Muñoz, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

I am currently looking for a new site. By this I mean, I left my site and am spending my days in the capital while another Peace Corps Volunteer Leader looks for my new site. She told me that both of the site options are in the same region my old site was in (YAY!). She also called me the day before she went to look at the second site to see if I wanted to go with her to do some site development. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to get an early look at the possible site I may go to. What resulted is me typing a post about the trip to the site, because if I get this site or not, I still think it was a wonderful place to be and I want to highlight the work there.

Site: Muñoz, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Project: Working with Project Esperanza

My introduction to the site began at 0800 when the Peace Corps driver handed me the manilla folder that contained the project information. I began reading about a nonprofit with a mission to bring education to the Haitian children that worked the streets of Puerto Plata.  I read through the folder more than once, and each time I began to get more and more excited. The organization is run by an amazing woman who has made this work her life's mission. I read about different projects started meant to increase funding for this school. I read about education, jewelry, a movie lounge, and eco-projects. All things I was hoping to find in a Peace Corps project, but couldn't envision how they would all come together. 

The drive to Puerto Plata took almost four hours. We arrived to the region around eleven, but our meeting wasn't until two, so we had some time to kill. This interruption in site talk is here, because it was an interruption in site development day, and I figure you should experience it as I did. The PCVL and I were looking at the telèferico out the window, and the driver asked if we wanted to make a stop. "Why not!?" We were excited. the teleferico was actually a really nice trip, and the price was very reasonable. 

It was a really nice trip and it took up all of the picture space on my camera which is why there will be no pictures of the site, but that is also why I included all of these nice links for you. 

Okay. Jumping back in the car, grabbing a quick bite to eat at a little cafeteria and making out way to down the road, we arrived around two for our meeting. 

I just wanted to include some links that make me really want to get involved with this project. 

First I will include the TedXTalk the director Caitlin gave about the project.

Update: Tuesday 21 January 2014.... I am just going to post this draft as is. It is over a month past due, and I need to get back into blogging. I am at this site. It is my site. I live here now. Get ready for better blogs.


That is unless I stop blogging again. It's just that all the things that seemed interesting before are no longer interesting because I am just in it. Whatever. I'll try to be better about things.