Bluefields Beginnings

Goat got stuck trying to get a mango seed out of the box

Well, we have officially been Peace Corps Volunteers at our site in Bluefields for two weeks. Our focus thus far has really just been on making our cabin into a home, getting to know people, and learning about the organizations we work with. This “take it slow” approach is encouraged by Peace Corps to achieve two things, 1) to integrate into our community in such a way that increases personal safety, and 2) to fully understand the local knowledge, history, and assets that will inform and shape projects going forward. In fact, Peace Corps doesn’t even provide Program Design & Management training until the Early Service Conference (four months into service) because of the pitfalls of trying to get a big project going before really understanding the environment.

Our Community

As someone who served two tours in Iraq as a soldier and three months in South Sudan as a civilian, I feel truly blessed to have been placed here in Bluefields, Jamaica. Many of the farms I work on provide scenic views that blend verdant land and indigo Caribbean Sea. It is nowhere near as cool as some of the mountainous sites like where we trained in Woodford, but even though the sweat pours all day, I think we can make it down to the local beach just about every weekend. There are a few upscale villas and a Sandals resort nearby, so on first meeting a lot of locals assume we are short-term tourists. However, after speaking a little Patois and explaining where we live and what we do, they warm right up.

Bus on right is a typical "15 Passenger" taxi

We are adjusting to things like waiting for small taxi buses that hold 15 people, but cramming in with 20 or more. Our cabin is not plumbed into any public water service, so we haul water to the house in jugs and buckets. We have a 300 gallon tank next to the house designed to catch rainwater off of the roof to shower and flush the toilet, but since we haven’t gotten any rain I have had to haul water up on the roof to pour into the tank and may have to do it again soon. I am once again taking “combat showers” like in Iraq, which means turning on the water to get wet, then turning it off to scrub and turning it on again to quickly rinse off. We also only flush the toilet after going number two. One quickly becomes conscious of water consumption when you carry it all by hand.

Fixing up future Heritage Center

Some highlights of my activities so far include helping fix up an old police building that will become a heritage center for Bluefields, digging holes and putting in fence posts with a goat farmer, planting corn with my supervisor, and planning sessions with key leaders of the Westmoreland Organic Farmers Specially Authorized Society (WOFSAS). A lot of our work over the course of the year will include getting the group officially registered with the government, increasing the output of value-added organic products, and planning the second annual Bluefields Organic Expo & Sorrel Festival on December 19 & 20, 2012. 

Products made by WOFSAS

Unfortunately, I have a touch of the flu so I am going to cut things off here. We have the internet back up and running in our cabin, so feel free to leave a comment/question or shoot me an email.