New Opportunity

The decision of the Peace Corps to pull me from my community came with an offer of a new opportunity. Last week I decided to take a position as the Water Systems Coordinator of Peace Corps Panama. I will be giving technical support for volunteer water projects, assisting communities in the management and maintenance of water systems, and training new volunteers. Basically I will be traveling around a large area of the country and visiting a number of different communities.

This coordinator position is brand new which means I will be shaping the role for the volunteer taking the job after me. It’s a great opportunity to use my experience to have a wider spread impact within the Environmental Health program here in Panama. This also gives me a chance to see more areas of the country and work more with other volunteers on a variety of water projects.

Since I had so little time left, I will be extending my service until mid October, a few months longer than I was originally going to be in Panama. Tomorrow I will be moving to a town in the province of Chiriquí, on the west side of the country. This will be my home base to travel out to other project sites. It will be a much different experience compared to my previous living situation. I’ll have running water, electricity, and accessible roads, which will make my life much easier.

I knew I wasn’t ready to leave Panama after everything that happened. I’m glad to have this opportunity to continue the work that I had been doing in Nuevo Vigía, now on a larger scale and in a leadership position. This will definitely be another unique adventure to add to all the stories of life in Panama.

Happy Easter!