Oh my!

WOW. I officially fail at maintaining a blog. To be honest, I wasn't feeling very inspired the past two months. I had a few visitors, which was wonderful, and then I had to restart my engines and get working again, which took a few weeks to do. But I am back in business, and ready to update you all on what is going on.


So where do i begin? I guess I will categorize the parts of my life that are deserving of blog time.

The Man and the Biosphere Project: This is a really exciting project that I think I mentioned earlier. UNESCO (United Nations Enducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has chosen St. Kitts to be the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to undertake a biosphere project on their own, and we are in the beginning stage of figuring out what this will entail. Biosphere reserves are areas that a country designates, and it is usually both a pride jewel to the heart and soul of the country as well as environmentally sensitive to the encroaching development of the burgeoning outside world. There are biospheres all over the globe, from Germany to Mexico, that fall under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
In the Case of St. Kitts and Nevis, our biosphere is going to be the Keys Beach area. The sea turtles in the Caribbean are an endangered species that were at one time hunted as a food source. Now, there are governmental restrictions protecting these regionally precious animals, however some individuals always find a way to circumvent the loosely maintained regulations that have been established. On the Keys Beach there is a horse stable that is protected by the Ministry of Tourism. Because tourism is the life support of the economy for this Federation and many other Caribbean nations, the government is quick to enable and promote any business that nourishes it. While this might seem like the perfect beach-side tourist attraction, the stables are located on a beach that is the central nesting spot for sea turtles. The horses literally trample the nests and eggs, as well as the hopes and dreams, of these turtles who are desperately struggling to produce offspring for their deteriorating species. It reminds me of some imperialistic war where the infantry would storm through on horseback and the defenseless and unequipped opposition would perish quickly and silently. Luckily, we have the power to intervene before it's too late for the voiceless ones.
I attended a two day workshop with government members and stakeholders to plan the launch and map out the logistics of this project just a few days after my parents left. A week earlier, my dad and I were planning on going horseback riding on Keys Beach before I was educated on the "situation". Needless to say I was incredibly relieved that we never made it after having learned what I know now!
The basic structure of the Biosphere will consist of a core zone where no human interaction can occur (the actual nesting area of the beach), a buffer zone where the community will become educated and work together to preserve and promote this treasured area (Keys Village), and then a corporate zone, where normal life will exist (the rest of St. Kitts). The goal is to engage and invest a community in the protection of an environmentally fragile region, and thus spread environmental awareness through the sustainable actions of local people and community members. There is a great deal of pride that can be harvested in the species of sea turtles, which can subsequently attract a viable tourism industry. In order to continue economically fruitful branch of tourism, community members will be trained in sustainable forms of artisanry, such as making glass figurines of turtles from recycled glass found on the beach.

Feasibility Study on Recycling: This update is actually quite upsetting. Two of the volunteers who have already been here for a year asked me to join them on a project that they hope will continue after they leave in September. I agreed to join them and have been shadowing their meetings and trying to gain a better understanding of the project for the past few months. These two dedicated volunteers have been pouring their hearts and souls into writing a proposal to be submitted to the Organization of American States (OAS) for funding approval towards a feasibility study on recycling in St. Kitts. A feasibility study would basically be the first step in the direction of a fully functioning system of recycling on the island. From what I gathered, funding had been pretty much promised, so we were well on our way to plan the launch of the project, find stakeholders, and narrow down a counterpart who would lead the feasibility study. The launch was planned for April, the counterpart had been notified, and the stakeholders included the Marriott, Ross University, Windsor University, Coca Cola, St. Kitts Bottling Company, and many more. Last week we learned that the OAS rejected the proposal, but offered some optimism by encouraging a re-submission for the next funding cycle with the suggested alterations. I could only feel a fraction of the disappointment that the other two volunteers were feeling,and then i came to the realization that the next funding cycle will be after they leave and I will still be here. Luckily, the returned proposal has very specific directions on what needs to be changed, so there is less of a chance that I can mess it up for the two volunteers, the ministries, and the innocent fish and birds that are choking on plastic bottles.

The Violet Petty After School Program: YEAY!!! This week I officially started the Violet Petty After School Program. I meet with 4th grade on Mondays, 5th grade on Tuesdays, and 6th grade on Wednesdays. Eventually, I would like this to be a theater-based after school program that can put on plays and skits for the community with a socially-conscious message. Right now, however, I am trying to gain their trust and form a solid relationship with each and every student. I also what to start a supplementary parents group that will meet once a month to discuss issues with the youth and find ways to get the community involved in protecting our children. I would love for parents, high school kids, and community members to volunteer with the program so that they feel invested in it's continuity. This is the only way I can think of to make my project sustainable. There has been a drastic rise in homicides this year, and it was quite disturbing to hear the impressions that these horrific acts have upon the kids. I know that parents and family members are concerned, because most of the violence is youth and gang related, so I am hopeful they will become dedicated to the development of the Federation's youth population.
I already have a few enthusiastic parents on board, however there are not nearly enough as of yet. We have decided to call the committee V-TRAC, which stands for Village To Raise A Child. The ancient African Proverb, (or for some, a Hilary Clinton proverb), "it takes a village to raise a child", tells the exact message that I hope this group of community members can deliver through action rather than uncommitted chatter. I had planned on sending out letters for the kids to take home to family members notifying them of this committee, but I just know that will not be as productive as I wish, so I have been walking about five kids different kids home each day to meet their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles. I think it creates such a stronger impression if I take the effort to come to their homes and meet them face to face and eventually form a relationship with them. I know many of them are wondering who this 20-something American girl thinks she is coming into their community and trying to raise their children for them, which is entirely not my intention, so hopefully if I let them know that I know they could do a much better job, they will become energized and mobilized. All I want is for my project to continue after I leave, and I hope this method can prove to be sustainable. We shall see....

Thank you for checking in, I miss everyone and can't wait to see the New York friends and family in May for Jeremy's wedding!

Paz,
Alisa