Day 5, 6, 7, and 8!

January 10, 2010

We woke up this morning full of energy and excitement, but also a little bit of sadness. We have been in the community for 3 days already, and today is the last day in the community. ‘ Wow, times fly quickly…’

After breakfast, we had some time to spare and to prepare for another workshop in the afternoon. Then, we made an assembly line in the kitchen and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to give to the community as a part of sharing American culture. After all, they shared so much we us, so we certainly wanted to share something with them.

After a very relaxing morning, we headed up to meet the community members and continued our workshop where we had left off yesterday. All of them showed up again with enthusiasm to learn more about their chosen topic, and I was just amazed to realize their intense desire to educate themselves.

Each brigade is a three step process. First, we empower the community members through workshops. Second, we learn about their culture and the business through activities, such as harvesting cacao. Third is the Community Investment Fund (CIF). Each member of GBB Texas A&M puts $100 towards the CIF, and we as a group decide on what, why, and how much we should invest in the community and their business. After a long discussion and dispute over CIF, we finally decided how to best invest in the chocolate business, and presented the proposal to the community members.

The last thing we did before we departed the community was the exchange of traditions and cultures. We shared a box full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we made early this morning, and they provided us with a traditional Ngobe food. As proud Aggies, we all linked arms and showed them our version of the War Hymn. They thoroughly enjoyed our ‘performance,’ then it was their turn now. Nine of the high-ranked members of the community stood in a line with his or her hand on the shoulder in front of them, and they performed their traditional dance for us. It was inspiring to watch them dance and share so much of their culture with people that were complete strangers just days before.

Finally, the time came for us to leave our humble community. We thanked our hosts for their hospitality and cooperation and they thanked us for what we taught and shared with them. We also handed them a box of donation full of school supplies and toys that we had brought from back home. Hugs, handshakes, and smiles were exchanged before we headed off down the road. We will all miss the friendly people and the beautiful community (not so much sleeping in school with bugs, spiders, scorpions, and snakes everywhere), and many of us plan to return in August.. It is our hope that we helped their business, whether it was through education, empowerment, or just enthusiasm. We plan to come back to the same community on the August brigade to continue our work with the project.

After the busy, but rewarding days in the community, we had the rest of the trip to relax and enjoy. Here are some quick recaps:

Rest of the Day 5: Time to start the fun!

We Stayed at one of Adriana’s friends house in Bocas del Toro and relaxed on the their patio that faces the Atlantic Ocean while we all got ready for dinner. We all enjoyed the view, company, and the experience. We had dinner at a nice restaurant, and then it was out to a club for the night. It was so much fun!

Day 6: The party boat and la playa

Got on a ‘party boat’ and cruised between the small islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Arrived at a beach called the Red Frog. Walked on the beach and took priceless pictures until it started pouring down on us. Poured all morning, all day, and all night. Headed out to David on our way back to the Panama City.

Day 7: Panama. Panama-a

Drive back to Panama City. Stay in a hostel where we finally got to use the Internet. Worked on our project report. Catherine Markman, the GB Development Director, visited and spoke to us. Out to dinner in the French quarter and learned about the history of Panama.

Day 8: A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama

Last day of the trip. Toured the Panama Canal – incredible project – Opened on August 15, 1914, the expansion of Panama Canal is to be completed in 2014. A quick (5-10 minutes) shopping at the market place. Airports rest of the day – Panama City to Miami to Houston. Arrive back home after midnight.

Day 4!

Day 4, January 9, 2010

10:00

Today was the most rewarding of our trip. Although it was filled with frustration and debate, we got so much accomplished. The day started with a delicious breakfast of eggs and cookies at 7:00 AM and a discussion of the workshops that would soon follow.

Workshops, or basic two-hour business lessons, are the reason we are here. They are also referred to as capacity building activities, as they allow the community to learn, grow, and expand their knowledge. Unfortunately, our group didn’t have much time to prepare our lessons.

First our group divided into groups called marketing, management, and accounting. The basics of marketing included packaging, logos and labels, product diversification, and the “five P’s” of marketing. The accounting group focused on receipt making and the statement of cash flows. Finally, the management group did activities on long term planning, motivation, and confidence in personal selling.

At our first workshop we played several games and each group talked briefly about their subject and what the small group workshops would focus on. We also spent time building the confidence of the group. By explaining that they have a great product that would sell in the region, we hoped the community would really get excited about their project. Our basic goal is empowerment of the community, both through teaching and motivation

After our first basic workshop, it was on to processing the cacao into bars of bakers chocolate, the finished product. The beans are roasted over an open fire to bring out their flavors, then peeled, and finally ground into a paste. It is then rolled in to four ounce bars and wrapped in foil. We all helped with every step of the process, and even worked on developing a mold that would be more efficient and create a more consistent shape and size. We tried bamboo and PVC pipe, but the community will have to continue our efforts since we didn’t have enough to time for the chocolate to dry.

We had a quick lunch and then it was back to work with the second workshop. For this lesson we actually divided up in to our respective groups, went to different rooms, and got more in depth about our subject matter. This was a rewarding experience, because the smaller groups allowed for more time to talk to community members and really get to know them. We were also able to better understand what they knew about each subject and what exactly we should cover.

Groups started off with name games and icebreakers, which the community members really enjoyed. Then we all dove in to the material using basic teaching, hands on activities, and demonstrations to convey our message. The marketing group played Telephone to demonstrate the importance of communication, and it was a huge hit. We played in Spanish, English, and Ngobe, the native language. It was fun to watch everyone laughing and enjoying themselves while learning concepts that would create better business practices within the community.

The accounting group taught their students how to use calculators and gave them all their very own to keep. I was told the faces of the community members were priceless when they realized how much easier keeping financial records would be with calculators. The group also practiced writing receipts and had a discussion on the importance of ethics in business.

The management group thought the most important thing they covered was confidence in the product. The community really does have a fascinating process and product; they just needed to understand that. They practiced selling techniques and did drills to help them overcome their shyness so that they could better sell their product.

After our last workshop of the day, we had the opportunity to help the community dye shirts using natural dyes made of roots and bark. The colors were vibrant and the finished products looked great. It was a amazing to see the villagers practicing such traditional customs. We also used this time to bond with the people of Rio Oeste and play with the children. They love having their pictures taken and then looking at them on the screen.

Finally it was dinner time and then a little free time to play soccer and work on journals. We all worked a little longer on preparations for the next days workshops, and then crawled in to bed to get some sleep. Before we fell asleep, though, several insects attacked Mary Beth inside her net and our cook, Mauricio, found two rather large snakes and thought it was a good idea to bring them to our room. Needless to say, it took a while to come down before everyone fell asleep.

Day 3!

Day 3, January 10, 2010

What can we say about this day except tiring?! By the end of the day I think everyone in the group felt like we had crammed three days worth of exercise, eating, talking, and working in one day. We learned so much about the community and their way of life and we also shared some of our culture with them along the way.

Breakfast was a traditional Panamanian tortilla topped with queso and a side of delicious fruit. We all ate quickly and started our hike up the mountain to harvest cacao. Those of us who laid around all Christmas break regretted not spending some time exercising before the trip, and our legs burned for days after.

The cacao trees are an hour long hike up a muddy, jungly, incredibly steep mountain. We took our time, but it was quite obvious we were slowing the locals down. They navigate the low hanging branches and slippery mud as though they have spikes on the bottom of their worn rubber boots.

According to Brian, villagers climb the mountain to their “finca,” or farm, every few days to cut down the pods that hold the beans. They use small blades attached to long wooden poles to cut the large, yellow pods out of the tree. A partner in their work catches the fruit, inspects it for problems, and then tosses it in a hand made basket on his or her back. When their basket is full they take the collection to a location where they all work to cut the pods open and scoop out the beans. Each bean is covered in a sweet, sticky fruit that is delicious to eat, but tastes nothing like chocolate.

After we were done with the exhausting work we climbed a little further up the mountain to a spot where we could see through the trees all the way down to Almirante and the Atlantic Ocean. It was truly beautiful and we took way too many pictures. The hike down the mountain was also gorgeous, but much harder to stay balanced. The locals all had a good laugh watching us slip and slide our way back to the community. Get it walking sticks.

Lunch was quick and then it was back to hiking, but this time to one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve ever seen. One of the things that makes Rio Oeste so amazing is that it is untouched and in its natural state. There is no litter on the trails or tourists infecting the traditional way of life.

The trail to the waterfall followed a small, tranquil river through huge trees covered in vines and boulders green with moss. The water was crystal clear and just the right temperature for a swim. The last part of the journey before we reached the large waterfall was a swim though a deep hole in the river. When we finally all got to the waterfall we washed our hair and took pictures that would make National Geographic jealous. It was the first “shower” we had since our night in David. We all swam and played and watched the kids jumping from rocks and having contests.

Adriana and Daniel enjoyed themselves too, but they just about had to drag us back to the village to get to work. We spent several hours continuing our interview with the community members, getting more in depth answers to our questions so that we could better help them grow their modest business. Each day the community gets more open with their answers and more willing to share opinions.

As a group, we decided to spend our evening preparing for the next day when we would be having workshops to teach the community basic business practices. Everyone was tired, but it was important we work hard so we could be ready for the next day. It was so exciting to see everyone participating, sharing opinions, and thinking of ideas.

After getting everything we could ready for the next day, we all crashed out on our deflated air mattresses and got some rest. After a day like as tiring as this one, it really doesn’t matter where we rest our head, sleep would come easily.

Day 2!

Day 2, January 7, 2010

9:00 PM

Today has been a day full of surprises! Honestly, we should have all known better than to make assumptions about what this trip would be like or what it would mean to each of us.

The alarm woke Jen, Adriana and I at a bright and sunshiny 6:30 AM, just five hours after we passed out in our (rather nice) hostel room in David. After a group breakfast of omelets and yukas in the hostel restaurant, we all took group pictures in our bright green GBB shirts. We wear ‘em proud, folks. The three-hour bus ride to the community was one we had all been dreading, but it turned out to be one of the best parts of the day. We traveled East towards the Atlantic coast, through mountains topped with puffs of snow white clouds and valleys that seemed to never end. Once again, the lush foliage, spectacular views, and vibrant flowers provided hundreds of photo opportunities.

Our van played games, talked, and got over that awkward “honeymoon phase” we were all worried about. Thanks, Sayer, for giving us such awesome opportunities to make fun of you. But really, today’s ride gave us time to talk about expectations, concerns, and what we hoped this trip would mean to us. It was serious bonding time, and tons of fun, too.

Just a few minutes before our trip ended, we were lucky enough to encounter my favorite animal crossing the road, a sloth!! We all jumped out to take pictures, and everyone had a good laugh about my incessant screaming.

Finally, we turned off the “main” road onto a small dirt path that led to Rio Oeste Arriba. Although the vans could make it the mile or so to the heart of the community, we all piled out, grabbed our cameras, and started the walk in to the town. Beautiful jungle plants arched over the road and the mountains shot directly up all around us. The beauty and peacefulness really were awe-inspiring.

Our biggest surprise of the day came when we were shown to our rooms in the community. The boys and girls were divided between two schoolrooms, complete with cement floors, open-air windows, and no electricity or running water. We didn’t complain though, because we all signed up for an adventure when we signed that dotted line so many months ago. We weren’t aware, but things would soon get better.

After throwing our cute leopard print rolling suitcases in the room, we headed down for a tour of the community. The town proved to be incredibly humbling. Each family lives in a small wooden house on stilts, with open windows and the wash hanging on lines right outside their doors. The stilts are so the animals, a stange mix of pigs, dogs, goats, and chickens, are sheltered from the weather and the threat of wild animals. The hills lead up and down throughout the town, and the stairs are just packed mud. Everyone was careful to watch their step, for fear of falling and never stopping.

After the tour that also served as a question and answer period with Salomon, the community leader, we headed back up the hill to the town meeting place. Everyone introduced themselves and shared their role in the community or organization, and smiles were present all around. No matter how little each person has in Rio Oeste, their happiness never seems to end. We also had an “interview,” when we were given time to ask questions about the cacao business we would soon start to assist. They gave us great, honest answers and provided us with plenty of material to get started right away.

The foundation is called ACADUCT and is comprised of twenty-five villagers trying to expand their present business and learn new skills to improve their way of life. Right now, they grow, harvest, dry and sell cacao beans, and they also produce a small amount of bakers chocolate. Their vision is to expand their business of bakers chocolate to bring in more profit, and eventually attract tourists to a chocolate tour. It is our only hope that our team can help make this vision a reality.

Talking to the people and Brian and having dinner together all proved to be positive experiences, and now we are all peacefully watching the stars fall into the blank Panamanian night. Air mattresses and mosquito nets now occupy the room where we’ll sleep. The mood is optimistic and cheerful, and we are all ready to begin work tomorrow. I am confident these amazing people I’ve traveled so far with will be some of my best friends in just a few days. This is hard work, but it is more rewarding than we could have imagined.

Day 1!

Hello everyone! We thought we might be able to use Ben's "Internet everywhere" card to post blogs during the week, but unfortunately it wouldn't work :(. But that doesn't mean we didn't keep up with journaling. Enjoy!

Day 1, January 6, 2010

4:00 PM

Buenos Dias! All eighteen brigaders arrived safely in Panama City just a few hours ago! Everything went smoothly and as planned at the airports. We are all so excited to finally be on the last leg of our journey before being introduced to the community members of Rio Oeste Arriba.

There are so many things I could describe! When we arrived in the city, Daniel, a GB staff member who will remain with us for the rest of the week, greeted us. We made our way through the hustle and bustle of taxi drivers, resort staff, and other friendly Panamanians to our transportation for the rest of the week: two twelve passenger vans. With eighteen team members, two GB staff, two drivers, and luggage for everyone, things are a little cramped. We’re just beginning the eleven-hour drive to the Bocas del Toro region, our final destination. I’m sure when we arrive we’ll all be best friends!

Panama City is full of life and development. We were told that over the past five years, 180 high-rise buildings have gone up. Seventy-five percent of the wealth is concentrated here, but only a quarter of the people reside in the city. Where we are going, many of the families survive on $1 a day.

As we crossed the bridge, the scenery changed dramatically and quickly. There are no suburbs; instead, one minute we were in a large city, and the next we were in the countryside. We stopped at Quesos Chela, a roadside store known for its empanadas and chicheme (milk and corn blended together….tasted like melted ice cream!), to use the restroom and stretch our legs. As the natives conversed we took pictures and ordered drinks. Adriana told us we still have five hours before we arrive in David where we’ll stay the night.

The mountains are covered in lush foliage and the sun was just setting as we made our way Northwest towards David. Every turn presented an opportunity to take a photo. Young took over the camera and I’m sure we’ll be blessed with thousands of great shots J.

Our day has been long, as most of us set our alarms for 2:15 AM this morning, but we still have quite a journey ahead of us before we can rest peacefully. Tomorrow we’ll travel the final three hours to Almirante, and then from there it’s just a short distance to the community.

Tonight, please pray that the rest of the trip to David is safe and that we can get some rest before another long day tomorrow. In the morning, prayers that we make a good first impression on the community members would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for all your support! Continue to check for updates regularly J.

Happy Holidays!

Howdy and Happy Holidays to All!

The end of 2009 has come so quickly! Looking back now, it has been a long but rewarding journey for GBB Texas A&M.

February, 2009 – The Beginning: establish the exec team and start of a long/exciting journey
March to June – Try to find an advisor and gain recognition from Student Activities and the University
June to August – Plan, plan, and plan more for the Fall recruitment and donation letters
August – Intense recruiting time…we successfully recruit 14 founding members!
September to December – Meetings, fundraisers, hang-outs, retreats, and done with the finals!

And D-day: 2 weeks until we depart for Panama! (Jan. 6th – 13th, 2010)

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At our last meeting of the year, Amy Schulze, an advisor from Study Abroad Program Office, came and gave us the “Pre-departure Orientation.” She discussed important travel procedures, safety information, packing lists, and many other useful tips for an international experience. She answered questions from the members, and she has been a big help with planning this international trip. Thanks, Amy!

We also had a chance to have a conference call with the in-country Panama Director of GBB, Adriana Piñeiro, and Peace Corps’ community economic development volunteer in Panama, Brian Crum. Brian is the one who submitted the project proposal for GBB Texas A&M, and during this call he was able to explain more about our project and expectations as well as the culture, the people, and the region. The name of community we will work with is Rio Oeste Arriba, a village of 400-500 people with no electricity. Their native language is Ngäbere, but most of them speak Spanish as their second language. Only a few will speak English.

Brian also discussed more about the business we’ll be working with. About 60 farmers grow and harvest cacao, sell the beans to processors outside of Panama where it is made into chocolate, and sell the received chocolate for distribution. This ‘chocolate’ business needs our help with basic accounting process, marketing, customer service, and simply running a small business. To be prepared, the exec teams and members have been brainstorming and discussing potential ideas on how to deliver the information to the community. Also, we watched videos and read articles about the process of making chocolate, so we are better able to understand what they’re doing and help them improve their business.

Last but not least, we are bringing donations for the local communities, such as toys, clothes, and school supplies. If you or someone you know would like to help us with donations and/or business ideas on how to help the business, please contact any of the exec team. Our contact information can be found on our website, http://gbb.tamu.edu/.

Again, our trip to Panama is only 2 weeks away!! Please follow our blog starting on January 6, 2010 to keep up with our progress. We are so excited about the trip and can’t wait to share pictures and stories when we return!!

Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Best,

GBB Texas A&M

Our Wonderful Sponsors and Supporters!

Hello everyone!

GBB Texas A&M is incredibly lucky to have such amazing sponsors, so we want to give all of them a shout-out! Our trip wouldn't be possible without the support and encouragement we receive from so many people and institutions. If you've provided financial support, purchased a t-shirt, or have just shown genuine interest in our cause, THANK YOU! We owe you one :)

Our sponsors are listed below--

The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)

Check out their website at http://cibs.tamu.edu/

Texas A&M Student Activities

Check out their website at http://stuact.tamu.edu

PWC

Check out their website at www.pwc.com

Llano National Bank

www.llanonationalbank.com

Our advisor and her husband, Robin and Bob Starnes

They are wonderful and so supportive!

Friends and Family

You know who you are!