My Life as a PTS Mini-Series, Part Nine (Ginnie)

Trainees' Future Site Visits

After Site Assignment Day the trainees had just a few more training activities until they went out to their future sites. We had our final day of CBT with the trip to Cockscomb and then everyone returned to the office for a half-day of sessions and logistical details for the Counterpart Workshop and traveling to future sites. After lunch, the folks living south of Silk Grass Village headed to Punta Gorda town for their counterpart conference and everyone else stayed one more night in Belmopan.

Counterpart Workshop is the day trainees meet their counterparts and in which we review some important information on the role of the counterpart in the volunteer experience, as well as review expectations of counterparts, volunteers, and Peace Corps Belize staff. The day is filled with a variety of sessions and activities designed to enable the counterpart and trainee to get to know one another, share skills and experiences, and begin the discussion on project planning for the volunteer’s future work. We also spend time going over some strategies for overcoming potential challenges and provide information on PC policies that both counterparts and trainees need to know.

I’ve enjoyed both conferences as a trainer because in 2009 I got to reconnect with Ms. Gillett and Mrs. Enriquez since one of my trainees replaced me at Trinity and this time I reconnected with Earleth and Ms. Karen from YES since they are now getting a full-time volunteer (which I would have loved to do!). I also enjoy seeing the excitement and eager anticipation from both trainees and counterparts as they await the official introduction to one another.

Following counterpart day, the trainees travel to their sites with their counterparts and move in with their new host families. They then spend 10 days (it was 2 weeks for the 2009 group) in their sites visiting with their counterparts and host agencies and spending time with host families to get to know their new community. I visit each trainee in site to check in and to complete our final trainee assessment interview. It’s fun to see the trainees in their sites and to talk with them about their first impressions and any initial concerns, excitement, other issues they wish to discuss.

In 2009, my trainees were split between southern and central, so it was pretty easy to make a plan starting in the south visiting the village volunteers and then heading into Dangriga for the town volunteers and ending with a trip to my old stomping grounds in Belize City. This time, my group is spread from far south to far north, Barranco in southern Toledo to Copper Bank in northern Corozal and throughout the country in between! With a shorter time in which to plan the visits and longer distances between them, I managed to put together a pretty good schedule, but it had me on the road a lot for six days. Anthony came along for nearly all the visits and we enjoyed seeing even more beautiful pieces of Belize.

Highlights from the 2010 Tour:

• First trip to far south Toledo and the Garifuna village of Barranco (a coastal village of about 120 where Laura will serve)
• Another delicious vegetarian dinner from Gomier in Punta Gorda

• Anthony stocked up on Goss Dark Chocolate – our favorite indulgence, more so his, clearly!

• Meeting pikni in Barranco on their crab-hunting trip; they invited us along

• Traveling to Monkey River in Stann Creek and hopping on a little boat to cross a river to get to see Cassidy in her new home with about 100 community members


• Spending the afternoon chatting with Cassidy’s amazing counterpart and taking pictures of the gorgeous sea-view from her future house


• Encountering a herd of cattle just walking along the road into Monkey River – they formed themselves into a nice neat line as we passed and did not try to run into me as I hung out the car door (we stopped) to take some photos

• Not getting stuck in the south due to rain ;)


• Saving Kaitlyn from further mosquito attacks with a net and some deet – Copper Bank is on a beautiful lagoon, but it’s a breeding ground; we were swarmed the instant we stepped out of the vehicle


• An afternoon in San Jose Palmar with Jim and Janine and the kids who came to entertain us and show me their fantastic classroom


• My first visit to the fascinating store in Orange Walk that everyone talks about – Boundary; this is where the things people in America donate end up (there were high-end designer (e.g. Louis Vuitton) handbags for under $7 BZ. In addition to handbags, there is an entire floor of discarded shoes and rows of old toys (we saw a PeeWee Herman doll, Rainbow Bright and pieces of popular Little Tykes things). That was interesting, for sure


• Dinner at my favorite place in OW (and one that has some of the best prices for portions in Belize) – The Lamanai Riverside place (after a complicated drive and ultimate rescue with excellent directions from local PCV Olivia, we actually found it!)


• A relaxing night in my favorite Belizean hotel, The Orchid Palm Inn


• A lovely visit with Colleen at her school in Orange Walk town


• A fruitful shopping trip to American Best (a store that gets regular shipments from major retailers of items they didn’t sell and no longer want – I always find something fun there and managed to get my dress for the swearing in reception!)


• Picking up fruits and vegetables at the Orange Walk market, where I got the best Gala apples I’ve had in country


• A quick stop at Brodies on the Northern Highway for the only good deli sandwich one can find in Belize


• Returning to Georgeville to see how happy Jenna is being back out in the country and farmland she loves and hearing how grateful the principal is to have a volunteer be at her school after hoping for so long


• A disappointing stop in Spanish Lookout, where Anthony and I were going to have pizza and soft serve for lunch – but there was no non-meat pizza and the vanilla soft serve didn’t work (and despite how much I love soft serve, it just isn’t strong enough for me to get chocolate ice cream, yuck) and then it was to the giant shop to replace Ant’s Twizzlers supply, only to find no Twizzlers! WHAT! Oh well, we got some coconut m&ms to try so that was something


• Another drive down the Hummingbird Highway to see Kim in the beautiful seaside village of Hopkins


• An attempt at a peaceful lunch by the sea at my favorite spot in Dangriga – the Pelican Resort (where they charge way too much for the grilled cheese with tomato, but it’s still okay because I got it anyway) that was spoiled by a loud American trying to make sales of Belizean property and NOT at all acting culturally appropriately when speaking with Belizeans {and, really, was it necessary to be so loud that I could hear every word of his conversation from across the outdoor seating area throughout the entire lunch time? These are the folks we have to work so hard to show are not representative of all Americans!}


• Some beautiful views in trainees' villages

I was so happy to hear all the fun stories the trainees already had from their first days in their new communities and glad all are with good host families and counterparts. They returned to Belmopan for Bridge to Service and Swearing In on Sunday the 23rd and came to our house for a pizza party - more to come on that in a post to follow.

Mennonite crossing sign?