Quick update

So much is going on right now. I just finished a 4 day workshop/tournament for 6 soccer teams in Vila- 4 guys teams and 2 girls teams. The doctor, a technician from the Camara, another girl on the “team” and I led 2 days of information on AIDS and HIV and had the teams make posters to put up in the Polivalente (soccer stadium) and gave them information on Scenarios of Africa (Africa wide contest to write 5 minute plays or songs that get played on tv between shows about AIDS). Then the next 2 days were soccer games with the posters up for people to see. There was a great turn out at the games- I only counted part of the stadium but my guess was between 200 and 300 people. We’re doing the same thing in March for basketball and handball teams and will modify it a bit- have a microphone in the stadium to talk about AIDS during the games, etc.

Once this is completed we’ll do something similar but for just girls and girls at risk and the information will be about early pregnancies because clearly that is a large problem here.

The women’s association is working on our March activities for International Women’s Day (March 8) and Cape Verdian Women’s Day (March 27). For the 8th, we are having a parade around town, then having a lunch with a speaker on women’s health and maybe women’s rights (if they are available) and the batuk group will dance. At night we are having a traditional dance with violin music (none of the dj and speakers zouk stuff) along with the Calheta Community Association who has been planning a lot of activities (this dance for example) leading up to our big festa on March 19th.

The 10-14th we are holding a women/girl’s soccer tournament. Then on the 15-17th we’re having someone come give a workshop on business skills- the importance of saving money, how to make a budget and balance it, etc. Then the 19th is our town’s big festa (Sao Jose) which means lots more activites (we started having night activities- soccer games, batuk groups, singers, dances, artisan street fairs, dance competitions- the end of February and they go until the big festa). The day of the festa people go to mass and then to the designated festa house where lots of women cook a ton of food for the entire community. I’ll probably be at the house helping cook. The 25th or 26th we’re (women’s group) having a speaker on drugs and alcohol and then on the 27th for Cape Verdian Women’s day we’ll have a party for the elderly. So my March is pretty full.

On top of that, I’m helping the micro-credit group with their big assembly which has so far been pushed back 3 weeks because we are waiting for one guy from Praia to come balance the budget and meet with the Directors of the group so that we can present it at the assembly. Right now its really frustrating because this guy’s house number, work number and cell phone are all disactivated. The guy in charge in Maio is going to Praia today to hunt the guy down and find out what’s going on. I have a feeling we’ll end up doing the assembly March 9 which will be exhausting after the stuff on the 8th and the women’s group is cooking for the assembly so they would not be too happy. But we’ll see.

In other news, I’ve started teaching again. I know I swore it off but I promised the group that combats illiteracy that I would teach them computers once the other classes ended so I’m now teaching a one hour computer class on Fridays. I figure one hour a week won’t kill me.

I’m working with the guy in Morro again. This time to plan a camping trip in May for 5 youth from each town. We’ll have speakers on issues facing youth, teambuilding games (my ropes corps activities if you will), painting schools that need repainting, sports, and night time activities planned by the kids. It’s still in the early stages but the planning team is going to start meeting soon and get things going.

I also might be going back to Fogo at the end of April. My women’s group is trying to plan a trip to share experiences with a women’s group in Fogo as well as see the island, do a joint project, and have a few speakers that can help benefit both groups. Sarah is meeting with a group of women to see if they are interested and if this is feasible to do. The women in Maio are really excited about the idea and actually they came up with it so its good to see them thinking towards the future.