A MUCH needed update and request from you!

Oh my goodness. It´s been FOREVER since I wrote! I was talking to a friend this past week and I told him that in the next couple of weeks I was going to start bombarding people with emails, so it was kind of better that I hadn´t written in a while. So, here we are.

56 computers are indeed on their way to our community here. We solicited them through the World Computer Exchange Program and are responsible for paying around $70/computer. The parents passed a resolution to donate $0.25 per student per week (we have 1400 students) to raise the $4053.20 we need to pay for them and they are estimated to arrive in June. SUPER EXCITING, I know! :) As you can imagine, I´ve been working like crazy with parents, teachers, and students to set up a trustworthy system of collecting money so everything runs smoothly and we don´t have gossip about whomever stealing. And yes, I created a database.

When the computers arrive, we´re dividing them as follows: 15 for the high school, 30 for the elementary/middle school, and 11 for the cyber cafe. The last part in my opinion, the cyber cafe, is the most important piece. It´s how we´re sustaining this project. When computers go bad, we need to purchase new software/equipment, etc., we´ll have a source of income to do so. And, the community will have access to information and technology that they´ve never had before. I´m seriously SO excited. Two years of work and I´m finally going to see some tangible results!!

However...and it´s a big however... The building where we are constructing the cyber cafe is currently constucted with adobe (not too secure or computer/electricity friendly), has no electricity, has no floor (just cement), and needs a new roof and ceiling. So, basically, it needs everything. :) The community is raising approximately $10,000 for all of the equipment and reconstruction of the school labs, but we need an additional $8498 to do all of the reconstruction that needs to be done to the future cyber building.

Since I am frequently asked by all of you, "What can I do to help?", I decided to finally cash in on your offers - I´m going to ask you to donate $100. I know, it´s a lot of money, but (1) it´s totally tax deductible (so definitely feel free to donate more), (2) you´re totally opening a new world to around 5,000 people, if not more, and (3) this is 2 years of MY blood sweat and tears to make this thing a reality and I would hate for it to die during the last stretch because I couldn´t drum up enough support!! Now how many times can you say you help out so many people with one donation WHILE making 2 years of your friend´s/family´s work meaningful? I mean, really, you´re donating like $0.02 per person. You know you´re going to feel good all day about it!!

I know, you´re DYING to know, "How can I donate now?" Well, I just happen to have a website for you: https://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/donors/contribute/projdetail.cfm?projdesc=519-082&region=latinamerica. Again, tax deductible. Helping me out. Making a difference in thousands of people´s lives. Seriously. I can´t believe you´re still reading this and haven´t donated yet!! :)

Ok, I guess you´re going to do it another day. Onto more topics. Teaching computer classes.
So, I apparently have not mentioned in any of my updates that I am teaching computer classes. We have 16 computers at the high school at the moment and every Sunday, we have "distancia", basically the equivalent of getting a GED. We have 7th-12th grade classes for people that have not received their diploma/certification in those grades yet. It´s really amazing to see how so many people here only have education through elementry school and it´s a big thing to have a 9th grade diploma, and even bigger to have a high school diploma. Drop out rates from schools usually happen around 3rd grade, 6th grade, and 9th grade. So anyway, I´m teaching to mostly adults that want to improve their level of education.

So I started teaching in January so I´ve had about 12 classes thus far. Last month, the electricity stopped working in the computer lab, so now each week I move a computer into a different classroom with the projector and I demonstrate how to do something. (We´re working with an electrician to get that prob solved ASAP.) Then I ask if I explained it well and if they say yes, then I start calling people to the front of the room, when I inform them that we´re at work and I´m their boss and I ask them to do something for me. It´s working out ok because everyone in the class can see what the person on the computer is doing (or not doing as the case may be) and help out if they get lost. Then I know that they understand what I´m talking about which is always nice since I´m doing all of this in a foreign language.

As you can imagine, this is the first time that many of them have EVER had contact with a computer, so we start with basics. And many people get really nervous when I tell them they have to come to the front of the room to do something. So I get a lot of excuses. Remember, I´ve been with them 12 weeks now. You would think after 12 weeks with me, they would know that excuses don´t work to get out of participating. Last week, I swear, I had the best one. I couldn´t even believe this kid was trying this out on me. When I called him up, this is the conversation that ensued:

Him: I can´t.
Me: Why not?
Him: I´m stuck.
Me: What do you mean you´re "stuck"?
Him: I mean, I can´t move from behind my desk. It´s too close to me. (Note that these desks are 1 person desks that are moveable. I´m talking super light easy to move desks.)
Me: (with incredulous look) OOOhhhhhh. Well, let me just help you out then! (I take 2 steps towards him.)
Him: (look of fear passing over his face, immediately followed by him getting up from his desk and walking to the front of the room and doing what I asked him to do in the beginning)
Me: Look. I have taught a lot of classes in the states. I´ve heard all the excuses. When I ask you to come up here, you´re coming up here!
Students: Laughter.

Seriously. "I´m stuck"?? They should know by now that I make it WAY more difficult if they try to pull crap like that on me! Although, other students LOVE it when someone starts giving me excuses because they all know that that person IS going up there and I AM going to make them do stuff. There are a lot of laughs in my classes. :)

Ok, well it´s really late now so I have to go, but you´ll be hearing from me again VERY soon!!

Lots of hugs!