I have recently written a very lengthy grant for a science field trip for my recycling students. Now I need help with donations! :)
I have included the grant summary below:
My name is Sonia Esquibel. I am the youngest daughter of Abe & Olivia Esquibel. I have been serving my country as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the beautiful country of Panama for the past eighteen months. I work as an “Environmental Extension Agent,” teaching environmental science to school aged children. I have managed to start a successful waste management/recycling program.
I am serving in the community of Membrillo. Membrillo is located in the center of Panama, in the mountains of the province of Cocle. It is a tranquil atmosphere and very entrepreneurial. Membrillo is comprised of five sectors with approximately 500 inhabitants in each. Membrillo is a thriving artistic community, famous for handcrafts made of soapstone. Soapstone is a volcanic rock that community members have been working with for forty years. Half of the community members are artisans, while the rest work in agriculture and construction. The center of the community is the school I work at, serving 605 students. Due to the large population of Membrillo, many Panamanian agencies associated with agriculture, environment, food security, and health have a strong presence here. Community members are active participants in projects and seminars, making Membrillo a fun and welcoming place to work.
So what have I been doing with my time in the Peace Corps? I have been teaching several environmental initiatives in the school such as reforestation, global warming, waste management, and recycling. I have established and am working with a committee of teachers and parents to create a sustainable recycling project. This project has environmental value for Membrillo as it lacks the infrastructure for the disposal of waste. More often development focuses solely on economics and overlooks a concern for the environment. Both economic and environmental developments need to work hand in hand for the benefit of the community. Eight years ago, Membrillo was connected to the regional capital by developed roads. Four years ago, Membrillo was connected to the electric grid. The community is developing economically, but more focus needs to be on protecting the environment.
Trash is the greatest environmental issue facing my village. Historically, members of the community would burn recyclable items or discard them indiscriminately. Many items are toxic, especially when burned. With help from community members, we established a recycling center at the school. This project has dramatically reduced the consequences of improper waste management. Since April of this year, I have encouraged all the students to recycle. Special days bimonthly are designated. Items such as batteries, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, plastic bags, juice boxes, cardboard, and paper that were being burned or discarded on a daily basis are now being recycled. Students have recycled almost 200,00 items to date.
The community now has some choices in how they dispose of their recyclable wastes. The community has responded enthusiastically. We continue to address issues of waste management through recycling, reusing, reducing, and composting.
The ASK: This is where I plug in my request for your very generous donations to sustain the school’s recycling project and for a fun field day trip! On December 4, 2012, the recycling committee plans to host our very first “Recycling Super Stars Field Trip.” Forty-eight recycling super stars have been designated as having collected the most recycling items since the onset of the project. Their reward is to visit science museums in Panama City. Our trip includes a visit to the Smithsonian, an outdoor aquarium and Explore, a discovery museum. We are rewarding our super stars for their environmental contribution and participation. We are very proud of our super stars and want to show them how proud we are. I hope that they all pursue their education and perhaps some of them will study the environment further. Most of our super stars have never been outside of Cocle. I know they are going to love the day we have planned for them and hope to inspire them to strive to participate in next year’s recycling field trip. I want them to know just how special they each are and that they can make a difference. They have made an incredible difference in our village and this trip is well deserved.
I have used this quote before, but feel it is very well suited here: “Lives of service depend on lives of support” (Paul Farmer). For those of you motivated to donate towards this field trip, please visit www.peacecorps.gov/contribute. You can find our project by using my last name, “Esquibel” or selecting “Find a Volunteer Project” by scrolling down to Panama. Our project is under “Promoting Environmental Development: Field Trip for Recycling Super Stars.” If you decide to donate, please do it soon! All of our donations need to be made before November 9 so Washington, D.C. can forward the funds to Panama by December 1.
“We won’t always know whose lives we have touched and made better for having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What’s important is that you do care and you act” (Charlotte Lunsford). Thank you!! Really, I thank you so much for your time and generosity. Con paz y mucho amor, peace, Sonia Esquibel
P.S. Please consider becoming my friend on Facebook or view my blog at SoniaEsquibelPCinPanama to view photos of my work in Panama.
