leave Saturday afternoon. They do not make much money to compensate for the work either. This past month my heart ached when preparing the books for the monthly meeting. The women that worked in December were not going to be receiving much money at all for their labor intensive weeks. I was worried what the reaction would be from the group. Surprisingly the women did not complain, they just set the schedule for January. I was astonished. I am not sure if this will always be the norm, but hopefully business picks up more and the ladies will start making a bigger profit.


This past week I traveled to Belmopan for a WID/GAD (Women in Development/Gender and Development) committee meeting. I was very excited to be placed on the 10 person committee. The committee does a variety of things in Belize. One is putting on a GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) camp each summer. GLOW clubs are all over Belize, they are comprised of young girls and give them the opportunity to come together and develop great life skills. The purpose of this camp was to encourage young women to become active citizens by building their self-esteem and confidence, increasing their self-awareness, and developing their skills in goal setting, assertiveness, and career and life planning. I am very excited to help plan the camp for this upcoming summer for about 30 girls from all across Belize. 

Here are two ladies from Fajina talking on a cell phone. :)

Here is the Market in PG. It is every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It has lots of fresh fruits and vegetables!