Plodding through trash... with cheerful enthusiasm?

Campo life seems to be moving at the pace of a snail with a limp. This week and last week comprise the semester break in the public schools so I haven´t been teaching. I was really hoping to get the initial research for the trash project started, but I haven´t been able to inspire much movement on the part of the local government. I go to Town Hall about every other day and try to get people motivated, but the Mayor has been on vacation so very little progress is happening. The research will include weighing, measuring and typing (organic, inorganic recyclable, inorganic non-recyclable) 8 days worth of garbage from about 50 houses in order to determine what treatment facilities we need. I could just do this myself as one of the Associate Peace Corps Directors suggested, but the Mayor and City Council Member in charge of health issues really want to get a sanitation engineer to do it. This is fabulous because it demonstrates that they´re committed to a quality, long-term project, a truly sustainable program so I'm just trying to keep pushing and reminding people that trash can make them sick and harm the crops. Yippee waste management! I was talking to Kate, a fellow volunteer who also has a trash project in the coastal desert and she made the excellent point that you just have to wake up every morning and try to move the project forward and after 2 years you get as far as you get. I think that's good advice so I'm going to try to do this with as enthusiastic and cheerful an attitude as I can muster... Some days that's harder than it probably should be.

The Mayor did find an engineer who seems great. He works with the provincial government on creating a sanitary landfill for the province and trash collection in the provincial capital of Sechura so that's AMAZING, but no one is exactly running to fulfill his work plan. In fact, the last time I was able to talk to the Mayor he couldn't find the work plan under the pile of stuff on his desk. In all fairness he did just move into a new office, but still. Then, on the up side 1. a work plan exists, 2. we have designated a safe place to put the treatment facility, and 3. this is a kicker- the town voted to prioritize the trash project in next year's city budget. Money is good.

In other news, my recent drama with my former boyfriend seems to be ending. It hurts and takes my mind away from this moment and this place, but I'm sure it's for the best for both of us. Thankfully I am blessed with amazing and supportive friends who are okay with all the ways that I'm a neurotic crazy person and are helping me call my head back to the here and now.