Por Fin!

November 19, 2006

I found out my site last Monday. Drum roll please...I'm going to live...for the next two years in... a large town in the Barahona Province located in the southwestern region (or the "Dirty South" as many of the volunteers dub it here) of the DR and is characterized as being hot, dry and a little rough around the edges. Honestly, I was a little disappointed when I learned I'd be in, practically, a city with a population of 90,000. After technical training in the mountains, I grew fond of the rural lifestyle. I didn't have the chance to dwell for too long since the next day I had to pack half of my things and go visit my site and meet my project partner as well as my third installment in the host family series.

When I arrived, I was welcomed by a confused host mother who thought I was arriving the following day and a juelga (general term for a strike, protest or havoc in the streets) against rising prices. Things started to look for the better after I talked to my project partner about my future work with her and a group of women that sew and sell dolls. This artisan workshop, supported by USAID and a private consulting firm, began earlier this year and my project partner has been very dedicated to it and is passionate about creating an artisan project unique and characteristic of the southwest region and the potential of income generation for the women of the group. That's where I come in--help find new markets and venues to sell the dolls, teach business skills, facilitate the capacity of the group, and support sustainability of the project. Vamos a ver.