Here are some updates from Peace Corps Ecuador.
Swearing in OMN 112:
In August 5th, 2014 we had the swearing in ceremony for the second group of Volunteers, 30 Peace Corps Trainees arrived Ecuador in May and attended 12 weeks of a really successful Training. This new OMN will serve for 2 years in the Community Health and Youth and Families Development Programs in different regions of the country like Guayas, Santa Elena, Tungurahua, Pichincha, Loja, Azuay, Chimborazo, El Oro, Manabí and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
Recycling Art Workshop:
From August 19th to 23th we held the second recycling art workshop of the year. This training was funded by the Small Project Assistance Program (SPA) from USAID. The workshop centers its attention on the creation of art from recyclables, and aims at promoting environmental awareness within the community. We talked about the importance of eco-clubs as a mechanism to build capacity and to encourage service-learning. The aim is that all participants take their newfound knowledge back to site and replicate with their eco-club, teachers, community members, and women/youth groups. In this way, we trained Peace Corps Volunteers and community members or counterparts, who can turn in these new abilities upon return to site. The workshop counted with two Peace Corps Volunteer Leaders as facilitators and 14 PCVs, each with two counterparts from different ages from 15 to 60.
Human Resources Training in Belize City from August 24th-28th.
Our DMO, Brittanie Paquette and Human Resources Assistant, Patricia Suarez attended the Human Resources Workshop in Belize. The workshop was focused on new procedures, selection and recruitment policies, conflict management, performance management and there were spaces for clarifying old procedures.
Sexual Assault Response Liaison (SARL) Replacement Training in Tirana, Albania from September 8th-12th.
Our Program Assistant, Belén Pazmiño attended the Sexual Assault Response Liaison Replacement Training in Tirana, Albania where 13 people from different parts of the world including Samoa, Ghana, Rwanda, Azerbaijan, Mali, Panamá, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cambodia, China, Fidgi, Kosovo participated in the last SARL training of the year. The training was mainly focused on the high importance this role is in responding to a Volunteer in need and how effective a team work needs to be between Safety and Security, Medical and a SARL. There were spaces for sharing each country experiences and a group work with Safety and Security Backups who were attending their own workshop in Tirana as well.