Miss Amanda The Teacher

So I now understand what Jocelyn has been going through this last year (friend who has just completed her first year of teaching grade 4). We are working full days at the school now. I spent my first few days with the grades 4-6 (I counted 55 kids at one point). That was a handful. Kids were yelling and acting out. I found it hard to gage what level they were at because some were able to write out answers to questions I put on the board with no problems and others couldn't even write their names. One afternoon we started acting out a novel (I though of that idea on the fly - it was a life saver). My favourite group so far though was with the grade 3s. We did a clean up day at the school (my class didn't participate though, it was only for grades 4 and up) and had the primary and secondary kids race to pick up garbage around the school. I just talked to the class about the environment, garbage, and pollution (by the way, there is no recycling at all in Guyana... sometimes cans get shipped to Canada to recycle). We did a word search, played hang man, and I read them some stories. They acted out but I was able to handle them. I may have been a little stern ha (I took away some marbles, and separated some kids) but in the end I think they learned the most. It has been quite a challenge because we are pretty much teaching the entire school without the actual teacher's help. We come up with lesson plans the night before and just kind of wing it as we go. I definately have more respect for my elementary school teachers now after this experience!!

I have about 15 days left in Parika and then it's wind-down in Georgetown. For the next couple of weeks we are planning some after school reading workshops, an HIV/AIDS and abstinence session, and a session about the environment. So far there has been some positive work done and I'm looking forward to the rest of it. I'll be in touch. I can't wait for a hot shower. Next time I'll talk about the food (and that time that we had half a piece of bread for dinner and crackers for breakfast yum).

-AH

All is well!

Sorry I don't have more time. I'll just say that everything is going really well and I've met a lot of locals. We took part in Parika family enrichment day and did some health education with students there. The community has been really appreciative and responsive. We've been invited to 3 different meals and today is criquette and a cook out!

Eureka ~ Parika has an internet cafe!

After one week at Camp Kayuka (about an hour from the airport) doing training workshops and getting to know everyone, I have arrived at my project. Turns out that I am not roughing it as much as I expected. There were 3 projects going out from Camp Kayuka. The other two groups were going for 8 weeks into the interior (the jungle). One group went to Mahdia (region 8) and the other went to Parashara (region 9). I am in a city of a couple thousand on the coast (region 3). We have electricity and even a shower! Well the shower is more like the bottom part of a shower tap - so it's Japanese style squat showers.

We are staying in the lower part of a government building. We have a security guard at all times and tend to walk around in a group. Our leaders are 2 locals from Guyana so they have been teaching us the Guyanese ways.

We just went to the school today to meet with the head of the school. We got quite a reaction from the kids - from everyone actually. It's like we are on parade. Little kids yell and tell their families ("White people!") and the men hiss at us. Everyone stares.

I'll post a few photos next time.

Initial Training Completed

After two days of icebreakers, team building exercises, gender workshops, risk management and health information sessions, numerous guest speakers, videos and other activities the pre-departure training is done.  The real orientation will happen once we arrive in Guyana.  The first few days are spent taking it easy out at a camp ground so we can acclimatize and adjust to our new surroundings.  There the folks at Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) will provide training and resources for workshops on HIV/AIDS, gender issues, parent counseling, and anything else that we will need to know before we go into the community.  We go on project a few days after that with a Guyanese group leader.  

So far I'm really excited about this adventure.  Everyone is in such good spirits and has a lot of personality.  I am the oldest... sigh.  I don't mind it though,  I am enjoying the eagerness of the youngins and think I will learn a lot from them.  So far, I think I'll get along with pretty much everyone - they all seem pretty open-minded.  We've already talked about our "poo-scale" and acted out numerous scenarios and solutions for when people feel culture shock, homesick, overwhelmed, etc.  I just printed off a bunch of camp games and jokes so that should come in handy ;).  

The best part of the orientation for me was when a Guyanese man who lives in Canada now came to talk to us about the country.  I really started to get a feel for what the people will be like.  The Guyanese form a very eclectic population.  The majority of them are East Indian (Indo-Guyanese), but there are also many Africans (Afro-Guyanese), Portuguese, Chinese, and White people.  They seem like simple folk - the country is very poor and communication is scarce.  In the interior, people mostly farm and go about their business.  They don't have newspapers and there are no through roads so they can be pretty out of touch with the rest of the country.  There is one road though that goes through Gerogetown along the coast (which will be nice for my group), and another (new) one that goes down to Brazil.  One of the main forms of travel is by boat and their "highways" are the rivers.  

I found out that there was a travel guide published on Guyana - the first one ever- in January of this year.   I ran to the book shop on my lunch break yesterday and bought it, I am very excited :-).  

Time for some last minute packing now as my flight leaves tomorrow!!  I was told there would be no electricity what-so-ever (no ipod or rechargeable camera :( ).  That also means no internet.  So my brilliant idea of a travel blog will have to be put on hold until I head over to Peru.  

About half way through the project someone from the YCG will be doing a mail run so I will have a chance to send out letters and receive mail.  If you send me your address, you may see some mail ;).  And if anyone wants to send me anything (like pictures of Canada to show the locals) the address is:

Amanda Halladay - G8 5A

Youth Challenge Guyana

291 Thomas St. South Cummingsburg

Gerogetown, Guyana

For the folks.... 

YCI in Toronto (416) 504-3370

YCG in Guyana 001-592-225-0129 

Emergency Guyana Cell 011-592-669-7298

I'm off to pig out before 5 weeks of rice, beans, and chickpeas!!

AH

Project Description

First off I just want to say thank you so much to all who donated and help make this project a reality for me.  I would not be able to take advantage of this opportunity without the support of my friends and family and I am forever grateful!  Through combined efforts, nearly $2000 was raised.  The fundraising has not ended yet however, so if  you would still like to donate, you can do so at http://yci.takingitglobal.org/ind/halladay.  

Now that that is out of the way, you'd probably like to know exactly what I will be doing :-).  I will be joining 9 other Canadians along with a couple of Australians and traveling to the community of Parika in Region 3 of Guyana (the country is broken into 10 Regions).  On the map below, Parika is about 1 mm left of Georgetown.  

The main focus of our work will be as teaching assistants in the high school to help improve the youth literacy so they can perform better on their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams.  We will also organize various after school programs for the students, including: reading clubs, cricket and other sports activities, life skills games, HIV/AIDS awareness sessions, and women's and gender workshops.  

Our weekends will be filled with more recreational/reading/life skills activities, painting pedestrian crossings, and parenting games/groups.  

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me!  The first day of training starts tomorrow and then my flight is Monday!!  Check back soon for more updates.  

~ Amanda