busy bee, edi g

Hello friends and family and fans of Confessions, I hope this fine afternoon is treating you well.

It’s been a few weeks now since my adventure up Volcan Baru, and a busy work filled month it’s been.

At the moment my main goal is funding my rainwater project which I’m anxious to get off the ground and running before the close of my service in October. Having said that, can you believe it? The two years in Panama mark will be hit in August this year, and my service is technically closing in October. What a run it’s been.

Throughout the past month in working to fund my RW project, work on my research project, as well as balancing health, friendship, and the burden on managing the unbearably low allowance of $340 a month, I have been reflecting on my Peace Corps service and defining what I need to accomplish before I leave this country.

With a lot of thought in mind and the slowing process of my tasks at hand, I am seriously considering staying in Panama until February 2011. Between now and October I will be able to fund the rainwater project and see through the installation of the tanks. Then with this extra time I would be able to fulfill every field aspect of my research for University of South Florida, coordinate a sexual health workshop for the women of my community and oversee the use and maintenance of the RW tanks including leading a conservation seminar. Time well spent to adhere to the finishing touches of my Peace Corps Panama resume. Even though I am getting anxious to get home, at this point in the game, a few more months to tie up loose ends will be worth the wait.

Now I know the majority of you have been quizzical to my home arrival date and in favor of my company in Boston. I am honestly flattered, and very conscious of the incredibly important people in my life who miss me and want me around. However, if I do not finish these projects and research before October, coming home then would feel unfulfilling to me. It would be tragic to have invested 27 months of my life into my work here to come up short. Therefore, I have been working diligently and thoughtfully to get this project off the ground. You can imagine though how difficult it is to solicit institutions and organizations to donate to a project, when I only have internet twice a month, my main form of communication. But know that Boston is in my heart, and your thoughts are on my mind too.

Now for those of you in the running to get KK home quick, I could use your help. If you know of any type of organization who is interested in potable water development work, PLEASE, help me to get into contact with them. At the moment I prefer to solicit organizations that work with development, water purification, developing world engineering, volunteerism, and the such, rather than asking individuals to donate $20 here or $50 there. If you are so inclined to make a tax deductible donation, the link to my projects website is here:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=525-135

However, if you know of such an organization that might be interested please pass along the link as well as sending me (Kaitlin.Green@gmail.com) their contact information so that I can personally invite the organization to consider investing into this project. I’m sure you can understand that larger sums from accredited NGOs promote this type of development work and networking. But I’m not unrealistic, every dollar counts.

Well that’s the update for now. I have more UDel friends visiting in June to experience Peace Corps life, am pluggin away at this funding endeavor, and then coming home in July to be a bridesmaid for Ali Boyles & Justin Martini’s wedding. I cannot wait to get in the states again to celebrate, see friends and family and be in Boston in the summertime.

Cheers to you all, hugs and kisses, abrazos y besos!