Completo!

Well, finished work!

Had a good last week - the weekend before, as I mentioned, was (another) festival at a different community. It was the final for a football tournament, and they take football very seriously here (its good fun talking about the last world cup).

Monday was a community "minga" - where the whole community, more or less, get together to do necessary work in the village. Now that the vacations are over they have then every Monday, and that Monday was "cleaning" the area around the school - basically slashing at overgrown bits of jungle that are threatening to take back the village. Like Day of the Triffids. The way everyone works together is great and it gives a real community feeling, but the three hour long community meeting in the afternoon was possible less great. Especially as half of its in Kichwa, of which I know about 11 words. But there was lots of diversion from representatives of various political parties who kept turning up. Its election time in a couple of weeks, and there´s a lot of publicity and interest at the moment (lots and lots of parties on the left). I got a free t-shirt from one of them :-D. On Mon spent the evening in the village "bar" -its more of a socialising space really but people buy beers or a box of wine from the village shop (someone´s front room) and its got 2 tables and pool table.

I also went to the school to run my "water awareness" activites. At least, I had the activity sheets and lots of bribery for the students who finished first (so so effective). The little ones coloured in my pictures, and I managed to run a discussion on the importance of safe water with the older ones (though "discussion" makes it sound a lot more organised than it actually was). Working with the kids was good fun though, I know most of them and I think they all know me, since I´m about 6 inches and several shades paler than most other people in the village.

At the end of the week spent time discussing the work etc with Telmo (the head of village) and the people who are supposed to look after the system, and that was quite good. The stuff I found about about illness in the village (and there is a correlation between the illness and the boiling water - 80% of families who dont boil water had someone with an upset tummy in the last week, compared to "only" 40% for families who tend to boil water) quite clearly shows the problems caused and I think its helped people understand a bit, and raise awareness...I hope so anyway.

Anyway, Friday was my last day and I had mentioned to a few people and the family about heading to the bar for a few drinks etc to say ciao, and we also had a really nice last meal in the house (they asked me to bye Carolina´s "madrina" - godmother. Which is nice and quite cool so I said ok, but not too sure what it involves. I don´t think much religion. If I go back, apparently we will have a formal traditional godmothery ceremony).

On arriving at the village bar after the meal, it turned out that quite a few people had turned up (round about 35, I think once word gets out about a party you get a few more people). But it included all my friends, and lots of people who I saw around a lot as well. Telmo and the volunteer coordinator both make little speeches saying thank you for the work the work I did and how and why it was important to them and the community- which was really nice as more than occasionally I have felt a bit like I was making head-beating-against-brick-wall type progress (and then I had to make a speech too which was incredibly articulate as you can imagine). Afterwards there was lots of dancing and drinking etc. Just lets say I didn´t feel very well when I got up at 5.45am for the 6 o´clock and a bit bus the next day.