Sunday, May 19, 2013

Giraudel Flower Show

yesterday I went to the Giraudel Flower Show here on Dominica Island. I was so stunned by the all the beauty that Mother Nature and human hands created together!!!

I took quite a few photos and here are just a few. The flowers were so colorful, lush and gorgeous---I do not think my photos do the flowers and flower arrangements justice, but just give a hint of the splendor which is on display today and tomorrow.













I love flowers and flower arrangements so thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the displays. Two of my fellow Peace Corps volunteers helped to set up the show.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Some views I See As I walk to School...


This morning I actually remembered my camera and snapped this photos as I walked down the hill to the school where I volunteer...
I am at the top of the hill here...it is a gradual slope. The school is clear down at the very bottom of the hill...




now I am joined on the street by 2 school children in their school uniforms heading to school....


I just continued on down the street, snapping photos on my right and left....


a side street...





another side street


under construction...



and here I am at the entrance to school...Pretty nice early morning walk--huh? I leave the house about 7:40 am and the stroll down the hill takes me about 10 minutes...

but stay tuned folks  because I will be posting photos of the school soon...

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Child Friendly School Mural


The school where I volunteer here in Pointe Michel, the St. Lukes Primary School, held a big celebration to mark their adopting of the Child Friendly School Initiative, an initiative of the Dominican Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, and also supported by the  UNICEF Eastern Caribbean.

The almost two hour event was put on by the children---from a student MC, to the
welcoming and thank you speech. The children excelled with art, dance, singing, drumming, and a poem written by Teacher Christy performed by the whole school, plus they children cooked some of the food and served the food. Three outstanding youngsters were inducted into the school "Hall of Fame."

I had  great time the week before this event watching the kids all practice their parts, and co-creating with the children a small mural to commemorate the adoption of the Child Friendly School Initiative. I created the initial design, traced it via carbon paper onto the chosen wall and some of the 5th and 6th grade children painted the mural.

Then I helped some of the pre-K (preschool) wee ones place their handprints around the design, and a 6th grade girl carefully painted the lettering to complete the mini-mural. they all did a great job, and we had fun creating together.

I took photos all along of the mural creating process, and here are some....

painting the background the 1st day






Everyone wanted to paint or watch the process...









the finished mini-mural----the children in the mural have the school uniforms on...and the school motto is reaching for the stars....

What did I learn from this process? I learned a very valuable lesson that the Peace Corps tried to teach me during our training: Always involve the community where you are volunteering in any project. 

In my usual enthusiastic way, when the school principle Sister Annita asked me to think about a "simple mural design the kids can paint," I went ahead and designed this small mural at home that very same weekend without any input from the children or school staff. It was only after the mural was all completed that I realized my mistake, and by then it was too late. So now this mural graces the school walls but the school has not embraced it like they probably would have IF I had involved them in the design process. I am a bit embarrassed to admit I made this major blunder, but I also know I will never again make this mistake..after all, mistakes are how we learn--correct? and the children and I did have fun painting this...