CR- Entrenamiento

In 2 weeks I will be finished training and swearing in as an official volunteer for the 2nd time. Obviously this time will be different in terms my dress and the actual ceremony (which maybe broadcasted live on television).  In the past 8 weeks I have created friendships and bonds with many people including my Tico training host family.

Training is done in San Jose, therefore I live with a family in San Jose.  I have a host dad, who works as a taxi driver, a mom, who is a stay at home mom and 1 brother and 2 sisters; Maria Jose (17yrs), Jazmin (10yrs) and Josue (6yrs).  I absolutely love and adore my  training host family, they are incredibly loving, supportive, funny and just all around awesome people.   My host sister Jazmin smoothers me with kisses and even assists me in tying my shoes.  Josue is the baby of the family and since I am still learning Spanish I hardly understand what he is saying half the time but he is so cute and loves to play around and joke so words are not that important .   My host mom truly takes care of me and is so emphatic and loving, she is the true caretaker of her whole family.  My oldest host sister is an energetic, animated, slighty loud teenager that reminds me of myself at that age, so she is like the sister I never had.  My host dad works a lot and he is a bit machismo but the love he has for his family is so evident in all his actions its hard to not love him too.  Needless to say I will truly miss my host family once I go to my official site, Matina which is in the providence of Limon.

I will talk more about my site, which I am actually visiting right now for the next couple of days, once I have spent my first month here.  I will be working on developing programs to combat some of the local social issues in Matina such as drug consumption among teenagers and young adults, lack of recreational activities for youth and children, domestic violence, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, school dropouts and delinquency.  After doing a community diagnostic my first 3 months I will be able to better assess the needs of my community as well as the resources available for potential projects.  I am really looking forward to working and living in Matina and I hope all of you continue to support me during my service.  Also if you would like to send any material, children's games or information on the issues I will be working on please feel free to email me or mail anything, except really large boxes.  My email and mailing address is below.  Until next time hasta luego !

P.S.-  If you would like to watch the livestream of me swearing in, check it out Friday, May 13th.  Below is the link!
Tico 22 Swear-In

rbp130@gmail.com
PCV Rosemarie Philip
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 1266-1000
San Jose, Costa Rica


Pictures of my host family



Costa Rica- Pura Vida

It has been almost 3 months since my last post and 2 months since my arrival in Costa Rica.  Although my training has kept me very busy, I also found it difficult to write an un-biased and non-comparative post of my experience in CR so far.  Coming from Niger where life is so much simpler yet difficult, to Costa Rica, which reminds me of the West Indies, was not an easy transition.  I realized I really miss Niger and my experience there will always be remembered and cherished but I must put that same passion and focus into my work here in Costa Rica because there is definitely a need.
Peace Corp in every country varies but one thing that is the same is training and since this is my 2nd training in a 6 month period it can be a little bit….boring Yet I have definitely enjoyed certain parts of it and the content is also more focused on the program (Children, Youth & Families) I am working in.  My weekly schedule entails, Spanish class Mon., Wed., & Fri from 8am-3:30pm, and technical and core classes on Tuesday & Thursday form 8am-4:30pm.  The rest of the time I usually spend with my host family or traveling on Peace Corps trips to visit other volunteers of your future site.  So far I have visited 2 volunteers in 2 different parts of the country; Santa Cruz, Guanacaste & Buenos Aires, Puntarenas.  Guanacaste was dry and hot but I was able to go to the beach and saw a lot including hundreds of jellyfish in the water and and a dead crocodile on the shore! I was also able to learn about the many projects the completed by the volunteer  in that site including setting up official night classes for adults.  After doing a community diagnostic she realized many adults within her community did not have an education beyond 6th grade so working with Ministry of Education she was able to have certified teachers sent to her community to teach classes for adults.  With these classes students will be able to obtain an equivalent of a high school diploma.  The other volunteer I visited in Puntarenas, which was hot and humid but gorgeous, also completed many projects within her community.  She created a women’s group and helped them in obtaining materials and training to build a greenhouse to simulate income generation among members of her community.  She also got a grant to build a playground for the children within her community as well as many other smaller projects. 
For many Costa Rica is just another vacation site but there are also many parts of the country that are plagued with social issues and economic disparity.  Visiting other volunteers and seeing the work they have done as well as the relationships they have created within their community has inspired me.  It has also helped me realized that just because a country maybe more advanced in terms of infrastructure and technology does not mean all their problems have been eliminated and there is always work to be done.

I would also like to make a special dedication to Seyni, a Peace Corp Niger staff member that passed away from high blood pressure a couple of weeks ago.  I personally remember Seyni and am deeply saddened by his passing especially since I know our departure from Niger had a lot to do with his health.  May his soul rest in peace and my prayers going out to his family.

Some clips of Costa Rica so far!  Most are pics of the schools and children I work with.